Hand in hand towards further growth!


Over 80 participants at the Ersa International Sales Meeting in Wertheim

Participants at the Ersa ISM 2018 – seen here during a visit to the Kurtz Ersa central warehouse; Photo: Daniel Hartel (Kurtz Holding)
  
 

Wertheim, 27.09.2018
On 25 September, at 9 am on the dot, Ersa General Sales Manager Rainer Krauss greeted over 80 participants from all around the world to the three-day 2018 International Sales Meeting in Wertheim am Main. Every second year, the No. 1 system supplier for electronics manufacturing holds its sales meeting, setting out the milestones on the common march route. For the first time, this year’s event was attended by participants from all five continents – proof of the Group’s worldwide significance. For Ersa’s business partners, this is much more than just a mandatory event, but rather an opportunity to obtain the latest information at first hand and enjoy an exchange of views with other representatives – the ISM is the meeting place for the Ersa family which, with its common objectives, constitutes a close partnership, making it a major success factor!

 

Rainer Krauss, in his capacity as General Sales Manager – supported by Hansjürgen Bolg, Sales Manager Tools, Rework & Inspection – got participants attuned to the motto of the meeting, which will dictate activities for the coming years: “Common Corporate Growth”, or to put it simply: continuing to grow together! The last eight years saw growth of around € 100 million – this is by no means to be regarded as the final destination; rather it is the starting point for further, even more dynamic development in the next five years. To this end, enormous investments have been made, for example in the new Kurtz Ersa central warehouse which has already been in operation since July, and a new production site in Wertheim. Right across the road from the existing company headquarters, Ersa will be able to boast a further production area of 4,600 m2 by the end of 2019. This will represent an adaptation of the infrastructure to both past and future growth. The expansion of the Demo Centre will also be concluded by the end of 2018, allowing us to show customers the possibilities of Ersa technologies even more clearly – among other things with a focus on digitalisation and automation – important market drivers in electronics manufacturing.

And the Ersa Team also continues growing to ensure that the increasing number of assignments can be tackled without undue delay and in accordance with customer requirements, in the highest of quality. Managing Director Ralph Knecht, who has been on board at Ersa since October 2017 and for whom it was the first ISM: “In recent years we have displayed fantastic growth with a strong team, have outstanding products as a positive competitive basis and numerous innovations in the pipeline which will ensure the continued growth of the Ersa family in the next five years. I would like to thank all for you for your dedicated work in your own market and your active participation here – and a word of thanks also goes to the two divisions, Tools and Machines, for the terrific organisation of the meeting!“

During the three densely-packed days, the roadmap for Ersa’s business was also presented. Rainer Krauss, head of sales at Ersa, put it succinctly: “We are the only system supplier in electronics manufacturing with a worldwide operating range and worldwide standards in service – that is why we will achieve the growth we are striving for with our subsidiaries, among them Mexico, the US and Asia, and of course with you as our business partners. This worldwide network enables us to install systems at any location on earth and provide the corresponding support“.

Despite a wealth of input with innumerable lectures, there was still time for a more social gathering – on the first evening, participants all went out to dinner in the castle, Burg Wertheim. A wonderful location in which it was easy to strike up a conversation in a relaxed atmosphere. The second evening was the icing on the cake for the ISM – back to the roots of the Kurtz Ersa Group: to the Eisenhammer in Hasloch, the origins of the almost 240-year success story. As darkness fell, the historic Hammerschmiede was magnificently illuminated – even if the evening did become quite cool once the sun went down, there was one great way to stay warm: a lavish barbecue with a salad buffet. And of course, from 8:30 pm on, the three-piece classic-rock band Mallet heated up the atmosphere for the ISM participants and kept the Eisenhammer rocking with songs of their own and classics from Depeche Mode, Foo Fighters, Midnight Oil and ZZ Top. For a short time, salesman Ernie Grice – Vice President of the US subsidiary Kurtz Ersa, Inc. – morphed into a fourth band member with amazing energy and vocal chords throbbing with the sound of rock. Things only came to an end after three sets at around 11:30 pm. Next day, following a hands-on workshop, the satisfied participants set off for home – with luggage that included a flash drive with all the presentations, current figures, data and facts for future business – ideally prepared to lift the Ersa family together to the next level!