Gerhardt Rethinks Business Approach

Published: July 12, 2005, By pffc-online.com

PRESS RELEASE

KASTRUP, DENMARK—While celebrating its 50th year, Gerhardt Intl. began to rethink it’s whole approach to business.“We had lost our leading position in the marketplace and had neglected investments that would have enabled us to truly lead the way into the next century”, says MD Klaus Damberg. The company developed its One Company Philosophy aimed at bringing together the wealth of experience that existed within the global Gerhardt network of offices and production facilities into a single unit.

The next step was to switch from a product-based selling strategy to an application-based strategy. Rather than expect customers to always pick the correct tool Gerhardt suggests the most suitable tooling, based on providing the most Cost Efficient Cutting Tool (CECT) for the job.

Gerhardt also initiated the Gerhardt Academy, aimed at boosting knowledge across the group and also with the beginning of a lean manufacturing program. The lean process began in the production facility at Gerhardt Derby, and has encompassed the whole of the site, not just production.

The company also has added over 40 production staff in Denmark. In the United Kingdom, it has appointed a new sales director, operations director, and production manager at the Derby plant, as well as 20 production staff alongside the investments currently being made within the factory. The company boasts new machinery as well as a new layout and opening of a repair and resharpening facility.

To learn more, visit gerhardt.net.