Interview with Martin Sprung, Marketing & Business Development Manager at ZCC Cutting Tools Europe GmbH, a developer and producer of highly productive tool solutions that are sold worldwide.

IndustryArena: Mr Sprung, Given your long company history and global presence, how has ZCC Cutting Tools evolved and adapted to ever-changing requirements over the years?

Martin Sprung:  Since its foundation, ZCC Cutting Tools Europe has actually developed continuously and in line with the specific requirements and customer expectations of the various markets in Europe. The sales network has grown with branches in the UK (2018) and France (2018) as well as the expansion of the field service and application technology team in Germany. A test and demonstration centre (2019) and the logistics centre in the immediate vicinity of the airport at the European HQ in Düsseldorf are examples of this development, as is the ongoing expansion of the product and service range. With its own European R&D department in Düsseldorf, our company is investing in new solutions that meet the specific requirements of European customers even better. This is done in close co-operation and coordination with the European product management and, of course, the team in China. In addition to standard solutions, we are also increasingly offering customised tools for individual customer requirements. Sustainable customer loyalty through customer satisfaction is a key element of the company's success to date. For the future, ZCC Cutting Tools Europe will continue to focus on the highest product quality and product performance with an attractive price/performance ratio, excellent service and a 24-hour delivery promise for Central Europe.

 

You are using the most advanced production technologies. Can you briefly explain how these technologies help you to offer products of consistently high quality?

ZCC Cutting Tools is one of the few companies in the world that has the entire value chain within the Group. This enables us to ensure not only the highest but also consistent performance and quality of the end products for our customers. The machinery and equipment at our production plants is at the cutting edge of production technology worldwide and our certified processes are, of course, continuously monitored and further developed. Our close proximity to customers in Europe ensures that we are aware of the high demands and expectations of this target group and actively incorporate them into the ongoing development of our production technologies.

 

Research and development is a top priority at ZCC-CT. What are the latest innovations in your product portfolio?

Based on customer requirements resulting from technological changes, adjustments to materials, etc., we continue to develop products and product families or launch entire product families as world premieres on the European markets. One recent example of this was the new modular grooving system zFlex, which was completely designed in Düsseldorf. We usually present our innovations twice a year in specially designed new product catalogues. We are currently pleased to announce that we will be launching our new hydro expansion toolholder zClamp this month. Using hydraulic expansion technology, the tool holder offers the most efficient and safest solution for holding tools in place, thereby reducing tool wear immensely. We are also already planning our new products catalogue 09/24 for AMB in Stuttgart, where we will once again be presenting highlights from various application areas. Stay tuned and follow our social media profile on LinkedIn!

 

Does ZCC Cutting Tools Europe, based in Düsseldorf, operate largely autonomously in terms of strategic decisions or is it in constant consultation with the parent company in China?

Both and. In Düsseldorf, we are responsible for corporate development on the European markets. This is why the expectations and developments within the target groups in Europe are the decisive benchmark for us. We constantly analyse these and condense them into requirements for products, performance and quality features. Success is achieved through dialogue and good cooperation within the global teams. And we have already mentioned the importance of the availability of raw materials, production technologies and optimised processes for customer solutions in Europe.

 

How have ZCC-CT's presence and activities in Europe developed since 2003 and what are your goals for the future in this region?

The answer to the first part of the question is continuous and stable. ZCC Cutting Tools Europe continues to focus on sustainable growth. We pursue medium and long-term goals and do not allow ourselves to be driven by the quarterly rush. Over a period of 20 years, this has proven to be the right approach and very successful, certainly also because it corresponds to the management culture of many of our current and future customers. This quickly brings us to an important common denominator with key target groups.

 

In conclusion, can you describe in one sentence what makes ZCC Cutting Tools so special and sets it apart from the competition?

Would you like to hear what we consider to be our key USPs? We have already talked about the unique availability of resources and expertise along the entire value chain. Then there is ZCC Cutting Tools Europe's corporate philosophy of placing customer satisfaction at the centre of our business activities, not only through products and solutions, but also through service and personal advice. The decisive factor here is that our colleagues, the people, make the difference with their professional expertise and service-orientation! We are still there for our customers personally and locally when we are needed.

 

Mr Sprung, thank you very much for your time and the interesting conversation.

 

For more information about ZCC Cutting Tools Europe click here.