Thomas Krauze, Sales Manager Central Region

Thomas Krauze, Sales Manager Central Region

  • Business areas: Application technology and metering systems for powder and wet paint and adhesive systems, drying technology.
  • Target groups: Industry
  • Employees: over 7,500 worldwide
  • Annual sales: > $2 billion
  • What is your summary for fiscal 2020, what were your expectations at the end of 2019?

Nordson has always been able to achieve record results in recent years. It was therefore logical to aim for another record in fiscal 2020. We just missed our target, however, it can be said that our expectations and strategy for challenging projects were fully realized. Despite the pandemic, we were able to be there for our existing customers right from the start and have also been able to support our new customers in close exchange on site and digitally. Our laboratory is open for tests throughout the day, and the challenge was to communicate the excellent test results digitally with as much detail as possible. That, too, worked smoothly for us right from the start.

  • How has Corona affected your industry and how has the pandemic affected trends and developments that prevailed up to that point, for example in the technology sector? To what extent did the Corona year cause standstill, or where might it even have sparked a new dynamic?

It has shown that we have been able to be 100% there for our customers thanks to our high level of flexibility and commitment, and on the other hand we have all remained healthy. We have also expanded our staff during this time in order to provide an even better and closer customer service.

  • Apart from the pandemic, were there any anomalies/developments in 2020 that you did not expect?

Apart from the pandemic, there was nothing noticeable. However, during it we took the time to look at processes differently, had to work remotely and keep production running from the home office. And this will drive the need for further automation and standardization.

  • To what extent do developments in the international political arena - such as pandemic-related restrictions, import tariffs, trade restrictions or political instability - influence your forecasts?
    • What role does the US presidential election play?
    • What role does the Brexit play?

We think Europe as a whole needs to become more independent from the rest of the world. This means that more goods that were previously bought in other parts of the world will have to be produced in Europe. However, to be competitive, we will need products that offer added value. Innovation will be the key here.

  • Which sales markets are particularly interesting for you at the moment? On which international sales markets do you want to focus even more in the future?

As a global player, Nordson is already very well positioned worldwide in all areas. Europe is becoming more and more important for us and we want to successively expand this with outstanding products and excellent customer service.

  • What role did the topics of optimization, resource efficiency and digitalization (Industry 4.0, BigData, Predictive Maintenance) play in 2020? How do you assess the priority for the next few years and has this assessment changed as a result of the pandemic?

The pandemic has revealed general weaknesses that we all need to work on as quickly as possible. Just think about schools, home offices, etc., there is still a lot of room for improvement. We, at Nordson, have always thought one step ahead, so it's not difficult for us to talk about digitalization, Industry 4.0, predictive maintenance, etc. - all topics that we have already implemented and are already working on.

  • How do you assess further economic development, for 2021 and the following years?
    • What strategies are you pursuing in this regard, where do you see your company and the industry in three years?

Nordson HDLV technology has been gaining more and more acceptance since its launch. The most important advantage of HDLV technology is consistent powder output over very long periods of time at a wide variety of settings. This results in increased coating efficiency with reduced powder consumption. Coating quality - even on parts that are difficult to coat - is significantly improved, and production speed is increased. A dense phase system designed to meet customer requirements, including Encore HD pump, hoses and specially developed spray gun, can also provide other benefits, such as faster color change, reduction of color carryover and more uniform coating thickness distribution. The system has proven itself over many years, and the task now is to further expand the technological advantage.

  • What priorities and development goals are on the agenda for your company in 2021?
    • What are your expectations for the coming year?

We see the challenges in reducing inventories, short throughput times, a high degree of automation for optimal, high-quality production, and networked machines that optimize themselves and offer the best possible support to the operator (e.g. maintenance work should be reported automatically and necessary wear and spare parts requested). These points are at the top of our agenda when developing new products.

  • In which areas are you planning changes and/or investments?

As in recent years, our focus is on resource-saving production processes, through the use of more and more automatic and robotic technology. We want more efficient applications that will ultimately reduce consumption, both of the material to be processed and of energy and compressed air. In addition, extensive automation will support and reduce the workload on personnel.