“There’s still a lot of demand in the wire & cable market” - Interview with M. Stock (STRECKER)

For those yet unfamiliar, STRECKER is a German company that designs and manufactures welding equipment for the wire and cable industry. Being in contact with many different firms worldwide, it is a privileged interlocutor to feel the pulse of the current market situation. We interviewed Managing Partner Michael Stock, taking the opportunity to assess together the latest results for his company, which is celebrating an impressive anniversary this year. 

-Let’s look back together at 2022. How would you define it in a word?
Challenging!

- Considering a general slowdown in economic trade, have you noticed a decline in orders in the last period?
No, our worldwide customer base and our strength in the non-ferrous cable market protected us from a short-term slowdown.

- Have you completed any significant projects recently (new products, collaborations, relevant deliveries)?
We have finished our first modernization project on cold welding machines. It is a growing market, and we want to be ready for increasing demands. For the cable production, we just delivered yet another welder type MK1200-FPC for up to 3000 mm2 copper conductors (submarine cables).

- What are the main target sectors of your products? What is the typical profile of your customer?
For decades, we've been supporting the wire and cable industry in many fields of their production. Other clients out of this circle are automotive manufacturers, e.g., in the field of mass-production welding.

- From your point of view, what is the state of health of the wire and cable business today? What are the most promising international markets for you?
It continues to be a challenging market with still much need, particularly in regions like Southeast Asia, the Americas, and North Africa.

- How are you positioned in relation to your competitors? Where do they come from, and what are your relationships with these companies?
Innovation, quality, and a reliable, trustful relationship with our customers differentiate us from our internationally operating competitors. STRECKER develops and modifies welding machines along with customers’ demands – in close communication with their production. That helps them to keep their focus on their core business. We care – even after the actual machine sale, we are by our customers’ side. This includes our worldwide service-level agreements, too.

- The end of the year was marked by the loss of Strecker’s long-time managing director, Mr. Dipl.-Ing. Rainer Stock. Leaving the private sphere aside, what is his greatest legacy to the company?
My father was sincere throughout the years and kept the company on track. It is one of the reasons why STRECKER has been valued by customers as a reliable partner for decades.

- STRECKER turns 90 in 2023! How will you celebrate this anniversary, and what are the challenges ahead for the year?
We'll celebrate the 90th anniversary with all our employees and their families at our production facility here in Limburg/Germany in early July. In 2023, we will still have to deal with material shortages of some components and high freight rates. Hopefully, this will return to normal in the second half of the year.

We join in this wish, extending our congratulations of happy birthday to this historic company.

Stay tuned for more updates about STRECKER, and feel free to contact the corporate staff via the references on the side.