Leitz GmbH & Co.KG
It all started in Oberkochen/Ostalbkreis, Germany. From 1876 onwards, Albert Leitz took advantage of the proximity to the Royal Swabian Smelting Works and secured high quality steel in order to produce drills, saw blades and axes.
He was convinced that the signs were pointing towards industrialisation and he was right, meaning that he was able to pass to his successors a company producing and selling precision tools worldwide as a premium manufacturer and full range supplier to this day. The company is still based in Oberkochen, but nowadays does business all over the world.
From a small Swabian factory, an internationally operating group of companies has developed, manufacturing at 14 sites on 3 continents and employing around 4000 employees worldwide. Leitz holds 250 patents and forward-looking technologies such as the intelligent tool with RFID chip have made Leitz not only a global market leader, but also an innovation leader.
The fact that Leitz achieved this greatness and importance and is still family-owned is primarily due to Dr. Ing. Dieter Brucklacher. He shaped the group of companies in the last four decades: from 1974 until 2014 he led Leitz as Chairman of the management board, then as a member of the advisory board. He determined the strategic focus of the companies and stood for growth and internationalisation through innovation, progressive technology and quality. Furthermore it was important to him that the customers of the premium manufacturer could receive expert advice locally. To this end, he continuously expanded the network of his own sales and service companies, particularly in emerging areas.
On September 27, 2016, Dr. Dieter Brucklacher passed away. Nowadays his daughter Dr. Cornelia Brucklacher, Chairman of the advisory board of Leitz, determines the strategy of the family-owned company. In the fifth generation, she builds on the values and strategic focus implemented by her father and her ancestors: „The satisfaction of our customers - from small companies up to global industrial enterprises - and their commercial success stood and stand at the heart of our actions in our 140-years-old tradition“, she says.
The great-great-granddaughter of the founder Albert Leitz has clear targets: she wants to expand the position as world market and innovation leader and focus particularly on the technological side of Industry 4.0 and the production network with intelligent tools. Brucklacher also wants to further expand the sales and service network in emerging areas which is so important for customer satisfaction.
Following her father’s values it is important to Dr. Cornelia Brucklacher not only to keep an eye on products and key figures, but also to cultivate a corporate culture - "a culture of responsibility for people, nature, society and environment“, as she says. This culture is shaped by long-term thinking and sustainable actions at Leitz.
This can be seen, for example, in the apprenticeship quota of approximately 10 percent, which is considerably above the average for German companies. Leitz trains young people in commercial, technical and industrial occupations and subsequently employs them all within the company. In additional to traditional vocational training, Leitz also supports Dual Study Courses and external qualification programmes to become a master, technician or engineer.
Since the company’s success is based on the motivation and the knowledge of its employees, Leitz offers them the opportunity to learn continually throughout their whole professional life in their own “workshop for the future”. This offer also includes a worldwide exchange programme between the company sites which gives the employees the chance to gain international experience, develop language skills and get to know other cultures.
Leitz understands that companies are part of society and assume the associated responsibilities. Therefore this family business supports educational partnerships and aid projects in Germany and worldwide. Thanks to its decentralised structure, Leitz is present in numerous locations in the world. The company has put down its roots in these locations – as in Oberkochen, where everything began and where Leitz still has its headquarters today. Leitz is also involved here: 27 years ago the company initiated the international Jazz Festival "Jazz Lights" in Oberkochen and is still significantly involved in its organisation.
Boehlerit GmbH & Co.KG
Hard metals and tools from Boehlerit set standards in the machining of metal, wood, plastic and composite materials. The cutting material and tool specialists from the steel town of Kapfenberg in Styria solve the most demanding machining tasks in materials of the future thanks to their 'proximity to the steel laboratory'. Cutting materials, semi-finished products and precision tools as well as tool systems for milling, turning, drilling and forming ensure process reliability and efficiency worldwide.
Boehlerit's comprehensive product range also includes highly specialised tools for crankshaft machining and for the metallurgical industry for rotary skiving, tube and sheet metal processing and heavy-duty machining.
Another of Boehlerit's strengths is carbides for construction parts and for wear protection. Boehlerit is also globally unique in the field of coating technology, from the world's first nano-CVD bonding layer to the hardest diamond coating. With its many years of expertise in metallurgy, coating technology and state-of-the-art pressing technology, Boehlerit is also a competent development partner for toolmakers.
The Boehlerit brand was founded in 1932 for the carbide production of the steel manufacturer Böhler in Düsseldorf. In 1950, a second carbide production facility was set up in Kapfenberg/Austria, where the Boehlerit Group now has its headquarters. In the meantime, Boehlerit also has production and sales locations in Germany, Spain, Turkey, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Singapore, China, the USA, Poland, Brazil and Mexico. With other exclusive sales partners and together with the Bilz Group, Boehlerit is at home on almost every continent, in over 25 industrialised countries.
Since its privatisation in 1991, Boehlerit has belonged to the Leitz group of companies in Oberkochen/Germany and thus to the current Brucklacher family group of companies (Bilz, Boehlerit and Leitz). 770 experienced employees (500 at the Kapfenberg site) generate an annual turnover of approx. 100 million euros. Boehlerit invests 5% of this directly in research and development. Using state-of-the-art analytical methods and in close co-operation with universities and research institutes, new products are constantly being developed for the cutting and wear protection material carbide. This makes the Boehlerit innovation factory one of the leading international providers of customised solutions and services in demanding areas of application.