After a successful US and Mexico Sales Meeting in Orlando, Florida to begin 2022, the WIKUS Global Group returned to the beautiful weather of Orlando, Florida for their meeting at the beginning of the second quarter. It was the first “in-person” Global strategic meeting in a very long time. It was a welcome reminder, that while technology is a power tool in connecting people, we are still humans that long for that interpersonal connection.
While the meeting revolved around alignment of strategic efforts on a global scale, at the same time there was a focus on local needs. The detailed presentations from every region kicked off the dialogue and in-depth conversations about the present, near and long-term expectations and goals.
There were many interesting take-aways, for you dear reader, as the concerns in North America, are not deviating much with the ones from around the world. As closely connected as humanity is, the businesses around the world mirror this closeness, in the similar challenges each business faces. For each WIKUS entity around the globe, these challenges are felt and seem to parallel the challenges we are up against in North America. Regardless of the geographic location, language, or culture, the main concerns that reverberated were global supply chains and logistics, geopolitical influences, and human capital or talent. Topics that we all have to identify with and proactively approach to minimize their effects and eventually overcome them. While some of the points are the result of the Pandemic fallout from the past two years, the challenge of finding human talent seemed to be the biggest surprise. Surprise, in the fact that we have been dealing with this topic for multiple years now in North America, with seemingly no relief in sight. In the exchange of information at the meeting, the group learned that these trends are not isolated to North America but instead can be seen across the Globe. Unified in facing similar challenges, together we can look for new ways to attract and retain talent.
Dialogue further focused on how WIKUS can position ourselves at the center of the band sawing world, while as an organization remaining in continuous motion. Various industries and the new applications were discussed, such as the electric vehicle/automotive world, 3D printing world, renewable energies, and new developments in this industry. As industries evolve and new application challenges are presented, WIKUS will be deeply involved in continuing the quest for the right sawing solutions, the results of which will directly support our growth goals related to the WIgrow25 plan.
Investment into our facilities is key in further complementing The WIgrow plan. In Spangenberg, Germany, existing production lines have been further optimized and new lines added, to handle the demand for high quality band saw blades. In the coming years, investment plans are in place committing multi million Euros to future improvements, with the focus on scaling capacities to the tangible forecasts for Global demand.
On the product side, we recently made modification to our branding in our Bimetal product offering, to promote and broaden our powerful brands and their recognition. We have concentrated all other names from Level I and II into PRIMAR®, MARATHON® and PROFLEX®, highlighting these products as the foundation in the general-purpose arena, as well as the bridge into production operations.
Aligning ourselves with the recent acceleration of digital technology, WIKUS has proactively redesigned our virtual presence with new features and a fresh look. We invite you to get a glimpse of the future in our Virtual 3D World. Please visit and enjoy exploring at https://showroom.wikus.de . A 3D world that will provide you with a complete insight of the WIKUS bandsaw blades. Utilize 3D function to spin and zoom features to your liking. Find the intricacies and special features of your WIKUS products. As we continue to further develop our virtual presence, there will be more new additions coming in the future.
All who attended this long overdue, in-person, Global CEO meeting, found it to be a fantastic experience, which further inspired and challenged everyone to reach new heights! Unified by shared experiences, there was a solidarity felt among the group. A renewed enthusiasm and fresh perspective to be filtered through to the rest of the WIKUS team across the globe! Although the last years have tested us with the unprecedented, WIKUS still remained precedent, a company in continuous motion, positioned for growth and ready to service our customers!
