Brandauer has appointed Jürgen Wollbold to expand its European customer base, with a focus on automotive connectors, power grid infrastructure components and EV/thin-gauge laminations across France, Germany and Spain.
Wollbold has more than 30 years of experience in the automotive and medical sectors, with knowledge in product development, stamping and tooling. He will work to strengthen Brandauer’s existing EU relationships and develop opportunities requiring precision component manufacturing.
“We are defying current market trends by actively going out and securing new opportunities in Europe, proving that UK companies can be competitive against rivals in France, Germany and Spain,” commented Rowan Crozier, CEO of Brandauer.
“About £1m of orders are currently shipped to the EU annually and we believe we can almost treble that over the next twelve months. What we needed was a strong presence on the ground and an expert who is multi-lingual, removing language barriers with potential clients.”
He continued: “Jürgen is an industry expert with lots of experience in sectors where our capabilities can really make a difference. He also has significant technical knowledge, which means he can work with customers from initial enquiry into product introductions and scaling into medium to high volumes.”
Wollbold’s proficiency in German, French and English, and B2 proficiency in Spanish will support communication between European customers and Brandauer’s UK production and manufacturing teams. His language capability will also support Design for Manufacturing workshops, and international exhibitions.
Wollbold will represent Brandauer at Micronora at the end of September in France, marking the company’s first appearance at the microtechnology trade fair.
“I have spent many decades working across Europe, primarily in machining, tooling and product development – three areas that fit perfectly with my new role at Brandauer,” continued Jürgen, who has held senior roles at Forvia, Septodont, Centrotec and VMI Industries.
“Just a few weeks in and I’m already adding value by helping customers clarify technical requirements earlier, improve communication and create a more efficient path from first contact. This will help create relevant dialogue around manufacturability, tooling, process stability and long-term production requirements.”
He concluded: “We have identified £5m of new opportunities across the EU and I feel it is more than reasonable to believe we can convert at least half of these, especially those that involve precision stamping, in-house tooling, laminations and press-fit applications.”
Brandauer sends millions of precision components to more than 23 countries every week. While the US, the Middle East and China remain its target markets, the company is increasing its focus on customer growth in the EU.
Source: Brandauer
About Brandauer
Brandauer is a precision metal stamping and tooling company based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Founded in 1862, it manufactures custom stamped metal components and tooling for global customers. The company supplies parts for automotive, electronics, industrial, and engineered product markets. Its customers include original equipment manufacturers and contract manufacturers that require high-precision components. Brandauer provides services that include design support, prototyping, in-house toolmaking, precision stamping, and component logistics. Manufacturing, tooling, and engineering operations are centralized at its Birmingham facility. Brandauer also takes part in workforce development and tooling skills initiatives.