#Industry News
Press release: BIG KAISER announces record turnover in 2017
Growth surpassing 20% driven by improved logistics, innovative value-adding products and growing sales team
BIG KAISER, a global leader in premium high-precision tooling systems and solutions for the metalworking industries, announces that its 2017 turnover hit record highs, surging by more than 20%.
"I'm delighted that we achieved such outstanding sales results, recording noticeable growth across all major regions, with particularly strong gains in southern Europe," says Taku Ichii, CEO at BIG KAISER. "The key has been to provide new, innovative products demanded by our customers, combined with efficient logistics and a focus on growing our highly-trained and motivated sales force."
Mr Ichii took over the reins at BIG KAISER in March 2017, bringing many years of international management experience and a drive for success. His focus has been on further expanding the company's existing reputation and leadership in the metalworking market.
State-of-the-art logistics
To help meet the growing demands of customers, in May 2017, BIG KAISER's parent company, BIG DAISHOWA Seiki Co. Ltd., completed the construction of a new logistics and distribution centre. This 12,000 m² facility houses an inventory of some 1,500,000 products and 15,000 unique part numbers. This new warehouse is highly automated and built upon Industry 4.0 principles, enabling BIG KAISER to increase stock availability and reduce shipping times in Europe.
The company has invested heavily into building up its European sales team and training its service engineers and business partners. By focusing on both the technical and customer service aspects, this programme helped to improve the depth, scope and responsiveness of the already professional support provided throughout Europe.
The year 2017 also saw the launch of a new BIG KAISER catalogue that enables up-to-date online stock checking, significantly improving the customer experience by enabling orders and quotes to be made at the click of a mouse.
Innovative Industry 4.0 products
To further consolidate its strong position in the market, in 2017, BIG KAISER launched a series of innovative products. One major highlight was the EWE, a flagship Industry 4.0 product, the first in a new generation of digital boring heads with wireless connectivity. The EWE connects to BIG KAISER's user-friendly smartphone and tablet app, enabling simpler monitoring and configuration of borings heads during setup and operation. The intuitive app, combined with BIG KAISERS's efficient product management and stock control helped customers to smoothly transition over from the existing EWD range to the innovated EWE, with hundreds of sales booked to date. The prototype next-generation EWA automatic fine boring tool was showcased at the EMO trade show in September 2017, demonstrating that the developers at BIG KAISER are busy making great products even better.
A key factor driving recent product development has been the company's strategic in-house electronics R&D lab that seeks to synthesise BIG KAISER machining tools with modern information technologies to create powerful Industry 4.0 cyber-physical systems. Examples include various digital display and measuring systems setting new standards for accuracy, safety and production efficiency. "We intend to leverage our unique in-house developed technologies to provide synergistic solutions for the increasingly digitalized workshop environments of the future," noted Taku Ichii.
Setting industry standards
Through 2017, the BIG-PLUS spindle and tooling system has gained considerable ground to establish itself as a de-facto industry standard, with growing market penetration of BIG-PLUS tool holders. Customers recognize BIG-PLUS as the only system that provides simultaneous taper and flange contact between the machine spindle and the tool holder, the BIG-PLUS solution is superior to other spindle designs - even to conventional "dual contact" because BIG-PLUS is the only simultaneous contact system controlled by the same gauges of spindle and toolholders, which can deliver world-class precision and efficiency.
Latest technologies at industry events
The highlight event for BIG KAISER was the EMO in Hannover, September 2017. The company's largest ever trade show booth of 320m2 exhibited an extensive product range with many professionals on hand to provide information to visitors, generating a record number of sales enquiries.
In the sweltering heat of the Swiss summer, BIG KAISER held its own open days event, to showcase the installation and launch of its new smart factory facility. By year's end, this new factory had completed over 5000 production hours. BIG KAISER's first ever 'Smart Factory Days' were attended by hundreds of Swiss customers.
BIG KAISER also ran four successful Industry 4.0 training events. Live hands-on demonstrations and presentations explained how to interconnect innovative manufacturing, logistics and administration systems.
In 2018, BIG KAISER will be celebrating its 70th anniversary and looks set to continue on its path of success.
