Successful for five generations: Schimscha grows with TRUMPF technology

Every day, Katrin Schimscha starts her morning the same way – with breakfast at Grandma Hedwig's. She's been awake since six o'clock and makes sure that not only Katrin, but also her brother, father, uncle, and cousins start the day off right. Three generations, a family breakfast – and, at the same time, a strategic business meal. That's because every morning, the entire executive team of Schimscha GmbH, along with the company's next generation of leadership, gathers in Hedwig Schimscha's living room to enjoy green tea and bread with jam. "The first shop floor meeting of the day takes place at my grandma's house. We meet up there again for lunch together, too," says Katrin Schimscha with a laugh. "The large table is a regular gathering place for discussion, coordination and strategic decisions."

Schimscha GmbH, based in Ravenstein, Baden-Württemberg, manufactures electrical cabinets, empty housings, consoles and machine frames according to individual specifications. "We work with our customers to develop bespoke solutions. We don’t do off-the-peg," explains Katrin Schimscha. While many companies are currently struggling financially, Schimscha is operating at full capacity. "Since we offer only custom solutions made of stainless steel, sheet steel and aluminium, we are significantly more resilient to economic fluctuations. In addition, we have a broad market presence and sell our products to a variety of industries, including the food and pharmaceutical sectors, renewable energies and automation systems. That makes us more independent," says Katrin Schimscha.

Family-oriented, perfectionist, and down-to-earth - that's how the 130-year old company describes itself. What was once a one-man operation is now a successful medium-sized company with 170 employees. With 29-year-old Katrin Schimscha, her brother Dominik, her cousin Jan and his sister Lilli-Sophie, the fifth generation of the Schimscha family is now ready to take the reins – and is bringing a breath of fresh air to the company. Katrin Schimscha says it is essential that everyone pulls together as a family for the company. For her father Michael and her uncle Johannes, this meant consciously letting go and giving their children the freedom to boldly try new things. For the children, this means embracing that trust, valuing the long-standing tradition, and at the same time helping to further develop the company with new ideas.

This attitude is also reflected in the company’s investment strategy. To remain competitive in the long term, the company invests continuously, even when the overall economic situation doesn't look very promising. "It is only through modern technologies and structures that we can continuously improve and safeguard our competitiveness," says Katrin Schimscha with conviction. "As a family-owned business, we don’t think in terms of quarters, but in terms of generations." High-tech combined with time-tested methods. This also applies to new machines. The company buys them exclusively from TRUMPF, and has always done so. "My 86-year-old grandfather still waxes lyrical about the good old days with the TRUMPF hand nibbler. On the other hand, when I see the state-of-the-art TruMatic punch laser machines we have here today, which we use for forming, thread cutting, punching and laser cutting, it gives us a huge competitive advantage in custom manufacturing. "These are technologies that my great-great-grandfather could only dream of 130 years ago." Consolidating the production steps reduces turnaround times, increases productivity, and enables Schimscha to cost-effectively meet individual customer requirements, especially in the field of bespoke housing construction, where orders change frequently.

In addition to two TruMatic 7000 machines and one TruMatic 6000, the company's machine pool now includes a TruBend Cell 5000 automated bending cell and an automated laser welding system, the TruLaser Robot 5020. In addition, Schimscha uses numerous TRUMPF bending machines, including three TruBend 5230 models equipped with the ToolMaster Pro automatic tool changer.

Automation is particularly important for family-owned businesses when dealing with larger production volumes. "Without automated processes using press brake or welding robots, cost-effective production in Germany, a high-wage country, would be virtually impossible in many sectors. They also make our processes more stable and predictable," emphasises Katrin Schimscha. When it comes to bending, the company reduces its setup times through the use of products including the ToolMaster. The Schimscha experts optimised this in collaboration with TRUMPF as part of a development partnership. A key element for Schimscha is that is deliberately employs two production methods: automated processes for larger volumes and manual production for bespoke solutions, right down to single-unit lot sizes. In this way, the company combines efficiency with the flexibility required for the manufacture of bespoke housings.

For the Schimscha family, quality plays a crucial role even when selecting machines. After all, the technology used forms the basis of the company’s product quality: "We deliver quality that’s 'Made in Baden-Württemberg'. The machines must also meet this requirement. It's not just about the system itself, but about the total package: tools, process reliability, service quality and prompt support when problems arise. That's why TRUMPF is the right partner for us – one we've grown alongside over many years – in keeping with our philosophy 'A rolling stone gathers no moss!'"

When asked about the secret to this growth, she says, "Our team spirit and our can-do attitude! At Schimscha, we're a great team. We work closely together and pull in the same direction." And, of course, the 85-year-old senior boss, aka "Grandma Hedwig", is our secret ingredient. Incidentally, she doesn't just provide the family with meals; she also sometimes bakes a cake for when customers come calling. And in the evening, she makes her rounds once more across the company’s approximately 23,000-square-metre premises, locks the factory gates and turns off the lights.