in December 2023

New organisational structures put the focus on the customer

As CEO of the SERTO Group, Andreas Mühlthaler takes a look ahead to the future of the group of companies. He talks about the corporate vision, key guidelines and values and sheds light on important solutions and markets. All of these facets together form the framework for new and more agile organisational structures that will go live from 2023.

Despite the global crises, 2022 was a very successful year for the SERTO Group. Can you briefly summarise this in figures?

The pandemic and lockdowns, the war in Ukraine and volatile prices on the stock markets, tense supply chains and the energy crisis have put a strain on our day-to-day business, as they have on countless other companies. And yet we can be pleased to report total sales of CHF 88 million and an increase in sales of more than 10%. We are proud of this result, as it demonstrates the attractiveness of our products and services. We in management are also proud of and grateful to our employees, whose commitment and loyalty have made this possible. To paraphrase Aristotle: "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." SERTO now has almost 300 employees worldwide, based in Europe and Asia.

What's next? Where will the journey take us in the next five years?

Our vision is very clear: SERTO is an open, international company. We want to continue to develop and grow over the next few years. We will grow quantitatively and, more importantly for me, qualitatively. Our plans include expanding our production and logistics space, modernising existing production machines, digitalising processes, recruiting more employees and establishing and expanding our international presence in a targeted manner. To this end, we observe and analyse national and international markets, evaluate new technologies and rely on continuous dialogue with customers in order to understand their needs and requirements even better. The aim is to build long-term relationships with all stakeholders, with agility and flexibility as the guiding principles. This enables us to respond and adapt to changing framework conditions or social and geopolitical changes.

SERTO connections are extremely universal and are used in applications across all industries. Do you see any key areas in the future?

SERTO connects worlds. We want to continue to bring this guiding principle to life in the future and offer fittings, valves, couplings etc. for users of all kinds who want to save time, space and weight and have high quality standards. We offer special expertise, additional solutions and services for the following four industries, which will be the focus of our market development. The semiconductor industry places high demands on the purity of the components used. Here we supply cleaned screw connection components packaged in our clean room or bent tubing with orbitally welded components. Chemical resistance and the purity of the units play a major role in the pharmaceutical and medical sector when it comes to transporting, portioning, measuring or temperature-controlling gases, chemicals or pharmaceutical products. We offer a full range and bent tubes for pipes that transport liquid or gaseous media for the transport industry in public transport, trains and ships. And SERTO offers the right material for the future market of renewable energies: non-electrically conductive PVDF for cooling with ultra-pure water with the corresponding hoses and tubes, stainless steel for thermally stressed applications and aluminium for cooling applications.

The key point of materials. Will SERTO be focussing on certain product ranges in the future?

Standing still is a step backwards and of course we are gradually adapting the product range to changing customer requirements. The number four is magical. Not only do we have four focus sectors, we also have four product families that are particularly close to our hearts, which we are increasingly positioning on the market. Firstly, stainless steel and secondly, PVDF in the materials sector. Thirdly, in the system provider area, bent pipes for customised applications and fourthly, ready-to-install assemblies are important focal points.

From hard facts to soft skills. What values are decisive for the way the SERTO Group thinks and acts?

We believe in Switzerland as a headquarters location, now and in the future. Metaphorically speaking, I would say that the SERTO Group ticks like a Swiss clockwork. Punctuality, a high level of quality awareness, reliability and sustainability are core values across all hierarchical levels and form the basis of our actions. They guarantee our above-average customer satisfaction. Above all, our brand stands with the people. They should come first at SERTO. The employees carry the company, take responsibility and ensure that the vision is further developed and realised. Each individual should feel comfortable and proud of SERTO. Customers receive courteous and competent advice and are served quickly thanks to high availability. In short: the customer is at the centre of everything we do.

Is this also reflected in the organisational structure?

Yes, absolutely. Since January 2023, we have been adapting our internal organisational structure, including our decision-making and communication channels. Previously, our structure was strictly organised by country or national company and was therefore relatively rigid. Not least due to the increased internationalisation in recent years, the organisation needs to follow suit. The new multi-line structure is consistently orientated towards the customer and is based on their wishes. Contact persons and experts per region and customer are now the central communication hubs. The two product lines EXMAR (DIN fittings with cutting ring) and SERTO (clamping ring with the unique radial principle) continue to grow together. This enables us to offer different types of connections for comprehensive solutions. New sales divisions are, for example, Division Europe, Division International or Division Key Account. These new units can be developed in a targeted manner and support and improve each other in order to provide our customers with even closer and more competent support.

Are there any other innovations in customer service?

Over the last ten years, one-to-one support for key customers has become much more important for us. Key account management already existed to some extent in the past, sometimes informally. We will now roll out this comprehensive support across the board so that the customer receives the best possible support. Our key account managers work together with the customer to develop ready-to-install, customised complete solutions, assemblies and special parts. The key account manager has access to a cross-disciplinary team from technology, engineering, product management and procurement.

What do you expect from the new organisational structure?

Customer "first". We can offer our customers even more comprehensive support, advice and assistance in the first place. We are closer to the customer. Internally, it creates synergies. The new concept is based on a committee of several heads from all departments and relies on their professional expertise. This gives us in management more security in our decision-making and at the same time frees us up for new strategies.