Jürgen Köppel : 2016 was a very good year for Leitz, however the death of Dr. Brucklacher was really a bad thing for the company because he was the mastermind behind Leitz. However, we believe, Leitz is a family business and therefore the family is fully supporting the Leitz business and the development of Leitz was quite successful and there is a very solid base created by the family and also the daughter of Dr Brucklacher is in the business since a very long time and is supporting the management and to the development of Leitz. A lot of people recognized this and therefore we received this top 5 family run businesses and we are actually at position number 198 and this was checked over more than 10 years so it is a very continuous success which is behind the name of Leitz.

Jürgen Köppel : Talking about the BrillianceCut, the important aspect is that you are working with acrylic material. Normally we do the cutting process, then we do the sanding process and afterwards polishing. But with these special designed sawblades, we can replace completely or exclude completely the grinding and sanding process. That means directly after cutting we can use the polishing process and have excellent surface. This also applies to, for example, materials like collians which is of great help to our customers.

Jürgen Köppel :The collaboration is very important for both the partners. We see an opportunity on customer side and I think it is very important that the machine builder are working together with the tool manufacturer working together in order to give the customers adequate solutions. Because customers are asking for solutions in order to get the products, and not for machines or tools, they will grab solutions, answers to their challenges and turn them into opportunities.

Jürgen Köppel : As usually before LIGNA, it is a world’s biggest industrial exhibition and therefore the expectations are high! It goes without saying. The economics surrounding are quite well and so we think we have a good chance to have a successful LIGNA. For us, from Leitz, we put a new slogan for the LIGNA. And this is for Leitz, the slogan is, Solutions in New Dimensions! We want to show the customers, solution-productive solution which show productivity, flexibility, but there are also environmental friendly ideas and all these things, we want to show during the LIGNA.

Jürgen Köppel : I think that’s the big advantage of LIGNA. LIGNA is listening to the customers, and also to the exhibitors. So LIGNA is always be successful. Normally everyone would think, why shall we change! But we think this is the right time to change, the handcraft, are not assisting the small and medium sized companies anymore. Automation and also networked production are always software based things that applies to small and medium sized customers the and this is the right time to change, and so I am very happy they are doing it in 2017 and I am very sure that will bring success to the organisers, to exhibitors and most importantly the end customers.