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We Grind The Future.
When the name Abraxos Holding AG is mentioned, few people know what to make of it. But if you talk about Meister Abrasives or Schmeier, industry insiders know that these terms stand for innovation and technology leaders, once in the tranquil Swiss town of Andelfingen and once in Helmbrechts in Upper Franconia. Both companies can look back on more than 70 years of company history, bundled know-how with different orientations in each case. Once competitors, but since February 2017 under the common umbrella of Abraxos Holding AG and thus more powerful and competent than ever. Already since 2019, Frederik Dresen has been CEO of Abraxos Holding AG and thus responsible for the success of Alfons Schmeier and Meister Abrasvies. Before he was given the responsibility, he was allowed to gain experience in different functions and areas worldwide. For many years he was based in the USA, Shanghai and Hong Kong and was mainly responsible for the marketing and development of power tools and their accessories. Finally, he worked for three years as Vice President at one of the leading suppliers of grinding systems based in Frauenfeld, before being appointed Managing Director by the holding company.
In 2019, you joined the Andelfingen-based company to set the course for "Meister" as well as "Schmeier" for the coming years. At the beginning of 2020, like many other companies, you were mainly in demand as a "crisis manager". How did you experience the start?
Frederik Dresen: Yes, you say it right. It quickly went into crisis management to get through the pandemic. It was a different start than I had actually imagined. Fortunately, however, we were able to use digital exchange media very quickly, so that it was possible to make and implement decisions quickly despite everything. We digitized customer communications very quickly, so there was no big vacuum. Even machine acceptance or test runs were partly carried out using online media so that the customer could be supported as usual.
You are responsible for two companies: Schmeier and Meister. How do the two differ?
Both companies have remained independent in terms of technology and production. That was planned from the very beginning and, in my opinion, it was the right decision. Both companies are innovation and technology leaders and operate in a niche area. In the meantime, however, we are also active in areas that have long since ceased to be niches. Let's think of the semiconductor industry, for example.
If you drive a car with an internal combustion engine, then the probability that the diesel or gasoline injection pump was ground with our grinding tool is very high. In the automotive sector, we have also made a name for ourselves with bearings or coated brake discs. These brake discs need to be ground, and we manufacture the tools for this. Our ambition is to always be one step ahead in the market with our technology, completely in the interest of the customer. We started developing the semiconductor area 12 years ago. Now we have marketable products and can serve customers worldwide. With our production sites in Switzerland, Germany and the USA, we can supply the world market with high-performance tools.
What new products can you report on?
In the reduction of particulate emissions, coated brake discs are an important component of future cars. Here we offer a wide variety of grinding wheel solutions. Among them are grinding wheels with our unique hybrid bond. The hybrid system combines the advantages of the porous ceramic bond with the stability of the metallic bond.
We develop and manufacture all our bond systems ourselves. When finding customized solutions, it is always a matter of finding the right grain-mix-bond combination. This know-how could only be developed due to the long history of the company, through a lot of experience and continuous innovation.
You will see our next product innovation in the semiconductor area for grinding silicon carbide base substrates. Our grinding wheels allow customers to eliminate downstream process steps because our tools already produce surfaces that do not need to be lapped. There is a company video on LinkedIn about this, where you can see how these wheels are made. Our customers are thrilled.
Finally, we would like to mention the fine grinding wheels/honing stones. These are manufactured by Alfons Schmeier. Many commercially available honing stones are sulfurized, which is critical for both machine and man. Our innovative 410A specification delivers the desired product performance completely unsulfurized, a truly sustainable product that has been well received by our customers worldwide.
Where do you see Meister or Schmeier in the coming years?
In the areas in which we are already focusing today - e-mobility, automotive, semiconductors, bearings, medical, then probably no longer just as a niche player. However, we never want to lose sight of our roots. Konrad Meister and Alfons Schmeier have always been family entrepreneurs with heart and soul, and we definitely want to retain this "DNA". The daily personal conversation with colleagues is very important to me. I not only like to be close to product development, but also close to customers and our employees. This will also be the case in the years to come.
Hand on heart: What would you like to change after three years of management?
I think it's always important to be on the ball. The world is always evolving and, especially in the field of surfaces, there are always new materials that need to be honed. Standing still is a step backwards. I.e. change is daily business for me. For example, e-mobility: This is a huge opportunity for us. Although less grinding is required than for vehicles with combustion engines, e-vehicles have many new materials, some of them material combinations, which also have to be precision machined. We are the right people for these grinding challenges. We love these challenges and are highly appreciated by our customers for developing solutions with them early on in the design of the grinding application and grinding machine. At the end of the day, we are product and grinding process developers and our goal is to keep developing new products. Half of our portfolio is completely changed once every five years. This allows us to meet the requirements of a highly dynamic market whose demands on the components to be ground are constantly growing. For example, we work hand in hand with many machine manufacturers. End customers address their requests to the machine manufacturers, who then cooperate with us to find the right solution. Being close to the customer...that is always our primary goal.
How do you see the political and economic situation overall?
The political and economic situation is a major challenge for all of us. Many things have changed, many things have become unpredictable and fragile. Companies and entrepreneurs have no choice but to constantly reorient and adapt. Supply chains also need to be kept under constant review. It is more important than ever to be flexible in order to be able to react quickly. Our production sites in Switzerland, Germany and the USA are designed for rapid response.
Where do you see your passion?
My passion is innovative product solutions that set a benchmark in the industry. Therefore, I am highly motivated, as is the entire team, to always develop new products and find new solutions. Our common "purpose", our common calling, is to design grinding tools for the future. We say to this: "We Grind The Future.".
In addition, as abrasives manufacturers, we also see ourselves as designers of new manufacturing and material technologies with new bonds, with new grits for ever-changing materials. In this way, we are shaping our future together. This is what drives us again and again.