Looking back over 2010 and forward to 2011
At the beginning of a new year it is always good to reflect on the previous year and to consider future plans. At AWL, Technical Director Brand van ‘t Hof is doing just that….
2010 has been a great year! We focused on being a true partner to our customers and helping them stay ahead in automated welding. And we succeeded, despite the recession affecting the first six months, when margins were low, pressure was high and delivery times were short. In a time when a lot of companies decided to downsize, we decided to maintain our staff as we know only too well that the wealth of knowledge and experience our employees possess is too precious a capital to lose.
Of course we felt the effects of the economic crisis, but we maintained a stable position. With all the necessary capabilities within our own company there was no need to outsource any of our activities, which saved valuable time and money.
In hindsight we can say that we made the right decision. Business recovered in the second half of 2010 and our backlog grew to a new record high, which we could not have handled if we had made cuts.
One of the major reasons we had such a successful year was our innovations, especially in laser welding. Not only did we continue to develop our concepts and ideas, but our customers also adopted laser welding as one of their primary joining technologies. And not only did existing customers find their way to Harderwijk; we also welcomed new customers from abroad. That’s a very good sign. The buzz is going around that we understand the needs and wants of the market and that AWL means business.
For the coming year we want to focus on “keeping up”, not only with the demands of our customers, but also with the needs of our own organization. We want to start the year with a personnel increase in some strategic positions and ensure a stable and healthy organization.
Although we certainly didn’t expect the market to recover so quickly, we are convinced the upward trend will continue in 2011. By some large companies announcing huge investments they are showing to have faith in the future, as do we.
Laser welding will remain a focus area, as will the automotive seating segment. But we won’t stop there. We also want to penetrate and dominate other markets in both the automotive and the general sheet metal industries. Therefore we are staying in close contact with our customers and partners so that we know where to go and what to do. As AWL is known for innovation and development, we are now looking for the next big thing. What will be the trend for 2012-2015?
As the fastest growing market we cannot ignore China. Some of our customers even asked us to go there. It is a big market with a huge potential. At the moment we are investigating this market to find the right support model for our global customers.
We can honestly say that in 2010 our recovery has been tremendous, and we are confident we can top that in 2011. We have a great team of enthusiastic, skilled employees, valuable customers and excellent products.
We look forward to doing business with you in 2011.