Magazine

A sales network spans the globe

“Every time I look at a map there are new regions we can supply. We’re already active in over 80 countries,” says Ewald Konrad, Sales Director at Komptech, not without pride and gratitude. “Without reliable local partners we never could have reached this global presence.”

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Ewald Konrad has been with Komptech for 23 years. When he started working for us here in Frohnleiten as a young mechanical engineer, we had just landed our first international customers for the Topturn, and were expanding our portfolio with shredders and our first screeners. Today we offer over 50 machine types. Every working day, on average two machines leave our production plant, and our sales network extends from Australia to Norway and from South Korea to Canada.

Recently Konrad had occasion to again reflect on the distances Komptech machines often travel to get to the customer. He was guest speaker in an auditorium in Adelaide, capital of the Australian state of South Australia, where the AORA association had invited him to speak to an international audience about Komptech’s experience in climate-neutral composting.

Birth of Komptech

Travelling the world is routine for our Sales Director. He’s glad to educate others about the technical possibilities of waste processing in other countries. But the discussion at the AORA conference in Adelaide was different; the 50-year-old Konrad felt a little bit like he had gone back in time. The topic of the event was the Food Organics and Garden Organics directive, or FOGO for short, under preparation in Australia. It will set new framework conditions. Biogenic waste, whether household or commercial, will now have to be collected separately and then treated biologically. “The planning of the FOGO regulation couldn’t help but remind me of the very earliest days of Komptech. It was very similar to the situation in our part of Austria exactly 30 years ago. The mandate to collect biogenic waste separately transformed the disposal industry, and was the initial motivator for the very first Topturn compost turner,” recounts Konrad.

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“I love being right where the action is with our customers, and learning from them.”

Ewald Konrad

Shredders and screens are added

Initially, sales efforts by the freshly founded Komptech company were limited to the German-speaking countries, but soon enough an order came in from Spain, where a solution was needed for composting household waste. The new Topturn line was ideal for the task. Spain was followed by Japan, thanks to a recommendation from right around the corner – a local irrigation systems company that worked with the Japanese company Ryokusan in the early 90s. Japan was one of the first countries to do agricultural composting, and Ryokusan was looking for suitable machinery. Thus, one of the first Topturns made its way to the land of the rising sun. And it wasn’t the last, as Konrad notes: “Japan is one of our most important export markets, and our collaboration with Ryokusan has been very successful over the years.”

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In addition to the Topturn, Komptech sold shredders, drum screens, star screens and ballistic separators with growing success. Konrad: “At some point it became clear that Komptech would have to expand into a more global company. We had already gained lots of experience in composting, the company was established in the industry, and our machines were highly respected for their quality and performance.” It was time to go international. Komptech decided to do it with local sales partners, who were on board with the Komptech idea and would help to implement it. “In each case we seek out a long-term partnership that is successful for both parties,” says Konrad. “This stability creates trust and is the basis for being able to do good work.” Komptech and its partner companies share three key attributes: Faith in sustainable value-creation through modern environmental technology, a commitment to efficient, climate-saving waste processing, and a reputation for quality in their respective markets. As core elements in the worldwide Komptech sales network, the partners are important links to the waste economies of their respective countries, and help adapt our technology and know-how to local conditions. Konrad says he’s very proud that Komptech machines are in use on all continents, including Antarctica. The next big step on the sales map has already been taken – recently a sales partner in Brazil was added, a country with a big need for waste processing machinery.

What sets our sales partners apart

Technical knowledge, full-coverage service infrastructure, a large spare parts warehouse and a team of dedicated specialists for Komptech products are the basic requirements. But in a sales partnership the chemistry also has to work. The partners’ values, culture and vision must be congruent. For us, trust, respect, honesty and an appreciative approach are the foundation of a stable collaboration. Our network is made up of people with a passion for recovering recyclables from waste, and who live and breathe our business.