Lorch Schweißtechnik is starting into the future under a new management
“It’s the perfect combination that we were hoping for,” Wolfgang Grüb, former managing partner of Lorch Schweißtechnik, summarises after Japanese DAIHEN Group joined the company. Joint projects including implementation of a new compact welding cell and strengthening of the systems business together with DAIHEN subsidiary Femitec have already been implemented. The official handover to the new managing directors Jens Gauder and Norihito Takahashi, who has been on board at management level since January, is planned for the Lorch summer party on 12 July. Wolfgang Grüb, the company’s manager of more than four decades, is going to remain associated with the company in an advisory capacity.
“I am more than happy with how things have turned out. We have already achieved a great deal in just a few months and there is enormous potential for the future.” Wolfgang Grüb is very positive about the nine months that have passed since DAIHEN first joined Lorch Schweißtechnik. As suggested at the press conference in September 2023 already, the joint working rounds proved that the two companies’ DNA is an excellent match. “Customer proximity is a top priority for both companies; the two sides supplement each other perfectly with technical expertise to meet future requirements in the welding industry, and both parties show equal appreciation of their employees, teams, customers, and the best customer solution,” says Grüb.
Initial results of the successful merger have already become evident. The first joint compact welding cell that comprises a DAIHEN robot cell and a Lorch power source was presented in the automation area. Commitment to specific customer solutions in the Cobot sector has been expanded as well. In cooperation with Femitec – the company based in Neusäß near Augsburg was incorporated into DAIHEN Group in 2022 – the product range is going to be significantly expanded to include customised system integration solutions in future as well. The two companies will also benefit from each other’s extensive technical expertise in development of new welding systems and welding processes.
Wolfgang Grüb is going to pass the baton to the new managing directors Jens Gauder and Norihito Takahashi at the Lorch summer party in Auenwald on 12 July after more than four decades. The two of them are going to be supported by a young, dynamic team that has grown with Lorch and is ready to face the tasks ahead of them. The company thus achieves great continuity and is going to continue the values that have turned it into a market leader in welding technology. Wolfgang Grüb says: “I believe in the new team and am delighted about their passion for the subject. I trust that they will work together to cultivate an excellent team culture and maintain a down-to-earth attitude, without growing vain in the light of great successes or hiding as soon as the going gets rough.”
Norihito Takahashi, who took over as managing director of Lorch Schweißtechnik GmbH on 15 January 2024, emphasises: “We are more than happy with our cooperation to date. We are highly confident in Lorch welding technology as a brand.” The first joint results in development, production, and sales were achieved very quickly. The company is certain that it will be able to further expand the position of both companies in Asia and Europe thanks to Lorch’s technical expertise and excellent Europe-wide sales network.
Jens Gauder, who has been with the company since 2017 and most recently worked as Sales Director at Lorch, is going to steer the company’s fortunes together with Norihito Takahashi in the future. “I am happily taking on this new task, but I respect its challenges. The merger with DAIHEN is opening up many new organisational opportunities for Lorch. We must figure out exactly what the market truly needs and what is going to best help our customers in the field of welding technology. The severe shortage of skilled labour means that automation, i.e., development of welding systems that can weld even more productively while being easy to operate, will be a key focus. I think that the additional expertise of our parent company in the field of industrial robotics and our status as European market leader in Cobot welding offer enormous potential for optimally serving our existing customer groups and accessing new ones. Together, we will be able to establish a unique position in European competition by offering the power source and welding robot from a single source.” He immediately continues: “Wolfgang Grüb, who led the company passionately and charismatically for 40 years, is leaving us with big shoes to fill. I am certain, however, that we are going to retain the special spirit that characterises Lorch in the new constellation as well: We will always keep an eye on finding the best possible solution for our customers, observe the market closely, and identify any present trends in order to make the necessary provisions for the future and continuing to carefully cultivate the heart of Lorch, the strong team culture.”
