The Leitz Metalworking Technologies Group (LMT), one of the finest providers of high end tooling solutions and services for the metalworking industry in Europe, is taking its next step in the U.S. market. Enhanced local engineering, production, service, and new management will ensure customized, high end tooling solutions for U.S. automotive, aerospace, and metalworking industries.
"North America is one of the most important markets for the ongoing expansion of the LMT group," says Dieter Brucklacher, chairman and CEO of the Leitz Group, which is based in Oberkochen, Germany. "Fast reaction times, customized solutions, and first-class service are the keys for our success. With the acquisition of LMT Fette in 1988, followed by Onsrud cutters in 1999 and Bilz Tooling in 2000, LMT has already invested heavily into the North American market over the last several years. Now we have made the decision to enforce our activities by enhancing our local engineering, production, and service capacities in the U.S. this year."
The responsibility for this challenging task has been given to Hans F. Grandin, appointed by Brucklacher, as president of LMT North America effective last January. Grandin, who studied mechanical engineering and metallurgy, has been working in the machine and metalworking industry since 1988. He spent several years in the U.S. before he joined the LMT Group. Prior to this new assignment Grandin served as president of Boehlerit, LMT’s Innovation Factory for high-end cutting tool materials in Austria.
"We are major partners of the automotive, aerospace, and general metalworking industries in Europe and have begun to see successes in the U.S.," Grandin says. "We will now take the next step by building an Automotive Technical Center in Detroit, as well as a service center and local production for special tools in Chicago. Thus, we will be able to offer our high-performance tooling solutions in close cooperation with our U.S. customers in order to provide the best solutions and services for our partners."
The Leitz Metalworking Technology Group (LMT) consists of six companies with more than 3,000 employees: Belin, in France; Boehlerit, in Austria; Bilz, Fette and Kieninger in Germany; and Onsrud, in the United States. Each company develops and produces precision tools for specific segments of the metalworking and plastics processing industries. With its experience and products, each company is a successful technological leader in its specific working area. Together, LMT’s collective performance potential offers benefits in just about every area of machining and chip-removal processing, including resharpening and tool management services.
For more information call (800) 225-0852, send e-mail to lmtfette@lmtfette.com, or go online to [www.lmtfette.com].
