Kennametal Sintec in Schongau, Germany, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Schongau plant

Kennametal honours the 25-year history of the Schongau plant

The Schongau plant in Germany, which has been part of the international Kennametal Group since 2006, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The roots of the Schongau plant go back to 1987. Sintec continued to grow after the commercial launch of its vaporiser boat in 1987, and the management buy-out in 1991 was a logical consequence. Key milestones in the evolution of the Sintec Group were the purchase of advanced wire saws, some of which are still delivering outstanding cutting results and yields, and the installation of three fully automatic hot presses. The installation of a cold isostatic press in a dedicated building in 2002 was another innovative step on the way to becoming a world leader in vaporiser boats. In 2003 Sintec achieved a unique selling feature in the global market with the launch of the T-Vap product.

Acquisition by Kennametal, with around 13,000 employees worldwide, enabled Sintec to evolve from a family-run company into an internationally active industrial firm, which was clearly reflected by the transfer of the US production facilities to Schongau in 2007, including construction of an additional production building and relocation of the management to a newly built office building. The switch to SAP in 2008 marked the final step in the integration of the Schongau site into the Kennametal group of companies as a centre of expertise for vaporiser boats. Round-the-clock operation six days a week with three shifts per day, along with the installation of a fourth hot press in the anniversary year, clearly shows that Kennametal made the right choice with regard to vaporiser boats and market evolution.

The Schongau plant today stands for technological progress and is a significant industrial pillar of the City of Schongau and the surrounding municipalities, as a major employer in the community with 79 employees at present.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Schongau site, Kennametal took the opportunity to have a special event held in a marquee in the company grounds on Friday 21st September. The guests were first welcomed by Plant Manager Martina Igel, who also read out a letter of congratulations from Carlos Cardoso, Chairman, President and CEO of Kennametal. This was followed by a speech by Brian Maglosky, Vice President Manufacturing EMEA.  He made a special effort to give his speech in German (he came to Europe from the USA only four months earlier), so that he could greet the employees and guests in their own language and thank them for their loyalty and commitment. This gesture was greeted with loud applause and was highly appreciated. Friedrich Zeller, Head of the District Authority of Weilheim-Schongau, and Paul Huber, Deputy Mayor of Schongau, also expressed their praise for the achievements of the Schongau plant and the acquisition of Sintec by Kennametal in 2006, which saved the employee's jobs. Hubert Just, Production Manager of Kennametal Sintec, and Martina Igel, Plant Manager, concluded the formalities with a brief sketch of the company’s evolution, which took the audience on a highly informative and at the same time entertaining trip through the company history. After this all of those present tucked in to a wonderful buffet, followed by music and dancing into the evening and even into the wee small hours of the night.

The following day, 22nd  September 2012, there was an Open House Day at the Schongau plant with a varied programme for young and old. Visitors were able to get a glimpse of the production shops and learn more about the range of products, rounded off by guided tours of the plant.

“We know that the success and growth of our Group are dependent on our employees, and we very much appreciate the contribution of the staff, during the 25-year history of the Schongau plant, to not only keeping our company competitive but also putting it in the number 2 spot worldwide", commented Carlos Cardoso, Kennametal Chairman, President and CEO.

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