The PÜSCHEL-History
More than 55 years ago we started, and since that time our aim has always been to create both standard and customised products for automating assembly processes.
Our customers‘ needs and requirements are the motivation for every step we have taken since then.
As long ago as 1969 we were already looking to the future, and we have been working on sustainable solutions ever since.
Manufacture, mechanical – electrical – pneumatic assembly, switch cabinet construction
Balancing and integration of economic, ecological and social goals
5 questions for Cornelia Püschel, shareholder
Regarding the commitment to quality, the construction kit and so much perseverance and stamina
„Made by PÜSCHEL“: What is at the heart of this commitment to quality?
PÜSCHEL has been in the market for more than 55 years, and our name stands for experience, innovation and good quality. Our experienced team knows its trade – but every day there are exciting new challenges for us to master. The passion remains and continues and our customers feel this.
This passion is typical of our family. My father was all on his own when he started this business, which he built from the ground up. He is an authentic pioneer, and this is also how I run the company. What’s more, our enthusiasm for complex feeding technology has resulted in us making it our hobby. Thanks to our strong beliefs, Lüdenscheid is still our main location, but our strong partnerships allow us to operate globally.
This mindset, based on partnership, is typical of our way of thinking. “Made by PÜSCHEL” stands for the ultimate in teamwork, and our customers are also part of the team. It is their demands and desires for solutions which motivate us every day. Our intention is to solve our customers’ problems, even if we have to go the proverbial extra mile to do this. It’s a matter of honour for us, and our promise to you is that our solutions work perfectly.
Of course, our challenge is also to achieve good price-performance ratios, and the regular feedbacks from our customers show us that, time and again, we are successful in this.
PÜSCHEL’s new motto is “Make progress easy”. What do you mean by this?
For me, the idea of ongoing progress is simply part of an entrepreneurial mindset, and we make progress every day at PÜSCHEL. Sometimes we take continual small steps, and sometimes bigger ones. Depending on what the customer asks us for, the team gets together and makes use of all its knowledge and experience. All this sometimes has something of collective intelligence about it. The end result is a custom-fit and innovative solution which satisfies the customer and again brings us one step farther.
Thinking this way, and taking this approach to solutions, is what works perfectly for us, because we are always able to rely on our tried-and-tested construction kit. By making use of the existing standard components, we can easily create new solutions. For example, in the past, converting to 3D design and expanding the use of robots in our solutions ensured that we continued to make progress.
Incorporating the factory in the Czech Republic in our organisation was an important step for us, and it ensures that our high level of quality is maintained in the long term – and at a competitive price.
Moreover, we deliberately emphasise simplicity – after all, anybody can make things complicated! The result is that our machines are designed to be easy to operate. This applies to every situation, no matter how challenging. Our aim is to ensure that our customers can put a “plug and play” solution into operation.
We are not an internationally-known manufacturer of sport shoes – if we were, we too could say “Just do it”! No – to be serious, we make it simple, that is how we think. We put our faith in what we claim to do, our ability to implement solutions, and our staying power. We work meticulously to find a solution which functions. Time and again, walking through our halls, you can sense the maxim of “talk less, do more”. If there’s too much thinking, the team simply resets: The aim is to put ideas into practice quickly, and then to test how well they function in reality.
Short decision-making paths and flat hierarchies make this kind of constructive cooperation possible – exactly in our customers’ interests.
Why is “attentiveness” important for your strategic decisions?
Our customers are demanding – just like us! To us, finding the best solution is our only goal. This means that we must deal attentively and openly with current topics such as Industry 4.0 and digitalisation. We examine new trends and their effectiveness in order to establish whether we should put our faith in them. In all cases, our self-image allows us to give diverse technical ideas plenty of space.
For us, being attentive also means being able to listen – in every direction. We are always ready to listen to our customers, suppliers, market, trends and our employees.
When it comes to my strategic decisions, I always also choose an overall view from above and consider from the meta level just how we can achieve the best solution from our customers’ point of view.
“For me, attentiveness and sustainability together are supporting pillars in managing PÜSCHEL“
Cornelia PÜSCHEL
PÜSCHEL works at developing sustainable solutions. What will you focus on even more in future?
In our opinion, the best solution is always a sustainable one, and it is in our nature to create solutions which are both high-quality and durable.
How to deal with resources, and especially the aspect of energy efficiency, are increasingly important for us. We also listen to the discussions about climate change.
This why, at PÜSCHEL, we have decided to take a systematic approach to the topic of sustainability and to integrate it in our processes, services and products. We know that we have a long road ahead of us, but we are convinced that the steps we are taking are also very important for our customers..
You took over management of the company from your father. What is the main thing that you have continued to do – and is there anything that you do differently?
I am proud to be a member of this family of strong and energetic entrepreneurs – and also proud of the fact that PÜSCHEL has been operating successfully on the market for more than 55 years. That is quite a heritage, and one that needs a dedicated successor – and that is exactly what motivates me. My father gave his name to the company. He is well-known for being an “old hand”, and as his daughter, I stand out in this sector. Well, that is something of an exaggeration, of course – after all, I have been active in the company for 25 years. However, as a woman who heads a mechanical engineering, it’s true that I stand out a little.
When my father started this business, he already had the idea of a construction kit. In addition, he was a good listener, and was quick to adapt the market’s needs. This is something which will definitely continue – I am a good listener. Our customers’ requirements are of primary importance, and we “build” what they need. In doing this, the whole team has my active support from the very beginning.
What always matters to me is gaining – and keeping – the trust of our customers. This is something I learned from my father, just as much as his stamina and perseverance. Added to these are certainly the challenges which result from the complexity of the market and the speed at which it is changing, as well as increased competition. The topic of conserving resources is also something which can no longer be ignored in the context of business. All this was certainly easier in the past than it is today.
For me, attentiveness and sustainability together are supporting pillars in managing PÜSCHEL. This is how I remain open to change while always looking to the future and maintaining our “Made by PÜSCHEL” promise of quality. In the same way as my father acted, my intention is to provide new impulses for the sector and to play my part in actively shaping the future by means of long-lasting solutions.