Technology Reflected Even in the Smallest Tool

Q: How close is CERATIZIT Group to becoming the largest global provider of cutting tools by 2023?

A: The strength of the CERATIZIT Group has been the main trigger for our progress. Reaching the goal of being the largest global provider is not going to be easy, given the varied and strong competition in the market. Furthermore, competitors become more specialized as we climb the ranks. Being among the Top 50 companies in the world was complicated but being among the Top 5 players demands high differentiation.

In the past, our efforts were aimed at promoting and strengthening our brand. Today, we seek to have a trained sales force that is strongly commitment to the customer. As a group, we have the advantage of being able to help our different companies from within. We provide the powder to make the carbide bars used to make the tool delivered to the end customer.

Q: How can CERATIZIT Group contribute to filling the gaps in the automotive tools market?

A: We have the appropriate structure and needed expertise to assist our customers through most of their procedures. We have local and international specialists who can address clients’ requirements. The industry's primary demand is improving shipping times and to do that we are optimizing routes, establishing a strong supply chain, enhancing technology-based processes, analyzing demand patterns and developing a culture centered around customer satisfaction.

Q: How important is ToolScope in CERATIZIT Group’s development strategy?

A: With ToolScope, CERATIZIT Group is setting the course for the digital future of machining. CERATIZIT Group is the only toolmaker offering a real Industry 4.0 solution with ToolScope, even for SMEs. Because of the direct control that the instrument offers, some of our customers are already using this tool and have experienced significant improvements in savings and operations. Our customers can collect information from ToolScope and not base all their assumptions on what other suppliers of business intelligence can get. However, there is still room for development and increased use of our technology.

Q: What is CERATIZIT Group doing to promote Industry 4.0 in the automotive industry?

A: Our main priority is to preach about the benefits and advantages that using technology can offer to automotive companies. We host specialists from foreign subsidiaries to talk to our clients about the technologies we use. Our clients can be certain that well-recognized companies across the world are using the same technology and that Mexican clients can enjoy the same benefits. The best marketing for CERATIZIT Group is clients seeing how our solutions help them to be more efficient and productive.

CERATIZIT Group’s approach is to foster a change in mindset. We bring technology closer to clients so they can see how it can change processes. We also explain the long-term benefits. For example, if our clients have a process that includes more than one tool, CERATIZIT Group can develop a tailor-made solution that suits this need. We work with technicians and engineers to ensure they all know how to use our products.

Q: How does CERATIZIT Group differentiate from its competitors?

A: Our portfolio has a wide range of products and services that range from metal cutting and wear protection, to wood and stone-working tools, as well as rods and preformed materials. We also offer many services, such as recycling and logistics, our e-techstore and other technology-related solutions from our CERATIZIT innovation center. Each of our brands showcases its knowledge under the CERATIZIT Group umbrella to target particular client groups and cover a variety of product categories in the automotive industry. Our clients can also contact our personnel for any requests they may have and we make sure to always find the right person to solve any situation as fast as possible.

Q: How does Mexico compare to other countries where the group is present?

A: Some processes have similarities across countries. For instance, in Silao, Guanajuato, we have a client that shares the same process as one of our Thailand clients. The group’s strategy could be to build the necessary tools in other parts of the world to satisfy the demands of foreign markets but we maintain our production in Mexico due to the quality the country offers. 

CERATIZIT Group has developed hard material-cutting and wear-protection solutions for over 95 years. Its products include specialized cutting tools, indexable inserts, carbide rods and new types of carbide and cermet grades