EoW July 2014

News Corporate

Taking the strain at the top at Sikora

You have been working for Sikora for two years now and involved with the wire and cable and hose and tube industries for the first time. What experiences have you gained? “I have learned that we are acting in two completely independently operating niche markets where everyone knows everyone and that there is a good network of communication. “These industries demand very high quality products. At the same time, great

Founded in 1979, Sikora International is the US subsidiary of Sikora AG and has been under the careful stewardship of John Dognazzi, who took over as president from Jeff Swinchatt last November. Since 1999 the company has been located in Peachtree City, Georgia, USA, and has grown over time to support the markets in North America, Canada, Mexico and South America. Quality and value feature heavily for the company, and in an interview Mr Dognazzi gave an insight into the running of the American subsidiary.

highest quality from Sikora. Moreover, there is always a professional service team close at hand when the customer needs assistance. This is what I am working for.” What developments do you see for the future? “I have already spoken about Sikora’s research and development team that does a great job. At K2013 in Düsseldorf, Germany, we presented our latest innovation, the Purity Scanner. This system will be of great interest for the high voltage cable and plastic industry. It allows the detection of impurities on the surface and inside a pellet and its sorting. I can well imagine that a completely new market segment arises from this product, which in addition to the established markets ‘wire and cable’ and ‘hose and tube’ will contribute to the success of the company.” Sikora AG – Germany Website : www.sikora.net

enthused by the well-organised company and the high quality level at which the

devices are manufactured. I was particularly impressed by the highly committed development team and the service staff. From the very beginning, I felt in good hands.” Is there something that you will do completely differently compared to your predecessor? “I thank Jeff for the great training in the last years. My understanding is that customer satisfaction has the highest priority. This satisfaction is not only related to the technology, but

value has always been placed on cost-effective production and highest productivity. Sikora offers a variety of interesting products for these industries, especially for quality assurance at the production of medium, high and extra-high voltage cables, automotive wires, data cables and at the very sophisticated production of optical fibres. Sikora has an excellent reputation, which made it easy for me to join the company.” Are there any special events that have remained in your memory?

▲ ▲ John Dognazzi, the pres- ident of Sikora Intern- ational

especially to the service that a company offers. Actually, on the bottom line, Sikora has the best cost to value ratio. The customer can expect a product of

“Certainly, I always remember my visit to the headquarters in Bremen at the beginning of my work at Sikora. I was

A new look, new customers and a new era

This year was the tenth time that Windak exhibited at wire in Düsseldorf – and the company also celebrated its 20 th anniversary at the show. To help the celebration go with a swing, Windak launched its new corporate identity and website, and the Quickpack QP3-H coiler. The feedback and number of visitors to the automatic packaging machinery company’s stand led to a positive attitude throughout the week, and it is expecting to receive four new orders. The new coiler targets products from 2mm to 12mm in diameter, and coil lengths from 5m to 100m per package. The output is up to eight coils per minute, depending on type of cable and winding length. Almost all movements in this fast single-head machine are controlled by servos with very few mechanical setting changes for different packages. Coils can be bound, shrink-filmed or put in boxes, all in one complete solution.

Windak OÜ – Estonia Website : www.windakgroup.com

▲ ▲ The Windak staff on the stand in Düsseldorf

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July 2014