Close to customers around the world
Proximity to clients is an essential success factor. Because customers all over the world rely on KVT Solutioneering Group, the company has established a global presence with many locations and distribution partners.
Solutioneering also means accompanying customers in the planning, development, and realization of complex, customized solutions. Further regional expansion therefore is a precondition for its implementation everywhere.
As a result, customers are provided with expert application consulting in their native language on demand and local technical support is given to international customers in transfer projects as well as to local customers who develop for both the local and export markets. Support through networked logistics, order processing, and state-of-the-art warehouse systems are also included. In this way, KVT ensures that deliveries are never late, quality is consistently high, and processes are always reliable.
Our objective is to expand globally with current clients, protect business that has been developed in KVT’s core markets, and develop new local customers.
Asia and South America
With its expansion of business into Asia and South America, KVT is actively participating in the growth of these “emerging markets.” The starting point is the promotion of the KOENIG expander® range of products and the selective introduction of products from the fastening technology portfolio, which includes FILKO® and KD Tech® blind rivet nuts, Tappex® threaded inserts, and bigHead® fastening elements for composites. Since the beginning of 2011, KVT has been present in China and Brazil with its own subsidiaries. Both organizations approach customers directly with a dedicated sales engineer team and also are in the process of establishing a local network of distribution partners for indirect sales. Based on these activities, KVT can ensure support by experienced technical staff and partners for large, small, and medium-sized local customers in key industries (mainly automotive/special vehicles, hydraulics, transportation, and machinery).
Growing US presence
In North America, KVT is working consistently and successfully to develop its market presence. In 2007/08, the US companies Sherex Industries and Farmington Engineering were taken over and merged under the roof of KVT Koenig LLC. As part of this expansion, the headquarters and operations of the US company were moved to North Haven, CT, at the end of 2010. The KOENIG expander® and the KOENIG restrictor® are at the center of the business, and they are also manufactured on site. Simultaneously, KVT is establishing the market presence for fastening technology selectively through a range of products comprising rivet technology, threaded inserts, and fasteners for plastics and composites. In North America the fastener business is managed by a dedicated product manager and presented in the market by the entire team of sales engineers. There is particular demand for KVT’s sealing and fastening applications in the automotive industry, but they are also sought after in the marine sector, the transportation industry, and environmental engineering.
The ability to deliver high-grade products with Swiss quality in all NAFTA countries and to customers around the world faster than ever before is now provided by an on-site warehouse, 50 employees involved in manufacturing and back-office operations, as well as by the company’s own market activities through a technically qualified sales force and product management.
Austria and Eastern Europe
Since 1992, KVT Koenig GmbH, with its registered office in Linz, has been a competence center for the Austrian and Eastern European market. In order to provide services to the growing number of Western companies in Eastern Europe as well as to local customers, KVT has greatly expanded its sales network there over the past two years. In addition to already existing subsidiaries in Poland (founded in 2000) and the Czech Republic (founded in 2005), Slovakia joined the organization in 2008, followed by Slovenia, Hungary, and Romania in 2010. Employees with native country language and technical expertise provide direct customer contact on site. Product management, back-office operations and all logistics are managed from the competence center in Austria.
KVT facts and data (2011):
330 employees worldwide
25,000 active customers
40,000 catalogue parts
product portfolio consisting of over 50 strong brands
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