A machine tool company starting its next century

The 100th anniversary of Knuth Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH, Wasbek 

At Knuth, in Wasbek bei Neumünster in Schleswig-Holstein, you can feel how greatly personal contact is valued in every corner of the family company. The sincere and close connection between the employees as well as business partners can be felt even in the smallest of places. This personal dedication is also one of the company’s greatest benefits. ‘We simply believe it is incredibly important to know our suppliers and customers personally and address their needs individually,’ explains Kristian Knuth. 

From ironmonger to leading provider of CNC and conventional processing technologies

Knuth GmbH has successfully developed with the market and is today a leading provider for the metal processing industry with an extensive portfolio of CNC and conventional processing technologies and a large number of sheet metal processing technologies. ‘The industry’s requirements are constantly growing. Complex products have to be made in a shorter time and at lower cost,’ Philip Knuth says, describing the current challenges, ‘We help our customers to future-proof themselves with optimal production processes and high-quality metal processing.’ 

Entering a new age 

‘Our father scaled up the business that we now have the privilege of leading in our fourth generation. He was, for example, one of the first to establish successful business relationships in Taiwan.’ The company still profits from its supplier relationships in Asia to this day. Philip and Kristian Knuth deeply appreciate existing and time-honoured traditions, too. Now it is time for them to make some of their own marks. 

An emphasis on customer service

The Knuth brothers value the expansion and enhancement of customer service in particular. ‘We have rolled out service points in the south of the country so that customers can be helped even more quickly and directly. Moreover, we have initiated a major digitalisation project.’ By implementing the Synctive platform, the machines are connected to the Internet of Things. As a result, Knuth can offer his customers better service with advantages such as preventive maintenance, data transparency and personalised reports.  

Modern challenges

Like many companies in Germany’s True North, Knuth is also facing the challenge of the skilled labour shortage. Yet it is also a challenge for which traditions can be combined with innovation. While the company’s on-site technical staff inspect, repair and send the machines, other teams work fully remotely. With a mix of time-honoured approaches and bold, new ones, coupled with the personal touch of the owners, the machine tool maker can embark on its next 100 years with the confidence it is accustomed to.