General company press releases

The Kübler Group is growing and today employs 370 staff, of whom 250 alone are based at its Villingen-Schwenningen (Black Forest) location. We still have numerous job vacancies and are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the right skilled personnel. This situation can only get more critical in the future. It will become ever more important to support recruitment of personnel by the use of intensive public relations. This is one of the reasons why we are getting involved as the main sponsor for the basketball players of the "Schwenningen Panthers."

Why specifically the Panthers? Well, this is a well-run club with young, motivated players, who enthusiastically pursue their sport whether as amateurs or professionals. Basketball today is an attractive sport with fast growing interest from the public. This ties in well with the Kübler Group, as through this we will further increase our name recognition in the region.

"We are breaking new ground here", emphasises Managing Director Gebhard Kübler, giving further reasons for his involvement. "Currently at Kübler a health management program is being introduced and of course sports sponsorship fits in well with this too. Our employees come into close contact with the subject of sport and receive free and VIP tickets as a reward for special achievements."

This partnership can also be showcased at trade fairs, when for instance players can be incorporated into the stand concept and take on corresponding representative functions. And it may well be in the future during our sales conferences, once the official programme is over, that we slot in some specialised training in the Deutenberghalle.

Kübler has already supported sports clubs in the past, but not on this scale or in such a close tie-up. Basketball and Kübler should be mentioned in the same breath and so we aim to use the many different advertising possibilities that the club is offering us. This starts with the branding of the jerseys, then with perimeter advertising boards and finally banners in the Deutenberghalle sports arena, where specific information regarding Kübler will be displayed.

"Our Corporate Identity will be easily recognized", says Lothar Kübler. The concept also includes the juniors - here Kübler wishes to be just as active, for example in youth tour-naments or training camps.

The scene had many symbolic aspects. Erika Kübler stood beaming with joy in the large training room and happily accepted the good wishes of the staff on the occasion of her 80th birthday. "Hopefully I can continue to drive my own car for many years to come," she commented to one well-wisher. "That is very important to me."

Remaining active and taking part in everything - this is what the Head of the Supervisory Board at Kübler asks of herself and exemplifies on a daily basis. Nor did she pass over the opportunity on her birthday to invite all the members of her wider 'Kübler family' to a hearty lunch. "My heart and soul are so closely tied up with this company," she explained to the 250 guests.

How could it be otherwise? After all, Erika Kübler helped write an important chapter in the success story of Kübler. "You can be proud of what you, your husband Fritz and your sons Gebhard and Lothar have achieved over the past 50 years," observed Jürgen Stegmann in his speech in her honour. In a short retrospective the HR manager showed a few snapshots highlighting the history of the company. From the early days in the family home via the ongoing development in the company's own premises up to the present day, where the Kübler Group has seven additional overseas daughter companies and around 60 sales partners around the globe.

Erika Kübler looked back at her own eventful life. "The 80 years have gone by so quickly," she sighed, without however getting melancholic. "I have the lovely memories of my dear husband and the daily support of my sons to keep me going," she said.
It is a happy look back at the past, but it does not end there for Erika Kübler. Quite the opposite: she still comes regularly into the company. Not only as a welcome discussion partner, since this four-times grandmother also brings with her a certain congenial flair. For example, during Advent, she decked out the offices with Christmas stars and other festive objects. There is no doubt, Erika Kübler brings a kind heart into the business, and - considering what she has achieved in her life - so much more.

"I don't need anything now at 80 - I have everything," was her reply, when asked what she would like for her birthday. "If the staff would like to give something, maybe they could make a small donation to charity," she added. No sooner said than done; a collection raised 540 Euros and this was given to the children's Cancer Care Home in Tannheim.

"We look forward to celebrating your 90th birthday again here, just like today", said Gebhard Kübler, wishing his mother all the best and, together with his brother Lothar, praising her for all that she had done. Not only on this day were the family bonds evident to be seen.

And just to prove that the distribution of roles between sons and mothers still functions, Jürgen Stegmann related a nice anecdote. "It can happen, for example, that Lothar Kübler has to take an unscheduled break from his business duties, because his mother wants to make "Knöpfle" noodles for the grandchildren. And for this Swabian speciality she needs the help of her son to operate the appropriate special machine." So, a real family business all-round!

The Kübler Group is delighted to be honoured with a very special award. The Economic Development Corporation for the Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg region has chosen us as "Business of the Month for November". An independent jury, comprising economic development advisers from the three administrative districts Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis, Rottweil and Tuttlingen, selected us from a large number of candidates. The selection was based on three criteria: commercial success, special achievements and a long, stable history. "We could not have found a better prize-winner than Kübler, as all three points apply perfectly to them", stressed Heinz-Rudi Link, Managing Director of the Economic Development Corporation for the region of Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg, as he presented the winner's certificate. There is no question that Herr Link hit the nail on the head with this assessment, as this summer the family business marked its 50th Jubilee with a lavish celebration. Impressive evidence of sustainable economic activity, where in the future emphasis will continue to be laid on independence and self-reliance. 2010 has also turned out to be a very successful year and will go down as the best ever in the firm's history to date. Notable accomplishments have been made in the field of new developments. For the Sendix F36 encoder we received the MessTec & Sensor Masters Award as well as the Golden Mousetrap Award, highly regarded in professional circles in the USA. "It was these two prestigious accolades in particular that convinced us in our choice of the Kübler company", commented Heinz-Rudi Link.

Joint Managing Directors Gebhard and Lothar Kübler accepted the award with great pleasure. Standing no less proudly next to them was Erika Kübler, Head of the Supervisory Board. The owners of the business were also delighted to hear the comments from the recently re-elected Mayor of Villingen-Schwenningen, Dr. Rupert Kubon, who praised the innovative power of the company, which is a shining example to the whole town.
However they passed this praise directly on to all the members of staff. "This award belongs above all to you, the Kübler employees. You have earned it and it has only been possible thanks to your commitment", said Gebhard Kübler, recognizing the accomplishments of the members of "Team Kübler". This appreciation of the collective achievement was further demonstrated by the fact that the entire workforce had been invited to the award ceremony in the company's large meeting room. The whole team shared their enjoyment at receiving this honour, as they tucked into a 'second breakfast' of bagels, rolls and coffee.

The Economic Development Corporation for the Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg

Kübler takes a look back at its history and then announces ambitious plans for the future

"Products can be copied, but not the way in which our Kübler team works". With these words the joint managing directors of the family concern praised their employees in a speech marking the recent 50th Jubilee of the company. "50 Years of Innovation" - this is the motto during this jubilee year. On the 2nd July Kübler organised their official jubilee celebration and gave numerous examples of how the company puts innovation into effect.

For the occasion the Kübler Group erected what looked like a tent city round the company premises. Here the 650 guests and 75 children were treated to a wide-ranging programme of entertainment that continued into the early hours. The guests sensed the feeling of pride, which the employees felt in what they had achieved, accompanied by a strong sense of belonging and optimism, looking forward to a future as part of an ongoing successful independent family business. This is what made such an impressive event possible - one that had been meticulously planned down to the final detail and one that was marked out above all by the extra-special commitment of the employees, said the employers.

The festive day was already underway on the Friday morning. An international press conference was first on the agenda, followed by a number of presentations. After lunch came a tour of the company for customers, employees, families and guests. Information points had been erected at more than 11 positions round the company, where experts from Kübler showed visitors the production cells, the product development areas as well as all the other departments. What was particularly evident was the high level of orderliness and cleanliness, the state-of-the-art machines and equipment as well as a high awareness for clear structures - these were the highlights of the tour.

A full programme had been organised for the evening. This got underway with the Schwenningen marching band under Filipo Zerbo, himself an employee in Kübler's export department. Nearly all the company's 300 employees from round the world were present, together with their families, as well as loyal customers, suppliers and guests of honour. "For what counts is cooperation between employees, management, suppliers and customers - and this is true all over the world", emphasised the company directors. Visitors, including around 100 employees from subsidiaries, travelled from over 32 companies to congratulate the company. They all thoroughly enjoyed the variety artists on the stage and - in temperatures more akin to the tropics - danced the night away to salsa beats. The buffet, which had begun around mid-day and then continued on till midnight, treated the international guests to a selection of typical local food and drinks from the 6 countries, where Kübler has its own companies: Germany, France, Italy, Poland, India and China. Kübler had also set up its own children's play area to keep the little ones happy the whole day long. The goal wall was constantly bombarded, with every hit on target being rewarded with a bright world-cup football in Kübler orange - this gave rise to much envy amongst the fathers present! A tombola with donated prizes totalling 4000 euro formed part of a large social programme, in addition to further donations from suppliers and management.

Today, the family business - the Kübler Group - is internationally one of the leading companies in length and angle measurement, counting and process technology and, more recently, transmission technology. But along the way the path was not always easy. Both directors, Gebhard and Lothar Kübler, remembered the time the company, Fritz Kübler Feingerätebau, was founded 50 years ago, in their parents' house in the Hahnstrasse in Schwenningen. They also remembered their father's boundless energy: "You only had to mention the subjects of technology, patents or quality for our father's eyes to light up. Looking after his customers is what drove him on and inspired him". It was also very evident at the festive evening that Fritz Kübler had placed special value on long-term business relationships. In the presence of their mother Erika Kübler, herself a senior director of the company, Lothar and Gebhard Kübler then honoured those business partners, who had worked together with Kübler over a period of many years. These too are also now in the second generation, like Kübler. They are the family businesses Massimino from Italy and Ellis from the USA, who received their awards, alongside the oldest serving German distributor partners Fuhrmeister and Seidel.

"I stand before you as the only contemporary witness from the past 50 years of our company" said Erika Kübler, widow of the company founder, who passed away in 2003. In her speech, she gave a moving summary of the early years and at the end received a standing ovation.

In his address, Mayor Dr. Rupert Kubon stressed that the company is a fine advertisement for the town and reminded those present of the importance of medium-sized businesses for the whole region's development. He was proud to have such a company in Villingen-Schwenningen. This pleased the Chief Executive of the Baden-Wurttemberg Trade Association WVIB, Dr. Christoph Münzer, who in his speech focussed on the subject of the family: "It is rare that a family business is run so harmoniously and successfully by two brothers".

On behalf of all the staff, HR Manager Jürgen Stegmann presented the family with a map of the world, showing all the Kübler employees. The Kübler trainees had made a video as a gift for the management; this took an entertaining and motivating look at the company's history. The management expressed their thanks for these very personal gifts.

"We feel that we are all one big Kübler family, who share the same values, no matter where we are", said Xuan Xianbin, Vice President Sales and Marketing of Kübler China in his greeting.

The management in their joint speech remembered the generation change in 1997. Fathers and sons are often also beset with problems when the new generation takes over. "Not in our case", said the brothers. "Our father trusted us, we had freedom and there was always a good feeling. When we took over we had just 110 employees, with over 7 million euro turnover and a high equity ratio".

Since then Kübler has grown impressively to reach the size it is today. Many long-term customers, but also new ones, form the basis for this. The Kübler brothers were very proud just how many customers had made the journey to the jubilee and thanked them for their cooperation, often over many years.
With Rolf Scholl as an example, the management paid tribute to all those staff that had put in many years of loyal service. Herr Scholl himself had been part of the company for 40 of those 50 years.

In the spirit of the jubilee motto "50 Years of Innovation", Gebhard and Lothar Kübler unveiled two attractions during the celebrations. Firstly, a newly designed innovation room with a multimedia wall and secondly a book about the company's history - fresh of the presses - with the title "50 Years of Innovation". "In the future we will be able to give both to our customers - a look back at our history and also into the - innovative - future of the business".

Both brothers are looking ahead with confidence. "With this team we will be able to deal with the demands of the future," they commented.

Villingen-Schwenningen, 2nd July. On the occasion of the company's Jubilee, Fritz Kübler GmbH, of Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, continued its support of three social projects; together with its suppliers, partners and service providers, it raised donations to the tune of 12,900 euro.

Running a successful business also carries obligations when it comes to social commitment. As they looked back over the history of their company Fritz Kübler GmbH in Villingen-Schwenningen - a past that spans five decades - the management of this manufacturer of measurement technology, took the opportunity to clearly demonstrate this obligation. As they handed over the donation, the joint Managing Directors Gebhard and Lothar Kübler explained, "Kübler has been supporting the efforts of a wide variety of people for many years". The family business is involved with projects in Villingen-Schwenningen, Africa and Columbia.

"Together round a table" is the motto of the Vesperkirche church in Schwenningen, which aims to bring people together and provide them with a festive meal. This mission aims to be more than just a gesture of care and humanity for all those, who often go away empty-handed when gifts are being distributed. With the support from Kübler to the amount of 4300 euro, the tables at Christmas will be laid with a festive spread for all those people, who are affected by poverty or who have ended up living on the margin of society.

With the Wakina Mama na Watoto Foundation, Kübler is lending assistance, also in the amount of 4300 euro, to a self-help project for the people of Hezya, a scattered settlement in south-west Tanzania. The foundation was established in 1991; the name translates as "Mothers and Children". A project that initially focussed in particular on women and mothers, has grown over the years into a broadly based community development programme, which has come to benefit the entire population living in and around the region. Works are currently underway on a water facility, a house for the women, as well as on a school.

10 years ago the Bocachica Health Care Centre started out with the construction of a large number of toilet facilities on an island in Columbia, where previously the majority of the local people had neither access to hot meals, nor to any schooling, let alone any public health care provision. Over time an old ship was also converted into a floating hospital ward, in order to bring medical assistance to other neighbouring islands. With 4300 euro from Kübler, the missionary Martin Hakenjos can push on with his work in the missionary station "Libertad" that he founded.

"If you want to look into the future, then you must also look into the past", so say the two brothers, joint Managing Directors of the Kübler Group. There is reason enough for both in this 50th Jubilee year.

50 years ago the young engineer Fritz Kübler founded the Fritz Kübler Feinger?tebau company, which ranks today among the principal international family businesses, manufacturing distance and angle sensors, counting and process technology and transmission technology. Customers include leading industrial manufacturers of drives, mobile automation, wind turbines, energy meters and lifts/elevators, as well as numerous small- and medium-sized companies from every imaginable market sector.

In the family home in Villingen-Schwenningen Fritz Kübler, supported by his wife Erika, opened the first chapter in the company's history. He wanted to take off in the market by focussing on quality and precision. Using this strategy, this one-man business developed within just a few years into an internationally successful company. Even in the early 1960s he had established a second key market in the USA, alongside the home market in Germany. Here, interpersonal understanding was more important than a common language, as the company founder spoke virtually no English.

A short time meter laid the basis

The starting gun of the company's history was fired by one product that was to set standards: the first short time meter in the world that had a permanent time display. The patented device ensured that the analogue indicator did not drop out - as was the case with the competitors' products - but remained visible. This meant that exact measurements in the range of milliseconds were possible. Shortly afterwards Fritz Kübler started with his first electromechanical counters. These were followed in the 1970s by the electronic counters.

The next round

Since 1989 rotary encoders have become an integral part of the Kübler portfolio. A market that was already well-established. However Kübler's products were well-known right from the start for their high degree of ruggedness and low number of components. Indeed the company was soon a pacesetter in the market with its hollow shaft encoders. Thus began the success story. In the early days Kübler was proud to manufacture 100 devices in a week. Now it ranks among the 'Top 5' in the sector. Its distance and angle measurement sensors division now also includes linear measuring systems and inclinometers.

Kübler: Data and Facts

The Kübler Group has three business divisions: Distance and Angle Measurement with approx. 60 % share of the turnover, Counting and Process Technology with around 34% and the relatively new sector Transmission Technology with 6%. For 2010, Kübler is expecting the consolidated turnover of the Group to be 31.5 million euro. The main company in Germany, based in Villingen-Schwenningen, is expected to account for 28 million euro of this. Kübler will thus emerge stronger from the crisis, more than recouping the drop in turnover experienced in 2009. "In our 50th Jubilee year we will reach a new all-time high in turnover," announced the employers proudly.

The Group now employees around 300 staff, of which 200 are based at the main site in Villingen-Schwenningen and the remainder at the various 6 subsidiaries worldwide. The export share of the turnover is currently around 65%. In comparison, in 1997, at the time of the changeover to the new generation, Kübler's turnover was around 7 million euro, which shows just how much the company has grown in recent years.

The next generation takes over

Fritz Kübler's sons, Gebhard and Lothar, have been running the business since 1997, when they took over from their father. They remember, "Fathers and sons. You often hear about difficulties and conflicts, when the next generation takes over. But not in our case. Our father trusted us, we had freedom and there was always a good feeling. There were never really any conflicts. When he handed the business over to us, he knew that there were some things that we had to change, so that the company was ready to deal with the future." "Processes and structures, for example, needed courageous modernisation", says Gebhard Kübler. The founder of the company, however, continued to provide help and guidance, in his role as head of the advisory board, until his death in 2003.

Many people, who have accompanied the business over the years, observe that it has re-invented itself many times. Despite this, the most important core values have never changed.

What is important: The Kübler values

Since the day of its foundation, the Fritz Kübler GmbH company has been connected inseparably with the Kübler family - the company is built on the solid foundations of family values and family culture. "Values which," Lothar Kübler is convinced, "are essential for a healthy business". And statistics substantiate this: value-oriented businesses are more profitable.

The founder himself, Fritz Kübler, advised his sons - and later successors - that for a healthy and successful family business to remain independent (including from external finance - their own capital exceeds 70%), it is vital to act responsibly and to treat employees always with respect. For, to the core values at Kübler belongs the awareness that the real competitive advantage of an innovative company lies in the capabilities of the staff. This is clearly demonstrated by continual modifications, improvements and a fast reaction to changes in the market.

The brothers remain convinced that "In this way we remain innovative and the results - such as good turnover and profits - follow". Fritz Kübler continually moved his life's dream a step further with the help of innovative products. "We have remained committed to this strategy to this day", emphasize the brothers.

Service makes all the difference

Kübler stands out from mass of other companies, as it has re-thought the concept of service and adapts it carefully to the requirements of its target markets. Zig Ziglar's motto "Stop selling - start helping" is of key importance to the company's owners. Moreover they demand a 'hands-on' mentality: "A Kübler employee doesn't ask others what should be done, but rather he asks himself - and then he does it," said Gebhard Kübler, explaining the difference, which is already evident in the basic approach. This gives rise to success factors such as customer focus, operating efficiency, adherence to delivery schedules, system integration and delivery flexibility - these are what impress Kübler's customers in the market.

The Kübler Design System defines Customer Service in four systematic steps. The initial precise analysis of the customer requirements is followed by the identification of the optimal technology, the implementation of tried-and-tested methodology and a maximum of after-sales support. "Based on our many years experience, we have put together a package that provides our customers with real on-going assistance and supplies just the right solution," comment the Küblers further. And the fact that customer satisfaction pays is demonstrated by the 5 successful decades of the company's history.

Generation covenant

Kübler has been following this path of constant improvement for many years. 2 years ago an Improvements Office was set up, and an Improvements Manager appointed. Kübler calls this path Kübler - Kaizen - Culture. Step by step the employees have learned to focus their awareness, thinking and behaviour on constant improvement. This culture is the means by which the company will be kept healthy for future generations too. This is not a project but a permanent task. The employees continually strive to recognise waste and to eliminate it, as well as working day-by-day to improve quality. In this way they make a substantial contribution to the strengthening of the German site.

Kübler in the future

It is impossible to predict the future. Who would have thought that there would have been an economic crisis of such proportions at the end of 2008? What is certain, however, is that the world is becoming ever more dynamic. The joint Managing Directors are certain that "The future lies in empowering all the employees in our organisation, so that they can deal with whatever demands are made on them. Each day requires new, appropriate smart solutions. On the surface, this course of action may appear to be expensive, but in the end it saves a lot of time and money. Above all, it brings about real competitive advantages and demands innovation. Here we are setting off on an exciting path that we are really looking forward to".

In 10 years

In the coming 10 years Kübler is planning to build and expand further international centres of expertise, in order to maximise its customer liaison and support in regional markets in a number of countries. However, "Germany will remain very important from a strategic point of view. We need a strong presence in our home market, in order to have a good foundation for a healthy, international expansion," stress the employers. Kübler plans to strengthen its cooperation with colleges, university departments and other partners, as well as investigating a variety of business models and profit drivers.

If all goes to plan, Kübler reckons that its global turnover will triple by the year 2020, to reach a figure in the region of 90 to100 million euro.

In 25 years

"Of course, we do not know now what will happen in 25 years time, but we think that by then we will have similar quantum leaps behind us, like we have had in the past 25 years," predicts Gebhard Kübler. "Then we hope that the next generation, in other words our children, will be ready to take over the responsibility" adds his brother Lothar.

Social commitment is important

The owners of the business also want to use their success to support social projects. Over the past few years the company has already been lending its support to three projects, two overseas and one locally. Within the framework of the jubilee celebrations, Kübler's suppliers along with the management and employees donated over 12,000 euro to these good causes.

"We should like to thank our customers and employees" stress Gebhard and Lothar Kübler. Both owners are very pleased with what has been achieved till now and are looking ahead with confidence. "With this team we will be able to deal with the demands of the future," they add.

The core business of the Kübler Group is the design and development, manufacture and marketing of position and movement sensors, display and counting technology as well as transmission technology.

50 years ago, on the 1st April 1960, the young engineer Fritz Kübler founded the Fritz Kübler Feingerätebau company in his own home in Schwenningen, Germany. Kübler today is still an independent family business, with around 280 employees, and with its own subsidiary companies in 6 countries.

Since the early days of the company, its success has always rested on 3 pillars: innovative products and solutions, independence from banks and large corporations as well as a strong international orientation. Kübler's latest product introduction - the first 100% optical electronic multiturn encoder - has won a number of awards for its innovative technology.

Kübler Live Breakfast all round the world.

"Over the 50 years that our company has been in existence there has been both: sectors in which we have constantly re-invented ourselves, such as our thinking with regard to processes, completely new manufacturing methods, our global organisation and then values that today still today form the foundation of our company, such as, for example, being - and wishing to remain - a healthy financially-independent family business". So declared the joint Managing Directors Lothar and Gebhard Kübler in their welcoming address on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the company's foundation back on 1st April 1960. This was listened to by all the employees right round the world. Approximately 280 colleagues from Schwenningen and from the company subsidiaries in 6 countries enjoyed the live experience and at the same time a happy and moving ceremony. In the Schwenningen canteen around 200 employees celebrated with greetings, canap?s and a nice glass of German sparkling wine. In India there was even a proper birthday cake, decorated with the German flag, on the table in the conference room of the Indian daughter company. This event marked the official start of the jubilee celebration this year, of which the highpoint will be the official jubilee celebration that will take place on the 2nd July.

This global meeting was made possible by the latest technology: project leader Sebastian Wölfle and his team pulled out all the stops, not only to connect together all the daughter companies from China to Poland via the Internet, but also to allow all the fellow employees to see all the celebrations displayed together on a big screen. This meant that the clinking of glasses and the accompanying congratulations in 6 languages could ring round the room. And whilst the Kübler subsidiaries in India, Poland, France and China, along with their colleagues in Schwenningen and Munich, were drinking to the company's future, at the same time they were able to learn a lot about the origins of the business.

Speech of the Head of the Supervisory Board Erika Kübler.

In a moving speech Erika Kübler, talked about the early days. At that time she was engaged to the company founder Fritz Kübler, and together with his mother Rosine, was the first employee in the Hahnstrasse, Schwenningen - more or less without pay! And without this dynamic support the ambitious young engineer's wish to set up his own business would have come to nothing. "For the early days were hard and we were of modest means", reminisced the lady, who was later to become the wife of the founder. And it was just these qualities of simplicity and humility demonstrated by the founder, which helped the company take those decisive steps forward. "In our parents home it all went crazy. We extended both the balcony and the cellar to create more space and for a long time the kitchen served as the packing and shipping department," continued Erika Kübler. "Our initial equipment consisted of a second-hand drawing board and an old typewriter. The only company vehicle we had was a Volkswagen Beetle." And so, step by step, the products appeared. It had all started with a patented short-time meter; shortly afterwards the first counters joined the product range. Very early on Fritz Kübler was exporting to the whole world and there was already a good export market in the early 60s in the USA. In 1996 Fritz Kübler retired from the active day-to-day running of the business and passed the company on to his two sons. He continued as head of the advisory board until shortly before his death in 2003.

The Kübler generations:
Erika Kübler, widow of the company founder.
Lothar and Silke Kübler with their three children Leonhardt, Ferdinand and Viktoria.
Gebhard and Nadja Kübler with Josefin.

Managing Director Gebhard Kübler, who - together with his brother Lothar - has run the second-generation business successfully since 1997, pointed out that these values imparted to them by their father, were still deeply embedded in them both. "We learned them as small children round the family table on Sundays." Both Lothar and Gebhard Kübler attended the ceremony accompanied by their wives and their total of 4 children. They left no-one in any doubt that it was their declared wish to steer the company safely and successfully towards their goal of passing on the business once again to the next generation. Gebhard Kübler went on to thank the employees for their untiring efforts. "Through these we will continue to get stronger, enthuse more customers and ensure that our company has the strength to continue for another 50 years - as a family business."

The company is planning a grand official Jubilee celebration to be held on-site on 2nd July this summer. Over 600 customers and partners from the whole world are expected to attend and it will be a family day for the employees. The preparations for this are already running at full speed.

The all-important ribbon-cutting ceremony, L to R Eberhard Grellmann, Production Technologist, Florenz von Guttenberg, Product Development Manager, Josef Prücklmeyer, Production Cell Manager, Hans Benedix, Head of Production Development, Managing Directors Lothar and Gebhard Kübler.


Even the screwdriving station was totally re-designed from scratch: L to R: Hans Benedix, Head of Production Development, Marcin Cieplucha, Software Development.

New manufacturing concept makes Kübler fit for the future

By team-members for team members: this week at Kübler the new production cell for encoders "1A" was at the centre of an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. The working area has been developed and optimised for flow production and synchronised times by just those technical experts, who ought to know all about it - the members of the team themselves.

Over a period of just 8 months a team of specialists - under the technical aegis of the Head of Production Development Hans Benedix and the technologist Eberhard Grellmann, together with experts from production - collected, refined and implemented a range of ideas, improvements and suggestions. Every procedure was subjected to the closest scrutiny, every action questioned. Added to this was a high level of accuracy and precision - for instance in an innovative screwdriving station, specially developed for the new production cell.

A lot happens differently in production cell 1A, located right at the entrance of Kübler's production hall. Here high quantities are produced with high efficiency. Rather than offering the option for quick re-tooling for other product types, this new cell offers more rigid fixtures and rigs, with less intermediate storage space at individual stations. Instead of a wide variety of different components, here only large quantities of the same items are built. The individual workpieces move from the first station through to final inspection as if they were on rails - overtaking is prohibited. Each encoder is completely finished, before a new one is started on. "In this way we avoid the drawbacks of batch production, such as increased space requirements, longer throughput times or delays in identifying possible faults" says Head of Product Development Florenz von Guttenberg, explaining the lean manufacturing concept.

Kübler began with the introduction of Kaizen a number of years ago. Kaizen is a management philosophy that originated in the Far East and promotes greater efficiency and sustainability. The 1A Line now fits seamlessly into the list of successful Kaizen projects. The idea is that anybody wishing to offer fast dependable delivery needs above all to have their throughput times under control. This 1A production cell has allowed Kübler to make a decisive step closer to its declared goal of allowing the work to flow in production. If from this week onwards encoders can be assembled more quickly and the quality inspected even more efficiently thanks to new hardware and software, then Kübler's production is fit for the future. "As a result of this optimised production Germany will remain an attractive manufacturing base for Kübler," commented Lothar Kübler, praising the team's performance.

With the founding of the joint venture "Kübler Korea (by F&B)" Fritz Kübler GmbH, the manufacturer of sensor and counting technology, is now looking to further expand its position in the Korean market. The relevant contract for the new joint venture was signed by Gebhard F. Kübler (right), Managing Director of Kübler GmbH and Il Ho Bae (left), F&B Managing Director, who will also assume control of Kübler Korea.

Gebhard F. Kübler describes the motivating factor behind this important step: "Korea is an important growth market for us. We have been very active here for a number of years and very successful too; we can now offer our customers faster, more direct support. "From the company's point of view, he sees the opening of Kübler Korea (by F&B) as the "logical consequence of a long-standing successful working relationship with the existing Kübler distributor F&B."

The Korean subsidiary will have the task of looking after OEM customers and distributors, who supply the market with Kübler components and systems - rotary and linear sensors, transmission technology, as well as counting and process technology. In addition, the joint venture will offer a range of services centred around the mechanical integration of rotary encoders. The new company is located in Busan, the second-largest industrial centre on the southern tip of Korea. "From here we see excellent opportunities to strengthen our position considerably", says Gebhard Kübler confidently.

For one application the dimensions must not exceed 24 mm, for another the hollow shaft must be at least 12 mm diameter for it to be acceptable. For a third application the encoder must be resistant to seawater and have IP69K protection. As there are so many different possible applications, the wide-ranging Kübler portfolio offers many different encoder variants and solutions to suit.

Kübler has now launched on its website its Product Finder, so that in future the optimal solution will be offered straightaway - instead of just a "possible one". In line with the motto "Find rather than search (for a long time)" this simplifies the choice of encoder, reducing it to just a few clicks of the mouse, after which a list of results appears immediately. This not only saves time, but also provides the assurance that you have got exactly the right choice.

The Kübler encoder product finder gets straight down to business: no introductory explanations or step-by-step user instructions, everything is self-explanatory. Characteristics such as design and specifications, interfaces, dimensions, resolution or rotary speed can be clicked on individually or in combinations. No more, no less. Finding the right product was never quicker: www.kuebler.com/productfinder

Since April 2009 the new Service Centre of LTi Drives has found a home within the premises of Kübler India Pvt. Ltd in Pune, one of the most prosperous cities in India.

LTi Drives, who are a specialist in drive and automation technology, and Kübler GmbH, manufacturer of counting and sensor technology and a business that is active worldwide, have thus both been benefiting from a number of synergy effects, since the joint usage of the infrastructure – already well established by Kübler – brings cost advantages with it. "An important factor in times of the crisis in the economy” emphasised the Managing Directors of the two companies, Gebhard Kübler and Ralf Prechtel.

Moreover LTi Drives is benefiting from the know-how of the Kübler Group, which has been running its own  successful Service Centre – alongside its sales and production departments - at its base in Pune for more than two years.  Together the two companies plan to successfully expand and consolidate their market positions in India. An important aspect of their joint strategy is to offer extremely fast, reliable on-the-spot service.  

Kübler currently employs 260 staff worldwide; 15 of these work in the production, service and sales departments within the completely renovated Kübler premises in Pune, India. Here the results of their work meet German quality standards 100% - as is the case at all Kübler's locations worldwide.