Tornos US Is Optimized and Poised for Further Expansion
April 9, 2008
The final numbers are in; and it’s clear that the reorganization of the US Tornos operations in 2006/2007 was successful! We accomplished all of our goals: we opened a new Midwest Center of Excellence and moved the spare parts department operation to this central location; we introduced several great new machines to our lineup and talented people to our staff; we formed a strategic alliance with Esco and sponsored our first race team; we created the new virtual tradeshow concept; we produced the first US edition of decomagazine and developed a US website; and, most important, we launched a number of key initiatives to improve service. As a result of all these activities, we doubled our sales in the US in 2007!
Last week, Tornos Switzerland published the year-end results. In summary: we are strong! 2007 closed with net profit, more than double that of the previous year. We are debt free and had a net cash surplus. The restructuring of Tornos US enabled sales of machines in America to bounce back to 15% of the total, in comparison with 8% one year ago.
|
Scott Kowalski
President Tornos US
|
2008 is already off to a positive and exciting beginning. For starters, we acquired Almac and Almatronic SA; and we signed a commercial strategic alliance with Tsugami.
2008 is about expansion – globally and here at home
The acquisition of 95% of the share capital of Almac SA (and 100% of Almatronic SA) adds to the Tornos Group a great line of high speed machining centers and CNC controls. This partnership will surely benefit Tornos US this year.
The recent partnership agreements with Tsugami bring the entry- and mid-level positioned Tsugami together with the mid-level and higher end positioned Tornos machines to strengthen both companies globally. This arrangement will also directly affect the US market with the introduction of the Deco Delta Line by mid year 2008. We are excited about what this partnership could mean for growth worldwide.
Here in the US, we will be hosting a Tornos TechDays grand opening for our newest Center of Excellence located in Bethel, Connecticut. This new facilityincludes a state of the art demo room, training center, and sales and management offices. It is located between New York City and Hartford; and is just 20 minutes south of our old location in Brookfield.
We have also recently appointed two excellent new regional sales managers – Daniel Dantuono on the East Coast, and Andy Stemler in the Midwest. As Leonard Lanute moves into a new position as our North American Business Manager, his vast technical expertise and attention to detail will be focused on ensuring the satisfaction of all current Tornos customers. Other staff who are making a big contribution to Tornos’ recent success are David Porth, who has developed an impressive new logistics system for the centralized parts department in Lombard; and Nate Giles and Steve Canty in Applications. Both Nate and Steve bring creativity and energy to their work – and they make fantastic test parts!
We are also pleased to announce our new sponsorship of the legendary Vici Racing team in the American LeMans Series – the most technologically advanced racing series in the world. Tune in to the SPEED channel this season to see the Tornos car #5 Porsche GT3 RSR cross the finish line – driven by Nathan Swartzbaugh and fueled by the winning energy of Tornos!
More to come…
As this is an IMTS year, you can expect we will have some exciting new machine technology to announce in September. Our show plans are well underway and we’re making room for 7 machines (a handful of them brand new!) in our new, larger booth. You definitely don’t want to miss our booth this IMTS!We will also be producing the second US edition of decomagazine to be distributed at IMTS. So be sure to get your copy!
The Esco by Tornos product line continues to generate excitement and sales. The line is proving to be an excellent complement to the machine lineup from Tornos Moutier. We sold 40% more Escos in 2007 than in 2006 and are well on our way to doubling the 2007 results already this year!
The Tornos US team is stronger than ever. We have the best people in place and the best machines in our line up. Our operations and logistics are streamlined across the US – we’re running like a well-oiled machine. We have strong sales and strong allies. Our new partnerships will enhance our brand and enrich your Tornos experience. We’re reorganized, optimized, and poised for a great year! We’re going to be turning heads in ‘08!
Tornos US, a division of The Tornos Group headquartered in Moutier, Switzerland, is responsible for the marketing, sales and service of Tornos single spindle turning systems, bar feeders, and ESCO coil-fed turning centers in North America. For more information, contact Tornos US, 840 Parkview Blvd., Lombard, IL 60148, 630.812.2040, www.tornos.us.
