Landert Motoren AG
Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2014, Landert Motoren AG today is one of the world’s leading companies for automatic doors
Drive for success
Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2014, Landert Motoren AG today is one of the world’s leading companies for automatic doors
Active on all five continents, independent Swiss family firm Landert Motoren AG has a long tradition of manufacturing specialist industrial products to find the best solutions for its customers. Split into two divisions: TORMAX, for cutting-edge door automation solutions, and SERVAX, for the manufacture of customised electric motors, Bulach headquartered Landert Motoren AG has more than 700 dedicated employees at its 14 group companies throughout the world.
Speaking to Construction and Civil Engineering magazine about the history of Landert Motoren AG, CEO Sonke Bandixen states: “Landert was founded in 1924 in Bulach, near Zurich, by Heinrich Landert, a young Swiss entrepreneur who was fascinated by the opportunities that electrical motors offered to deliver new industrial solutions. Since then Landert has developed and produced electrical drives for special purpose and for high efficiency applications of machine manufacturers in many industrial branches. It was in 1951 that Landert pioneered the use of automatic driven doors with the installation of Europe’s first electro-hydraulic swing door; we have since grown constantly out of our home base in Switzerland and today have reached a turnover of CHF 120 million. Anja Landert, the granddaughter of the founder is chairwoman of the board of directors.”
As the original business of Landert Motoren AG, SERVAX is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of customised electric motors, a reputation gained from a focus on developing high quality, innovative products and its dedication to forming close working relationships with customers. Through retaining these integral strengths, SERVAX creates outstanding solutions for challenging machine drives that offer impressive performance, a long life cycle, simple maintenance, safe operation and reliability. “We are not competing in the wide segment of mass produced standard drives and differentiate ourselves through technology and quality,” highlights Sonke. “This commitment to quality over quantity has resulted in SERVAX developing drives for the major machine manufacturers in Europe and North America.”
With a mission to provide ‘peak performance for life-long contented customers’, Landert Motoren AG’s second division, TORMAX, is based on the company’s own electrical drive developments. As the sole engineers and designers of all electrical drives used within its automatic doors, TORMAX base a large part of its installed drives on the external rotor motor principle; this offers significantly longer service cycles than standard DC drives. Represented in five continents and boasting a finely interlinked international network of more than 500 local sales partners and subsidiaries, the division ensures availability of its high quality products and services in over 50 countries. “TORMAX is a pioneer and specialist for advanced door automation solutions; we believe in our capability to generate customer benefits through cleverly engineered drive and control technology as well as the tight management of a world-wide supply chain,” states Sonke.
With a core product range that includes sliding doors, swing doors, revolving doors and folding doors, TORMAX products can be used as fire and smoke doors, safe emergency exits, effective protection against burglary and vandalism and also offer barrier-free access that removes some of the restrictions faced by handicapped people. In addition to standard applications, TORMAX can manufacture customised doors and hermetic doors that are equipped with a circumferential hermetic sealing system for use in laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry or clean-room production.
Through the operation of two distinctive brands, the company has developed a strong foothold in strategic locations around the world and can rely on the diversity of its product range to ensure continued growth when certain economic markets become challenging. “The European markets are currently somewhat flat; however with special offerings we can still grow and expand our market share on a moderate scale. Meanwhile, in North America and Asia/Pacific we are growing double digit per cent per annum and are therefore focusing our growth initiatives to these markets. The swing door applications are growing stronger than the slider segment,” explains Sonke.
Operating in a period where demand for electrical motors continues to grow and the door automation market continues to be driven by mega trends, Landert Motoren AG benefits from spikes in demand that stem from changes in regulations and increased attention to the accessibility requirements of more vulnerable members in society. “The CO2 reduced energy usage will require millions of specially engineered and produced electrical motors around the world for decades to come. Meanwhile, an increased need for automated solutions for the elderly and handicapped as well as a constantly growing population of value added buildings in emerging markets means our markets are closely bonding with the cyclical construction industries,” says Sonke.
Despite these opportunities in the market, the company faces challenges as larger conglomerates continue to acquire smaller door automation firms in Europe and Asia/Pacific, which causes constant pressure on prices and forces manufacturers to find innovative ways to optimise their supply chain. To ensure continued growth and success Landert Motoren AG is relocating its central production and logistic operations from Switzerland to a new plant in Prague, Czech Republic, as Sonke concludes: “This move will generate cost synergies and will allow us to optimise our supply chain further. With new products for sliding and swing doors applications we are supporting our growth plans and are envisioning a continuous above average growth rate.”
Landert Motoren AG
Services: Develop and produce special purpose electrical drives