Going International - Being International

Due to longstanding and excellent business relationships with corporate customers and close collaboration with international plant manufacturers, Scheuch has been active on the world stage with its products and technologies since the 1970s. Generally speaking, the export share of our business, and especially the percentage of deliveries made outside of Europe, has increased disproportionately in recent years. In order to be able to offer our international customers the best possible service in the future as well, we launched an internal internationalization program some years ago.

Competence Center Aurolzmünster

Under the motto “We’re also there for our customers in distant markets – worldwide”, we want to be a strong international partner by being well prepared for a wide range of markets while giving careful consideration to the interests of our customers. The prerequisites for this are being created at company headquarters in Aurolzmünster, where we are leveraging the appropriate organizational and qualification measures to establish a central hub that can control, support or manage an increase in future international activity.

Acting in a timely manner, we have already begun our efforts to achieve a flexible position in overseas markets, doing so with manageable levels of commitment and risk that are adapted to distinctive local and national conditions with the proper sense of proportion. While we are establishing independent subsidiaries in some markets, we prefer to serve other markets through autonomous cooperation partners or directly from company headquarters.

In order to be able to continually ensure the best solution for the customer - no matter how far away that customer may be - we develop and engineer plant concepts only at company headquarters or at our subsidiary Scheuch Inc. in London/Ontario (Canada). This ensures that upcoming projects are always processed flexibly, professionally and quickly with the available know-how and under consideration of customer-specific requirements. Short lines of communication from the marketplace to company headquarters, as well as short lines of communication within company headquarters to specialized departments and the R&D department, reduce time to market. At the same time, the up-to-date transfer of knowledge in the opposite direction, from company headquarters to our subsidiaries, is assured and this increases the level of on-site expertise.

International Product Program

As early as the product development and optimization phases, we take into consideration market-specific requirements such as low-temperature designs, filter variants with accessible clean gas chambers, adaptation of existing systems und processes to meet local emission limits, different standards for control systems and software programs, etc.

All plants and equipment, even when partly manufactured on location, are guaranteed to be executed in compliance with Scheuch’s quality standards and offer the comprehensive and high safety standards developed at company headquarters for explosion protection and operating safety, including ATEX certification, CE conformity and H3 certification, etc. For special circumstances requiring local licensing, the appropriate certification is acquired on a case-by-case basis (e.g., Russian GOST certification).

International Production of Goods and Services

Special attention is paid to optimizing the production of goods and services on-site at customer locations. Know-how from company headquarters and key components manufactured in-house at our plants in Aurolzmünster/Austria or Prievidza/Slovakia are always available to facilitate the manufacturing of equipment on location. We are now able to manufacture and assemble equipment on location in compliance with our quality guidelines using what has meanwhile become an extensive network of local partners. In this way, most of the added value that this process creates remains in the customer’s home country. There are no taxes or custom duties. Finally, this also has a positive impact on the pricing structure. If so desired by the customer, local assembly teams - organized either by the customer or by Scheuch - erect the plant under the direction of a supervisor. With SGS, one of Scheuch’s affiliated companies, customers needing help with equipment and plant assembly also have access to a very competent partner that is well positioned and successful in the international arena.

Specialized Project Handling

Scheuch established specialized departments for local procurement and the “Export” sector in order to secure and guarantee that special requirements in the most diverse international markets are addressed through collaboration with customers and plant manufacturers. These departments collect all required information and manage the progression of projects while complying with market-specific requirements. They clarify in advance issues such as legal and tax frameworks, customs declarations, contracts, documentation and other formalities, optimize processing times, and thus create a sense of legal security for both sides.

Specialized Training

For this new orientation, we have placed a high priority on the need for overseas employees to have additional qualifications. Intercultural skills, foreign language skills and technical expertise with respect to environmental technology and energy efficiency are at the forefront of this goal-oriented, advanced training program. The biggest challenge is the availability of qualified personnel with a high degree of mobility and an interest in part-time or full-time overseas employment or relocation to different countries.

We are aware that internationalization and innovation are among the decisive factors in determining the success of a mid-sized business, independent of the size of the company, and despite the continuing absence of a recognizable silver lining on the horizon, we continue to gradually strengthen our common commitment with an outlook best expressed as: “Going International - Being International”.