The order books of Meitzendorf company Laempe & Mössner look very full. Again! The company from the Börde district is specialised in machinery and plants for the casting industry. Primarily core shooting machines to ready-to-use and fully-automated complete systems are manufactured, with which in turn sand cores are produced which are required for the manufacturing of cast parts, for example cylinder heads and engine blocks for the automotive industry worldwide.

Such investments in new technology were drastically cut back in the crisis, which led to a significant slump in orders at Laempe & Mössner. Managing Director Dagmar Schwarz said, "In 2009 we had to deal with a drop in turnover of over 60 percent. We have overcome the situation by asking our personnel to work shorter hours and through further measures. It picked up at the middle of last year. Since the beginning of this year we have recorded a historically significant backlog of orders. “

Among others, a two million euro contract which was delivered shortly before the end of 2010 played a large role in the clearly improved situation. Because the client from China was in a big hurry, the plant with a total weight of 160 tonnes went airborne, licensed as air freight on the journey. This first was a big challenge for all personnel.

Meanwhile the crisis is history for Laempe & Mössner. The approximately 300 employees at the Meitzendorf and Schopfheim locations have their hands full. Grouping personnel means several large orders can be worked on at the same time, including an order for Daimler in Mannheim and one for a manufacturer of wheel rims in Thüringen, but also for clients from China and Mexico. "Once again we have the same backlog of orders as we did before the crisis“, reports Dagmar Schwarz proudly.

It's clear from the personnel in Meitzendorf that they take pleasure in their work. They are very motivated. Acting Operations Manager Sven Aschenbach, who is responsible for work preparation and colouring, confirms this impression: "the entire workforce took a deep breath when the short working hours came to an end; we looked ahead again and knew that the job is secure and the company is in a better position."

Laempe & Mössner expanded in the crisis taking over bankrupt firm Hottinger Maschinenbau GmbH from Mannheim and RW-Gießereimaschinen GmbH Viersen. The spare parts and service business was not just taken over but also jointly developed and produced, thus important synergy effects are achieved. In this way Laempe & Mössner continues to build up their position as market leader.

"We must see that we can meet the wishes of our clients, especially in terms of delivery times, even when this is challenging“, emphasises the managing director, "for this we need suitable qualified personnel. “ So that the company can continue with the same level of success as previously, Laempe & Mössner is constantly training personnel. On average there are more than 20 apprentices whom the company is offering a future in Saxony-Anhalt.

Contact

Laempe & Mössner GmbH

Hintern Hecken 3

39179 Barleben

Tel. +49 (0) 39202 6920

Fax: +49 (0) 7622680394

Email: info.ignore@laempe.com

www.laempe.com