NSK Balkan Representatives present the company’s activities
• Machines • Interview • South-East European INDUSTRIAL Мarket - issue 2/2011
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NSK Balkan Representatives present the company’s activities to South-East European INDUSTRIAL Market magazine
Interview with Mr. Todor Dimitrov responsible for sales in Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Mr. Valentin Blanaru responsible for the Romanian market and Mr. Dan Ciobotea responsible for the Romanian market
How would you describe NSK Europe and its core competences to our readers?
As a leading supplier in the field of Motion & Control we are determined to achieve our goal: being number one in Total Quality. We believe that opportunities for continuous improvement come in many forms (stages): long-term partnership, optimizing production processes, delivering innovative products in perfect quality or expanding the range of our services.
How is NSK represented in South-East Europe (SEE)?
NSK is present in all major markets and is planning to add Kosovo and Albania in the near future.
What are NSK’s advantages in comparison to its main competitors in the SEE market ?
Our main competitor is the low cost culture in the region. A large part of the market is held by low quality and low price brands or dubiously branded products. Therefore our main task is to change this culture and convince more and more customers about the advantages of using bearings of high quality and high performance, both for their companies and for the end user.
What is your long-term development strategy for the SEE market?
To become a leading supplier of high quality and performance bearings. We have some unique solutions and products that can increase the technological level of our customers.
Which products and solutions from NSK have the largest market potential in your country?
The main potential sectors in the region are: Mining, Steel and Machine tools but also Paper. The related products and solutions are: SRB (HPS including Vibration Screen version), special NSK solution for Steel sector as KV, RV, 3PL type for Copper Sendzimir and also for Aluminium - BDZ type, precision bearings for spindles (NN,TAC and BTR types) for MT sector.
What main customer groups are you targeting?
Our target group of customers is in the area of Steel, Paper, MT and the Mining sector, but we also supply hundreds of small customers in the Agriculture sector.
What is your trade and marketing strategy for this year?
Trade Strategy: Increase sales and grow the AM business. Through Key account management (AM and OEM) and developing and deploying new leads and contacts.
Marketing Strategy: Ongoing support to our distributors and regularly informing our customers about new products and solutions.
How would you describe NSK Europe and its core competences to our readers?
VB: "No. 1 in Total Quality" - I believe that this is more than a slogan for corporate vision, it represents the key words that all our colleagues have in mind when they design, produce or sell NSK products. As for competences - in the Automotive sector NSK is cooperating with all major car manufacturers and our high precision bearings and linear systems are successfully used by high technology industrial companies.
DC: NSK is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of rolling bearings, linear technology components and steering systems. Our products and solutions are everywhere where things are in motion. They are precisely matched to specific industrial sectors.
How is NSK represented in South-East Europe (SEE)?
VB: After these countries joined the European Union, industrial development represented a key point for accelerated economic growth. NSK has sales representatives in these areas prepared not only for commercial presentation but also who have in-depth technical knowledge. And as part of a larger group serving the SEE we also receive support from our technical team and R&D centers, especially the Kielce office.
What are NSK’s advantages in comparison to its main competitors in the SEE market?
VB: For a very long period in our markets the key word in sales was "price". In the last few years we have seen a different approach: quality and added value. NSK’s philosophy fits perfectly with this trend! A few years ago the main suppliers were companies producing low cost products, these days we are competing with top quality global brands.
What is your long-term development strategy for the SEE market?
VB: Apart from supplying high quality products and services we are focused on sharing NSK’s technical knowledge in order to help our partners improve their machines or production lines. Our goal is to become not only a product supplier but to become an adviser, a long-term partner our customers can trust in the process of design, production or systems improvement.
Would you list some latest innovative products of NSK?
DC: ROBUST™ ULTRA HIGH SPEED ANGULAR CONTACT BALL BEARINGS: NSK’s series for the machine tool main spindles. These bearings offer improved thermal robustness, low heat generation and improved seizure rates ensuring that machine tools can operate at ultra-high speeds, increasing manufacturers productivity and reduced energy cost.
HPS™ SPHERICAL ROLLER BEARINGS: those NSK bearings are state-of-the-art material technology design, suitable for high speeds and loads. They can enable equipment downsizing and are suitable for a wide variety of applications. Available in steel or brass cages.
And finally we can mention about MOLDED-OIL™ BEARINGS. They are lubricated with NSK’s original oil-impregnated material, Molded-Oil ™, and are suitable for corrosive and dust-contaminated environments.
Which products and solutions from NSK have the largest market potential in your country?
VB: Considering the market trend to improve the quality of machines and products which incorporates our bearings or linear items, the high technology products like precision bearings and linear guides can be a solution for increasing our presence in the market.
What main customer groups are you targeting?
DC: Machine tool manufacturers, and the chemical and steel sectors are just a few of the groups we are focusing on, not only in promoting our products but we want to continue working closely with our customers in order to develop new products or technologies for them.
What is your trade and marketing strategy for this year?
VB: Corporate branding, technical presentations, supplying training for our distributors engineers, and improved presence in technical magazines are some areas included in our marketing strategy for short and medium term development.
NSK Corporate Profile
NSK Ltd. is a leading bearing manufacturer, which operates 22 manufacturing locations in Japan for industrial machinery bearings, automotive products, precision machine parts and mechatronics products. NSK was founded in 1916 and produced the first ball bearings made in Japan.
NSK began its global expansion in the early 1960s with the establishment of the sales office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Today, its sales offices span 26 countries worldwide with bases in North and Latin America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Production and sales locations, which cover the EU market, have enabled NSK to have a stronger market presence in this region. Excluding manufacturing locations in Japan, NSK currently has 40 global manufacturing bases.
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