“We were looking for a strong partner”

The LIFTjournal once again has three questions: In view of recent events, the person we’re talking to this time is Detlef Klinkhammer, founder and managing director of “Detlef Klinkhammer Steuerungen und Komponenten für Aufzüge” (KLST), based in Zülpich near Cologne.

The company was recently taken over by Mition GmbH Mittelstandsbeteiligungen.

1. The sale of your company to the investor Mition attracted a lot of attention. What were the reasons for this step?
Detlef Klinkhammer: The market for lift controllers provides a great many growth opportunities, which we alone could not have exploited. This is why we decided to look for a strong partner for the further development of our company. It is important to us that this partner continues to build on the strengths of our family company and accompanies us with foresight into a successful future. We have found an entrepreneurial partner in Mition, which shares our goals and opens up additional potential with its network.

2. The press release stated that you would remain managing director. What will change for customers and employees?
Detlef Klinkhammer: Yes, that’s right, I’ll remain managing director. As a result, our customers will not lose the contact they’re used to. But we will be reinforced in a targeted manner by committed key personnel. We will take care here that the focus remains unchanged on our character as a family company. This is also important to Mition as an owner-operated company. Our workforce will benefit from our being able to react to market opportunities even more consistently from our location and that we can grow the company together.

3. There have been a series of component manufacturers who were taken over by investors. What do you think are the reasons for this?
Detlef Klinkhammer: I developed my company from a one-man operation into a successful SME. This is also true of some of our competitors. However, the demands of our customers as well as the regulatory environment make it necessary for such companies to operate in a different size category. This is associated with other structures. We found an entrepreneurial holding company in Mition for this step: unlike classic financial investors, Mition supports us with entrepreneurial experience and its own money. In this way, we can exploit our opportunities without endangering our corporate culture.

More information: klst-lift.de