A visionary

music festivals and centenary concerts as well as steamboat trips and open factory doors. At some sites, the centenary celebrations will be combined with the inauguration of new production halls or new production buildings.

We also want to take this opportunity to give something back to all the people at EJOT sites who have helped the business successfully grow over the last decades. For this purpose, the employees at our locations have come up with charity campaigns, which focus on how we can help people and do our bit to help protect nature and the environment. The result has been numerous local projects, in which employees have gotten involved in a wide variety of ways, including campaigns supporting social institutions and athletes with disabilities as well as one which donated an electric vehicle to make the daily working lives of employees with disabilities easier. Another important aspect of these charity campaigns has been the commitment to protect nature and the environment, demonstrated, for example, by both reforestation and planting campaigns as well as a waste collection campaign in a nature reserve. Many of the campaigns are designed to be sustainable and are to carry on beyond the celebrations.

Right at the beginning of the centenary year, we went live with our centenary platform: At www.ejot100.com the EJOT family can meet to exchange stories, pictures, videos, music, take part in games or even competitions. The platform is the heart of the centenary year celebrations. The EJOT song “Bringing it together”, composed and produced by the band Billenial Collective made up of three young musicians from Bad Berleburg, Germany, also helps people to connect and engage with the company’s history. The audio version of the song is available to stream on all streaming services. The video, shot at our production site Herrenwiese in Bad Berleburg, is also available to view on our platform, on our social media pages as well as on Youtube.

We have also completely rewritten – and put to film – the history of the screw, which, believe it or not, dates back far beyond our 100year company history to the Stone Age, a time shortly before EJOT arrived on the scene as a fastening technology specialist. A satire, not entirely serious but humorous story.

One of the questions at the heart of this centenary year is: How can we carry our success of the past decades into the future? The answer to this question is connected to the realisation that ideas for products or processes do not simply come from nothing, but instead emerge when we get to know the practical tasks of our customers and initiate a subsequent development process. Not only that, the more demanding the goals of our customers as industry leaders in their respective segments, the better. Demanding goals require sophisticated solutions – solutions which we can invest in going forward.

The question is will we continue to find these customers at home in Germany, or Europe, our core markets, or do we have to look further afield? And if we do have to look further afield, will it still be the case that the questions to all of our most demanding customer goals will have to continue to be addressed and answered by German employees in a German holding company? Or could more diversity, more experience and novel ways of thinking hold the key to our continued success?

This thought experiment turned out to be the start of a fundamental organisational topic, a topic which we have called “EJOT 2025”. Consequently, a global matrix organisation with a strong regional substructure was created, which, going forward, will replace the previous EJOT structure in the following years. This includes the transformation of EJOT GmbH & Co. KG to EJOT SE & Co. KG – a legal form that strengthens the character of the family business of European origin: The preservation of the family business EJOT, which as a company independent of the capital market with a broad clientele retains its independence and can pursue its own strategies.

Another important aspect is increasing technological dynamics, such as digitalisation, emerging changes in the mobility industry, as well as requirements to make climate change policy work for us all. In order to remain at the forefront of these technological changes, the EJOT Group will focus more strongly on markets in North America and Asia and intensify cooperation with demanding and dynamic customers based there. This approach is necessary for EJOT to remain a technological leader in industry. Technology leadership and innovative strength are – and will remain – the key guarantors to our success.

We should not rest on our laurels and bask in the success of the last 100 years, but instead should boldly move forward with the courage to welcome change, look at the new world of today and see what tools we should take with us on our path into the future.

With the development of application technology for direct fastening of thermoplastics over 40 years ago, we as a company embarked on a path to become technological leaders in our field. We did so because we realised that there was not yet any purchasing demand for our first important product development, the EJOT PT® screw, and we first had to convince the customer designers of the advantages of this product. So it was up to us to show our customers the savings they could realise and how much they could improve the quality of their own components by using this screw. According to Michael E. Porter's theory, which became famous at the time, this approach was called “quality leadership”. Shortly thereafter the EJOT slogan was born: “EJOT. The Quality Connection”.

Over the years, we learned that other companies from all over the world were more than happy to copy our products and patents. In Chinese culture, for example, if a manufacturer copies a product it is seen as recognition of the other manufacturer's achievement. Other companies were also not shy to reuse our slogan under their own company names. As a result, support steadily grew to update our company claim, and to make it as internationally applicable as possible. As we did not want a potential change to our existing claim to be taken lightly, the decision was made to do so as part of a greater brand update. The centenary year lent itself perfectly as an appropriate time for such a change. Decorated with fresh secondary colours to the classic “EJOT red on white”, these aspects now come together under slogan for the 100th anniversary, “Bringing it together”, expressing how EJOT brings together parts and components, people, customers and suppliers.

We believe we can look ahead to the future with optimism and confidence. Even if two long years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting problems for our supply chains, and now Russia's invasion of Ukraine are all repeatedly denting our confidence.

With our product and service solutions, we are keeping speed with the major developments of our time: thermal insulation, energy efficiency, renewable energies, electromobility and digitalisation - we can provide support for all these topics. For this reason, in this centenary year we are building a TecCenter for our Construction Division in Bad Laasphe, Germany, a new large screw production site in Çerkezköy (Türkiye), a second site for our profile production for thermal insulation composite systems in Croatia and a new building for EJOT SORMAT in Finland. We are also unveiling new revolutionary technology developed to enable the coating of even the smallest of screws using a zinc flake process at the site in Tambach-Dietharz, Germany.

Because when our customers are counting on us for success, we want to be ready with the appropriate solution. EJOT. Bringing it together. E

www.ejot100.com/de/birthday-videos

1968

Addition of a new production and storage hall at Bienhecke for the production of drilling screws with sealing washer. Also at this time, the first self-made packaging line is built. A roller conveyor picks up the transport containers from the production line. In front of the scale, a tipping device is installed which can hold and slowly tilt a container allowing controlled filling of the screws. The filled cartons are then transported on roller conveyors and labeled and closed at the same time.

1970

“Birth year” of the Engineered plastic Components Business Unit. For strategic reasons, the screw segment is expanded to include a further mainstay. But it is a long way to implementation.

1971

Powder metallurgy – A powder metallurgical process is used to produce contact tubes for gas-shielded welding technology. The driving force behind this development is Horst Dieter Klees.

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1971

Foundation of the construction screw sales department headquartered in Laasphe. The construction screw product is new to the market and therefore requires explanation to customers. Salespersons who are trained in construction technology are employed as field representatives.

1973

Construction of the production hall in Berghausen with the start of the first plastics production. The injection molding machines of the time require individual operation and great skill on the part of the machine setters. The product range at that time consisted, among others, of small plastic containers, packaging for small beer kegs or boxes for long-playing records.

1976

Construction of the warehouse at the Laasphe site for shipping with an area of approx. 600 square meters. For the finished goods warehouse, five-story pallet racks are installed, operated by fork trays.

The way to the top – industry leader as a matter of principle

It can be assumed that at the beginning of its economic activities, every company thinks about which individual path it would like to take in the market. That of extensive renunciation in order to always be among the cheapest providers. Or the path to always be among the best; with excellently trained employees, in-house development and ideas for innovative, high-quality products, outstanding services, the best production conditions and many other things.

>>Text: Heinrich-Georg Homrighausen

1977

Development of the EJOT PT ® screw for thermoplastics. A special threaded screw, tapping its own female thread. The patent application follows in 1978.

1978

At the end of the 1970s, EJOT receives a manufacturing license from Parker Kalon (USA) for the production of self-drilling sheet metal screws (DrillKwick). With this product EJOT gradually becomes the most important manufacturer of these screws in Germany.

1979

The strategy of diversification was continued with the inclusion of a plastic injection moulding company, where technical moulding, fastening elements in the combination plastic / metal, are produced. At the end of the 1970s this product range is expanded by elements for the fastening of insulating elements to thermal insulation in house construction. In this sector, EJOT develops into the market leader in Germany

1980

The year was marked by a number of conversions, including the rebuilding of the head office in Berghausen and the construction of a new hardening plant at Bienhecke in Laasphe. The photo shows the shipping department in Laasphe.

The environment in which you find yourself undoubtedly plays a major role. In a country with high social standards and a remarkable tax burden, it is difficult to imagine being a price leader and being economically successful at the same time.

Of course, there are other directions to choose from at the “decision crossroads” described above. The middle ground, for example, where you can choose a little bit of everything. Perhaps one saves on the training of the team, or even on the quality of the materials and is then satisfied with an average end result. But the path of this “happy medium” is paved with well-known examples of failure, because of some properties, quality is mentioned here as the most concise, only the maximum is of interest to the customer.

Hans Werner Kocherscheidt stood at this crossroads after taking over the entrepreneurial responsibility from his uncle Adolf Böhl and decided to follow the “path of the best”. He found other allies willing to make the products, sales activities and manufacturing the best in the market. The consistent expansion of production at the highest level, the large number of own patents and innovative market ideas over the past decades illustrate this claim.

The strategy of this performance management can be described particularly impressively using the example of plastic direct fastening. Plastics were used in more and more products because, in many respects, they were superior to the traditional materials. Those responsible at EJOT not only noticed the market development, but also the fact that users were often content with compromises when it came to fastening solutions. It was not uncommon for the screw connections to come loose as a result of thermal and mechanical loads, or the so-called plastic tubes failed as soon as they were fastened.

It took many thousands of manufacturing and screwing tests to determine the best possible thread form with the relevant fastening parameters for the different plastic materials. However, the result of this time-consuming and costly development process has given EJOT a strong impetus for today’s market position. In all modesty, it may also be mentioned here that the essential details of the original PT® screw served as a template for many competitive solutions and is still a very common and successful thread form on the market today.

It was also successful because the marketing strategy was further developed alongside the product launch. In addition to the well-known commissioned sales representations, more and more EJOT engineers now visited the customers, often with degrees from renowned universities with a focus on plastics technology. It was their strategic task to competently advise the customer's developers and designers in the early phases of product development. Many years later, Hans Werner Kocherscheidt looked back with amusement on his decision for the engineers in the screw sales department, because some of his competitors initially ridiculed the idea and then envied him later.

In principle, the way to the top never ends, because the challenges on the market are always new. The latest generation of the plastic direct fasteners, the EVO PT®, is currently showing how, for example, digital tools can be used to map the behaviour and effect of the fastening elements on the customer's components under different load cases and derive corresponding recommendations for dimensioning from this.

A few years ago, the entrepreneur and consultant Dr. Christoph Weiß titled his guide book for entrepreneurs “Doomed to Excellence” (published by Unternehmer Medien, Bonn). Presumably, he wanted to express that once you’ve decided to lead in performance, there’s no turning back. It is put quite provocatively, but still describes the situation at EJOT realistically. The decision for the best products and the best service has been made and customers can rest assured that it will remain so in the future. E

Market Unit Industry – much more than just screws

Closeness to customers and their needs is a key success factor for the Market Unit Industry. This close coordination is one of the foundations for the development of an ideal fastening technology solution.

>>Text: Andreas Blecher E ssential for this is a broad product portfolio from which the customer can draw in order to be able to implement his specific requirements in the best possible way.

Direct fastening in plastic Hardly any industrially manufactured component can do without plastics. Since the 1980s thermoplastic materials have experienced an unprecedented boom, in which EJOT participated from the beginning with the PT® screw (Plastic Thread). Previously, there had been no reliable fastening solution for plastics on the market. And the PT® family was continuously improved. In addition to enhanced fastening properties, the DELTA PT® was the first self-tapping screw to enable predetermination of the screw joint using the DELTA CALC® prognosis program. The latest evolutionary stage in plastic direct fastening is the EVO PT® screw, which offers high standardization potential in production due to its special thread forming zone and also provides the user with FEM-supported component optimization. Special fasteners for foamed thermoplastics and thermoset materials complete the EJOT application range in the field of plastic direct fastening.

Direct fastening in metal EJOT offers a wide portfolio of different fastening solutions for metal materials. What they all have in common is their self-tapping

1982

EJOT acquires the company Timper with a turning shop in Laasphe – with the aim of improving the machining operations and the associated knowhow. Powder metallurgy is outsourced there.

1983

“EJOT” is introduced as the new company name and a new logo is presented

1984

Separation of the construction screw department and foundation of EJOT Baubefestigungen GmbH. The origin of the distribution of construction screws is at “Untere Bienhecke” in Bad Laasphe. Sales team, finished goods warehouse and part of the production leaves the parent company facilities and moves to the plant acquired in 1983 at Stockwiese in Bad Laasphe.

1985

The first high rack warehouse is built at the Stockwiese site in Bad Laasphe. Due to the somewhat unusual façade design, the new building has also long been referred to as the "chipmunk".

1985

Foundation of the subsidiary Ecofast, Glasgow, today EJOT U.K. L.t.d., Leeds Sherburn-on-Elmet, GB