Sheer performance CIDAN Machinery

SHEER PERFORMANCE

CIDAN Machinery is a market leader in the manufacture of metal fabricating machinery and continues to build upon its success in key world markets. Philip Yorke talked to Peter Tafazoli, the company’s CEO, about its latest products, the distribution of non-CIDAN brands and how its growing number of global partnerships are paying dividends.

IN one form or another, CIDAN Machinery of Sweden has been manufacturing industrial equipment since 1907 and producing highperformance metal fabrication machinery since the 1940s. CIDAN is a leading sheet metal machine manufacturer in the Nordic markets with a strong presence in the USA, Asia and other key world markets. The company produces and markets two well-known brands: CIDAN and Göteneds. Following a step-up in activity at the beginning of 2013, Petersen Machinery included CIDAN Machinery Inc. as a fully owned subsidiary of Petersen Machinery Denmark AS. In conjunction, all companies in the group were re-aligned under the name ‘CIDAN Machinery’ in order to link them under one of its strongest brand names.

Today CIDAN’s product portfolio extends to machines covering up to 8mm thickness in mild steel but for which the largest demand is for up to 4mm. The company operates state-of-the-art facilities in Götene, Sweden, and has its own dedicated companies in Denmark, the USA and China. In the last fiscal year CIDAN Machinery recorded sales of more than €20 million. Optimised performance

CIDAN continues to offer a wide range of machines and custom-made equipment that cover a diverse range of products, which include the latest CNC power folding machines, motorised guillotine shears, compact sized cut-to-length lines with straightening, slitting and shearing lines, decoilers and recoilers. These advanced, high-tech machines set the industry standard in terms of durability and ease of use for its operators. They provide flexible, energy-saving solutions that are optimised to increase efficiency and cut costs.

Mr Tafazoli said, “Many of our customers around the world still remember us as Petersen Machinery, Göteneds and another brand that was used in the US during the initial phase of our success there. Those are virtually phased out now with the exception of a few countries such as Sweden, Poland, Norway and Finland where the brand Göteneds is still a strong market leader. Today CIDAN is the dominant global brand and has always been the premier one that people acknowledge as leading the field in both quality and innovative technology. Recently we have been upgrading and enhancing the performance of existing ones to new levels of efficiency and reliability.

“The latest products to evolve from these technological advances were launched at EuroBLECH in Hannover, Germany, at the end of October. We showcased our latest EVO mechanical shearing guillotines there, which offer exceptional flexibility for our customers. Furthermore, a new series of gauging systems and operational controls for power folders were successfully shown at the fair. The new software is unique for CIDAN Machinery and has been developed in-house in collaboration with selected outside suppliers. The major principle in the development was to have a control that was intuitive for new users to operate, while advanced users could have the option to make more complex individual adjustments if required.

Mr Tafazoli added, “A strategy that has paid big dividends for us recently has been the decision to distribute top-tier competitive brands which complement our own portfolio of products. One of our biggest success stories is our partnership with the Swiss manufacturer of long and double folders, Thalmann. Today we are their biggest customer, selling their advanced machinery

products in Scandinavia, North America and recently a large part of Asia. Our two companies are involved in frequent, open discussions on how to gain mutual benefits and grow even stronger through collaboration. Our global partnerships with other manufacturers are also adding to our ability to reach new markets and increase our presence in existing ones.

“Our well-established and diverse partnership networks help us to satisfy the different market needs throughout the world. We are now also developing tighter relationships with our dealer networks and these are dedicated and fully trained dealerships that are capable of providing the same quality solutions for our customers as we do”

Expanding global reach

The company continues to invest heavily in its key growth markets such as China and North America. Sales in North America have been steady for many decades, but with the creation of its ‘Americas’ division, the expert sales unit now responsible for North and South America, CIDAN has high expectations for the company’s future sales there. With its extensive office, showroom and warehouse facilities in Peachtree City, Georgia, USA, the company has achieved great success with its sales of CIDAN machines in the US market. It now has a steady stream of container shipments rolling out of Gothenburg carrying CIDAN machines destined for the American continent. “Our well trained and qualified sales and service staff in our US office have already secured remarkable growth in the US and we have great confidence that CIDAN will become the natural brand of choice for the Latin American sheet metal industry,” commented Mr Tafazoli.

In China the company continues to build upon its facilities there and has now moved to larger premises in Greater Shanghai with a bigger showroom and better facilities for the handling of its machines. CIDAN Machinery Trading Shanghai has been showcasing CIDAN Machines at many important trade shows in China over the past year and every show has been successful for the company. The plan is to establish the CIDAN Machinery company in Shanghai as the regional hub for the surrounding area in Asia. It has recently hired a new general manager and other staff to support this initiative. Even though the company has a more than 100-year history, the CIDAN machines and CIDAN brand are still seeing rapid growth all over the world. n

For further details of CIDAN’s innovative metal fabricating machinery and dedicated customer services visit: www.cidanmachinery.com