Gas under control Spectron

gas under control

Spectron, based in Frankfurt am Main, offers a diverse product family for applications in the gas supply control segment. The company is a market leader in terms of innovation and quality and these are the attributes the company wishes to further support to secure its growth worldwide. Romana Moares reports.

ATa time when many European manufacturers have moved their production facilities to China or other cheap labour markets, Frankfurt-based Spectron has turned the ‘made in Germany’ slogan into a vital marketing tool – indeed one of the markets where Spectron’s products are enjoying growing success is China. “We have achieved our strong market position as a result of our lasting commitment to quality and innovation and are determined to keep it this way,” says Mr Johan van der Klift, Spectron’s Managing Director. “German products still have a strong reputation in global markets and we have decided to stay put in terms of our manufacturing operations. This has certainly not hindered our growth – people around the world are willing to pay for guaranteed quality and reliability, custom-specific design and short lead times.”

Spectron has been a gas supply equipment specialist for decades. The company is part of MEC Holding, owned by the family-run Messer Group, a renowned player in the markets for industrial gases

and cutting and welding technology since 1889. The Messer Group and the Messer Eutectic Castolin Group (MEC) operate under the ‘Part of the Messer World’ umbrella brand, signifying that they are part of the ‘Messer World’ group of companies.

“Spectron has been part of the Messer Group for a long time, starting in the sector of cutting and welding and later, in the mid1950s venturing into new applications in laboratories and the oil and gas sector requiring high purity and specialty gases equipment, which is basically what we do today,” says the Managing Director.

He explains that one of the biggest milestones came in 2010 when Spectron’s activities were divested into an independent business in its own right, albeit still owned and operating with the Messer Group. “A significant investment was made in the business, moving into a new location, the purchase of machines and in other aspects of company management, including developing our core business: production of gas supply control systems, mainly for high purity gas applications.”

Spectron today employs about 60 people in its German facility, 10 staff in its sales office in Shanghai and operates a subsidiary in Coventry, UK, Spectron Gas control systems, the key activity of which is to modify the products made in Frankfurt for the UK and Irish markets in laboratory, universities and R&D applications. leader in innovation

Spectron’s product range is wide and the sheer breadth is a significant competitive advantage, making the company unique on a global scale. “We are a one stop manufacturer which is very unusual these days. Gas companies can get all the equipment they need for their various gases and applications from us,” claims Mr van der Klift. “The portfolio is grouped into a large number of categories primarily corresponding to their applications, but the two largest groups, accounting for about 75 per cent of turnover, are the high purity and speciality gas equipment supplied to the petrochemical, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and research sectors, followed closely by high flow equipment for industrial gases used in a wide range of industrial applications across a number of various industries,” he explains.

A strong focus on innovation and product development has always been one of the company’s strengths and is an important factor that sets it apart from competitors. In the last couple of years, Spectron has launched three fully unique, patented products – ASG, a safety device for acetylene; Ambimat, a full auto-change-over manifold system and a re-designed EM15, a tapping point for integration in laboratory furniture.

“We are constantly working on new products and re-designs of our products. At the moment a new generation of gas supply equipment

for speciality gases (flammable, toxic corrosive and other hazardous properties) with extra and new functions is being developed,” says the Managing Director. Expertise, innovation and quality continue to be key to the company’s success, he explains. “Short delivery times, customer-specific configurations and customer support are the attributes that our customers value and appreciate.”

Safe and reliable future

Solid supplier relationships are an integral part of the company’s success and Mr van der Klift stresses the importance of high quality suppliers and long-term partnerships. “One of our long-term key suppliers is WIKA (WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG, Klingenberg, Germany) for pressure gauges and other pressure measuring equipment, but there are many more trusted partners. With most of our suppliers we have long relationships; some are as partners involved in our product development programmes. This is an important issue for Spectron,” he says.

The company has sufficient flexibility to further expand in its current location and plans to grow organically, although the Managing Director does not rule out potential acquisitions in Europe and elsewhere. The key market for Spectron remains Germany – absorbing 40 per cent of total output, followed by Europe as a whole. But Spectron’s products are generally shipped all over the world. “We have about 25 per cent market share in the Middle East in our sector, although the markets are unpredictable with regard to oil prices, and of course potential is increasing in the Asian countries,” says Mr van der Klift. “Markets and competition are more ‘dynamic’ than ever before. And we know that to continue to grow Spectron has to be alert and pro-active. We will continue to offer our customers unique products, products that ensure safe and reliable work with gases. Safety is of paramount importance to us and to our customers and our products meet those needs completely,” he says. n