Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/921680
40 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2018 Feature Interview by Stephen Las Marias I-CONNECT007 German-based ULT AG has been engineer- ing and manufacturing top-notch fume extrac- tion and air filtration devices for industrial applications since 1994. What started out as a one-man-band now employs more than 120 people. The company is focused on removing airborne dry dust and fumes from manufactur- ing processes, by dedicated, local devices. The goal is to contribute to a healthy work environ- ment and to prevent parts and machinery from contamination. Wolfgang Koehler is the CEO of the North America branch of ULT. In an interview with SMT007 Magazine, he discusses how their business has been over the past year, their challenges and opportunities, and how they are helping their customers. Another topic of discussion is investing in new equipment—the key parameters to consider, and what's driving customers to buy their systems. Stephen Las Marias: How has your business been last year, and what have been the major drivers for growth? Wolfgang Koehler: We have done great over the past year. For our German HQ, 2017 has been another year of constant growth and develop- ment, showing that the course we plugged in is all about right. As the actual economy is strong in Germany and in many other parts of the world, we have been, among others, partici- pating in the growing demand for sophisti- cated air filtration from laser manufacturing processes. In January 2017, we started our U.S. entity in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, follow- ing our global customer base to the Americas. This strategic move offers a huge potential for further growth.