Shaping the future
Innovating for success: 100 years of DENSO Group Germany. Managing Directors Max Wedekind and Thomas Kaiser discuss the challenges, guiding principles and milestones of our company history.
2022 is a year of celebration for DENSO. But it’s also a time of great change. What challenges lie ahead for the company?
Max Wedekind: The whole world is facing challenges that will have an enormous impact across our business: The limited availability of fossil fuels and the transition to renewable energies is just one of the changes we need to tackle. The demands for supply reliability and unrestricted mobility are also high . We are well-equipped to meet our customers’ needs in these areas, with a strong portfolio of product and system solutions that help to ensure reliable energy transport and durable roads.
Thomas Kaiser: We also had the coronavirus pandemic to deal with recently, and we’re seeing prices for raw materials, energy and logistics rising continually around the world. As a solid family company, we are pleased that we can make decisions with long-term planning and sustainability in mind.
We have the largest portfolio of corrosion prevention products in our sector.
But the diversity in our range also brings challenges in terms of production. We need to plan exceptionally well, retaining our ability to make adjustments each day while also keeping the right volumes of raw materials in stock and maintaining short retooling times.
Our production employees are trained to a high level so that they can work flexibly across different machines.
What guiding principles do you follow in business?
Max Wedekind: Striving for long-term safety drives us.
In terms of pipeline construction, this means avoiding repairs, interruptions to transport and leaks of substances that could damage the environment. Reliable, long-lasting corrosion protection prevents damage, hazards and accidents in the pipeline network.
In road construction, our products provide a permanent and reliable seal around joints and seams. They boost safety by reducing construction times and the hazards linked to traffic congestion.
Thomas Kaiser: Protecting people, the environment and nature is very important to us.
This is particularly important in terms of the working environment we provide for our employees. But we also protect people working on construction sites, by designing our products in such a way that the work effort is as low as possible. Many of our products are quick and simple to apply; they are installed cold, without the need to use a gas flame and often without any hazardous substances such as solvents.
Since 1996, TOK®-Band SK has been suitable for cold application, with no flame required to fuse the band; it is completely self-adhesive and can even be applied without primer since 2017. In addition, our devices – like the DENSOMAT® for corrosion prevention products or the TOKOMAT® for finishing joints in road construction – allow construction workers to apply our products twice as fast.
We want our products to be safe, efficient and economical to use.
What do you think sets DENSO apart?
Thomas Kaiser: DENSO has in-house teams for research and development and quality assurance.
With all the new products we develop, we aim to set new benchmarks for technical performance and cost-effectiveness.
We don’t just look at what’s technically feasible – we go beyond it. In our production processes, we exclusively use high-quality raw materials and we don’t compromise on our formulas to cut costs.
Our products meet the highest standards of quality and comply with all of the relevant standards and guidelines.
Max Wedekind: Our customers would be best placed to answer this question, but I think it comes down to three things:
- Our innovative approach, which is always guided by the needs of our customers
- Our quality standards, with all of our products Made in Germany
- And finally our team, who are always there for one another and for our customers
What factors are key to the development of innovations?
Thomas Kaiser: The inventions we’ve come up with in the past and the innovative new products we’re developing today are all the result of teamwork and exceptional engineering. We understand the needs of our customers and offer them tailor-made solutions that are equipped for the future – and we’re constantly striving to improve our products.
We can only achieve this by working together: Our success belongs to our team. We are incredibly grateful to our employees for their outstanding commitment and creativity.
Let’s take a look back at the company’s history. What are the most important milestones of the past 100 years?
Max Wedekind: Since the invention of DENSO®-Tape, we’ve acquired almost 100 years of experience in passive corrosion prevention on pipelines; today, this product is still marketed as DENSO®-Tape.
There is no other company in our industry with this kind of experience. We have the world’s most comprehensive portfolio of products for passive corrosion prevention on pipelines, which is highly valued by our customers and partners.
For the past 70 years, another core product has provided stability: TOK® has become a well-known brand in sewer construction. For 45 years, TOK®-Band has been used to permanently seal joints in road construction, and the name has become synonymous with bitumen joint tapes.
The launch of TOK®-Band SK and, more recently, TOK®-Band A, has underpinned our position as a leading innovator in the road construction industry.
Thomas Kaiser: Thanks to our engineering expertise, we’ve been able to produce genuine co-extruded three-ply tapes for 50 years. Since then, our DENSOLEN® -Tapes have set the benchmark in terms of quality in countless pipeline projects around the world. We recently expanded our corrosion prevention portfolio to include high-temperature products to meet the ever-more demanding requirements of pipeline operators.
We’re particularly proud of our world-first product SEALID®: After many years of development, we were successful in creating this universal product in 2021. As well as being incredibly versatile, it also meets our requirements of being easy to apply, economical and long-lasting.
How has DENSO changed over the course of the past century?
Max Wedekind: DENSO has always adapted to the challenges of the market. The demands placed on our people and products have, of course, evolved over the decades – but our inventive spirit, creativity and our drive to find the highest-quality solutions for our customers have remained unchanged.
We’ve consistently achieved new milestones that have changed our industry for the better.
At the same time, we’ve not forgotten our roots, and we’ve remained true to our founding principle: “DENSO means to seal” with high-quality and long-lasting products. For decades, DENSO ensures stability and safety.
We are committed to being a company that people can rely on – whether that’s as a customer, a business partner or an employee.
Question: What are your wishes for DENSO on its 100th anniversary?
Max Wedekind: For 100 years, DENSO has stood for stability and innovation. We are very lucky to be in a position to continue this tradition and to shape the future of the company together. My wish for the company is to find the right path in difficult times. Courage should guide us.
Thomas Kaiser: We’re proud of what we have achieved and are full of confidence for what the future holds. For 100 years, we’ve been thinking ahead – and I hope that we hold on to this curiosity. With our innovative products and strong team, we’re well-equipped for the future.
Thank you for the interview!
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