Globalisation à la WTG – Innovativeness and customer proximity

The Winterthur Technology Group, a company rooted in Europe, is today a mix of people from diverse cultural backgrounds who work together in a constructive atmosphere throughout the world. From Europe to the USA, India and China, the employees strive to find the ideal abrasive solution for their customers. An innovative spirit, the close ties to their customers and the desire for technical and economic success, unites them. These common interests are stronger than any cultural differences. Apart from the ideas about common stereotypes, there are of course real differences: the Indian idea of punctuality really doesn’t correspond to the German or Swiss one. But, the Indian colleagues demonstrate greater flexibility, which they absolutely need in their country.

Another important reason for the productive cooperation can be found in the group's history. The WTG was not born on the day of the merger. The four companies have continuously conquered global markets over decades and gained sustainable experience along the way, which assisted them with acquisitions and mergers of European and international companies and led to successful integration. They were not raiders, but rather partners who were primarily interested in maintaining and developing the acquired companies and not merely in acquiring their markets. Such an approach offers security from which both employees and customers benefit.

One of Wendt's employees summarises this for the entire group, saying "Those who want to become involved - no matter how – have the freedom to be creative in the development and implementation of their ideas." Under this umbrella of security and the freedom to grow, employees are more motivated for their customers’ challenging tasks. And that's what they do all over the world, although everyone does it their own way.