Scheppach is one of the biggest companies in Europe in the DIY sector. With customers all over Europe, Africa, Australia, North America and Asia, Scheppach is a truly global player.
Easy Engineering: What are the company’s main areas of activity?
Scheppach: We monitor the market, analyse demand and check which products can meet it. Together with reliable suppliers we produce these products and distribute them nationally and internationally, both directly and through selected partners.
E.E: What’s the news for 2020 regarding new products?
Scheppach: In 2020, we have expanded our range with several innovative products. For example, new, particularly quiet compressors that significantly reduce the noise level in the workshop. Also, a new wood-turning lathe, the DM600Vario with individually adjustable speed, two bench drills with digital display (DP60 & DP55) and two flexible chop, cross-cut and mitre saws (HM90MP & HM110MP), which cut through everything from wood to steel at the desired angle or with a mitre angle of -45° to +45°.
E.E: What are the ranges of traded products?
Scheppach: Our product range consists of small, hand-operated products such as cordless screwdrivers right up to large, stationary band saws, panel sizing saws and wood splitters.
We are mainly active in the areas of woodworking, compressed air technology, construction machinery and gardening tools, with a constant focus on the DIY and handyman market. Our range of construction machinery includes plate vibrators, dumpers and drywall sanders, for example, and the garden range primarily covers lawnmowers, multi-tools for garden maintenance and brush cutters. Our labour of love is still firewood machines like log splitters and rocker saws, which are still “Made in Germany” by our in-house production.
E.E: Where are the markets where you are currently active?
Scheppach: In Central and Western Europe and some Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic and Poland, our market penetration is already very good. We see a lot of potential in other markets in Eastern Europe, such as Romania and Bulgaria, and also in North America.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
Scheppach: In addition to the current trend of equipping all devices with rechargeable batteries, we are continuing to see a steady demand for wired and motorised products that allow continuous use. Of course, we also rely on battery technology for some of our products and are continuously expanding this area. However, we always pay closer attention to scale and logic over pure quantity.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
Scheppach: We currently have several innovative products on the market. Our compressed air powered multi-tool, the Aero2Spade, for example, with its various attachments, which can be used in the garden or on the construction site. The DM600Vario wood-turning lathe mentioned earlier is also an innovation with its variable speed. The same goes for the DP60 bench drill, whose digital display allows intuitive operation. Further new products are currently under development allowing us to provide some surprises in the market next year.
E.E: What are the forecasts looking like for 2020?
Scheppach: Despite the Corona crisis, our strong partners and our sophisticated product range have enabled us to maintain our turnover and, in some cases, even increase it further. Many new business customers have also discovered this and have therefore become our sales partners, so that we will emerge stronger from the crisis, gain even more market share in 2020 and 2021 and continue to grow and expand.