We finish up this atypical year, 2021, with our sights set on December 31st. It is somewhat symbolic, but it marks the end of a period that for us has been full of milestones, and the start of a new adventure that I am sure will bring us incomparable experiences. Some people see in the new year by swimming in ice-cold water. Others smash crockery against the doors, or jump off their chair. There are some who eat lentils, and some who don't consider it begun until they have climbed a nearby summit. Here in Spain, we eat 12 grapes to see in the New Year. In 2020 we made a wish with each of them. Maybe it was superstition, or perhaps Divine Providence, but all of them have materialised in the form of a gift, a celebration or a lesson. Today we share with you the 12 things we wished for in 2021 that were granted!
If the pandemic has brought us anything it’s a broader horizon and the capacity to adapt to new environments. Countries that seemed impregnable, such as Turkey or the United States, now form part of our commercial network. Our lathes are reaching more and more corners of the world, and we couldn’t be more satisfied with the international expansion of our brand. You know how it goes, #turningtheworld.
Back in February this year, we decided to give our machines the place they deserve. We took the plunge and decided to put them at the centre of everything. For months we dedicated an information sheet to each one of our lathes which, furthermore, came with a surprise: lathes in stock, special promotions, specific discounts... We really enjoyed doing a review of our catalogue of products and sharing them with all of you: TA Series, High Precision CNC lathe, Long bed CNC lathe, Turning centres, Twin-Spindle CNC Lathe...
The applications section of our website is possibly one of the sections that takes up most of our time, but it is also the one that makes us proudest. Many hours of work, preparation, editing, coordination, and above all, care, go into every video. 2021 has allowed us to get into the most hidden corners of our machines, through the deep hole drilling that has delighted thousands of fans from all over the world on YouTube. The videos and downloadable content on internal broaching, indexing chucks and helical gear drilling have done just as well. Being able to see the new TTS up and running with some turning operations was, without a doubt, a feast for the eyes.
The key moment of this year starts with TTS and ends with Series. Being able to launch this twin spindle lathe, which was created for precision turning and high production, was the culmination of years of work and research. We sincerely believe that its technical characteristics and functionalities are a significant attraction on this machine, which we have already launched to a spectacular reception, and has already become a serious competitor for sliding head lathes.
The work has multiplied, and with it the hands and minds necessary to do it all. Between all of our workplaces, subsidiaries and plants, we now have over 420 employees. The family is growing, and we feel privileged for bringing together so much talent under the initials CMZ.
The pandemic has only reinforced our plans for growth. In the next 5 years we aim to deliver 800 lathes per year. We are very aware that for this we need to rely on a highly-qualified team, top facilities and a good product.
It is in that spirit that Neoprec was born, our new machining plant with over 8,000 m2 in surface area. The way the year started in terms of restrictions, we were not expecting this new production centre to be able to supply the assembly line the way it currently is. Next stop? To reach cruising speed.
The TTS Series is unique, and as such it deserved a different type of launch. We set out to prepare for our first technical digital event, and over 375 companies registered. Things never go to plan, and a power cut in our headquarters seconds before starting made things difficult at the beginning. However, we were able to salvage the situation, and lots of people were able to enjoy learning about the virtues of the TTS and the TTL from our sales managers.
We believe that the people are what makes a brand great. Attracting and retaining talent is one of the main challenges we industrial companies face. Fully aware and conscious of that, we signed up to the Industria Erronka programme. As part of the programme, we visited the Ikastola Lauaxeta school and had the opportunity to show students the real world of factories in the Basque Country. It was an immense pleasure. What the students don't know is that we learnt a lot from them during the event too.
Our lathes have a real useful life of over 20 years. It is very easy to reach that with proper maintenance. Our after-sales department have designed a catalogue of plus services and some maintenance contract packages that have encouraged many customers to see it as an investment for the future to optimise their machine’s performance.
To paraphrase the great Albert Einstein, “I didn’t know it was impossible, so I did it”. We wanted to adopt this slogan as a mantra. At the beginning of this year, the situation was grim at best: with a black cloud of fear and uncertainty hanging over the world’s population, a difficult economic context, big restrictions due to the health situation and a major goods transportation crisis; nothing made us think we would achieve it. Nonetheless, it did happen. We have beaten our own record, hitting a turnover of 90 million euros, exceeding the fruitful 2019 pre-pandemic year of 2019 which marked a historic milestone for us at CMZ.
We have been seeing the company through the eyes of our team for two years. With great generosity, courage and a smidgen of embarrassment, they went in front of our camera and shared their experience with all of us. With the testimony of our colleague Olaf and a hint of nostalgia, we closed this chapter to give way to new content and projects that are already simmering away.
2020 saw Aitor Zumarraga voted Best Basque Businessman of 2019, and in a way we were all winners alongside him. We will be included on the list of award winners, and it is something we will never forget. This year, Aitor experienced the ceremony from the other side, as a member of the jury. Through his hands, we passed the torch on to José Muñoz (of the Oribay Group) at an unforgettable gala.
We can’t complain. These last 365 days have given us enough material to write a book, but for now, we have to make do with this traditional review post in this humble log.
We are living in the fast lane. That is a reality, and that is why it is important to stop, think and give thanks. We have no idea what 2022 has in store for us. Desires and enthusiasm we have plenty. Shall we go for it? Bring on 2022. Come on, we're waiting for you 😊
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