Insight

For over 60 years Achilles Seibert GmbH, based in Henstedt-Ulzburg, Germany – approximately 10km north of Hamburg – has been providing its unique range of fasteners to the market – along with a personable and distinctive service that has enabled the company to establish itself as a leading specialist for the entire fastener range.  

Known initially for its slogan of supplying the ‘long and thin, short and thick’, Achilles has developed and expanded its standard range to provide complete coverage of Grades 8.8, 10.9 and 12.9. In addition, the company can also deliver special parts to drawings, as well as turned parts, CNC parts and stamped parts.

“I recently came back from a trip visiting customers in Bulgaria, and the Netherlands, and they still remember the slogan we had in 2006,” explains Timo Scholle, managing director at Achilles Seibert GmbH (pictured below), with a smile. “We are still very recognised for the ‘long and thin, short and thick’, but nowadays we are able to supply a lot more. This includes everything in between these products and we have established customers who now buy their full range from us.” Achilles modern product range is broken up into three divisions – classic, system and automotive. The classic stock range represents the majority of Achilles products and includes everything from M1.6 up to M56. The company is able to deliver this selection on a daily basis with short-term deliveries.

Achilles can also act as an importer for specific customers, where – for price sensitive products – it buys in bulk and then acts as a stockholder, delivering on a set schedule or as and when the customer needs a delivery. “Being able to support customers with a long-term strategy for their purchasing can help give them generate significant cost and service benefits,” says Timo. “At the moment it seems that customers are using us more as a back-up warehouse. Rather than one weekly or monthly order of products, customers are making daily orders. However, this isn’t necessarily the cheapest option for the customer if they look at their own working processes and the cost benefits that can be achieved.”  

“If the customer’s warehouse is having to process ten orders a week instead of just one, this adds to their overall costs. That is why we offer the complete service so that we can take some of their workload and they can focus on their customers.” 

In addition to its classic products there is also the automotive range, which is a growing area for Achilles. The company focuses on special parts to drawing, which customers cannot get from other suppliers. Thanks to the experience within the Achilles team it is able to see how viable a product is and work with the customer if a drawing is not feasible. 

“We pride ourselves on our ability to work with customers on products that have very specific tolerances and requirements,” points out Timo. “We can provide a variety of solutions depending on the requirements of the customer. If a licensed product is needed for a specific OEM then we work with our licensed manufacturers to make sure the correct products are produced.” 

He adds: “We don’t deliver to the automotive industry directly. We deliver to the after sales market and the suppliers of the automotive industry. However, we still have to supply products according to VDA standards. The parts also have to be recognised within the automotive industry’s International Material Data System (IMDS). This means there has to be full traceability for the entire product life cycle from raw material to the finished product. Thanks to our very good relationship with our manufacturers, we are able to work with them on providing the perfect solution for the customer.”

The final product section Achilles is able to supply is its system range, which is an additional service programme supporting the product and automotive sections. This includes everything around the fastener that is outside of the company’s stock programme, such as special packing, special labelling, special coatings or special threading.

“We can provide the full service for the customer,” states Timo emphatically. “We check the quality of the products; we get the products coated; we can label the products; and we pack them according to customers’ requirements. We do everything we can to create more value for the customer. The reason is that the DIN Standard range is very similar from the majority of fastener suppliers, which is why at Achilles we are creating a service around the products.”

A key part of that service is Achilles’ web shop, which was introduced in 2014 and is available in German and English. The aim of the web shop is to have a clean and efficient system that enables the customer to order whatever they needed within a few clicks. “Initially our customers were very sceptical about the web shop and it was difficult to change their habits,” comments Timo. “However, once customers saw how the web shop operated and how easy it was to order, they soon started using it.”

A main feature of the web shop is that the stock is updated in real time, meaning the customer can always see the stock level of products. Also, a new feature is that the web shop will inform customers when an out of stock product will again be available – in days/weeks. This means the customer can order a product that is currently out of stock, and already know when they will receive the delivery.

On the web shop the customer can also check all of their open orders; their enquiries without offers; the orders that are being processed; as well as the orders that have already been delivered.

A further benefit to the customer of using Achilles’ web shop is that the company gives customers a discount compared to the price list and enquiring over the phone. “With the web shop the customers do all the work themselves, so we are able to give them a discount,” mentions Timo. “The web shop helps to streamline the ordering process. We do not need to type in the orders; and we do not need to write sales confirmations; everything is done automatically. That is why we are able to give a discount.”

He adds: “Whilst the web shop has proven very successful, there is a negative from our point of view, which is that we lose personal contact with our customers. At Achilles we are very proud of the relationships we have built up around the world and we always try and create a close working partnership with our customers. However, in today’s market the amount of suppliers is increasing, not reducing. This means customers have more options and price becomes more of a factor. That is why it is important that you are providing an efficient and effective service.” A recent development already having a big impact on the fastener industry is the repeal of anti-dumping duties on carbon steel fasteners from China in February. “As a company we were very unhappy when anti-dumping was introduced in 2009 and now we are unhappy at the cancellation of anti-dumping,” states Timo. “Before the introduction of anti-dumping we had good contact within China. We had a warehouse and factory based there, which we had to close once the anti-dumping tariff was introduced in 2009. We therefore created new relationships outside of China and, with the growth of the manufacturing capabilities in Taiwan and other markets, there was the right capacity within the market. Now everything is up in the air. The repeal of the anti-dumping measures has shaken the whole market up like a snow globe.”  

“At the moment the major impact is that the majority of the market has frozen. Companies are standing still and don’t know what to do. There are so many questions and uncertainties that companies don’t want to make the wrong decision. If they place their order to Taiwan or Vietnam, is it going to be competitive in 2-3 months? Will it be too expensive because Chinese companies will be in the market? Also what is going to happen with China? Will it look to keep price levels high to get a better turnover? Then you have the question of whether there will be another anti-dumping investigation? If so, what will happen if there is?”  

“There will also be a big impact when the Chinese market is fully up and running. If you add the 80% production capacity to the market that China had before anti-dumping, it is going to have massive impact on supply. This will create a lot of competition, and with companies needing to keep machines going, it is inevitable that the prices will drop. This is also another reason why companies are being careful – because they are expecting the prices to drop.”

Timo is clearly passionate about not only Achilles, but also the industry as a whole. With his father Henning Scholle having taken a back seat in recent years, Timo is clear on the challenges that lie ahead for the fastener industry, as well as what steps Achilles will take to ensure it can continue to provide a full range of fastener products, coupled with a complete service. 

“Our major goal is to continue to support our customers with good quality products at a market price that will be available today, tomorrow and in the months to come – giving customers a reliable source for all their product needs. Our warehouse is full and we are ready to supply customers with the entire range of products, as and when they need them. Finally, quality is still an important factor for the industry. We are finding more and more customers asking for complete documentation of the entire process. Therefore it is vital that you are able to guarantee full traceability of the products.” 

www.achill-fasteners.com