Frank Dietsche: The first question goes directly to Yannik Zecha. You took on the position of managing director alongside your father in April 2025. How were the first months for you?
Yannik Zecha: I think you can never be fully prepared for it, as it is an absolutely new situation for oneself. In the first months, it was of course a special situation for both me and everyone else. For some colleagues, it was a bit sudden that they now have me as their new boss, but also obvious since I have shown interest in our family business for a long time, for example, through my regular holiday jobs and my dual bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, which I also completed at our own company.
Since the transition was planned and prepared, I had the chance to mentally prepare for the new tasks. The change was not abrupt, but rather fluid – which I particularly owe to our well-coordinated management team.
FD: And what does the father think?
Stefan Zecha: Very positive, new ideas and new approaches. He is making his own footprints in the company, especially in the new area of laser tools.
FD: In 2024, they celebrated the 60th anniversary of the company and introduced their son Yannik to the invited guests at a ceremony at the AMB in Stuttgart. A company succession for another 60 years under geopolitically changed conditions?
Stefan Zecha: When I think about how my father started, there have always been crises and upheavals, but these are also opportunities to take new paths or think anew, especially when you are young. I did it differently than my father, and I think my son will do something similar. These are new challenging times that no one expected. When I think back to 2019, when I took over the VDMA chair from our esteemed Mr. Lothar Horn, and he passed it on to me with the words, 'Mr. Zecha, you now have calm waters, very different from when I started in 2008,' I can only say, fortunately, we do not know what is coming, but we must prepare for it.
FD: At EMO 2025 in Hanover, many Asian tool manufacturers were present. Are alarm bells ringing for you as a manufacturer of micro-precision tools?
Stefan Zecha: Yes, the competition does not sleep, and if it also receives full state support, it will be difficult. But that is why one should always be aware of one's own strengths, keep an eye open, take it seriously, and maintain the gap through high-end new solutions, innovation, and quality. This is not easy, but we can do it in Germany.
FD: The issue of raw materials and raw material prices plays a central role in the production of precision tools. The growing competition from the Far East is clearly at an advantage here. How can German or European manufacturers counteract this?
Stefan Zecha: What has been happening in this area in recent months has never been seen before and is also incomparable. Even small manufacturers in China are suffering, and the raw material carbide is becoming increasingly valuable, making it all the more important that used tools remain in the recycling loop in Europe and do not go to China. The ATP price has currently more than tripled, and the value of the raw material is increasing. But this also offers opportunities. The service life of a tool is now even more important, and quality will come to the forefront even more. How else can our customers influence tool costs? The old saying, 'who buys cheap, buys twice,' gains more significance again.
Yannik Zecha: I can only agree with that. It is also important to maintain a close and early exchange with suppliers, as we can only solve this problem together. Just like us, our customers rely on reliable partners to ensure a stable supply chain in the tool industry in the future.
FD The shortage of skilled workers has been a pervasive topic in recent years. Has this changed due to the economic situation of many German companies? Or is it also necessary to develop new concepts in education due to the changed requirements, both technically and in the mentality of people?
Stefan Zecha: Unfortunately, we are seeing an adjustment of capacities in the skilled worker sector. But if a young person were to ask me whether it is still worth doing an apprenticeship in our industry, I would definitely answer yes. We are very advanced in technology and must continue to move forward. This requires highly qualified and highly motivated skilled workers. And where do we have competition in this area? It is thin in international comparison. Only in Switzerland or Japan is training comparable, and I am very glad that we have been successfully training for a long time. We are also currently looking for skilled workers and apprentices, but one must want to and be able to.
Yannik Zecha: Whether with or without a suitable qualification as a skilled worker, the demands of what is accomplished here daily are anything but low. For this reason, we will continue to focus on our own training and place great importance on a well-structured and high-quality onboarding process.
The tool industry is subject to continuous change due to constantly evolving technologies. Both we as tool manufacturers and our customers are equally affected. Companies are therefore constantly faced with new challenges. A good example of this is tool manufacturing using laser technology. As is often the case, it is not just the machine that is decisive, but especially the right development and operation – factors that are primarily the responsibility of the employees.
At universities, such processes are theoretically conveyed and their influencing factors are explained. However, in our daily work, we do not exclusively need master's graduates in laser technology, but rather qualified professionals with technical understanding, craftsmanship, and a conscientious work ethic in daily use.
FD: The location Germany is being questioned by many companies. Is Zecha GmbH also addressing this issue?
Stefan Zecha: We at Zecha have been dealing with this very early on and therefore entered into a partnership with a renowned family business in India as early as 2000. And I believe this will become increasingly important. Germany as a country of new ideas and developments and India with its human resources are a perfect team, and we have grown at both locations and are well-coordinated. I see this as securing our location in Germany; only in this way can we afford our own R&D department of that size.
Yannik Zecha: Only with a clear presence in Europe can we stay close to the customer and implement new solutions quickly and purposefully. We have a well-coordinated team here in Germany with high professional competencies, which we must not give up under any circumstances.
FD: You are the chairman of the VDMA Precision Tools Association and have repeatedly expressed your demands to politics, such as reducing bureaucracy or lowering energy costs. Has anything changed with the new government, or what should politics in Germany implement to foster growth again?
Stefan Zecha: These issues have been raised by us in the VDMA for years, and yes, politics needs more than just words.
The autumn of decisions must now be replaced by the spring of decisions. I can only urgently appeal to politics, not only in Germany but especially in Brussels. We must address our issues in these areas; otherwise, we jeopardize our prosperity and, even worse, our democracy. The average citizen no longer understands why our strongest industry, the automotive industry, is being sacrificed because we are the only continent in the world to phase out combustion engines. The layoffs are just the beginning, and the example of Detroit should not be repeated in Stuttgart.
FD: World politics and the mentality in global trade have changed. German or European companies are increasingly under pressure. How can companies counteract this?
Stefan Zecha: Yes, unfortunately, it has taken on a negative momentum that no one thought possible, and therefore we can only rely on what we do best, our technological knowledge. No customer in the world buys our tools because of the price, but because they gain a personal advantage from using our tools.
FD: Your company is considered a top specialist in micro-machining in the industry. Smaller and more precise components are increasingly in demand. In which industries are your tools used?
Stefan Zecha: Everywhere there are small components that require high precision, which can include micromechanics as well as medicine. But I also see new fields that hopefully will re-establish themselves strongly in Europe, such as the semiconductor industry, not to mention robotics, where there is more than enough micromechanics involved. As always, crises also present opportunities; we must seize them, and here too, politics is called for with a clear strategy. But each of us must also plan ahead with foresight and positivity. Nothing comes from nothing.
Yannik Zecha: Additionally, there are components that arise, for example, through alternative manufacturing processes such as additive manufacturing, but still require post-processing to achieve the necessary surface quality.
Thank you very much for the conversation.
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