REINTJES CEO sees global presence as a prerequisite for customer proximity – and wants to continue on the path of internationalisation

Eleven subsidiaries and over 500 employees in all relevant markets around the world. In addition, numerous global service partners. Over the past decades, REINTJES has developed into a true global player in the gear sector.

But how was it possible to make the leap from the small mechanical workshop founded by Theodor Reintjes in 1879 to a company with a global reputation? Primarily through this dense network of company headquarters and sales and service partners.

„With only locations in Germany and no ability to be on site with customers quickly, we would not play an international role,“ says REINTJES Managing Director Klaus Deleroi. At the same time, however, this orientation is also challenging: despite the physical distance, a framework is needed to create unity. „We have been very successful in this regard in recent years. There is a good exchange between the headquarters in Hamelin and our companies, and also between the companies themselves,“ says Deleroi.

At the same time, the REINTJES boss emphasises that further growth and even more internationalisation are needed to remain competitive in the long term. Deleroi also comments on difficulties and names two of his own locations that will be particularly important in the future.

REINTJES marine gearboxes are shipped from Hameln all over the world. Can you describe the current portfolio and explain how REINTJES ensures global service for its products?

At REINTJES, we develop and build gearboxes. These are primarily intended for all types of marine applications – i.e. for large and small ships that require a gearbox for their propulsion. We offer our sometimes simple and often complex applications in a power range from around 250 to approximately 40,000 kW. In addition, there is industrial drive technology. Here, we design and build gearboxes with outputs between 500 and 70,000 kW. But let’s stick with maritime propulsion technology. Once the gearbox has been installed and the ship handed over, our customers naturally expect comprehensive service around the clock, 365 days a year. We meet this expectation through our own and external service partners worldwide. Let’s imagine that there is a problem with one of our installed gearboxes or that a spare part is urgently needed. The customer then contacts their REINTJES representative, who initiates the service call, and a service technician is on site within 24 hours. No matter where in the world.

Where is REINTJES active?

The answer to this question is relatively simple: in principle, we operate worldwide at locations where ships are built or operated. The list ranges from Antwerp to Istanbul, Singapore and Shanghai to Manaus in Brazil. In addition to our headquarters in Hamelin, REINTJES has a total of eleven subsidiaries. These are located in Germany (Hamburg), Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Brazil, India, China, Singapore, Peru and Turkey.

How do you ensure that all global locations and partners act as one unit and meet the same quality standards despite the physical distance between them?

All of our global sales and service partners have a high degree of autonomy and can make many decisions independently – regardless of whether they are owned by us or by third parties. In my opinion, there is no other way to achieve appreciative, efficient and future-oriented cooperation. Of course, there is a fixed framework for how we present ourselves to customers, potential customers and other decision-makers. For this reason, we have network management and global marketing in place to monitor our worldwide corporate identity, for example.

Is there a service location that has grown particularly strongly in recent times?

No other location stands out in particular compared to our sales and service locations. Nevertheless, I would like to mention two. One is our headquarters in Hamburg. We are currently expanding our staff there with the aim of providing even better service to our customers in Northern Europe. Then there is our relatively new subsidiary in Italy: REINTJES Hybrid Power. This is a centre of excellence for hybrid and electric propulsion systems in shipping. There, we rely on a specialised team with application and engineering expertise and would like to participate even more in the growing trend in the field of electric and hybrid propulsion systems.

How important are service partners abroad for customer support – especially for time-critical projects?

Our sales and service partners are our eyes, ears and hands in the market and are always the first point of contact for our customers. And since our customers are our top priority, the importance of our service partners is correspondingly high. And when I think about the time aspect, the service partners are also a decisive factor because they have their own technicians and fitters, which means we can respond quickly to repair and service orders on site.

The global political situation is characterised by conflicts, trade barriers and geopolitical tensions, which are affecting various areas of the maritime industry. How is REINTJES dealing with this?

This question is very difficult to answer because the situation is very volatile at the moment and seems to be constantly changing. In principle, we are monitoring the situation and listening carefully to our sales and service partners. And we are in constant contact with our customers, including through visits. We derive short-term measures from this. However, we have not made any long-term decisions yet.

Looking ahead: What are your priorities for the further development of REINTJES' global presence in order to remain capable of acting even in uncertain times?

The keyword here is: Mini REINTJES. By this I mean the further development of our locations or the establishment of new ones. In the medium and long term, we will not be able to avoid this decision. This will be necessary because we currently only manufacture at our Hamelin location. However, local content requirements stipulate that parts of products must also be sourced locally . Specifically, I am thinking of countries such as the USA, China, India, Brazil and others. At the same time, we will also expand our sales and service network with subsidiaries and partner companies.