Concept Laser sets up US subsidiary

Mann der ersten Stunde: John Murray, CEO der Concept Laser Inc., Dallas (Texas - USA): „Concept Laser ist technologiegetrieben, nicht kapitalgetrieben.“ (Foto: Concept Laser GmbH) / Company founder: John Murray, CEO of Concept Laser Inc., Dallas (Texas, USA): "Concept Laser is driven by technology, not capital" (Photo: Concept Laser GmbH)

Just-in-time vor Ort: Service-Mitarbeiter von Concept Laser USA (Foto: Concept Laser GmbH) / Timely arrival on site: service staff from Concept Laser USA (Photo: Concept Laser GmbH)

LaserCUSING-Anlagen bei der Argen Corporation in San Diego (California - USA) mit John Murray, CEO der Concept Laser Inc. (USA), Frank Herzog, CEO von Concept Laser und Dr. Florian Bechmann, Leiter F& E Concept Laser (v.l.n.r.) (Foto: Concept Laser GmbH) / LaserCUSING systems at Argen Corporation in San Diego (California - USA) with John Murray, CEO of Concept Laser Inc., Frank Herzog, President & CEO of Concept Laser GmbH and Dr. Florian Bechmann, Head of R&D of Concept Laser GmbH (form left to right) (Photo: Concept Laser GmbH)

John Murray, CEO der Concept Laser Inc., und Frank Herzog, geschäftsführender Gesellschafter der Concept Laser GmbH, freuen sich über die ersten Installationen der X line 1000R in den USA (Foto: Concept Laser GmbH) / John Murray, CEO of Concept Laser Inc., (left) and Frank Herzog, President & CEO of Concept Laser GmbH (right), are pleased about the first installations of the X line 1000R in the US (Photo: Concept Laser GmbH)

Concept Laser hopes to assure itself a long-term position in the US market now that it has founded a new subsidiary in the states. Demand for LaserCUSING systems in the US was already high in the past. Developments over the last 2 to 3 years have made it necessary to create a regional structure so that sales and service tasks can be quickly dealt with on site. The new subsidiary is located in Dallas (Texas) and was officially inaugurated on August 1, 2014 under the management of CEO John Murray.

The fact that US markets are developing dynamically with regard to additive manufacturing strategies is no longer insider knowledge. The main impulses keep coming from the field of aerospace. The US aerospace sector systematically "calibrates" its manufacturing strategies toward additive approaches like no other country in the world. Other important branches of US industry, such as automotive or medical technology, are now in the process of adapting the new possibilities created by additive manufacturing.

The US government places importance on new strategies in manufacturing

The high level of significance attributed to additive manufacturing in the US can be explained according to political motives. For instance, in 2013 Barack Obama's government already announced that it would invest US $ 200 m to set up three new institutes that specialized in additive manufacturing, lightweight composites and new energy sources. These three new key technologies are generally considered to be decisive industrial value drivers for the future.

Long-term involvement

Concept Laser has stated that thorough preparations were made before starting to form its own structure in the US. Firstly, because the company wants to promote itself in a sustainable and professional manner and secondly, because the headquarters - a pioneer in laser melting - wants to demonstrate its technological expertise, which is based on numerous patents. The new venture in the US was planned well in advance: when the US subsidiary was founded over 40 LaserCUSING systems had been installed there. As a medium-sized company run by its owners, they are, according to John Murray, not obliged to be listed on the stock exchange but instead can reinvest the revenue in fields of the future such as product development and R&D. John Murray: "Concept Laser is driven by technology, not capital."

Further expansion is planned

Now the first step has been taken, the management team at Concept Laser expects the capacity of the US business to be extended even further. However, they do not want to neglect the European markets and intend to continue adapting the structure according to market requirements. In the short term, the company will be strengthening regional activities in China, at the Ningbo office, in order to ensure short pathways to the customer in all three important industrial regions of the triad. The task of the regional management team will be to enable service functions and fast responses to customer demands while at the same time improving communication with users and allowing a high level of information exchange.  "With our headquarters serving the European market, a new branch office in the US and an established branch office in China, we are now active in three significant regions around the world," said Frank Herzog, President & CEO of Concept Laser GmbH.