Customers and products in focus: Klaus Brinkmann leads new engineering division at SMC

Klaus Brinkmann has been the new Head of Engineering at SMC Germany since June 1, 2020. The 57-year-old mechanical engineer aims to develop the completely new division as an important component of SMC's growth strategy and to focus on customer satisfaction. (Photo: SMC Deutschland GmbH)

Klaus Brinkmann will take over as Head of Engineering from June 1st, leading a completely new business division at SMC Germany. The new division includes, in addition to the German Technical Center (GTC), the existing units of Product Management and Customer Projects. "In engineering, we will now be the central interface around the product," says Klaus Brinkmann. "With this, we are taking another consistent step at SMC to put the customer solution at the center and to advance the development of the company divisions at the Egelsbach site."

Utilize synergy effects for product development

Klaus Brinkmann has many years of experience with the leading manufacturer, partner, and solution provider for pneumatic and electrical automation technology: He started in 2006 as a Regional Sales Manager at SMC. From 2015, he was responsible for all sales in Germany. Since 2018, the trained mechanical engineer has been ensuring the connection between customers and the solutions that suit them as Head of Sales Headquarters. Klaus Brinkmann: "The development towards even greater customer focus is progressing continuously at SMC. We have continuously networked the areas of Product Management, Customer Projects, and GTC. This increases our capabilities and allows us to support our customers even better in all technical matters in the future – from initial ideas to commissioning automation solutions."

Customer focus

SMC's products include not only the standard components in the portfolio. Klaus Brinkmann: "When you include the customized variants and special solutions, as well as the complete assemblies we deliver to our customers, our product range encompasses well over 900,000 solutions." The 57-year-old mechanical engineer sees the engineering division as an important building block to continue meeting the individual requirements of customers in the future: "Our teams from Product Management, Customer Projects, and GTC place great importance on high technical standards and comprehensive customer satisfaction. As an interface between development, production, and customers, we want to sustainably promote SMC's growth strategy. I am already looking forward to working with my team to utilize the freedoms at SMC and to further expand the division."