BBG is one of the best toolmakers in Germany
- Finalist in the “Excellence in Production” competition
Mindelheim and Aachen/Germany, 7 November 2018. A medium-sized company from the Allgäu region ranks among the top in German tool and mold making: BBG from Mindelheim. As one of over 300 participating companies, the family-owned business made it to the finals of the "Excellence in Production" competition. "We are very happy about this," says Michael Späth, toolmaking production manager, "because it demonstrates that we are among the best out of the over three thousand specialized companies in the German-speaking region." He emphasizes in particular the great commitment of the entire team: "The credits for this success story mainly go to the employees, who are very committed to the task at hand".
The competition is organized by the WZL Machine Tool Laboratory of the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology, which are both based in Aachen/Germany.
Almost half of the 100 employees at Mindelheim work in BBG's toolmaking division. They develop and manufacture tools and molds up to four square meters in size, which weigh tons and contain the most filigree contours despite their dimensions. They are used worldwide in the production of passenger cars, which amongst others include BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari. Windscreens, backlights and glass roof elements are inserted into them and encapsulated with polyurethane for a perfect fit. Other products from Mindelheim are used to manufacture hot water tanks insulation that is made of fine-pored polyurethane and offers particularly good insulation properties.
Award ceremony in the Coronation Hall of the Aachen City Hall
The "Excellence in Production" competition has been held for 15 years. In 2018, an independent jury examined and then nominated 14 of the 311 participating companies as finalists. There are four company divisions, and BBG made it to the top with two competitors in the category "External toolmaking with fewer than 50 employees". The award ceremony took place in the coronation hall of Aachen's town hall on 7 November.
Accolades for quality, employee satisfaction and internationalization
The competition jury praised BBG in particular for its high quality awareness, the high level of employee satisfaction and its consistent further training. The tool, machine and plant manufacturer also earned accolades on account of their state-of-the-art production processes and their successful internationalization strategy. In addition to the headquarters in Mindelheim/Germany, there are three other locations in China and the USA, thanks to which BBG is situated closely to important customers throughout Europe, North America and Asia.