“The Machine Tool industry is facing a great technological transformation”

In the following lines, we speak with Maite Ercilla, Project Manager, who recently joined ZAYER. She already has experience in the North American market and is in charge of business development in the US and the UK.

Maite Ercilla and Ricardo Diego, Sales Director at ZAYER facilities in Vitoria.

ZAYER is a leading company in the machine tool sector, let us know your perception about this market.

The Machine Tool industry is KEY for the Spanish economy, as Spain is the third largest producer and exporter of machine tools in the European Union and the ninth largest in the world. Thanks to the firm commitment of machine tool manufacturers to technological innovation, internationalization and human development, the sector is immersed in a technological revolution. On average, it exports more than 80% of its production to international markets and allocates approximately 5% of its turnover to Research, Development and Innovation.

Among many other changes, a technological revolution is taking place due to digitization and servitization. How do you see this change for ZAYER?

As you are mentioning, the Machine Tool industry is facing technological and digital transformation challenges in a very competitive market. Our production is located in Vitoria and from here we export around 80% of our machines. Just as we do, our national and international competitors are also exporting these figures, making the market wider but also more competitive

We understand this revolution as an opportunity to improve the design and manufacture of our machines, as well as the service we offer to our customers. Faced with this problem or need for constant change, we rely on the use of new manufacturing technologies or the development of APPs, which together with the extensive knowledge of our staff and the constant collaboration with technology centers, allow us to provide a comprehensive solution.

One of the clear examples at ZAYER is the implementation of our HORUSNX platform, which connects us with our machines and allows us to better interact with them, offering a better service to our customers.

Tell us about the role of a Project Manager at ZAYER

Among other tasks, as a Project Manager, you face different projects throughout the year. The vast majority of our projects have a long duration, close to a year, and it is all about keeping track of them from beginning to end. Constant interaction with suppliers, customers, and distributors is a must. In my case, when I joined Zayer, I started taking care of local projects, since it is easier to interact with clients when they are close and more accessible, before starting to manage projects in other countries

We have seen that you are collaborating in business development in the US and the UK. What can you tell us about these markets?

For some time now, at ZAYER, we have seen the United States and the United Kingdom as key markets within our sector.

At the end of 2021 we signed an agreement with the company Comprehensive Machinery Solutions (CMS), which since then assumes the role of importer and distributor of our machines in the US. In order to have a space for ZAYER, they have worked on the development of a showroom where they are currently exhibiting a XIOS G machine. We will soon have an opening for this space.

In addition, we recently signed a new partnership agreement for the exclusive distribution of our machines in the United Kingdom. This time it is the company Mills CNC, an extensively experienced company, with whom we will attend Mach exhibition in April next year.

The outlook is very positive. The first sales were immediately made in both countries and we are convinced this is only the beginning.

Trade Shows are a great commercial showcase that ZAYER constantly attends. What advantages do they offer?

Trade Shows provide us with worldwide brand visibility and are a perfect event to meet with agents, clients and potential clients, as well as suppliers or other collaborators. Not only do we attend fairs in several countries, but each one also has a multitude of attendees from different nationalities, allowing us to meet with different types of clients participating in a wide range of sectors. Show days are full of scheduled meetings and there are always last-minute visits that bring new possibilities for future projects.

They are one of the main marketing mechanisms that companies have, but in my opinion, they must be followed by other types of content and actions such as catalogs, photos, videos, or any type of digital action and web content.

Fernando Arocena (ZAYER General Manager), Andrew Jennison (General Manager of the US importer and distributor CMS), and Maite Ercilla, together with the Mitsubishi team at IMTS show in Chicago last September.

Thanks for this interview, Maite, we look forward to seeing more and more news of your success in the US and UK!