Ekin projects its strategy for 2025

Vicky López | Amorebieta

Ekin, specialized in the manufacture of brushes and zippers, is immersed in a process of strategic reflection, which gives continuity to the ‘Lantegi Eraldatuz’ project, with a view to deploying the new 2023-2025 strategy, aimed at sustainable growth.

The company will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2023, with the aim of continuing as a benchmark in the manufacture of cutting and rolling machines and tools, and positioning itself in growth areas such as electromobility, energy and aeronautics through a “ commitment to R+D+i and the introduction of new technologies both in materials and in the production process”.

Strategic reflection to 2025

The CEO of Ekin, Josu Rodríguez, explained to Empresa XXI that, although they are still in an initial stage of this reflection, on which they will focus after the summer, some main lines of development have been established. Among them: to consolidate its participation in the automotive sector, being active in the new developments and needs that electric vehicles will require with tighter finishing levels and tolerances, which allow contributing to the manufacture of components, to the reduction of noise and greater passenger compartment comfort. They will also seek to expand their presence in aeronautics and components for turbines, to respond to the increased demand in the manufacture of new aircraft; as well as rolling out a new range of round and helical broaches in larger sizes and requirements,

Based on this scheme, Ekin’s forecasts point to a turnover target of 20 million euros in 2022 and an estimate of growth throughout the plan that places them in figures, not yet closed, of over 30 million euros. As explained by the CEO of Ekin, “the new market demands will lead us to make investments estimated at 6 million euros, which will enable us to increase current production levels by improving productivity”.

Investment of 6 million 

Thus, they face “as strategic” the acquisition of a new furnace that increases their thermal treatment capacity to cover the needs of the group in the coming years. This is expected to be operational at the Lemoa plant at the end of 2023.

The investment plan also contemplates the renovation of the machinery park of the Amorebieta plant, in order to improve the performance of all processes and quality standards, as a differentiating factor in the face of market demands, developing systematics for the implementation of improvements in production procedures according to the concept of Lean Manufacturing.

The investment effort will allow them to expand their resources to manufacture larger brushes and higher levels of technical requirements, which will position them to face the new challenges in the energy and electric vehicle sectors, for which they will continue to develop their means on flat brushes and zippers, as well as for laminating.

Foreign impulse

In the international sphere, the next actions will focus on incorporating more production capacities to expand the product range and ranges in its plants in Mexico and India, which cover the needs of North America and Asia. The object is to improve the service in these areas from the approach of local manufacturing provided with global coverage. The enhancement of Ekin’s capacities in all its plants will focus on responding to the new needs that the electric vehicle will demand