Lichtgitter GmbH was founded in 1929 by Dirk Schuchardtâs grandfather-in-law and is still a 100-percent family-owned company today. BIC Magazine recently sat down with Schuchardt to learn more about his position representing the third generation of ownership at this global leader in grating manufacturing.
Q: What led to your position at Lichtgitter?
A: After receiving my bachelorâs and masterâs degrees in Germany and spending a year in Canada, I started my professional career in international banking, which spanned a 15-year period. In my last five years of banking, I was stationed with my wife and three children in Singapore, where I was in charge of the corporate sector of a leading German bank. In 1994, I returned to Germany to take the position as CEO for the Lichtgitter Group of Companies, which is the industrial arm of the activities of my family.
Q: What is the most important part of your position?
A: Since Lichtgitter encompasses a network of 12 German and 18 international companies, we are organized in a very decentralized way. Therefore, my most important job is to select the right people for the right places at the right locations and to encourage them to think and act as fully responsible entrepreneurs in their scopes of activities.
Another important part of my position is to keep very close links to our stakeholders to communicate with them about the values and objectives that I believe will keep the company on a successful track in the years to come.
Q: What is the biggest news at Lichtgitter right now?
A: Since 1954, Lichtgitter has only generated positive bottom lines (no losses) and continues to reinvest in technology and people in order to be the best solutions provider in the grating market. Lichtgitter is very proud of having a strong balance sheet and zero debt, and we feel this is a direct result of our continued focus on technology and people.
With a staff of roughly 1,300, Lichtgitter is considered one of the world market leaders in the grating markets. From a technological point of view, we are the most advanced worldwide grating manufacturer with the most sophisticated grating-related production processes and the highest quality standard in the industry.
In the years to come, we will continue to expand our core business of gratings on a global scale (80 percent of the Lichtgitter Groupâs activities are already taking place outside Germany). In addition, we will increase our efforts in segments to complement our core business.
Q: Are you looking to grow in new markets or expand in current ones?
A: Since we are striving to be recognized as a market leader in quality, service and products, we have no choice but to expand in all our current market positions and to look for new markets where we can identify appropriate partners and key personnel with value systems comparable to ours.
Q: How do you maintain a good work/home life balance?
A: Apart from the normal weekly workload, I try to spend as much time as possible with my family, visiting classical concert halls and museums of modern art, and traveling roughly 4,000 miles/year through the dunes of the Dutch seaside on my speed bike.
For more information, visit www.lichtgitterusa.com or call (844) 548-7911.
