Jürgen Retter, RETERO GmbH is known for its precise production of small and micro parts and has long since made a name for itself beyond the Swiss border. But let’s start from the beginning: what were the circumstances that led to the founding of the company and why did you decide to focus on the micro parts sector?
It was a very exciting and challenging time: in 2005, just over 18 years ago, the company my father had worked for for more than 30 years had to make half of its employees redundant for economic reasons – including my father, who was 62 years old at the time. It was clear to him, however, that he would not just sit back and relax, but would continue to work – and ideally he wanted to take over the department he had worked in for so long. No sooner said than done. And although I was still working for another company at the time, we bought the department together, along with all the machinery and infrastructure. In the subsequent realignment of the range of services, it was only logical for me to focus on micro EDM for strategic reasons. Milling is done on every corner, but not everyone can do really small parts. Hence our company name: Retter and Erosion together make RETERO.
At that time, the market for micro parts was of course still very small, but it was very clear to me that the trend in the future would be towards micro parts. So we had the machines, the right people and the valuable know-how on the one hand, and the necessary nerves and patience on the other – and we were rewarded. You might call it a business miracle, but within fifteen months we managed to put the company on its own, healthy footing. Thanks to our steady growth, our company has grown from two employees at the beginning to ten now and we have been able to increase our turnover fivefold, believe it or not.
What a success story! Where is RETERO GmbH positioned in the market today, and how strong is the competition in this highly differentiated field?
There is no general answer to this question. We are active in various sectors with wire erosion, laser cutting, milling and the manufacture of punching and bending tools. The level of competition also varies. As far as milling and tool manufacturing are concerned, we are one supplier among many. That’s why this work is great, but not particularly exciting for us.
But when we talk about micromachining with wire erosion, start hole shooting and precision parts production in the laser sector, then we are a real niche player in a constantly growing market and can draw on a wealth of expertise. Know-how is required here. And you have to acquire that over the years. You can’t just buy a machine, put it somewhere and try to get into the market. We spent years trying out, discarding, adapting, tinkering and refining our methods until we were able to produce such precise micro parts. Today, for example, we are able to generate the smallest holes of 0.1 mm when shooting starting holes. And even with these small diameters, we have not yet reached the end of the line; we are constantly looking for ways to create even smaller holes.
It’s amazing what’s possible these days! You probably don’t have much competition in this area. What makes your company so unique and why should potential customers or companies choose you over the competition?
We are particularly strong in two areas. One is precision laser cutting, where we achieve the smallest tolerances of plus minus 0.01 mm for sheet thicknesses of up to 1.5 mm and tolerances of 0.02 mm for sheet thicknesses of up to 3 mm. What we do has nothing to do with laser cutting in the true sense of the word. We are not concerned with mass production, but with absolute precision.
On the other hand, we are also extremely strong in fine wire erosion and have very broad and in-depth knowledge. This means that we machine the smallest parts with very thin wires with diameters of just 0.04 mm to 0.1 mm and achieve tolerance ranges of plus minus 0.001 mm. That is quite remarkable. There are very few companies in Europe that can achieve such tight tolerances in micromachining.
What events or dates are very special milestones for you – in terms of company growth, partnerships with well-known customers or exciting collaborations?
The first milestone for me was certainly the foundation and management buyout in 2005 and the entire development of the company. That was extremely exciting. My father came from the production side, I came from the other side as a toolmaker with training as a technical businessman and business economist.
What I see as a recurring milestone is that we have achieved our goal of investing in a new machine almost every year and thus continuing to develop technically until the pandemic. Our customers mainly come from the fields of mechanical engineering, tool and mold making, the Swiss watch industry and ophthalmic surgery. In the latter sector, patent protection is certainly also a major milestone.
We have also achieved two important ISO certifications: 9001, a standard for quality management systems, and 13485 – which represents a corresponding quality management system for the design and manufacture of medical devices.
This year, we were also able to acquire a well-known Swiss customer for whom we manufacture components that are used in ventilators. The first batch will be delivered shortly. I consider this to be the latest milestone.
Technology is developing rapidly, including in the field of micro EDM. Has your range and expertise changed over time, or in which area has the greatest (technical) development taken place?
I can answer this question briefly and succinctly: everything is getting smaller and smaller. The size of the parts to be produced is getting finer and smaller, and there is no end in sight. When I founded the company, I was already convinced that the trend would be towards micro parts. And I was obviously right.
What machines does RETERO GmbH have at its disposal? Are new acquisitions planned, e.g. to be able to offer even more specialized, detailed work?
We have EDM machines, milling machines, grinding machines, die-sinking and start-hole EDM machines, punching machines and a precision laser machine for all types of services involved in the manufacture of small and micro parts. However, we do not simply stand still, but keep pace with technical developments – hence the regular new acquisitions. We are particularly excited about 3D printing and ultra-fine lasers, where the application possibilities are almost limitless. However, we would like to concentrate primarily on the micro world in the metal sector. We will also clearly be looking for the niche, not the mass market.
In this exciting field of work, is it even possible to name the biggest challenge in the production of small parts to date? Or to put it another way: What has been the most special, most unusual or otherwise greatest job ever?
Well, actually, every single day and every order that we are allowed to carry out for our customers is unique and an exciting challenge in itself. When refining and building tiny parts, we are tinkering, testing and clamping every day – that’s what makes the whole thing so incredibly varied and interesting. The most unusual order? A few years ago, we were awarded a contract by an American company to manufacture ten different tools for processing medical instruments. That was really great! To date, this order has been the largest single order that we have been able to carry out for our company.
There are virtually no limits to progress. However, it is essential for the company’s success to keep the team, machines and infrastructure up to date at all times. What topics will occupy you and your customers in the coming years?
Due to the demographic development of mankind, the field of ophthalmology will certainly continue to occupy us. The older people get, the more frequently age-related eye operations will become necessary. This area is experiencing strong growth. And we at RETERO GmbH are ideally equipped for the future in this respect.
My two sons are very tech-savvy. The younger one is a polymechanic and is currently attending technical college. It’s already clear that he will join the company one day. The older one is studying to become an industrial engineer in fall 2021. He is also very interested in his parents’ business, but he will certainly want to explore the wide world of business after his studies and gain the necessary experience. Of course, we are all looking forward to him joining the family one day. I’m sure they will both provide me with important input and ideas or implement them themselves. It will also always be necessary to purchase new, even more sophisticated and precise machines. And, as already mentioned, we are also keeping a close eye on developments in the 3D printing sector. And yet we must not forget something important with all this technology: Even the best machines are useless if you don’t know how to use them properly. And this is only possible if you put your heart and soul into the subject matter and also have a certain tinkering spirit. All this is only possible if you have good employees in your team, both professionally and personally. With their know-how and commitment, our employees are the most important pillar of the company’s success. Fortunately, we have a great team with a lot of knowledge and we are looking forward to the challenges that still await us.
What a great, strong closing statement! Jürgen Retter, thank you very much for this interview.