Author: ESILADMIN

Interview Hannes Collenburg: 10 Years at Elektrosil

 

Hannes, you've been with Elektrosil for 10 years this year, how did you come to the company? You had already worked as a strategic consultant for the company before?

Exactly. I’d known Elektrosil since 2007 and provided support as a consultant in the areas of organisation, financial planning and banking communications.

As the projects grew so extensive over the years that I was on site several days a week, the question arose as to whether I might not want to stay for the rest of the week as well. 😉

 

In 2016 you started as commercial director; in 2019, you took over the company together with Hendrik Niemann and became CEO. When did this prospect arise for you, and how did it come about?

The prospect of taking responsibility for the commercial side of the business and gradually taking over tasks from the then-owners as the new generation was part of the plan, but buying the company was neither planned nor envisaged at the time. That only emerged over the years as we worked together.

 

How do you and Hendrik, who has been with the company for 20 years this year, divide up the tasks?

We’re a bit like yin and yang – Hendrik is clearly at home in the technical and sales departments, whilst I’m more involved in finance and organisation. Nevertheless, we discuss everything relevant together, regardless of the topic, and everyone contributes their input.

It’s important to have different perspectives in our discussions; we put this into practice and I find it hugely enriching.

  Hannes Collenburg and Hendrik Niemann are CEOs at Elektrosil since 2019.  

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy being in the office and interacting with my colleagues. I love seeing how our team is developing, the high level of expertise everyone possesses, and how many people are all pulling in the same direction.

I’m also always delighted to tackle financial matters – that’s where my professional roots lie, and it always gives me particular pleasure to work on them here, even if it’s usually only for a few days a month.

 

What have been the most important milestones in the last 10 years?

Being given a lot of responsibility quite early on as a relatively new employee at Elektrosil, and being able to adapt, optimise and drive forward many things within the team, made me proud.

Following the company’s acquisition in 2019 – which was a milestone for both the company and me – a lot has changed. Six months later, the Covid-19 pandemic began, and that made me feel the responsibility for all our staff on a whole new level. But at the same time, it showed me just how resilient we were as a team in facing that period and continuing to give our very best, undeterred.

The positive development since then is a team effort, supported by many people, and that also makes me proud.

 

What do you see as the key focus areas for the coming years?

We have a global presence and are wherever our customers are. The US market will continue to be a key focus for us in the coming years. The last few years have been characterised more by letting tried-and-tested processes run their course; I now sense a growing appetite for innovation. We’ve positioned ourselves to capitalise on this, whether through the expertise of our teams or through specific new products, such as the Smart Knob Mini, which we’ve been developing over the last few years and are launching this year.

We’ll continue to turn excellent ideas into finished products and act as a point of contact worldwide through our locations. Elektrosil has been doing this for almost 45 years; reliability and expertise are more than just a PowerPoint presentation.

 

How do you believe/hope/think Elektrosil and the industry (or industries) will look in 10 years’ time?

To some extent, I expect consolidation; there are many specialist suppliers on the market, and for many, business succession is on the horizon. At the same time, global competition is growing, with many firms attempting to operate in new markets and venturing beyond their familiar territory.

In connection with AI, too, it will be important to be able to develop solutions quickly and agilely without compromising on a sound technical foundation.

I’m seeing a growing trend in the market towards ‘quickly’ submitting a quote without having properly analysed the requirements. That’s where the wheat will be separated from the chaff.

It is our responsibility – and will remain so – to ensure that everyone is aware of the values we stand for and that, with a long-term focus, we want to engage in honest dialogue to develop outstanding solutions.

         

Elektrosil at Embedded World 2026

  From 10 to 12 March, we were once again able to welcome numerous interested parties, customers and suppliers to our stand at “embedded world 2026”, the international meeting place for the embedded community in Nuremberg, with our stand concept based on our “greenhouse for ideas, solutions, products” philosophy. In Hall 1, we engaged in lively discussions with visitors at our stand, talked about new projects, outlined technical challenges and their solutions, and exchanged ideas for further developments. We were delighted to see familiar and new faces, deepening our cooperation or taking the first steps towards future collaboration. Alongside our in-house developments, the “Smart-Knob 360” and “Smart-Knob 360 Diffus”, the latest addition to the Smart-Knob family – the significantly smaller and IP68-certified “Smart-Knob Mini” – was also very well received. It was extensively tested and impressed our visitors with its configurable feedback, feel, appearance and shallow installation depth, among other things. We would like to thank the numerous visitors and look forward to further exchanges and future cooperation. According to the trade fair organisers, 36,000 interested visitors from almost 90 countries attended this year's event. We will definitely be back at the next Embedded World from 16 to 18 March 2027!      

Elektrosil at SPS 2025

From 25 to 27 November, we were once again able to welcome numerous interested parties, customers and suppliers to our stand at “SPS – Smart Production Solutions”, the trade fair for smart and digital automation in Nuremberg, with our new stand concept based on our “greenhouse for ideas, solutions and products” philosophy. In Hall 1, we engaged in lively discussions with visitors at our stand, talked about new projects, outlined technical challenges and their solutions, and exchanged ideas for further developments. We were delighted to see familiar and new faces, deepening our cooperation or taking the first steps towards future collaboration. In addition to our in-house developments “Smart Knob 360” and “Smart Knob 360 Diffus”, the latest addition to the Smart Knob family, the significantly smaller and IP68-certified “Smart Knob Mini”, was also very well received. It was extensively tested and impressed our visitors with its configurable feedback, feel, appearance and shallow installation depth, among other things. We would like to thank the numerous visitors and look forward to further exchanges and future cooperation. The next SPS will be held from 24 to 26 November 2026.   –––––– Photos and booth concept: MeRaum  

Elektrosil at Embedded World 2025

From March 11 to 13, our team was once again able to welcome numerous interested parties, customers and suppliers to our booth at the “embedded world Exhibition & Conference 2025” in Nuremberg. At our stand in Hall 1, we engaged in a lively exchange with visitors, discussing new projects, outlining technical challenges and their solutions, and exchanging ideas for further developments. We were very pleased to see familiar and new faces and thus deepen our cooperation or initiate our first joint steps. This year, we once again relied on interactive exhibits to bring our products and range of services to life. For example, visitors could try out some customer-specific developments in industry and automation themselves in a compact form: our “E-Butler”. Many mobile phones were diligently charged in the integrated wireless charger, and printing coffee orders was also a popular feature. In addition to our in-house developments, “Smart-Switch 360” and “Smart-Switch 360 Diffus,” the latest addition to the Smart-Switch family—the significantly smaller and IP68-certified “Smart-Switch Mini”—was also very well received. It was extensively tested and impressed our visitors, among other things, with its configurable feedback, feel and look, and low installation depth. We want to thank the numerous visitors and look forward to further exchanges and future cooperation. At the next Embedded World from 10 to 12 of March 2026 we will definitely be back!      

Elektrosil at Embedded World 2024

From 9 to 11 April, it was that time again: our team welcomed numerous interested parties, customers and suppliers to Embedded World. This year, we can once again look back on a successful participation in the trade fair and are pleased with our well-attended booth. According to the trade fair, over 32,000 visitors from more than 80 countries attended the three days of the fair and gained an insight into the world of embedded systems. At our booth in Hall 1, we engaged in lively dialogue with visitors and discussed new projects, outlined technical challenges and their solutions, and exchanged ideas for further developments. We were delighted to see familiar and new faces and to deepen our collaboration or initiate the first joint steps. Our in-house developments, such as the Smart Switches with their configurable feedback, feel and look, were very impressive. Our visitors quickly discovered that the feedback strength and the size of the resolution steps of our Smart Switch Mini could be configured via the built-in display. The interaction between the operable pattern and the Smart Switch Mini pattern in the transparent column was also discovered and stimulated conversation. Our E-butler made it possible to experience our products and our wide range of services. For example, visitors were able to try out some customised developments, such as the wireless charger and the Smart Switch 360, for themselves. We will definitely be back at the next Embedded World from 11 to 13 March 2025!   Photos and booth concept: MeRaum  

Successful participation of Elektrosil in SPS 2023

From 14th to 16th November it was time again: our team welcomed numerous interested parties, customers and suppliers at SPS, the trade fair for automation in Nuremberg. The fair was well attended right from the start and the official SPS figures confirm this. On a total exhibition area of 128,000 m², spread over 16 halls, more than 50,000 visitors were able to experience a wide and diverse range of products, solutions and innovations in the field of intelligent and digital automation. At our stand in Hall 1, we engaged in a lively dialogue with visitors, discussing new projects, outlining technical challenges and their solutions, and exchanging ideas for future developments. We were delighted to see both familiar and new faces, to deepen our cooperation and to take the first steps together. To bring our products and services to life, we again focused on interactive exhibits. For example, our compact “e-butler” gave visitors a chance to try out some of our custom developments in the industrial and automation sectors. While many mobile phones were diligently charged in the integrated wireless charger, printing coffee orders was also a popular feature. In addition to our in-house developments “Smart Switch 360” and “Smart Switch 360 Diffuse”, the latest addition to the Smart Switch family – the much smaller and IP68-certified “Smart Switch Mini” – was also very well received: it was extensively tested and impressed our visitors with its configurable feedback, haptics and appearance, as well as its low installation depth. Together with our long-standing partner Bühler Motor GmbH, whose flexible drive solutions were also of interest to many of our visitors, we can look back on a successful week at the show. We would like to thank the numerous visitors and look forward to further dialogue and future cooperation. We will definitely be back at the next SPS from 12 to 14 November 2024!      

This year we were again represented at the embedded world in Nuremberg. From 14 to 16 March, we offered visitors a deep insight into our product range and our performance diversity – combined in one device – with our in-house development “E-Butler”. The “E-Butler” also showed the potential of our Smart Switch and could be tried out directly. We look back on many exciting conversations and look forward to future joint projects. Over 950 exhibitors from 44 countries presented their new products and solutions at Embedded World. And it was a successful fair: Almost 27,000 visitors – over 50 percent more than last year – streamed through the exhibition halls over the three days. Over 40 percent came from abroad. Since 2003, embedded world has enabled direct exchange with a large number of experts and qualified suppliers from all over the world. Experts from the embedded community meet in the specialist forums, expert panels and at the embedded world conference and electronic displays conference to jointly develop ideas and concepts for the future and to hold constructive discussions. The next embedded world will take place again in Nuremberg from 9 to 11 April 2024.   Photos and booth concept: MeRaum    

From 26 February to 2 March we exhibited for the first time at EuroShop, the world's largest trade fair for the investment needs of the retail trade, in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 17 halls, 1830 exhibitors from 55 countries presented their products to 81,000 trade visitors, 68% of whom came from abroad. In Hall 6, we showcased our own development, the “E-Butler”, which offers a deep insight into our product and service range and combines them in a single device. Our colleagues from sales and product management were happy to advise visitors – a first step towards the joint realisation of new ideas, solutions and products. We would like to thank all visitors for their interest and the mutual exchange!        

Our performance diversity & our product range live on site

  This year, from 8 to 10 November 2022, we were again live and in person on site in Nuremberg for the second time after the Embedded World. In Hall 6, we showed visitors an excerpt of our customer-specific developments in the field of industry and automation and held many exciting discussions about their challenges and projects. Our colleagues from sales and product management were happy to advise them – a first step towards realising new ideas, solutions and products together. As a highlight, we presented our own development “E-Butler”, which offers a deep insight into our product range and our performance diversity, united in a single device and could be tried out on site. We would like to sincerely thank all visitors for their interest and the mutual exchange!   Photos and booth concept: MeRaum

So that fast charging does not become heating: Optimisations on the way to the wireless charging of the future Put it on instead of plugging it in: Wireless charging is practical and available for more and more devices. But it still has disadvantages compared to charging by cable. Find out how to make wireless charging fit for the future in this white paper. Wireless charging simply by hanging up is the future. Not only at home, but also mobile in the car, on the train or wherever you have to wait. It is fast, uncomplicated and hygienic - a relevant aspect not only since Corona, but also from time immemorial in public areas with through traffic and many users. However, wireless charging still often cannot keep up with wired charging: Positioning, heat generation and charging speed are often tricky. This white paper uses a product development by Elektrosil to show how the disadvantages can be overcome and how companies can offer stations for wireless charging to their customers, passengers and guests. White Paper „Damit schnelles Aufladen nicht zum Heizen wird“ (German, PDF, 1 MB)

"Customer needs continue to develop even in the crisis"

Under this headline an article about us has been published in the „Encouragement“ column of Elektronik Praxis:  “Since 2019 Hendrik Niemann and Hannes Collenburg have been managing the fate of the Elektrosil Group. Both are convinced to question the existing situation and to overcome the crisis with sensible investments and developments. Since 1983 Elektrosil stands for products from the large electronics sector. After more than 36 years a new generation is leading the group of companies into the next decades. And right at the beginning of this period, an unprecedented challenge takes place with the crisis in 2020. Fear of the future? Not at all! "Innovations are the motor out of the crisis", both Hendrik Niemann and Hannes Collenburg are convinced of this.” Read the whole article here (in German)  

Production in Hamburg put into operation

In August, our new production site here in Hamburg successfully passed its first baptism of fire during an audit for a leading car manufacturer. An A rating in the initial audit is no small matter. Only 6 months ago it was only a rough sketch on paper. Together we have achieved that we have a production line at our site in Hamburg that has been positively audited by a German car company and that we are now formally a producer, not a dealer. This is a great achievement on the part of everyone involved and shows us as a company what we can achieve if we prioritise correctly, define a clear goal and all employees implement it consistently.  

Elektrosil on the SPS 2019 Premiere for Elektrosil: For the first time we were represented at the SPS with our own booth. And a few innovations of course. In the 30th year of the international trade fair for industrial automation, we presented the Smart Switch, an innovative development in cooperation with Siemens. This control element with multi-color LED ring offers turn and push functions as well as programmable haptic feedback for safe operation. The bMotion modular drive platform by Bühler Motor is also exciting, allowing DC motors, gears, brakes, and encoders to be combined as required. Another highlight was the official launch of the new online shop for Bühler motors, powered by Elektrosil. Here, gear and DC motors can be ordered quickly and conveniently, even in small quantities.        

Now available: The new online shop of Bühler Motor und Elektrosil "Made by Bühler Motor. Integrated by Elektrosil" is the motto of the new online shop, which has been available online since this week at https://elektrosil-buehlermotor.de. Here, DC and gear motors by Bühler can be ordered conveniently and in small quantities. Elektrosil provides the service - fast, uncomplicated, and competent. Corporate customers can choose from over 50 models, which can be filtered according to the most important factors, such as Ncm, voltage, motor variant. Do you also need a cable? No problem, we supply those with some models! Of course, we will continue to accept quantities of 10 or more directly. Bühler Motor stands worldwide for high-quality electric drive technology. In the long-standing partnership between Bühler Motor GmbH and Elektrosil GmbH, the common goal is to optimally represent the capabilities of Bühler Motor in industry. Take a look at the shop right now: https://elektrosil-buehlermotor.de   The team from Bühler Motor and Elektrosil at the presentation of the new shop at the SPS in Nuremberg. Elektrosil CEO Hendrik Niemann and Bühler Motor Manager Global Sales & Marketing Andreas Welzenbach congratulate each other on their good cooperation.    

We look forward to welcoming you at our booth at this year’s SPS, the international trade fair for industrial automation! From 26. to 28. of November let us show you an excerpt of our developments for our customers in industry and automation and discuss with us your challenges and projects. As a highlight, we present you a market novelty of one of our well-known customers of industrial automation at our booth: “In work preparation and at the CNC, classically programmed, by CAD/CAM chain or fully digital efficient and stress-free production!” As your development partner in the industrial field, we are familiar with your requirements and the special features of this market. We develope electronic and electromechanical applications, assemblies and systems and manufacture the necessary components for all relevant product areas. In addition, we offer you the necessary services to deliver your product ready for installation. We look forward to welcoming you personally in Hall 3, Booth 528.  

Don’t have a ticket yet? No problem!

Order a voucher code and used it to get your free tickets for SPS online. Without any delay, you will have direct access to SPS 2019.    

Change of Generations at ELEKTROSIL

Management of ELEKTROSIL arranges company succession

After more than 36 years, a new generation is leading the future of ELEKTROSIL: The two long-time employees Hendrik Niemann, former head of automotive, and Hannes Collenburg, former commercial leader, have taken over the company shares within the scope of a management buy-out from Manfredo Mirabella-Greco, Eduard Lucke as well as Ralf Häußler. Niemann and Collenburg also have taken over the company’s management. Ralf Häußler will remain with the company as sales manager, while the other two shareholders will be available as external consultants in the future. From distributor to development partner Manfredo Mirabella-Greco had started ELEKTROSIL in the late 1970s and founded it as a limited company in 1983 as ELEKTROSIL Systeme der Elektronik GmbH. Thanks to his instinct for innovation, a flourishing distributor of electronic system components developed under his leadership. In 1992 his visionary foresight led to a change of course in the company's DNA: With Eduard Lucke, Mirabella-Greco brought in the engineering expertise and passion that ELEKTROSIL needed for further diversification of the product areas as well as the trend-setting transition to a developer and producer. From then on, Lucke and Mirabella-Greco jointly managed the company as partners and managing directors. Today ELEKTROSIL designs electronic and electromechanical applications, assemblies and systems for numerous product areas and industries on the basis of interdisciplinary engineering. In this area, the company positions itself as one of the leading partners for mass production and as a gateway to Asia for development-driven innovative companies. The 2018 financial year has been the most successful in the company's history, with sales in excess of EUR 40 million. Continuity in succession With Hendrik Niemann and Hannes Collenburg, the company is now being run by two senior employees, continuing the tradition of technical and commercial co-management. Hendrik Niemann, an industry expert, has been in charge of the Automotive division since 2006 and played a key role in its establishment and development. Hannes Collenburg had started as a strategic consultant at ELEKTROSIL in 2009 and decided to join ELEKTROSIL as commercial manager at the end of 2015. Mirabella-Greco, Lucke and Häußler have full confidence in their successors: “We are happy to be able to pass on ELEKTROSIL to long-standing employees from the management circle. We are confident and believe in the success of the two new shareholders. To quote Mr Collenburg: “We are all very close, a family if you will!” Continuity for partners and customers With a lot of appreciation and gratitude, the previous and new management team turn to the employees, partners and customers: “They have made ELEKTROSIL what it is today. Little will change for them: Mr. Häußler remains sales manager, all contact persons remain unchanged and “ELEKTROSIL Systeme der Elektronik GmbH” will become “ELEKTROSIL GmbH”. “The former shareholders have turned ELEKTROSIL into a brand, the name stands for itself," said Niemann and Collenburg. “That's why we find the subtle change in name very fitting. We want to consistently continue with the brand concept and grow further as a development partner for the industry. We will start the new era with a well-filled order book and many ideas to shape the future together and innovatively with our team, partners and customers.”        

Fairplay Prize for the Elektrosil Kickers

  At the end of April it was time again: Our Elektrosil Kickers took part in the Hamburg Business Cup, one of the biggest indoor company tournaments in Germany. The Kleinfeld tournament takes place under professional conditions, with tournament organisation, DFB association referee, moderator, paramedics and a photo and video team. In every tournament there are a lot of fun and motivation, cup awards, place 1-4, fair play, special prize, best goalkeeper, player and goal scorer. Although our kickers only made it to the round of sixteen, they still brought a trophy back to the company: the Fairplay Prize. Congratulations! (Follow this link to the Business Cup web site.)