Close Partnership with Grundfos
RIVAL’s competencies in processing aluminium materials, creative mind-set, honest manner and practical experience have been major factors for the development, product maturing and introduction of Grundfos’ new pump production in Serbia.
The employees of RIVAL have worked closely together with Grundfos’ technology centre for a long period of time. The work concerns development and product maturing of a new pump house, which is going to be produced in Grundfos’ factory in Serbia and sold globally, particularly in USA. RIVAL has the responsibility for educating staff in Serbia and implementing the production. “We have decided to collaborate with RIVAL about this task because the company possess certain competencies, which we don’t do ourselves at Grundfos,” says technology expert Erik Jæger Thomsen from Grundfos.
“We have built a very close partnership in which both parts have listened to and learned from each other, which has been very valuable for the result.”
Complete trust
Grundfos trusted RIVAL during the working process and has known for certain that the job would be solved. “We knew from the start that RIVAL was in possession of the competencies, which we were looking for,” says Erik Jæger Thomsen.
“Their processing experience combined with their desire to enter into a joined development project are very unique factors. The foreman Glenn Scharling, in particular, has offered alternative ways to handle things, which has been valuable for the process. Glenn says things straight, which works very well in the daily collaboration.”
Furthermore, RIVAL generally works with the same programs and measuring equipment (the Zeiss measurement machine) as they do at Grundfos, which makes it easier to transfer things between the two companies. i
Passing on knowledge and competencies
RIVAL has the full responsibility for introducing the machines, tools and programmes, which will be used in the Serbian production. During the process, the Serbs, who will be in charge of the pump production, have payed RIVAL a visit.
RIVAL’s employees have passed on knowledge to the Serbian staff. “In Serbia they are rather green in terms of this kind of production. Therefore, the knowledge transfer from employee to employee is important for their future work,” says Erik.
RIVAL’s staff participates at the actual introduction of the machines and production in Serbia. In September, the machine worker Frederik Petersen and either Glenn or sales director Christian Aarup travel to the factory outside Beograd and they stay for a couple of weeks.
Great satisfaction
“In every sense, we are very happy about the collaboration with RIVAL regarding this job. The company has been the partner and competency supplier, which we were looking for. In many ways, it has felt like, we have been a part of the same company,” says Erik. “The fact that RIVAL does not compromise on quality has been very important to us. We will definitely benefit from continuing the partnership with RIVAL in the future.”
