Ulf Quadflieg is Business Area Manager EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) at Suzuki Garphyttan. From his office in Düsseldorf, Germany, he looks back on a year characterised by external changes, particularly in the automotive industry where electrification is redrawing the map. This has affected production conditions at Suzuki Garphyttan. At the same time, he is pleased that the company has managed to grow in new segments, product areas and applications outside the automotive industry. This has mitigated the effect of the decline in the core business.

Thinking innovatively

He credits a new mindset for this progress. Daring to leave the comfort zone and getting to know new customers even better is essential.

“For more than a century, Suzuki Garphyttan has been known for to stability and premium quality, which is crucial to our success in the automotive industry. Now we are building on that foundation and adding flexibility and customisation to meet each customer’s unique needs,” says Ulf.

Close customer dialog

Behind every production decision lies an internal collaboration in an innovative team with employees Research and Development (R+D) Marketing and Production. Here, solutions are tailored to best match the challenges of the market, always in close dialog with the customer. Identifying the right technical specification can open doors to new segments, such as textile, medical and agriculture.

“By adapting, we can offer the right product, based on the customer’s priorities. Today, we are open and responsive to what is important, whether it’s performance, surface, or sustainability. We are constantly striving to grow even smarter,” says Ulf.

Products for a world in change

Through production expansion and collaboration within the group Suzuki Garphyttan offers most of the products globally, with local presence. Customers can expect that wire performance is the same everywhere in the world. This might be a shaped wire with special characteristics or an ultra-high tensile oil tempered wire for highly stressed applications. The portfolio includes products within a wide range of the common material groups of carbon steels, alloyed steels and stainless steels, all depending on the customers' required specification. With sustainability as an integrated part of the value chain, from sourcing of raw materials to responsible production methods, Suzuki Garphyttan is prepared for change.

From space to everyday applications

With experience and lessons learned, the journey towards a more customer-oriented and flexible approach continues. The aim is to continue diversifying into new markets. The steel wire is often unseen, yet it plays a vital role in everyday life – contributing to safer vehicles, advanced medical solutions, sustainable agriculture and countless other products people rely on each day.

“We will continue to broaden our scope and are, for example, preparing to enter the aerospace industry, a segment with extremely high demands on the traceability and testing of every component. We also see great opportunities in high temperature and in specialised applications for the textile industry,” says Ulf.

Customer-oriented innovation and production

Here are three examples of success:

– Wire on larger spools increases customer productivity. This entails fewer spool changes and allows machines to run longer and without interruption.

– Super-fast delivery - through close dialog with a customer who urgently needed a special wire within a test window, the team managed to progress from concept to completed product within the tight deadline.

– Sustainable progress by using wire materials with a lower carbon footprint, electrifying our production, and avoiding fossil fuels like oil and gas.

wire 2026, hall 12 booth D 71/72

Suzuki Garphyttan AB

Bruksvägen 3

71980 Garphyttan/Sweden

Tel.: +46 19 295100

info.se@sg-wire.com

www.suzuki-garphyttan.com