The NEHER GROUP from Ostrach is expanding internationally

The NEHER GROUP from Ostrach is expanding internationally The NEHER GROUP is a medium-sized company based in Ostrach-Einhart. Above all, special tools with superhard cutting materials are manufactured and distributed on their own responsibility. These include in particular tools that are equipped with diamond, the hardest material on earth. The difference is that NEHER does not process natural diamonds, but rather a synthetically produced diamond (polycrystalline diamond). But also pCBN-populated (polycrystalline cubic boron nitride - second hardest material after diamond) and pure carbide tools are produced. The main customers are the automotive, wood and aerospace industries and mechanical engineering. In addition, the NEHER GROUP has been the world's first system provider since 2012. Customers can thus be supplied with one-stop-shop with leak testing and assembly systems as well as automation solutions upstream or downstream of the machining department. 

Like all companies in Germany, the NEHER GROUP had to record significant order losses in the crisis years of 2008 and 2009.  Nevertheless, all the jobs could be saved by the sound foundation on which the company stands.  After this time, steady growth continued.  In addition to a doubling of the production area and the ceremonial inauguration of the "exemplary" building in 2016, numerous investments were also made in the latest technologies and machines. One of the mottos of the managing director Gerd Neher is to have always the newest technologies available, in order to be able to offer the highest quality tool to the customers. This is also confirmed by the Technology Center, which was integrated into the new building at the same time as the Additive Manufacturing Division (3D Printing), which was also founded in 2016, and which further expands the NEHER GROUP service portfolio. Both different metals as well as numerous plastics are processed with the latest generation 3D printers. Not only tools for personal use are printed, but also customer components as prototypes and in series.

From Upper Swabia into the wide world 

In the years 2016 - 2017, the NEHER GROUP has successfully expanded into the USA.  Star NEHER LLC, a joint venture with headquarters in Farmington Hills (MI), was founded with Star SU, a major Michigan state-owned company. In the neighboring state of Mexico, a sales location with several employees was set up at the same time.  The product portfolio of Star SU includes mechanical engineering, the production of hobs, solid carbide tools as well as the production of cemented carbide sintered blanks.  The joint venture will complement the existing tool portfolio of Star SU with diamond tools from NEHER and integrate them into the very well-developed sales network of Star SU.  The aim of this joint venture is to provide flexible and fast service to customers in North and Central America, primarily from the automotive industry and the aerospace industry.  This avoids high transport and bureaucracy costs.  In addition, customers benefit from a comprehensive range of tools and the know-how of two specialists in their industry.  During the construction of the production of Star NEHER LLC, it was taken care to install the exact same machines and processes as in the NEHER GROUP in Germany.  After an intensive training phase, during which the colleagues from the USA visited NEHER, the production could be started without disturbances and the common customers of the Star SU and the NEHER GROUP were served in the usual quality and with very short reaction times.  In the case of mutual visits, which take place at regular intervals, the managers from both companies consult each other in order to further develop and promote the joint project.  The employees from the production of both companies also meet regularly to clarify any questions and to exchange and further develop each other.  All in all, the NEHER GROUP is prepared for the future and is looking forward to further projects and challenges..