Australian HQ for Beckhoff

Beckhoff Automation has opened an Australian headquarters in Melbourne to bring its international presence to more than 60 companies worldwide.

The German-based automation manufacturer has been operating in Australia since 1998 through a distribution partner, but the establishment of a local office will see Beckhoff able to provide better service to customers, managing director Australia, Steven Sischy told What's New in Food Technology and Manufacturing.

"Customers will have direct access to the manufacturer," Sischy said. "The information exchange and the response time to any customer query will be improved. The sales and technical staff have attended Beckhoff workshops in Germany, updating them with the latest information."

The entire Beckhoff range is safety-focused and Sischy is passionate about integrating safety into every system from the design stage.

The industries that the company currently focuses on are food and beverage, automotive, mining, aerospace and machine construction for packaging, plastics and tube-bending applications.

"In all these sectors we are already successfully applying our know-how for the benefit of our customers. There is an increasing trend on the Australian market to adopt European production methods," Sischy said.

Managing director of Beckhoff GmbH, Han Beckhoff estimates that 41% of the company's total sales for 2005 were due to export. Later this year, the company also plans to open offices in Belgium, Brazil and South Africa.

Wendy Cramer