Power Transmission Engineering Magazine
www.powertransmission.com/articles/3541

Sauer-Danfoss Rolls Out Three Independent Businesses

July 2, 2010

In announcing a new business structure, Sauer-Danfoss has created three new businesses, effective July 1, that encompass all the cartridge and hydraulic integrated circuit valves, gear pumps, motors and inverter products previously manufactured and marketed within the central Sauer-Danfoss organization.

In the new structure, Comatrol will design, manufacture and sell cartridge valves and HICs; Turolla OpenCircuitGear will design, manufacture and sell open circuit gear pumps and motors; and Schwarzmüller-Inverter will manage electric inverter products. Comatrol, Turolla and Schwarzmüller-Inverter are members of the Sauer-Danfoss Group and fully owned by Sauer-Danfoss Inc.

Sauer-Danfoss continues to design, manufacture and sell products in the hydrostatic propel, orbital motors, electronic components, steering and PVG spool valves product lines. "I am extremely pleased to introduce these new businesses to the industry," says Sven Ruder, president and chief executive officer of Sauer-Danfoss. "While Sauer-Danfoss has enjoyed a market leadership position and tremendous growth since the merger of Danfoss Fluid Power and Sauer-Sundstrand in 2000, we have also learned, through our growing applications expertise and conversations with customers, that there were tangible differences in our product lines, in terms of customer needs and vehicle project timelines."

Along with the new businesses, Domenico Traverso (pictured) has been named vice president, stand-alone businesses. He has overall responsibility for the new businesses and ensuring that they achieve potential. He works from the Sauer-Danfoss Reggio Emilia, Italy location.

Traverso comments, "These new stand-alone businesses will operate as smaller, more agile entities and will manage their own sales, production and support organizations. The new businesses will operate with faster, less complex organizations with the objective of becoming the most responsive in their respective markets. Each business has an individual strategy and development plan to maximize their potential and draw upon their individual strengths."

Leading the new businesses are Gunnar Dæhlin, Turolla; David Duvall, Comatrol; and Thomas Schwarzmüller, Schwarzmüller-Inverter.

In addition to these changes, Sauer-Danfoss also introduces a more focused sales structure, which is the result of customer input and targeted research. "Sauer-Danfoss will seek to exceed customer expectations by creating a unique customer experience in all customer touch points, from pre-sales to after-market support," Ruder says.

These sales efforts focus on five business areas: hydrostatic propel, orbital motors, electronic components, steering and PVG spool valves. The changes will be carried out over the next several months. "We are excited about what the future holds for Sauer-Danfoss and our newly established, independent Comatrol, Turolla and Schwarzmüller units," Ruder says. "We believe all of our business will be in an even better position to exceed our customers' expectations and to build on our solid and successful corporate foundation."