The Austrian specialist in cast and forged products, based in Graz, successfully uses scoutbee as an acquisition platform and has already participated in four scouting projects.

During the opening of the former Eastern Bloc, the owner, Hans Zirl, decided in 1992 to close his casting company and concentrate on trading. He would have had to invest a lot to even come close to keeping up with prices in the East. 

Global network of customers and partners

Today, Zirl Guss has a global network of customers and suppliers in the European countries of Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Ukraine. Outside Europe, the network extends from Turkey to India and China.

“We are not a broker working on a commission basis. We are a trading service provider; we buy and sell. With our competence in the production of casting parts, our customers are all companies that need cast or forged parts – these are machine builders, manufacturers of machinery for the agricultural, mining, or automotive industries,” says Werner Oratsch, Head of Marketing & Sales at Zirl Guss, describing the company’s current area of focus.

“We receive enquiries for castings and forgings from our customers and have partners and manufacturers in Eastern Europe – from Poland to Croatia and Serbia. We are also supplied with the desired parts from Turkey, India, and China,” explains Oratsch. “When a customer sends us an enquiry, we analyze it and check our database to see who we have there as a potential manufacturer and who we trust to do it.”

Partners in countries for handling and quality checks 

Zirl Guss then sends an enquiry to this potential manufacturer. Sometimes there are direct contacts with the manufacturer; sometimes the company is represented by partners based in the countries, for example in China. There, it is more challenging to establish direct contact. Zirl Guss has partners in China who look after the casting and forging plants for them. They not only take care of the orders, but also check whether the quality is good enough for the current orders. These partners naturally also support Zirl Guss in terms of language. It works the same way in Turkey.

Next, Zirl Guss provides its customers with a quote based on the best offers collected. “If the customer decides in our favor, we take over the entire process,” says Oratsch. “We deliver the parts and take care of all the logistics, which is a big challenge at the moment. We are also certified by TÜV-Süd according to ISO 9001 and do our own quality controls.” Zirl Guss pays strict attention to ensuring that its suppliers can also provide this quality standard. In the automotive industry, Zirl Guss demands the highest standards according to ISO TS 16949.

How did the company acquire its customers before scoutbee? 

“On the one hand, we are in contact with platforms from which we receive tenders. In addition, we have a website and receive enquiries from potential customers or from customers who already know us because they may have bought products from us five years ago. Many contacts also come about through word of mouth and recommendations,” says Oratsch.

Zirl Guss has been on scoutbee’s Streamline platform for around 18 months and uses it as an acquisition tool. In that time, the company has been invited to four different projects with some well-known global players.

In fact, after Zirl Guss submitted an offer, there was a video conference between the manufacturer and one of these companies. They are now examining the offer and intend to get back to them. 

With its quality standards, Zirl Guss has firmly established itself as a valued and reliable partner to manufacturers and consumers of foundry products throughout Europe and worldwide. The company intends to continue its presence on the Streamline platform.
“I found it quite easy to use, everything worked out great,” says Oratsch. “It works – we can recommend scoutbee!”

The new business success enjoyed by Zirl Guss GmbH could also be yours!
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