Schwarze-Robitec realigns the top sales team

Automation, increasingly networked machines, and the change in the automotive industry: The tube bending machine manufacturer Schwarze-Robitec is strategically repositioning itself in view of changing market requirements. With Heike Ahlers as Head of Strategic Sales and Marketing and Philipp Knobloch as Global Sales Director, the Cologne-based machine manufacturer is entering the future with two experienced sales experts and longstanding employees in new roles.

In shipbuilding, automotive production or in the energy and offshore sector, the powerful tube bending machines from Schwarze-Robitec enable an efficient production process. Together with the customer markets, the supplying industries must also develop and grow: This change is being driven forward at Schwarze-Robitec by Heike Ahlers as the new Head of Strategic Sales and Marketing. The former Head of Sales and Marketing will thus focus on the strategic development of the company’s national and international sales activities. The operational business at the head of the globally operating sales team will be taken over by Philipp Knobloch as the new Global Sales Director.

Classic customer markets in transition

“In view of Industry 4.0, increasing networking and the trend toward automation in industry, our customer markets are changing at breakneck speed. And with them, our sales process is changing,” explains Heike Ahlers. “The sale of complex and customer-oriented machines and systems requires a high level of customer and market knowledge and requires a holistic understanding of the different customer requirements and needs. Philipp Knobloch brings the best prerequisites for this.” The new Global Sales Director is looking forward to the challenges associated with the position and adds: “We are aligning ourselves with the market even better than before and want to grow more strongly. Individually configured special machines and customer-specific solution concepts are becoming increasingly important. This is an exciting task for me and my team,” says Philipp Knobloch.

Both sales experts have been closely associated with Schwarze-Robitec for years. Heike Ahlers joined the Business Development department in 2013 and was instrumental in setting up the US subsidiary in 2015. Since 2016, she has been head of sales and marketing. Philipp Knobloch, who joined Schwarze-Robitec in 2014 as Junior Sales Manager, most recently spent four years as Sales Manager responsible for sales at national and international level. Managing Director Bert Zorn is confident about the future: “With our dedicated sales team headed by two experienced experts, we are excellently prepared for challenges that arise in our customer markets.”