Serdar Ilbay has been part of Klingel since its 1st hour and has experienced the company's growth from a small start-up to an internationally active machining specialist at first hand. The 57-year-old is now the head of the assembly department, and there is no one else who knows better what is special about Klingel. In the interview, he looks back on 30 years, and of course he also looks to the future.

Mr Ilbay, you were practically there from day one. Can you tell us about something that is today quite simple and easy , but was then, in 1986, a small or a bigger challenge?

In the early days of 1986, we had to improvise a lot to meet the different challenges. Of course, we have long since left this stage behind. Today, everything is much more practised and smoother. We have adapted and perfected our processes over time.

What do you think are the most important milestones in the development of KLINGEL?

For me, this is clearly the move from the Büchenbronn Gründerzentrum to our current location in the Hanauer Straße. Why? Because at first, even in our wildest dreams, we couldn't imagine what this small company that was housed in such tight spaces would become. The move was the starting signal for another dimension, in which we are now also working in over 8,000 square meters of production area.

By now, you no longer have only 11 colleagues at Klingel but almost 300. How has the machinery changed in parallel with the workforce? Similarly impressive?

Of course, the machinery has been adapted to our ever more versatile tasks and has grown with us. In the past, we had to improvise a lot in order to produce a suitable solution. But I don't want my use of the word "improvise" to be misunderstood as something negative. We only had few aids and machine to help us produce the finished product. Today, with our large machine park, it is much easier and more convenient to carry out the many different machining steps, of course.

And what is actually still the same as before?

The daily challenge of meeting new challenges. And overcoming them to get that great feeling of accomplishment and success!

Is there something like a "favourite" in your portfolio? And if so, what makes it so special to you?

The big picture is my favourite. But when I think about it for a bit, I can think of two special customers or products: A customer from electrical engineering with its high-current sockets and shortly afterwards a customer with components for ultrasonic welding technology – these were pretty much my first projects. I was responsible for supporting them for 20 years before I handed them over to someone else. And they're still with us today. In retrospect, it was really important that we were able to win over these two customers in 1987.

What do you think is special about Klingel?

Definitely the excellent cooperation and support of our customers. The openness, the quality, the timely completion and the close contact in every phase of the project is really, really special at Klingel, I believe. We value our customers as important partners, help where we can and don’t leave them to fend for themselves when problems arise.

Klingel has grown strongly in these 30 years. How do you judge this growth?

As the company grew and grew, the responsibility of each individual employee has become greater. And we seem to have lived up to the demands this has made on us. This is the only way to explain why our customers have remained loyal to us for over 30 years. So it is a solid growth that has brought customers and employees along for the ride.

What forms the base for your loyalty to Klingel?

Back then, it was the future for me. Today, it's my life.

And your customers, why do you think they have been loyal to KLINGEL for so long?

I have already touched on this: I think it's because we never let them down. Even when there were any manufacturing problems, we always approached the customer pro-actively and looked for a possible way to solve the problem in the customer's interest together. And that paid off for both sides.

Mr Ilbay, many people think that robots can replace jobs. Why do you think professionals like you will always be needed? So why is it worthwhile for young people, for example, to undergo vocational training with Klingel?

Vocational training is the cornerstone of a secure future for everyone. I would recommend a solid technical training to my son or daughter, on which you can then build further. Well-trained professionals who make sensible decisions, achieve improvements – and, if worst comes to worst, can also improvise with their knowledge and experience – will always be superior to robots.

And finally, a semi-private question:
Mr Ilbay, when you started at Klingel in 1986, "The Final Countdown" by Europe and Modern Talking’s "You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul" were dominating the charts. What do you listen to on your way to work these days?

Yes, I remember those songs well! Today I listen to some calmer, more relaxed songs, but I still have that rhythm.