Interview with founder Apex Dynamics following the IPO

How do you become a global player in low-backlash gearboxes? On the occasion of the successful IPO (Initial Public Offering) of the Apex Group - the holding company under which the Apex Dynamics factory falls - founder and owner Robin Chang gave an interview for Business Next magazine. With this he gives an interesting look into the development and future of Apex Dynamics internationally.

"At the time, the competition underestimated us. And our goal of delivering within three days led them to reduce the delivery time to two to three weeks. Whereas now we are able to deliver out within 24 hours."

IMPORTANCE OF SHORT DELIVERY TIMES

With the above statement, which Robin makes with a smile, he emphasizes an important part of Apex Dynamics' distinctiveness: delivery time. His analysis revealed that it was precisely the competitors' long delivery times where his opportunities lay. The Taiwanese factory therefore started stocking large quantities of low-backlash gearboxes so that they could be delivered directly to customers. This turned out to be a golden move.

Also the international branches use this strategy. Apex Dynamics BV still delivers - also in times of scarcity in the rest of the market - a large part of the program from stock. Customers know that with us they not only get a quick quotation, but also that the gearboxes, pinions and pinions are delivered quickly when ordered.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Robin initially started Apex Dynamics as a manufacturer of cartesian (or linear) robots. Around 1990, he was one of the first Taiwanese entrepreneurs to venture into this field. The most important component were the low-backlash gearboxes that he painstakingly bought from mostly German and Japanese firms. So a market that was ripe to be turned on its head.

"There were only a few companies worldwide that could make the required low-backlash gearboxes and we, as a small player from Taiwan, had to wait at least 4 to 6 months for our delivery. I wanted to transform that market but that required significant capital, R&D capacity and high-quality German or Swiss machinery are necessary for this. Only in 2007, when group sales were high enough, were we able to make the necessary investments."

FUTURE: TRIPLE MARKET SHARE

For more than 10 years, Apex Dynamics has been active in the various European, American and Asian markets, and the brand now also has a solid position in the US, Japan, Korea and the Benelux countries, among others. But Robin is not satisfied yet:

"According to an international research report, our share is now about 10%, then I think we can still grow to about 30%, we are in complete control. Our strategy continues to revolve around delivery time and reliability, not price."

And he continues to expand his program. Indeed, other components of robotics also have Robin's attention; by the end of next year, he hopes to see the first results of developing other key components. His goal is to get closer and closer to a complete offering for servo-mechanical systems.

Apex Dynamics BV looks forward to the developments of the coming years and continues to contribute to the growth of the Apex Dynamics brand. In any case we congratulate the Apex Group with her successful IPO!