After the Netherlands, Germany is an important sales area for Lovink Enertech. They are neighboring countries, but there are also many differences, such as the soil conditions and the variety of market parties. The countries certainly have one thing in common and that is the universal success of the LoviSil® technology.
In recent years, Lovink has seen an increase in new applications in Germany and the number of new customers has also grown considerably.
Market Features
The energy supply in Germany is managed by so-called ‘Stadtwerken’, which often operate at municipal level. This means that the market consists of more than 400 utilities. That is a big difference with, for example, the Netherlands or England, where no more than 10 utilities are active. Where the Netherlands has to contend with a high water level and moist soil conditions, this does not apply to Germany. Nevertheless, LoviSil® also offers a range of advantages for the German market.
Shift in customer mix
For a number of years ago, Lovink mainly did business with utilities. In recent years, a lot has also been invested in the industrial market and large contractors have been added to the customer base. The success of LoviSil® with this customer group is not surprising, the industry places high demands on the quality and reliability of components. Account manager Stefan Pap still invests a lot of time in finding new customers, but has noticed for a number of years that customers are also increasingly finding ways to find Lovink. ”There is a lot of discussion in this industry and our liquid silicone technology is highly regarded. Satisfied customers are our best ambassadors,” says Stefan.
Energy transition
Lovink has been experiencing strong growth in the sustainable sector in Germany for years and is increasingly supplying feed-in joints for large wind and solar parks. The energy transition is a challenge for the current grids and therefore also for connection technologies. Stefan continues: “Areas where there were hardly any disturbances in the past, are now faced with problems. Liquid silicones are the best solution for the phenomena currently occurring in the net”. In addition, the technology is also popular for its self-healing properties and universal applicability. Due to the modular system, customers do not have to keep separate joints for each cable combination in stock. All cables can be connected to each other from one basic concept.
Train, train, train
Jointers are also very pleased with the ease of installation of the LoviSil® cable joints and are always very well trained. In Germany, great importance is attached to good training. Stefan Pap explains “Unfortunately, most failures are still caused by assembly errors. We also offer training to every new customer. My motto is: I want the customer to come back, not the product”.
Germany is still seen as a forerunner in the energy transition in Europe and many investments are still planned. Lovink is looking forward to contributing to a reliable and future-proof energy grid together with its German relations.