Väl rustade för framtiden

W&H grundades år 1890 och var den första europeiska tillverkaren som producerade mekaniska hand- och vinkelstycken. Idag har den österrikiska tillverkaren, som är baserad i Bürmoos nära Salzburg, en bred produktportfölj med flertalet patenterade system inom till exempel oral profylax, restorativ tandvård, endodonti, oralkirurgi, periodonti, implantologi och hygien.

How do you get the impetus for your innovations?

Malata: The most important impetus is of course the end user. Close collaboration with key opinion leaders therefore comes first. Identifying user needs in a timely manner and combining them with our decades of experience and the most recent research results allows us to offer innovative solutions. A prime example is our new Piezomed unit. Piezo technology is something we have been working with for a long time. Through close cooperation with internationally renowned users, we have succeeded in refining the existing technology to the point where our device clearly outperforms previous models in the market in terms of precision. Working not least with the ideas gleaned from our end users, it is our ambition to facilitate the daily work in dental clinics and offices and support the teams even in difficult treatment situations.

Over and above your straight and angled handpieces and your hygiene-related services, your Implantmed, Elcomed and Piezomed surgical units are likely to be of particular interest to our readers. Where do you see the benefits of what you are offering?

Malata: What counts is the high reliability of our products. Surgical processes demand high precision – in man and in machine. We convert customer requests into specifications together with the users, and these specifications can then be implemented directly thanks to the close integration of our development and production units in Bürmoos. In this way we can bring customer-oriented products to the market swiftly.

Companies merge, nationally and globally, getting larger all the time – what chances do you think you have as a family-owned company?

Malata:Acting globally and at the same time remaining a family-run business is not a contradiction for us. At present W&H has over 1,000 employees worldwide, and in addition, we have developed a partner network over many years that spans the globe. As a family-owned entity it is easier for us to maintain sustainable and mutually supportive relationships. These values are much in demand today – precisely because there has been increasing anonymity and globalization.

Dentists, especially those active in semi-critical and critical environments, have been despairing over the proliferation of hygienic health rules. You of course do not mind a bit ... or do you?

Malata: Again, our goal is to simplify the daily lives of dentists. We see ourselves as a reliable partner who can offer optimal solutions. Our hygiene products such as the Lisa sterilizers or our Assistina cleaning and maintenance device aim at supporting the user in implementing the most up-to-date hygienic concepts and to meet all requirements. Whatever the challenges – with us dentists will be well prepared.

Thank you, Mr Malata, for your time and for this interview.

Source: EDI Journal 03/2015