Interview with Ulrich G. Wolz (COO Corrugated Board Converting Systems) and Benjamin Lauterbach (Vice President BTI – Subsidiary of Bahmueller in Charlotte NC).
Please tell us about your company and your products.
We’re happy to be a part of this great show here this year. We’re always present with our Partner Göpfert or our own booth, presenting the latest developments of BAHMÜLLER and BGM. This includes fully automatic specialty folder gluer TURBOX solutions, especially for fully automated stack-to-stack solution, which includes prefeeders and automatic stacking as well.
We have been in cooperation with our partner Göpfert for over 40 years, offering mid-size and Jumbo Flexo Folder Gluers as the company and brand BGM, especially for the US market, with heavy-duty stitching, glueing and taping capability. Additionally, for smaller quantities and large boxes, we offer our semi-automatic stitchers gluers and taper solution.
We cover the whole range together. Benjamin spends more than 30 % of his time in the States, acting from our headquarters in Germany. We have partners operating in several states across the United States. Benjamin is doing a great job and is very successful.
We have our own subsidiary in Charlotte, North Carolina, providing direct after-sales support from Charlotte in the same time zone as the United States, in combination with our after-sales service in Germany, since 2000.
Wilhelm Bahmüller Maschinenbau Präzisionswerkzeuge GmbH is a renowned German company specializing in the development and production of high-precision machinery and tools. The company operates in 4 highly specialized business segments: corrugated board converting systems, precision grinding machines, tooling and automation solutions.
Next year marks 25 years already. How many people are working in your American department?
Sales and service in total, we are 6 to 8 people. We have three sales reps in the United States: one in the Midwest, one on the East Coast, and one on the West Coast. In Canada, we have a representative based in Toronto.
How many lines work in North America?
That’s a really good question. With all the semi-automated stitchers and BGM Flexo Folder Gluers, > 60, Specialty folder-gluers in combination with automatic takeoff, POWERPACKER, and more. We already have several machines on order, which will be installed by the end of the year or the beginning of next year. In addition, we are proud that there are even already reservations for 2026 and 2027. Quite busy.
And you know this word, sustainability. Do you use it?
With sustainability, we do things like this. We are not just folding. We are also printing in the folding & gluing process. We put labels on. So this all can be done on the machine. And not only this.
When you fold it.
When you apply it before folding. We printed. In the specialty folder TURBOX. This is printed from underneath. As long as the blank is open, we also apply the labels, and then it’s folded. So more or less.
We are able to offer a full line for e-commerce packaging. When we talk about sustainability, we want to get rid of plastic bags for online shipments. This is for e-commerce with our latest development UNIQUE TURN which was awarded during the show with the 3rd place of the Innovator of the Year award.
With the tear strip and hot melt adhesive in combination with a silicone paper covering, everything is done in one process line.
Maybe you have something more to tell us.
Sustainability means for us that all machines are fully servo-driven, so the power and pressure air consumption is very low. If we use corrugated board, that’s sustainability itself. Beautiful.
Thank you for your time. Have a great show.
Thank you very much.
Reporting from Orlando by Igor Tkalenko – corruga.expert
