Interview with Michael Grad, Head of the Technical Department & Giovanni Venditti, Operations Manager at Drechselbedarf Schulte GmbH & Co. KG.
How was 2024 for your business, a short summary?
Giovanni Venditti: A concise -yet accurate- summary would be as follows: From January to September, everything proceeded smoothly, and results were excellent. In October and November, however, we experienced a significant downturn—an undeniable consequence of the global crisis that impacted virtually everyone.
Fortunately, in December, we managed to return to our usual performance standards. Overall, it has undoubtedly been a good year.
What products/services did you launch this year?
Michael Grad: Products: The wonderful and exclusive cooperation with Hope woodturning is proceeding well, many new products are developed for the future. We have relaunched our complete grinding system for the DML-200N bench grinder. This set contains all the grinding aids, grinding gauges and instructions required for sharpening woodturning tools. This means that nothing stands in the way of quick and easy handling. The machine is equipped with a CBN disc (cubic boron nitride) in addition to the aluminum oxide grinding disc. This dimensionally stable grinding disc provides a clean finish, even after years of use.
G.V.: Services: Chat service, new look for our website and way faster email communication.
More Youtube videos, more insta Stories, we took part in 4 different fairs.
Open on various Saturdays throughout the year and in November-December, almost always with one or two demonstrators in the store. This is a service that no one really offers anymore and it is built only throughout decades of the highest professionality.
Online: the best and fastest service possible.
In store: always good coffee offered to the people coming in. And then…as well…a brand new logo, corporate identity, fresh new qualified employees.
What are the new challenges in your field of activity?
M.G.: Basically, all wood lathes work in the same way: It is therefore important to differentiate your products from the competition. This is achieved through a stable price that corresponds to the performance of the machines but is not too high to deter customers from making a purchase. It takes time to develop and realize new ideas in terms of equipment options, extensions or the machines themselves.
Which is the best lathe you put on the market and why is it so special?
M.G.: Our best lathe is the Stratos FU-230.
This machine, or more precisely its heart – the headstock – was newly developed in our company with the help of experienced woodturners and engineers. This machine is the best we can offer in terms of price/performance. It combines power, weight and comfort (depending on the price) like no other machine in our company.
You can also achieve a good result with other machines.
However, if you ask yourself what the easiest way to achieve the finished product is, the answer is the “Stratos FU-230″.
Thanks to its design and various features, you can complete any project with fun and the necessary safety.
Tell us about product innovation and how will it impact the future?
M.G.: To ‘fight properly’ in the market nowadays, you must stand out with your products.
One way to do this is offering goods and ideas that others cannot. That’s why innovation is important, in order to keep your products “in conversation” and give your customers a long list of ‘pros’ compared to your competitors’ cons.
This is, of course, a way to win customers and, even better, to keep them.
What are the industry trends in the markets you are currently active?
M.G.: Many competitors, including us, are currently trying to popularise woodturning. There is a lot of interest in making it more “mainstream”, so to speak.
This should naturally lead to an increase in new customers and therefore also in incoming orders.
What do you think the trends will be next year?
M.G.: I think that we will have to adapt to customers purchasing behavior next year or in the upcoming years. The product range may be adjusted, perhaps. We will see. Nothing official yet, just ideas.
What is the outlook for 2025?
G.V.: Without revealing too much… we have some ideas in the works that we’re tirelessly developing. Our goal is certainly to reach as many people as possible and to engage the younger generations with this fascinating field, that perfectly blends art, craftsmanship, and technology. This should bring us -already now- a very positive outlook for next year.