You are here:
You are here:
It’s story time. And while what you’re about to read might seem embellished or, parts of it, even flat-out fictional, what we say here is true. Every word.
At the heart of this story is consistency. It’s no secret that the company is known for putting out the same quality in its machines, decade after decade.
So, that’s where we begin.
You know consistency in business can be difficult to achieve for long periods of time, or sometimes even from one day to the next. For example, how well
are you able to mix up a particular stain color the same every time? That’s hard enough to do, even when you write down exactly how you did it the
first time.
Imagine being a machine manufacturer that changes ownership, its sources for materials, its production processes, has high employee turnover, and can’t
replicate precise training from one employee to the next. And imagine being a company that doesn’t.
Yeah, we’re about to toot Lägler GmbH’s horn, right here. You’ll see why long before the end of this blog post.
Eugen Lägler founded Lägler GmbH in 1956, in Frauenzimmern, Germany. His son, Karleugen, has directed the company since 2007.
There are many reasons why Lägler machines are known for reliable performance. Here are a few back-bone reasons:
One Lägler Ownership. One family has owned Lägler since it was founded in 1956. We’re pretty sure no other sanding machine manufacturer
on the planet can claim that. That means there have been no hiccups, from owner to the next, in the driving purpose of the company. That purpose is
top-shelf quality that gives sanding and refinishing pros everywhere exactly the performance and floor results they expect, day in and day out.
Eugen Lägler built the company that has become the globally recognized brand it is in the wood flooring industry. In 2007, his son, Karleugen Lägler, took
the leadership reins. Many of you, especially those who have won the Fly + Sand lottery,
know him as Karl.
Karl grew up in the company. As a boy, not much older than a toddler, he helped build the family house next door to the factory, carrying buckets for his
dad. As a young adult, he studied engineering and learned the ins and outs of the company. He knows the details of every machine model that wears the
Lägler logo and colors in 142 countries – and the best ways to get the most out of them on the job.
Nailed-Down Production Processes. Lägler maintains the quality and consistency in its processes by documenting every step of every employee’s
role. Everything and every person has a purpose in the company. But there still is flexibility and adaptability (more on that in next section).
Lägler gets little outside help for fabricating its machines and parts. For example, SUPERHUMMEL drum cores are made on-site, starting with melting aluminum
bricks into insanely hot liquid that is poured into a mold that was designed and built on-site. Many custom tools for custom manufacturing even have
been designed and fabricated on-site.
Process and precision. With everything and everyone.
Employees’ Unrivaled Skill, Adaptability + Longevity. Do you remember the NFL offensive triple-threat Kordell Stewart? He started his
pro career in the mid-1990s, and mostly played for the Steelers. He was called “Slash,” because he could play multiple positions. He largely played
at quarterback, but could split out as a receiver, and was one of greatest rushers of all time from the QB position, too. Quarterback/Receiver/Rusher.
Slash.
All Lägler employees could be called Slash. They dive deep in their experience in one specific job role, but they are cross-trained in multiple skills,
and cover each other’s stations when needed, too.
Germany, in general, handles its education and training differently than we do in the U.S. Have you seen the videos and Facebook posts lately talking about
restoring pride and training for hands-on trades in America? There’s a great example of pride and success in skilled labor in Germany, and at Lägler.
Three-year-long apprenticeships are where it happens at Lägler. Three years of learning every detail across multiple jobs. Then, maybe you get hired on
permanently.
That’s how Lägler’s factory is filled with highly skilled craftsmen who year after year are the reigning world champs of their job. Because, really, no
one in the world knows that job better than the guy who is doing it. (Watch our three-minute “Icon Builders” video on YouTube to learn more about the guys who have years’, even decades’, of experience building thousands and thousands of HUMMELs.)
After all, Lägler employees aren’t messing with Legos. No one walks in off the street – or even the home crew out of Lägler North America in Denver – and
starts putting together Lägler machines. That’s why a guy there can walk out the building on his last day before retirement, having made his mark on
50,000 HUMMELs that are still running on job sites all over the world, and know he made a difference.
So, yeah. We’re proud to be your Lägler home base in North America, and to know the legacy we’re part of. And we think this story is worth sharing. No
reason to keep it a secret.
The fact is, no other floor sanding machine manufacturer on Earth can duplicate Lägler. No company can duplicate the story, the ownership, the processes,
the skilled craftsmanship, the quality.
That makes Lägler a unicorn in the industry, verified by its ISO 9001 certification. ISO 9001 is the international standard that verifies Lägler’s strict
adherence to seven “quality management principles”: customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based
decision making, and relationship management.
If you want a chance to see the Lägler factory, to get to meet the guys in the Icon Builders video, and see all this stuff we’re talking about for yourself,
you can attend Lägler PST at Lägler world headquarters in Germany. One way to get that trip paid for by Lägler, is to be one of the lucky winners of
the Fly + Sand lottery.
Share this Lägler story on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter,
where Lägler friends worldwide help each other. Mention us, so we can follow along with your Lägler life.
Signup for the Lägler North American monthly email newsletter for helpful how-to info that keeps you at the top of your game, and other good stuff.
6 Things You Need to Know About Sanding Drums
Lägler North America, a division of Palo Duro Hardwoods, is the North American distributor of machines and parts manufactured by Eugen Lägler GmbH in Germany. We are North America’s machine repair center, and offer Lägler’s one-day Premium Sanding Technology (PST®) certification course.
Copyright © 2020 Lägler North America. All Rights Reserved.