A day in the shoes of Marcel Schäfer

Marcel, tell us a bit about your professional career at DVS Tooling.

I've been with DVS Tooling since it was founded in 2015 and have been an employee from the very beginning. The aim was to raise the VarioSpeedDresser to a new level of quality with a new technology and a new machining process in collaboration with our sister company Präwema.

Initially, the aim was to bring the laser cutting machine and the process to a level that was safe for series production. In this area of laser processing, there is very little experience to draw on and we had to completely redefine and test many processes. We managed to do this within a year and were able to hit the ground running in Hemer.

We started with a handful of employees and from then on I was responsible for production. Here I was able to gain five years of experience in the machining of gear cutting tools and as head of a steadily growing department. To further deepen my knowledge, the next step was to move into design for three years.

This was an important step in order to delve deeper into gear calculation, but also to get to know the processes and departments of our company more and more.

For almost a year now, I have been taking on the tasks and responsibilities of the Operations Manager here at DVS Tooling.

What has changed for you since your promotion?

My day-to-day work is much more varied and, for the first time, cross-departmental.

Having a decisive influence on different areas, departments and problems is an opportunity to move the company forward, but also a challenge.

What attracted you to the position?

It was more of a gradual development process than a position that I absolutely wanted. Due to my experience, which is broadly spread across the entire company, it is a position that I have grown into over the years. So I feel very comfortable in this position.

What is it like for you to work in a managerial position under your father?

The father-son combination in a company has been with us since DVS Tooling was founded.

For a very long time, we have found a good common denominator on how to divide our tasks and responsibilities in a sensible way. The undeniable mix of family, friends and work at DVS Tooling was a decisive factor in the positive development of the company, especially in the early days.
 

What is your everyday working life like?

My everyday working life can be very different. Tasks and problems often arise spontaneously and from the day-to-day running of the company. Anything can happen on a daily basis, from personnel issues, evaluating production figures and talking to customers to optimizing our production processes. A two-week trip to China in November and some interesting customer visits associated with it is certainly one of the most exciting points this year.