Wintec Adds All-Electric Line, Expands Sales Outside of China

Launched in September 2014 as a completely separate subsidiary to serve mid- to high-tier Chinese molders not in the market for an Engel press but needing an efficient, economical machine, the Austrian company’s Wintec brand has established itself in the local market over the intervening 20 months.

Peter Auinger, president sales and service Wintec | Engel Machinery (Changzhou) Co., Ltd. said two weeks prior to Chinaplas, the company celebrated the construction of its 100^th machine at the Changzhou plant. Counting backlog and machines in progress, the company has sold about 120 machines since its inception, according to Auinger, who noted that in addition to accessible, high quality equipment, the new company stresses speed of delivery.

“We say all Wintec machines should have delivery time of less than 3 months,” Auinger said, speaking at the Chinaplas Media Day. “We are prepared to sell and produce much more machines.”

Auinger noted that Wintec has room to grow in its current location, and he said that in the next three to five years, he expects the company to double in size. “Our main focus is on customers that do not yet have an Engel machine,” Auinger said regarding Wintec’s marketing, “but we also have a clear focus on existing Engel customers that have weaker segment machines in their portfolio.”

Engel representatives have maintained that the creation of the Wintec brand will not result in the cannibalization of its own business. Where there is overlap, both brands can win due to disparate machinery needs within a plant.

“In our short existence,” Auinger said, “we look at the order intake; it mirrors our strategy. Around two thirds are completely new customers that didn't have and Engel machine, and one third are customers with Engel machines that need something different. We’re not taking away own market. We are not interested in squeezing out Engel because we are not able to do it. We are entrance brand into the Engel world.”