About us
We offer solutions in body and special vehicle manufacturing, cab modifications and custom paintwork. This broad range of services has made us successful internationally.
We give you Safety.
We provide you with security. You can rely on the quality policy pursued by our team – even when things have to be done quickly. Individual, project-related development services are carried out carefully, flexibly and reliably, without the need for complex prototype construction processes, as are high-quality painting services. Our commitment to quality is VDA-certified. Even with complex development and service work, we always align ourselves with your wishes and goals.
The satisfaction of our customers, which is based on the extensive specialist expertise of our nearly 50 employees, makes us proud. On this solidly built foundation, we will continuously expand our four main pillars, strengthen our forward-looking approach and further cement the excellent reputation we have earned over more than 40 years.
Experience
Our Corporate goals
Our corporate goals are the basis for all our business activities and are derived from the anticipated market conditions and our customer base.
We are thus also defining our company's self-image and thereby giving our employees an opportunity for identification.
In doing so, our objectives encompass the entire company and therefore all process workflows. We map them annually in a goal hierarchy and secure them with selected employees via target agreements. We view these target agreements as a management tool (management by objectives) with the background that managers know what they are working for, what they must measure themselves against, and subsequently why it is worthwhile to commit themselves fully to the company.
An important component of our corporate objectives is also the regular engagement with risk management, with which we also explore our opportunities using evaluated risk filters.
Our corporate philosophy
The overarching strategy for BICKEL-TEC is to bring solutions to the global market in body and special vehicle manufacturing, cab alterations, chassis modifications and special paintwork that offer the customer the greatest possible benefit. This also includes innovations that are sustainability-oriented with a reduction in resource consumption and pollutant emissions as well as the protection of human health and the protection of animals and plants. With all solutions, it must of course be ensured by the client that they comply with the respective traffic regulations.
Further strategies include, of course, the generation of profit and profitability in order to ensure the long-term survival of the company. The market analysis required for this is prepared annually at the beginning of a financial year by the sales department in cooperation with the Managing Director.
The corporate purpose is also shaped by the corporate identity (CI), which we convey through the symbolic communication of a uniform logo and a modern website.
Development and outlook
Contrary to forecasts, 2023 turned out to be the best year yet in the success story of BICKEL-TEC. For instance, a total of 660 commercial vehicles were delivered to our customers in 2023 following painting, conversion or body-building work.
Based on current planning figures and existing long-term orders, it can be assumed for 2024 that this trend will continue. Naturally, it must be ensured that current geopolitical crises do not escalate and cause a reversal of the trend with accompanying raw material and supply chain problems.
Of great advantage, of course, is that this positive development extends to all of the departments listed below, both in 2023 and in the outlook for 2024:
- Chassis modifications
- roof depressions
- Vehicle manufacturing and
- Paintwork
Skilled workers
Of course, a major disadvantage for all departments remains the fact that urgently needed skilled workers can hardly be attracted using conventional recruitment methods, despite the greatest of efforts. Therefore, we have decided to approach the job market using new methods via social recruiting. It will become apparent in the future whether these digital possibilities can help generate interest in our unusual conversion and customisation activities on brand-new commercial vehicles.
cab area
In doing so, alongside the roof cut-outs from Daimler Truck AG just like in 2023, we will be setting targeted focal points in the cab area with other customer groups, such as cab glazing for tunnel cleaning and forestry applications. Long-iron vehicles with a complicated half-cut of the cab will also increasingly enrich our portfolio.
Due to the outstanding applications of our cab glazing in the forestry sector, we would like to draw your attention to the video by Pezzolato on our homepage under „News“.
Both our customers and we benefit from the fact that we can operate on stable foundations in terms of both design and cost. The establishment of our own design department has significantly advanced our development in the technical field.
chassis area
The chassis division has recovered significantly following the slumps caused by the coronavirus pandemic and has grown substantially in terms of orders, a trend that will also continue into 2024. In addition, there are conversion contracts for commercial vehicles for the airport apron for the first time.
Vehicle construction
Vehicle construction, consisting of the two components of a semi-trailer and a body platform, has evolved to the point where, backed by a strong order book in 2023, it has developed into an important and profitable business segment.
In doing so, we benefited from the fact that the delivery situation for supplied parts in the hydraulics and flame-cut parts sectors has improved significantly. Especially with regard to flame-cut parts, securing an additional regional supplier has had a very positive impact on parts management.
A particular highlight in 2023 was the planning and construction of a body on an eEconic commercial vehicle with a complete tarpaulin enclosure and an electrically operated winch directly for Daimler Truck for the plant in Wörth.
semi-trailers and bodies
In 2024, we intend to refocus more on the sale of semi-trailers, the construction of which we will be intensifying with a technically proficient cooperation partner. Even though our bodywork capacity for 2024 is already fully booked, depending on the situation this year we will also build bodywork and, where applicable, semi-trailers without a specific customer order, actively promote them using targeted marketing measures and offer them via our website.
Furthermore, in the body-building sector, we still benefit from the fact that we are the first manufacturer across Europe to be able to provide the permissible friction coefficients in accordance with VDI 2700 Sheet 14 and the lashing point values in accordance with DIN EN 12640 for our platform surfaces. They were scientifically determined by an external organisation in 2021.
Vehicle paintwork
When it comes to vehicle paintwork, concrete mixers were clearly the focus of our activities and will continue to be so for 2024. In this regard, the installation of a second paint shop by AZO for commercial vehicles of all sizes, featuring the latest extraction technology, has proven to be more than profitable.
Target audience and customers
Due to the specific nature of our product in the field of conversions, our target group can be restricted to a few customer segments. These are customers for whom commercial trucks are at the centre of their activities involving special applications. These can be commercial vehicles that require a special refrigeration unit, fire-fighting equipment or comprehensive cab glazing, or vehicles that require special bodies with cranes, ladders, etc., or chassis extensions. The assembly and painting of concrete mixers in cooperation with Schwing Stetter is also part of our services
Preferably, the focus is on the truck manufacturer as the contracting client, although recently other customers with special applications have also increasingly approached us.
Market Outlook 2024
The market outlook was already covered intensively in the „Product“ section.
If new disruptions in the global economy and price increases for raw materials combined with supply difficulties on the globalised market do not occur, 2024 will certainly be another successful year. In this context, we also aim to benefit greatly in supplier and resource management from the newly created position of Head of Supply Chain Management with integrated strategic purchasing and process planning.