What does your new role as COO mean to you? György Varknal: Previously, as Managing Director of the Hungarian subsidiary, I was responsible for a single site. Now, at the Group level, I'm responsible for coordinating, scaling, and ensuring the performance of our entire production operations. My focus is shifting from local results toward Group-wide efficiency, uniform standards, and synergies — today, strategy and execution count in equal measure. What are your responsibilities in this role? György Varknal: My responsibilities include developing a Group-wide operational strategy aligned with customer requirements and the expectations of key stakeholders. A key part of the job is striking the right balance between quality, cost, lead time, and delivery reliability, while standardizing our processes. We evaluate best practices across our individual sites to leverage them for shared process improvements. I also work more closely now with the leaders of other departments at our production sites to ensure better coordination across locations. How did you come to take on this position — and did your experience as Managing Director in Hungary help prepare you for it? György Varknal: During my 23 years at the site in Hungary, I grew alongside the company. When I started, we had 14 employees — today there are 165. During that time, we expanded our manufacturing technology, optimized pro- cesses, executed projects with partner companies, and built the team capacity needed to support growth. Change management and continuous training have become integral parts of how we work. That experience helps me today in supporting my colleagues as we work toward our shared goals. What are the goals and the vision? György Varknal: Our vision is a coordinated, cost-efficient, and flexible production at all sites. With modern technology and consistent quality standards, we aim to produce products that meet the highest demands while offering a competitive price-performance ratio. What are the biggest challenges — both overall and at the two production sites? György Varknal: In a dynamic economic and geopolitical environment, defining a long-term strategy is no easy task. That's why we break long-term goals down into smaller milestones. This allows us to adjust our next targets according to changing conditions after each step. The technologies used are identical across sites for many process steps, but some operations are handled differently for cost-efficiency reasons. This leads to well- functioning processes at each site, but it can make it harder to use the capacity of both locations in a flexible and coordinated way. For tasks that need to be tackled jointly and for future investment decisions, we need to set a direction that works for all sites. “What convinced me from our very first conversation were the values the company lives by,” says Andreas Schmidt. “A family-friendly and social corporate culture, coupled with a deep passion for developing a product to the highest standard to deliver tangible added value to the customer. This philosophy, supported by consistently appreciative communication, was the deciding factor.” That first impression has been borne out for Andreas Schmidt in his day-to-day work. He describes the "FRAISA Spirit" as a special combination of perfection, innovation, and efficiency. For him, a defining example was a project workshop held in Solothurn in June: The high level of work discipline and commitment from everyone involved enabled the team to achieve compelling results in a short amount of time — results that are now being systematically pursued. ANNUAL REPORT 2025 / 2026 I INSIDE FRAISA Andreas Schmidt is the new Managing Director of FRAISA GmbH in Willich FRAISA also won him over quickly on both the professional and cultural level. Andreas Schmidt particularly highlights the company's strong willingness to innovate, as well as the time it takes for its customers and its products. His first customer visits also left a lasting impression on him: “It filled me with pride to see that some customers actually describe themselves as true 'FRAISA fans'. That shows a strong bond.” Culturally, he emphasizes appreciative interaction above all, something visible even in the small details of everyday working life. Under his leadership, Willich is set to develop in several ways: as a capable partner for customers in Germany, a location with high technical expertise and a central hub for FRAISA ReTool® across the Group. At the center of this are the further development of the team, sustainable growth, and a clear focus on the needs of tomorrow's customers. At the same time, the high standards for quality and delivery capability are to be consistently upheld. The path forward is clear: FRAISA GmbH aims to continue growing and remain a secure and reliable employer for all its employees. Andreas Schmidt intends to make strategic use of technological advancements, strengthen teams, and further deepen collaboration with customers. What remains decisive for him is making the time spent with customers as valuable as possible. “After 24 years at the same company, I was deliberately looking for fresh inspiration. I found exactly that at FRAISA: in the values they live by, the passion for the product, and a deep appreciation that I felt right from our very first conversation. This is the foundation upon which we will continue our success story.” Andreas Schmidt | FRAISA GmbH | Managing Director INSIDE FRAISA A Conversation with the new COO In his role as Chief Operating Officer (COO), György Varknal is responsible for the coordination, advancement, and performance assurance of production at the Group level. In this interview, he talks about how he understands his role, his goals, and the key challenges of cross-site development. After 24 years at the company where he trained — rising from apprentice to Managing Director — Andreas Schmidt deliberately sought out new inspiration. He found it at FRAISA. What drew him in most were the company's lived values: a family-friendly and social corporate culture, combined with a commitment to continuously advancing products and delivering real added value to customers. With a fresh perspective and clear priorities: [ 22 ] [ 23 ]
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