SICK Romania introduces itself

SICK Austria is responsible for serving customers in 15 countries. Most of the countries are in Eastern Europe. Besides the headquarters in Wiener Neudorf, Austria, there a four more subsidiaries, in the countries Greece, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia. Most of the customers know SICK Austria, but this way we want to introduce you to our sub-companies. The second subsidiary we are introducing to you is SICK Romania, which become a part of the family in 2007.

Question: Which regions serves SICK Romania?

Ivor Zarescu, Country Manager SICK Romania: SICK Romania is responsible for four countries. The focus of our activities is our biggest market, Romania. In this region, we support over 500 customers. In Serbia, Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova we work with distributor partners and system integrators.

Question: How many employees has SICK Romania?

Zarescu: Our team currently, includes 13 employees and we are currently looking for employee number 14.

Question: Which product is in your region the favorite and why?

Zarescu: Simply choosing one product would be difficult, because we have so many excellent products that are of great interest to our customers. These include our safety products, simple sensors such as photo electronic and inductive sensors, but at the same time we also focus on camera-based products. Systems like PLB, MDA and PINInspector were a great success last year. In terms of service, I can proudly say that SICK Romania is the market leader. This year and also next year we will increasingly focus on continuously expanding our business, not only on serial product, but increasingly on systems and service.

Question: What is your opinion on environment?

Zarescu: I take the effects and danger of climate change very seriously, especially after the destructive bushfires in Australia. I have great respect and admiration for the young generation, who constantly challenges us all to think about what we do and to look for innovative solutions. Emission monitoring and -control have always been important to SICK because we have always attached great importance to the environment. We owe it to ourselves and our children to act now.

Question: Where will you go in the future?

Zarescu: In recent years we have seen a steady 20% annual growth. Even now with this uncertain economic situation, due to globalization on the one hand and the decline in some Western European companies on the other, we are still seeing good growth. There are more opportunities for Eastern European countries than before because the degree of automation is very low compared to Western Europe. There is one robot for every 10,000 employees. Putting this in the context of a lack of qualified personnel means for us new and exciting projects that offer new opportunities. All in all, I am positive and optimistic about the future. We will continue to grow!

Question: What animal would represent SICK Romania the most?

Zarescu: I think, when you ask that question, most people tend to think about an agile predator, but in business as in nature predators are far from perfect, internal power struggles, eat their own young, inflated egos etc.

I like to think of us as wild ducks. The animal species, we all should learn from and emulate in working together as a team, are the ducks. Ducks work together to accomplish feats that seem unimaginable and impossible for most any other animal.

Ducks fly distances that almost no other animal can travel and it is only possible because they do it as a team. Each duck takes turn leading the flock and when it gets tired it fades from the front back into the fold, while another takes the lead. By working together, the whole flock increase the flying range by more than 70%.

Just like ducks, people tend to unite in organizations that offer shelter and protection, simplify and improve their lives, more than when they are on their own. I learned that people want to belong to; they want to be part of a team. It gives them a sense of purpose, where they can be a part of something bigger than themselves. Also important in the business world, because people who share a common direction and sense of community, reach their goals faster and easier, especially when you can rely on each other.

Question: How do your employees react to changes?

Zarescu: In our lives, both professional and private, changes have become a constant. The world is changing fast and we always have to be on top of those changes. At SICK Romania, we are a team that consists of highly educated experts and we feel good about what we do. Such a team can be given responsibility and the freedom to deal with their daily challenges. This gives them the space in which they can act in accordance with their expertise and at the same time shows them appreciation for their performance. In this sense, changes are not a problem for us, but welcome challenges. Resilience is one of our strengths and that is just one of the keys for our success.