Autoflex-Knott Ibérica is a prominent player in the industry in Spain, Portugal and Chile. The company’s story is an inspiring example of how a small business can become an international market leader. The Spanish subsidiary became an official member of the Knott Group in 2016, but its history goes back much further, to 1998. Back then, two businessmen from Cantabria contacted the German Knott Group with the aim of becoming the exclusive importer for Spain and Portugal. Despite the difficulties of getting started, Autoflex-Knott Ibérica has grown steadily and has now achieved a leading position in these three markets.
Main activities and operations of the company
The Spanish subsidiary is headquartered in Cantabria, where it currently employs 13 people in a 1,700 m² facility. The main activity of Autoflex-Knott Ibérica is the production and distribution of customised braked and unbraked axles and various components. One of the company’s key competitive advantages is its large stock of Knott parts, which ensures a constant supply of materials for its customers. This logistical advantage helps them to respond quickly and efficiently to customer needs, which is particularly important in today’s competitive market environment.
The management is led by Fernando Losada and María Sañudo, who are focused on the company’s long-term strategic goals. Under their leadership, Autoflex-Knott Ibérica has further strengthened its market position and opened up to new opportunities.
The development of Autoflex-Knott Ibérica
The development of Autoflex-Knott Ibérica is impressive. Starting from scratch with three employees and a rented warehouse, they have grown to become one of the leading players in the market in Spain, Portugal and Chile. The company’s management is particularly proud of how they have evolved and managed to maintain quality service while growing and expanding into new markets.
Key challenges and strengths
The company’s biggest challenge is to attract new customers and retain existing ones without compromising quality. Management believes that effective leadership is key to this process. Strategic decisions and crisis management allow the company to focus on customer needs while maintaining its competitive advantage.
The company’s strengths include its team, which is characterised by honesty, transparency, passion, differentiation, customer focus and quality. These values not only drive customer satisfaction, but are also a defining feature of the company’s internal culture. Their commitment to competitiveness and problem solving ensures that they are always able to adapt to market changes and challenges.
Pride and future goals
Autoflex-Knott Ibérica has many things to be proud of, but most of all the company’s development. From a start-up team of three and a rented warehouse, they have grown to become the market leader in three countries. This is the result of the commitment and hard work of the management team and employees.
The company has ambitious plans for the future. They aim to enter the market for small and medium-sized French manufacturers and to find distributor-importers in Spanish-American markets such as Colombia, Peru and Argentina. These new markets provide the company with the opportunity to further grow and diversify its activities. They also aim to consolidate their leading position in the Spanish, Portuguese and Chilean markets and to establish a prominent presence in all Latin American markets.
Autoflex-Knott Ibérica’s success story is exemplary and demonstrates how a company can start from scratch to become an international market leader. The company’s commitment to quality, innovation and customer focus has enabled it to stand out from the competition. They remain confident about the challenges and opportunities ahead and continue to work to succeed in new markets.
Autoflex-Knott Ibérica is a company that has not only achieved outstanding results in the Spanish, Portuguese and Chilean markets, but also intends to continue its international expansion in the future. The managers, Fernando Losada and María Sañudo, are sure to continue on this successful path and conquer more markets.