Fritz Schaad retires – dual wheel production continues under Starco brand
From humble beginnings on their father’s farm, Fritz and Rudi Schaad began the manufacture of what is now recognised as one of – if not the best – dual wheel systems on the market. Now, After 50 years in the business, Fritz Schaad has announced his retirement from daily management from the Swiss company, where he had been responsible for sales and marketing for many years. Despite his retirement Fritz will, along with brother Rudolph, continue to support the company, which has been part of the Starco Group for the last five years. Rudolph has announced plans to retire in 2014, and leadership of Starco Schaad is now in the hands of Sven Holmes, who has been who has been working at the Schaad factory for nine months in preparation for assuming responsibility of the company established by the Schaad brothers.
For the two brothers, it all began with an idea; to design and manufacture a workable and reliable dual wheel system that could be fitted to almost any tractor wheel with the minimum of tools. Their father’s farm became their base for the first two decades, after which the Schaad brothers established a purpose built factory in Subingen in 1982. Built with the engineering excellence for which so many Swiss manufacturers are renown, Schaad dual wheels have won approval in agricultural markets throughout the world; first with a range of dual wheel products for tractors; later with dual wheel conversion kits for other vehicles such as ATVs.
The Schaad brothers’ understanding of farmers’ needs is said to be the secret behind the success of their products. Starco notes that whilst many competing dual wheel systems are cumbersome and difficult to mount and demount on a daily basis, the Schaad system is designed with ease of handling and operation in mind, and without the product being locked in to specific tractor manufacturers’ wheels. The Schaad concept of interchangeability between different tractors was arguably as revolutionary for the dual-wheel market as the introduction by Harry Ferguson in the 1950’s of the three-point hitch system, which enabled all farm implements to fit any tractor.
In 2007, the Schaad company joined the Starco Group, and gained access to the Danish company’s growing distribution and logistics network. This enabled Schaad products to be promoted worldwide. Implementation of the Starco Group’s global strategy in recent years has led to numerous improvements being made to the Schaad factory in Subingen; not least in the introduction of the mini-business units, which have become the basis for all Starco operations worldwide.
Starco is convinced Schaad offers the best dual wheel system available and describes the Schaad product range as a natural and important complement to its catalogue, one that extends the company’s range of agricultural special wheels and tyres. For Starco, the agricultural segment is important as it represents, along with large industrial wheels and tyres, what it views as the greatest growth potential in the worldwide special wheels and tyres market. Schaad dual wheel systems therefore play an important role in consolidating Starco’s position as a global market leader in special wheels and tyres for agriculture.
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