It’s official – SPR Abrasives is (a)live
Issue 2 of our occasional update on what’s grinding at SPR and in the superabrasive industry
Finally, it’s official! SPR Abrasives was founded this week: SPR Abrasives GmbH. The headquarters are located in Seddiner See, just south of Berlin. Things are getting very real now and it’s a pleasure to see all the plans come to life. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at what has been achieved so far and what is yet to be done in the coming weeks..
Where are we today?
The main company outlines were already established in January and in the past few months, step by step actions have been taken to be ready for production (plating) after the summer. It is a great relief that VDiamant has enough space in its production halls so that SPR can take over a part of it. Decisions have been made on the product range and today the production space and machinery are being ordered and put in place.
As a first step, the team investigated whether there was sufficient availability of all necessary chemicals and metals required for production in the vicinity of the production hall near Berlin. And whether there are sufficient options for the processing of the chemical waste (agents) that are specific to diamond plating. These costs can quickly add up, making SPR’s final products non-competitive. But fortunately, there are several suppliers of chemical substances and waste processing companies that can serve us south of Berlin. This allows SPR to purchase these products at attractive prices and have the waste products processed afterwards.
At the same time, the layout of the production was planned, an exhaustive list was made of all necessary machines, machine parts, safety measures and attributes, software and IT systems. All according to the legal framework under which SPR will produce. The production spaces were examined and outlined, including industrial ventilation, filtering systems, fire safety, processing of chemical products, water and power supply. Furthermore, necessary modifications and painting works need to be carried out on the production spaces to ensure the safe use of chemical substances.
A second important factor for the final price is the energy cost, which proves to be quite reasonable so that SPR can offer premium products, manufactured in Europe, at competitive prices. In addition, SPR will further invest in a large number of solar panels on the roof to further reduce these costs in the future and to work as environmentally friendly as possible.
All these steps took several weeks to months as everything had to be calculated very accurately. But the deadline of producing the first test batches by the end of September this year is still achievable.
SPR – Stronger together
Meanwhile, the SPR brand is being further developed. SPR (Abrasives) is a simple abbreviation of SUPER Abrasives. Short but powerful. At SPR, we pay a lot of attention to the brand that SPR will become, with a beautiful, large, and elegant logo that is very recognizable. With neutral brand colors combined with different color accents per product category to increase recognition. With a modern catalog concept and a brand new website that goes beyond what we are used to in this industry. Currently, SPR is still working on its own photography on various fronts to further differentiate itself from competitors. This includes conducting own photo shoots for ambiance images, general product photos, and technical and microscopic product photos.
What’s next?
SPR’s team will be busy installing the production line in the coming months. Everything is still on schedule to produce the first test batches from September onwards. Towards the end of the year, production will be further increased. We will definitely come back to this in a future blog post.
Meanwhile, SPR’s branding is in its final stages. SPR chooses to keep the brand colors neutral so that a specific color can be used as a recognition point for the different products. These colors will be the same everywhere, in the catalog, on the website, and in the packaging.
Work is still being done on the packaging. Much attention is being paid to ensure that SPR stands out. We are confident that we will be offering a premium product, and this line will be continued in the packaging with sufficient information, sealing of the packaging as a quality guarantee, and the addition of a product-specific QR code that opens the lab’s test results via a scan. Because SPR will deliver top quality products solely, we think it’s only logical that customers can freely request and access these test results.
Finally, the catalog is currently being finalized so that it can go into print around September. Make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter so you don’t miss out on this one!
the strength of the partnership
SPR is the creation of three companies from the superabrasives industry. They are three completely different companies, each with their own identity, approach, and product focus spread across three countries and two continents. But it is precisely because of these differences that their collaboration is so powerful. The laboratory and production halls of VDiamant for testing and producing abrasive powders have no equal in Europe. Gemmata has been a global player in industrial natural diamonds for decades, while American Superabrasives is one of the largest distributors of superabrasives, powders, and solids in the United States.
All three partners have a large customer base with relatively little overlap. There is a very good relationship among the three of them, making working together smoothly, efficiently, and with confidence almost self-evident. “Who does what” is quickly clear to everyone, and the different team members are highly complementary, doing what they enjoy doing!
Because of all these factors, SPR is undoubtedly going to be a powerful player in the superabrasives market. The combined expertise in sourcing, production, marketing, customer relations and lab services will enable SPR to have significant and sustainable impact in the world of superabrasives.
Each partner will also operate as a representative SPR office for their own local markets, ensuring that all customers have a known point of contact from their own place of business.
Conclusion
SPR is getting tangible. It’s real and it’s a joy to see ideas and plans come alive. So far we didn’t encounter any real obstructions that might jeopardize the new company so it’s all been made official last month. A lot still needs to be done, but we’ll get there. Step by step. While production lines are being set up in the next coming months, SPR’s branding will be ready soon and catalogs are shaped up to go to the presses at the end of the summer.
The team is facing a busy summer, but with such beautiful and achievable goals, it’s a joy rather than a challenge. Everyone at SPR is highly motivated to really get started with the first test batches in September. Stronger together!