FALL 2023

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THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
SPIROL CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF HELPING CUSTOMERS THRIVE! from page 78
HANS KOEHL (LEFT) & JEFF KOEHL
Given the breadth of markets in which SPIROL
products are used, they are fortunate to have been at the
forefront of these emerging technologies, and have done
a great job at recognizing when to develop products to
meet new requirements and address the change in the
market before they become mainstream. As an example,
SPIROL was the first company to create and standardize
on a Compression Limiter product line to provide and
maintain bolted joint integrity of plastic assemblies.
When asked, “If you had to state one thing that has
led to the continued success of SPIROL, what would that
be?”, Hans quickly replied, “Our shareholders’ willingness
to continuously reinvest back into the business for us to
remain a state-of-the-art manufacturer.”
“There are other key elements that contribute
to SPIROL’s success including: the innovation of our
employees to create value, strong management, strategy
and taking action, good planning, and adherence to our
strategic vision.” One example of a recent key strategic
decision was the acquisition of Ford Aerospace in
the United Kingdom. “Unlike our other product lines,
Precision Shims is a tough product to take globally
because each Shim is custom-made for a particular
application,” stated Mr. Koehl. “The opportunity arose
for SPIROL to acquire Ford Aerospace that would enable
us to produce Shims locally for the UK and European
marketspaces. Given SPIROL’s long-term stability and
financial security, we had the funds to quickly act on this
opportunity and made the acquisition.”
Mr. Koehl went on to say, “It takes money, people
and willingness to grow and expand a company. We feel
a strong loyalty to all of our employees who have made
us who we are today. Our success has enabled us to
create good paying stable jobs and the ability for our
employees to intermingle on a global basis.”
The unwavering financial support of their
shareholders has allowed SPIROL to build a unique
corporate culture where they truly respect and give
back to their constituents. SPIROL offers Employee
Educational Reimbursement programs, a matching
401K, and an employee stock ownership (ESOP) /
money purchase pension plan. In addition, a percentage
of income is allocated every year to fund the SPIROL
International Charitable Foundation that routinely donates
to non-profit organizations whose core tenets align with
SPIROL’s such as the Audubon Society, 4-H, the YMCA,
and local hospitals. The SPIROL Charitable Foundation
regularly grants significant monies to local community
colleges focused on manufacturing and K-12 schools to
support their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math) programs. Annually, the SPIROL Scholarship
Committee, also funded by the SPIROL Charitable
Foundation, offers scholarships to eligible students who
are going on to postsecondary education and pursuing a
degree in Engineering, Basic Sciences or Manufacturing
Technology. Similarly, the SPIROL Kids Scholarship
supports STEM development programs for younger kids
by granting scholarships for children to attend summer
camps focused around the STEM disciplines. In fact, so
strong is SPIROL’s core belief of giving back, that there
is a separate SPIROL Employee Giving Program that is
completely funded by donations from the employees
and whose proceeds go directly to patients receiving
treatment for cancer at local healthcare facilities.
Hans Koehl concluded that he is most proud in how
we “continue to meet our obligation to our constituents
in an exemplary way.”
SPIROL INTERNATIONAL CORP.