Swiss Sateco Group builds site in the Philippines

Quality must not only be visible, but also tangible and audible. This is especially true for controls and switches, their operating feel, sound or tactile feedback. The high-precision silicone keypads and silicone sensors from the Sateco Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers, make the decisive quality difference here in many products from a wide range of sectors, from the automotive industry to building automation, industry including heavy transport, and the consumer goods industry. They are the functional core element that connects mechanics with electronics.

Start of production planned for 2023

The Swiss family-owned company employs around 800 people at sites in Europe, the USA and Asia. The production site in China is now being joined by another in Angeles City in the Philippines. The factory management will be taken over by an experienced Japanese manager. This is intended to support the development of new sales markets in East Asia. Alastair Martin, COO Sateco Group, describes the plans: "The groundbreaking ceremony took place in December 2022. We then plan to be producing in the new factory by the end of 2023. With a second production site, we increase stability and delivery reliability for our customers." The initial plan is to produce in three shifts with around 300 to 400 employees.

There are several arguments in favor of the Philippines. One of them is that it is possible to communicate directly in English across all hierarchical levels. This facilitates daily collaboration and also enables innovations, which the company also wants to drive forward with the new location. Dr. Daniel Häfliger, CEO Sateco Group, gives further reasons: "The support we receive locally at all levels is overwhelming, be it from the government, partners or the Swiss Chamber of Commerce to the Philippines. We have felt very welcome in the Philippines from the very beginning."

Quality, continuity, innovation and cooperation in partnership

The production site in the Philippines embeds well into the overall corporate strategy. With a consistent quality rate of < 0.2 ppm on more than 200 million parts annually, Sateco is one of the most reliable manufacturers of precision silicone molded parts in the world. Founded in 1999, the company is still family-run. This ensures financial independence and stability and brings the necessary flexibility. Most products are created as customer-specific solutions. "Here we work closely with our customers in partnership, usually over many years," explains Häfliger. "The Sateco Engineering Center (SEC) with over 60 specialists is unparalleled. With tools that are 100 % designed, developed and qualified in-house and a fully equipped, state-of-the-art measurement laboratory, the SEC takes new technologies from concept sketch to series production in the shortest possible time." With the new production site in the Philippines, the company will be able to respond even more flexibly to its customers' requests in the future, develop innovative solutions and create even better conditions for long-term cooperative partnerships.

Source and further information

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/schweizer-sateco-gruppe-baut-standort-auf-den-philippinen/