Interview with Nico Nägele
Hi Nico, please introduce yourself briefly.
Nico Nägele: My name is Nico Nägele, I am 25 years old, a trained tool mechanic and have been working as a sales technician at GRESSEL AG since July 2024. In my spare time, I play football for FC Öhningen-Gaienhofen. In the winter months, I usually head to the ski slopes. I also bought a house after my technician training, which I am currently renovating and will probably move into myself at the beginning of 2025.
I have been part of the team since July 2024 and am responsible for southern Germany (postcodes: 72, 77, 78, 79, 86, 87, 88, 89) and Vorarlberg.
I have just started in field sales, but my technical training and my career in mechanical engineering have given me a lot of specialised knowledge. This helps me a lot to understand the needs of our customers and offer suitable solutions.
As a young star in our team, you are still quite young, could you please tell us about your career so far?
Nico Nägele: During my time as a tool mechanic and later in my technical work, I realised that I particularly like the combination of technology, customer contact and practical advice. Field service offers me exactly this mix.
My stations at a glance:
– 2016: Secondary school leaving certificate
– 2016-2020: Apprenticeship as a tool mechanic
– 2020-2022: Professional experience in turning and milling, including CAM programming
– 2022-2024: Further training to become a state-certified technician specialising in machine technology
– Since 2024: Sales technician field service at GRESSEL AG
You have been working for Gressel AG in the field for a year now. What have been your most interesting projects so far?
Nico Nägele: There is no single “most interesting” project for me – every project is special in its own way. What I find particularly exciting is the variety: from new products that were so successful that they were subsequently included in the standard portfolio, to projects in which not a single standard GRESSEL item was installed, but a completely customised solution was developed.
The really interesting thing about customer projects is not just the realisation itself, but the journey there – from the first meeting to the positive feedback at the end. The feedback from customers is particularly impressive when they report significant savings. Tower or pyramid solutions in particular allow enormous potential to be realised: customers have been able to massively reduce tool change times and often save over 30% in component running time.
For me, one goal always takes centre stage: the customer should be happy in the end. If we manage to develop solutions together that increase efficiency and satisfaction, then that is the greatest success for me.
While we’re on the subject of projects. Is that also the biggest challenge in the sales force?
Nico Nägele: Not necessarily. Projects vary greatly in scope: some only require a simple customised jaw and are implemented quickly, while others involve complex special designs that can take several months to complete.
The real challenge for me is to take the customer’s requirements and interpret them in such a way that we can develop a really suitable clamping solution. Particularly in the field of automation, very high demands are often formulated, which in retrospect often turn out to be less relevant. Here, it is important to filter out the decisive factors together with the customer and find a solution that not only works technically, but also makes economic sense.
How do you feel about teamwork in your 8-strong sales team in Germany?
Our team is characterised by a very informal atmosphere – you can feel the Swiss mentality in a positive way. Whether at trade fairs, customer appointments or at our team events such as joint mountain hut weekends: It’s always a highlight because work and fun go hand in hand.
I particularly appreciate the strong team spirit. Everyone supports each other, and we younger people in particular benefit enormously from the experience of our long-standing colleagues. This creates a sense of togetherness in which we learn from each other and celebrate successes together at the same time.
Swiss mentality – what does that mean?
Nico Nägele: For me, the Swiss mentality at GRESSEL means above all openness, reliability and a very familiar way of working together. Although we sales representatives are not in Switzerland every day and only see our colleagues there for training courses, customer visits or team meetings, you always feel welcome and involved.
A good example is the annual Christmas party: it doesn’t matter if you only meet in person three or four times during the year – it doesn’t matter. You immediately strike up a conversation with everyone, feel a genuine interest in how things are going outside with the customer and can laugh and celebrate together. For me, this open and uncomplicated way of working together is at the heart of the Swiss mentality at GRESSEL.
This was an interview with Nico Nägele.
