A great man takes on a new role

Alexander Marxer, founder of CemeCon K.K. in Japan, is handing over the management of the company to Mike Meier after many commendable years. He will remain with the Japanese technology leader in the field of innovative coating solutions as a consultant with a wealth of experience and knowledge.

With a global market share of over twenty percent, Japan is also one of the pioneering countries in the field of tool manufacturing. This is only possible with quality: the innovative CemeCon coatings give many of the high-tech manufacturers based there a decisive competitive advantage in the highly competitive machining market.

The foundation stone for CemeCon's success story in Japan was laid in November 2014 at a groundbreaking strategy meeting at the German headquarters. Alexander Marxer, who had several years of experience in the PVD sector, was directly involved in the meeting with great commitment. He had also been living in Japan for a decade at the time and had developed a great empathy for the people and the business location. He was therefore exactly the right person to build on CemeCon's already excellent reputation in Asia – and to meet the demand for premium coatings for precision tools for machining complex, small and very high-quality components as well as for individual coating materials.

A promising start with passion and expertise

In 2015, Alexander Marxer as founder and Eunmi On Lee as co-founder began preparations for the company's establishment. There was a lot to do: The market was researched, existing and potential customers were contacted and the business plan was specified. The Japanese trade specialist Correns Corporation was a great help to the two of them in these first steps, enabling the smooth establishment of a wholly-owned country representation of CemeCon.

After thorough preparation, Marxer and Lee officially registered CemeCon K.K. in January 2016. During this phase, they received support from JETRO, a Japanese government-affiliated foreign trade organization that promotes foreign investment in the country. With this strong partner behind them, good solutions were found for numerous organizational and bureaucratic challenges in the early days. After the first few months in an office rented from JETRO, CemeCon K.K. finally moved into its own premises in the Minami-Azabu district of Tokyo. Equipped with a few computers and a lot of motivation, the two-founders team built up system sales and customer support for Japan and Korea from here with great success.

High-performance coating center in the right place

Marxer soon took the next significant step for Asian market requirements. In Nagoya – centrally located between the metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka – the CemeCon branch opened a state-of-the-art coating center in 2020. The country's fourth-largest industrial area was exactly the right choice of location: In particular, local suppliers to the Japanese automotive and chemical industries, aerospace, medical technology and tool and mold making receive perfect coating services from a single source and with particularly short delivery times. In addition to high-performance diamond coatings, HiPIMS also provides customers with the most innovative coating technology and the largest selection of premium coating materials for precision tools. Highly qualified, Japanese-speaking employees ensure excellent cooperation in the development of customer-specific coatings. Live batches are also regularly held on site, giving interested parties an insight into the real production process and the performance of the technology.

Optimal handover: Marxer remains advisor to a strong team

Since spring 2024, Mike Romeo Meier has taken over the management of the strategically important representative office for the Japanese and Korean markets from the now 60-year-old Marxer. Meier had previously been a member of the CemeCon management team in Japan for many years. Previously responsible for the IT and Service division, he also played a key role in the development of CemeCon K.K.. Meier continues to receive active support from Eunmi On Lee. Active in a leading role in the company since its foundation, the current Director for Administration, Human Resources and Marketing also brings a wealth of experience to the table. Hirofumi Higashiwaki has been appointed Director for Coating Services at CemeCon K.K. with immediate effect.

Dr. Oliver Lemmer, CEO of CemeCon AG in Germany, welcomed Meier as the new Managing Director in Japan and looks forward to continued successful cooperation between Europe and Asia. His thanks naturally also go to Alexander Marxer, whose outstanding contribution to the company's development and success in Japan he expressly acknowledged once again at his farewell as Managing Director.

Marxer's valuable experience since the company was founded will remain with the company. Fortunately, he will continue to support the management team and its customers in Japan in an advisory capacity. Marxer himself also sums up the results of his years to date in a thoroughly positive light: “Economic and social turbulence, such as during the coronavirus pandemic, has not always made things easy for us, but with the support of the German headquarters and the tireless efforts of the entire team at CemeCon K.K., we have successfully positioned ourselves as a technology leader in the Japanese and Korean markets with our premium coating solutions.”