As of: February 27, 2024, 6:30 a.m
By: Andreas Steppan
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The aviation supplier SAM has had its home on the B13 in Bad Tölz since 2008.
© SAM
The Tölz company SAM was founded on February 27, 1974.
Contrary to the overall economic trend, it is currently on a growth path.
Bad Tölz
- Exactly 50 years ago, a success story began in Miesbach that is now of great importance for the Bad Tölz business location: On February 27, 1974, Franz Sichart founded the company Sitec Präzisionstechnik GmbH.
Today the company operates under the name SAM GmbH and is located on the B13 in Bad Tölz.
Over the course of half a century, the then unknown aviation supplier, which initially only served a single customer, the British Normalair-Garrett Limited, transformed into today's market leader in the field of actuator and valve technology.
SAM in Bad Tölz has over 100 customers worldwide
Managing director Harro Harms reports that more than 100 customers worldwide currently rely on SAM products.
In the aviation sector you are “a business partner that you can't easily get past,” he emphasizes.
“We are proud to be able to say that almost everyone who goes on a business trip or on holiday flies with 'us' and can rely on us at all times.” This means: There is hardly any passenger aircraft in the world in the segment of over 100 seats, in which components from the Tölz company would not be installed.
Harro Harms took over the position of managing director from his predecessor Armin Hilgarth in 2019.
© Arndt Pröhl
Harms describes SAM as a “globally operating and certified manufacturing and repair company for actuators and valves”.
According to him, the products are used in the air conditioning, hydraulics, fuel and water systems of the currently flying passenger aircraft programs.
“Sitec Aerospace” moved to Bad Tölz in 2008
The company's focus has been on these components since the 1980s.
“In addition, complex mechanical flight controls and other mechanical components are still manufactured for the aviation industry today.” The products and systems are not only developed and produced in Bad Tölz, but also overhauled and repaired.
“We also supply airlines worldwide with spare parts for their fleet,” explains Harms.
In 2001, “Singapore Aerospace Manufacturing” took over the company, which was then called “Sitec Aerospace” and was based in Waakirchen.
The move to Bad Tölz took place in 2008.
In 2019, Sitec changed its company logo and external appearance and from then on presented itself under the SAM brand.
This has officially been the company name since July 2023, when Sitec Aerospace GmbH merged with its subsidiary Burkhard GmbH in Mühldorf am Inn.
Industrial companies such as Flottweg, WFL and Renk are among the most well-known customers there.
250 employees in Bad Tölz and Mühldorf
SAM now has around 250 employees at both locations combined, 190 of them in Bad Tölz.
“This means we are almost back to pre-Corona levels,” says Harms.
In the wake of the pandemic and the slump in aviation, the company had to cut jobs.
Today, however, they are urgently looking for new employees, especially for assembly and the area of metal-cutting production.
The signs point to growth, said the managing director.
Annual sales are currently around 45 million euros.
“We are planning for the next five years with numbers that will be significantly higher,” says Harms.
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In fact, the mood in the aviation sector is positive, contrary to the overall economic trend.
Suppliers like SAM benefit from two factors.
Tölzer's largest customer, Airbus, is currently ramping up its aircraft production.
The manufacturer is currently planning to produce almost 60 A320 family aircraft per month, roughly the same number as before Corona.
“But the journey continues, there should be 75 by mid-2026,” says the SAM boss happily.
Supply chains are a concern for SAM
SAM also benefits indirectly from increasing investments in the armaments sector - mainly as part of the federal government's 100 billion euro special fund, which was set up to support Ukraine, but also to maintain the defense capability of the Bundeswehr.
The orders from large arms manufacturers result in orders for many suppliers.
SAM serves you from its Mühldorf location.
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According to Harms, the only factor that could slow down the upward trend is the supply chains that have become fragile due to the various crises.
“The fact that individual parts are not available can affect anyone,” he says.
“A chain breaks when the weakest link fails.” This doesn’t always involve highly complex parts, but also seemingly simple components such as screws, rivets or sealing rings.
“That’s what we’re all currently concerned about in aviation.”
This doesn't dampen the celebratory atmosphere for the anniversary at SAM.
But they don't want to invite people to the party on their 50th birthday this Tuesday, but rather "in early summer when the temperatures are a little warmer," the boss promises.