My take: Gunther Borbonus and his story with and at MTE Fräsmaschinen

I had been working for a large company in our industry since 2000, which is now our direct competitor. I started out in the commercial department and later moved to sales, where I was quite successful. However, this success made me the target of envy among the management. My partner at the time and now my wife, Judith Ajubita, is the daughter of the founder and managing director of MTE in Spain. This led to major professional difficulties for me. Despite my success, I was personally attacked. At first, I thought I could just sit it out. But after a few years, it became unbearable. 

Joining MTE: A decision made with heart and mind
During this time, I was offered great opportunities with other competitors. I never wanted to mix my private and professional lives and naively planned to move to a management position at another company. But my relationship with my wife would never have allowed me to settle down professionally in our industry. After a long search for a solution, we realised that it was all or nothing: either our partnership and working together at MTE, or no partnership and no MTE. The answer was simple, and we planned my start at MTE. 

MTE is a family business. We had the chance to build something great based on my experience and with great people in the team. We seized this opportunity together. Changes at MTE: From reconstruction to success When I joined the company, we had just emerged from the biggest crisis in the machine tool industry in Germany. With six employees and a turnover of 3.5 million euros, we were facing a complete rebuild. Today, we employ 44 people in Germany and closed the 2024 financial year with a turnover of around 23 million euros. We can look back on successful years. 

An important step was the construction of our own building in Montabaur. We planned a building that meets our needs and makes a statement to the German market. Looking back, we made surprisingly few mistakes. When we moved in, the building was much too large, but after ten years it is already too small. That is why we are planning an extension for 2025/2026 to make the site fit for the next 10–15 years.

Challenges and advantages of German-Spanish cooperation 
Running a Spanish-German company in two locations is a particular challenge. I have been living this model successfully for almost 20 years with my wife and our children, who are growing up in three cultures: German, Basque and Spanish. Our factory and the history of MTE are at home in the Basque Country in northern Spain. Since the 1970s, the region has been shaped by the conflict between Spanish and Basque culture – and the attempt to reunite the two cultures. This experience enriches us all in a wonderful way.

Personal highlights and future prospects
A personal highlight was the successful completion of the extensive FBF-M 4000 project at KWO Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG. It showed me how strong and committed our team is and how much we can achieve together. 

The future looks promising. We are a healthy, strong company with a high-quality and successful product. With a stable economic situation in Europe and around the world, we are optimistic about the future. 

Leisure and passion 
As a managing director, leisure time is limited. But I also see my time as a husband and father as leisure time. When I find the time, I am a petrolhead. That may raise eyebrows or cause people to shake their heads these days, but I love classic cars, sports cars and motorcycles. I have been pursuing this passion for over 30 years. A few hours on my motorbike or in my car, without my phone or email, give my head the break it needs. 

Skills shortage: Our recipe
The shortage of skilled workers is a problem, but we are fortunate to have a great team spirit and low staff turnover. We offer our employees a great deal of individual freedom and the opportunity to develop their own concepts and solutions. This brings with it a high level of responsibility, but also satisfaction. Word-of-mouth advertising is most effective for us, and where that is not enough, we use social media for recruitment. 

A wish for MTE
I would like to see economic and political stability in Europe and around the world. With these conditions in place, we at MTE can look forward to a bright and successful future. 

Gunther Borbonus