Luis Echeveste (DÜRR): "It is essential to have confidence both in the internal organisation and with regard to customers"

AutoRevista - In an interview a few months ago, you told me that it was impossible to understand the implementation of paint facilities in vehicle production plants in Spain without talking about DÜRR. With a perspective of more than 30 years in the company, how has this evolution been?

Luis Echeveste.- DÜRR created its Spanish subsidiary in 1974 to initially attend to the construction of the pretreatment and cataphoresis line of the new Ford plant in Valencia and to cover the need for a partner. The company was born under the name of Vizcaíno Stein DÜRR and for the last 49 years, with different name changes, we have been dedicated to supporting our customers in the development of their factories in Spain. Between the mid 1970s and the beginning of the 1990s, the major projects were carried out. From the 90s onwards, we have promoted the automation of the painting facilities and the optimisation of their resources, as well as the renovation of some lines that had become somewhat obsolete.

In terms of my experience since I joined the company in 1991, at the beginning, the paint plants were semi-automatic. Especially the primer, basecoat and clearcoat processes had a high volume of manual work, around 50%. The robotisation of these processes has been the main evolution, as well as a firm commitment to digitalisation at all levels.

AR.- How did your vocation towards the world of engineering begin, which led to the start of your professional career?

L.E.- I have always been very fond of 'tinkering'. My grandfather was a watchmaker and when he closed the business, there was a lot of material in my house to experiment with, taking watches apart, which is added to the fact that, in my house, I have always been taught the culture of effort. I think that with this background it was clear to me, from the age of 15, that I wanted to go into the world of engineering. I opted for the field of electricity and electronics because I thought they were going to be the specialities that were going to move the world in the future and it seemed to me to be a more interesting job niche. 

When choosing between Industrial Organisation, Mechanical and Electrical and Electronics, another reason for choosing the latter was that I found it the most challenging of the three. I have always liked challenges.

On the other hand, one of the reasons I studied engineering was the people skills. My father, who worked with engineers, told me this several times and in the end you discover that, in our activity, 80% of the problems can arise in people and the rest in technology, so the human component is very important.

AR.- After training as an electrical and electronics engineer, what doors did joining a company like DÜRR open for you and what were the keys to progressing to positions of high responsibility in the organisation?

L.E.- When I joined DÜRR, I realised, like all graduates, that only a small part of your academic training is applied and where you are really trained is in the company. In my case, I had project managers who helped me a lot from the first day and, subsequently, directors who also helped me a lot in my professional growth.

I joined the company through a friend whose father was an engineering manager in the company. I was given the opportunity 32 years ago and I have remained with the company until today, accepting all the professional challenges that have been presented to me.... I can say that it is the best in its speciality and one of the best I know, both locally and internationally.

AR.- In your career there are many international projects with different vehicle manufacturers, how has this dynamic influenced your learning, team management and interaction with customers and suppliers of DÜRR?

L.E.- I have always liked the contact, through people, with different company and geographical cultures, because it is different to do a project in South America than in Morocco, for example. That diversity has always been something that has attracted me a lot, bearing in mind that the problems you encounter in factories are the same regardless of where in the world the factory is located, although each one has its own particularities.

I have always enjoyed the contact, through people, with different company and geographical cultures

AR.- How would you describe your experience over more than three decades in DÜRR and how have you applied it in your work in the constant introduction of technologies that increase the efficiency, quality, sustainability and profitability of the projects?

L.E.- In all this time, trust has been fundamental, both in the internal organisation and with regard to clients. You have to be a predictable person with the assurance of the fulfilment of what you and your team commit to. With customers, I often use the simile that when we make an improvement to their paint plant, they put themselves in the hands of the best surgeon in an open heart operation. This is something I have always encouraged in my responsibilities at DÜRR.

On the technical side, I would talk about two types of projects. On the one hand, there are greenfield projects, which are highly complex, but where a completely new facility is created, and brownfield projects, where the complexity lies in refurbishing plants that are already in operation. For this, something we have placed great emphasis on is to have the best professionals.

On the other hand, we have been talking about sustainability for the last three or four years. It used to be about saving energy and costs, improving the efficiency of the facilities and controlling emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Now the reduction of CO2 emissions has become the determining factor. In this matter we are trying to guide our customers to opt for solutions with the lowest investment cost.

In sustainability, we are trying to guide our clients to opt for solutions with the lowest investment cost

AR.- Apart from being an industrial supplier, what is your relationship with the automotive world like?

L.E.- I have always been passionate about cars both for their aesthetics and for their functionality and technology. Also for the possibilities it has given to human beings. The 20th century will be remembered for many technological advances or milestones such as the landing on the moon, but I think it has been the century of mobility, whether by car, plane or other types of transport, with the resulting freedom for people, generating great savings in time. On the other hand, I am convinced that we need to work hard on decarbonisation, but without demonising the car, or leaving vehicles that guarantee lower emissions out of cities.

AR.- How is the growing electrification of vehicles influencing paint application requirements?

L.E.- It is generating new business possibilities for us because of the reinforcements on the lower part of the bodywork near the location of the batteries. This is translating into the need to reform or create new ovens such as our EcoInCure model. The decarbonisation of industrial processes in factories also opens up a new field for us, in line with that of the product, which is going to generate a significant volume of business in the next five years.

AR.- You have taken over responsibility for the Moroccan subsidiary, how has the experience been and how do you see the future evolution in a more booming automotive sector?

L.E.- The evolution of Morocco as an automotive player is exciting. Although we did not have a presence in the original Renault plant in Casablanca, we took on part of the project for the new factory in Tangiers, providing financial and legal support from Spain, and in the case of the Stellantis plant in Kenitra, a group company was commissioned and we also provided support. On a general level, I would highlight the Moroccan government's policy of support and accompaniment for a sector that could reach a volume of one million manufacturing units by 2030. We have a lot to learn from them in certain aspects.

AR.-  How would you define your management style? What is the working dynamic like with the teams you manage?

L.E.- I place great value on punctuality and I demand that the team is always one minute before starting work, in line with order, a factor that is essential for working in an industry like the automotive industry. Also consistency, because I believe that there are many brilliant people in this business who are inconsistent, which is one of the reasons why they do not progress in their careers.. On the other hand, long-term vision focused on the best continuity of the business and, as I said, to have the best professionals, the best team, and we have achieved that, although previously it was also at a very high level, let's say we have perfected it. We have also achieved a good implementation in which proximity to customers is a priority.

We have managed to have the best team, even if it was previously also of a very high level, let's say we have perfected it

AR.- In more than 30 years in the company, what has a company like DÜRR given you and what do you think you have brought to the company?

L.E.- Values such as trust, treatment and proactivity are maintained over time and in the case of DÜRR Spain, I believe that we have been pioneers in emphasising these principles, something that is highly valued in our parent company.

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Interview published in AutoRevista 2.385