Helge Schöngarth, sales manager for Germany, Peter Blondeel, export sales manager, Markus Neudek, managing partner, Wolfgang Hoffman, officer of the company, and Cetin Genc, officer of the company.

OPTIMAL KG started out selling wheel bearing kits to the entire automotive spectrum. OPTIMAL now also provides a comprehensive product range for a variety of assembly systems found in the car and commercial vehicle sector.

The company was founded in 1991 by Markus Neudek and Peter Eckerle. The company started off selling wheel bearing kits.
Successful marketing saw the company grow rapidly. In 2000 our current headquarters in Haar, near Munich were set up. This was the starting point for OPTIMAL to intensify its work in German-speaking markets.

In the same year the company began its work uploading information onto the online TecDoc parts catalogue.

Our range of wheel bearing kits is constantly being expanded. More than 1,120 different kits are currently on our lists. Our single bearings, manufactured to original equipment quality, are put together in our headquarters in Haar along with all the necessary components. We offer all types of grooved and angular roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, integrated wheel bearing units, and hub units with built-in electronic sensors used, for example, in ABS, TCS and navigation systems.

The OPTIMAL group has continued expand the range over time.

OPTIMAL customers can also choose from a selection of steering, chassis, brake, rubber metal, tension roller and water pump products.

Particular emphasis is put on the marketing of steering and suspension parts. These are manufactured using modern precision machines. The company guarantees excellent quality by carrying out regular inspections throughout the entire manufacturing process.

The engineers from TÜV- Süd always go away convinced of the consistently high quality of OPTIMAL steering and suspension parts after their regular production audits.

OPTIMAL is meeting therefore the demanding requirements needed for a TÜV seal of approval which confirms the status of “controlled production” and “safety tested”.

The company also offers shock absorbers. Thanks to high-quality materials and sophisticated working processes, these absorbers guarantee optimum safety and reliability. Our product range is currently supplied to more than 1,200 different automotive clients.

We offer numerous different products for brakes. All of the brake discs we offer are provided with cross-grinding. The continual high demand for this product has prompted the company to significantly increase their production capacity. Brake pads are produced in accordance with the ECE R90 standard.

This means they comply with original equipment requirements.

Our range of brake equipment also includes brake hoses, brake pad wear indicators and wheel brake cylinders. Our range of water pumps has been supplied to over 800 clients.

OPTIMAL has a selection of over 350 different belt tensioner kits. These kits come complete with all the necessary parts. This includes timing belts, tension rollers and assorted deflection pulleys.

The rubber metal parts product range completes this first-class product portfolio.

Wholesale trading partner

OPTIMAL KG sees itself as a key partner to the wholesale parts market. For this reason, Helge Schöngarth was appointed as sales manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Peter Blondeel is the export sales manager– Together they know the car service market inside out. Together with their experienced staff inside and outside the office, the sales team rise to the challenge of building on the OPTIMAL partner network in Germany, as well as establishing OPTIMAL as an important partner in the wholesale trade. This successful progress has been furthered by a team of 60 employees.

The company has designed various catalogues for businesses and workshops in hard copy and on CD Rom. The extensive wheel bearing kits catalogue is available in four different languages and it lists all wheel bearings according to vehicle model. Any special designs or sensors are listed in the corresponding notes section.

The kit directory lists all kits alongside an illustration and a description of the individual product components.

All product catalogues have the same layout. The brake catalogue is over 1,900 pages long and lists the entire range.

The training programme is also currently being expanded. This training teaches our wholesale trading partners, for example, when dealing in wheel bearing kits, about the most important types of bearings and how to recognise their special features.

This includes bearings with active, integrated sensors. We have also included important tips for bearings tests. There are also further details on installation tips and information on installation problems.

Logistic expertise

Logistic requirements in the car service market are constantly increasing. For this reason, OPTIMAL KG has on-site offices in Poland, Spain, Belgium and the USA. In Germany the company runs a warehouse in Haar and another in Schwedt near Berlin. The warehouse in Schwedt deals with the shipping of packages, whilst the warehouse in Haar deals with the shipping of export orders and large orders.

Altogether we look after customers in more than 70 countries.

To further improve our logistic expertise there are current plans for a new logistics center near Munich Airport. The central warehouse will be equipped with a fully automatic small parts and pallet storehouse. There are plans for 98,000 containers in the small parts warehouse, 5,300 palett storing positions and a warehouse height of 15m. The fully equipped central warehouse will start operations at the end of 2007.

Joining the GVA was an important step for the OPTIMAL group. “As a GVA member we want to actively promote the continuation of the car service market”, says Helge Schöngarth, explaining the motivation for joining the GVA. “As a company that is loyal to its specialised line of business, we also want to support the wholesale parts trade.”