Interview with Markus Kaiser, CEO, Kaiser

Founded in 1913 in Schaanwald Liechtenstein, the family-run company Kaiser manufactures specialized vehicles for mission-critical tasks in sewer cleaning, industrial disposal, and mobile walking excavators. They also design highly specialized components, including customized high-pressure pumps which have consistently set a new standard within the industry.

What drives you to innovate?

Innovation is within our DNA, and local values have been a powerful driver. Liechtensteiners have a strong inner culture that encourages entities to become leaders in innovation within a niche segment and, step by step, grow to captivate global market share. 

As people on the ground are quick to point out, Liechtenstein does not have a central industrial cluster or individual manufacturing specialization. Every industrial company has focused on an entirely different industry and specialized in a unique niche segment. 

Because of Liechtenstein’s small local market size, we understand that to survive, our companies have to be strong in innovations and maintain a defined differentiation. We never solve problems through cost reductions alone. We strive to become more competitive, efficient, and optimized. This is the base of all successful export-oriented industrial companies in Liechtenstein.

In particular, Liechtenstein has many successful family-owned industrial companies. What you typically find in their management is an entrepreneurial approach focusing strongly on innovation and technology.

We cultivate a flexible mindset that allows us to look inside a market to understand its needs and then use our combined experience and skills to customize solutions.

A benefit of being a family-owned company with strong finances is the ability to have a long-term strategy without the short-term corporate constraints of being publicly owned. 

This dynamic entrepreneurial approach is a question of local philosophy. We have a grassroots entrepreneurial spirit that is driven by individuals more than government strategy.

How important has R&D been to Kaiser’s development?

Technological innovation has always been a priority for Kaiser. Kaiser keeps a large technical department full of engineers, and this in-house R&D has been a core pillar behind the company’s success in developing its high value-added product range.

Our department is bigger than at similar companies in our industry. It allows us to solve problems by offering unique customized solutions for regional markets.

Our in-house expertise has led Kaiser to become a global driver behind high-pressure pump technologies. We do not just do the assembly. We develop all core components including high-pressure pumps, vacuum pumps, recycling systems, pressure transformers, and relevant software. Everything is Kaiser’s in-house technology.

While we collaborate with universities and other companies in a variety of areas, it has been our in-house engineers working on R&D that ensure Kaiser’s superior technological expertise, particularly with our sustainable environmental solutions.

How are Kaiser’s solutions more environmentally sustainable?

Kaiser is the leading company worldwide in sewer cleaning and industrial disposal vehicles thanks to its leading-edge technology.

Our vehicles offer rugged reliability, high productivity, and innovative water recycling technologies. At a time regions like California are experiencing drought and water resources become a higher priority, Kaiser can offer municipalities a highly efficient patented water recycling system solution that is more sustainable.

Kaiser’s vehicles suck materials from sewers using water, which is recycled in the truck and reused. This requires no new intake of freshwater during their continuous cleaning, which saves time and millions of gallons of precious freshwater per year.

It is one of Kaiser’s biggest value-added solutions and a key differentiator compared with our competition.

What are Kaiser’s ambitions for the US market?

Kaiser’s internationalization is one of the most important steps in its long history. The US is one of our core target markets, and it makes sense for us to manufacture locally within our Kaiser Premier manufacturing facility in Fort Morgan, Colorado. We now proudly produce our UrbanX, CV Series Hydrovac, and AquaStar recycler trucks also in the US. 

We have a simple strategy, to remain the market leader for high-end sewer cleaning solutions with pioneering water recycling technology. 

Kaiser offers more modern technology than what is locally available in the US market, and our new generation AquaStar recycler will continue to set future benchmarks in performance and efficiency. In addition, we have a variety of new products ready to launch, including a new utility application for the CV Series Hydrovac.

Another niche solution is Kaiser’s innovative mobile walking excavator, which is produced in Europe and exported to the US. Its technical strengths allow it to operate where others cannot, including steep slopes in Alpine regions, or Florida’s swamps.

Contractors, private customers, and municipalities in the US find in Kaiser a reliable partner.