Exclusive Q&A: Meet Our New Managing Director

Discover insights from Amber Fischer, our new Managing Director, as she shares her vision for LAPP Tannehill as a distributor in the wire and cable industry.

In your first year as Managing Director of LAPP Tannehill, what has been your primary focus or top priority as a leader?

My primary focus has been to fully understand the factors behind LAPP Tannehill's success so we can replicate and expand on them. This team is truly exceptional, bringing over 65 years of experience and serving as a trusted partner to hundreds of customers. It’s not only a smart business strategy to build on this foundation, but it’s also a responsibility we embrace—to extend our expertise to the market and help even more customers achieve success through our consultative approach.

What is your overall vision for LAPP Tannehill?

LAPP Tannehill is a powerhouse in the wire and cable industry servicing customers in over 20 countries. Our vision is to expand our offerings to more customers in more countries. Our mission is to be a partner to our customers, enabling us to invest in premium service and support as well as invest in our team and the communities we work in.

What message would you like to share with our customers as you’ve stepped into your new role?

Our customers are our always our first priority. Our business decisions are made based on what you need. We want your feedback on how we can better service you as we strive to be better everyday.

What are LAPP Tannehill's greatest strengths and opportunities for improvement moving forward?

Our greatest strength lies in our expertise and unwavering commitment to serving our customers. We see tremendous potential in expanding this expertise across our team to better serve a growing customer base. By transforming our processes and adopting a mindset centered on knowledge sharing and training, we’re embedding continuous improvement and learning into our culture. Even in the early stages of implementation, we’ve seen remarkable results: our team members feel more empowered, experience greater job satisfaction, and are equipped with the knowledge they need to work more efficiently and respond to customer needs more quickly.

What are the biggest challenges LAPP Tannehill is facing right now? And how do we plan to overcome them?

Our greatest challenge lies in identifying the right focus areas in an increasingly dynamic and uncertain world. As a global operation within a larger international organization, we navigate complex economic and political landscapes that demand proactive planning and multiple contingency strategies. Despite these challenges, we’ve learned that success in a volatile environment comes from staying true to our core principles: prioritizing our customers and driving continuous improvement in the wire and cable industry.

As a trusted distributor, how does LAPP Tannehill collaborate with leading manufacturing partners to deliver top-quality wire, cable, and connectivity solutions to customers?

Partners is the key word here. We view our vendors as our business partners. We dedicate significant time and effort to building strong relationships with our vendor stakeholders while focusing on business development and strategy. This ensures we effectively leverage their expertise and resources to deliver exceptional service to our end customers.

How can we leverage emerging technology, such as AI, to our advantage when competing against other distributors in the wire and cable industry?

Our team’s expertise is our greatest asset—it’s the secret sauce behind our success. However, with only 24 hours in a day, we recognize the importance of working smarter. At LAPP Tannehill, we’re leveraging technology to streamline operations by automating essential but lower-value tasks, freeing up our team to focus on what truly matters. Additionally, we’re harnessing predictive data technology to enhance our decision-making, particularly in inventory planning and forecasting, ensuring we stay ahead in meeting customer needs efficiently and effectively.

How do you approach managing external factors beyond your control, such as supply chain disruptions, inflation, international trade restrictions, or changing regulations, to minimize their impact on our business?

A lot of reading and contingency planning! One positive outcome of the challenging economic environment over the past five years has been the invaluable experience we’ve gained in creatively managing steady supply chains and navigating complex regulations for both our business and our customers. The talent within and joining our organization brings extensive expertise in ensuring a reliable supply chain, delivering materials where and when our customers need them.

Our strong supplier relationships grant us early access to critical inventory and the latest innovations developed to adapt to an ever-changing market. Additionally, our dedicated teams continuously monitor and prepare for shifts in environmental, financial, and trade regulations. Meanwhile, our marketing team conducts ongoing research into market trends and economic developments, helping inform strategies that align with our customers' current and future needs.

Customers choose LAPP Tannehill not just for our technical expertise, but for our ability to consult on broader challenges, offering insights that help them stay ahead in an unpredictable landscape.

What role does customer feedback play in shaping LAPP Tannehill’s strategies and offerings, and how do you plan to utilize it effectively?

We are a service business. If we do not service our customers in the manner in which they want to be served, they will not choose us. We weigh our customer needs in every business decision we make. Our number one objective is to build upon our success in operational excellence. We cannot do that without our customers sharing their experiences.

How do you plan to build on LAPP Tannehill’s past successes to create new opportunities for growth and expansion?

LAPP Tannehill has built a strong foundation by supporting a loyal customer base in the Upper Midwest. Over the past five years, we’ve significantly expanded our reach, partnering with both large multinational corporations and regional customers who value our expertise. Looking ahead, we plan to continue growing by extending our geographic footprint, strengthening our presence in legacy markets, and driving innovation by introducing our supplier partners’ cutting-edge solutions to emerging markets. This strategic approach ensures we remain a trusted leader while meeting the evolving needs of our customers.