More than 320 dentists, delegates and guests from 19 countries are in Malta this weekend for a scientific congress to mark two anniversaries of Dentaurum, the world’s oldest independent dental manufacturer.
We create our own market by encouraging demand for our products
The event coincides with the 125th anniversary of Dentaurum, and the15th anniversary of Dentaurum Implants, the German group’s dental implantology subsidiary.
Group chief executive officer Mark Stephen Pace, who is originally from Sliema, told The Sunday Times he was not involved in choosing the location of the conference.
“Some time ago, the export managers of our implant division had a meeting in Malta,” Mr Pace said. “They were very impressed with our partners on the island and their professionalism and wanted to hold the anniversary congress in Malta.”
The congress, more than 18 months in planning, features a varied, intensive scientific programme. Delegates could attend any of five theoretical workshops in the morning and three lectures in the afternoon.
There were more lectures on implantology yesterday. In the early afternoon, live surgery was transmitted from the clinic of Dr James Galea with preliminary discussions and debriefings from international experts.
Over the two days, contributions were made from 23 speakers from Germany, Egypt, Poland, Iran, Italy,Jordan, and Malta.
Today is dedicated to sightseeing tours of Valletta, Mdina, and Gozo.
The congress offers a wide spectrum of information to dentists and dental technicians and highlights the synergies created through collaboration. It also includes a tutorial on Dentaurum Implants products.
The presentation of new products and technologies is a key element in Dentaurum’s marketing strategy and the group’s congress and exhibitions calendar features numerous events to be held outside Germany. Mr Pace said the company went to great lengths to have people meet in person and encourages them to work internationally to understand applications in various cultures.
Thoiugh it employs 500 in Germany and 650 across the world, Dentaurum is a fourth generation family business – or fifth if the original founder is taken into account.
In 1982, while working for an English language school he was sent to the airport to collect Petra Winkelstroeter, then16, whose great-grandfather Fritz had acquired the original dental laboratory in Pforzheim from founder Arnold Biber in 1908.
Mr Pace travelled to Germany for her 17th birthday and decided to pursue studies there in economics and management. He worked at the Winkelstroeters’ factory in the summer and after working on the shop floor he joined the company as assistant to the financial director . He joined the management team in 1994. He married Ms Winkelstroeter and they now have two daughters.
Last year, following the retirement of Ms Pace’s father Jochen Peter, Mr and Ms Pace and her brother Axel Winkelstroeter acquired the company and renamed it. Since 1957, the original founder has been commemorated with the annual Arnold Biber Prize and a committee of the German Society for Orthodontics selects the recipient.
With the support of his brother-in-law, Mr Pace learnt and grew within the company. They manage it as a multi-faceted group with a wide spectrum of products and services, besides a significant research and development arm, and numerous opportunities to maximise on the synergies across the business.
In June, Dental Tribune reported Dentaurum’s intentions to strengthen its global market position through investments in other product groups, such as a new ceramic bracket that would revolutionise invisible orthodontic treatments.
“Growth is a challenge,” Mr Pace explained. “Our teams have to sell our inventory so that we can invest in new solutions. It is a matter of taking things one step at a time.
“We had to change our staff’s outlook. The priority must not always be keeping up with the competition but loyalty and pride in our own innovations.
“We create our own market by encouraging demand for our products. Congresses like this are a way to work closely with our customers.”