Leading pharma service provider recognised for its customer relationship management

Vetter, a leading provider of aseptic pre-filled injection systems, has been awarded the 2009 Axia Award for best customer relationship management. The prize was announced on 4th February. Conferred yearly by the global auditing and consulting firm Deloitte, the award is given to medium-sized companies from Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, for sustainable and successful management. Udo J Vetter, partner and chairman of Vetter´s advisory board, received the award on behalf of the company. Vetter, which works with 19 of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, establishes close working relationships with its clients through personal key account managers, who act as the customer’s central point of contact and as the interface with interdisciplinary project teams. The result is highly responsive service and effective performance. Such personalised care has contributed to the company’s growth. In the past five years, Vetter increased its sales by around € 100 million to over €280 million. During the same period, the company headcount climbed from around 1,500 to 2,200.

“Vetter is a specialist in filling sensitive and high-end drug injection systems. Trust and reliability are therefore fundamental to successful collaborations with our clients,” says Vetter’s managing director Peter Soelkner. “Each of our clients is given individualised care through one key account manager, who becomes the customer’s permanent contact and link to experts throughout the company. Through regular visits, we get to know our customers better and understand their individual needs. That results in a true partnership, which enables excellent results for the client.”

For Christian Himmelsbach, partner in Deloitte’s Tax SME division, Vetter's professional customer relationship management was convincing. “Besides the usual approaches to customer relations, Vetter particularly impressed us with how extensively it collaborates with its clients in the development process of new products.”

Vetter recently founded a new subsidiary that combines global key account management and customer service. Key account managers cover key markets and are present at each client’s site. As a full-service provider, Vetter supports clients from clinical development through long-term market production. The company fills syringes, cartridges and vials for large and small clients across the international pharmaceutical and biotech industry.