For Rob Kuehl, 2025 is more than just another year; it marks not one, but two, major anniversaries. In less than a decade as Maier America’s CEO, Kuehl has taken the business to enviable heights, building Maier’s presence and increasing the value of the company more than two and a half times.
Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, Maier America’s team of 16 supports North America, Mexico, and South America. Founded in 2000, Maier America is an integral part of the maierGROUP, one of the world’s finest manufacturers of exceptional rotary joints and precision components, with subsidiaries in Italy, China, Singapore, and Mexico.
German ingenuity and quality
The company was created by brothers Christian and Friedrich Maier in Germany in 1925. Initially a foundry, its early years were dedicated to producing castings for the electrical and textile sectors. Soon earning a reputation for quality, Maier began creating dental equipment in the 1940s.
In 1956, the company obtained its first rotary joint patent for the so-called “stuffing box.” In 1971, Maier launched its international business, participating in the world-famous International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITMA) in Paris, which showcases industry innovations.
The coming years saw significant growth, including the first 100 percent subsidiary, Maier Italia, in 1997. Maier America LLC came in 2000, Maier Kunshan (Shanghai) in 2012, and Maier Rotary Joints Singapore Pte Ltd. in 2019. A fourth-generation, family-owned business, maierGROUP has grown to 200 staff members worldwide.
In June this year, Maier America celebrated its 25th anniversary with its internal team and key partners. And in October, Christian Maier GmbH & Co. KG will celebrate its 100th anniversary in Germany.
Providing rotary joints, laser coating/laser cladding, and sensors, Maier’s services include predictive maintenance, repair kits, and more. Industries served include paper, textiles, plastics, machine tools, food, chemical/pharmaceutical, renewable energy, and engineering, and no matter the sector, clients receive superior service every time. “We have a client-first attitude, so we’ve always put them first,” says Kuehl. As a result, many clients have allied themselves with Maier for decades.
Maier is one of the last rotary joint companies manufacturing products in Germany, a country with high labor costs. The reason? Because clients, above all, want quality, high reliability, and the best customer service.
“Those are the three things we really sell,” says Kuehl. “Quality, reliability, and service. Once we prove ourselves, clients stick with us because they see we do what we say. Our rotary joints last much longer because of our quality, and the experience of us helping them is worth it for them. It’s never about the price; it’s about those three things: defect-free, being on time, and giving clients an experience that makes them know they have the right brand, and the right product.”
Products and people
Manufacturing an array of pneumatic, hydraulic, and electrical rotary joints for water, compressed air, steam, thermal oil, vacuum, and other applications, the maierGROUP proudly states that its products represent “a union for life.” More than a provider of exceptional rotary joints, the company is truly a partner to its many clients.
The team is active with clients in many sectors and is seeing a particular increase in demand for plastics and renewable energy. This includes ‘non-woven’ plastics. A type of plastic used for filters, diapers, and other products, non-wovens resemble textiles, but are really plastics.
On the renewable energy side, Maier is seeing growing demand from some of the world’s biggest battery and automobile manufacturers.
With its quality commitment, Maier surpasses the competition. “We shine in higher temperatures and higher pressures,” says Kuehl, “and we offer sensors as well that nobody else that we know of is doing. Yet what really separates us from the competition is our people.”
Much of Kuehl’s inspiration comes from the bestselling book, Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, which asks the question: “Do you have a grip on your business, or does your business have a grip on you?” Taking lessons from the book, Kuehl began using the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) to help achieve business success.
Aligning with the book saw the creation of a plan, “The Vision/Traction Organizer,” which holds staff members accountable. This plan encompasses Maier America’s Core Values, which include the company’s core focus, targets, marketing strategy, 3-year picture, 10-year picture, 1-year plan, goals for the year, and “rocks”—goals for the quarter, and any issues. “That has helped us big time,” says Kuehl of the plan, which is regularly reviewed. “It’s our people that make the difference.”
A key core value is continuous improvement, with a commitment to constantly learning. And, Kuehl says, “The most important core value is integrity. We are ethical and honest. We don’t beat around the bush, and make sure that—even if it hurts—we tell the truth, whatever the consequences. Honesty allows us to build strong relationships with customers and clients. It is important for us to give the customer an experience that they will never forget,” he says. “If you solve a problem a customer has, they will come back to you and become your client for life. What we strive for is solving problems.”
Vertical integration and predictive maintenance
Among its many attributes, Maier America prides itself on being a vertically integrated company.
Once the company establishes a relationship, frame contracts are discussed. Maier then ensures certain products are kept on shelves for clients, minimizing their downtime. Machines in some industries, especially plastic and pulp/papermaking, incur thousands of dollars in hourly costs. “When machines aren’t running, it’s not just the machine that’s down, but product they are unable to make and deliver,” explains Kuehl. “And people not working also goes toward that hourly cost. So the more you can reduce downtime, the lower the hourly cost for the manufacturer. Our products are smaller component parts of the whole machine, but we keep parts in stock so clients don’t have to worry.”
Along with vertical integration, Maier America offers predictive maintenance, looking at sensors measuring temperature, torque, and speed, further reducing downtime and profit loss for the client. “The wear sensor is the most important one, because the seals wear out over time,” says Kuehl. “We can, through predictive maintenance, give them an idea of when it’s time to change out that rotary unit, or rotary joint.”
Never standing still
Earning the trust of thousands of satisfied clients worldwide, maierGROUP continues to receive praise and awards. The company was recently awarded the prestigious TOP 100 Award for outstanding innovation achievements and congratulated by physicist and respected science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar at the German SME Summit in Weimar.
CEO Kuehl was also nominated and approved for the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC). He was one of five powerhouse executives welcomed to the GACC South Board of Directors 2025, “each bringing bold vision, deep expertise, and a passion for driving German American business forward,” said the GACC’s LinkedIn page. Kuehl was chosen for his role in “steering innovation and growth in advanced manufacturing.” The company also received recognition for its state-of-the-art sensors.
Maier’s latest offering is the Rotary Joints Series DS. Replacing the DP and DX, the Series DS provides higher operating parameters and better quality, with Maier in effect taking two different products and combining them into one. Released in late 2024, the DS is now integrated into the marketplace. “By the end of this year, the DS will be the primary catalogue product,” says Kuehl of the series, which is well-suited for high speeds with low frictional torque.
With a century of experience, maierGROUP is well-positioned for Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “We are highly involved in Industry 4.0 here in America, in Germany, and in the world,” says Kuehl.
Even with advertising, the Internet, and massive trade shows like K, the foremost international trade fair for innovations in plastics and rubber held annually in Düsseldorf, word-of-mouth remains Maier America’s best sales tool. “We spend a lot of time researching and targeting our customers,” says Kuehl, “so we create specific sales plans for specific customers and target them.” And to better serve these clients, Maier America moved into a new building just last year. At 20,500 square feet, the structure nearly triples the size of the company’s previous facility in Gwinnett. Formerly a Netflix building used for producing DVDs, the structure is fully air-conditioned, unusual for a warehouse. “We are now truly state-of-the-art, and have one of the most incredible buildings you can imagine,” says Kuehl.
At this new location, the company welcomes prospective clients across all sectors. “We give them the true Maier America experience.”
