Wood Industry Market Leader: Andy Wilzoch, Premier EuroCase
Andy Wilzoch, Owner & President, Premier EuroCase

Andy Wilzoch, owner & president, Premier EuroCase

Andy Wilzoch may have left school early, but that has not stopped him from growing his company to be a leader in the store fixture industry.

From Premier EuroCase’s beginning as a 1,000-square-foot shop with a Powermatic 66, a drill press and hand tools in 1987, to the 200,000-square-foot shop with “more equipment than you should be allowed to have” that it is today, Wilzoch has been at the helm to lead the company to new heights of success.

“I use experiences — good and bad — as a tool to guide me in almost all decisions I make professionally and personally,” Wilzoch says. “I would have to say that confidence in taking risks based on previous experiences has been the key to success. I don’t beat decisions to death.”

One thing that has kept the company on a path of growth is Wilzoch’s affinity for the latest in technology. Even though the company may have started off with just the most basic tools, as Premier EuroCase grew, it has invested in the most cutting-edge technologies.

“I have always been interested in the latest technology, regardless of the industry,” he explains. “We are always moving forward and reinvesting in infrastructure. Facilities, equipment and personnel — we believe that all three areas are critical to success.”

As if success was not its own reward, in 2004 Premier EuroCase was recognized by the Woodworking Machinery Industry Assn. with an Innovator of the Year Award. “That was pretty cool, because it was validation that risk has rewards. Awards don’t mean much to the bank, but validation is always nice.”

Wilzoch’s career, and his company’s growth, have not been without challenges though.

“My actual biggest challenge is to build successful companies that can be passed along to current management without the loss of the principles or philosophy that have made us successful,” Wilzoch explains. “The whole organization has to buy into the program for this to work.”

And he is confident that it will work, by remaining on the cutting edge and continuing to move the company forward.

“First class sounds expensive, but it’s a matter of scale,” Wilzoch remarks. “You can have a first-class company in 1,000 square feet.”

He adds, “I don’t do long-term planning as a rule. I allow the companies to adapt to current conditions. We have invested in infrastructure to give us the ability to take full advantage of industry trends and hopefully economic conditions.”

Andy Wilzoch: Quick Glimpse

• Education: Self Educated

• Years at the company: 22

• Years in the industry: 25

• Word that best describes you: Competitive

• The person you have tried to emulate in business and why: I don’t try to emulate any one person.
 

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