Thomas Mehler in Pune: How Southco Builds a Global Business Around Local Customers
-- Southco President Thomas Mehler brought the business behind the company’s latches, hinges and access systems into focus at a press meet in Pune. Joined by Prakash T. John, Country Head, Southco India, and Veeresh Manrai, General Manager, Business Development, Southco India, Mehler presented Southco’s India journey and discussed its direction with journalists at the company’s Viman Nagar office. The event offered a closer look at how an international manufacturer translates its experience into solutions for customers in individual markets.
At its 28 October press meet, Southco’s leadership explored the thinking behind its access hardware, the development of its India business and priorities for the next stage of growth.
Southco’s business begins with details that are easy to overlook in a finished machine. A compartment must remain secure while a vehicle travels over uneven ground. A service panel must open reliably when maintenance is needed. A display must hold its position when someone adjusts it. Latches, hinges, fasteners and positioning products help make those everyday interactions possible. Their value lies in how well they work within the equipment around them and for the person using it.
That connection between component design and customer experience gave the company’s presentation a practical thread. Southco’s portfolio spans mechanical and electronic access solutions, with standard products, modifications to existing designs and custom development. The range allows its engineers to approach a requirement from several directions, whether the brief calls for a readily available component or a solution developed around a particular application.
“A customer comes to us with a particular piece of equipment and a job that needs to be done. Our responsibility is to understand that requirement and bring the right experience to it. That is why the people close to the customer are so important, even in a business that operates around the world,” Mehler said.
Southco’s manufacturing approach reflects that emphasis on proximity. The company builds manufacturing, engineering and customer support capabilities close to the markets it serves, while upholding the same high quality standards across its global network. Local teams bring an understanding of customer requirements and working conditions; the wider organization contributes product expertise and experience from other applications. This gives the company’s international presence a practical purpose in its everyday customer relationships.
In India, that approach has taken shape through sustained investment in Pune. Southco established its regional headquarters and manufacturing facility there in 2008, later expanded its facility at Ranjangaon, near Pune and now has four sites across the Pune region, including three manufacturing plants. The expanded manufacturing space provides a stronger base for serving the Indian market.
The acquisition of Pune-based Darshana Industries in 2022 reinforced that local commitment. An established Indian manufacturer and supplier of access hardware, Darshana enlarged Southco’s manufacturing footprint and strengthened its ability to offer Indian original equipment manufacturers solutions designed, engineered and produced in India. The acquisition supports Southco’s Make in India strategy and provides a foundation for its continued development in the country.
For Prakash T. John, the strategic task is to connect that foundation with opportunities across Indian industry. “Our priorities begin with the industries we serve and the capabilities they will need from us. The Darshana acquisition has strengthened what we can build in India. We want to develop that strength in ways that give customers greater access to relevant products, engineering expertise and support,” said Prakash T. John.
Southco is already well established in India’s automotive, off-highway equipment and mass transit sectors. Drawing on its experience serving industries around the world, the company is now bringing that expertise to defense, renewable energy and enterprise hardware, where access, security, durability, and ease of use are just as critical. Through his business development remit, Veeresh Manrai connects the needs of each application with Southco’s product and engineering capabilities, making sure every new opportunity is built on a clear understanding of what customers need.
The discussion of business priorities also covered the global capability center established in India in 2026. Southco said its global engineering services are moving to India. The center supports business and technology functions across the company. This gives India-based teams a role in work shared across Southco’s international network and adds to the engineering expertise already present in the country.
Mehler’s presentation also outlined Southco and Darshana’s presence in Gulf markets, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The two brands form part of the company’s approach to serving customers across that region. This market development sat alongside local manufacturing and engineering capability among the priorities presented at the briefing.
At the Pune press meet, Southco’s future was described through capabilities already taking shape: stronger local production, growing engineering expertise and attention to new industrial applications. Mehler’s presence connected those developments with the company’s longer experience across markets. The common measure running through them was the usefulness of that investment to the customer, from the first design conversation to the equipment’s everyday use.
About Southco
Southco, Inc. designs and manufactures engineered access solutions for equipment makers worldwide. Its products include mechanical and electronic latches, hinges, fasteners, handles and positioning solutions used in transportation, industrial equipment, medical devices and other applications. Part of the TouchPoint group of companies, Southco operates across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, with manufacturing, engineering and customer support capabilities in India.
Contact Info:
Name: Baibhav Nath
Email: Send Email
Organization: Southco
Address: 5th Floor, Amar Tech Center (ATC, Pune – Nagar Rd, Ramwadi, Viman Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411014
Phone: +91 95455 50911
Website: https://southco.com/
Release ID: 89208520
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