Climbing Gold Price, Rising Demand: OKM Interviewed by Regional Press

OVZ 2021-02-17, page 12

More and more hobby treasure hunters are searching for gold with metal detectors - and the devices come from OKM in Altenburg, Germany.

Altenburg. Bracelets, artfully twisted, filigree decorated, dark silver tarnished. Next to them countless coins with embossed heads, uneven edges, but clearly recognizable as a means of payment. The pieces probably date from a time 2000 or even 2500 years ago. It is an impressively large treasure find from Turkey, discovered thousands of kilometers away from Altenburg. And yet, without Altenburg, these valuable objects would not have been discovered. Because the anonymous treasure hunter made used the OKM eXp 6000 Professional Plus of the German company (Altenburger Firma OKM). In the company's own blog, OKM repeatedly presents selected finds in photo form, along with information about which device led to success.

 

Not just since the pandemic, but for more than three years, the gold price has been rising steadily. "Since the end of 2018 until today, we have seen a growth of almost 40 percent in the gold price," explains OKM Managing Director Stephan Grund. "This is, of course, absolutely relevant for our business model."

For more than 20 years, the detection technology company has been equipping treasure hunters and gold miners with the appropriate equipment - all over the world. "From South America to America with its gold rush, from Australia to the African continent - we sell our equipment to all these regions."

As the price of gold increases, so does interest in gold prospecting. More and more newcomers have contacted OKM looking for a slightly less expensive device to get started. The company responds by releasing the OKM Pulse Nova in March - a device for searching for natural gold. Priced at around 2300 euros, it's more affordable than other devices - the OKM eXp 6000 Professional Plus cited above costs more than ten times as much.

The search for natural gold such as gold nuggets is rarely successful in Germany. A find in the Altenburg region is even more unlikely. The common treasure hunter has more luck in Eastern Turkey, Central Africa, Australia or South America when looking for the small gold nuggets.

 

The pandemic has not slowed down the Altenburg-based company. On the contrary, Managing Director Stephan Grund describes 2020 as a successful year. "The aim is to continue this in 2021." The fact that the company is internationally positioned means that the regional crises are less of an issue. In addition, dealers are on site representing the company, who can sell equipment or answer acute questions in Turkey or the Arab region. When Grund can't travel, he stays in close contact with his customers via digital media.

And in 2021, OKM even seeks to expand: Until March 15, young people with an affinity for treasure hunting can apply for apprenticeships as commercial manager, electronics technicians for devices and systems or industrial mechanics at the detection technology company.

Source: OVZ 2021-02-17, page 12

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