Arras CF 15 by Mario Metsoja

Arras Construction Furniture

arrascf.eu

Arras Construction Furniture

Tellinud Koostanud Toimetanud Tõlkinud Toimetuskolleegium

Arras Construction Furniture OÜ Piret Hallik-Sass, Turundustugi Annika Poldre Meeli Kuura, Andrei Tuch Andrus Arras, Mario Metsoja, Lauri Kivi, Marianne Liibert

Kujundanud Villem Hallik, Turundustugi Fotod Erakogud, Arras Construction Furniture, Karen Härms, Mait Metsur (Aerofotod.ee) Trükkinud Joon OÜ ISBN 978-9949-33-893-1

Sisukord / Contents 6 8 18 48 50 52 56 64 68 74

Eessõna / Preface Andrus Arras Ajalugu / History Turud / Markets Toodete areng / Product development Kvaliteet / Quality Töötajad Arrasest / Employee Testimonials Meenutused / Reminiscences Koostööpartnerid / Partner Testimonials Lõppsõna / Afterword

Eessõna / Preface Hea lugeja! Arras Construction Furniture OÜ on kinnitusvahendite turul edukalt tegutsenud juba üle 15 aasta. Selle sündmuse tähistamiseks heitsime pilgu ettevõtte algusaega ja meenutasime möödunud sündmusi. Aja jooksul kipuvad mõnedki mälestused tuhmuma, raamat on nende talletamiseks ideaalne võimalus. Siia raamatusse on kogutud ettevõtte olulised sündmused nii minevikust kui olevikust ja käsitletud sedagi, mis on tulemas. Sündmusi on esitatud numbrite kaudu ja inimeste lugudena. Kokku moodustavad need Arras CFi loo. Selle looga on otseselt või kaudselt seotud palju toredaid inimesi – praegusi ja endisi töötajaid, koostööpartnereid, kliente ja häid sõpru. Meil on rõõm oma lugu Teiega jagada. Soovin tänada kõiki neid, kes selle ajaloolise raamatu valmimisel nõu ja jõuga abiks olid. Meeldivat lugemist soovides, Mario Metsoja Arras CFi juhataja

Dear reader! Arras Construction Furniture OÜ has been in the fasteners business for over 15 years now. To celebrate this event, we have looked back on the beginnings of the company, and recalled past events. As time passes, certain memories seem to fade, so this book is a great opportunity to collect and preserve them. The book includes the company’s important events, both from the past and from the present, and also takes a look at what’s in store for the future. Events are presented as both numbers and people’s stories. Together they form the story of Arras CF. Many great people are directly or indirectly involved in this story – current and past employees, partners, customers, and good friends. We are very pleased to share our story with you. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed their advice and efforts to the creation of this historical book. Enjoy! Mario Metsoja CEO, Arras CF

Andrus Arras Kuidas Ehitusmetall alguse sai? Enne Ehitusmetalli pidasime sõbraga kinnitusvahendite kauplust. Lisaks sellele, et saime hindamatu eluülikooli, kuidas äri EI TOHI teha, andis see ka otsese tõuke uue ettevõtte tekkeks. Vahendasime naelutusnurgikuid ja -plaate ühele Eesti suurimale kaupluseketile. Paraku olid meie tarnijal kroonilised tarneraskused, kaup ei hilinenud mitte päevi, vaid nädalaid. Põhjuseks toodi „bürokraatia tollis“, „veoauto rike“, „laev oli täis“ ja muid kummalisi asju. Kõike seda oli meil kliendile ülimalt raske edasi seletada olukorras, kus suure ehituspoe kinnitusvahendite riiulilt vaatasid vastu enamjaolt tühjad karbid. Halvimal juhul ei olnud poes saada ühtegi nurka! Otsisime teisi tarnekanaleid, kuid ei leidnud. Ühel hetkel tekkis mul uitmõte, et hakkaks õige ise tootma! Paraku ei teadnud ei mina ega äripartner metallitööstusest midagi. Alguses olime veendunud, et ju neid tooteid saab teha puurimisega. Sõna „stantsimine“ oli siis meile tundmatu. Meie tutvusringkonnas oli inimesi, kes ettevõtte rahastamisele õla alla panid. Aasta pärast oli Ehitusmetall loodud ja esimene stantsvorm ka olemas. Esimesed tooted valmisid aprillis 1999.

How was Ehitusmetall started? Before Ehitusmetall, we had a fasteners store with my friend. Besides learning invaluable life lessons on how one SHOULD NOT do business, it also directly encouraged us to start a new company. We resold angle brackets and nail plates to one of the largest Estonian store chains. However, our supplier had chronic problems with deliveries, the goods were delayed not only for days but for weeks. The excuses were “customs bureaucracy”, “truck breakdown”, “ferry full” and other strange reasons. We found all this extremely difficult to explain to our customer in the situation where the shelves for fasteners had mostly empty boxes in the large store of construction materials. In worst cases no brackets were available at all at the store! We looked for other channels of supply but could not find them. Suddenly I got the idea – what if we started to produce them ourselves! Unfortunately, neither me nor my business partner knew anything about metalworking. At first we were convinced that it should be possible to make these products by drilling. We did not know what stamping meant at that time. Some people we knew supported the financing of the company. A year later, Ehitusmetall had been established and we had acquired the first stamping tool. The first products were made in April 1999.

Arenguhüpped Hüpe logistikas 2002. aastal kolisime tootmise, lao ja kontori kokku suurtesse, aga palju kulukamatesse ruumidesse Tervise tänavas. Selle tulemusena lühenes märkimisväärselt tarneahel ja kuna kõik oli käe-jala juures, sai ka vajalikke muudatusi palju kiiremini ellu viia. Hiljem on ettevõtte osakonnad olnud koos ning kolitud on vaid suurematele pindadele.

Rõhk ekspordile ja ettevõtte rahvusvahelistumine 2009. aastal asus meile tööle ekspordijuht Lauri Kivi. Kuigi eksportida püüdsime ka varem, siis alates 2009–2010 hakkasime tegelema reaalse ekspordi turundusplaaniga, kaasasime EASi toetusrahad, ekspordijuht tegi korduvaid välisvisiite jne. Ekspordi kasv ja soov veel rohkem eksportida asetas firma uude konkurentsiolukorda ja survestas igakülgselt arenema – selle tulemusena alustasime sertifitseerimisprotsessidega, firma nimevahetusega, osalesime rahvusvahelistel messidel, tegelesime palju sihikindlamalt tootearendusega ning toote konkurentsivõime tõstmiseks investeerisime tehnoloogilistesse uuendustesse.

Toote väärtustamine 2001. aastal lisasime toodetele ribakoodid. Tootja jaoks on see ebamugav, kuid kaubandusega tegelevale kliendile suur lisandväärtus. Sel ajal ei pakkunud ribakoodiga kaupu ei Leedu ega ka Soome konkurendid.

Konkurendid

Oluline tehnoloogiline samm 2006. aastal tellisime täisautomaatse stantsimisliini. Sel ajal kolossaalse investeeringuna tehtud samm tõstis oluliselt toodete kvaliteeti ja tootmismahtu. See omakorda tekitas mõtte tooteid ka väljapoole Eestit müüa. Pärast esimese liini tulekut oleme tootmist samm-sammult üha enam ja enam automatiseerinud, tänane tootmise seadmete tase on võrreldav Euroopa juhtivate konkurentide omaga.

Meie konkurentideks on läbi aegade olnud kinnitusvahendeid tootvad väikesed ja suured ettevõtted ning rahvusvahelised kontsernid. Viimase viie aasta jooksul on kliendid hakanud nõudma kvaliteeti, tarnekindlust, paindlikkust, suurt tootevalikut ning usaldusväärsust. Väiksemad või nõudmistele mittekeskenduvad tootmisettevõtted enam meie konkurendid ei ole. Meie tugev konkurent oli Soome tootmisettevõte Pistora, kes tänaseks enam ei tegutse. Rootsist konkureerime Jomaga. Suurtest ülemaailmse haardega kontsernidest saab välja tuua Simpson Strong-Tie ning ITW.

Development leaps Leap in logistics In 2002 we moved the production operations, warehouse and office together to large premises with much higher costs in Tervise Street. This considerably shortened the supply chain and as everything was close at hand, we could make the necessary changes much faster. Also later the subunits of the company have stayed together and we have moved on only to larger premises.

Emphasis on exports and internationalisation of the company In 2009 we employed Lauri Kivi as export manager. Although we had made efforts to export also earlier, we started to prepare actual marketing plans starting from 2009â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2010, acquired support funds from Enterprise Estonia, the export manager made recurrent visits to foreign countries, etc. Due to the growth of exports and the intention to export even more, the company was faced with competition and forced to pursue comprehensive development â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we started certification processes, changed the name of the company, participated in international trade fairs, were much more systematic in product development and invested in technological innovation to improve the competitiveness of the products.

Adding value to the products In 2001 we added bar codes to the products. It is inconvenient for the producer but an important added value for a trade customer. Our competitors in Lithuania and Finland did not offer products with bar codes at that time. Important technological step In 2006 we ordered a fully automatic stamping line. This step was an enormous investment at that time but considerably improved product quality and increased production volumes. This in turn led us to the idea of selling products also outside Estonia. After the acquisition of the first line we have continued automation step by step and our current production equipment standards are comparable to that of our leading competitors all over Europe.

Competition Our competitors have, at different times, been small and large fastener producing companies and internatioanal corporations. During the last five years, customers have started to demand quality, delivery performance, flexibility, a considerable product range and reliability. Smaller production companies or those which do not focus on the requirements are no longer our competitors. The Finnish production company Pistora was our strong competitor but has gone out of business by now. Our competitor in Sweden is Joma. Among large global groups of companies we can mention Simpson Strong-Tie and ITW.

Koostööpartnerid Kvaliteetsete toodete tootmiseks vajame head tooret – metalli. Läbi aegade oleme toorme hankimisel kogenud nii lõbusaid lugusid kui ka ebaõnne. Algusaegadest saati oleme otsinud ettevõttele metalliga varustamiseks häid koostööpartnereid. Eraldi väljatoomist väärivad meie kunagine metallitarnija Naprosaks OÜ ning praegused metallitarnijad Arcelor Mittal, Wuppermann Steel ja Favor. Pakendite vallas oleme teinud pikaajalist koostööd Stora Enso Packaging ja Multipakend ASiga. Meie logistikapartneriteks on läbi aja olnud Itella Logistics, Irjako, Kühne+Nagel, Schenker. Erinevaid tootmisseadmeid oleme tellinud ja hooldanud sellistes ettevõtetes nagu Tarmetec AS, Mark-Line Systems, Press Rolls OÜ.

Käive / Sales

2 000 000 €

Kliendid Esimesel paaril aastal olid olulisemad kliendid Decora, Puumarket, K-Raua ACE. Hiljem lisandusid Devest (Ehitusmarket), Baltic Bolt, Ehitus Service (Bauhof), veel hiljem Rautakesko, Optimera (Ehituse ABC), Bauhaus. Kõigi nendega kestab koostöö tänaseni, välja arvatud K-Raua ja Devest, viimased ettevõtted enam ei tegutse. Ekspordisuunal soovin välja tuua Würth kontserni (Soome, Rootsi, Läti, Taani), Byko (Island), Rautakesko (Läti, Soome), Berner Pultti (Soome).

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1 000 000 €

Cooperation partners We need good raw material – metal – for making highquality products. We have experienced both funny stories and bad luck with purchasing raw materials. From the very beginning, we have searched for good cooperation partners for supplying the company with metal. Our earlier metal supplier Naprosaks OÜ and the current suppliers Arcelor Mittal, Wuppermann Steel and Favor should be pointed out. In the area of packaging we have had long-term cooperation with Stora Enso Packaging and Multipakend AS. Our logistics partners through the ages have been Itella Logistics, Irjako, Kühne+Nagel, Schenker. We have ordered different production equipment and their maintenance from such companies as Tarmetec AS, Mark-Line Systems, Press Rolls OÜ.

Käive töötaja kohta / Sales per empolyee

120 000 €

Customers During the first few years, Decora, Puumarket, K-Raua ACE were our main customers. Later we added Devest (Ehitusmarket), Baltic Bolt, Ehitus Service (Bauhof), and more recently Rautakesko, Optimera (Ehituse ABC), Bauhaus. Our cooperation with all of them is continuing, except for K-Raua and Devest which have gone out of business. In the area of exports I should point out the Würth Group (Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Denmark), Byko (Iceland), Rautakesko (Latvia, Finland), Berner Pultti (Finland).

60 000 €

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Kes teeb, sel juhtub Ilmekas näide sellest, kui ebakindel on meie äris toorme hind ja tarne, on 2007. aastal meie suurima metallitarnega juhtunu. Meiega võttis ühendust suur India tehas, kes pakkus valmistoodanguna nii meie poolt juba pakutavaid kui ka muid tooteid. Koostöö võttis vedu ja tellisime sealt erinevaid postijalgu ja muid tooteid. Kuna koostöö tundus perspektiivikas, siis võtsime ette retke Indiasse. Nädal aega tutvusime Põhja-India ja tehasega. Meid võeti hästi vastu. Nõupidamise käigus selgus, et nendelt on soodne ka toormaterjali osta. Kuna meie müügihooaeg on lühike ja tarne Aasiast võtab kaua aega, siis otsustasime tellida prooviks kohe kolm konteinerit. Kõik riskid said maandatud – materjal vastas Euroopa sertfikaadile, tellisin Indiasse sürveiori (mõõdistab kaupa vastavalt kliendi etteantud kriteeriumitele) jne. Kui koorem kohale jõudis, tundus tehing hea. Paraku, kui materjal stantsi alla pandi, tekkisid probleemid: tööriistadel murdusid templid ja terast painutades see murdus! Järgnesid materjali katsetused TPIs, pikad kirjavahetused tarnijaga jne. Sertifikaat lubas väga suuri keemilisi kõikumisi ja ostetud materjal oli küll õige, kuid meile ei sobinud. Tehase esindaja tuli hea tahte märgiks aasta-poolteist hiljem kohale, et probleemiga tegeleda. Kogu siinviibimise aja ta nagu tegi koostööd, kuid enne äralendu ei mäletanud ta varasematest väljaütlemistest enam midagi ja väitis, et see polegi nende materjal. Eestis oldud aja sisustas ta teeviitadelt ja reklaamidelt sõna „ehitus“ sisaldavate firmade ülesmärkimisega, et endale järgmisi koostööpartnereid leida. Neli aastat peale ostu, pärast kõikide variantide katsetamist, pikkade kirjade kirjutamist, laos materjali korduvat edasi-tagasi tõstmist viidi see väliselt korralik kuumtsingitud teras metallikokkuostu.

Lisandväärtus töötaja kohta Added value per employee 50 000 €

25 000 €

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Anything may happen Testing of the material in the Tallinn University of Technology followed, long correspondence with the supplier, etc. Although the certificate allowed large variations in chemical composition and the material purchased was correct, it was unsuitable for us. To show their good faith, a representative of the plant came here a year and a few months later to solve the problem. During the whole time when he stayed here he seemed to be cooperative but just before his flight home he did not remember anything about his earlier statements and said that this was not their material at all. During his stay in Estonia he made a list of different companies which had the word noted “ehitus” in their name on signposts and ads he saw in order to find the next cooperation partners for his company. Four years after the purchase, after testing all possibilities, writing long letters, repeated handling of the materials back and forth in the warehouse , this seemingly proper hot dip galvanized stainless steel was taken to the scrap metal yard.

What happened in 2007 with our largest purchase of metal of all times, is a vivid example of the uncertainty of raw material prices and deliveries in our business. A large Indian plant contacted us and offered finished products – those we already provide and also others. The cooperation started and we ordered different postfeet and other products from there. As the cooperation seemed to have prospects, we decided to visit the company in India. We spent a week in Northern India, visiting the plant. We were received well. It turned out in the course of the meeting that we could buy also raw material from them at favourable prices. As our marketing season is short and deliveries from Asia take a long time, we decided to order three containers at once as a test. All risks were covered – the material was in conformity with the European certificate, I ordered a surveyor to India (who measures goods according to the predefined criteria of the customer), etc. When the shipment arrived, the transaction seemed good. However, when the material was placed under the die, problems appeared: punches broke in tools, and steel broke when bended!

Ettevõtte tulevikuperspektiiv Meil on ambitsioon saada Euroopa juhtivate tootjate hulka, see eeldab kanna kinnitamist Lääne- ja Lõuna-Euroopas. Meie siht on pidev tootearendus ja uuendusmeelsus ning kõrge kvaliteedi tagamine kõigis ettevõtte valdkondades. Soovime olla ihaldusväärsed tööandjad mitte ainult Eesti, vaid ka välismaistele spetsialistidele.

Ekspordi osakaal käibest / Exports as share of revenue 100% 75% 50% 25%

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Future prospects of the company Our ambition is to become one of the leading European producers, which assumes gaining a foothold in the Western and Southern Europe. Our goal is constant product development and innovativeness and ensuring high quality in all areas of activity of the company. We wish to be attractive employers for not only Estonian but also foreign specialists.

Tootmisstatistika / Production statistic 8 000 000 6 000 000 4 000 000 2 000 000

2009

2010

Kg / Kg

2011 Tk / Pcs

2012

2013

Ajalugu / History Ehitusmetall

9 9 19

Ettevõtte asutamine

1999 Asutasime Lõuna-Eestis Ehitusmetall OÜ. Tootsime perforeeritud naelutusnurgikuid ja -plaate. 2002 Kolisime Tallinna rendiruumidesse. 2006 Kolisime Tallinnas Tähetorni tänaval suurematesse ruumidesse. 2006 Saime uue automaatse stantsimisliini. 2007 Avasime Tartu osakonna. 2009 Alustasime prussikingade tootmist. 2009 Esimesed eksporditellimused Lätist ja Leedust. 2010 Jõudsime eksporditurgudele Soome, Islandile ja Rootsi. 2010 Soetasime uue automaatse stantsimisliini. 2010 Ületasime 1 000 000 € müügikäibe. 2010 Alustasime roostevaba nurgiku (105 x 105 x 90 x 2,5) seeriatootmist. 2010 Saime ISO 9001:2008 kvaliteedijuhtimissertifikaadi.

1998. aastal tekkis Andrus Arrasel idee hakata tootma ehitusfurnituuri. 1999. aasta 8. aprillil sõlmisid Koit Korb, Andrus Arras ja Jaanus Valdaru ettevõtte Ehitusmetall asutamislepingu. 21. aprillil 1999 kanti ettevõte Äriregistrisse.

Esimene toodang Toodete valmistamiseks tellisime kaks stantsi: perfostantsi laiusega 120 mm sammupikkusega 80 mm ja järkaja. Lisaks tellisime paindestantsi. Tootmistegevuse alustamiseks rentisime Ahjal tühjalt seisva tootmisruumi koos mehhaaniliste pressidega. Kasutada saime kolme pressi ja ladustamiseks niipalju põrandapinda kui vaja. Palkasime esimese töötaja Gert Hirve, kelle õlule jäi tootmistegevus algusest lõpuni ning põhitöö kõrvalt ka müügitöö. Esimese proovitahvli tsingitud lehte 2,0 ostsime firmast RGR Metall. Peale stantside katsetamist ostsime korraga terve tonni materjali.

Establishment of the company In 1998, Andrus Arras got the idea of starting to produce construction fittings. On 8 April 1999, Koit Korb, Andrus Arras and Jaanus Valdaru signed the agreement on the foundation of the Ehitusmetall Company. On 21 April 1999 the company was entered in the Commercial Register.

Ehitusmetall 1999 Ehitusmetall OĂ&#x153; was established in South Estonia. We produced perforated angle brackets and nail plates. 2002 Moving to rental premises in Tallinn. 2006 Moving to larger premises in TĂ¤hetorni Street in Tallinn. 2006 New automatic stamping line was acquired. 2007 A branch office was opened in Tartu. 2009 Production of joist hangers started. 2009 The first export orders from Latvia and Lithuania. 2010 Entering the export markets of Finland, Iceland and Sweden. 2010 Acquisition of a new automatic stamping line. 2010 Sales turnover of more than EUR 1,000,000. 2010 ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Certificate.

The first production We ordered two dies for the manufacturing of the products: a punch tool with the width of 120 mm and spacing of 80 mm, and a cross cutter. In addition, we ordered a bender die tool. We rented an empty production plant at Ahja together with mechanical presses. We could use three presses and as much floor space for storage as necessary. We hired our first employee Gert Hirve who took care of the production operations from beginning to the end and also performed sales activities in addition to his main duties. We bought the first sheet of galvanized steel 2.0 from RGR Metall Company for testing. After testing the die stamps we bought a whole ton of the material.

Meie tootmisprotsess oli toona lihtne: metalli saatsime suure autoga Tartusse, kus lasime lehed alltöövõtu korras ribastada. Siis vedasime GAZ53ga metalli Ahjale tagasi ning augustasime ribad. Seejärel sõitis Gert Hirv bussiga Tartusse, võttis GAZ53 ja viis pooled perforeeritud lehed uuesti ribastamiseks Tartusse, kus need vastavalt vajadusele peenemaks lasti. Seejärel sõidutasime ribad tagasi Ahjale, kus järkasime need parajasse pikkusesse ning painutasime. Toodang oligi valmis. Kuna turul oli saada ainult 2 mm tsingitud plekki, siis paksemad tooted valmistasime mustast metallist ning tsinkisime alltöövõtjate juures. Enne tsinkimist läbisid tooted Tallinna vahelao, kus kogused tootmisest vastu võeti ja üle kontrolliti.

Kontor Kontorina kasutasime Andrus Arrase kodukontorit Kosel või Kesoro kontorit Kalmistu teel. Kogu raamatupidamine käis sel ajal Excelis. Näiteks tabeli laoarvestus xls mahuks sai ajapikku üle 20 MB, mis sel ajal oli ülisuur maht. Faili avamine võttis aega ca 4–5 minutit, oli tavaline, et selleks tarbeks tuli hommikul ja õhtul eraldi aega varuda. Aasta lõpus kolisime kontori ja lao parematesse ruumidesse Puumarketi rendipinnale. Nüüd olid ladu ja kontor üksteisele lähedal, lattu sai autoga sisse sõita, kontoris oli kaasaegne viimistlus, tavatelefon, faks jm kaasaegsed võimalused.

Logistika Organiseerisime kaubad Tallinnasse Männikule ca 6 m2 suurusesse lattu, kus Andrus Arras nad karpidesse pakendas. Ladu asus teisel korrusel ja sinna pääsemiseks tuli läbida kolm treppi. Karbi etiketid printisime tavaprinteriga A4 formaadis etiketipaberitele. Kuna kasutasime tindiprinterit, siis tuli etikettidega õrnalt ümber käia. Tellimuste kogused olid väiksed – 250–300 kg. Seetõttu sai kauba laiali vedada vana hea Volvo 460ga, millel hüüdnimi „Rontilla“. Raskete metallikoormate vedamise ja üldise sõiduki seisukorra tõttu läksid sel masinal küll tagumised vedrud üsna kiiresti läbi. Uued vedrud paigaldati juba vähe võimsama auto omad. Tühjalt sõites oli vaatepilt nüüd veidi kentsakas: auto tagaots oli püsti, kuid kaubad said kenasti kohale toimetatud.

Konkurents ja kliendid Kuni 1999. aastani oli Eesti turul saada peamiselt Pistora ja Leedu toodangut. Pistorat turundas E-Nurga eelkäija Astrelo Grupp. Pistora toodang oli saadaval ka Sormati kaubamärgi all Ehitusmaailmas (Fanaal AS, nüüd Rautakesko). Leedu toodangut turustas Teemu. Ehitusmetalli esimesteks klientideks olid Kesoro, Janere, Hasler Kaubandus (Põlva), Kartro Balti, KR Kaubanduse OÜ (K-Raua ACE), Tartem AS (Espak Tartu).

Our production process was simple at that time: we sent the metal to Tartu on a large truck to have the sheets cut into strips by a subcontractor. Then we transported the strips back to Ahja on a GAZ53 truck and punched the strips. Then Gert Hirv went to Tartu by bus, took the GAZ53 truck and transported half of the punched strips back to Tartu for cutting into narrower strips as required. Then we transported the strips back to Ahja where we cut them into suitable lengths and bended. The production was ready. As only 2 mm galvanised sheets were available on the market, we used black metal for making thicker products and had them galvanised by subcontractors. Before galvanisation the products were delivered to an intermediate warehouse in Tallinn where the quantities were accepted from production and checked.

Office We used the home office of Andrus Arras at Kose or the Kesoro Company office on Kalmistu Road as the office. All accounting records were in Excel at that time. For instance, the inventory volume in xls gradually became over 20 MB which was an extremely high volume at that time. It took approximately 4–5 minutes to open the file and we usually had to reserve special time for it in the mornings and in the evenings. At the end of the year we moved the office and the warehouse to better premises rented from Puumarket. Now the warehouse and the office were close to each other, we could drive into the warehouse, the office was renovated and had a desk phone, fax and other modern facilities.

Logistics We organised the transport of products to a ca 6 m2 warehouse at Männiku in Tallinn where Andrus Arras packed them into boxes. The warehouse was on the second floor and we had to walk up three flights of stairs. We printed the box labels with ordinary printers on the A4 label sheets. As we used an inkjet printer, we had to handle the labels carefully. The quantities ordered were low – 250–300 kg. Therefore we could deliver the goods with our good old Volvo 460 we called “Wreckilla”. However, as a consequence of transporting heavy loads of metal and because of the general condition of the car its rear suspension broke down soon. The new suspension installed was already intended for a somewhat more heavy-duty vehicle. When we drove without a load it looked a little funny now: the rear end was upwards – but the goods were delivered well.

Competition and customers Until 1999 mainly Lithuanian and Pistora OY products were available in the Estonian market. Pistora was marketed by Astrelo Group which was the predecessor of E-Nurk. The products of Pistora were available also under the Sormat brand name in Ehitusmaailm (Fanaal AS, now Rautakesko). The Lithuanian products were marketed by Teemu. The first customers of Ehitusmetall were Kesoro, Janere, Hasler Kaubandus (Põlva), Kartro Balti, KR Kaubanduse OÜ (K-Raua ACE), Tartem AS (Espak Tartu).

Sortiment laieneb

Efektiivsus kasvab

Meie toodangus olid alul ainult perforeeritud nurgad ja plaadid. Sortimendi laiendamiseks soetasime uusi stantse, tugevdusmatriitsi ja tegelesime sisseostutoodete valikuga. 2000. aasta veebruaris suurendasime ostutoodete valikut. Investeering esimesse ostu oli hirmuäratav – 77 046 kr, kuid saime seda tasuda ajapikku. Märtsis alustasime ka laiade naelutusplaatide tootmist. Valik väiksemaid mõõte sündis ribade jääkidest ja need lisati mõni aeg hiljem põhisortimenti. 2000. aasta septembris tegime esimese seeriamüügi Männiku Puumarketile ja Decorale. Viimasele müüsime väikepakendis põrandaliistuklambreid koos tüüblite ja kruvidega. Tellimused olid suured ja nii tuli pakendustöödele kaasata kogu Tade küla Kosel, kus Andrus Arras elas. Põrandaliistuklambrite pakend oli meie esimene värviline pakend ja kuna see oli hea turunduskanal, siis tegime ettevõttele esimese kodulehe. Meie tootevalikusse lisandusid mööblinurgikud ja sarikaankrud ning aasta lõpu poole konkurentsivõimelise hinnaga 90 x 90 x 65 naelutusnurgik. Viimast valmistas Meisli metallijääkidest ja meie tsinkisime selle Vasaras. Kliendinimekirja lisandusid Rotoflexi eelkäija Pultti Nurkka, Horleston (ehituskauplus Pääsküla poe juures), Kinseli, Ranamerk, Raintar, Robinord, Angroo ja Lint AS.

Ahja tootmisüksuses avanes meil võimalus korda teha ligidal asuv giljotiin ning nüüd saime kõik ribastamised teha kohapeal. Suure järelkäruga vedasime metallid giljotiini juurde, lõikasime ja tõime tagasi. Mõnikord õnnestus kasutada ka mõnda head tuttavat veoauto omanikku. Kokkuvõttes andis see tänapäeval väga populaarse mõiste – efektiivsuse tõusu. Aktiivsed pidime olema ka metalliturul: panime lehte kuulutusi ja otsisime ise, kust osta soodsalt seisma jäänud musta plekki või plekiribasid.

0 0 20 22

Wider product range

In March we started also the production of wide nail plates. The range of smaller dimensions was created to use the strip waste and later they were included in the main product range. In September 2000 we performed the first batch sale to the Männiku Puumarket and to Decora. We sold baseboard clips in small packaging to the latter, together with dowels and screws. The orders were large and so we had to involve in packaging work the whole Tade Village at Kose where Andrus Arras lived. Packaging for baseboard clips was our first multi-coloured packaging and as this was a good marketing channel, we made the first web site for the company. We added furniture angles and rafter angles to our product range, and towards the end of the year also the angle bracket of 90 x 90 x 65 mm with a competitive price. Meisli produced the latter from metal waste and we had it galvanised at Vasar. Pultti Nurkka as the predecessor of Rotoflex, Horleston (construction products store near the Pääsküla grocery store), Kinseli, Ranamerk, Raintar, Robinord, Angroo and Lint AS were added to the client list.

At first we produced only perforated angle brackets and nail plates. We acquired new die tools and a reinforcement matrix to broaden the product range, and had a selection of outsourced products. In February 2000 we increased the selection of outsourced products. The investment in the first purchase was formidable – 77,046 Estonian kroons (4900 euros), but we could pay for it in instalments.

Increased efficiency We managed to repair the guillotine located near our Ahja production plant and we could now perform all the cutting into strips at the site. We took the metal to the guillotine in a large trailer, cut it and brought back. Sometimes we could use also the help of a friendly truck owner. With all this we achieved what is a very popular concept today – increase in efficiency. We had to be active also in the market of metals: We published ads and searched for favourable opportunities of buying black metal sheets or sheet strips that someone no longer needed.

1 0 20 Uued olulised kliendid 2001. aasta veebruaris tegime esimese müügi Baltic Boltile. 1. märtsil lisandus Logotek, Baltic Bolti tütarettevõte. Sama aasta aprillis alustasime koostööd Devest ASiga, esialgu küll ainult Laagri kauplusega.

Kolime esimest korda tootmist 2001. aasta märtsis otsustasime viia tootmise Ahjalt Kosele. Kui Ahjal laaditi kõik kaubad korralikult koormasse, siis paraku Kosel nii korralikku vastuvõttu ei olnud. Kohalik naabrimeeste kaader oli algul silme all korralik, kuid mõne aja möödudes hakkasid nad kaupa niiviisi kastist alla loopima, et lihtsam oleks olnud kogu meie tootmisvarandus lihtsalt kalluriga hoovi peale maha kallata. Kaos ja kahjud olid suured.

Osaluse välja ostmine 2001. aasta 21. septembril sai Ehitusmetalli ainuomanikuks Andrus Arras.

New important customers In February 2001 we made our first sale to Baltic Bolt. On 1 March also Logotek was added which is a subsidiary of Baltic Bolt. In April of the same year we started cooperation with Devest AS, at first just with their Laagri store.

First moving of the production operations In March 2001 we decided to move the production operations from Ahja to Kose. While at Ahja all goods were properly loaded to a truck, there was no such appropriate acceptance at Kose. The staff consisting of local neighbours worked in an orderly manner at first when we were present but after a while they started to throw goods from the truck so that it would have been easier to just dump all our production assets on the yard from a dump truck. This created a chaos and huge losses.

Shareholder buyout On 21 September 2001, Andrus Arras became the sole owner of Ehitusmetall.

Investeerime stantsidesse

Ribakood loob eeliseid

2001. aasta oktoobris saime kätte pikalt kaalutud investeeringuobjektid – põrandaliistuklambri kontuuristantsi ja paindestantsi. Stantsidega sai teha ainult ühte toodet ning stantside hind oli ülisuur, umbes 55 000 kr +km. Stantside veo Tartust TI Stantsist ajatasime õhtusele ajale, sest tegu oli hinnalise saadetisega ja õhtuti oli liiklus hõredam. Liiatigi ei olnud „Rontilla“ rooliotsad ja muu tehniline seisund tavapäraselt väga töökindlad. Saime kätte ka esimese mahalõigatud nurkadega stantsi 90 x 90 x 40 nurgiku tootmiseks. Aasta jooksul soetasime lehes avaldatud kuulutuste kaudu kolm pressi: 63T, 40T, 30T. Lisaks soetasime giljotiini, kompressori ja puurpingi.

Uue projektina alustasime 2001. aastal ribakoodide paigaldamist toodetele. Nagu ikka, oli algus raske, aga aasta lõpuks saime asja toimima. Olime ainukesed, kes ribakoodiga toodangut pakkusid. 2001. aastal rajas Ehitus Service (hilisem Bauhof) Peterburi teele Eesti mõistes ülisuure kaupluse. Ehitus Service’il oli see esimene oma kauplus. Meie võitsime Ehitus Service’i ülitiheda konkursiga hanke ja see oli meie esimene suurem jaekaupluse väljund. Hanke võitmist soosis suuresti ribakood meie toodetel. 2001. aasta oktoobris saavutasime esimest korda netokuukäibe üle 100 000 krooni. 20. novembril tegime esimese eksporttehingu. Ostjaks oli Hjelm ja Grüner, ostutooteks naeltüüblid private label pakendis. Uute klientidena lisandusid Agrotarve, Normante, Triskele, TVK Teenused, Korner AS. Detsembri lõpus saabus esimene partii betoonitarvikuid – alustasime koostööd Reuss Wuppertaliga.

Investment in dies

Bar code as an advantage

In October 2001 we received the equipment, which was an investment long considered – baseboard clip contour die and bender die. Only one product could be made with the die tools and the dies were very expensive, approximately 55,000 Estonian kroons (3500 euros) + VAT. We planned the transportation of the dies from TI Stants in Tartu for an evening as it was an expensive cargo and the traffic was less congested in the evenings. Besides, the tie-rod ends of the steering mechanism of “Rontilla” and its general technical condition were not very reliable. We received also the first forging die for the production of the 90 x 90 x 40 mm angle bracket with cut corners. During the year we acquired three presses through ads published in newspapers: 63T, 40T, 30T. In addition, we bought a guillotine, compressor and drill press.

As a new project, we started affixing bar codes on products in 2001. It was difficult at the beginning, as always, but we made it function by the end of the year. We were the only producers offering products with bar codes. In 2001, Ehitus Service (the later Bauhof) built a huge store in the Estonian context in Peterburi Road. It was the first own store for Ehitus Service. We won the very competitive tender of Ehitus Service and it was our first sale to a retail store. Having the bar codes on our products was an important advantage in the tender procedure. In October 2001 our monthly net sales was more than 100,000 Estonian kroons (6400 euros) for the first time. On 20 November we performed our first export transaction. The buyer was Hjelm & Grüner, the products sold were nail dowels in private label packaging. Agrotarve, Normante, Triskele, TVK Teenused, Korner AS became our new customers. At the end of December the first batch of concrete accessories arrived – we started cooperation with Reuss Wuppertal.

Kasvame 2002. aastal meie käive ja kasum mitmekordistusid. Saime endale ka tavatelefoni ilusa numbriga 670 6000. Maikuus saime Tartust müüriankru stantsi. Aasta jooksul soetasime uusi presse, muud metallitööstuseks vajalikku nipet-näpet ja trumli. Viimast me ei kasutanud küll kordagi. Metall hakkas tulema peamiselt Raintar OÜ koostööpartnerilt Naprosaks OÜlt. Hind oli märgatavalt konkurentsivõimelisem kui teistel Eesti tarnijatel.

Kolime tootmise, lao ja kontori kokku 2002. aasta oktoobri lõpus kolisime kokku tootmise, lao ja kontori suuremale pinnale aadressil Tervise 5. See vähendas oluliselt meie logistikaprobleeme. Lõpuks oli meil ka kontor, kuhu võis külalisi kutsuda. Hakkasime kontori personali värbama. Uutel pindadel olid 360 m2 tootmis- ja laopinda, riietusruumid ning kontoriruum ca 50 m2. Hoone asus vanas tööstuskompleksis ja ümbrus meenutas pigem Kosovot kui Tallinnat. Ruumid olid aga avarad ja see oli meie jaoks täiesti uus tase. Hirmu tekitas ainult hoone vibreerimine: 63tonnise pressiga stantsimise ajal tekkis kartus, et amortiseerunud betoonlagi vajub kaela. Tootmise saime täielikult uutesse ruumidesse kolitud alles novembriks ja sisseseadmise lõpetasime detsembris. Seejärel sulgesime tootmise Ahjal.

2 0 20 28

Growing

Moving the production operations, warehouse and office together

In 2002 our sales and profits redoubled – the sales increased 2.85-fold. We obtained also a nice number 670 6000 for our desk phone. In May we received the die for wall anchors from Tartu. During the year we acquired new presses, other small equipment necessary for metalworking, and a barrel. We never used the latter, though. We started to receive metal mainly from Naprosaks OÜ, which is a cooperation partner of Raintar OÜ. The price was considerably more competitive than offered by other suppliers in Estonia.

At the end of October 2002 we moved the production operations, warehouse and office together to larger premises at the address Tervise 5. This considerably reduced our logistics problems. Finally we had also an office where we could invite visitors. We started to recruit office staff. We had 360 m2 of production and warehouse space, locker rooms and an office of approximately 50 m2 at the new premises. The building was a part of an old industrial complex and the surroundings reminded Kosovo rather than Tallinn. The rooms were spacious, however, and it was a completely new level for us. Vibrations in the building scared us, though: when stamping with the 63 ton press we were afraid that the depreciated concrete ceiling would collapse. We could move all production operations to new premises only by November and completed the installation in December. After that we closed down the operations at Ahja.

ACF tootmispinnad / Company floor space 1 500 m2

1 000 m2

500 m2

1999

2001

Tootmine / Production

2002

2006

Kontor / Office

2010

2013

Ladu / Warehouse

3 0 20

5 0 0 2 Uued töötajad 2003. aastal kasvas meie kollektiiv plahvatuslikult – tööle asusid müügiesindaja, raamatupidaja, stantsijad, pakkija ja tootmisjuht. 2004. aastal võtsime tööle teise müügimehe. Aasta alguses rakendasime tööle ka uue raamatupidamisprogrammi. Meie tootevalikusse lisandusid betoonihargid, täienes palgikingade valik ja lisandusid ogaplaadid.

Alusekohtade arv laos / Pallet places

Esimene kataloog ja mess

1 500

2005. aasta 6. aprillil valmis meie esimene tootekataloog. Mais osalesime messil Eesti Ehitab 2005. Mais soetasime ka esimese transpordivahendi – 6kohalise WV Transporteri. See oli paras romu, kuid ajas asja ära. Hiljem jäi sõiduk kasutusele peamiselt Tähetornis inimeste veoks.

1 000

500

Käive üle miljoni 1999

2002

2006

2010

2005. aasta juuni lõpus ületas meie kuukäive esimest korda 1 000 000 kr piiri.

2013

New staff In 2003 our staff considerably increased – a sales manager, an accountant, production operators, a packer and a production manager started work. In 2004 we hired the second sales manager. At the beginning of the year we introduced also a new accounting software. We added post feet to our product range, increased the range of joist hangers and added barb connector plates.

The first catalogue and trade fair Our first product catalogue was published on 6 April 2005. In May we participated at the fair Estbuild 2005. In May we also acquired our first vehicle – the 6-seat WV Transporter. It was a real wreck but served us well. Later the vehicle was mainly used for the transportation of people in Tähetorni Street.

Sales over one million By the end of June 2005 our sales exceeded 1,000,000 Estonian kroons (64,000 euros) for the first time.

Kinnistu ost

Miljon käivet eurodes

Meie rendiruumide omanikel olid Tervise 5 kinnistuga uued plaanid ja meil oli vaja ära kolida. Kaalusime Laagri tööstusparki krundi ostmist ning hoone rajamist, kuid ajaressurss oli piiratud ja ehitamine ei tulnud kõne alla. Otsisime üüripindu. Mais tegime eellepingu kinnistu ostmiseks aadressil Tähetorni 102 – see oli 7500 m2 suurune osa kinnistust. Juunis kolisimegi aadressile Tähetorni 102. Tervise 5 oli selleks ajaks maatasa lammutatud, meie kolimise ajal laksutas lammutuskopp kannatamatult hoone juures juba oma haaratseid, et need mõnuga paneelidesse lüüa. Ruumipuuduse leevendamiseks (kuni detailplaneering valmib ja hoone ehitusega pihta saab hakata) ehitasime ajutise lisalaohoone hüüdnimega küün, mille suurus oli 96 m2. Kontoripinnaks rentisime Ramirendilt kahest soojakust koosneva nn kompleksi. Hiljem saime aru, et detailplaneering ei saagi kohe valmis, ja ostsime kompleksi välja.

2006. aasta mai lõpuks saavutasime käibeks miljon eurot.

Uus juht 1. detsembril asus tööle Janek Sibbul, esimene palgaline juhataja. Andrus Arras sai nüüd tööpinget lõdvendada.

Esimene automaatliin Detsembris saabus kohale esimene automaatstantsimisliin. Tellisime ka esimese spetsiaalse järjestikstantsi 70 x 70 x 55 nurgikule.

6 0 20 Purchase of real estate Owners of our rented premises at 5 Tervise Street had new plans with this real estate and we had to move out. We considered buying a lot of land in the Laagri Industrial Park and construction of a building but our time was limited and we could not take construction into consideration. We were looking for rental space. In May we signed a preliminary contract for buying real estate at the address 102 TĂ¤hetorni Street â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it was a 7,500 m2 part of a property. In June we moved to the address 102 TĂ¤hetorni Street. 5 Tervise Street had been completely demolished by that time, during our moving work the demolition machine was already clapping its grapples impatiently at the building to enjoy grabbing the panels. In order to reduce the lack of space (until the completion of the detailed plan and starting the construction of the building), we built an additional temporary warehouse we called the Barn, with the size of 96 m2. We rented a so-called complex of two construction site trailers from Ramirent for office space. Later we realised that preparation of the detailed plan would take some time and bought this complex.

Sales of one million euros By the end of May 2006 we reached the sales of one million euros.

New manager On 1 December the new general manager Janek Sibbul started work who was the first head of the company with a salary. Andrus Arras could now relax from work pressure.

The first automatic line In December the first automatic stamping line arrived. We ordered also the first special die for the progressive forming of the 70 x 70 x 55 mm angle bracket.

7 0 20

8 0 0 2 -

Haarame Lõuna-Eestit 2007. aasta 1. novembril avasime Tartu osakonna ja võtsime tööle Lõuna-Eesti müügiesindaja. Esialgu oli osakonnas tööl kaks inimest, hiljem jäi vaid müügiesindaja. Meie müük tegi ajaloo rekordi ja see jäi püsima viieks aastaks.

Toetame müüki Toodete müügi toetuseks alustasime uue kataloogi koostamist. 2008. aasta mais ilmus meie teine tootekataloog. Juulis andsime välja rauatoodete voldiku. Detsembris valmis betoonitoodete voldik. 16.–18. oktoobrini osalesime Tartu Ehitusmessil. 22. septembril otsustas Andrus Arras taas asuda tegevjuhiks ning Ehitusmetallile valiti uued juhatuse liikmed.

Capturing South Estonia On 1 November 2007 we opened the branch office in Tartu and employed the sales representative for South Estonia. There were two people in the staff at first but later only the sales manager remained. Our sales broke our all-time records and remained on the same level for five years.

Sales support We started the preparation of the new catalogue to support the sale of our products. In May 2008 our second product catalogue was published. In July we issued the booklet on our metal products. In December the booklet on concrete accessories was published. We participated in the Tartu Building Fair on 16â&#x20AC;&#x201C;18 October. On 22 September Andrus Arras decided to take the post of executive director again and new board members were appointed for Ehitusmetall.

8 09 0 20 20 Põhja-Eesti müügiesindaja

Tundsime teise masuaasta tagajärge – käive langes veelgi. Kevadel kehtestasime osalise tööaja. Mõtlesime pingsalt sellele, kuidas vähendada laoseisu ja saada kliente juurde.

Novembris võtsime tööle Põhja-Eesti müügiesindaja, kelleks sai Mario Metsoja. Mario meenutab tööle kandideerimist: “Kuna Tähetornis ühistransporti ei liigu, siis auto puudumisel tuli Tähetorni hotelli juurest 3 km jalutada, et töövestlusele jõuda. Pärast töövestlust pakkus Andrus küüti. Mina keeldusin ja ütlesin, et tellin takso. Tegelikult mul taksoraha polnud ja kõmpisin “kand ja varvas” kodu poole. Andrus aga sõitis minust mööda. Hiljem lisas ta mu CV tagaküljele märke „valevorst“. Hoolimata sellest seigast võeti mind ikkagi tööle. Täpselt ei mäletagi, miks ma tookord küüdipakkumist vastu ei võtnud. Ju ma tahtsin jätta muljet, et saan ise hakkama, piinlik oli tunnistada, et taksoraha pole ja ise ei saa mindud või tuldud. “

Tootmise laiendamine Soovisime tootmist laiendada ja mõtlesime kasutada EASi abi uute tootmisseadmete ostmiseks. Esitasime 5. mail EASile esimese tööstustehnoloogia projekti toetussummale 824 000 kr. Seekord jäime EASi toetusest ilma ja soetasime seadmed omavahenditest.

Sihime eksportturge 2009. aasta augustis saime esimese nurkade tellimuse Läti edasimüüjalt (Autoapgade). Oktoobris tuli esimene sidumistraadi tellimus Leedust. 13. oktoobril alustasime tööd uue metallitarnijaga. Saabus esimene ArcelorMittalist otse ostetud materjal, mida ribastas Favor. Eksportturgudele sobiva nime leidmiseks kuulutasime 3. novembril välja nimekonkursi Nimejaht. 2009. aasta 17. detsembril asus ekspordijuhina tööle Lauri Kivi, kes hakkas meie tooteid aktiivselt välisturgudele suunama.

Masu annab märku Esimesed masu ilmingud hakkasid märku andma, ajaloos esimest korda langes meie käive. Samal ajal olid kulud jõudsalt kasvanud. Sügisel ostsime Ramirendist kontorsoojakutele peale teise korruse, kontoripind kahekordistus 58 m2ni. Pisut hiljem laiendasime pinda veel poole võrra.

We felt the consequences of the second year of the economic recession – the sales decreased even more. In spring we established partial working time. We were thinking hard about reducing the inventory and getting more customers.

Sales manager of North Estonia

Expansion of production operations

In November we employed Mario Metsoja as the sales manager for North Estonia. Mario remembers applying for the job: “As there is no public transport to Tähetorni Street and I had no car, I had to walk for 3 km from the Tähetorni Hotel to the job interview. After the job interview Andrus offered me a lift. I refused and said I would take a taxi. I had actually no money for a taxi and just walked towards home. Andrus drove past me, however. Later he added the note “a fibber” to the back of my CV. But I was hired anyway despite this incident. I do not even remember exactly why I did not accept the lift at that time. I probably wanted to show that I can manage, I was too embarrassed to admit that I had no money for a taxi and could not come or go by myself.”

We wanted to expand the production operations and thought we could use the support from Enterprise Estonia for purchasing new production equipment. On 5 May we submitted the first industrial technology project to Enterprise Estonia for the support amount of 824,000 Estonian kroons (53,000 euros). That time we did not get the support from Enterprise Estonia and acquired the equipment with our own means.

Export markets targeted In August 2009 we received the first order for angle brackets from a Latvian distributor (Autoapgade). In October we received the first order from Lithuania for binding wire. On 13 October we started work with the new metal supplier. The first materials bought directly from ArcelorMittal arrived and were cut into strips by Favor. On 3 November we declared the name competition Nimejaht (Name Hunt) to find a name appropriate for export markets. On 17 December 2009 Lauri Kivi started work as export manager and started to direct our products actively to foreign markets.

Signs of economic recession The first signs of the economic recession appeared, our sales levels decreased for the first time in history. Meanwhile, the costs had considerably increased. In autumn we bought the second floor for the construction site trailers from Ramirent, the office space was doubled to 58 m2. A little later we extended the space by a half more.

0 1 20 Koostöö laieneb 2010. aasta alguses alustasime koostööd Soome Würthi ja Eesti Bauhausiga. Viimasesse saatsime suurima valiku meie tooteid – 232 artiklit. 2010. aasta veebruaris saabus seeriatootmisest esimene roostevaba nurk.

Edusammud Taas soovisime laiendada tootmist ja soetada uusi ning paremaid seadmeid. 30. aprillil esitasime EASile ostu finantseerimiseks Tööstustehnoloogiainvesteeringu II projekti. Taotletav toetussumma oli 2,2 miljonit krooni. 19. juulil saime EASilt positiivse vastuse oma projektile. Mõistsime, et meie klientide jaoks on oluline toodete kvaliteet, ning hakkasime aktiivselt tegelema kvaliteedijuhtimisega. 2. juunil saime ISO 9001:2008 kvaliteedijuhtimissertfikaadi: kinnitusvahendite tootmine, arendus ja müük; betoneerimistarvikute müük. 29. juulil andis Krediidiinfo meile eduka ettevõtte tunnistuse 2010 (reiting AA).

Cooperation expands At the beginning of 2010 we started cooperation with the Finnish WĂźrth office and the Estonian Bauhaus. We sent our largest product range to the latter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 232 different items. In February 2010 the first stainless steel bracket came from line production.

Achievements We wanted to expand our production operations again and acquire new and better equipment. On 30 April we submitted our second of investment in industrial technology project to Enterprise Estonia for the financing of a purchase. The support amount applied for was 2.2 million kroons (140,000 euros). On 19 July we received a positive reply to our project from Enterprise Estonia. We realised that product quality was important for our customers, and started to work actively with quality management. On 2 June we received the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Certificate: design, manufacture and sale of fasteners; sale of accessories for concrete works. On 29 July, Krediidiinfo granted us the certificate of a Successful Estonian Company 2010 (rating AA).

Automaatstants 2010. aastal rakendasime töösse esimese automaatstantsi. 22. oktoobril testisime oma uut naelutusplaatide automaatstantsi suuremate viperusteta. Nüüd saime teha kõiki plaate automaatliinil. 29. novembril saabus kohale meie esimene automaatstantsimisliin. Sellele eelnes tootmisruumide ettevalmistus. Kolisime tootmishalli sisuliselt tühjaks ning renoveerisime nii elektrisüsteemi kui ka põranda ja katuse. Tootmise renoveerimise ja uuendamisega seoses ei pidanud enam automaatliinil tõstukiga ribarulle vahetama. Tootmisse tuli juurde ka 3,2tonnise tõstejõuga sildkraana. Esimese automaatstantsimisliiniga saabus ka kiivrite ja plekktaldrikute valmistamiseks sobiv seade, mida me ei ole seni kasutanud. Hea kallis riistapuu, hind 50 000 krooni. Kiivriseadeldise pärast tuli liinile teha oluliselt keerulisem vundament koos lisasüvendiga. Kuna see süvend segas tootmisprotsessi, siis aja möödudes valasime selle uuesti betooni täis. Masu hakkas taanduma ja pärast kaheaastast langust hakkas käive tõusma.

Arras CF logo Pidasime oluliseks kvaliteeti ettevõtte igas valdkonnas ning tellisime reklaamibüroost Division Arras CF uue logo visuaalse lahenduse. 26. novembril valmis Arras CF brändi terviklik visuaalne nägemus.

Automatic die In 2010 we took into use the first automatic die. On 22 October we tested our new automatic die of nail plates without significant hitches. Now we could produce all plates in the automatic line. On 29 November our first automatic die forging line arrived. We had to prepare the production premises for that. We moved almost everything else out of the production hall and renovated both the electrical system and the floor and the roof. As a result of the renovation and reconditioning of the production facilities it was no longer required to lift strip rolls with a lifter on the automatic line. Also an overhead travelling crane with the lifting capacity of 3.2 tons was added to the production facilities. Also equipment for the production of helmets and metal bowls arrived together with the first automatic stamping line but we have not used it yet. It is a good and expensive tool, the price was 50,000 Estonian kroons (3200 euros). Because of the helmet tool we had to build a much more complicated foundation with an additional excavation for the line. As the excavation interfered with production operations, we poured it full of concrete again later. The economic recession began to ease and the sales started to increase again after a decline of two years.

Arras CF logo We regarded quality important in all areas of the company and ordered a new visual solution for Arras CF from the Division Advertising Agency. On 26 November the corporate visual identity of the Arras CF brand was completed.

2 1 1 1 20 20 Nimemuutus

Arras Construction Furniture 2011 Uus nimi: Arras Construction Furniture OÜ 2011 Osalesime Stuttgart Fastener Fair’il 30 m² boksiga 2011 Uued eksportturud Tšehhis ja Slovakkias 2011 ETA tehniline heakskiit ja CE märgis – naelutusnurgad etapp I 2012 Uus eksportturg: Ukraina 2012 Lisandusid automaatsed pakkeliinid 2012 ETA tehniline heakskiit ja CE märgis – naelutusnurgad etapp II ja prussikingad 2012 Ületasime müügikäibe 2 000 000 € 2013 Osalesime Stuttgart Fastener Fair’il 48 m² boksiga 2013 Uued eksportturud: Bulgaaria, Venemaa, Saksamaa, Taani 2013 CE märgis – Naelutusplaadid 2013 Alustasime betooniharkide tootmist 2013 ETA tehniline heakskiit – betoonihargid U, I, L tüüp 2013 ETA tehniline heakskiit ja CE märgis – naelutusnurgikud etapp III 2013 Soetasime uued tootmis-, lao- ja kontoriruumid Tähetorni 100A kinnistul 2013 Lisandus uus automaatne stantsimisliin 2013 Alustasime montaažilintide tootmist 2014 Alustasime ogaplaadi tootmist

2011. aasta 7. veebruaril tegi Äriregister Ehitusmetall OÜ kohta muutmiskande: ettevõtte nimeks sai Arras Construction Furniture OÜ. Nime ning veebiaadressi www.arrascf.eu avalikustasime 10. veebruaril.

Sihime välisturge 2011. aastal saime CE märgi olulisematele nurgikutele. Väliskonkurentidel olid tooted sertifitseeritud ja kuigi sertifitseerimine ei ole ehitusnurgikute puhul kohustuslik, pidime konkurentsis püsimiseks selle keerulise tee ette võtma. 22.–24. veebruarini osalesime EASi toel esimest korda välismessil Stuttgart Fastener Fair. Meeletult külma ilma tõttu külmus messile saadetud asjade hulgas lõhki kohvimasin. Klientidele andsime mingit kohutava maitsega kohvisarnast jooki, mille suure vaevaga olime Saksamaa kauplusest leidnud.

Uus juht Mais 2012 otsustas Andrus Arras firma juhtimise taas üle anda, esialgu küll vaid mõneks kuuks. Ohjad haaras uus juht Mario Metsoja, kes täidab seda ülesannet tänaseni.

Quick facts about Arras

Change of name

Highlights of different stages

2011 New name: Arras Construction Furniture OÜ 2011 Participation at the Stuttgart Fastener Fair with a 30 m² stand 2011 New export markets in Czech Republic and Slovakia 2011 ETA technical approval and CE-marking – angle brackets Stage I 2012 New export market: Ukraine 2012 Automatic packing lines introduced 2012 ETA technical approval and CE-marking – angle brackets Stage II and joist hangers 2012 Our sales turnover was more than 2,000,000 € 2013 Participation at the Stuttgart Fastener Fair with a 48 m² stand 2013 New export markets: Bulgaria, Russia, Germany, Denmark 2013 CE-marking – nail plates 2013 Production of post feet started 2013 ETA technical approval – post feet types U, I, L 2013 ETA technical approval and CE-marking – angle brackets Stage III 2013 Acquisition of new production, warehouse and office rooms on the property at 100A Tähetorni Street 2013 Acquisition of the new automatic stamping line 2013 Production of steel straps started 2014 Production of barb connector plates started

On 7 February 2011 the Commercial Register entered an amendment for Ehitusmetall OÜ: the name of the company was changed to Arras Construction Furniture OÜ. We made the name and the web site www.arrascf.eu public on 10 February.

Targeting foreign markets In 2011 we received the CE-marking for our main angle brackets. Our foreign competitors had certified products and although certification of angle brackets for construction is not mandatory, we had to undergo this complicated process to stay in competition. On 22–24 February we exhibited our production with the support from Enterprise Estonia on our first foreign fair – Stuttgart Fastener Fair. Due to the extremely cold weather our coffee machine froze and burst among the materials sent to the fair. We served customers a terrible-tasting coffee-like drink that we found with great efforts at a German store.

New manager In May, Andrus Arras decided to hand over the company management duties again to someone else, at first for just a few months. The new manager Mario Metsoja who took them over has been performing these duties since then.

3 1 20 Müük ja eksport kasvab Meie müük tegi aegade parima tulemuse ja ületas ka buumiaegset numbrit. Ekspordi aastane müük oli esmakordselt üle 1 000 000 €. Veebruaris osalesime teist korda Stuttgart Fastener messil. Mais tellisime teise automaatstantsimisliini ning alustasime betoonihargi tootmist. Suurenenud mahud tõid kaasa ümberkorraldused ka meeskonnas.

Sales and exports growing Our sales reached the highest level ever and was even better than during the boom. The annual export sales were more than 1,000,000 â&#x201A;Ź for the first time. In February we participated in the Stuttgart Fastener Fair for the second time. In May we ordered the second automatic stamping line and started to produce post feet. The increased volumes brought about also the reorganisation of the team.

Järjekordne kolimine Juunis kolisime kontori, tootmise ja lao uuele täiesti omaenda kinnistule Tähetorni 100 a. Uuel kinnistul on pinda 19 500 m2, hoonetealune maa on 6500 m2. Ühendasime lao ja tootmise, sellega paranes logistika ning tooteringluse kiirus. Uus territoorium annab võimaluse edasiseks arenguks ja kasvamiseks.

Moving again In June we moved production, office and warehouse to our own property at 100A Tähetorni Street. The area of the new land lot is 19,500 m2, the area under the buildings is 6,500 m2. We joined the warehouse and production operations, improving the logistics and the rate of production turnover. The new territory allows us to continue our development and growth.

Investeeringud põhivarasse ja tootmisesse / Investments in production operations 1 200 000 € 900 000 € 600 000 € 300 000 €

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Turud / Markets 1999 Eesti / Estonia 2009 L채ti / Latvia Leedu / Lithuania Soome / Finland

2010 Rootsi / Sweden Island / Iceland 2012 Norra / Norway Ukraina / Ukraine 2013 Taani / Denmark Bulgaaria / Bulgaria Venemaa / Russia Saksamaa / Germany

Toodete areng / Product development 1999 Naelutusplaadid ja -nurgikud, pidev valiku suurendamine 2003 Mööblinurgikud-plaadid 2006 Esimene automaatliin 2009 Prussikingade tootmine 2010 Tootmise renoveerimine, uus tootmisliin 2011 ETA ja CE märgis naelutusnurkadele 2012 Automaatsed pakkeliinid 2012 ETA ja CE märgis naelutusnurkadele ja prussikingadele 2013 CE märgis naelutusplaatidele 2013 Betooniharkide tootmine ETA märgis betooniharkide tüüpidele U, I ja L ETA märgis naelutusnurgikutele 2013 Uus automaatne stantsimisliin 2013 Montaažilintide tootmine 2014 Ogaplaadi tootmine

Top 5 toodang 2013 / Top 5 products 2013 71301 (16%) Nurgik 90x90x65x2,5 T 71404 (5%) Nurgik 40x40x40x2,0 71102 (4%) Nurgik 50x50x35x2,0 71106 (4%) Nurgik 90x90x65x2,5 71118 (3%) Nurgik 50x50x35x2,5

1999 2003 2006 2009 2010 2010 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014

Nail plates and angle brackets, increasingly wider range Furniture brackets/plates The first automatic line Production of joist hangers Reconditioning of production operations, new production line ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Certificate ETA and CE-marking for angle brackets Automatic packaging lines ETA and CE-marking for angle brackets and joist hangers CE-marking for nail plates Production of post feet types U, I and L ETA certificate for the post feet types U, I and L ETA certificate for angle brackets New automatic stamping line Production of steel straps Production of barb connector plates

Kvaliteet / Quality Meie valmistatud toodetel on kanda väga vastutusrikas ülesanne - hoida detaile kindlalt koos. Hoonete ja rajatiste ehitamisele on määratud ranged reeglid ja nõuded, seetõttu ootavad ka meie kliendid, et tagaksime alati lubatud kvaliteedi. Kvaliteedi tagamine on järjepidev tegevus. Sellest ei piisa, kui enamus tooteid vastab nõuetele – eranditult kõik peavad olema kvaliteetsed. Oleme endale püstitanud veel kõrgemad nõudmised kui on toodete sertifitseerimine. Usume, et parimat kvaliteeti ei saavutata ainuüksi reegleid järgides. Sama kvaliteetsed peavad olema ka teenindus ja tarnimine. Kuulame alati ka klienti ja püüame vastata kõigile tema nõudmistele ja vajadustele. Seega on meie eesmärgiks kõrge teeninduskvaliteet alates müügitööst ja tellimuste vastuvõtmisest kuni kauba väljasaatmise ja järelteenindamiseni. Lähtume üpris lihtsast põhimõttest: kõik lubadused tuleb alati täita.

The items we produce have a very high-responsibility job – keeping parts securely fastened. The construction of buildings and structures is subject to very strict rules and requirements, so our customers expect us to always deliver the quality that has been promised. Quality assurance is a continuous process. It’s not enough that only most of your products conform to requirements – every last piece must be of high quality. We have set goals for ourselves which exceed the requirements for product certification. We believe that the best quality is not achieved only by following the rules. Service and delivery have to be equally good. We always listen to our customer and try to meet all of their specific needs and requirements. Therefore, our first priority is high service quality throughout, from sales and order acceptance to product delivery and follow-up services. We stick to a very simple principle: all promises must always be kept.

Kuidas tagame kvaliteeti? CE ja ETA Kui on valmistatud kvaliteetne toode ning see on läbinud edukalt kõik vajalikud sertifitseerimisprotseduurid, on sellele võimalik kanda CE märgis. CE märk on tootja kinnitus, et tema valmistatud toode on kontrollitud ja vastab kõikidele nõuetele. CE märgis on kohustuslik ainult neil toodetel, millele on olemas kehtiv Euroopa harmoniseeritud standard. Kuna ehituses on erinevaid tooteid väga palju ning uusi lahendusi tuleb iga päev juurde, siis ei ole Euroopa Liit jõudnud kõiki tooteid standardiseerida. Et siiski oleks võimalik anda kliendile kindlust toote hea kvaliteedi kohta, on antud vabatahtlik võimalus sertifitseerida tooteid taotledes neile ETA ehk Euroopa Tehniline Tunnustus. Seda teed oleme läinud ka meie ja enamikul sertifitseeritud toodetest on see tunnustus olemas. Kogu sertifitseerimisprotsessi väljundiks on toimivusdeklaratsioon. See on selle väljaandja kirjalik kinnitus, et toode vastab esitatud nõuetele ja järgitud on nõuetele vastavuse tõendamise korda.

ISO 9001 Oleme oma ettevõttes juurutanud kvaliteedijuhtimissüsteemi ISO 9001. Võib öelda, et see süsteem ongi aluseks toodete ja teenuste kvaliteedi tagamisele. Head kvaliteeti on võimalik kindlustada vaid sellega süsteemselt ja järjepidevalt tegeledes. Kvaliteedijuhtimissüsteemiga on kaardistatud kõik meie tegevused alates toodete arendusest kuni müügini. Protseduurides on kirjeldatud kõik ettevõtte tegevused ja sellega on tagatud igas osakonnas iga tegevuse juures ühesugune arusaam. Kvaliteedijuhtimissüsteemi põhieesmärk on pidev ettevõtte parendamine, efektiivsemaks muutmine ning analüüs sisekontrolli ja korrapärase välishindamise kaudu. Tehase Tootmisohje Et toodete kvaliteet oleks järjepidev, selleks oleme sertifitseerinud enamiku oma toodetest. See tähendab tootmises hulka kindlaid protsesse ja protseduure, mida tuleb kindlaks määratud korra järgi regulaarselt läbi viia. Lisaks meie enda sisekontrollile on meie toodete puhul nõutud ka tehase auditeerimine välise sertifitseerimisbüroo poolt. Tootmisohje ühendab tegevuse tehnilised võtted ja kõik abinõud, millega on tagatud toote vastavus tehnilisele kirjeldusele ja kontroll. Tootmisohje toimivus saavutatakse mõõteseadmete ja -vahendite, toormaterjalide ja koostisosade, masinate, tootmisseadmete ja valmistoodete kontrollimisega ning saadud tulemuste kasutamisega.

How do we ensure quality? ISO 9001 Our company has implemented the ISO 9001 quality management system. You could say that this system is the basis for ensuring the quality of products and services. High quality can only be achieved by systematic and continuous effort. The quality management system involves mapping all our activities, from product development to sales. Procedures describe all of the company’s activities, ensuring that every department has the same understanding of each step. The main goal of the quality management system is continuous improvement of the company, increased efficiency, and analysis via internal controls and regular external assessments.

CE and ETA Once a high-quality product has been manufactured and has passed all the necessary certification procedures, it may receive a CE marking. The CE mark serves as the manufacturer’s confirmation that this product has been checked and meets all requirements. CE marking is only mandatory for those products for which a valid European harmonized standard exists. Because construction uses lots of different products, and new solutions come along every day, the European Union has not been able to certify all of those products. In order to still be able to give our customers confidence in a product’s high quality, a voluntary opportunity has been created to certify products under the European Technical Assessment (ETA). This is the path we have taken; most of our certified products carry this certificate. The output of the entire certification process is the statement of compliance. This is the issuer’s written confirmation that the product conforms to the requirements set for it, and the process for demonstrating compliance with requirements has been followed.

Factory Production Management To ensure the uniform quality of products, we have certified the majority of our offerings. This means that production follows a number of specific processes and procedures, which must be conducted on schedule and according to a pre-defined set of rules. In addition to our own internal controls, the factory is audited by an external certification bureau – this is a requirement for our products. Production management combines the technical aspects of our activities and all the checks and measures we have undertaken to ensure that our products conform to technical specifications. Production management is made effective by checks done on the measuring equipment and tools, raw materials and parts, machinery, manufacturing equipment, and completed products.

TĂśĂśtajad Arrasest / Employee Testimonials

Lauri Kivi Kuidas ja kust sattusid ACFi? See on väga huvitav lugu. Töötasin DHLi ekspressvedude osakonnas müügiesindajana, minu otsene ülemus oli mäesuusareisil saanud tuttavaks Andrusega ning kui Andrus mainis, et otsib ekspordijuhti, julges minu toonane ülemus mind soovitada – suur juhuste kokkusattumine. Kui kaua oled firmas töötanud ja millist tööd teed? Detsembris täitub mul ACFis viis aastat. Esialgu olin ekspordijuht, alates 2012. a müügijuht. Lihtsustatult võiks öelda, et minu töö on ettevõtte müügieesmärkide täitmine ja kliendibaasi suurendamine. Külastan ka väliskliente ja vastutan ACFi osalemise eest Euroopa messidel. Mida sai ettevõte juurde sinu lisandumisega meeskonda? Kuna olin müügitööd juba üsna kaua teinud, siis usun, et andsin suurima panuse oma müügitööteadmistega. Ettevõte sai juurde uusi kliente ja tootmismahtu. Kindlasti lisandus ettevõttele koos minuga ka palju kulutusi, sest eksporti alustades tuli ilmsiks, et selleks oli vaja taotleda mitmeid tehnilisi dokumente.

Lauri Kivi How and from where did you come to ACF? It is a very interesting story. I worked as a sales representative in the Express Deliveries Department of DHL, my immediate supervisor had become acquainted with Andrus during a mountain skiing trip and when Andrus mentioned that he was looking for an export manager, my immediate supervisor dared to recommend me â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just a big coincidence. How long have you been working at the company and what work do you do? I will have worked for ACF for five years next December. I was export manager at first and since 2012 I have been the sales manager. I could say in simple terms that my work consists in the fulfilment of the sales objectives of the company and increasing of the customer base. I also visit foreign customers and I am responsible for the participation of ACF in European fairs. What did the company gain by adding you to its team? As I had worked in the area of sales for quite a long time already, I believe that I contributed most with my knowledge of sales management. The company gained new customers and increased its production volume. I certainly also added a lot of expenses to the company as when starting export activities it turned out that several technical documents had to be applied for.

Miks töötada siin ettevõttes? ACFil on tohutu potentsiaal! Meil on motiveeritud meeskond, kus igaüks annab oma panuse ettevõtte eduks. Ettevõte on uuenduslik ja edumeelne – investeeritakse tootmisseadmetesse, olmeruumidesse, uutesse töökohtadesse, efektiivsuse tõstmisse. Olles töötanud siin pea viis aastat, julgen arvata, et mõned ettevõtted arenevad 20 aastaga nii palju kui ACF selle viie aastaga. Mida arvad oma kollektiivist? Meie kollektiiv on nooruslik, kuid on ka vanemaid töötajaid, kelle elutarkus ja kogemused on väga hinnatud. Kollektiiv on entusiastlik ja aktiivne ning läbisaamine on väga hea.

son, Scandinavian Fastening, Rautakesko Finland, Top Kraft Handels GmbH, KM Befestigungssysteme GmbH, Metaplan OY, Metizych ЧПФ. Meenuta põnevaid seiku oma koostööpartneritest ja klientidest. Aeg-ajalt külastavad meid väliskliendid, et veenduda meie tootmisvõimekuses ja toodete kvaliteedis. Mäletan korda, kui meid külastas üks suur välisklient. Samal ajal oli kohale jõudnud uus tootmisliin, mistõttu tuli tootmisruumidest kogu tehnika välja viia ja põrandale lisavalu teha. Üsnagi piinlik oli suurele väliskliendile näidata tühja tootmishalli ja öelda, et me tegelikult ikka toodame ka.

Mida hindad oma tööandja juures? Just seda, et tööandja on ise samuti väga motiveeritud ettevõtet arendama, pakub mitmesuguseid koolitusi ja enesetäiendamisvõimalusi. On alati olemas küsimuste või murede korral.

Millised on olnud olulisemad arenguhüpped või muutused ettevõttes sinu töötamise ajal? Oluliselt on suurenenud tootmismahud ja selleks on investeeritud tootmisse. Oleme saanud suuremad ruumid nii tootmise, lao kui ka kontori tarvis. Lisandunud on tehnilisi dokumente ja oleme jõudnud välismessidele.

Meenuta, kuidas ACF tooteid eksportima hakkas. Kõigepealt valmis korralik ekspordiplaan, esimene komandeering oli Lätti ja Leetu. Peale esimest komandeeringut ja paari kuu pikkust töötamist oli tunne, et eksport ei õnnestu. Välisklientidelt tuli küsimusi, mida Eesti kliendid ei küsinud, mõnest küsimusest ei saanud isegi aru. Aastaga veendusin, et ekspordil on potentsiaali ja olen sattunud õigesse kohta.

Mida sinu pereliikmed su töökohast arvavad? Minu pereliikmed teavad, et ma teen tööd, mis mulle meeldib, töökohas, mis samuti meeldib. Kindlasti on ka nemad selle üle õnnelikud. Pikad välisreisid panevad mu perekonda muretsema, aga nad teavad, et see käib minu töökohustuste juurde.

Millistele messidele on ACF jõudnud ja kellega sealtkaudu koostööd alustanud? Oleme kahel korral, 2011. ja 2013. aastal, käinud Stuttgarti kinnitusvahendite messil. Kindlasti saab mõõta uusi kliente, kuid keeruline on mõõta rahvusvahelisel messil osalemise mõju ettevõtte maine kujundamisele, näiteks olemasolevatele klientidele. Mainida võiks selliseid kliente, nagu näiteks Arvid Nils-

Why work for this company? ACF has huge potential! We have a motivated team in which everybody contributes to the success of the company. The company is innovative and progressive – investments are made in production equipment, staff rooms, new jobs, raising the efficiency. Having worked here for almost five years, I dare say that some companies develop as much in 20 years as ACF during these five years.

Stuttgart Fastener Fair. We can surely measure new customers but it is complicated to measure the impact of participation in an international trade fair on the development of the image of the company, for instance, in the eyes of the existing customers. We could mention such customers as Arvid Nilsson, Scandinavian Fasterning, Rautakesko Finland, Top Kraft Handels GmbH, KM Befestigungssysteme GmbH, Metaplan OY, Metizych ЧПФ. Can you remember anything interesting from relations with cooperation partners and customers? Foreign customers visit us from time to time to be sure of our production capacities and product quality. I remember a visit of an important foreign customer. At the same time a new production line had arrived and therefore all equipment had to be taken out of the production hall and the floor needed additional concreting. It was rather embarrassing to show the empty production hall to the customer and say that we were actually producing.

What do you think about your team? Our team is youthful but we have also older employees whose wisdom and experience are very much appreciated. The team is enthusiastic and active and getting on really well. What do you value about your employer? Particularly the very high motivation of the employer for the development of the company, he offers different training and self-education opportunities. He is always available in case of questions or problems.

What have been the most important development leaps or changes in the company during your work here? The production volumes have considerably increased and therefore investments have been made in production operations. We have acquired new premises for the production operations, warehouse and the office. We have obtained more technical documents and participated in foreign trade fairs.

How did ACF start to export products? A proper export plan was prepared first, the first business trip was to Latvia and Lithuania. It seemed after the first business trip and after working for a couple of months that exporting would not work. Foreign customers asked questions that Estonian customers did not, we did not even understand all questions. After working for a year, I understood that exporting has potential and that I was working at the right place.

What do your family members think about your job? My family knows that I am doing work which I like and at the workplace which I also like. They are surely happy about this as well. Long trips to foreign countries make my family worry but they know that it is included in my duties.

At which trade fairs has ACF participated and with whom has it started cooperation through them? We have participated twice, in 2011 and in 2013, at the

Millisena näed ettevõtte tulevikku? Usun, et viie aasta pärast on oluliselt suurenenud ACFi personal ning tootmis- ja laoruumid on jäänud kitsaks. Õnneks on territooriumil palju ruumi ja võimalik juurde ehitada. Oluliselt on selle ajaga suurenenud meie tootevalik ja kindlasti on lisandunud uusi tooterühmi ning uusi tootmisseadmeid. Suurenenud on kliendibaas ja kui praegu oleme üks juhtivamaid tootjaid Põhjamaades ja Balti riikides, siis viie aasta pärast oleme loodetavasti üks olulisi tootjaid Lääne-Euroopas.

Reiko Falberg Arrasesse sattusin tööportaalist töökohta otsides. Olen töötanud stantsimisliini operaatorina 1 aasta ja 9 kuud. Mulle meeldib töötada Arrases, sest kollektiiv on väga hea, sõbralik ja abivalmis, palk motiveerib, kord kvartalis on ühisüritused ning igati toetatakse sportimist. Oma tööandja juures hindan ausust ja korrektsust. Pidevalt kõik areneb ning juurde tuleb uusi masinaid, mis suurendavad tootlikkust. Arras on ettevõte, kes hoolib oma töötajatest.

What will be the future of the company like in your opinion? I believe that in five years time the staff of ACF has considerably increased and the production and warehouse premises have become too small. There is fortunately a lot of space in the territory and more buildings can be added. Our product range will have considerably increased by that time and surely new product groups and new production equipment have been added. Our customer base will have grown and while we are currently one of the leading producers in the Nordic and Baltic countries, in five years time we will hopefully be one of the important producers in Western Europe.

Reiko Falberg I came to Arras when I was looking for a job at a job portal. I have been working as an operator of the stamping line for 1 year and 9 months. I like to work here as the team is very good, friendly and helpful, the wages are motivating, there are joint events every quarter year and sports are very much supported. I appreciate the honesty and orderliness of my employer. Everything is in constant development and new machines are added which increase productivity. Arras is a company that cares about its staff.

Meenutused / Reminiscences Endine töötaja Janek Sibbul Kuidas ja kust sattusid ACFi? Ühel suvisel saunaõhtul ACFi Andrusega õhtut nautides ja maailma asju arutades leidsime, et minu vaated ettevõtte juhtimisest võiksid ACFile värskust tuua ja uut hingamist anda. Saigi pisut mõtlemisaega võetud ja lõime mõne kuu pärast käed. Tulin ACFi AS Saku Metallist, kus töötasin projektijuhina.

Hästi on meeles, kui mu perre 2007. aastal laps sündis ja kollektiiv oli mulle selle sündmuse puhul ilmatu suure mängukaru ostnud, kelle süles oli veel üks mõmmibeebi. Õhtul, kui selle karuga koju sõitma hakkasin, polnud mul seda autos mujale panna kui juhi kõrval olevale istmele. Sõitsin siis selle karuga uhkelt linnas ringi ja tore oli vaadata inimeste nägusid, kui nad aru said, et tegemist ei ole inimesega, kuid ei saanud ikkagi aru, kes see hull loom siis ikkagi on. Eks toredaid seiku oli teisigi.

Kui kaua töötasid ja mis tööd tegid? Töötasin firmas 2006. a novembri algusest kuni 2008. a septembri lõpuni. Olin ACFis juhatuse liige, juhataja. Tööks oli igapäevane ettevõtte töö korraldamine ja vahenduskaupade ost Saksamaalt, Soomest ja Hiinast. Kinnitusvahendite tootmiseks vajamineva toorme koguste hindamine ja vastavalt vajadusele ka toorme sisseost, rahavoogude juhtimine, müügiplaanide koostamine ja nende elluviimise tagamine. Tootmise planeerimine ja elluviimise tagamine.

Mida hindad oma toonase tööandja juures? Hindan Andruse juures lojaalsust oma töötajate vastu. Kui töötaja oli töökas ja lojaalne ettevõttele, siis sama peegeldas ka Andrus vastu töötajale. Selle omaduse miinuseks võib öelda ettevõtte seisukohast, et väga raske on teha vajalikke personalimuudatusi vanade töötajate seas, kui muudatusi on vaja teha.

Miks töötada selles ettevõttes? Minu arvates on ACF ettevõte, mis pakub töötajale turvatunnet ja annab võimaluse arenguks. Töötajal endal on võimalik oma töötingimuste suhtes palju ette võtta. Tehes mõistlikke ettepanekuid, võetakse neid kindlasti kuulda ja viiakse ka võimalusel ellu.

Former employee Janek Sibbul How and from where did you get to ACF? It was a summer sauna evening, and we were enjoying it together with ACF’s Andrus, discussing the state of the world. We found that my views of corporate management could bring some freshness to ACF and give it a second wind. I took a few months to think about it, and then we shook hands. I came to ACF from AS Saku Metall, where I worked as a project manager.

I remember well when a new baby was born to our family in 2007, and to celebrate, the staff bought an enormous stuffed bear, with a baby bear in its arms. In the evening, when I was going to drive home with the bear, I had nowhere else to put it in the car other than the front passenger seat. So I was driving around town, proudly displaying the bear, and it was great to see people’s faces when they realized it’s not a person, but still didn’t get what the crazy creature is. There were other fun moments too.

How long did you work here and what did you do? I worked for the company from the start of November 2006 until the end of September 2008. I was an executive and a member of ACF’s management board. My job involved managing the everyday work of the company; purchasing goods for resale from Germany, Finland and China; assessing the amounts of raw materials we’d need for manufacturing fasteners, and purchasing those materials as necessary; cash flow management; creating sales plans and ensuring that they are implemented; product planning and implementation management.

What do you appreciate about your employer from that time? I appreciate Andrus’s loyalty to his employees. If someone worked hard and was loyal to the company, this was reflected in Andrus’s dealings with that person. The downside of this aspect, from the company’s point of view, is that it can be very difficult to make the necessary personnel changes among old employees when it is needed.

Why work in a company like this? I think ACF is a company that offers its employees a sense of security and the opportunity for self-development. The employee has a lot of say in their working conditions. When reasonable suggestions are made, they are definitely heard and implemented if possible.

Endine töötaja Evelin Pärnaku Mida arvad kollektiivist? Kollektiiv oli meil siis väga tore. Sõbralikud ja meeldivad inimesed, kellest osadega jätkan suhtlemist ka peale töölt lahkumist. Eks ikka igal pool ole ka inimesi, kellega nii hästi kokku ei sobi või kellega vahel on eriarvamused, kuid jään meenutama kõiki hea sõnaga.

Kuidas ja kust sattusid ACFi? Töötasin varem Tartus raamatupidamisbüroos raamatupidajana. Olles noor ja ambitsioonikas neiu, soovisin minna tööle ja elama pealinna. Leidin CV Keskusest enda jaoks täiusliku tööpakkumise: juhiabi-raamatupidaja ettevõttes Ehitusmetall OÜ. Kandideerisin ning osutusin valituks.

Meenuta mõnda toredat juhtumit seoses tööga või klientidega. Neid oli kindlasti mitmeid. Hästi on meeles ACFi nimevahetuse ja sünnipäevapidu, kus oli kohal palju toredaid kliente.

Kui kaua töötasid ja mis tööd tegid? Töötasin ACFis 3,5 aastat juhiabi-raamatupidajana. Mida ettevõtte tänu sinule juurde sai? Kuna minu tööülesannete hulka kuulusid muu hulgas igasugused organiseerimised, siis ma arvan, et jätsin kindlasti jälje ettevõttesse. Üheskoos sai meil üles seatud ACFi uus bränd. Kindlasti jäävad töötajatele meelde need vahvad üritused, mis minu abiga said korraldatud. Raamatupidamine oli ka loomulikult minu ajal alati korras.

Mida hindasid oma tööandja juures? Ausust, korrektsust ja usaldusväärsust. Olulisemad arenguhüpped või muutused sinu töötamise ajal ettevõttes? Ettevõte arenes pidevalt ja väga kiirelt, alustades uue tootmistehnikaga, uue brändiga ning lõpetades uue asukohaga ja suuremate hoonetega. Seal sooviti, et ka töötajad areneks, seega olen ääretult tänulik, et mul lubati töö kõrvalt kõrgharidus omandada.

Miks töötada siin ettevõttes? ACF on tore ja kodune ettevõte. Seal oli hea kindel töötada, sest ettevõte on stabiilne ja pole kartust, et see kuskile kaoks. Ettevõtte juhtkond tegi kõik, et areneda veelgi suuremaks ja edukamaks.

Mida su pereliikmed töökohast arvasid? Pereliikmed on väga toetavad, seega nad on rahul, kui mina rahul olen. Esimesed tööaastad meeldisid kindlasti väga, kuid millalgi on kõigil aeg uusi väljakutseid leida.

Former employee Evelin Pärnaku How and from where did you get to ACF? I used to work as an accountant for an accountancy firm in Tartu. As a young and ambitious lady, I wanted a job and a life in the capital. I went to CV Keskus and found the perfect job offer for me: executive assistant and accountant for Ehitusmetall OÜ. I applied and was chosen for the position.

What do you think of the staff? Our staff at the time was excellent. They were friendly and pleasant people, and I’ve kept in touch with some of them after leaving the job. Of course, there are always people with whom you don’t fit in well, or with whom you’ll sometimes have differences of opinion, but I have fond memories of everyone.

How long did you work here and what did you do? I was an executive assistant and accountant at ACF for 3,5 years.

Recall for us something fun that involved the job or a customer. Oh, there were many such things. I remember well the ACF name-change and birthday party, which was attended by many of our dear customers.

What did the company achieve thanks to you? As my job description included organizing all sorts of things, I am confident that I left a mark on the company. Together we set up ACF’s new brand. I’m sure the employees will remember the great events that were organized with my help. And of course, the books were always in order while I was handling them.

What do you appreciate about your employer? Honesty, correctness, and trustworthiness. What were the most important development leaps or changes while you were at the company? The company was constantly and very rapidly evolving, from new production techniques and a new brand to a new location and larger facilities. It expected the employees to grow as well, so I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to get a higher education while working.

Why work for this company? ACF is a pleasant, homey company. It was a nice and secure job, as the company is stable and there is no fear that it will go anywhere. The company’s management did everything to make it even larger and more successful.

What did your family think of the job? My family is very supportive, so they are happy if I am happy. I definitely enjoyed the first few years of the job, but the time comes for everyone to look for new challenges.

Koostööpartnerid / Partner Testimonials Puumarket

Toomas Pärtel, Urmo Murumäe ja Marti Rehemaa Mida hindab Puumarket ACFi toodete juures? Hindame ACFi toodete kvaliteeti ja hinda! Meie kliendid on ehitajad ja nende tagasiside ACFi toodete kohta on positiivne.

Mis ettevõte on Puumarket? Puumarket on 1991. aastal loodud ehitusmaterjale ja puitu müüv kaupluste kett. Kuidas koostöö alguse sai? Puumarket on ACF looja Andrus Arrase üks esimesi töökohti. Andrus on tore inimene ja hea kontakt on säilinud praeguseni. Tegemist on meile staažika ja lojaalse partneriga. Meie silmis on sümpaatne see, et pidevalt tegeletakse uute toodete turule toomisega. Enamasti on tegemist küll maailmas juba toodetud asjadega, aga meie jaoks on nad mõistliku hinnaga ja hästi kättesaadavad. Seega kvaliteetne koostööpartner igas mõttes.

Mida kõige rohkem küsitakse ACFi toodetest või toodete kohta? Parim müügiartikkel on metallnurk 90 x 90 x 65 tugev. Mis perspektiiv on ACF-il teie nägemusel? Loodame, et teete oma toodetega ehitajatel elu veel lihtsamaks.

Puumarket

Toomas P채rtel, Urmo Murum채e and Marti Rehemaa What company is Puumarket? Puumarket is a chain of stores selling construction materials and timber since 1991. How was the cooperation started? Puumarket was one of the first jobs of Andrus Arras, the creator of ACF. Andrus is a nice person and we have always kept good contacts.

What does Puumarket value about the products of ACF? We value the quality and price of ACF products! Our customers are builders and they give positive feedback about the products of ACF.

They are our long-term and loyal partner. It is pleasant to see that they are constantly working on bringing new products to the market. While these are mostly things that are already produced in the world, they have reasonable prices and are easily available for us. So, a high-quality cooperation partner in all respects.

Which products of ACF they ask most or ask about most? The best sold item is the angle bracket 90 x 90 x 65 reinforced. What prospects does ACF have in your opinion? I hope they will make the life of builders even easier.

Würth OY Lauri Toivanen Würth OY on tehniline hulgimüüja, kes tegutseb Soomes peamiselt kohalikel turgudel. Oleme osa rahvusvahelisest Würthi kontsernist. Alustasime koostööd juba Ehitusmetalli päevil. Esimesed tooted, mida tellisime, olid naelutusplaadid ja mõned eri suurusega nurkplaadid. Arras on meie jaoks keskmist mõõtu tarnija. Arrase tooted on hea kvaliteediga ja sobivad professionaalidele. Ettevõte on meile hea, töökindel ja paindlik partner, niihästi suured kui ka väiksemad partiid saabuvad õigel aja. Kui mõni reklamatsioon on tekkinud, on see lahendatud hästi. Olen käinud Tallinnas kohapeal ja oma silmaga näinud, et tootmistingimused on varasemast palju paremad. Ka uued seadmed on tänapäevased ja kvaliteetsed. Ettevõttest on mulle kohapealsel külastusel jäänud väga hea mulje. Meie suhted on sujunud hästi, enim oleme asju ajanud Lauriga ja asjaajamine on olnud täpne. Olen kindel, et jätkame koostööd ka tulevikus, selles pole põhjust kahelda. Asjaajamine on kulgenud sujuvalt ja tooted on head.

Würth OY Lauri Toivanen Würth OY is a technical wholesaler, mostly active in Finland’s local markets. We are part of the international Würth corporation. We started working together in the Ehitusmetall days. The first products we ordered were nail plates and irregular-sized angle brackets. Arras is a medium-sized supplier for us. Arras products are of high quality and good for professionals. The company has been a good, reliable and flexible partner for us; both very big and smaller shipments arrive on time. Whenever there has been a claim, it was resolved well. I have visited them in Tallinn and seen with my own eyes that the production conditions are much improved from before. The new equipment is modern and of high quality. The visit to the company’s facilities left me with a very good impression. Our relationship has gone well, we have mostly dealt with Lauri, and everything has always been very precise. I am sure that we will continue to work together in the future, no reason to doubt it. The administrative side has been smooth and the products are good.

ArcelorMittal Europe Flat Products Julia Läheb Mida Arras CFi puhul esile tõsta? Kliendi juures hindame kõige rohkem usaldusväärsust, stabiilsust ja kõrgeid tehnilisi standardeid kõikides aspektides. Kõike seda oleme Arrases juba koostöö algusest alates leidnud ning näeme ettevõtte jätkuvat arengut paremuse poole. Hindame kõrgelt Arras CFi toodangu väga head mainet Eestis ja välismaal. Usume, et peale kõrge kvaliteedi on paljuski Arras CFi edu tingitud suurepärasest kollektiivist, kes teenindab kiirelt ja pädevalt.

Milline ettevõte on ArcelorMittal? ArcelorMittal on maailma suurim terasetootja. Tegutseme enam kui 60 riigis. ArcelorMittal on liider kõikidel maailma suurematel teraseturgudel, s.h autotööstuses, ehituses, tehnika-, elektroonika- ja pakendamistööstuses. Kontsern on juhtival kohal teadus- ja arendustegevuse ning tehnoloogia valdkonnas, ettevõttel on suured toormaterjalivarud ja ulatuslik edasimüügivõrk. Kuidas koostöö algas? Koostöö algus pärineb aastast 2009, kui Arras CF otsustas tellida terast otse meie tehastest. Koostööle pani alguse Andrus Arras ja esimene tellimus broneeriti augustis 2009.

Millist perspektiivi näete koostööl? Loodame, et ka edaspidi näeb Arras CF meis konkurentsivõimeliseimat terasetarnijat ja valib ka tulevikus meid oma suurimaks koostööpartneriks terase valdkonnas. Usume, et Arras CF jätkab kiiret arengut ja tarbitava terase kogused kasvavad jätkuvalt, nii nagu seni on olnud. Omalt poolt pakume edaspidigi parimat terase tarnelahendust, arvestades Arras CFi vajadusi ja tehnilist arengut terasemaailmas. Soovime Arras CFile kordaminekuid nii kohalikul kui ka eksporditurul.

Mida teati ArcelorMittalis ACFist enne koostööd? Olime juba enne koostöö algust kaudselt tarninud oma terast Arras CFile lõikamiskeskuste kaudu. Olime ka teadlikud Arras CFi kõrgetest tehnilistest ja teeninduslikest nõuetest tarnijate vastu. Samuti teadsime, et tegemist on kiiresti areneva Eesti ettevõtega, kes on tugevalt ekspordile suunatud. Millised on teie koostöö eripärad? Algusest peale on meie koostöö kulgenud väga meeldivalt ja efektiivselt. Üks võtmeaspektidest meie koostöös on pidev koguste kasv, mis on loomulikult tingitud üksteise tundmaõpimisest, kuid mis suuremal määral tuleneb ka Arras CFi tootmise kasvust.

ArcelorMittal Europe Flat Products Julia Läheb What kind of company is ArcelorMittal? ArcelorMittal is the world’s largest steel producer. We are active in more than 60 countries. ArcelorMittal is the leader in all of the world’s major steel markets, including car manufacturing, construction, equipment and electronics manufacturing, and the packaging industry. The corporation is a leader in research and development and technology, with great reserves of raw materials and an extensive resale network. How did you start working together? We started working together in 2009, when Arras CF decided to order steel directly from our plant. The cooperation was initiated by Andrus Arras, and the first order was reserved in August of 2009. What did ArcelorMittal know about ACF before you started working together? Even before the start of our cooperation, we had been indirectly providing our steel to Arras CF via cutting centers. We were aware of Arras CF’s high technical and service requirements for their suppliers. We also knew that this was a rapidly developing Estonian company with a strong focus on exports. What were the peculiarities of your cooperation? Our cooperation went very pleasantly and efficiently right from the beginning. One of the key aspects was the constant volume growth, which is of course down to getting to know each other better, but is also largely due to the increase in Arras CF’s output.

What would you highlight about Arras CF? The thing we appreciate most about our customer is trustworthiness, stability, and high technical standards in all aspects. We have always found all of this in Arras right from the start of our cooperation, and we see that the company keeps improving. We highly appreciate the very good reputation of Arras CF’s products in Estonia and abroad. We believe that beyond the high quality, Arras CF’s success is largely down to their great staff, which provides fast and efficient service. What perspectives do you see in the cooperation? We hope that Arras CF will continue to see us as the most competitive steel provider, and will in the future select us as their major partner in the steel area. We believe that Arras CF will continue to grow rapidly, and the volumes of steel it consumes will continue to increase as they have so far. On our end, we will continue to provide the best steel delivery solution, in line with Arras CF’s needs and technical developments in the world of steel. We wish Arras CF lots of success in both the local and export markets.

Lõppsõna / Afterword Arras CFi lugu jätkub. Seda aitavad luua meie töötajad, koostööpartnerid ja kliendid. Meie kestmise ja õnnestumiste ning edu aluseks on tahe õppida ja teha oma tööd klientide heaks aidates kaasa nende edule. Jälgides klientide tööd, liikudes edasi koos oma partnerite ja klientidega, mõtleme pidevalt välja uusi lahendusi ja arendame tooteid, mis uuenevates tingimustes vastavad nõuetele ning tagavad töö kiiruse, täpsuse ja kõrge kvaliteedi. Pidev tootearendus ja klientide vajadustega kursisolek on need, mis meid motiveerivad edasi püüdma.

The story of Arras CF continues. It is being created together with our employees, partners and customers. Our persistence and success are based on a desire to learn and to do our jobs for the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s benefit, contributing to their success. We follow the customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work, move forward together with our partners and customers, and develop products that conform to requirements in changing circumstances, as well as ensuring that the job is done quickly, precisely, and well. Constant product development and awareness of the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs are what motivate us to try harder.

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