FF INFO 69 EN

INFO

GB FlexiForce INFO magazine #69, February 2015

www.flexiforce.com

35 years ago, Mr. Frans Meijer started a company called FlexiForce. Back then he could not have imagined that his initiative would change the European overhead door market. Offering standardized hardware parts to the market opened up opportunities for a lot of small and midsized door companies. FlexiForce, later joined by other independent suppliers, fragmented the door market, allowing it to grow to its current size and structure.

Even with our consistent strategy and history backing us, we have the courage to take 2015 as a year where we will RETHINK everything. To verify our current approach and to keep an open mind for new opportunities.

We believe in the competitive power of local, independent door companies. We still believe in our mission to serve these companies with the best products and services, in order to grow the business. We remain to be, with passion, “hungry for growth”.

But we have also taken the time to see how we can improve the partnerships with our customers even more. For example, by repairing gaps in our product range and by expanding it with best-in-class system solutions, like for example SILHOUETTE and REFLECTION. By offering easy online order- and configuration software (CREATE). We give our customers soon access to residential and industrial hardware sets, coming from the most modern, lean hardware factory in Europe, where we really become your residential or industrial supply chain partner (RSC, ISC). We think out-of-the-box by offering parts and systems for sliding doors (HENDERSON) and by providing access to “hard-to-find” after sales spare parts and panels (IDD PARTS). And finally we expand our line of products in door automation by adding new FORCE and EVOLUTION products.

With more to come. We would like to discuss with you on additional products or systems that you would like to see in our range. Together CO-CREATING the future! In this INFO#69 we will give you an impression and overview of our first RETHINK results. Which we will proudly present to you on the most important door exhibition this year: R+T2015 in Stuttgart, Germany (24-28 Feb.,2015). Our booth will clearly show to you that, even after 35 years, it feels like we have only just started. We have a lot of energy for new ideas! And we are convinced that our hardware systems, door automation and local panel services will be the bases for further growth of both FlexiForce and her customers. Expect a lot from us this year!

Looking forward to another year of innovative partnership with you! Do not hesitate to contact me for any question, idea or remark.

Best regards, Frank Goedhart Managing Director FlexiForce EMEA T: +31-(0)6-51519209 E: frank.goedhart@flexiforce.com nl.linkedin.com/in/nlfrankgoedhart

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RSC

Residential Supply Chain hardware set system Carefully listening to the voice of our customers initiated an upgrading evolution in our garage door hardware systems. The result was introduced in 2012: RSC. Reliable, Secure, Convenient!

Total integrated burglar safety, new click-systems, universality of parts and thermal efficiency.

Since then, RSC has evolved into; RSC-60 for 60mm panels, RSC-T tension spring system and now RSC-T-20 for 20mm panels in combination with tension springs. Future projects will be new RSC systems that focus on renovation, sustainability, safety and up-selling design. Step-by-step filling all your possible market niches for garage doors.

RSC as Residential Supply Chain is a smart set-up where you order online via our CREATE product configurator your residential hardware set, which will be supplied to you within 7 working days in a compact and efficient FLATBED packaging. From any FlexiForce subsidiary. This way, the supply chain is no longer a worry for you!

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EVOLUTION

Reliably anticipating on smart homes Evolution door automation offers you a premium, stylish, state-of-art garage door opener. Powering from 500N, 600N, 800N up to 1000N. Advanced technology, silent operation, “green” energy use and an unbeaten performance reliability.

But there is more. It will not be long before your home refrigerator will order its own food supplies from an online food retailer, simply because it knows you will run short of milk and cheese soon. The “internet-ofthings”, where home appliances and devices are connected and controlled via the internet with your smart phone, is already in place today. Liftmaster Evolution garage door openers are enabled for MyQ internet access. Made very easy by just ordering the 828EVO gateway (list price € 81,10) from FlexiForce, installing an App on your smart phone and... connect! Rethink for yourself how this unique feature, enables you to sell more than “just another garage door opener” to your customer!

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SILHOUETTE

The ultimate form-fit-function pass door design

“It became clear to me that making a split between the appearance and the functional structure would free the way to designing a really competitive pass door solution” says Jildert Gaastra, product designer at FlexiForce.

Getting him to unveil more details about SILHOUETTE, the new finger-safe pass door system that we will introduce this summer, is hard due to the confidentiality of several pending patent applications. “The system is very easy to produce. No milling is needed. Only easy straight cuts in the aluminium frame. It will have best-in-class sealing, preventing air and light to pass through. The construction is extremely solid and, even more important, very forgiving when it comes to compensating tolerances. External hinges offer the needed rigidness in opening and closing.” Once started, now Jildert continues: “the outside aluminium frame not only covers all seams, gaps and panel transitions, but it also allows a full integration of the pass door into the external door design. Not only in colours but also in personalized frame profiles”. We think that SILHOUETTE has all the potential to become a new standard in industrial and residential pass door systems.

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ISC

Industrial Supply Chain hardware set system

Over the last couple of years, FlexiForce has gained a lot of experience in serving high volume, demanding customers, with ready-made industrial hardware sets. Being a reliable supply chain partner. Now that our brand new, 15.000m2, factory in Debrecen, Hungary is in full operation we are almost ready to open up our OEM-approach to customers all over Europe. In the second quarter we will introduce new, online product configuration software for industrial doors, CREATE ISC. After entering your door data into this system, your hardware set order arrives digitally in FlexiForce Hungary, where we efficiently assemble the set for you, made-to-measure, in a compact, stackable packaging. Including an order-specific installation manual. Smart logistics make it easy for us to send the set to any location in Europe. FlexiForce has an annual capacity of well over 50.000 industrial hardware sets, which means that we can make you a very sharp offer on adding your volume. This new Industrial Supply Chain (ISC) will be a real smart win-win for both of us!

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FORCE

Smart industrial door automation (Made In Europe) Before introducing our new line of industrial door openers we asked ourselves how to translate state-of-art technology to simple, intuitive use by people. People that daily operate, install and maintain industrial doors. The answer to this question, is the visuaal communication of forceIQ! A control system that tells you what you need to know, when you need to know it. In words, in your own language. ForceIQ is the universal, smart control unit for force70, force100 and force140 industrial door openers. And more good news is that forceIQ is applicable on almost any possible operator brand available in the market today. For after sales repair this means that forceIQ can replace any expensive OEM control system. This opens up unlimited opportunities for growing your after sales business!

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REFLECTION

Full vision system redefined We have been rethinking our approach and product line in full vision aluminium profiles and complete sections. Of course with the aim of increasing our mutual business in this high-value product line. REFLECTION is the result of this rethinking process: a revolutionary system that we will introduce in Q2-2015. It deserves your attention, given the significant savings we achieved in the use of aluminium in combination with a very nice and sharp, minimal design of the section. The elimination of glass beads (laths) makes this system easy to produce while giving it a high-end design appearance. On top of that, it opens up interesting after-sales opportunities for door producers. Order it in profiles or profit from our flexible Hungarian section assembly service. Lean and easy!

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ISTT

Industrial Spring Tension Tool

It is remarkable that as long as overhead doors exist, people have been tensioning torsion springs by using two iron bars. A process that not only demands too much of human muscles and shoulders. It also contains major safety risks.

FlexiForce now offers a solution: ISTT. A spring tensioning tool that is operated by a power drill bit. For 95 and 152mm springs. Patent pending.

At this moment we are market testing a 0-series with selected customers. Soon we will have more news on the market launch. Feel free to indicate your interest to us.

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LOCAL PANELS

HENDERSON

IDD PARTS

In some local markets, we are requested by customers to supply “third party door panels” out of local stock. FlexiForce Poland has provided this service from the start, a good example now followed by FlexiForce Turkey, FlexiForce Iberica and FlexiForce Italia. Your panel business can now become just as flexible as your hardware business!

Supplying partner for this product is PC Henderson, the world leader in sliding gear systems for all kinds of doors, from wardrobe doors, glass panels, timber doors, warehouse doors, shop fronts and gates.

This partner is of course open to serve your interest in their wider range of products. Do not hesitate to contact them through www.pchenderson.com

After sales maintenance, repair and service might well be the part of the door business with the highest growth and earnings potential.

That is, if you can have easy access to spare parts and panels needed to service “third-party” branded installed doors. Our sister company, IDD Parts, offers you an online shop full of parts, automation, panels and tools for all (!) brands and types industrial overhead doors and docking systems. Rethink your business by new focus on service and repair of the installed base. Order your parts on: www.iddparts.nl, www.iddparts.de. Web store soon also available in French and English language.

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ONLINE CONFIGURATION & E-ORDERING In 2015 we will introduce software and systems to make it easy for you to digitally order your residential and industrial hardware sets, torsion springs and bulk hardware parts. Being your supply chain partner, it will be key to connect to you via our new FlexiForce WEBSTORE where standard parts and configured sets will be just one click away from ordering.

Prevention of mistakes, direct information on price and order status. CREATE RSC for garage doors is already available.

CREATE ISC for industrial doors will replace FFLogic in the second quarter of this year. SPRINGFORCE is available for calculation and ordering of torsion springs. This WEBSTORE will start soon in FlexiForce Netherlands, after which we will roll out this service to all other FlexiForce subsidiaries.

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35 years "innovations for overhead doors" Still eager to RETHINK everything!

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