Industry Europe – Issue 23.1 by IndustryEurope

VOLUME 23/1 – 2013 • €6

The world of European manufacturing

ATOTECH LEADS INNOVATION IN ELECTROPLATING ADVANCED FIBRE TECHNOLOGY FROM LENZING TRISTONE - THE EXPERTS IN FLOW TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

BIG PHARMA UNDER PRESSURE

OPINION

PETERMERCER

Fleeing le fisc When Cyrano has had enough of France, what hope remains?

he French have always been a bit funny about important people choosing to live abroad. How could anyone in their right mind not prefer to live in France. Or, at any rate, in Paris? So when Gerard Depardieu announced that he was leaving his €50m Paris mansion – and France itself – to take up residence in a modest former customs officer’s house over the border in Belgium in order to escape the Socialist government’s punitive taxes, the shock was profound. Nothing so utterly against nature and reason as this had happened since the awful day in March 2000 when France discovered that Laetitia Casta, the face of L’Oreal, Chanel, Givenchy and Cacharel and now, as the model for Marianne, whose bust stands in every French town hall, the face of France itself, had taken herself off to London because the taxes were lower there. ‘Quand Marianne s’exile a Londres’ cried Le Point. Of course, self-exile has a long history in France. In the early 1790s London was full of aristocratic émigrés, from Talleyrand and General d’Arblay to Germaine de Stael and Mme de Genlis, seeking refuge from the egalitarian excesses of the Republic. Many were not so lucky. Louis XVI himself famously failed to reach the border of the Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium) after being recognised by the postmaster of Sainte-Menehould and the hapless Marquis de Condorcet only made the eight kilometres from Paris to Clamart (he walked) before fatally blowing his cover as a simple citizen by ordering a twelve egg omelette for breakfast – an indiscretion surely worthy of Depardieu himself. Today it’s not aristocrats that are on the run but capitalists – but most French people seem to like them just as little. There were no tears shed when Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH and reputedly France’s richest man, applied for Belgian citizenship

last August. ‘Casse-toi, riche con!’ snarled the headline in Liberation and no-one was much interested in defending him. Depardieu, however, is a quite different matter. This is a man of the people, a man who virtually embodies the people. A guy who started work at 14 and is now a world famous film star – indeed as Le Monde put it, ce monument du cinema francais – an actor of remarkable subtlety, an accomplished chanteur, a man with a chateau in Anjou, vineyards in France, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Argentina, Algeria and Ukraine, three Paris restaurants, a fish shop and a motorbike concession. And, with all this, a man who still has time to pick fights with imbecile Parisian motorists, who falls off his scooter after a little too much wine, who has punched paparazzi the world over. A free spirit who loves life to excess and pisses where he pleases. How could the French not love such a man – the massive incarnation of every Frenchman’s inner Gaul. And when the prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called his decision to leave France ‘minable’ (petty, pathetic), he might as well have poked a bear. “‘Minable’, vous avez dit ‘minable’?” growled Depardieuin a letter to Le Journal de Dimanche. “Qui etes-vous pour me juger ainsi, je vous le demande Monsieur Ayrault, premier minister de Monsieur Hollande, je vous le demande, qui etes-vous?”, which is pretty much a direct invitation to a bar room brawl. He hadn’t killed anyone, he protested – not yet anyway – he employed some 80 people and over the last 45 years he had paid €145m in taxes to the French state. But in 2012, he claimed, he had paid 85 per cent of his income in taxes and now he’d had enough. ‘Nous n’avons plus la meme patrie’ (we don’t belong to the same country anymore) he concluded with regret, offering to return his passport and the Social Security card that he had never used.

Political cost It’s too early to know how much damage this affair will do to Hollande’s government. But even the left-leaning Le Monde, while enjoying the histrionics of all concerned in this ‘psychodrame’, judged that politic observers would see it as striking proof of the cold response of the better off to the new rigours of the French tax system. It showed that when it came to it, it was the protection of their wealth that concerned them more than the ‘national interest’. It also observed that the fiscal regime in a single country was a lot harder to sustain in a world of globalisation and, in Europe, of the free movement of citizens. Mr Holland, it concluded, risked paying the political cost of his popularity-grabbing 75 per cent top rate. Of course, the rich must pay more than the rest but ‘la brutalite symbolique de 75 per cent sape {undermines} ce message’. After the failure of the government to prevent Arcelor-Mittal from closing the lossmaking blast furnaces at Florange, despite threats of nationalisation from the so-called minister for industrial renewal, Arnaud Montebourg, France’s socialist government is looking more and more a prisoner of outdated attitudes. Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici may declare that the French left must now accept a ‘Copernican revolution’, from class struggle to the free market, but how many more centuries is it going to take before they get their heads around more recent economic/cosmological concepts – the Big Bang (the deregulation of the 1980s), Black Holes (the implosion of the banks in 2008) and Dark Matter (the billions that are now being produced out of nothing by central banks)? The truth seems to be that most French politicians and intellectuals are still defiantly pre-Copernican – whatever the evidence, they insist on believing that the sun (of economics) n revolves around the earth (of politics). Industry Europe 3

Editor Peter Mercer

Production Manager Kamila Kajtoch

Deputy Editor Victoria Hattersley

Administration Anna Chamberlain Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey

Profile Writers Abigail Saltmarsh Felicity Landon Piotr Sadowski Emma-Jane Batey Barbara Rossi Philip Yorke Joseph Altham

CONTENTS

Art Administration Tania Balderson Advertising Manager Andrew Briggs Sector Managers Matthew Howe Eniko Kovacs Milada Preslova Massimo Ragazzo Helen Leisi Mac McCarthy Anthony McClintock Ben Snowing Anna Dudek Stephen Moore Richard Thomas Lisa Ackroyd John Cliff Martin Gisborne Victoria Pease Daniel Sands Matthew Selway Gandy Saunders

Art Director Gareth Harrey Art Editor Rob Czerwinski Designers Leon Esterhuizen Paul Abbott Claire Bidle Web Development Neil Robertson IT Support Jack Everson

Industry Europe Alkmaar House, Alkmaar Way, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6BF, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1603 414444 Fax: +44 (0)1603 779850 Email: photos@industryeurope.net adcopy@industryeurope.net Web: www.industryeurope.net

Pharmaceutical p6

Comment 1 4

Opinion Fleeing le fisc Bill Jamieson Eurozone: where ‘recovery’

makes things worse

James Srodes America ‘fracks’ into recovery

Pharmaceutical Industry 6

Big pharma under pressure Healthcare spending

in the EU drops

Energy news The latest from the industry

News 14 16 18 19 20

Winning business New orders and contracts Linking up Combining strengths Moving on Relocations and expansions Industry people Appointments Technology spotlight Advances in technology

Reports 12 22 23

Prince of onions Breton onions come to Britain Focus on Germany Allan Hall reports from Berlin Focus on France Ian Sparks reports from Paris

Air & Liquid Handling 24 28

Clearing the air Beko Technologies Power of the pump Danfoss

Automation 32 38 47 52

Innovative systems for a global market Cooper Standard Automotive

Pioneering cool flow technology Tristone Flowtech VM Motori: Innovation is the key VM Motori Defining the art of fine-precision automotive part manufacturing Voit Group

POSITIVE PUBLICATIONS

Building & Construction

A Square Root Company

Chemicals

US Industry Today, Industry Europe’s sister publication, is published in the United States of America. For further information or to subscribe contact: Sue Poeton, 100 Morris Avenue, Suite 202, Springfield, NJ 07081. Tel: +1 973 218-0310 Fax: +1 973 218-0311. Email: corporate@USIToday.com. Web site: USIToday.com

56 60 64 68

Leader of architectural lighting ES-SYSTEM Winning on competence Skanska Group A colourful history Russian Coatings Corp. The future is clear Tenax Group

Consumer 72 76 80 84

Decorative cosmetics - the art of success ARTDECO Wall-to-wall style Marburg Wallcoverings Toothbrush technology M+C Schiffer Ready for new challenges SBA Group

VOL 23/1

Above: Danfoss p28

Electrical & Electronics 88 92 96 100 103 108

Global Footprint Fibox Power behind the power industry Topsil Semiconductor Materials

Microwave masters Whirlpool Group Quality is our business! Panasonic One-stop printing partner Konica Minolta Providing the technology for tomorrow’s solution Atotech

Energy Above: ES-SYSTEM p56 Below: SBA Group p84

117 122 126

Award-winning solar experts Savosolar Powerhouse for change EWN group Essential support for power plants

Above: Mette Munk p130 Below: ZPUH p152

GEA Westfalia Separator Group

Food

130 Masters of pastry perfection Mette Munk 134 Prime cut ZPM Biernacki 137 Serving up success Beauvais Foods

Heavy Vehicles

140 Riding the sky, snow and wind Leitner Group 143 Building the brand Ashok Leyland 148 Driving forward Volvo Construction Equipment 152 21st century in containers technology ZPUH

HVAC & Refrigeration

Below: Panasonic p100

156 160 164 168

Leaders in compressor technology BITZER Keeping cool EPTA Group Revolutionising energy efficiency ClimateWell Heating up Rettig Heating

Marine

Above: Rettig Heating p168 Below: FiberVisions p190

172 Seaworthy North Sea Shipping

Metals

175 Optimisation at every stage of production Coswig 178 Masters of metal recycling Kuusakoski 182 Casting the future Ormis

Pharmaceutical

186 Injection of success Bavarian Nordic

Plastics

190 Shaping the future of fibre technology FiberVisions 194 Performance-driven technology Lenzing Group

Also in this issue...

201 Strong and beautiful Wollsdorf Industry Europe 5

COMMENT

BILLJAMIESON

Executive Editor of The Scotsman

Eurozone: where ‘recovery’ makes things worse Beware of greeting a troubled old acquaintance with a presumption of better news.

caught up with some business contacts recently back from Greece and had hoped to hear whether EU agreement on the latest tranche of the bail-out signified an improvement in conditions on the ground. I was soon disabused. Large parts of the country have been able to maintain an outward appearance of normality. But in daily business, life continues to deteriorate. Far from falling prices helping to bring a better match between desperate seller and apprehensive buyer, the cost of many basic commodities has continued to rise. In dealings with many public services there is still the expectation of the small white envelope or ‘paper flower’ to help facilitate transactions. And dealings with the tax authorities are nasty when not hopelessly labyrinthine. Greece is in the grip of a bureaucracy that would make the former Soviet Union look a model of streamlined efficiency. My contact recounted a recent incident when out of the blue he was sent an unexplained tax demand for a business he did not own. He went to the tax office to explain but found the process inexplicable when not threatening and unpleasant. He took a leaf out of local custom and returned some days later with a Greek ‘friend’, more versed in the ways of Greek administration who acted as a go-between. After a lengthy, at times frenzied, and incomprehensible series of exchanges, a settlement was finally arrived at. There had been an administrative muddle at the tax office. Two quite separate businesses had become confused. The tax demand should never have been sent. The demand would be withdrawn. My contact need worry no more … save for the payment of 60 euros. This being a fraction of the amount originally demanded, my contact was only too ready to pay even though the payment had no legal basis whatever. 6 Industry Europe

The currency trap Meanwhile, daily life in Greece continues its trajectory from desperation to despair. The flow of more reassuring news from the eurozone – it is in recession but the constant rounds of standstill ‘summits’, deferments and postponments give an appearance of progress towards resolution – has brought a strengthening of the euro currency. It recently surged to its highest point since last May against the dollar, strengthening 1.8 per cent in the space of one week.

Greece is in the grip of a bureaucracy that would make the former Soviet Union look a model of streamlined efficiency. To an outsider, good news, it would seem. But it is exactly the opposite of good news in Greece and the eurozone’s other stricken economies. What they desperately need is a sharply lower currency to help their economies off the floor and to encourage a resurgence in their tourist industries. Instead, the vice is squeezed even tighter. Prices continue to rise, Greece loses its competitive attractions as a tourist destination and life gets worse. Greek voters see no way out of their fate, because agreement on further tranches of the rescue bail-out is of course conditional on IMF vetting and a commitment to staying within the single currency. It is a circle of entrapment that seems inconceivable in modern-day Europe. But that is the tragedy behind the euro-mess. Meanwhile the endless round of euro summits carries on with as yet no gamechanging breakthrough. The outcome of the recent meeting of the 27 EU Heads of State

and Government on the future of the monetary union was even weaker than suggested in the draft conclusions that were circulated for press consumption. Instead of approving at the December summit a ‘specific and time-bound roadmap’ for completing EMU, as announced at the June 2012 summit, the EU leaders postponed a decision on the roadmap – until the June 2013 summit. A Franz Kafka novel would struggle to capture the sense of a maze with no exit. The list of items discussed referred only to ‘solidarity mechanisms that can enhance the efforts made by the member states that enter into such contractual arrangements for competitiveness and growth’ – whatever that means. In their statement after the Summit EU Council, President van Rompuy and EU Commission President Barroso stressed that in respect of the future of the euro area all doors remain open. What meaningless vacuity. Elsewhere however, there were flickers of hope. Latest ‘flash’ estimates for the composite eurozone Purchasing Managers Index showed an increase from 46.5 in November to 47.3 in December. This second consecutive gain was above the consensus forecast of 46.9. While the manufacturing PMI declined only slightly by 0.1 points to 46.3, the services PMI was up by 1.1points to 47.8. The available country split for Germany and France shows an increase in the composite PMI in both countries. This is better news. But compared to the pace of recovery in the US it is glacial and suggests that the eurozone will continue to be hard going for UK exporters. Britain’s economic hopes for recovery in the year ahead are pinned on an improvement in net trade, so we have a keen interest in seeing a demand recovery in the eurozone. A stronger euro against the pound may help provide an extra competitive edge. But this looks to be a war that will continue to be won on delivery, reliability – and quality. Plus ca change here. n

USA

JAMESSRODES

Veteran commentator on Washington & Wall Street

America ‘fracks’ into recovery As the man said, if you can’t be good, be lucky.

ertainly US President Barack Obama has been uncommonly lucky during 2012 and his good fortune seems to be holding, at least through 2013. After that, however, the crystal ball grows cloudy. First, the President was blessed with a political opposition that was bent more on destroying its own credibility with the voters than in ousting him from office. Starting early in the year, the half dozen Republican would-be replacements drove each other further to the right on marginal but emotion-charged issues until the former Grand Old Party was turned into a monster raving loony satire. When the unseemly brawl was over the survivor, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, appeared so ambivalent about just what policies he would bring to the White House that even the President’s lack-lustre debate performances failed to discredit him with the voters. Moreover, where Mr Romney finally decided to make the President’s dismal economic performance over the past four years the central issue, the economy did him the disservice of showing a few fluttering heartbeats of recovery. Not much of a recovery, mind you, but just enough to make the Republican’s comparisons with the Great Depression of the 1930s seem outlandish. Critical to the President’s ability to put his longer term

policy objectives on the environment, infrastructure, welfare reform and education into effect depends on his ability to enter the new year with a firm Congressional commitment on how to both avoid the ‘fiscal cliff’ of mandated tax increases and forced budget reductions while at the same time winning the ability to raise the statutory ceiling on the massive trillion-plus dollar government debt. The odds at this writing are that while some patch-work compromise probably will be worked out as the new year dawns, it will come nowhere close to providing a broad fiscal policy platform that both reduces the government’s spending deficits while avoiding the kind of fiscal restraints that will stall the fragile American economic recovery. This latter is the key question for 2013, and, by extension, for the rest of Mr Obama’s remaining four years in office. At a fluttering 2 per cent annual growth rate, the US GDP could be thrown into reverse as early as the first quarter of 2013 if Washington fails to even appear to put its fiscal house in order. However, if both Wall Street and Main Street can be convinced that even anaemic growth will continue, there is a chance that some of the money stockpiled by banks and corporations will be broken loose to invest in new productivity and, this is key, in new jobs.

Shale bonanza Here is where the Obama luck may well provide him some extra room to manoeuvre. The current hot word among Washington policy maker these days is ‘fracking’ and it points the way to the United States being able to redraw the world’s petroleum energy map and to provide a surprising boost to the American economy at the same time. ‘Fracking,’ its full name is hydraulic fracturing, refers to a relatively new technological advance where producers of shale oil and gas extract it by pumping water, sand, and chemicals under high pressure into deep layers of hitherto uneconomic shale rock deposits. First used by speculator-drillers in the US Far West, ‘fracking’ operations are now springing up everywhere, especially in the old coal regions of Pennsylvania and Ohio where new millionaires are boosting the prospects of the old battered Rust Belt economies. The impact of ‘fracking’ has been almost immediate. When combined with significant energy conservation laws that impact motor car fuels, America has seen its consumption of oil products shrink from its 20.8 million barrels per day in 2005 to roughly 18.8 billion daily barrels currently. With total US petroleum production jumping from 8.1 million barrels a day in 2011 to 11.1 billion currently the International Energy Agency predicts US oil imports will drop from 10 million

barrels to just four million barrels within ten years. By 2020, IEA forecasts, the United States will replace Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest oil producer. The most immediate impact has been on the US trade deficit, for decades an open wound in the nation’s economic prosperity. In September the US trade account loss narrowed by $2.3 billion to $41.5 billion with more than three quarters of that gain coming from increased American export sales of motor car petrol and reduced raw oil imports. Over the last five years, the trade deficit has shrunk by nearly 40 per cent. Good news for both the US and Mr Obama, to be sure. But what happens next? During his first four years in office the Obama administration has poured billions of development money into ‘sustainable energy’ projects such as solar and wind power but which have yielded very little. At the same time he has blocked projects to expand off-shore drilling for oil, projects to build more efficient pipelines from the new oil fields and a general bias against hydrocarbon energy. Can he, and does he want to, defy his environmentalist backers and make use of the new energy bonanza that can propel his other – now problematical – policy objectives on social issues? This question, perhaps more than the threat of a ‘fiscal cliff’, may determine the outcome of the next four years for Mr Obama, and for the American economy. n Industry Europe 7

BIG PHARMA UNDER PRESSURE The recession is now biting the pharma sector hard. Following nearly 40 years of continuous growth, healthcare spending in the EU has started to fall. Sarah Houlton reports.

his is the first year there has been a drop in EU healthcare spending since 1975, according to the OECD and the European Commission. Their report, ‘Health at a glance – Europe 2012’ indicates that healthcare spending fell Europe-wide by 0.6 per cent in 2010, a significant reduction on the average annual growth of 4.6 per cent the sector experienced throughout the previous decade. Unsurprisingly, the worst effects were evident in those countries most badly hit by the economic crisis. The fall in Greece, for example, was almost 7 per cent – a dramatic swing away from the 6 per cent annual growth in the country from 2000–2009. While these figures represent the entire healthcare market, in practice pharmaceuticals are a large proportion of this – around a fifth. The report warns that there is a significant danger that these spending cuts will have a long-term impact on healthcare outcomes. The long-standing industry complaint about the willingness of governments to pay for new medicines and make them available to patients in a timely fashion continues. In 8 Industry Europe

the UK, for example, the Office of Health Economics has predicted that over the next three years the spending on such products will rise by about 1 per cent a year. This is despite the anticipated £3bn in savings the NHS will make over that period by the growing availability of cheaper generic versions of big-selling medicines as their patents expire. Indeed, several such medicines became subject to generic competition in 2012. Perhaps the biggest drop was in sales of Plavix (clopidogrel), Sanofi’s blockbuster blood thinning drug. In 2011 it sold more than $9.3bn worldwide; this dropped by about 70 per cent as cheaper generic versions became available. As can be seen in the Table, sales losses from patent expiries in 2013 is likely to be lower, with the biggest seller, Cymbalta (duloxetine), only at number 17 on the 2011 worldwide total sales list – and half of them are biologics, which are currently much more resistant to competition. While this offers industry a little respite, the sales losses in subsequent years will rise again, with bigger-selling drugs due to face competition in 2014. These include Astra-

Zeneca’s Nexium (esomeprazole), at number five on the list with 2011 sales of almost $8m – and three of the products ahead of it are already patent-expired.

Innovation opportunities While the days of the $10bn mega-blockbuster are over, many unmet medical needs remain, providing significant opportunities for pharma innovation. Several first-in-class drugs have been given positive opinions by the European Medicines Agency. One of these, AstraZeneca’s Forxiga (dapagliflozin), is a medicine for Type II diabetes that works in a new way – it inhibits a hormone in the kidneys that promotes the reabsorption of glucose by the bloodstream. This improves the control of patients’ diabetes without raising the amount of insulin secreted. Irritable bowel syndrome now has a new treatment – Constella (linaclotide) from Almirall. This is a synthetic peptide designed to improve the quality of life of patients suffering from IBS with constipation. Although about 20 per cent of the population are believed

to be affected by IBS, treatment options are extremely limited, and this should provide a degree of relief, at least for some patients. UniQure Biopharma’s Glybera (alipogene tiparvovec) is a European first – the only gene therapy medicine to gain approval thus far. It uses a viral vector to deliver the gene for an enzyme that is not produced in patients with the rare disease lipoprotein lipase deficiency. The gene is then expressed in the muscles, enabling the enzyme to be made in the body, and preventing the recurrent attacks of pancreatitis patients with this condition suffer from.

US scandals The US had its worst public health problem in decades as a result of a shocking absence of quality control procedures at the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, MA. The company formulated products including corticosteroids for spinal injections, and about 500 patients who had received these injections developed fungal meningitis, 36 of whom died. It took the authorities a couple of months to work out the source of the problem, and then when the FDA inspected the facility they found appalling conditions. The 483 defect notice issued in October highlighted numerous serious problems, with many filled product vials contaminated with green-black foreign matter or white filamentous material. Half of them contained fungal contamination. The company had been using non-sterile materials to formulate injectable products, while equipment and clean-rooms were significantly contaminated with many different fungal strains. They had even been turning the air conditioning off overnight, lead-

ing to a failure of the control of both temperature and humidity in the formulation suites. While the company has now closed down its operations and withdrawn all its products, it turns out that this is not the only compounding pharmacy where problems have been identified. A linked company, Ameridose, has also withdrawn a large number of products after FDA expressed concern about the sterility of its operations, and another Massachusettsbased compounder, Infusion Resource, was shut down after another snap inspection by FDA. These problems highlight wider concerns with compounding pharmacies – they are not subject to the same sort of good manufacturing practice controls that pharmaceutical manufacturers must abide by, and now moves are afoot to address this glaring oversight. Ranbaxy’s manufacturing problems have also continued. Having brought in outsourced product to take advantage of its 180-day exclusivity for generic Lipitor (atorvastatin) after its patent expired in late 2011 because of issues in its own manufacturing plants, it has now had to withdraw 41 lots of homemade product. A piece of a glass housing on the production line was found to be missing, and assumed to have fallen into the powder, raising the potential for fragments of glass to make their way into drug product. In addition, a lot of 10mg atorvastatin tablets had to be withdrawn after a customer found an errant 20mg tablet alongside their 10mg pills.

Transparency problems There was real concern in the media in 2012 about the pharma industry’s transparency – or the lack of it. For some years now critics have thrown accusations at companies that they ‘bury’ bad data from trials, only

publishing those whose results are positive, with those that show a lack of efficacy or significant side-effects being hidden. The worst headlines were reserved for Roche and its reluctance to release the full trials data on Tamiflu (oseltamivir). Governments stockpiled millions of doses of the drug before and during 2009’s swine flu pandemic, yet there are significant concerns that it is not as effective at ameliorating the effects of flu as the company has claimed, with FDA describing their effects as ‘modest’. Despite promising back then that it would release full raw trials data to allow meaningful meta-analyses to be carried out, it still has not done so. At the end of November, the company claimed it would discuss the possibility of allowing access to the full data. A campaign for full trials transparency has been launched by the British Medical Journal, and has already garnered some support from industry. Notably, GlaxoSmithKline has expressed its support, having faced criticism itself in the past over trials data on Avandia (rosiglitazone). It says it will start to make detailed, anonymised patient-level data available to scientists, who will be able to apply to an independent panel of experts who will decide on the scientific merit of their application. Importantly, this should enable detailed conclusions to be made on how new drugs work in different patient populations. The European Medicines Agency is also working towards widespread proactive publication of trials data once products have been approved.

Hopeful signs Although pharma is feeling the squeeze from the recession, in 2012 there were far fewer large site closures than has been common

Industry Europe 9

Table: Top 10 pharma patent expiries 2013 by global sales in recent years, perhaps because of the lack of any mega-mergers. However, AstraZeneca employees were badly affected – more than 7000 jobs are going there, more than 2000 of them in R&D. The company’s strategy of outsourcing and in-licensing continues – it has decided to virtualise its neuroscience research, with a small internal team working on development with a range of external academic and biotech partners. While the recession continues to bite, PricewaterhouseCoopers is now predicting that following a bleak few years, the following decade could usher in a ‘golden era of renewed productivity and prosperity’. Its ‘Pharma 2020: from vision to decision’ report says that the necessary tools to develop new medicines are already appear-

10 Industry Europe

ing. But despite the demand for new and better treatments for many diseases, both widespread and rare, there are still many major economic and operational challenges facing the sector. Most of the products that will be launched over the next decade or so are already in the pharma companies’ pipelines, but the demanding commercial environment seems set to continue. If pharma companies are willing to prune their pipelines and make tough decisions to address rising customer expectations, poor scientific productivity and cultural barriers, it says, there is hope. And if they are able to survive the difficult transitional period the industry is set to face in the coming years, they should be in a good n place to prosper.

Cymbalta (duloxetine), Eli Lilly, depression and pain 2 Avonex (interferon beta-1a), Biogen Idec, multiple sclerosis 3 Humalog (insulin lispro), Eli Lilly, diabetes 4 OxyContin (oxycodone), Purdue Pharma, pain 5 Rebif (interferon beta-1a), Merck KGaA, multiple sclerosis 6 Aciphex (rabeprazole), Eisai/Janssen, acid reflux 7 Xeloda (capecitabine), Genentech, cancer 8 Procrit (epoeitin alfa), Janssen, anaemia 9 Neupogen (filgrastim), Amgen, neutropoenia 10 Zometa (zoledronic acid), Novartis, hypercalcaemia in cancer

NEWS

New developments in the Pharmaceutical industry

INDUSTRYNEWS

GSK tops Access to Medicines Index

SK welcomes the publication of the third Access to Medicines (ATM) Index, which measures the performance of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies on their efforts to improve access to medicines and healthcare in developing countries. GSK has been ranked top of the Index in 2012 for the third time of publishing, scoring highest in four categories including general access to medicine management, research and development activity, capability advancement and drug donation and philanthropy. GSK CEO Sir Andrew Witty said: “GSK’s ranking in the ATM Index is a great acknowledgement of our commitment and to the work and dedication of people throughout GSK – whether the people working to manufacture the millions of doses of vaccines we ship to developing countries, those researching new treatments for diseases such as malaria, dengue and TB or our staff on the ground in Africa who help deliver greater access to medicines every day.” Visit: www.gsk.com

Landmark MRC-AstraZeneca compound collaboration T

he UK Medical Research Council (MRC) has announced £7 million of funding for 15 research projects awarded through its groundbreaking collaboration with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which gave academic researchers unprecedented access to 22 chemical compounds. Scientists will use the compounds to study a broad range of conditions from common diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer and lung disease through to rarer conditions such as motor neurone disease and muscular dystrophies. Professor Patrick Johnston, Chair of the MRC’s Translational Research Group, said: “Thanks to the generosity of AstraZeneca, UK scientists will be able to carry out medical research that otherwise may never have been possible. Not only will this bring benefits for patients in the form of more effective medicines and a better understanding of disease, but it has also allowed academic researchers to forge new partnerships with industry, which will give rise to future collaboration across the life sciences sector.” Visit: www.astrazeneca.com

Positive results for Boehringer Ingelheim’s interferon-free all-oral hepatitis C treatment

inal results from the Phase IIb study, SOUND-C2, confirmed that up to 85% of hepatitis C (HCV) patients infected with the most prevalent type of HCV globally, genotype-1b (GT-1b), achieved and subsequently sustained viral cure with Boehringer

Ingelheim’s interferon-free regimen, when measured 12 and 24 weeks (SVR12 & SVR24) after treatment. This high cure rate was achieved following just 28 weeks of treatment with the highly effective polymodal therapy, faldaprevir (BI 201335)+, a potent next wave once daily protease inhibitor, and BI 207127+, a potent non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor, plus ribavirin.1

Through its comprehensive study programme, Boehringer Ingelheim aims to deliver an all-oral interferon-free therapy that would enable more patients to achieve a viral cure with shorter treatment duration and an improved side-effect profile, compared to currentinterferon based treatments. Visit: www.boehringer-ingelheim.com Industry Europe 11

NEWS

New developments in the Pharmaceutical industry

Shire leads initiative on rare diseases S

hire plc has announced a new initiative – the Shire Rare Disease Impact Report – to research the health, psycho-social, societal and economic impact of rare diseases in patient and medical communities. Comprehensive surveys of patients, caregivers, physicians, payors and thought leaders in the United States and the United Kingdom are underway. Survey results will be published and available in the first half of 2013. Rare diseases are conditions that affect a small portion of the population and are often chronic, progressive, degenerative, Iife-threatening and disabling. While individual rare diseases are uncommon and disparate, collectively there are approximately 7000 different types of rare diseases and disorders affecting an estimated 350 million people worldwide. “Despite the progress that has been made over the past few decades in the rare disease space, there is still an urgent need to better understand this community and its needs,” says Nicole Boice, founder and CEO, Global Genes | R.A.R.E Project.”The Rare Disease Impact Report will help elevate awareness for the rare disease community and guide future research and education for affected patients and their families.” Visit: www.shire.com

Pfizer completes sale of Nutrition business to Nestlé

fizer has completed the sale of its Nutrition business to Nestlé for $11.85 billion in cash, following the conclusion of the required regulatory process in most markets. In certain countries where completion will be delayed due to ongoing regulatory review, Pfizer will continue to operate the business on an interim basis. “The completion of the sale of the Nutrition business to Nestlé demonstrates our commitment to maximising the value of our businesses and prudently managing capital,” stated Frank D’Amelio, Pfizer chief financial officer. “We remain focused on enhancing shareholder value, and our new $10 billion share repurchase program is now effective upon the completion of the sale and will be utilised over time.” Visit: www.pfizer.com

Sanofi appoints new chief scientific officer

anofi has announced the appointment of Dr Gary J. Nabel, M.D., Ph.D., senior vicepresident, chief scientific officer and deputy to the president for Global R&D. Dr Nabel will be based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr Nabel joins Sanofi from the National Institutes of Health, where he served as

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director of the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1999. During his tenure at the NIH, Dr Nabel provided overall direction and scientific leadership of the basic, clinical, and translational research activities of the VRC and guides development of novel vaccine strategies against HIV and other emerging and re-emerging

infectious diseases, including Ebola/ Marburg hemorrhagic fevers, influenza, chikungunya and other viruses. In his new position, Dr Nabel will be responsible for assessing and coordinating Sanofi’s scientific direction for biopharmaceuticals, vaccines and animal health with a focus on improving translational approaches. Visit: www.sanofi.com

INDUSTRYNEWS

Improving drug design

ayer HealthCare and Leiden University of The Netherlands will coordinate a newly founded international consortium, dubbed ‘K4DD’ (Kinetics for Drug Discovery), which has been launched to explore a novel concept in modern drug discovery and to tackle a big problem in the development of new drugs. There is a clear understanding today that compound binding characteristics to its molecular target (binding kinetics) is of high importance for eventual clinical drug efficacy. Therefore, drug discovery has also focused on the optimisation of these drug-target interactions, mostly with respect to affinity and selectivity. However, despite the efforts in finding high-affinity and selective compounds, attrition rates of candidate drugs are still disappointingly high and almost 90% of clinical drug candidates that enter clinical trials still fail. The new concept of ‘target residence time’, the subject of the IMI consortium ‘K4DD’ represents a novel approach in early drug discovery with the final goal of optimising drug design. ‘Residence time’ is the time a low-molecular weight (small) molecule remains bound to its target protein and it may be of greater importance for its effect in a patient than its affinity. The consortium was launched to optimise the binding kinetics of each possible drug canidate in the future, i.e. define its ‘kinotype’, next to its affinity and selectivity. Visit: www.imi.europa.eu Visit: www.bayerpharma.com

Novartis to start construction of new biotechnology facility in Singapore

ovartis has announced the construction of a new state-of-the-art biotechnology production site in Singapore with an investment valued at over USD 500 million. The new facility will focus on drug substance manufacturing based on cell culture technology. It will be co-located with the pharmaceutical production site based in Tuas, Singapore. In the future, Singapore is expected to be a technological competence centre for both biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing at Novartis. “This investment further strengthens our strategy to establish key strategic sites based on technological competencies. Singapore will be strengthened through a new state-of-the-art facility for biotechnology which is a growing segment of our business,” said Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis. “We have chosen Singapore as strategic supply point as it offers a wide range of advantages owing to its strong local biomedical presence and knowledge, skilled labour as well as proximity to growth markets in Asia.” The investment decision underlines the long-term strategy of Novartis to establish a worldwide network of technology centres of excellence. Visit: www.novartis.com

ELIQUIS (apixaban) approved in Europe

ristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer have announced that the European Commission has approved ELIQUIS (apixaban) for prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in adult patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) with one or more risk factors. ELIQUIS is the only oral anticoagulant that

has demonstrated superior risk reduction versus warfarin in the three important outcomes of stroke and systemic embolism, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality. ELIQUIS is an oral direct Factor Xa inhibitor, part of a novel therapeutic class. This is the first regulatory approval in any market for ELIQUIS for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

“Patients with atrial fibrillation have a five times greater risk of stroke and there remains a critical public health need for improved treatment options to reduce this risk,” said Lars Wallentin, Director and Professor of Cardiology, Uppsala Clinical Research Centre and University Hospital, Sweden. Visit: www.bms.com Industry Europe 13

PRINCE OF ONIONS This December British trade professionals and the public were invited to discover the delights of Roscoff pink onions from Brittany. Peter Mercer went aboard.

1828 a young farmer from Roscoff, on the northern coast of Brittany, decided that it was about time the English had a taste of a proper onion. He was so successful in selling his distinctive pink Brittany onions over there that soon French onion sellers, or Johnnies, as the English called them, were familiar sights throughout southern England, carrying their plaited onions from door to door on their shoulders or draped across their bicycles. Even if they didn’t all wear striped jerseys and berets, they became, for the English, an iconic image of the typical Frenchman. By the 1860s Roscoff had become the market gardening capital of western France and hundreds of boats carrying onions and artichokes left its port for England every year. In 1929 more than 9000

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tonnes of Brittany onions were sold in the UK by almost 1400 Johnnies, whose bicycles were to be seen as far north as Glasgow. Today around 20 Breton producers still travel from door to door across the UK but, of course, the technology of produce transportation has changed a bit – now the pink onions travel daily across the Channel by Brittany Ferries. Although not always. At the end of November, 4.5 tonnes of Prince de Bretagne pink onions were hand loaded by 200 people on to a 300-tonne, 20-gun frigate, which then slipped out of Roscoff harbour and set sail for England. The vessel was moored in London, at St Katherine’s Docks, near Tower Bridge, for ten days in early December – her fully rigged three masts standing out among the usual luxury motor yachts.

Of course, it doesn’t take that long to unload 4.5 tonnes of onions. The Etoile du Roy was actually in London to promote the Prince to Bretagne brand of onions, shallots and garlic to the trade, the media and to the public. And, of course, the ship is not actually an eighteenth century warship but a replica of the privateer Grand Turk, which was seized by the Royal Navy in 1746. Today’s 47-metre vessel was built originally for the British TV series ‘Hornblower’ and is now operated out of Saint Malo, where the original ship was constructed in 1745, by the French cruise company Etoile Marine.

Collective strength The voyage of the Etoile du Roy was supported by the Breton farmers cooperative SICA (Societe d’Initiatives et de Cooperation Agricole) and the Prince de Bretagne brand. Founded in 1961, SICA is today the largest gathering of fresh produce farmers and horticulturists in France. It includes 1500 producers based in Saint-Pol de-Leon – the area to the south of Roscoff – who together harvest 300,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables under the Prince de Bretagne brand as well as seven million plants under the Kerisnel brand. All the members of SICA are

responsible for their own farms but share a culture of attachment to traditional quality and local production methods as well as working together on continual innovation in R&D, production techniques and marketing. Prince de Bretagne is the collective brand for the fruit and vegetable producers of northern Brittany. Established in 1970, it is used by 2500 growers from six Breton cooperatives, including SICA, who today produce more than 600,000 tonnes of fresh vegetables each year. Production includes more than 40 types of vegetable, from onions and garlic to artichokes, cauliflowers, leeks and lettuces, grown in some 40,000 hectares of land. Most Prince de Bretagne vegetables are harvested manually and packed directly in the field before being shipped to more than 30 countries. Prince de Bretagne was created to give Brittany producers the advantages of a strong brand image that would be identified with the highest quality and which would be recognised throughout the supply chain, right through to consumers. Of course, they already had the advantage of Brittany’s exceptional growing conditions – the region’s temperate oceanic climate means that frosts are rare in winter and summer is seldom too hot. Up to 15km inland from the sea, the sunshine,

gentle climate and the quality of the soil are perfect for growing vegetables. To ensure their independence, the Prince de Bretagne producers have created scientific and technical structures that allow them to innovate (creating new vegetable varieties through the Organisation Bretonne de Selection), to conduct research (through VegenovBBV, a biotechnology laboratory for plants) and to carry out trials (through the CATE and SECL trial stations). They have also set up ISFFEL (Institut superieur de formation en fruits et legumes) to train future produce department managers and logistics staff. Roscoff onions are easy to recognise because of their distinctive pink colour, both on the outside and inside. They are harvested before they are completely mature to ensure a lengthy natural conservation period and, to improve the storage life even further, the stems are left on the bulbs. They are prized for their intense fragrance; fruity, crunchy and juicy when raw, their sweet, fairly mild taste makes them ideal for use in salads. Cooked, their sweet taste and soft texture makes them favourites in soups, sauces and stir-fries. n Essayez la – vous aller l’adorer. www.prince-de-bretagne.com Industry Europe 15

NEWS

New contracts and orders in industry

ABB wins solar power orders worth $225 million

BB has won orders worth around $225 million to supply two turnkey photovoltaic (PV) power plants that will be built in the northern province of Limpopo in South Africa. The orders were awarded by two special purpose entities, Core Energy and Erika Energy, whose primary stakeholders include Sun Edison, a leading global solar energy services provider. The two plants, located at the Witkop and Soutpan Solar Parks, will be located close to the city of Polokwane, the capital of Limpopo province. They will have a generating capacity of 33 MW and 31 MW respectively and will be among the first utility-scale PV power plants to be built in phase 1 of the South African government’s long-term renewable energy program. This program aims to reduce the impact of electricity generation on the environment and diversify the country’s energy mix by encouraging independent power producers to develop the country’s abundant renewable energy resources. Together, the plants will generate 130 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, enough clean energy to power around 36,000 South African homes and displace around 130,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. The projects are scheduled to be completed in 2013. Visit: www.abb.com

ANDRITZ to supply electromechanical equipment for Xayaburi hydropower plant

nternational technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order from CH. Karnchang (Lao) Company Ltd to supply the electromechanical equipment for the Xayaburi runof-river hydropower station, Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

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Wärtsilä awarded a major contract from Middle East

ärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading solutions and services provider, has been awarded the contract to supply the engines and complete propulsion systems for two newbuild vessel projects. The order includes a total of 28 engines for 14 vessels being built for the Kuwait Oil Company, and represents a major order for Wärtsilä from a Middle East based marine sector customer. The Wärtsilä propulsion solutions will be installed in nine 80-tonne Bollard Pull (BP) tugboats, and five 50-tonne BP tugboats, being built at the Damen shipyard in Holland. The contracts were signed in August 2012, and delivery of the Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for 2014 and 2015. The ships will be used for port operations at the Kuwait oil terminal.

In addition to the engines and propulsion systems, the contract includes Wärtsilä’s Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) systems for each of the 14 vessels. CBM provides remote condition monitoring of the engines, and enables accurate and cost-effective predictive maintenance. Visit: www.wartsila.com

Cargotec wins breakthrough Siwertell contract from the steel industry

argotec has secured a breakthrough contract for two large Siwertell coal unloaders from Formosa Petrochemical Corporation (FPC), part of the Formosa Plastics Group. The unloaders will be the largest that Cargotec has delivered so far and may start a trend that sees more steel plants using Siwertell machines for dedicated coal unloading. The equipment will be delivered to Formosa Plastics Group’s newly-built Ha Tinh steel plant in Vietnam’s Son Duong Port during the last quarter of 2014. Each ST 940-DOB unloader will be feeding coal with a rated capacity of 2400t/h. “Siwertell systems can deliver huge cost savings – in the region of $2.5 to $3 million per year for this particular operator – in comparison to traditional systems, because ships will spend much less time at the unloading berth,” says Per

Karlsson, president for Bulk Handling Business Line. “Until now the industry has been reluctant to invest in separate intake systems for coal and iron ore; however, savings on this scale cannot be ignored and we are confident that this order will start a trend that sees more steel plants using Siwertell machines for dedicated coal unloading.” Visit: www.cargotec.com

ANDRITZ HYDRO emerged as best bidder in an international tendering process with suppliers from Europe and Asia and will deliver seven Kaplan turbines, each with an output of 175 MW, an additional Kaplan turbine with an output of 68.8 MW, generators and governors, automation systems, and additional equipment. The Xayaburi run-ofriver hydropower station will have an annual

output of 7406 GWh and will provide electricity for around one million households. The modern technology offered by ANDRITZ HYDRO and the successful supply of electromechanical equipment by ANDRITZ for Nam Theun II hydropower plant in Laos, which went into operation in 2010, were decisive in award of the order. Visit: www.andritz.com

WINNINGBUSINESS STRABAG awarded contract for Alto Maipo hydropower plant in Chile

he Chilean tunnelling division of the European publicly listed construction company STRABAG SE has signed a design and build contract for the majority of the tunneling and civil works of the Alto Maipo Hydroelectrical Power Plant. The contract is worth about USD 490 million – one of the biggest private construction contracts in South America. The client is Alto Maipo SpA, which is a subsidary of the Chilean-based AES Gener and the US-based AES Corporation. The scope of works includes detail design engineering and construc-

tion of underground and civil works of the two hydroelectric plants Alfalfal II and Las Lajas. The complete contract consists of tunnels and shafts with a total length of 46.5km excavated by drill and blast as well as by tunnel boring machines. The location of the Alto Maipo Hydropower Plant is located 50km south-east of the city of Santiago, in the high Maipo River basin of the municipal district of San José de Maipo.This area is situated in the Andes close to the Argentinean border with peaks up to 6500m. Visit: www.strabag.com

Royal HaskoningDHV signs MoU with Hakan Kiran for transportation hub in Istanbul

nternational engineering consultancy provider Royal HaskoningDHV and Hakan Kiran Architecture have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the design of the new Kabatas Seagull Transportation Hub in Istanbul. The new Kabatas Seagull Transportation Hub is to be located on the western shore of the Bosporus in Istanbul and will provide transfer facilities for millions of travellers. The multi modal transportation hub will connect ferry, metro, tram, bus and regular traffic. Royal HaskoningDHV will be providing geotechnical, environmental and maritime consultancy and engineering services to the architect’s project team. The architect was assigned by the Municipality of Istanbul to design a new landmark for this unique location. The view from the water side is intended to represent a flying seagull, which will be visible to millions of tourist and commercial vessels passing the Bosphorus every year. The project will include an underpass for vehicles, a metro station, a tram station as well as ferry docks. From here the ferry will leave for destinations such the Princes’ Islands. Visit: www.royalhaskoningdhv.com

Belden supplies optical communications technology for Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines

elden Inc., a global leader in signal transmission solutions for mission-critical applications, has supplied optical communications technology from its Hirschmann brand for Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines used to construct the Katzenberg rail tunnel in southern Germany. This tunnel, which is scheduled to go into operation by the end of 2012, will form part of the new high-speed link between

Karlsruhe and Basel in Switzerland. Two identical tunnel boring machines (TBMs) were used to cut twin 9385-metre holes through solid rock. Each of these machines is 230 metres long and weighs 2500 tons. Because the machines have special data communication requirements, an optical Profibus network incorporating Hirschmann OZD Profi 12M fiber interfaces were installed.

Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau was responsible for planning and implementing this network. Project Manager Roberto Piacentini explains: “The physical properties of optical cables mean that there is no electromagnetic interference, which is extremely important in view of the long transmission paths along the power cables of the tunnel boring machines.” Visit: www.belden.com

Bouygues Construction signs €60 million contract in the UK

tallest buildings on the south coast of England. It will be accompanied by two residential towers, respectively 50m and 30m tall. These new buildings form part of the Admiral’s Quay development, which is characterised by numerous luxury apartments. The buildings have been designed to provide their future occupants with the highest level of comfort. Warings paid particular attention to

the combination of solar control glass, ventilation and air conditioning in the towers. The project is due to be completed in December 2014. The construction techniques employed have been carefully chosen to minimise the worksite’s environmental impact and to reduce nuisance to local residents. Visit: www.bouygues-construction.com

arings, a British subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, has signed a contract worth £48.5 million to design and build a property development consisting of three towers in Southampton. The project includes a 26-storey contemporary tower, which, at 81m, will be one of the

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NEWS

Combining strengths

Borealis to purchase DEXPlastomers

orealis, a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions, has reached an agreement to acquire the shares of DSM Plastomers BV and Exxon Chemical Holland Ventures BV, each holding a 50% interest in DEXPlastomers V.O.F. in Geleen, The Netherlands, from DSM Nederland BV and ExxonMobil Benelux Holdings BV DEXPlastomers is a 50/50 joint venture ultimately owned by Royal DSM and ExxonMobil Chemical Company. Following this agreement, the relevant employee representatives are being informed and consulted on the proposed sale to Borealis. The transaction is subject to customary approvals and notifications. The products of DEXPlastomers are specialities complementary to Borealis’ current innovative plastic solutions. The agreement made with ExxonMobil Benelux Holdings BV and DSM Nederland BV underpins Borealis’ commitment to its Value Creation through Innovation strategy, as Borealis believes there is significant potential in DEXPlastomers’ technology. Visit: www.borealisgroup.com

Aker Solutions acquires Thrum Energy BOLZONI AURAMO

and MEYER join forces in the BeNeLux

M A

ker Solutions, the international oil services provider, is buying Canadian asset integrity management (AIM) company Thrum Energy Inc. The acquisition will grow Aker Solutions’ AIM portfolio and increase the company’s presence in the Atlantic Canada market. Thrum Energy is a St John’s, Newfoundland-based asset integrity management company. The company provides a diverse portfolio of quality services to both onshore and offshore assets in Canada. The acquisition supports Aker Solutions’ growth plans in North America in general and in St John’s and Atlantic Canada in particular. Aker Solutions currently employs 40 people in St John’s. The company is also present in Calgary, Alberta. “This is an important acquisition both for our AIM business, which we want to grow significantly over the coming years, and for our ability to meet customer expectations in Canada,” says Tore Sjursen, head of maintenance, modifications and operations in Aker Solutions. “We already have a strong presence with the AIM services we offer to customers on the Norwegian and UK continental shelf. With the acquisition of Thrum Energy we will increase our own competence as well as expand our offering to customers geographically,” Sjursen says. Visit: www.akersolutions.com

Hexagon acquires 3D city modelling pioneer GTA Geoinformatik GmbH

exagon AB, a leading global provider of design, measurement and visualisation solutions, has signed an agreement to acquire the business of GTA Geoinformatik GmbH, a pioneer in georeferenced virtual 3D city models and highly efficient building reconstructions. Founded in 1995, GTA Geoinformatik

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is the developer of tridicon® software, which enables the automatic generation of highquality, coloured 3D point clouds. The company also specialises in uniting point cloud data with aerial images to create intelligent, navigable 3D city models, or smart cities. “The idea of creating a smart city has been an important part of Hexagon’s geospatial vision to merge maps with information and

EYER and BOLZONI AURAMO are joining forces in The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg. The product ranges of both brands will be jointly distributed through the Bolzoni Group operation based in Helmond, Bolzoni Auramo BV, offering highly qualified consultancy for the optimum logistics solutions for customer material handling applications. Bolzoni Auramo BV further supports its customers through an experienced service team and well-equipped workshop for after sales, repairs, on-site installations and product modifications. A European rental fleet is available for both long- and short-term rentals. This new organisation is now offering the most comprehensive range of innovative and high quality attachments in the market, supplied through the specialised product development centres and production facilities in Italy, Finland and Germany. Visit: www.bolzoni-auramo.com real-time updates,” said Hexagon president and CEO Ola Rollén. “Solutions such as those GTA Geoinformatik delivers are becoming increasingly important, as they build the foundation for industry-specific applications in areas of city development such as security, traffic, infrastructure management, energy and emergency response.” Visit: www.hexagon.com

LINKINGUP

AkzoNobel expanding Middle East operations A

kzoNobel has underlined its growth ambitions for the Middle East after signing an expanded joint venture agreement with the Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo group of companies. The new deal strengthens the existing joint venture between AkzoNobel and Kanoo, which only covers the supply of the company’s International Paint brand, along with coil and packaging coatings. Under the terms of the expanded agreement, AkzoNobel will offer products from across its Performance Coatings portfolio, including professional woodcare, automotive refinish, marine, yacht, fire protection, protective and powder coatings.

“We are very pleased to build on our longstanding relationship with the Kanoo family by signing this agreement,” said Leif Darner, AkzoNobel’s executive committee member responsible for Performance Coatings. “It will give us a firm foothold in the Middle East and a solid platform from which to deliver on our ambitious growth strategy in the region. We see many opportunities for our products and services to supply the construction, oil and gas and transportation sectors in the Middle East and this deal will ensure that we are better placed to serve our customers.” Visit: www.akzonobel.com

Sagem and Thales strengthen joint subsidiary Sofradir’s infrared technopole agem (Safran group), Thales and Sofradir have signed an agreement for Sofradir to acquire Sagem and Thales’ infrared (IR) detector technology development and manufacturing facilities. Sagem and Thales bring to Sofradir IR technologies originally developed for their internal purposes. IR detectors are advanced technology components at the centre of multiple military, space, commercial and scientific applications: thermal

imagers, missile seekers, surveillance systems, targeting systems or observation satellites. Their performance and price are key to the competitiveness of optronics systems.    Under the agreement, Sagem will transfer to Sofradir the Indium Antimonide (InSb) technology. The Quantum Well-Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) and Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) technologies will be transferred to Sofradir from the GIE III-V Lab, an economic interest group with partners Alcatel Lucent, Thales and research institute CEA (the French nuclear energy and alternate energies commission).    The acquisition will reinforce Sofradir’s leading position in Europe and pave the way to a global leadership position in the imaging market. Sofradir is currently ranked number one for volume deliveries of IR detectors based on its Mercury Cadmium Telluride (HgCdTe) technology. Visit: www.sagem-ds.com

BASF and Gazprom agree on asset swap

duction of oil and gas and to exit the gas trading and storage business. Through the agreement, two additional blocks of the Achimov formation of the Urengoi natural gas and condensate field in western Siberia will be jointly developed. A total annual plateau production of at least 8 billion cubic metres of natural gas is expected from the two blocks.

Kurt Bock, chairman of the board of executive directors of BASF SE, and Alexej Miller, chairman of the management committee of OAO Gazprom, has signed a legally binding basic agreement to swap assets of equivalent value. Through the swap, BASF aims to further expand its pro-

DEUTZ AG to sell pipe manufacturing operation

part of the implementation of its production strategy, DEUTZ AG has sold its pipe manufacturing operation at the Cologne-Deutz site to T.ERRE Deutschland GmbH with effect from 1 April 2013. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. Outsourcing pipe manufacturing will optimise the value chain. “For DEUTZ AG, outsourcing the pipe manufacturing business will bring significant efficiency improvements which are going to have a positive impact on our supply chain. We are also expecting to benefit from innovations made by our partner T.ERRE,” explained Gerhard Gehweiler, senior vice-president of Purchasing at DEUTZ. T.ERRE will be manufacturing pipes at the Cologne-Deutz site until the end of 2014 and at the same time will set up a new production facility with growth prospects in the immediate vicinity. DEUTZ and T.ERRE have signed a longterm supply agreement for pipes and conduits. Visit: www.deutz.com In return, Wintershall will completely transfer the currently jointly operated natural gas trading and storage business to its long-term partner Gazprom. Gazprom will also receive a 50% share in the activities of Wintershall Noordzee BV, which is active in the exploration and production of oil and gas in the southern North Sea (Netherlands, UK and Denmark). Visit: www.basf.com Industry Europe 19

NEWS

MOVINGON

Relocations and expansions across Europe

Production Audi Q7 starts in India

udi has started production of the Q7 luxury-class SUV at its Aurangabad plant, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Up to 1000 of the Audi Q7 will be built there each year to supply the Indian market. Following on from the Audi A4, Audi A6 and Audi Q5, the Q7 is the fourth model to be built in India by the Ingolstadt carmaker. “Local production of the Audi Q7 is part of our long-term growth strategy in India, one of the most promising auto markets in the world,” declared Dr Frank Dreves, Audi Board Member for Production. “The very good infrastructure in the plant, efficient working processes, a qualified workforce and a well developed logistics environment, along with the surging growth of the Indian market, were the factors that motivated us to expand the Aurangabad plant.” Visit: www.audi.com

Brevini invests in its European HQ B

revini Power Transmission has opened its new headquarters in Via dei Gonzaga, northern Italy, which consolidates all its manufacturing activity under one roof. The new 83,000m2 facility represents almost €25 million of investment and will allow Brevini to adopt the principles of Lean Manufacturing across its entire product range; reducing lead times on deliveries across Europe.

Brevini manufactures and supplies the most comprehensive range of medium-to-high torque gearbox and winch products on the market. In order to support the further expansion of its product portfolio and reduce delivery lead times for its entire range, it has opened a custom built facility which has the manufacturing capacity to satisfy global product demand. Visit: www.brevini.com

Volvo integrates assembly MTU Maintenance Zhuhai increases MRO capacity by 50 per cent of diesel plug-in hybrid IN V olvo Car Corporation is now ramping up production of the new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid. After the initial batch of 1000 model year 2013 cars, production will increase to 4000-6000 cars as of model year 2014. The assembly of the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid has been successfully integrated on the same line as the company’s other models at the Torslanda plant in Gothenburg. “We are first in the industry to integrate a plug-in hybrid in an established production flow together with other car models,” says Peter Mertens, senior vice-president Research and Development at Volvo Car Corporation. Visit: www.volvocars.com

MMK considers investments in Turkish subsidiary

JSC Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) is exploring the possibility of investing an additional USD 100 million over the medium term into MMK-Metalurji, its Turkish subsidiary, to reduce production costs and increase production efficiency.

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order to meet the growing expectations of the global aviation market, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, a joint venture between Germany’s leading engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines and China Southern Air Holding Company, has extended its main engine repair shop by 5900 square metres to increase the overall capacity by 50% from currently 200 to 300 shop visits per year. “We are very proud of this milestone,” said Dr Stefan Weingartner, president Commercial Maintenance and member of the board at MTU Aero Engines, at the opening celebration. “MTU Maintenance Zhuhai has been operating in China for more than ten years now and has become a strong, competent and reliable partner with excellent growth potential.” Visit: www.mtu.de

Investment projects under consideration include construction of an OxiCup shaft furnace and briquetting plant, to reduce dependency on the correlation between scrap and coil prices, make efficient use of production waste and replace bought-in cast iron with MMK’s own; and modernisation of the plant’s hot-rolling mill along with introduction of

additional stand, to expand the product range and increase the share of highmargin products. “We are constantly looking for new ways to substantially increase our current technological and production capacities in Turkey,” MMK CEO Boris Dubrovsky said. Visit: eng.mmk.ru

NEWS

INDUSTRYPEOPLE High-profile appointments at McLaren

Left to right: Ian Morgan, Andrew Bailey and Tim White

further strengthening of the McLaren GT technical team, and as part of the strategy to accommodate the expanding operations, the British race car manufacturer is announcing three high profile appointments. Andrew Bailey moves to the role of operations director, Ian Morgan joins as chief engineer and Tim White takes up the position of engine operations manager. Andrew Bailey makes the move

SCHAD appoints Chief Technology Officer

from the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team. Ian Morgan joins McLaren GT following his recent position at Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team as head of Racing Engineering. Tim White brings more than 25 years of experience in top level motorsport, having held senior positions in several leading motor sports and engineering companies including Ilmor Engineering, Mercedes Benz HPE and Red Bull Technologies.

New chairman for Element Six

lement Six, the world leader in synthetic diamond supermaterials, has appointed De Beers Group CEO Philippe Mellier as chairman. The appointment reflects the position of Element Six as a core business within the De Beers Group. Mr Mellier joined De Beers in July 2011, and has since overseen a strategic review of the business and its integration into the Anglo American plc Group. Anglo American acquired the Oppenheimer family’s 40% shareholding in De Beers in August 2012, bringing its shareholding in De Beers to 85%. Prior to joining De Beers, Mr Mellier was president of Alstom Transport and executive vice-president of Alstom s.a.

CHAD Ltd, the engineering mobility specialist, has further enhanced its leadership team with the appointment of Oliver Sturrock as chief technology officer. Responsible for the continued development of EXTEND7000, SCHAD’s mobile SCADA and maintenance application, Oliver Sturrock leads a team of mobile developers based in the UK and Germany. Oliver Sturrock is a highly successful entrepreneur and has 12 years’ experience building teams supporting the creation of mobile applications.

Esa Hyvärinen appointed as vice president, Corporate Relations, at Fortum

sa Hyvärinen, M.Sc (Econ), M.Sc (For), has been appointed as vice-president, Corporate Relations. Corporate Relations’ responsibility area covers both International Affairs and Hyvärinen’s earlier responsibility area, Public Affairs. Corporate Relations monitors the political and regulatory changes in all Fortum’s operating areas and in the EU. It also brings Fortum’s views on these changes to political decision-making arenas. Esa Hyvärinen will report to Tapio Kuula, president and CEO of Fortum Corporation.

New SOURIAU CEO

ean-Luc Gavelle, former chief operating officer of Switzerland-based HUBER+SUHNER’s Radio-Frequency division and member of executive group management, is the new CEO of SOURIAU. He has 28 years of industry experience in electronics and connection solutions. François CALVARIN, the former CEO,

introduced Jean-Luc Gavelle to SOURIAU, saying, “Jean-Luc has the business savvy and intelligence to continue SOURIAU’s success and while I admit I will miss being a part of the progress, I know I am leaving the business in good hands.” SOURIAU designs, manufactures and markets high performance- high reliability interconnect solutions for severe environments. Industry Europe 21

NEWS

TECHNOLOGYSPOTLIGHT

A milestone along the way to CO2-free power plants A

new method for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by power plants could reduce their CO2 emissions by more than 90%, while utilising less energy and incurring less expense than former approaches. The TU Darmstadt, which operates one of the world’s largest pilot systems for capturing CO2, has been investigating the ‘carbonate-looping’ method for the past four years, with success. Yet another major benefit of the method is that it may be retrofitted to existing power plants. The carbonate-looping method involves initially employing naturally occurring limestone for binding CO2 contained in power-plant flue gases in a first-stage reactor. The now pure CO2 is then reliberated in a second-stage reactor and may subsequently be further processed or stored. The TU Darmstadt’s pilot-scale research system proved capable of capturing more than 90% of the CO2 emitted, while reducing both

the energy input and operating costs formerly required for CO2 capture by more than 50%. Institute Director Prof. Dr Ing. Bernd Epple said, “This method represents a milestone along the way to CO2-free power plants and will allow coal-fired, natural-gas-fired, waste-derived-fuelfired, and biomass-fired, power plants to reliably and cost-effectively generate electricity and heat, without burdening the environment.” Visit: www.tu-darmstadt.de

Protecting pipelines O

ptaSense, the company that protects the world’s key infrastructures by turning fibreoptic cables into a listening device, has secured a key pipeline security contract in Iraq. The contract is to help provide protection to a new 180km pipeline corridor, owned and run by the State Company for Oil Project Iraq (SCOP). OptaSense will be providing the technology to allow vital operational and security data to help operate, protect and secure the pipeline along both sides of a 60-metre-wide pipeline corridor. When complete the pipeline corridor will be protected by over 20,000 virtual microphones making it one of the most monitored assets in the region. This means any activity in and around the pipeline corridor will be ‘heard’ whether these be footsteps, digging or vehicles. The OptaSense acoustic alert data will be used to inform and guide the correct response to maintain pipeline integrity. The success of OptaSense reflects the growing realisation that ‘Leak Prevention’ is much more 22 Industry Europe

desirable to ‘Leak Detection’ with OptaSense able to detect, classify, locate and alarm on the events that precede a pipeline leak. With oil theft and breaches of pipelines costing the industry billions of dollars in lost revenue every year, OptaSense has a cost effective means to help provide a leak prevention solution. Visit: www.OptaSense.com

Advances in technology across industry

Exploring new generation aviation fuels

irbus, EADS Innovation Works and ENN, one of the world’s leading bio-energy companies based in China, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the China International Air Show in Zhuhai. The partners aim to explore innovative solutions for alternative aviation fuels. The scope of the collaboration includes technical qualification of aviation fuels based on Algae Oil and the promotion of their use for aviation in China. ENN has already developed the production plant of Algae based oil, one of the most promising new generation alternative fuels for Aviation. “Microalgae are considered to be one of the most promising pathways for the production of biofuels for Aviation,” said Jean Botti, chief technical officer of EADS. “We have already proved that it is technically possible to fly with Algae Oil. Now we need to demonstrate that the industrial production of algae based biofuel is both ecologically and economically viable.” Visit: www.eads.com

NEWS

NEWSEXTRA

ESTIF – Celebrating the past, looking to the future! E STIF recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. The following day a new board of directors was elected at the General Assembly in Brussels. One of the main aims behind the creation of ESTIF in 2002 was the adoption of a single Europewide certification scheme for solar heating collectors. This was successfully achieved a year later with the development of the quality mark ‘Solar Keymark’ within the framework of CEN, Comité Européen de Normalisation (European Committee for Standardisation) and supported by the ALTENER programme of the European Commission. Today, there are more than 2000 Solar Keymark licensed solar heating collectors and systems. Over the past ten years, the scope of ESTIF’s work has widened to ensure the visibility and promotion of solar heating across Europe. For these key objectives to be realised, ESTIF is involved in many areas of activities, such as standardisation, research, innovation, market statistics, framework conditions for solar heat and incentive schemes.

The European solar thermal market has developed considerably during this period, reaching an historic peak in 2008, when it grew by 60% to 3.3 GWth of new capacity (4.75million m2 of collector area). As indicated in the Solar Thermal Action Plan published in 2007, the target for 2020 is to reach 1m2 of collector area for every European. Speaking at ESTIF’s ten-year anniversary reception, ESTIF president, Robin Welling, said: “The work done by ESTIF as a solar heating industry association has played a crucial role in the evolution of both market and industry. I firmly believe that the industry must support associations and even increase its commitment at a time when developments in the market could lead to disengagement.” Mr Welling, TiSUN GmbH managing director, was elected for a second mandate at the ESTIF General Assembly held in Brussels on 30 November 2012. Two directors were re-elected on this occasion, José Antonio Pérez from the heating multinational

BDR Thermea and Harald Drück from the Stuttgartbased research and test institute ITW. Three new directors are joining the board of directors: Lothar Breidenbach, technical director of BDH (Bundesindustrieverband Deutschland Haus-, Energie- und Umwelttechnik e.V.), the German Heating Industry Federation; Peter Gawlik, managing director of Sonnenkraft Deutschland GmbH, the major brand of General Solar Systems, a subsidiary of the Danish group SolarCAP and Jörg Mayer, managing director of BSW (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft e.V.), the German Solar Industry Association. Visit: www.estif.org

SHC2013: Solar heating and cooling experts to meet September 2013

ollowing the great success of SHC 2012, the second International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry conference will bring even more participants to Freiburg, Germany. The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) and the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) will jointly host this international event on 23–25 September 2013. “SHC 2012 in San Francisco was a great event,” summarises Werner Weiss, chairman of the IEA SHC who hosted the conference. “From 9–11 July, more than 200 experts from 31 countries discussed the latest developments in solar heating and cooling as well as solar buildings. We heard about technological advancements in thermal storage, about cost-competitive large-scale projects, about successful public-private partnerships to develop regional solar thermal markets, and much, much more.” For the 2013 conference IEA SHC has joined forces with the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF). The European trade association has its own history of five successful ESTEC conferences. The next ESTEC conference will be integrated into SHC 2013, and once again be organised by PSE AG. The conference committee of SHC 2013 is headed by Hans-Martin Henning of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy and Xavier Noyon of the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation. A call for papers will be published on 1 December 2012. “We are very happy that IEA SHC has decided to host the next SHC conference in Europe,” says ESTIF Secretary General Xavier Noyon. “It is our aim to add a strong industry focus to SHC 2013. Clearly, SHC 2013 will be the solar heating and cooling conference of 2013.” Visit: www.shc2013.org Industry Europe 23

EURO-REPORT

FOCUS ON...

Germany Allan Hall reports from Berlin on a new use for Swiss bomb shelters.

witzerland is hosting the sale of the sanctuaries – massive bombproof bunkers – for the wealthy to store fine art collections worth tens of millions of pounds in. The Alpine state is riddled with such concrete subterranean shelters; for three decades of the cold war it was compulsory for every private house and residential block of flats to have one. But with the end of the Soviet empire and the threat of nuclear destruction, the bunkers are being sold off on a grand scale – and acquiring grand new tenants. Bomb shelters, climate controlled munitions bunkers and underground commandand-control centres now host Rembrandts, van Goghs and Picassos. Fine art collectors from around the world are known to store 100 BILLION US dollars worth of masterpieces at a fine art vault located in Geneva. But insurance underwriters, fearing ruinous losses if the facility were hit by a fire or an art heist of the kind that struck Rotterdam’s Kunsthal museum in October 2012, are raising the cost of insuring any more paintings under its roof or even refusing cover altogether. That is where the bunkers come in. Solid walls, steel doors that would withstand high explosive bombs and sophisticated climate controls are now hot property for the ultra rich seeking a safe place to store their treasures. One firm that has successfully converted a military facility into storage space for art is Swiss Data Safe, based in Amsteg. Swiss Data Safe stockpiles paintings, bullion and computer data in an Alpine bunker originally intended as a refuge for the Swiss government in case of invasion or nuclear war. Another, the Deltalis data centre, is located on the north side of the Swiss Alps in Uri, and is used by some of the world’s leading blue chip companies to store information in over 30,000 square feet of galleries safe from seismic activity, flood24 Industry Europe

ing and equipped with its own power plant, water supply and air filtration unit designed to withstand a nuclear bomb exploding just 1000 yards away. It is just one of over 300,000 bunkers the Swiss built over the years, first against the threat of an invasion by Nazi Germany, later by the Soviet Union.

Since the Swiss lost their paranoia about total destruction in a nuclear showdown, many other bunkers have reverted to unusual uses. Thousands have been turned into wine cellars, optimal places for mushroom cultivation and even pizza ovens. Paul Williamson, director of Management and Logistics at a firm called Constantine which markets bunkers for artworks, said; “They are perfectly adapted for painting stockage considering the need for optimal temperature and security.” The latest one went on the market last month, next to the Lac des Quatre-Cantons, for the sum of just over €360,000. The seller boasts that the minimal humidity and ‘massive galleries’ means it could house the artworks of London’s National Gallery with ease.

Multi-purpose Since the Swiss lost their paranoia about total destruction in a nuclear showdown, many other bunkers have reverted to unusual uses. Thousands have been turned into wine cellars, optimal places for mushroom cultivation and even pizza ovens. While Swiss bankers continue to be criticised for their secrecy in helping millions

evade taxes, the allure of Swiss bunkers continues to rise. Some have become boutique hotels, banquet halls and seminar centres, museums, stables, and, in at least one case, a storage room for cheese. One called the Saanen fort, which during the war served as an Air Force command post, is called the Swiss Fort Knox, and it is now used to store digital data for finance houses and multinational corporations from 30 countries around the world. South-east of Saanen, inside the massive St Gotthard mountain, there lies a WW2 fort has been converted into a hotel called La Claustra. For those not suffering from claustrophobia, the four-star facility offers a spa, a conference centre and no street noise at night. Yet another, at Viznau, is offering ‘the Swiss Army experience’ – a B&B experience described as an extension of that essential schoolboy tool known as the Swiss Army knife. Here, a hotel has been opened in the reinforced concrete warrens where visitors are lured for a stay that includes a one-pot meal served in a mess tin and a sleeping bag to kip in – just like the soldiers would once have done. Some in government think it an ignominious end for a system of forts that cost the taxpayer SwFr100 million a year to maintain at the height of their untested glory. Therefore the bunkers retain protected status and, while for sale, Berne insists that their ‘essential character’ must remain as a ‘mark of respect to history’. Some of the old bunkers can’t be rented or sold because they are still used by the military, says Kai-Gunnar Sievert, a spokesman for armasuisse, the procurement agency of the Swiss Armed Forces. Sievert adds that the price for buying a bunker ranges from several hundred to $2 million, “depending on its exploitability. It is the high-end art set that n wants them now.”

EURO-REPORT

FOCUS ON...

France Ian Sparks reports from Paris on more set-backs for the president.

rancois Hollande may not be sorry to see the back of 2012 after a ‘triple whammy’ of setbacks that have blighted the end of his first six months as President of France. Earlier this month, he was forced into an embarrassing U-turn by Britain’s richest man Lakshmi Mittal over the fate of two blast furnaces at ArcelorMittal’s steel plant at Florange, eastern France. Mr Hollande’s industry minister Arnaud Montebourg told the Indian-born tycoon he was ‘not welcome in France’ over his company’s controversial decision to axe 630 jobs at the loss-making site. When the president upped the stakes by threatening to nationalise the Florange plant in the event of job cuts, Mr Mittal called his bluff by casting doubt on the future of all its operations in France, where his company employs 20,000 people. The government swiftly backed down and agreed Mr Mittal would be allowed to close down the two blast furnaces as long as he promised to find new jobs for the redundant workers – a deal which even the socialist government’s usually supportive unions branded ‘vague and flabby’. The steelmaker also agreed to invest 180 million euros over five years in the further development of hot strip mill production at Florange – but it later emerged that the ‘strategic investment’ component would no more than 53 million euros, with the rest going on maintenance activities that Mr Mittal would have spent anyway. The debacle, which almost cost the outspoken Mr Montebourg his job, came just a month after the head of MEDEF – the French equivalent of the UK’s Confederation of British Industry – had given Mr Hollande a ‘hurricane warning’ over his ‘disastrous policies’ that could cripple the French economy. In an open letter to French newspapers, MEDEF boss Laurence Parisot said a proposed new hike in corporation tax from

34 per cent to 62.2 per cent – double the rate in Britain and Germany – could sound the death knell for thousands of businesses across France. She said: “We’ve now moved from a storm warning to a hurricane warning and some business leaders are in a state of quasi-panic. The situation has become very serious indeed. The pace of bankruptcies has accelerated over the summer. Large foreign investors are shunning France altogether. It’s becoming really dramatic. Ten years ago, Germany was the poor man of Europe and if we don’t act now, that title will soon be ours.”

declaring he was a ‘free man’ and he would also be giving up his French passport. Belgium’s foreign minister Didier Reynders then fuelled the fire even further by telling France ‘they only had themselves to blame’ for the flight of their wealthiest citizens. He said: “There has been an evolution in the French tax system which may have had consequences. One must look at the reasons why citizens are leaving their own country, and even if these are tax reasons, they are all very welcome in Belgium.”

“We’ve now moved from a storm warning to a hurricane warning and some business leaders are in a state of quasi-panic. The situation has become very serious indeed.”

But amidst all the gloom, Mr Hollande had a glimmer of good news when bureaucrats in Brussels agreed French cheesemakers should from now on be allowed to make their own brand of Swiss Gruyere cheese – as long as it has holes ‘between the size of a pea and a cherry’. Until now, only Switzerland has been allowed to use the name Gruyere as a ‘protected geographical indicator’. But the EU ruling came after years of campaigning by French dairy farmers to overturn the ban on making Gallic Gruyere, when the Swiss finally agreed in December that France should be allowed to make the cheese, but insisted it must have holes to distinguish from its own centuries-old variety, which does not. It must also be clearly labelled as French Gruyere, and not have any markings on the packaging suggesting it is from Switzerland. The French are also famous for being hugely protective over their most famous brand names, regularly taking legal action against other countries who use product names such as Champagne, Bordeaux wine and their own cheeses like Brie and Camembert. Australian and New Zealand cheesemakers, as well as the American dairy industry, had all lodged objections to the recognition of French Gruyere as a distinct product, the n EU said.

But the government has so far refused to climb down on the corporation tax rises, and is also pressing ahead with an even more unpopular plan to raise personal income tax to 75 per cent on all earnings over one million euros. The policy has prompted an exodus of some of France’s richest people to overseas tax havens, and triggered a third – and personally embarrassing – setback for the president when Gerard Depardieu, the man he publicly declared to be his favourite film star, announced he was moving to Belgium to pay less tax. When prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault branded the 64-year-old actor’s decision to emigrate as ‘shabby and unpatriotic’, Mr Depardieu reacted by putting his 40 million-pound Paris home on the market and

Another French cheese?

Industry Europe 25

CLEARING

THE AIR

24 Industry Europe

One of the leading companies delivering high quality compressed air technology, family-owned Beko Technologies GmbH has stayed strong throughout the recession and continues to deliver complete solutions to its customers worldwide. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the marketing and PR manager, Rainer Stützel, to find out more.

eko Technologies GmbH knows everything there is to know about the importance of quality compressed air. As a family-owned independent compressed air systems provider, the company is fully committed to delivering safe, clean, more effective compressed air technology to its worldwide customer base. Founded in Neuss, Germany in 1982, Beko today employs around 400 people, has 15 sales companies in various international locations including Japan and the USA, and a global network of carefully selected sales agents.

The company develops, manufactures and sells components and systems to optimise compressed air quality which, after electric current, is the second most important means of production worldwide. Marketing and PR manager Rainer Stützel told Industry Europe more. He said, “Compressed air is used widely across production applications all over the world. The quality of the compressed air is paramount in terms of production efficacy and reliability, so our products are carefully formulated to meet the different standards demanded by

different applications. While it can cost a lot of money to achieve quality compressed air, there is a great energy efficiency saving to be made, which makes it a very appealing means of production.”

Reliable air quality All of Beko’s production is subject to the very strictest global standards. Accredited with EN ISO 9001:2008 and with six global production sites, the company is able to deliver compressed air treatment of the appropriate quality for the application required. Industry Europe 25

Mr Stützel continued, “As the range of production applications for compressed air varies so much, we are dedicated to providing the right quality product for the job, so each customer will know that they are getting exactly what they need. We meet the challenges of small applications and large applications – with everything in between!” Applications of Beko’s compressed air systems include low quality requirements such as pumping up automotive tyres, and

26 Industry Europe

high quality demands like spray painting cars in large manufacturing sites, as the air must be suitably treated to ensure that the process is ‘dry’ and the paint finish is not contaminated with water, oil or dirt. The food industry is another important sector for Beko Technologies, where high precision technology instruments inject compressed air into the base mass of ice cream to make it rich and creamy, or take care of the pneumatic handling of cereals,

cocoa powder and other primary matters in the production of chocolate. Here, compressed air quality has to meet strict requirements like HACCP, a preventive system which ensures the safety of food for consumers.

Understanding global trends Beko Technologies sells its compressed air solutions worldwide, with at least 60 per cent of its turnover gained from ROW markets and

40 per cent from its domestic German market. It sees continued growth potential in Europe even though it has been active for many years, with strong opportunities developing in Asia – particularly China – as the manufacturing boom there continues apace. Mr Stützel added, “Any country with an established or approaching established industrial production sector can and will use compressed air. It is our job to make sure that potential customers know the energysaving potentials when using compressed air for their production requirements. This of course also translates to a cost saving, which at the moment is an attractive advantage worldwide. We noticed this repositioning in the USA initially, where the cost advantage of our products initially proved more

important than the energy-saving benefits, whereas now customers are more likely to be attracted by the ecological argument. The beauty of Beko Technologies is that our compressed air technology offers both cost-saving and energy-saving benefits, so we can highlight whatever one best suits our customers at the time.” In terms of investment, Beko Technologies is unusual in that it continued to invest heavily throughout the global economic downturn. In 2008, right at the start of the recession, Beko’s board of directors instigated a €6 million extension project for its Neuss headquarters and main production site. The project incorporated new state-of-the-art training facilities for its staff and a new cafeteria as well as doubling its production capacity.

Mr Stützel commented, “The project was completed in 2010 and we are more than ready to meet the challenges of the future. We have an unrivalled infrastructure here and we’ve added new highly skilled people, have reduced our lead times and can really make the most of our terrific facilities.” Beko Technologies is well positioned to utilise its growing opportunities for business development worldwide, and the company is ready to expand its global sales structure further, with plans to find suitable business partners in the few areas where it is not yet present. The dedicated R&D department is also continually working on new products and the development of existing products to guarantee that every aspect of Beko Technologies is ready for continued global success. n

Industry Europe 27

High Pressure PD pump series

High-tech pump provider Danfoss HPP is enjoying strong growth across industry sectors with its established and expanding product portfolio. Emma-Jane Batey interviewed senior director Mads Warming to find out how this is being achieved.

POWER OF THE PUMP P

art of the global Danfoss Group, Danfoss High Pressure Pumps, is dedicated to developing and marketing ultra-compact pumps made in some of the most corrosive resistant material to a broad base of industries worldwide. The Danfoss Group is a leading multinational, Denmark-based manufacturer with more than 23,000 employees worldwide, an annual turnover of over €4.6 billion and a daily production of at least 250,000 items each day. The Danfoss Group operates five different business units, each of which is run independently but with the complete support of the group, as well as constant access to its extensive infrastructure and financial investment. Key divisions are Refrigeration & Air Condition-

28 Industry Europe

ing, Power Electronics, Heating Solutions, Commercial Compressors and District Energy. Additionally, the group has Sauer Danfoss within the Mobil Hydraulic components industry and its upcoming business segment High Pressure Pumps. Mads Warming is senior director within the High Pressure Pump business segment, and he told Industry Europe how his area of responsibility fits into the group’s global structure. He said, “The Danfoss Group has more than 40 years’ experience in developing and producing axial piston pumps. Today, Danfoss is among the two largest manufacturers worldwide of this basic pump technology. More than 10 years ago we developed the axial piston technology traditionally used in heavy duty hydraulic applications into a new series of ultra-compact pumps. The entire range is made from some of the most

corrosion-resistant materials available as 316 L or Super Duplex inside and out. Within this field of axial piston pumps we are the largest manufacturer worldwide. The Danfoss Group has dedicated itself to moving high pressure liquids in the most energy-efficient and reliable manner, based on this carefully developed unique pump technology.

Key values He continued, “The key value of using this new generation of axial piston pumps is without doubt that our technology, based on the very high energy efficiency and long intervals between services in these demanding industries, normally shows payback times close to a year or even lower, compared to traditional pump technologies. “On top of this the ultra-compactness and light weight of the pumps has proven

to have very high value, particularly in the Oil & Gas offshore industry. This is no wonder considering that our pumps are often, in terms of size and weight, a factor five or more less than traditional solutions. Furthermore, the cost of 1 m2 can be up to $35,000 and 1 tonne of weight up to $75,000 on an offshore platform. “Besides this, the energy savings and the fact that the pumps contain far less weight of steel than traditional technologies mean major CO2 savings potential.” Mr Warming continued, “Our move into the Oil & Gas industry means that we now also have the capability to comply with API demands as well as the very strict NORSOK material demand for offshore applications in the North Sea, including material traceability and ATEX approval.” This has put companies as BP, Shell, Statoil, Talisman Energy,

Danfoss iSave energy recovery device series

Industry Europe 29

BR Petrobas, Dong Energy, Maersk Oil, ZG Wood Group, Petrobras and Qatar Petroleum on our customer list.”

Global applications Danfoss HPP pumps are generally used for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications, all characterised by applications where there is a need for pumping reasonably clean liquids. Examples of applications include the international desalination industry, producing tap water from sea water. Customers in this segment include

30 Industry Europe

the US Navy, GE water, Veolia water, Chevron Petrobras and Fincantieri in the cruise liner industry. Mr Warming added, “The Ultra Pure water industry is growing rapidly for us, with our pumps offering proven long service intervals – up to 10 times longer than traditional pump technologies. Some of our best-known clients in this field include Facebook, Rolls Royce, LG, Samsung, GE and Siemens. We are deeply involved in the international parts cleaning industry, adiabatic cooling systems for server room facilities and the expanding

flat panel and chip manufacturing industry. In the gas turbine industry our pumps are used for NOx reduction and power argumentation by pumping ultra-pure water under high pressure.” In other segments, such as the international High Pressure Water Mist fire fighting industry, the pumps are used for creating pressure above 100 bar for fighting fires for such different applications as metro stations and tobacco storage facilities in China, server room facilities in London and Paris and the commercial ship industry.

The small super duplex PD pump have at same pressure a flowrate 25% lager, but are a factor 10 smaller, than the traditional plunger pumps

GKM-recruitment Süd GmbH as a preferred partner of Danfoss provides recruitment services to its business areas. With our branch experience and proven services on refrigeration & air conditioning, heating, industrial automation and high pressure pumps we support Danfoss to ﬁnd highly qualiﬁed employees. Our services • HR recruitment services for companies • Individualised searches and extensive HR advertising campaigns • Personnel placement as a result of targeted search projects for highly skilled supervisory functions and executive-level appointments (direct search) Our expertise

Ready for growth All of the Danfoss HPP manufacturing requirements are conducted at its stateof-the-art production facility in Nordborg, Denmark, where its headquarters are also located. The company has been able to cope with increasing demand for its products and a growing global customer base by implementing improved automation processes as well as outsourcing noncritical components. Mr Warming explained how Danfoss HPP is looking forward to continued success in the coming years. He said, “Despite the backdrop of the financial crisis, we are seeing exceptionally high growth. We have new pump developments coming up all the time and we plan to expand into new segments as we identify applications for our pumps. We have recently introduced Energy Recovery Devices (ERDs) for the Sea Water Reverse Osmoses industry, offering up to 60 per cent energy savings – a fast growing technology. “We expect therefore to grow by a factor of three to five over market growth in the general pump industry in the coming years, based both on our existing product range and on continued development and innovation.” n

• More than 20 years experience in executive search and in recruiting highly qualiﬁed staff in various sectors • A strong service and customer focus • Own highly trained team of advisors and consultants with extensive experience in personnel search and consultancy • Own excellent infrastructure for searches and consultancy projects for our clients If you are interested to learn more about our services or if you need support please feel free to contact us by e-mail or by phone. GKM-recruitment Süd GmbH, Müllerstr. 1, 80469 München, Germany Samy Bischr, Phone: +49 (0)89 43737346 samy.bischr@gkm-recruitment.com

www.gkm-recruitment.com https://www.facebook.com/GKMrecruitment

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3 Danfoss API 674 pumps in super duplex installed on offshore SWRO unit Industry Europe 31

INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS FOR A GLOBAL MARKET With its innovative systems and global reach, Cooper Standard Automotive Inc. is a leading automotive supplier with a clear focus on ecological and technological improvement.

ooper Standard Automotive Inc. has a real global reach, proven by its more than 70 locations in 19 countries and by its 21,000 employee workforce, and offers solutions in the body sealing, fuel, brake and emissions, thermal management and anti-vibration segments of the industry. Specifically, its range of products include fuel and brake delivery systems and emission management technologies, complete heating and cooling management components and systems for hybrids, electric vehicles and internal combustion engines and power trains, body sealing solutions to keep noise, dust and water away from vehicle occupants, as well as a complete range of anti-vibration control products.

The group, established in 1960 and headquartered in Novi, Michigan (USA), has been growing through a series of acquisitions and organic growth and operates with a mission stating its aim as that of ‘providing outstanding service, support and innovative solutions to our customers, benefiting all stakeholders of Cooper Standard.’ In Europe the company supplies all the major OEMs in the automotive sector and in each country is focused on fulfilling the needs of its local market. Germany hosts three of the company’s sites, one in Landau and two in Mannheim. In Germany the company specialises in manufacturing sealing parts for leading German automotive manufacturers. Here the company operates with a high level of integra-

tion with the group. In fact, in Germany there is a common management team which can avail itself of the support and the solid foundations of the global company. The company occupies a market leading position in Germany in terms of sealing products for European OEMs, thanks to its wide portfolio offer. In fact, central to the group’s offer of integrated solutions, there is operational excellence, firmly rooted in quality and lean initiatives, supply chain management and capacity optimisation, alongside invaluable human resources, in the form of an experienced management team, expert engineers, and manufacturing and professional staff. This operational excellence is accompanied by a real culture of innovation. Tangible proof of this

commitment can be found in the awards held by Cooper Standard, which include PACE, Society of Plastic Engineers, Global Six Sigma Award Best Achievement of Design and Six Sigma, as well as by the over 500 patents obtained worldwide. Community and employee involvement are part of the life of the group, alongside green initiatives, which for the last few years have been of increasing importance. Continuous research and effort is channelled into improving a vehicle’s overall carbon footprint. Alongside this Cooper Standard carries out

constant work on enhancing its manufacturing processes, thus reducing its own company emissions and increasing recyclability. The R&D department at the Mannheim site which, thanks to conspicuous investments, is equipped with cutting-edge testing and engineering facilities, is very focused on research aimed at improving products and processes at environmental levels. Products comply with E05/E06 regulations with regard to cleaner emissions, and this is an area of development which has been growing in recent years.

A wider offer, still keeping a green heart An ecological frame of mind is important for both environmental and commercial reasons and thanks to its focus on innovation, as well as to the company commitment to quality and service, new solutions offer advantages in ecological terms, as well as in terms of better performance and better comparative pricing. While in the past the company had a focus on supplying the actual sealing, in the last few years Standard Cooper has increasingly widened its offer to include complete sealing systems fulfilling customers’ demands, with

the advantage that now clients only have to deal with one supplier for the whole system. In fact, in recent times, the strategy has been one of widening the products portfolio, alongside the continual improvement of the existing offer. At the global level, Cooper Standard Automotive, which is a sponsor and partner of Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR), is witnessing the

rapid growth of non-traditional Cooper Standard markets, namely markets adjacent to the light vehicle sector, as well as other key areas, such as commercial vehicles, off-highway, power sports, marine, construction and other specialty segments. This creates an excellent opportunity for the company to leverage its technical capabilities in order to provide more

solutions to customers outside the automotive OEM market. This area is taken care of by Cooper Standard’s Performance Products Group, which combines the former businesses of StanPro in North America, Technical Rubber Products and Specialty Products Group in Europe, and Tecalemit in Australia. Despite the current economic situation, mainly affecting volumes on the European market, and an unfavourable foreign exchange rate, the company has been able to reaffirm its sales outlook for 2012, thanks to a volume increase in North America. In the words of its chief executive officer, Jeffrey Howard: “Our global footprint has been invaluable in managing headwinds in challenging markets. Cooper Standard has been able to deliver a relatively strong quarter despite lower volumes and ongoing weakness in Europe. As we support our customers, Cooper Standard will continue to win diverse global platform business, while focusing on meeting the demand for more fueln efficient technologies.”

Mikon www.mikon.waw.pl e-mail: info@mikon.waw.pl tel. 48 22 8127104

Mikon company specialises in the production of devices using UV and IR drying systems for various applications in industry: automotive, printing, packaging. left: device made for Cooper Standard Oven (for curing coatings of lacquer/glue on surface of car seals, 6m long)

PIONEERING COOL FLOW TECHNOLOGY Tristone Flowtech is a one of the global leaders in the development of flow technology systems for engine and battery cooling, as well as air-charge and air-intake automotive systems. Philip Yorke talked to Günter Frölich, the company’s president and CEO, about its latest investments and innovative products, as well as its growing involvement in the Asian market.

38 Industry Europe

he Tristone Flowtech Group is one of the world’s leading automotive suppliers of fluid applications in the field of engine cooling, battery cooling, turbocharger and air-intake systems. This international group was formed in 2010, as a spin-off from the former fluid automotive business division of Trelleborg AB of Sweden. The group has modern manufacturing facilities in Germany, Mexico, Spain, France, Italy and Poland, as well as in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Turkey and in the meantime also in China. Today, Tristone supplies most of the big, global OEMs in the passenger car market, as well as many of the leading Tier-one suppliers to the automotive industry. In 2011 the company employed over 2200 people worldwide and recorded sales of around €180 million. This figure represents an annual growth rate of 14 per cent, demonstrating significant growth over the previous year. In addition to its projected sales growth

for the forthcoming year, the company is also anticipating improved profitability due to its ongoing restructuring programme and optimisation measures and has a solid equity share of more than 35 per cent of the balance sheet.

Smart design technology driving sales With a strong focus on innovative R&D, Tristone Group is building on its heritage and expertise in order to meet the challenging technology and manufacturing needs of its Automotive customers. For example, in the engine and battery cooling sector, Tristone’s ‘Smart Design’ battery cooling modules focus on an integration with the traditional engine cooling modules and the partnership of PA-pipes, dual surge tanks and polymer pipes to achieve weight and space optimisations together with optimal performance. From simple to complex solutions Tristone advanced engineering technology is designed to meet its customers’ demands and expectations.

Mr Frölich said, “One of our main strengths is our ability to provide the market and our customers with what they need, not only today but tomorrow, and our commitment to a strong R&D investment programme has kept us ahead in our fields of business. And we are delivering to our customers a quality level less than 10 ppm in average of our plants. We have the most advanced technology on offer in our battery cooling applications that are now integrated with our advanced engine cooling systems. We therefore believe that we have a true technological edge. This is driving our growth in the mass market passenger car sector, particularly in the engine cooling segment. In addition, we are achieving a market share of above 25 per cent of all cars in the hybrid or electric battery sector. This is currently a very small proportion of the total market, but the one that is seeing the highest level of investment right now. Industry Europe 39

Rayconnect International, part of the ARaymond Network, is a worldwide leader for low pressure automotive fluid handling connections. With eight production plants and a comprehensive commercial agent network, Rayconnect is an advanced solution provider in all regions (NAFTA, South America, EMEA, China, India, and South-East Asia). Product portfolio features quick connectors for fuel, engine cooling, turbo, air conditioning, power steering, SCR, and brake application fields. Rayconnect is strongly focusing its innovation strategy around value integration (sensors, valves) to meet new environmental regulations. Since 1998, Rayconnect has been Tristone’s strategic supplier for engine cooling line Quick Connectors. Thanks to its expertise and global footprint, Rayconnect shall help Tristone to consolidate their powertrain thermal management leading position within the next years.

Performance Fluids Ltd Performance Fluids Ltd are a market leader in the design, development and supply of specialist lubricants with activities on many continents. Tristone have selected Performance Fluids Ltd to be their chosen global supplier of hose release agents as they have production capabilities in all the geographic locations where Tristone is present and will provide bespoke products for them. Performance Fluids knowledge and understanding of the rubber industry was one of the key factors in Tristone selecting Performance Fluids as a partner.

“Our latest generation of products are much lighter and offer greater efficiency and value than ever before. We work closely with our OEM partners to develop new energy-efficient products, especially in the integrated engine and battery-cooling system areas. As a growing medium-sized player, we are not as big as the market leaders but I believe that we are more flexible, more innovative and more customer-orientated. Our commitment in these areas means that our five-year strategic plan should see us on target to achieve a turnover of around €300 million by the year 2017.”

Asian markets providing the springboard The Tristone Flowtech Group is well placed to see further global expansion with its eight state-of-the-art manufacturing sites located in

Rayconnect International SAS Rayconnect International SAS is an independent company that is exclusively dedicated to the design, engineering, marketing and sales of quick connectors and fluid products for the automotive and heavy duty truck industries. QUICK CONNECTORS FLUID HANDLING CONNECTION SOLUTIONS Please visit our website www.rayconnect.com and download our product catalogue or use the contact form to send us your question regarding our range of products and the benefits they provide.

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Performance Fluids Ltd is a world leader in the design, development and supply of specialist lubricants for use in a wide range of industrial and commercial applications. Our customer base is global, including users in the automotive industry, the bakery industry and other specialist industries requiring a bespoke chemical solution to a processing problem. It is our flexible approach and tenacity for solving problems encountered by our prospective customers that has propelled our growth each year. We mainly serve the rubber, food and chemical industries. For the rubber industry we provide environmentally friendly release agents and mandrel lubricants for both shaped hoses and injection moulding; for the food industry we provide a complete range of food grade products which are NSF H1 and InS H1 registered; and for the chemical industry we provide support and specially designed products, providing chemically inert PFPE lubricants.

PERFORMANCE FLUIDS LTD SUITE 101, LOMESHAYE BUSINESS VILLAGE, TURNER ROAD, NELSON, BB9 7DR, ENGLAND Tel: Fax: Email: Web:

+44 (0)1282 878240 +44(0)1282 878241 sales@performancefluids.co.uk www.performancefluids.co.uk

eight countries, and with its technical support offices situated in four of those countries. In addition, the group has its own resident engineers working on eight of its OEM customers’ sites. In July 2011 the company took over the former Veyance Automotive plant in Mexico, thereby supporting the Group’s further penetration of the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Association) automotive market. This new automotive plant covers more than 11,000 m2 of productive space and is already manufacturing engine-cooling and batterycooling applications for the automotive industry in Mexico and the USA. By the end of 2013 the plant will employ more than 300 people and deliver advanced cooling system components to automotive companies such as BMW, VW, Chrysler, Ford, Cobasys, GM and other First-tier suppliers. However, the main thrust of the group’s focus is the Asian market and in particular China and India. Underscoring its commitment to the Asian markets Tristone recently signed a significant technical assistance agreement (TAA) with the leading Indian 46 Industry Europe

automotive supplier: Bony Polymers Ltd, based in Faridabad, near New Delhi, India. Mr Frolich added, “This signed TAA is supporting the Tristone Flowtech Group’s penetration of the Indian automotive market and will be the basis to establish our manufacturing footprint in the Indian region”. This recently signed TAA will provide the framework within which the Tristone Flowtech Group and Bony polymers will be able to combine their joint strengths and expertise, with the objective of growing the automotive business for the two companies in the region, by working together on common projects. It is also anticipated that Tristone will provide technical support in the areas of production and logistics for engine cooling hoses, pipes, surge tanks and turbocharger hose applications via the TAA, with a view to forming a joint venture company in India at a later stage. Currently Bony Polymers Ltd. is supplying a wide range of products to some of the largest automotive OEMs in the region, such as Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, SML Isuzu and to the HeroMotoCorp.

And the new plant in China Shuzhou has been ready since November in preparation for the start-ups foreseen in 2013 with the n first customers Ford and Volvo.

VM MOTORI: INNOVATION IS THE KEY VM Motori, a successful joint venture of Fiat and General Motors, is today a global leader in the design, manufacture and sale of diesel engines for a variety of uses.

its 65th year of activity, VM Motori is in a steadly growth with 50,000 engines sold last year and a rise of 20 per cent estimated to be achieved by the end of 2012. The story of VM Motori started when two entrepreneurs, Vancini and Martelli, whose initials were used to name the company, decided to set up a company to design and build diesel engines. The company is still situated in Cento, in the heart of Emilia Romagna, Italy. In 2011 the company became a joint venture shared equally between Fiat and General Motors. “This is a really balanced

situation for VM Motori in that both companies have an active interest in the company’s activities on the markets and they give us managerial freedom,” commented Gianluca Benni, Automotive Sales & PM Director. “Today 80 per cent of our turnover derives from the automotive sector and the rest from off-highway engines. At first production was focused on industrial engines to be used in the marine and agricultural sectors. Starting from 1978, VM Motori developed a new range of turbocharged diesel engines that saw it start to make a name for itself in the automotive sector. Mr Benni

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A.C.S.A. STEEL FORGINGS was founded in 1935. Since the 1960s we are selling closed die hot steel forgings all over the world, with an export share of 70%. We produce forgings from 0,5 kg to 250 kg using our 10 lines of presses from 1600 tons to 6300 tons, our 3 hot extrusions lines from 400 to 1250 tons for hollow parts with lengths up to 1000 mm and diameter up to 250 mm and our hammer line with power of 25.000 Kgm. Our products are used in any possible industry sector, such as automotive (transmission and engine parts for cars, commercial vehicles and motorcycles), aeronautical, petrolchemical, oil and gas, wind power, earth movement, agricultural, machinery, and so forth. Wherever there’s a forged part ACSA can be the right supplier. With the most updated technology (CAE) in our engineering department we can support our customers in their design phase by means of forging simulation which can optimize the forging process and their product. Our tooling department is completely autonomous and equipped with latest generation CNC-machines fully handled by CAD/CAM. Specifically for engines we produce crankshafts, camshafts, rods, cylinders, counterweights, gears, flywheels and countershafts which we deliver to most of the well-known OEMs. We can also supply twisted crankshafts (e.g. for 6, 8, 12 cylinder engines, or others) which grant excellent performance thanks to their proper grainflow. We can certify our products against any regular worldwide standard or also against marine standards. We are certified ISO TS 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14000, TUV and Lloyd’s and others. Please refer to our website www.acsa.it for further information.

recalled the first achievements of the company, “Our first diesel car engine was designed for Alfa Romeo. We developed a line of 3, 4, 5 and 6 cylinders modular engines. The following two decades saw the company growing through the supply of engines to first-rate companies such as Ford, Rover, Toyota and Opel.” In 1992, VM Motori started a 20-year long prolific collaboration with Chrysler which chose their diesel engines for the Voyager, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. “Our current most important clients are Chrysler, Jeep, General Motors, London Taxi and Mercury in the marine sector,” added Mr Benni.

Recent investments and geographical presence

A.C.S.A. STEEL FORGINGS SPA Via per Solbiate 43, I-21040 OGGIONA CON SANTO STEFANO (VA) - ITALY Tel: +39.0331.712011 Fax: +39.0331.712055 E-mail: acsa@acsa.it

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VM engines are turbocharged and intercooled and have electronically controlled direct injection, second-generation common-rail systems. VM Motori’s most recent innovation consists in the V6 3.0L diesel engine. With 250 CV this 3.0L 24 v turbocharged engine leads the way in power, torque (550 Nm @ 1800 rpm), refinement and emissions. It was launched in 2011 and immediately gained huge favour among consumers, buyers and experts in the field. This engine is particularly

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flexible in its design and can be tailored to meet each individual client’s requirements. Technical features include a chain-driven, double overhead camshaft with four valves per cylinder, Compact graphite iron block and 2000 bar injection system. Mr Benni talked proudly about the success on the market of the V6 engine, “Eighteen months from the launch on the market, production is still at its maximum with sales higher than our forecast. The V6 diesel engine is fitted

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on Grand Cherokee and Lancia Thema models. Not only are these vehicles being sold in our traditional European markets, but also in Australia, Korea, Russia and South Africa. Thanks to this success on the international markets, the demand for our products stays high despite the instability of the European market.” The V6 engine is currently undergoing a further development to meet the stringent US emission regulations and will be

launched on the Nafta market by beginning of 2013. The same engine configuration will be capable of meeting the Euro 6 emission limits two years in advance compared to the legal requirement of 2015 thus confirming the continuous company focus on exhaust emissions reductions and environmentally sustainable products. Apart from the production plant in Cento, where 1100 employees work on the whole production cycle from design and produc-

2.8L I4 200CV

tion to sales and customer service assistance, VM Motori has a subsidiary in Detroit, VM North America. “This subsidiary mainly deals with engineering activities, on-site customer support and development of new vehicle applications. There are 25 people directly involved in assisting clients with services such as programme management, and calibration that are carried out at the client’s site ,” explained Mr Benni. “There are also people from our team who look after vehicle production plants in North America. For instance, Cherokee and Wrangler are manufactured in Toledo, Ohio; Grand Cherokee in Detroit and Voyager and Lancia Thema in Canada.”

3.0L V6 250CV

VM Motori is also present in China, Korea, Thailand and Brazil thanks to specific licence agreements whereby partners produce diesel engines on site. Among them there are Hyundai, General Motors , Weichai and SAIC.

Innovation is the key “The R&D department is the core of our company. It is one of our main assets. For this reason, even during the tough times that followed the 2009 economic crisis we never stopped investing in researching and developing new solutions. Today’s success is the result of that strategy,” commented Mr Benni. The R&D department counts around 300 specilised technicians and engineers.

An additional winning factor is the company’s ability to adapt to market fluctuations and its ability to respond quickly to market requirements. “From time to time, we make use of external consultancy; however, most of the company’s activity is carried out here in Cento. Having under our immediate control the whole production cycle is a great advantage to us as we can take rapid decisions and respond quickly to market changes,” said Mr Benni. “This ability is fundamental in our field where products become rapidly outdated and thus production times need to be tight. That is why we have reduced our production cycle from four years to less than n 24 months.”

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DEFINING THE ART OF FINE-PRECISIONAUTOMOTIVE PART MANUFACTURING The Voit group is a global leader in the manufacture of complex, high-precision parts and components for the automotive industry. Philip Yorke talked to Stefan Beinkaempen, the company’s business development director, about its unique manufacturing capabilities and major investments in new plant and technology.

he Voit Group is an independent familyowned business that was established in Germany in 1947 and has grown to become a leading international systems supplier to the automotive industry. The company is headquartered in Sankt Ingbert, Germany, and employs more than 1,800 people worldwide. Voit is the clear technology leader in its field with a focus on forward-looking technology and process optimisation. Its commitment to the environment and the development of new technology is underscored by its continuous investment in process technology and production capacity worldwide, amount52 Industry Europe

ing to more than €60 million over the last three years alone. The Voit Group creates complex highprecision finished parts and components from steel plates, and aluminium die cast materials. The company’s main customers are in the automotive and automotive supply industry and Voit components can be found in more than 50 per cent of all cars on the world’s roads today. Voit parts are at work in the many diverse, functional areas of automobiles, such as the drive train, engine, fuel system, exhaust system, chassis and the car body itself. Voit’s customers include

ZF, Bosch, Denso, Brose, Continental and AMK and supplies therefore Audi, BMW, Mercedes, VW, Ford, Opel, Jaguar and Land Rover indirectly, resulting in more than 170 million automotive parts being produced by the company each year.

Improving weight/performance ratios Reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions is a major priority for the world’s automotive manufacturers. Voit is applying its unparalleled experience and cutting-edge technology to the drive for improved weight/ performance ratios demanded by increased

EU legislation. Over recent years Voit has been developing components that provide maximum strength with simultaneous weight reduction and its latest hot-forming technology is delivering optimal results. This new process is being used increasingly for key body and chassis parts such as side impact protection systems, bumper reinforcements and for highstrength inflexible structural parts for automotive ‘body-in-white’ components. The main advantages of the latest Voit hot forming process can be found in its precise dimensional stability and excellent reproducibil-

ity, as well as in its high-strength and hardness values, as Mr Beinkaempen explains, “We are the technology leaders in the development and manufacture of complex hot-forming lightweight parts and components. Our press hardening for body structures, underbody parts and pillars offers our customers optimal weight to strength performance ratios. Car builders today are looking for lightweight design as can be seen in the latest VW Golf and Passat etc. These global companies are looking to us to produce complex parts in the press hardening market as well as combining

hybrid materials for tomorrow’s electric vehicles where we are providing parts for high-voltage and soft-start solutions. “This is one of many areas where the demand for our high-performance die casting parts is seeing strong growth. Recently some of the world’s biggest automotive OEMs in the USA have asked us to work with them since they have become aware of our new technology and what this can achieve for them. One of the key advantages to hotforming is that there is no spring-back effect as this process allows the manufacture of

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highly complex, precise and dimensionally accurate parts, which could not be achieved using the traditional cold-forming process. The defining principle in hot-forming is known as ‘tailored properties through tailored tempering’ and involves having various strengths and different levels of hardness even within one individual component, so that strength areas and crumple zones are both possible to achieve in one single component.” There are very few companies today that can master this latest hot forming process technology and therefore capacities in the international marketplace are correspondingly in short supply. Voit is addressing this problem with its major investments in this new technology. In this respect the company is focusing on large-scale production with a capacity of up to three million passes to be made available within the next three years. What’s more, with a total of six new facilities

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currently in the design phase, capacity will increase by up to 10 million parts and components per year in the near future. Mr Beinkaempen added, “Whilst much of our production capability is centred in Europe at our plants in Germany, France and Poland we have established a manufacturing facility in Mexico to supply also the North American market. Here we have installed a state-of-theart 800 ton press and we have installed similar presses in France of 400 and 630 tons, with a direct-drive technology which can significantly accelerate speed between strokes. In Germany also we have installed the latest 1,000 ton press for the press hardening process. Further we providing parts in AL die casting for high-voltage and start-stopp solutions. “This is one of many areas where the demand for our high-performance die casting parts is seeing strong growth. Recently some of the world’s biggest automotive

OEMs in the USA nominated us to work with them since they have become aware of our die casting performance and what this can achieve for them. “For the production of components for electric braking and steering systems, we have developed a unique surface treatment system to avoid short-circuits in today’s advanced electrical systems” All this investment is focussed in two directions: • Complex parts for powertrain, driver assistant’s and seat systems including sub system mounting • Body structure parts for the OEM demand

Delivering process optimised, high-precision parts The Voit Group’s portfolio of products and its potential for the development of new technology to meet the challenges of tomor-

The special chucks producer / specialist for easy deformable parts. Stiefelmayer Spanntechnik GmbH & Co. KG Rechbergstraße 42, 73770 Denkendorf Phone: +49 (711) 93 440 - 311 Fax: +49 (711) 93 440 - 11 E-mail: spanntechnik@stiefelmayer.de www.stiefelmayer.de

row is unsurpassed. That is why the world’s leading tier-one suppliers to the automotive industry, such as Bosch, ZF, Brose and Continental, rely on Voit for a diverse range of key automotive components. Voit is comprised of three main business units – aluminium high-pressure die-casting,

cold-forming and hot-forming technologies. The list of the company’s production capabilities is extensive and includes the development and manufacturing of complex, high-precision and finished parts and components for the entire powertrain as well as for brake systems, power electron-

ics, engine casings, lever systems and servo drives. This is in addition to engine cooling and thermal management and structural aluminium. Putting in place the most stringent quality control procedures has resulted in Voit consistently achieving a record of ‘zero n defects’ as standard practice. Industry Europe 55

LEADER OF ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING ES-SYSTEM Group, headquartered in Krakow, Poland, is the leading national producer of professional LED lighting technology for different sectors of the construction industry. “Our company is made to measure European standards. We are ready to realise any spectacular vision of an architect,” says Romuald Wojtkowiak, the group’s president of the board. Dariusz Balcerzyk reports.

S-SYSTEM is the biggest Polish company in the Polish lighting sector. It holds an almost 12 per cent share in the area of professional lighting for public, architectural and industrial facilities as well as for illumination and specialist lighting. The company was founded in 1990. The idea behind it was based on the energy-saving effect in each lighting solution, achieved by the application of modern technologies. “For years the ES-SYSTEM group has been influencing the market of professional lighting solutions, defining the direction of the sector’s development. Our products are not only energy-saving but also ‘more

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intelligent’ owing to the application of the newest control, feeding and communication modules and electronic solutions implemented by the company. What distinguishes us from the competition is our philosophy. We do not just sell products but offer complex solutions. Every year we introduce up to 20 new lighting systems to the market, developed by our design team and the R&D department,” explains Mr Wojtkowiak.

Global provider The company owns three production plants: in Wilkasy, Rzeszów, and Dobczyce. The last, named ES-SYSTEM NT, is the group’s

newest and most technologically advanced plant, opened in 2010. ES-SYSTEM NT (the NT acronym stands for New Technology) has a production plant with a total area of 6400m2, in which there are three manufacturing bays, a high bay warehouse and electronics warehouse. The company makes complete, modern emergency and escape lighting systems suitable for installation in any building. The concept combines a unique design with innovative technological solutions including advanced electronics and power supply devices. It is also well known for its programmable control units for emergency lighting circuits.

ES-SYSTEM NT also makes various LED products. Its Triangle LED System, Open LED System and a new concept for suspended ceiling lighting are just a few examples of products that met with a great deal of interest during the latest Light & Building in Frankfurt, the world’s biggest trade fair for lighting and building services technology. “It is worth mentioning that the process of construction of the Dobczyce unit was financed only from our resources. We used PLN 30 million from emission of stocks in 2007, the year we entered the Warsaw Stock Exchange, mostly for the modernisation of our plant in Wilkasy. Despite this expendiIndustry Europe 57

ture ES-SYSTEM is a very financially secure company,” says Mr Wojtkowiak. The group employs more than 800 people. Its annual sales reached more than PLN 169 million in 2011 (approx. €40 million), while in the first half of 2012 it was estimated at PLN

72.5 million and increased by 3.3 per cent compared to the first half of 2011. “We act globally,” points out Mr Wojtkowiak. Exports make up 22 per cent of overall sales. The ES-SYSTEM products are sold worldwide, with 67 per cent of exports going to the EU countries. Russia, Sweden, the UK, Austria, France, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands are the group’s main foreign markets.

Time to grow “We have everything that is needed to develop: more than 20 years of market experience, great know-how, numerous references

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for LED technology, all the necessary certifications, an interesting product offer adjusted to the expectations of our wholesale customers and a modern technical background. We’re not the follower of modern trends; we are those who create them. So it’s about time to grow,” says Mr Wojtkowiak. At the end of September 2012, ESSYSTEM prepared a new strategy of development for the years 2013–2015. The company plans to broaden the scale of its basic activity through investments and intensifying actions in the area of wholesale, as well as further expansion abroad in selected markets.

In regard to its product range, the company is planning the further development of its offer based on LED technology, which will constitute about 30 per cent of its sales in 2015. This strategy assumes a growth in the capital group’s share of the domestic market of professional lighting to 25 per cent by the end of 2015 from the current 20 per cent. At the same time the group’s export sales are to go up to 41 per cent by the end of 2015. By the end of 2015 sales of the standard lighting will constitute 55 per cent of overall turnover – 30 per cent of which will be LED solutions and the remaining 15 per cent n electronics and service.

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WINNING ON COMPETENCE Leading global construction giant Skanska Group is investing in innovation to ensure it continues to meet the demands of its internal, residential and commercial clients. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the MD of Skanska Sweden Jorgen Persson to find out more.

rom modest beginnings in a small Swedish town, the Skanska Group has grown to become one of the world’s leading construction conglomerates, with a wide network of global subsidiaries. Today Skanska is organized in national business units, with Skanska Stomsystem in the Swedish construction unit, where it primarily supplies the concrete structures for projects for Skanska Sweden. Skanska Group was founded in 1887 and is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2012.

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Mr Persson said, “People outside the business think that Skanska is mainly in the residential and commercial construction business, and while that is an important aspect of Skanska Sweden, our civil engineering activities are as big as our commercial and residential construction activities in each of our markets.”

Multi-national presence Active in the US, Latin America and several European countries, the Skanska Group has a multinational presence. It can call on the

collective skills of subsidiaries of the Group, with each operating independently on a dayto-day basis yet with the strong infrastructure the Group provides. Skanska Sweden is only active in Sweden, so it primarily undertakes projects in its domestic territory, with residential and commercial construction projects representing around 60 per cent of its turnover and civil engineering projects representing the remaining 40 per cent. In 2011 Skanska Sweden had a turnover of 28 bn SEK (3.5 bn Euro). Customers

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include landowners, property developers and entrepreneurial organisations that want new premises. Mr Persson said, “Skanska’s main construction activities are building large-scale residential and commercial buildings and roads and bridges, including all the related engineering demands. We also produce the asphalt and concrete elements needed to support our construction and civil engineering projects.” Managing director of Skanska Stomsystem Jorgen Persson told Industry Europe

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how the Swedish subsidiary fits into the National Business Unit, Skanska Sweden. He said, “We are all fully owned subsidiaries of the Skanska Group and we work together to deliver the best possible construction solution to our customers in each market. All the knowledge Skanska offers is available for our local and regional customers, so we provide a comprehensive service that utilises our exceptional know-how in large-scale construction and engineering projects.”

Skanska Stomsystem employs 400 people, which are included in Skanska Sweden’s 10,000 employees. Skanska Stomsystem generates a turnover around 800 mn SEK (100 mn Euro) annually. The company is still experiencing some challenges from the global economic crisis, although Mr Persson is feeling positive. He added, “I’m an optimist, and with good reason! We are enjoying a very strong order book and have a number of projects

that will allow us to utilise our skills and experience – and deliver an excellent result for the customer.” Around 60 per cent of Skanska Stomsystem’s projects are internal, but these jobs are not bookmarked as internal projects. The company has to apply by tender on Skanska Group jobs the same as any other company, but with its strong history in meeting the demands of commercial and residential construction projects, it is able to rely on winning many of the projects for which it applies. Steel and concrete structure production has been a part of Skanska Sweden’s most recent change programme. In line

with Skanska’s development of its industrial processes the company has invested in its off-site pre-fabricated concrete capabilities, allowing more work to be completed off-site, saving the customer’s time and money. In 2011 it also invested heavily in a brand new concrete station to allow it to make more qualified products, providing enhanced capabilities for customers. Mr Persson added, “For example, we have invested in a technologically-advanced concrete station that allows us to integrate desired colour and surface into the concrete products, so customers can have long-lasting concrete façade quality with

a huge variety of design options. This can even include the customer’s logo!” As Skanska Stomsystem looks to continue its positive achievements into 2013 and beyond, Mr Persson explained that the company is presently looking at the possibilities of positioning itself in the market by offering an alternative built on competence and expertise to its customers. With the hope that the construction and engineering markets in which it operates will develop against more qualified construction solutions, it expects that its ability to be competitively priced and to offer exceptional expertise will n see it win yet more projects.

A COLOURFUL HISTORY Russia’s paint market is fast becoming the largest in Europe in value terms, and Russian Coatings Corp. is a recognised leader within the Russian paints and coatings industry. General director Valery Abramov talks to Industry Europe about how the company is taking full advantage of the growth in the domestic market and how it is coping with increased competition from other European players.

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ussia is estimated to have a decorative paint market of 800,000 tonnes per annum and an industrial coatings market of 510,000 tonnes per annum. While potential growth in the decorative sector depends largely on general economic development, the industrial coatings sector is quickly recouping after the crisis of 2009 which hit the automotive and powder coatings sectors in particular. Imports make up around 25 per cent of the country’s coatings market; however, Russian companies are progressively becoming more competitive in their own market.

Since 2009, Russian Coatings has been gradually increasing its production volumes and sales. Last year the company showed positive growth and recorded sales of €110 million, which corresponds to 4.2 per cent growth. The production accounted for 34,700 tonnes of paints and coatings, which constitutes a 7.5 per cent increase in annual tonnage. During first nine months of 2012 it achieved an 8 per cent growth in sales to reach a total of €92 million. According to the Top Companies Report by Coatings World magazine – the only truly global ranking of

the top manufacturers of paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants – Russian Coatings Corp. holds 76th place in this ranking.

The entire spectrum Today Russian Coatings Corp. offers products for both the decorative and industrial segments of the Russian and CIS markets. Mr Abramov says: “We supply paints and coatings for decorative and construction purposes under the brands such as Brite, Premia, Yaroslavskie Kraski and YARKO, which makes up approximately half of the company’s total

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production output. The industrial coatings include the anticorrosive product range of ProDecor trademark, Strela trademark for painting the railway vehicles and Linia trademark of road-marking enamels.” The company produces high-performance automotive coatings under the licence of DuPont and supplies them to manufacturers of automobiles and commercial vehicles within the framework of joint venture DuPontRusskie Kraski (Russian Coatings). Technical support from the JV helps to introduce and adapt new coating materials to the assembly line conditions at new car manufacturers’ plants and at the premises of plastic parts makers. The original equipment manufacturers (OEM) coatings are used for cars, buses, freight transport and trucks. The automotive refinish materials are presented by the VIKA and GUNTEX ranges. “These new products are a natural extension of the automotive OEM coatings production, which was always our strong point,” Valery Abramov explains. Made from innovative materials, VIKA has already taken a 12 per cent share of the Russian automotive refinish market and the recently introduced GUNTEX brand is scoring highly among professionals. “Another coatings market sector we cover is powder coatings,” Valery Abramov continues. “The specially built Yaroslavl powder coatings plant – a separate manufacturing area within our company – produces 20 per cent of the total powder coatings output in Russia.” Last year one of the company’s businessunits, Yaroslavskie Kraski signed an agree66 Industry Europe

ment with DuPont by which it acquired the rights to use the Teflon® trademark in Russia. As a result, the company is now able to use Teflon® (DuPont) surface protector technology to design and launch its new decorative acrylic paint, BRITE Hausweiss. Other recent developments from this company include its special solutions for telecommunication towers, bridges and heavy-duty equipment. Because of this extensive range, Russian Coatings has its foot in a number of industry sectors, including railway transport (for painting of rolling-stock), road building (road and runway line markings), bridge construction, metal construction coating and anticorrosion coatings for all types of areas. “And of course we have a healthy share in our traditional markets of the automotive and refinish industries,” adds Mr Abramov. “The domestic auto-giants like AvtoVAZ, Izhmash, RUSPROMAVTO, ZMA, SEAZ, KamAZ, ZIL, UAZ and MAZ, as well as

Rusisa-based plants of global brands such as Toyota, General Motors, Deawoo, Volkswagen and Ford are all among our loyal clients.”

Primary colours of the future All three Russian Coatings sites are based in Yaroslavl and include two enamel workshops, resin and waterborne coatings workshops as well as the relatively new powder coatings plant. Valery Abramov explains: “We plan serious investment into the upgrading of our existing manufacturing processes and into creating new production capacities, particularly in categories like waterborne and powder coatings.” The past two years have seen the company increasing its production capacities for metallic enamels (up to 2000 tonnes annually) and installing two manufacturing lines for powder coatings to reach an annual output of 3000 tonnes per year. A new line for pro-

duction of putties for the construction industry was put into operation. “Our strategic goal is to expand our manufacturing facilities to be able to produce 50,000 tonnes of decorative and 8000 tonnes of powder paints and coatings annually,” Mr Abramov says. “We plan to increase our capacities for powder coatings to reach a production output of 8000 tonnes per year. We are also thinking of specialisation of the enamel workshops so that to make industrial materials (including OEM and refinish coatings) in one workshop, and decorative coatings (water-based and solvent-born) in the other.” Preparing to celebrate its 175 anniversary next year, Russian Coatings has a solid reputation as a top-quality and dynamically developing manufacturer. More importantly, it looks well positioned to exploit future organic growth in the domestic market, especially in the automotive OEM and powder coatings sectors. n Industry Europe 67

THE FUTURE IS CLEAR Leading industrial chemical producer to the glass industry Tenax Group has spent the last few years developing its business strategy in order to increase its global presence. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to sales director Mrs Kristina Kurma to find out more.

stablished in Dobele, Latvia, in 1991, Tenax Group has grown to become the Baltic region’s largest industrial chemical producer. A major player in the production of sandwich-type panels and insulating materials under its Tenapor brand, the Tenax Group has two clear areas of activity, both in the glass industry. Sales director Mrs Kristina Kurma told Industry Europe how the company is organised, and how this was decided. She said, 68 Industry Europe

“We are essentially still a new company as we were only founded 20 years ago, and we expanded into the glass industry just 12 years ago. This is plenty long enough to gain credible experience in the industry, but it is also short enough to mean that we are still open-minded to discover new ideas and implement fresh thinking. In 2008 we undertook a series of strategic changes to reorganise our internal operations, and it was then that we clearly defined our two business

areas – Tenapor, which is focused on panels and insulating materials, and Tenachem, which is dedicated to insulating glass sealants, bitumen materials and glues.”

Local and global These two business areas work in tandem to offer a comprehensive service to customers worldwide. Tenax Group employs nearly 300 people and is present and active in more than 40 countries across the world. Mrs

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Kurma continued, “Our export philosophy is integral to our continued success. This philosophy is characterised by always having a local representative in each market. We make sure there is a team member or partner who has trained with the local team and has a deep understanding of our facilities on hand for customers wherever they are. Each customer can have direct contact with our local representative and know that they are getting the best advice from someone that understands their business. Furthermore, our export philosophy continues our domestic philosophy, guaranteeing strong, reliable logistics solutions, quick reaction to customer requirements and a transparent, comprehensive service.”

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Tenax is the largest player in both its local business areas in Latvia and the neighbouring countries. Initially founded on local strength, knowledge and capabilities, part of Tenax’s success story is that it replicated its performance in other territories once it had cemented its offer in its Latvian homeland. This strong international presence is complemented by a customer-focused service that helps set Tenax apart from the competition. Mrs Kurma explained, “Everyone knows that the customer is important; nothing happens without them. We also know that nothing happens without our loyal workforce being motivated and happy. So here at Tenax we work hard to make sure both of those key aspects work in harmony, for the

benefit of us all. We are well aware that our team helps to keep our business performing at the highest level, and they deliver a level of service and product quality to our customers that keeps them coming back to Tenax.”

Private and personal A privately owned company, Tenax is keen to maintain its promise of high quality throughout the organisation. Mrs Kurma said, “From high quality products, to high quality processes, to high quality service – everything we do is about being the best that we can be and passing that on to the customer. We know that we are strong inside and out; we’ve discussed the strength of our team as the power inside our business, and it is our increasingly global

The Shepherd Color Company The Shepherd Color Company is a major supplier of colors and functional materials to the building and construction industries world-wide. In the glass markets, particularly in Europe, we are a long time supplier of color pigments for surface decoration and coloring of window profiles. Since 2003 we have also supplied a key component for formulating premium polysulfide sealants for the insulating glass (IG) market. One of our key partners from the early days in the IG business was Tenachem. From a small beginning, our relationship and business with them has grown steadily over the years. Their dedication to the IG industry and clear vision has led Tenachem to become one of the largest sealant suppliers in Europe in a short period of time. Shepherd particularly values the personal attention to business, their focus on quality, and the great technical cooperation exhibited by our friends there. The saying, “It is a pleasure to do business with you” certainly comes to mind when I think of Shepherd’s relationship with Tenachem. As regular attendees of the Glasstec Exhibition, Shepherd looks forward to visiting with Tenachem as well as other key partners at this event. Glasstec is a great exhibition that brings together all the important players in the European glass markets. It is a great opportunity to meet with valued customers such as Tenechem, and to keep current on new ideas and technologies. In this spirit, Glasstec 2012 was well attended and seemed a big success.

presence that is our strength outside. It is also our exceptional product range that keeps us strong, and customers know that Tenax products are high quality, reliable and cost-effective. Tenax really cares; we are about our people, our customers and our products. We also care about the environment. We are increasingly involved in the legislative aspects of the glass industry and we are excited to be playing a part in this sustainable change.” With such a clear appreciation of its strengths, Tenax is well prepared for continued success in the coming years. Its recent participation in the important GLASSTEC trade fair highlighted its commitment to investment in

the future, with numerous customer meetings alongside new product launches making the fair a key event in the 2012 diary. Mrs Kurma commented, “It’s the event to be at – it only happens once every two years and we have not noticed any reduced participation during the global economic downturn. We scheduled important meetings and were able to have positive discussions with a number of key clients. We are already considering our participation at GLASSTEC 2014 as this will be the perfect opportunity to present some of the new solutions we are currently working on, particularly in the field of polyurethane materials development.” n

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DECORATIVE COSMETICS –

THE ART OF SUCCESS ARTDECO is a leading European cosmetics company that specialises in supplying high-quality cosmetic products to beauty salons and professionals worldwide. Philip Yorke takes a closer look at a company that is continuing to gain market share with its formula of unique products and strategic targeted marketing support programmes.

RTDECO was conceived and founded by Helmut Baurecht in Munich Germany in 1985 and has since grown to become a leading player in the global cosmetics industry. Today the ARTDECO Group offers a range of unique products and market opportunities in every area of cosmetics, lifestyle products and skincare. Leading ARTDECO Group companies include such brands as, ARTDECO, American Nails, ANNY, BeYu, Misslyn, Make-Up Factory, MALU WILZ Beauté and the Private Label Cosmetic Company. The company’s constant focus and commitment to meeting the individual cosmetic desires and needs of its customers, combined with its uncompromising quality and a highly competitive pricing policy, are just a few of the many key components of its success. All ARTDECO beauty collections and skin care products are designed for use in the world’s professional beauty salons and

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department stores. Each quality product presentation and their natural ingredients mirror the latest market trends and also enhance the professional status of each salon that sells its products. As a result, every beautician can fulfil any client’s cosmetic wishes in an instant and with confidence. ARTDECO products provide the finishing touches that make the difference when it comes to individuality. The company also stands for trends, whether creating them, or whether they are created by celebrities or by consumer magazines. This marketing strategy enables the ARTDECO customer to obtain the newest, must-have products at affordable prices at all times. Today ARTDECO products are sold in over 10,000 beauty salons, 6000 perfumeries and more than 350 exclusive department stores worldwide. In 2011 the Group achieved consolidated sales

of more than €162 million excluding private label products, with export sales reaching an all-time high of over €86 million.

Building on success The remarkable success story of the ARTDECO Group can be put down to a variety of strategic decisions, and apart from the entrepreneurial skills of the founder, the company offers a unique range of products and services that are designed to maximise the success of its customers. For example, ARTDECO provides a wide range of support opportunities for its beauty salon customers, including individual display solutions and marketing support, which are all tailored to suit their individual needs. What is more, it is the only significant brand in its price class to focus completely on exclusive, select retail outlets, such as perfumeries, leading department stores and beauty salons. The company also offers a truly unique

range of products that cover every aspect of colour cosmetics. These products are also designed to complement and complete the product ranges of other international premium brands. In addition, ARTDECO offers a wealth of special products and re-fillable beauty boxes, which not only guarantee repeat additional sales, but ultimately fulfil all its end-user’s individual wishes.

Pure mineral perfection Whether it is high-quality lip liners, nourishing lipsticks, inspirational eye make-up or mascara for perfect lashes, ARTDECO quality is unsurpassed and has a built-in secret. Since 2007 ARTDECO’s research into how to achieve the most natural and most comfortable cosmet-

ics resulted in a new collection being created with pure minerals. ARTDECO’s products are all designed to offer a truly natural appearance and optimal skin compatibility, achieved with products infused with premium minerals and novel, natural textures. The use of such mineral foundations, leaves the skin with a natural, perfect complexion without clogging up the pores or leaving the finished result looking like a mask. Many of ARTDECO’s products consist of more than 98 per cent of pure high quality minerals, which means that they are particularly well tolerated by the skin and most products contain no talcum, wax or oil. At the heart of the ARTDECO cosmetics range is its premium collection ‘Systeme Mosaique’ which comprises a unique range

of eye-shadows and blushers in magnetic boxes in five different sizes. It is possible for a customer to combine all their favourite colours as they please, and with this unique refillable system, they can replace their old brushes too. With this concept, it is also possible to add new trendy colours, as well as integrate different brushes and applicators whenever the customer feels like it.

Introducing Glam Deluxe ARTDECO has recently unveiled an exclusive product for the festive season. Glam Deluxe is a new collection which allows the user to create unique and eye-catching looks every time. The colour-neutral eyeshadow base has a soft, creamy texture to

Helmut Baurecht, founder and owner of ARTDECO

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make it the perfect base for eye make-up. It contains Bisabolol which soothes reddened eyelids, which Vitamin E protects the sensitive eye area. The accompanying Glam Couture Eyeshadows, meanwhile, have a unique 3D fan design and are available in a wide range of tones to make the eyes radiant. The eyeshadows are silicon and paraben-free and turn into a soft, creamy powder when applied. The Glam Stars Eye Designer Refills with fine glittering particles are a practical alternative to long-lasting eye make-up.

The colours range from soft to bolder shades to create individual combinations. The spring-loaded applicators take up the eyeshadow powder when the Eye Designer Refill is twisted open, creating the look of a professional application. Glam Stars Liquid Eyeliner is a transparent silvered gel strewn with fine glitter particles. Another member of the Glam Deluxe family, Glam Stars Blusher, is free of mineral oil and comes in three soft pastel tones with a luxurious sheen. It is perfumefree and containers Vitamins C and E for

rich colour intensity. Smooth Glam Stars Lip Gloss ensures visually fuller, shiny lips and contains delicate glitter particles embedded in the transparent gloss to make lips sparkle. Perfume-free Glam Stars Shimmer Cream, available in warm beiges and bronze, creates luxurious accents on eyes, cheeks and décolleté and is easy to store in the limited edition Beauty Box Duo. Finally, Glam Stars Glitter Spray in silver or gold adds the finishing touches to a festive look. It is sprayed on at a distance of around 30cm from the skin and the delicate glitter particles create striking highlights.

Not simply cosmetics, more a lifestyle brand In order to ensure that all ARTDECO products reflect the mood and trends of the moment, its designers go ‘trend-scouting’ at the world’s most important fashion shows and trade fairs for the newest looks and latest market trends. Their range of top model optical and sunglass frames are created from ideas inspired by the latest trends every season. At ARTDECO, premium materials and elaborate details all play an important role in the company’s eye couture too, and to further expand the lifestyle concept of the company, a new ARTDECO jewellery collection is bringing exclusive pieces of jewellery onto the market in collaboration with other n top fashion promotions. To find out more about the unique cosmetic and lifestyle products of the ARTDECO Group visit: www.artdeco.de Industry Europe 75

WALL-TO-WALL STYLE Marburg Wallcoverings is a global leader in the design and manufacture of designer and innovative wallcoverings. Philip Yorke talked to Ullrich Eitel, the company’s managing director, about its latest designer products and move into new markets.

arburg Wallcoverings was first established in Marburg, Germany in 1845 and remains a privately owned company, which is managed by the fifth generation of the same family to this day. The company was founded by Johann Bertram Schaefer, who opened a speciality retail outlet for interior décor and after its initial success commenced the manufacture of wallpaper in 1879. As a true pioneer in his industry, Johann Konrad Schaefer produced one of the world’s first collection of wallpapers with matching fabrics in 1889. Since then the company has continued to build on its innovative legacy by constantly developing new, specialised wallcoverings and launching new designer collections.

The company continues to focus on its core competences which has seen it set the standards throughout the wallcoverings industry. Marburg is recognised for such ground-breaking market innovations as its invention of the original, ‘free-repeat’ print process, patented in 1956, the invention of the warp thread textile wallcovering and the first relief print of expanded vinyl. Other industry accolades include Marburg’s patented ‘Isostrip’ brand, a flame-resistant heat insulating wallcovering, and Demotex, the world’s first heat-embossed textile wallcovering. This industry ‘firsts’ culminated in a new ‘world innovation’ in 2003 with the company’s launch of Art Tec, a unique wallcovering

with lighting elements and an impact resistant wallcovering of non-woven material for painting. Today, premium collections from some of the world’s best-known designers complete the picture of innovation and style that is associated with Marburg.

Setting the trends As a leader in its field, Marburg has always stayed several steps ahead of its competitors through a combination of good design sense and being aware of the trends in the industry. In many ways Marburg is able to set the trends through its launch of special designer wallcoverings contributed by some of the world’s best-known designers.

Eitel said, “Marburg is a university city and we have always been associated with it as a result of setting up business here in 1845 and naming our company after it. We have a major production facility at Kirchhain, near Marburg, which extends to more than 70,000 square metres of manufacturing space. We make wallcoverings which range from a middle-cost budget line to collections at the very top end of the market. Our growth today is based on our ability to provide the most exciting and eco-friendly wallcoverings that have been designed by well known designers such as Karim Rashid, who is seen as the ‘pop artist’ among the world’s most talented designers, as well as other leading lights in the industry such as Dieter Langer and Zaha Hadid or Luigi Colani.” Eitel added, “As far as our markets are concerned, Germany remains our biggest. However, more than 60 per cent of our production goes to overseas markets such as the Far East, Russia, the Ukraine, France and China and we have a global distribution network for our other overseas markets. In

fact we currently export to over 80 countries worldwide. Today our products are not based upon paper as in earlier years, but are made of non-woven backing fabrics that are able to maintain their dimensions even when pasted and wet. Furthermore, with these modern wallcoverings it is possible to strip the paper off the wall with ease. Today we are at the top end of the market and the first choice for designer wallcoverings and are acknowledged as the technology leader in our field as well as being one of the most innovative wallcovering manufacturing companies in Europe.”

Expanding production capability All Marburg’s manufacturing processes are carried out at its modern production facilities at Kirchhain. The company is planning to significantly increase its production capability there and will enhance the manufacturing of its well known Modern, Classic, Romantic and Designer ranges. Marburg has already invested more than €15 million in a stateof-the-art, fully automated logistics and

distribution warehousing facility that extends to over 30,000 m2. At this centre there are over 40,000 automated picking areas and over 18,000 pallet places. The company can therefore select, pack and deliver its products ready to be distributed to any customer in the world accurately, reliably and efficiently. Marburg is also committed to the protection of the environment and its products are 100 per cent recyclable, as well as being produced under strict codes of practice in relation to sustainable production methods. All its products and processes are free from heavy metals and formaldehyde and consistent with the strict rules of RAL. In addition the company has accreditations for safety in manufacturing, the environment and quality management systems. The company also remains several steps ahead of any new government legislation concerning the environment and other bestpractice criteria and is already operating in accordance with European legislation that is scheduled to come into force in 2013. n

TOOTHBRUSH TECHNOLOGY Germany based M+C Schiffer GmbH is the world’s largest family-owned toothbrush company. Marco Siebel spoke with the managing director, Dirk Danne, about the company’s history, the new in-mould technologies and the company’s expansion policy of following customers in new markets and setting up local production facilities to stay on top of things locally.

M+C

Schiffer was founded in 1887 as the Rheydter Brush Factory, and started specialising in toothbrushes in 1945. In the years that followed, M+C Schiffer developed and patented the first anchorless toothbrush in Germany, created the ‘Dr.Best’ brand and established it in the marketplace. Today, M+C Schiffer has its headquarters in Neustadt, between Cologne and Frankfurt am Main, with production facilities in Austria, Germany and India. Dirk Danne: “We long ago devoted ourselves to the international market, establishing our locations in those places where our cus80 Industry Europe

tomers are. Our policy is to satisfy any and all customer requests worldwide. So if they want to sell their toothbrushes onto new markets, we will follow and build a new production facility, or buy one, as we have done in India.” The Schiffer Group employs more than 1000 people who together make sure the global market is supplied with over 1 million toothbrushes a day.

Cutting-edge production technologies M+C Schiffer is renowned for its efficient development and manufacturing processes. Thanks to cutting-edge technologies such as ‘rapid prototyping’ and working with experi-

mental tools, mass production of any type of toothbrush can be started up incredibly quickly. Development costs for accelerated product launches are kept to a minimum due to the extremely short time to market. Manufacturing itself extends right up to packaging via in-line production. By using this ‘no human touch’ production method, the company easily satisfies the most stringent hygiene requirements. Thanks to the modular structure of its manufacturing systems, the company remains flexible, which allows for providing tailored solutions to almost any conceivable customer request.

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Anchorless bristle attachment Using specially developed in-mould technology, M+C Schiffer toothbrushes are manufactured in one continuous process. The latest in-mould process enhancement also makes it possible to work with special filaments. This patented method is not only highly efficient, but it’s also exceptionally hygienic. Through the use of this process, new vistas of hygienic, functional, and design options are constantly unfolding. This technique of anchorless bristle attachment also yields advancements in the field of dentistry. At M+C Schiffer’s, R&D has always been one of the highest priorities. Specially designed production equipment and technologies and collaboration with various design agencies means that entire new product families can be accomplished in a very short time.

Trusted quality for brand & private labels Worldwide leading oral care companies trust in M+C Schiffer’s production and logistic quality to supply their international markets with top-quality toothbrushes. These long-term partners highly value M+C Schiffer’s innovation power. State-of-the-art toothbrushes are jointly developed for the individual brand to strengthen its position in this innovation-driven market environment.

Major European chains source their private label toothbrush ranges from Schiffer in order to provide toothbrushes of reliable high quality at a competitive price to their customers. To reduce the supply chain risk the Schiffer group produces touthbrushes in the production facilities in eastern Germany and at their headquarters near Cologne and allows customers to use the ‘Made in Germany’ label. The successful cooperation with these key chains proves M+C Schiffer’s competence as a quality and cost leader in the toothbrush market.

Quality certification M+C Schiffer has its own proprietary technology centre, where product ideas and manufacturing technologies are constantly being developed and refined. This includes taking the dental and ergonomic aspects into consideration and testing them exhaustively. For example, the cleaning efficiency of every brush can be tested with a specially developed ‘tooth brushing robot’ and scientifically proven in collaboration with a renowned university. Dirk Danne: “The high-quality standards at M+C Schiffer are reflected in the company’s DIN ISO 9001 certification. We have also been working to GMP standards for many years. From the time we receive com-

ponents until the time we ship our products, both the component materials as well as the final products are subjected to continuous monitoring. This is accomplished by the use of highly sensitive testing equipment as well as in-process control by our well-trained employees. Every single product is coded and can be traced at any time.”

The Austrian plastics processing facility M+C Schiffer Austria is part of the family business since the 1960s, and has specialised in plastics processing. With 28 machines it produces plastics for the automotive industry, dental care industry and electronics industry, and also packaging & display products. They even have a line of products for toddlers – eating tools for their first bites. The Austrian facility has seen its production capacity increase by 100 per cent in 2012. “Nothing exceptional,” says Dirk Danne, “we keep investing in our family business. Not only did the Austrian facility see its capacity double, but also the German facility doubled its production capacity by adding new machines.” According to Dirk Danne, M+C Schiffer will continue to grow, for the simple reason that “we are willing and able to fulfil almost n any technical wish of a customer.”

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READY FOR NEW CHALLENGES The SBA Group is one of the largest holding groups in Lithuania, comprising 26 companies operating in the furniture, apparel and other sectors. It operates in Lithuania and beyond, supplying almost 40 countries. Victoria Hattersley talks to Egidijus Valentinavicius, the vice-president of business development, to find out more about the group’s various activities and plans for diversification.

he SBA Group was established in 1990 at a time when Lithuania was making its first steps as a free market economy. Today, following several strategic developments, it is a major holding company which is active in several business areas, although the largest part of its revenue comes from furniture and clothing. It currently has five furniture factories in the domestic Lithuanian market and two dedicated to the production of clothing. The majority of the group’s product lines are aimed at the mid-range segment of the market, which is where it is planning to stay. Mr Valentinavicius explains: “In both our eastern and western European markets we try to focus on the middle segment. The reason for this is

that we have a great deal of proven experience in this area and our customers know we can offer good value combined with quality.”

Three furniture lines SBA’s furniture business currently contributes most to its turnover, and within this area it operates across three distinct strands. The first of these is production for large retail chains, in particular the Swedish giant Ikea. In fact, at the end of 2012 it will be opening a new production facility in Russia, dedicated solely to producing furniture for Ikea. This will include value-added furniture covered in natural veneer and lacquer, combined with chipboard and solid wood. Also produced here will be flat-pack items of furni-

ture such as cabinets and chests of drawers. Because of this opening of this new facility, SBA expects to see a great deal of growth in this market in the coming years. The second key branch within the furniture production area is SBA’s development of its own product lines under the PARRA brand name. This includes bedroom, diningroom and living room furniture and is mainly sold on the Russian market through franchising agreements or its own retail outlets. The third major line is the development and branding of upholstered furniture, mainly sold throughout western Europe – particularly Germany – and Scandinavia. Mr Valentinavicius tells us: “In this business line, we are expanding

Egidijus Valentinavicius, vice-president of business development

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and growing quite successfully. Our model is to get into partnership with one of the best furniture designers in Europe to produce high quality, unique furniture which we can market as a medium-priced product. Last year we successfully presented our products from this line at the Milan and Cologne furniture fairs.”

Diversification is key SBA’s second biggest area of production, apparel, is operated from three factories: two in Lithuania and one in Ukraine. It is currently in the process of marketing its own line of massproduced clothing to sell to major retailers in the eastern European countries and Russia, such as H&M. But the company’s activities go way beyond furniture and apparel. As a holding company with the ability to adapt quickly and efficiently, Mr Valentinavicius explains that SBA is always looking for new challenges and new areas in which to expand. “Our core business is furniture but we are very concerned that the diversification of our business continues. For example, we are looking to move into the food processing sector next year. We are open to all alternatives because we feel that our group has the resources to develop efficient production in all areas.” The group also operates in real estate development, where its activities have a distinctly environmental focus. For example, in 2008 it was involved in the development of one of the most modern and eco-friendly business centres in the Baltic states, in Vilnius. “We also plan to develop environmentally friendly office buildings in the major cities of Lithuania. There will be a lot of eco-friendly features to these,

including the use of solar energy for heating and lighting purposes and natural heating and cooling systems.” It is not just in real estate development that the SBA group is concerned with sustainability. This issue is in fact a very real priority throughout all its activities. Its furniture, for example, is produced along eco-friendly lines. It uses zero-emission chipboard, natural veneers and water-based glues and coatings.

Looking ahead As for the future of the SBA Group, Mr Valentinavicius is keen to stress that development will come through both organic growth and acquisitions. “Organically, we will be growing

through the creation of added value products and higher efficiency, but we will also always consider acquisitions because we have the resources for that, and the diversification of our portfolio is our focus.” In terms of sales areas, the group will continue to focus on European markets, maintaining a good balance between the east and west. Part of its strategy to continue its growth in its core markets is regular participation in trade fairs, particularly for its furniture business. “We will be participating at the Moscow furniture fair in November and in the Cologne furniture fair in January 2013. We will also have our own stand in Milan in April of n that year.”

GLOBAL FOOTPRINT Finland’s Fibox, one of the largest enclosure manufacturers in the world, is continuing to strengthen its global footprint, as Felicity Landon reports.

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IBOX thrives on harsh environments. A privately owned Finnish company, it is one of the world’s largest enclosure manufacturers and the market leader in thermoplastic enclosures used for protecting electrical and electronic components. “We produce everything connected to enclosures and related products and accessories and the focus for us is hostile and demanding environments – i.e. protecting sensitive components against fire, ice, explosion and impact,” says CEO Esa Siljander. “Cabinets and enclosures are our sole focus and we are continually developing new products.” There is a huge amount of detail involved in creating the solutions Fibox’s customers

need. Mr Siljander says: “What we want to do is make difficult into easy for our customers. If you compare us to the multibillion corporations, it’s easy to see the difference. Enclosures might be part of their offering, but they will be one of the 10,000 or 20,000 items they produce, so there is not so much focus.” Fibox, a privately owned company, is based at Espoo, outside Helsinki. It has three production plants in Finland, and others in Germany, Poland, China and South Korea. Importantly, the company has a multichannel approach to selling its products, supplying manufacturers and customers direct and also selling through distributors. That, says Mr Siljander, is the best way to get to the various markets. In all,

Fibox has 10 service centres in Europe, the US, China and South Korea, and distributor partners throughout the rest of the world. The company’s customers are mainly from a handful of major industry sectors – renewable energy and energy-saving technologies, water and waste water, traffic and transportation, and data networks. It does not supply products to the offshore oil and gas industry, but Fibox products are being used in the demanding onshore and offshore wind energy sector. “Renewable energy overall is a very big and growing sector for us,” says Mr Siljander.

Leading the industry Fibox has more than 40 years of experience in product development. In the 1960s it introduced the first modular enclosures injection moulded from polycarbonate plastic, kick-starting a new era in electrical panel building. Today its range features more than 800 different standard enclosures made of polycarbonate, ABS, fibreglass and aluminium. Enclosures can therefore be delivered in standard off-the-shelf configurations or customised to exact specifications. The company is seen as an industry leader in developing both new products and new technologies for moulding thermoplastic enclosures. Its MNX enclosure is the first to use direct injection of the enclosure gasket materials during the body moulding process – this ensures precision moulding of the gasket, Industry Europe 89

guaranteeing superior enclosure protection ratings. Fibox remains the only manufacturer to apply this technology to enclosures. Another example of Fibox’s innovative approach is its emphasis on multiple slide technology for mould construction. This is more expensive but provides OEM customers with cost-effective alternatives for modifying standard enclosures to meet their specific needs. Product development takes two paths. First, Fibox anticipates the needs of the market and develops solutions that will cater for developing and varying needs. Second, it works with customers to develop specific solutions to meet their needs. Current development work includes a new range of wall-mounted cabinets. “Our priority is to expand our offering, providing more sizes and designs to cater for a large variety of needs,” says Mr Siljander. “That is in response to our customers. Basically, customers want all their needs met by one supplier rather than by two or three, so we must position ourselves to be able to meet that need.”

Continued expansion While 2013 will see a strong focus on expanding the product offering, the second important action will be adding more automation in Fibox’s western European 90 Industry Europe

factories, in order to gain more productivity, quality and efficiency, he says. The company has expanded significantly since the turn of the century, including through the acquisition of Tamplast Oy, a Finnish company specialised in designing high-precision plastic moulds and injection moulding, and then the acquisition of Haloset Team Oy, a company specialising in the design, assembly and manufacture of electrical and electronic control systems. At present, Europe is the company’s biggest market. “But we are also looking for significant growth in China and the US, both very important markets for us,” says Mr Siljander.

India is set to become another major market. About a year ago, Fibox started the process of setting up a sales operation in India, and eventually the plan is to set up production there as well, he says. Elsewhere, the company has also added a sales operation in Japan. The most important sources of growth will be continued technological innovation and developing new solutions, and finding new customers and creating solutions for them, he adds. “Our ambitions are clear. We are striving to be the leading player in our market sector, and we believe we can be that. We have a global footprint now – and we are going to strengthen n that footprint.” Industry Europe 91

As with numerous other industries worldwide, the power industry suffered from a notable market slowdown last year. Leading global supplier of ultrapure silicon to the power components industry, Copenhagen-based Topsil Semiconductor Materials A/S, however, is looking optimistically at the future. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the executive vice-president, Jorgen Bodker, to find out more.

POWER BEHIND THE POWER INDUSTRY T

opsil Semiconductor Materials A/S is a dedicated supplier of float zone silicon wafers to the power components industry worldwide, with state-ofthe-art production facilities in Denmark and Poland and sales offices worldwide. Focused on meeting the very exacting demands of the global electronics industry, Topsil has built its reputation for highquality, reliable products on a commitment to listening to customers’ needs.

Vice-president Jorgen Bodker told Industry Europe how Topsil’s dedication to reliable performance, both in its products and its service, continues to deserve this reputation. He said, “Topsil has always been focused on providing reliable, efficient and effective silicon wafers to the power components industry, which is a wide-reaching market that includes the power industry as well as white goods manufacture. By continuously working on new products, enhancing existing products and

listening closely to our customers and what they require, we have been able to maintain our market-leading position.”

Premium quality silicon solutions As a world-leading supplier of ultrapure silicon to the global semiconductor industry, Topsil is fully reliant on maintaining and utilising its technologically advanced production facilities. The company has three sites, including its latest which opened in the

Copenhagen Cleantech Park, just north of Copenhagen in October 2012. Mr Bodker explained, “The upgrade of our facilities in both Denmark and Poland has been largely driven by our desire to manufacture 200mm diameter float zone products. The products are made with advanced technology, specifically related to silicon wafers. There’s a great deal of regulation connected to this development, so our investment in our upgraded facilities means that we are guaranteed to meet these strict regulations.”

The first, most technologically advanced phase of the design, development and manufacture of these 200mm diameter products is conducted at Topsil’s Copenhagen site, with some elements of the post treatment of the ingots completed in Poland, with consistently high-quality assurance throughout the process. The underlying mission for Topsil is to enable its customers to manufacture advanced, energy-efficient power components, which cross over industry segments

such as power generation, white goods manufacture and electric and hybrid vehicle production. Mr Bodker said, “We are certainly solutions-focused. We achieve this cross-segment presence by ensuring that our silicon solutions are of the highest quality and are suited to a variety of applications. By staying in close contact with our customers we can guarantee that our new product development and our existing portfolio are tightly matched to the production demands of our customers.”

One step ahead New product development is at the heart of Topsil’s continued success in staying one step ahead of its global customers’ needs. Mr Bodker explained, “We are in the process of completing a $50million investment programme, which includes the upgrading of our production facilities and also incorporates an intense focus on new product development. This comprises

new 200mm diameter products that are approaching market introduction. We are also looking closely at our involvement with white goods production, particularly in Asia, and the electric and hybrid vehicle industry. As white goods are incorporating more intelligent, energy-efficient components, our semiconductor materials are in increasing demand, and the growing electric vehicle market is full of really exciting opportunities

for us. In fact, any segment where there is a conversion process of inverting energy can benefit from Topsil’s experience.” Even though Topsil is justifiably proud of its market-leading position, the company is keen to extend this lead and gain increased market share in new markets, both in terms of location and applications. Mr Bodker added, “We work with a number of globally acting blue chip customers,

such as Infineon, Toshiba and Mitsubishi, and we intend to expand organically in the coming years.”

Ready for growth Topsil expects to see a 5 –10 per cent growth across its active segments in the coming years, with infrastructure projects in emerging markets a key marker for growth. Mr Bodker pointed out that the current uncertainty in the

global market is unlikely to impact on Topsil as its activity in the sector is focused on the rapidly expanding electric vehicles market. With such impressive growth figures on target to be achieved and a brand new, state-of-the-art facility available, Topsil’s coming years are set for success. Mr Bodker concluded, “We are present in a number of sectors, which gives us a solid footing without being dependent on any one indus-

try. Our ongoing investment programme is also being smartly utilised to give us continued strength in the future, with our product portfolio closely in tune with our customers’ demands and the increasingly impressive capabilities of our products themselves. We see great opportunities for our products in various industries where energy is inverted, so Topsil is certainly looking forward to 2013 n and beyond.”

MICROWAVE MASTERS A leading European white goods manufacturer and a subsidiary of the global Whirlpool Group, Whirlpool Sweden AB offers advanced technology to create built-in microwave ovens. Industry Europe spoke to the general manager, Raphael Delrue, to find out more. Emma-Jane Batey reports.

ell-known global white goods manufacturer Whirlpool Group’s Swedish subsidiary Whirlpool Sweden AB is dedicated to the development and production of built-in microwave ovens. Providing technology-driven microwaves for both the Whirlpool brand and a few select own-brand customers, Whirlpool Sweden employs around 400 people. General manager Mr Raphael Delrue told Industry Europe how Whirlpool Sweden works with its parent company to its best advantage. He said, “We are operating within the western Europe part of the global Whirlpool Group, within the product group ‘food preparation’. We deliver our products to our sales organizations and have some direct delivery with chosen customers, most notably Ikea,

for whom we design and manufacture built-in microwave ovens – our speciality. We stay close to the Whirlpool HQ in Italy and ensure that we make the most of the opportunities for investment and development that come from being part of such a successful group.”

Innovating for more than half a century Based in the city of Norrköping, Whirlpool Sweden has more than 50 years’ experience in microwave technology and engineering, which it puts to good use in its state-of-theart development centre. This design and technology-focused development centre is central to the company’s position as a leading manufacturer of built-in microwave ovens. With more than 60 technicians and

engineers working at the centre, innovative new products are regularly created as well as practical upgrades for existing products. Mr Delrue continued, “Our development centre supports the Whirlpool corporate organisation and all the Group’s production centres for microwave ovens, which are a key ingredient in the Whirlpool brand. We are continually working on improving the basic features of our microwaves so that they are the best on the market, with the type of features that consumers actually want and use. We are dedicated to microwave ovens only here at Norrköping, so we really know our stuff!” Whirlpool Sweden has recently been focusing its efforts on streamlining production flows and organisation in order to

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maintain its competitive advantage. With the challenges of the global economic crisis impacting the overall business, Mr Delrue is clear that keeping production quality high in technology-focused microwave ovens while ensuring that costs are as competitive as products manufactured in best-cost countries is what will secure its future.

Growing and upgrading He said, “We currently manufacture around 500,000 microwave ovens each year and we expect this to grow year on year, thanks to our continued investment in upgrading our facilities and our unrivalled commitment to developing innovative products.” Whirlpool Sweden is a major supplier to Ikea, providing built-in microwave ovens to Ikea’s European operations. The Norrköping production centre delivers goods through Direct Delivery channel to some selected trade partners and most of its production to all the Whirlpool sales organisations across Europe. The sales organisations sell directly to big retailers, and provide all Whirlpool’s built-in microwave ovens for its designed kitchens, which are often sold through largescale kitchen design stores across Europe. Staying ahead of trends affecting microwave ovens, such as eating habits and kitchen

design trends, is imperative to Whirlpool Sweden’s continued success. Mr Delrue explained that its design and development centre pays great attention to these issues in order to implement them into its products. He said, “We are certainly finding that the macro-trend of reducing energy consumption is important in our industry, so we are working hard to ensure that our microwave ovens are as efficient as possible, while still offering powerful cooking.

We have seen a growing trend in providing more design-led products too, so our range includes a number of minimalist-style microwave ovens. Perhaps the most influential trend is that of combined cooking and heating; we’ve been development more functions for cooking ‘crispy’ food like toast and roast chicken.” Such developments have led Whirlpool Sweden to create the patented ‘Crisp’ feature – which it is calling the ‘6th Sense’ function.

Producing roast chicken with crispy skin that’s as good as in a traditional oven. Investment in a new factory is a key aspect of Whirlpool Sweden’s 2013 plans for continued development. The company has a 65,000m2 production site in its new layout factory, still based in Norrköping, which it expects to be operational at the beginning of 2013, with four new production lines and even more facilities available to its designers and engineers. Mr Delrue concluded, “We are in a strong position to see excellent results in 2013 and beyond. We have good opportunities within the global Whirlpool Group to deliver advanced built-in microwave ovens and we will also continue with our Ikea partnership. We expect to build on our 10 per cent growth achieved in 2012 with at least the same in 2013, particularly as we are soon to launch our new product platform ‘Phoenix’, which will allow us to target more mid- to high-range n markets in the coming years.”

QUALITY IS OUR BUSINESS! When Panasonic took over Sanyo, the two companies were already among the leading providers of lithium-ion batteries on the market. Their shared know-how has now led to more efficient processes in battery production, which also ensures that product quality is consistently high. Marco Siebel spoke to Alexander Berghoff, the company’s marketing services manager, to find out more.

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he Panasonic promise of ‘safety, longer-life and power’ for its batteries has now reached a new dimension with its presentation of new versions of the lithium-ion batteries. Capacities range from 530mAh to 3.350mAh for the 24 batteries in the standard range, and 740mAh to 2.000mAh for the 34 prismatic high performance range batteries. Panasonic lithium-ion batteries are used in medical engineering, energy storage, solaroperated window shutters and in home appliances such as shavers and toothbrushes. In addition, manufacturers of e-bikes, notebooks

and mobile phones also appreciate their performance capability and reliability. Alexander Berghoff begins: “Thanks to the integration of Sanyo, Panasonic can now offer its industrial customers a much wider range of powerful prismatic and cylindrical Lithium-Ion batteries. Now there are 58 battery types available.”

Industrial nickel-metal-hydride batteries The Panasonic Industrial Battery Division offers an extensive range of nickel-metal-hydride batteries for use in high ambient temperatures: seven models cover a capacity range of 550

to 3.700mAh (sizes AAA to C with a nominal voltage of 1.2V). In addition to emergency lighting systems the fields of application for these batteries also include mobile medical devices, POS terminals and solar-powered window roller shutters. The powerful industrial batteries are, of course, free of cadmium. The outstanding features of the highperformance batteries in the high-temperature (HT) series include heat resistance up to 60°C during charging and low self-discharge characteristics, particularly at high temperatures. In contrast to standard Ni-MH batteries the engineers at Pana-

sonic have improved the negative electrode and the separator of the HT models. Furthermore, a new composition of the electrolyte boosts performance. Alexander Berghoff continues: “With an optimum intermittent charge the Panasonic HT batteries excel with an outstanding service life of up to 12 years. This makes them ideal for continuous battery power supply, for example in safety technology. So emergency lighting systems in department stores, large companies or convention centres that are equipped with Panasonic batteries light the way reliably in an emergency.” Other fields of application for the powerful batteries include portable medical devices, so-called combined solar applications such as solar-powered window roll shutters or cash register systems and vending machines, as well as various applications in backup usage.

Panasonic in Japan Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture

of electronic products in three business fields: consumer, components and devices; and solutions. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of about €72 billion for the year ended 31 March, 2012. The group started battery production in 1931. The product portfolio includes lithium-ion, lithium, nickel-netal-hydride, alkaline, zinc-carbon and VRLA batteries. Panasonic offers OEM customers standard and customised charging systems and emphasises its corporate identity as a power solutions provider with a comprehensive product range. Today, the Panasonic Energy Corporation (PEC), with 12,600 employees and 16 production facilities in 14 countries, is the largest battery manufacturers in the world. Panasonic has the vision of becoming the No. 1 green innovation company in the electronics industry by the 100th year of its activities in 2018. Panasonic’s production plants already have ISO 9000 ff, ISO 14000 ff and OHSAH certifications.

Strong in Europe Panasonic batteries are marketed in Europe by Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Europe GmbH (PIDSEU). PIDSEU is responsible for sales and after sales services in Germany, the Benelux countries, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia and eastern Europe and has sales subsidiaries in Munich, Düsseldorf, Bracknell (UK), Helsinki (Finland) and Barcelona (Spain), as well as offices in France, Italy, Denmark and Russia with 300 staff are currently employed. PIDSEU is directly responsible for the sale of industrial batteries to OEM customers, while a closely knit Europe-wide distribution network has been established for smaller and medium-sized customers. Alexander Berghoff said “Owing to increasing demand for security applications such as the mandatory installation of tyre pressure monitoring systems in new cars, and smoke detectors in private homes throughout Europe from 2013 and 2014 respectively, we expect an annual growth percentage of between 7 and 10 per cent until 2015.” n

ONE-STOP PRINTING

PARTNER

Konica Minolta develops, manufactures and sells printing devices to customers in all segments. Its products include multifunction printers for SMB customers, to high-end printing devices for production printing customers. Marco Siebel talks to general manager Akira Fujita to find out more.

onica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH operates from the German town of Langenhagen. In 2011 its revenue reached €1.85 billion, and it has a €2 billion revenue target for 2012 as well as a more than €2.5 billion revenue target for 2015. In Europe, 7400 employees work from 30 countries, serving 68 countries in the EMEA area. The parent company is Konica Minolta, located in Japan. Other business areas include optics, healthcare and industrial ink-jet.

Since Konica Minolta started operating in Europe in 1965 it has become known for selling its mid-range multifunction colour printers. It holds a leading position in the market for printers in category 2 (20-29ppm) and category 3 (30-39ppm). Akira Fujita, general manager business operations Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, talked about customer intimacy, digital production printing, IT service management and the promising

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business opportunities he is expecting from the African continent. “Focusing on the ‘Colour’ business has always been the first priority for us. We have just launched our new competitive products bizhub C224, C284 and C364, and so far the acceptance from our sales channels and the customers have been quite successful. Our business is no longer just selling the boxes to customers. Our

business now involves offering customers complete IT service management solutions, where our printers are just part of a larger whole.”

Staying close to customers Sales and market share are of course very important to Konica Minolta, but the company says it has shifted its focus from being purely a sales company to being a consult-

ant, solution and service provider all in one. It has now become an important IT services management partner for many multinationals and companies in the small and medium business sector. Akira Fujita continued: “Our businesses have traditionally relied on technology and product innovation to keep our competitive advantage. However, as products became commodities owing to global competition

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and relentless technological advances, the battleground for differentiation and customer value creation shifted to developing close customer relationships and services.”

Akira Fujita added: “There are huge opportunities in the market for wide format devices. We are providing not only the hardware but also the service package.”

our global sales and support network – an important factor to convince customers who operate globally.”

Digital production printing

IT service management

Another important business area for Konica Minolta is production printing. Two years ago Konica Minolta launched its flagship machine, the bizhub Press C8000, which is especially geared towards the commercial printing business. Bizhub C8000 is top selling model in that environment. The other bizhub Press series (C7000/C6000/C6000L) has now been installed the central reprographic departments of many major multinational customers. Together with its business partner Komori, a strong player in the offset market, both companies now have further opportunity to enhance Digital production printing business in commercial printing environment.

IT service management has become an important part of Konica Minolta’s business portfolio. The company recently acquired two IT service companies: Koneo in Sweden and Serians in France.

In April 2012, Konica Minolta established a sales company in Turkey. Further plans to expand operations in northern and eastern Africa exist and are to be implemented in the near future. Akira Fujita concluded: “Normally, when people are speaking of growing markets or emerging markets, they often mean BRICS. For us (Konica Minolta Europe), our emerging markets are the Middle East and the central Asian countries, and especially the African continent. We want to be the first to enter the market on that promising continent, where markets are still in waiting to boom. And we want to be n there when that happens.”

Global major account Konica Minolta added two major global accounts: one is a German carmaker and the other is a globally operating insurance company. Akira Fujita continued: “We have a strong intention to become the brand which is known globally for its one-stop printing and solution services. One of our strengths is

African continent

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PROVIDING THE TECHNOLOGY FOR TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS Atotech’s Vice President Electronics, Gertjan Van-der-Wal, explains to Julia Snow how this promise is fulfilled in decorative and functional surface finishing, semiconductor and printed circuit board manufacturing.

ith annual sales of €893 million, Atotech is one of the world’s leading suppliers of integrated production systems, by providing chemistry, equipment and service for decorative and functional surface finishing, semiconductor and printed circuit board manufacturing. Their know-how is applied directly to customer oriented technology applications and related end-markets. Committed to sustainability, Atotech develops technologies that minimize waste and reduce environmental impact. The core business units – GMF (General Metal Finishing) and Electronics (Printed Circuit Board and IC-Substrate) contribute approximately 50 per cent to total sales each; but the additional business units such as Electronics Materials and Semiconductor Technology play an increasingly important role. Atotech was founded in 1993, when the Elf Atochem Group merged its M&T Harshaw operations with Schering Electroplating Division, whose experience in electroplating dates back to 1901. Today Atotech is a direct subsidiary of the world’s fifth-largest oil and gas company Total, which holds a leading position throughout the world in the markets of petrochemicals, fertilisers and specialty chemicals for consumer as well as industrial 108 Industry Europe

markets. Atotech has access to substantial resources and benefits from production, R&D and distribution synergies within the chemical branch of the group.

ing equipment in Feucht, Germany, is due to open in 2013, and more clean rooms in our international TechCenters will follow.

International presence

Developing a deep understanding of market needs

Being close to customers is a top priority for Atotech. The company employs over 4000 people in more than 40 countries. With Berlin as the international R&D and administration center, it has established regional headquarters with application centers in Rock Hill (USA) and Yokohama (Japan), supported by 40 regional service centers, of which 17 are specialised as TechCenters, providing advanced analytical and technical support. With 14 production plants for chemistry and two for equipment, Atotech ensures fast, on-time delivery all over the world. While maintaining the strong positions in Europe and the Americas, Atotech has responded to the growing Asian market and made large investments in this region. Today, there are plants and TechCenters in Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Czech Repbulic, India, China, Japan, Singapore, Italy, South Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, USA and Canada. “Our test and pilot line capacity is constantly increasing at all sites” reports Mr Van-der-Wal. “The new clean room for flat panel display and semiconductor manufactur-

Atotech focuses on providing systems solutions for its customers who target the key end-markets such as automotive, consumer electronics, industrial and medical, sanitary, furniture and construction industries. Customers are found in the field of worldleading job shop plating, printed circuit board, advanced packaging and semiconductor companies, as well as in Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, electronic manufacturing services and original equipment manufacturers. “Time to market is critical in markets like consumer electronics. “says Mr Van-der-Wal. “Although we are operating at the bottom of the supply chain, we try to be involved with the entire industry value chain to provide fast answers to current and future market needs. We talk and collaborate with OEMs, institutes, universities and external companies to develop solutions for future manufacturing techniques and to detect trends at an early stage.” Our dedicated OEM teams are in constant direct contact with the market leaders to align research and development projects

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Components for optimum use of ultrasound When it comes to cleaning complex workpieces and complete assemblies, ultrasound is quite simply indispensable. Ultrasonic cleaning allows defined levels of cleanliness to be met reliably, reproducibly, quickly and in a way that is gentle on materials. Ultrasonic cleaning is therefore the cleaning process of choice for many applications in the automotive and supply industry, the mechanical and plant engineering sector, the fitting/fixtures and sanitary facility industry, the field of optics and precision mechanics, the fields of electroplating, and microtechnology and many other sectors.

How ultrasonic cleaning works The cleaning effect is based on cavitation. An ultrasonic generator emits electrical signals at a certain frequency which are then transferred to the liquid as waves of ultrasound via a rod-style or plate transducer. These transducers create high intensive soundwaves. As a result of the high intensity, microscopic bubbles form in the vacuum phases which then implode in the subsequent overpressure phase, releasing shock waves with considerable energy densities. This also triggers microflows in the liquid, which separate and clean away films and particulate matter from the components being cleaned. The key to achieving the desired cleaning result is selecting the right frequency. As one of the world’s leading manufacturers, Weber Ultrasonics offers a wide range of innovative ultrasonic components that allow the cleaning process to be matched perfectly to specific requirements. Its portfolio encompasses the digital ultrasonic generators SONIC DIGITAL with frequencies of 25 to 250 kHz and the module generators ULTRASONIC MICRO CLEANING (UMC) with digital 1 MHz and 500 kHz frequency generation. SONIC DIGITAL MULTI module ultrasonic generators can be used to generate up to three different frequencies. The high efficiency, compact design, convenient operation and sophisticated features of all the ultrasonic generators from Weber Ultrasonics ensure maximum process and operational reliability, giving the ultrasonic generators an edge over the competition.

Weber Ultrasonics GmbH ◦ Im Hinteracker 7 ◦ 76307 Karlsbad-Ittersbach ◦ Germany ◦ www.weber-ultrasonics.com

N E M I C SPE

accordingly. The Electronics OEM Group concentrates on advanced packaging companies, chip manufacturers, mobile phone and other electronic end-device manufacturers, whereas the GMF OEM Group concentrates mainly on automotive manufacturers and Tier I/II/III suppliers.

and tests have resulted in some of its most renowned Pb-free, EDTA-free, formaldehydefree and cyanide-free processes. Those developments increasingly gain customers’ trust, also thanks to many trials and demonstration runs that took place at the TechCenters.

Sustainable development a top priority

The rapid advances in technology anticipated for the coming years will drive the company to strengthen and expand partnerships with customers and their end markets. “Growth is expected to come from organic expansion and through innovation,” says Mr Van-der-Wal. “We are always

Atotech is committed to achieving tangible objectives through its corporate social responsibility policy, which clearly defines procedures, practices and performance levels. Therefore, one of Atotech’s main challenges as a manufacturer is to create processes and systems that ensure safe manufacturing and operations while keeping any impact on the environment to a minimum. The replacement of toxic substances with more environmentally friendly materials in the production process is one example of this. “We pride ourselves on setting benchmarks in development and operation processes and we put continuous improvement programmes into place to reduce our own, as well as our customers’ environmental footprint, while maintaining superior performance, quality and profitability. We assess each and every one of our products for potential health, safety, environment, quality and security risks before launching them to the market. We also pioneer new and improved recycling and wastewater treatment methods for our products.” says Mr Van-der-Wal. According to Gertjan Van-der-Wal, “the TechCenters also play a crucial role in Atotech’s commitment to sustainability”. Extensive R&D efforts adapted to application work 116 Industry Europe

Future developments

looking out for new technologies, new markets and applications. Our systems approach stands out in the market because we do more than just sell chemistry or equipment. As integrated process supplier we strive for an intimate working knowledge of the requirements of the whole supply chain, including future developments.” Particularly strong growth is expected in semiconductors and new fields, and the current investments in suitable production facilities show how serious Atotech is about creating the infrastructure to be the best-placed provider of “technology for n tomorrow’s solutions”.

Savosolar was established in 2009 by an international team of leading, vacuum coating experts whose combined experience has been harnessed to drive vacuum coating and solar energy technology to a new level. Philip Yorke talked to Jari Varjotie, the company’s CEO, about its unique, award-winning products and its move into new markets.

AWARD-WINNING

SOLAR EXPERTS

Savosolar’s in-line PVD and PE-CVD coating line

avosolar was founded in Finland in December 2009 and began the development of its revolutionary vacuum coating technology soon afterwards with a mission to become a world leader in Solar Thermal Technology. The company has already gone a long way towards achieving its goal with a multinational, world-class team of engineers and its first prestigious Intersolar Award granted in 2011 for its exceptionally

efficient, Direct-Flow Absorbers. In addition, the Solar quality ‘Keymark’ has been granted to two of its collector types, and the company is also certified according to ISO 9000. Today Savosolar exports its groundbreaking solar products to many European countries as well as to South Africa, where it has recently established a partnership with a local industrial company providing solar thermal systems. Meeting growing demand

is not a problem for Savosolar, whose stateof-the-art manufacturing facilities are capable of coating around one million square metres of solar absorbers every year.

New concept harvests more energy Savosolar’s new concept means exceptionally efficient collectors and absorbers for its OEM partners and collector manufacturers. The company’s remarkable AI-MPE Direct-Flow

Thin wall Al extruded profiles made of solar thermal approved special alloy HyLife™

Sika Sika structural adhesives allow solar collector manufacturers to bond the cover glass and the back panels directly to the frame of the collector. The benefits gained from using adhesives are typically process automation, increased assembly stiffness, increased weathering resistance and sleek design. Sika teams have many years of experience in helping our customers find the right adhesive to manufacture better products in a more efficient way, call us to understand how we can help you.

Savosolar’s high efficiency collectors in local area district heating container with geothermal heating

Absorber is by far the most efficient on the market today – a fact that was recognised recently when it received the coveted Intersolar Award at Intersolar 2011, for advancing solar thermal technology. The outstanding product advantages are due to a number of key innovative technologies. These have been combined to offer a highly selective (a=96 per cent, e=5 per cent), corrosion and temperature resistant PVD coating that can be applied directly to the complete, assembled absorber. It also offers optimised temperature distribution within the absorber owing to its unique, Direct-Flow design. Furthermore, its thin-wall, light, extruded Al profile is made out of ‘Hydro HylifeTM’ alloy. Additionally Savosolar is using

in their collectors state-of-the-art solar glass from Sunarc in its collectors with AR-treatment on both sides. All of this adds up to a remarkable level of efficiency, with an annual energy harvest that is 15–35 per cent higher than that of any of today’s standard absorber technologies. Mr Varjotie said, “We have developed a new type of solar absorber that is unique in many ways and offers the most efficient route to transfer solar energy to a liquid, which can then be used for heating water, space heating, industrial processes and even for cooling. In previous generation absorbers heat must be conducted from the absorber plate into copper through a narrow welding seam and then

heat is transferred to the heat transfer liquid. In our absorber, heat is transferred directly into the heat transfer liquid inside absorber water channels – this we call Direct-Flow technology. No one else has a selective, optical coating process like this, so we are the only company in the world that can coat large complete absorbers in this way, which makes us different and extremely efficient. “Although we are a new company, we are already very well known in the marketplace because of our revolutionary solar coating processes and our recent Intersolar award, which appeared to take the market by storm. We are the only company that can demonstrate this kind of performance efficiency. In

Large area absorbers up 18 m2 can be coated as a single piece

order to achieve this we use a very thin walled extruded Al profiles which are made from a special alloy-aluminium from Hydro Aluminium, and as result we have been top of the ‘discussion league table’ ever since. “The press coverage that we received after winning the Intersolar award has helped us to significantly extend our export reach, as many companies throughout Europe were interested in our new vacuum coating process, which allows for the production of direct flow absorbers and has the most effective selective absorbance coating. This means that we have been able to increase our European presence and are continuing to gain new markets. “Today we can offer our customers a twofold production capability: for our absorbers we provide a tailor-made service to meet any individual customer’s specification. For our collectors we also offer considerable flexibility. We produce these in three phases. The first is the welded aluminium MPE profile, followed by the coating itself and then the collector assembly. Currently we are able to produce 3000–4000 solar collectors per month and are investing heavily to ensure that we can continue to produce all our products in-house, in order to guarantee the highest possible consistency and quality for our customers.”

Dedicated service and production flexibility Savosolar is able to meet today’s diverse demands for optimal efficiency and tailor-made solutions owing to its built-in management and manufacturing flexibility. In addition to supplying its full Al products, Savosolar can coat a wide variety of different absorber materials from Al and Cu to stainless steel, polymers and

even concrete. Thanks to its in-line coating production procedures, absorbers may also be produced in different colours according to a customer’s individual preferences. With its full Al absorber, it is also possible to build complete Al solar systems and thereby further improve profitability for its OEM clients. Savosolar’s direct-flow absorbers from Al, Cu, stainless steel and polymers can be readily produced for its collector manufacturers and OEM partners. The solar absorber is at the heart of every solar thermal collector and Savosolar’s innovative absorbers are based on its unique coating process that makes it

possible to coat complete absorbers utilising its special direct-flow principle. This unique principle ensures superior heat transfer from the absorber to the fluid, as well as a uniform spread of heat distribution on the surface of the absorber, thus minimising any potential radiation loss. In addition, the Savosolar Modular Large Area Absorber offers a unique opportunity to combine several standard size MPE absorbers to absorbers of required size. For further information about the Savosolar range of award-winning products and services, visit: www.savosolar.fi n

POWERHOUSE FOR CHANGE The EWN group of Germany deals with the decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities. The EWN group is comprised of three autonomous companies; EWN Greifswald and Rheinsberg, WAK Karlruhe and AVR Julich. As the global demand for energy increases, the company has geared up to meet the new challenges ahead.

The long-term interim storage area for the dismantled reactor sections at Sayda Bay

he EWN group is wholly owned by the German Federal Ministry of Finance and is a world leader in the decommissioning, dismantling and disposal of nuclear plants both at home and abroad. In addition to its key decommissioning and dismantling activities, EWN is responsible for the interim storage of spent fuel elements and the disposal of the resulting radioactive waste. Due to the company’s in-depth experience in dealing with complex nuclear decommissioning issues and its technical expertise, EWN is at the forefront of technology in its sector and attracts a diverse range of nuclear decommissioning contracts. For example, as a result of the negotiations between the G8 States in Canada in 2003, EWN was commissioned by the federal ministry of economics and technology to undertake the disposal of Russia’s aging fleet of nuclear submarines. Under the leadership of EWN a long-term

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storage area for the reactor sections of the submarines was established. After the first part of the facility near Murmansk had been commissioned in 2006, it was completed on 1 September 2011. The project in the Saida Bay continues – close to the storage area a disposal centre with storage and conditioning facilities similar to the ones at EWN is going to be built. In addition to this, the company is currently working on the decommissioning of nuclear plants at key sites throughout eastern Europe, from Bulgaria to Slovakia.

New centre of energy and technology EWN currently operates from its two sites in Germany, the largest of which is in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, where the company is dismantling and decommissioning the nuclear power plants near Greifswald and at Rheinsberg/Brandenburg.

“The dismantling is going according to plan, and the main project activities are planned to be completed in 2014/15”, says Henry Cordes, CEO of EWN since 2011. “The last steam generators from unit 3 will be removed in 2013.” EWN stores nuclear fuel waste in Castor casks at its Interim Storage Facility North (ISN) in Greifswald before it is taken to a federal final storage site for heat developing radioactive waste in the long term. All other radioactive material is kept at the ISN site until it is taken to the federal final storage facility for waste with negligible heat development (Konrad repository), or taken to the scrap dealer after decontamination and exemption by the authorities. In 2008 EnBW, owner of the Obrigheim nuclear power plant in Baden-Württemberg decided to commission EWN for the treatment and conditioning of their steam

Steam generator from Obrigheim at the industrial harbour

Cutting by wire saw

Castor® casks in the ISN

generators. Two of these huge components were delivered by ship to the new industrial harbour at the EWN site in 2008. They were once exchanged during maintenance and repair works and are now stored in the ISN. This summer the two steam generators that had been in operation until the shut down of Obrigheim NPP were also delivered by ship. One of them is now treated in EWN’s warm workshop; meanwhile the other one is being cut on the huge bandsaw in the ISN. In 2009, EWN was additionally commissioned with the dismantling of the reactor of the Obrigheim Nuclear Power Plant. The

project team that has already dismantled the reactors of the Greifswald NPP will cut and pack the reactor pressure vessel and the internal reactor components remotely. Completion of the project is planned for 2015. Sites that have been dismantled are now used by new companies in different industries, for example EEW Group, a manufacturer of pipes and piping for components, or Danish company Bladt Industries, a major steel contractor. Both produce components for offshore wind farms. In the cleared turbine hall of the old power plant, the company Liebherr began in 2007 the production of huge maritime cranes.

The site offers investors high-tech facilities and buildings for lease or for sale. All necessary infrastructures already exist with good road and rail connections as well as an industrial harbour. In addition there is a direct connection to the ‘switchyard’ and to the high voltage system operated by the company 50 Hertz Transmission. The enterprise Nord Stream built the gas pipeline from Germany to Russia through the Baltic Sea and Wingas established the gas transfer station at the site. The company is also constructing two more pipelines connecting the Nord Stream with the European

Treatment of steam generator in EWN’s warm workshop

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Former turbine hall of the nuclear power plant – now new place of production

gas pipeline network. The commissioning of the first part of the Nord Stream was celebrated on 8 November 2011 and the second part is also in operation now. Thus, the site offers the best conditions for investors planning the construction of conventional gas-powered plants in Germany. In 2011, following the nuclear disaster at Fukushima, the German federal government dramatically changed its attitude towards nuclear energy. A previously announced life span extension for nuclear reactors was suspended, and it was decided that all nuclear power stations have to be shut down in a step-by-step programme. This means potential new fields of activities for EWN Group.

”We plan to establish a centre of competence in nuclear decommissioning, dismantling and disposal especially for state-owned facilities,” says Henry Cordes.

Generating new international projects EWN has an enviable record when it comes to meeting deadlines and completion dates. As a result, it is often selected for the role of project manager on EU or EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) financed programmes for NPPs (Nuclear Power Plants) in eastern Europe. The company has already managed projects in the Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania. In the Ukraine for example EWN was selected in 2009 as the project manager for

the development of DISS (the Decommissioning Information Support System). With this project the company will provide IT solutions, which were used to support the decommissioning management programme of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In Bulgaria, at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant (KNPP) EWN started a new project in September 2011 – the environmental impact assessment for the plasma melting facility that the KNPP wants to build during the next years. In another example of EWN’s expertise being put to work in eastern Europe, the company was selected to support the decommissioning of Slovakia nuclear plant at Bohunice. The project started in 2008 and was completed this year. n

Industrial harbour with marina and gas transfer station in the background

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ESSENTIAL SUPPORT FOR POWER PLANTS The German company GEA Westfalia Separator Group manufactures separators and decanters for many different applications in the food, pharmaceutical, marine and chemical industries. The separators play a vital role in the energy sector, where they are used in the treatment of fuel for power plants. Joseph Altham interviewed Nick Fernkorn, GEA Westfalia Separator Group’s director of business line energy, to find out how the company’s separators are helping developing countries to generate electricity.

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Fuel processing facility with self-cleaning separators

EA Westfalia Separator Group is based in Oelde, where it has been making separators since 1893. Today the company is part of the powerful GEA Group, a leading global supplier of process technology for the food and energy industries. Even on its own, GEA Westfalia Separator Group would be considered a substantial organisation. It employs over 3000 people and has a total of five factories, three in Europe, one in India and one in China. GEA Westfalia Separator Group has almost completed construction of a new production hall, 25,000m2 in area, at its Oelde site,

and expects to move into the new building in early 2013. For the energy business line, the company’s main factory is at Château-Thierry in France. The factory in China, at Wuqing, is relatively small, employing only 150 people, but GEA Westfalia Separator Group has big plans to expand its activity in Asia. “For the moment, this is really an assembly plant for the local market,” said Mr Fernkorn, “but we are investing in a new site which we expect to be up and running by the end of 2013. Eventually we will employ around 600 people there. It’s essential to manufacture in Asia in order to meet the demands of this huge market.”

Headquarters. Oelde, Germany

Factory Wuqing, China

Consistently reliable technology GEA Westfalia Separator Group produces separators and systems for use in power generation. The function of the separators is to process the oil that is consumed by gas turbines or diesel engines in power plants. Mr Fernkorn explained that a gas turbine doesn’t necessarily use natural gas. “Natural gas would be the simplest and easiest way of powering a gas turbine. But gas turbines have also been adapted to run off liquid fuel. At a high enough temperature, the heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the burning chamber becomes a gas.” The separators use centrifugal force to

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Source: www.pennenergy.com World energy consumption is growing quickly, but no region has experienced such a considerable demand for electricity in the recent years than the Middle East. Driven by economic expansion and population growth this region has an insatiable appetite for energy.

separate solids and substances from liquids. Crude oil or HFO needs to be treated in this way to remove impurities in the fuel that would otherwise damage the turbine. “Traces of dirt or dust can get into the fuel during transport. These must be taken out before the fuel can be used. The fuel can also contain salts like sodium or potassium which must be removed to avoid corrosion.” Proper fuel treatment is critical to the operations of the power station as a whole, so customers value the high production standards that GEA Westfalia Separator Group observes. “For our customers, quality of production

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ensures reliability. If something went wrong with the equipment, this might eventually cause the generator to break down and result in a blackout. Our separators are heavy duty and built to last a long time. This is necessary because customers expect a power station to have a lifetime of 25 years.”

Market-driven improvements In some parts of the world, building a power station that runs on crude oil or HFO is the most practical way for a region to start generating its own electricity. Mr Fernkorn explained that there is a growing tendency

for power stations to use poorer quality fuel. “Improvements to our products are driven by the market. Diesel has become more expensive, so power stations are often being built to run on HFO instead. As the quality of the fuel being used gets worse, our equipment has to be better.” HFO is cheaper but is more difficult to treat. GEA Westfalia Separator Group designs processing installations on a customised basis and offers complete solutions for fuel oil treatment including the pumps, heaters and connecting elements. “Project specifications are becoming more complicated

and our customers are asking us to take on more and more engineering responsibilities.”, he adds.

Global presence GEA Westfalia Separator Group has 50 sales companies and 23 authorised workshops, putting the company within easy reach of its customers. “A lot of things have to be installed on site. We are there with our service people. We even have people in Iraq. In general, a lot of our work comes from oil-rich countries.” For the energy business line, the Middle East is the largest market. In Saudi Arabia, GEA Westfalia Separator Group has recently supplied crude oil treatment systems for two large power plants near Riyadh. The 36 separators that the company delivered for the PP10 power plant are capable of processing a total of 1200 cubic metres of crude oil every hour. Demand for electricity is rising, both in the emerging market countries and in many oilrich nations as well, so the outlook for GEA Westfalia Separator Group looks promising. There could be interesting opportunities in Africa, Mr Fernkorn believes, particularly in those countries that have n their own oil reserves.

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MASTERS OF PASTRY PERFECTION Mette Munk is a leading European bakery based in Denmark that specialises in frozen Danish pastry products. Philip Yorke talked to Claus Olsen, the company’s sales and marketing director about its innovative ‘Bake-Off’ lines and the growth of its private label products, as well as its move into new global markets.

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ette Munk (Monk’s Mill) was founded in 1135 by 12 Benedictine monks who built a watermill by the river in Odense, Denmark to produce flour for its local inhabitants. Over hundreds of years the Mill produced flour and was eventually sold as an independent limited liability company. In 1962 the ‘Monk’s Mill’ opened the Mette Munk Bakery and made the strategic decision to specialise only in the production of high-quality, traditional Danish pastry products. Today Mette Munk is owned by a management team that has worked closely together in the ‘bake-off’ industry for many years and who had the vision to relaunch the company as a premier European pastry brand. To achieve their objectives, significant investments were made in the latest state-

of-the-art production facilities and frozen pastry technology. With their considerable combined experience and technical expertise, the team has been able to reinvigorate the company and relaunch it with a range of high-quality pastry products. Their entrepreneurial vision has transformed Mette Munk into a highly efficient and modern company that constantly sets the standards for others.

Traditional Danish craftsmanship driving sales Mette Munk’s success is based on a number of key criteria that includes an up-tothe-minute appreciation of what consumers and the retail bakery trade are seeking. This is in addition to offering them a high level of

customer service. However, perhaps most important of all is the company’s commitment to producing a truly authentic Danish pastry that relies on traditional, natural ingredients and age-old craftsmanship. Mette Munk has two key product categories: Danish pastry and dessert & savour tarts. Its tarts are made with perfect, shortcrust pastry cases and a tasteful sweet or savoury filling. Making light flaky pastry is an art that Mette Munk has developed to perfection. The company’s Danish pastries are of unsurpassed quality and made with a rare passion and respect for quality. All Mette Munk’s products are deep-frozen and ready to be baked to ensure optimal freshness and to maximise shelf-life, as well as to preserve their authentic Danish pastry taste.

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Olsen said, “When we took over the company in 2006, we had to invest heavily in the latest technology and equipment in order to achieve the high standards that we had set ourselves. So when this was done, we had the most advanced pastry lines in Europe and our ongoing investment in new plant and technology means that we still believe that this is true today. In the first year alone we invested more than €6 million and cut out all non-profit items, which meant that over 50 per cent of the original lines had to

be discarded. Exports soon saw growth, but for the domestic market, we soon found out that it was difficult to attract the big customers without having a full product assortment so we addressed this after researching the market needs. Hence we decided to establish a sister company as a joint venture in order to gain access to a large complementary frozen bread assortment at lower prices. “For the Danish market we also set up a special sales and marketing company to handle the Danish catering and convenience

sector, called ‘Nordic Bake Off’ which sells our foodservice-packed Danish pastries to hotels, service stations and cafes. Today Nordic Bake-Off represents revenues of around DKK 70 million in addition to the Mette Munk turnover, which is in the region of DKK140 million”. Olsen added, “We export both our retail packed products and our flow-packed products as both branded and private label brands in the USA, Canada, the UK, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as to China (soon) and Japan. In our domestic

Magdeburger Mühlenwerke Magdeburger Mühlenwerke is one of the most modern mills in Europe, with state of the art milling equipment and situated in the middle of the absolute best wheat district in Europe. Magdeburger Mühlenwerke, part of the Gebr. Engelke Milling group and the largest privately owned milling group in Germany. The Gebr. Engelke Milling group has been owned by the Engelke family since 1714 and is now controlled by the 10th generation. Magdeburger Mühlenwerke is known for it´s outstanding quality wheat- and rye flour and enjoy the support of many loyal customers all over Europe, customers who appreciate only the best. As the export manager Thomas Brumme and sales agent Alistair F. Jensen state “ We are pleased to have customers like Mette Munk who demand only the best from us and we will continue to evolve and set even higher standards together”.

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market we are the clear brand leaders in the convenience market sector and the retail sector. We are growing fast in North America and are leaders in Scandinavia where traditional Danish authenticity is very important. For this reason all our manufacturing processes are carried out in Denmark where we rigorously control standards and can guarantee the highest quality natural ingredients. In any event, our highly specialised process technology would be very difficult to achieve outside Denmark. “We are currently focusing on our biggest growth markets which outside Scandinavia are the USA & Canada and Germany. However, we are also spreading our customer base to countries such as Russia and Japan and in 2013 we will be operating in China but there will be no joint venture involved as this will be a sales and distribution operation only. “When it comes to maintaining our stateof-the-art facilities, we have just invested €2 million in new automated packaging lines and the latest palletising equipment to accelerate

selection and delivery times for customers. We are continuing to develop innovative, new pastry products in association with our clients, in many cases to enhance their ownlabel pastry lines.”

Growth in ‘Private-label’ and ‘Bake-Off’ markets Mette Munk provides the big retail food chains with the opportunity to launch their own successful Danish pastry lines with dedicated private-label products. In this way supermarkets can strengthen their own market position and meet the changing and often challenging needs of their customers. This particular market is seeing continuous growth as retailers recognise the benefits of having own-label pastry products in-store. Furthermore, private-label products can be utilised in both the consumer retail market and in the convenience/catering (instore Bake-Off) sector. For this last sector, the company’s pillow-packed boxes can

display the client’s own brand label and for the retail sector Mette Munk offers several packaging possibilities to suit a variety of individual requirements. The description, ‘Bake-Off’ refers to Danish pastry that is supplied pre-proved, frozen and unbaked. This style of presentation is growing fast and when Mette Munk’s Danish pastry is baked at its client’s premises, the retailer’s customers benefit from the advantage of newly-baked Danish pastries. Retailers also find that its wonderful fresh-baked aroma is a major attraction for their customers. Recently Mette Munk developed and perfected a natural fruit filling called ‘Real Fruit’, which involves a unique process created by mixing fresh berries and fruits together with sugar, into a clean, natural fruit filling with no added colour, aroma or modified starch. n For more information about Mette Munk’s latest products and private label opportunities visit: www.mettemunk.dk Industry Europe 133

PRIME CUT

Biernacki Meat Processing Plant (ZPM Biernacki) is one of the leading Polish suppliers of beef meat – half carcasses, quarters, muscle, giblets and other beef parts, as well as recently added processed beef products available under the brand ‘BeefMaster’. Piotr Sadowski writes for Industry Europe.

tarting as a small company in 1993, whose basic activity covered the slaughter and de-boning of beef and pork, ZPM Biernacki has grown to become a large-scale factory where beef forms over 90 per cent of all meat being produced. While the Polish meat industry is on the one hand highly dispersed, with lots of smalland medium-sized meat factories operating on local markets, on the other hand around 80 per cent of the entire annual meat production in the country is concentrated within 8–10 market players. One such leading business is ZPM Biernacki. “The company recently undertook a major business strategy change,” explains Tomasz Kubik, the president of the board. “We were mostly involved in preparing half carcasses, 134 Industry Europe

quarters and other beef elements, packaging them with vacuum technology and supplying to customers who would then process them individually under their own brands. This meant that we were nearly anonymous to the end consumers. Thus the change in our strategy has involved a major investment in building our own new brand and introducing a range of exceptional beefbased products.”

Launch of BeefMaster The name of the new brand reflects the excellence in beef production which ZPM Biernacki has perfected over the years of its operations. “The creation of the new brand, in which we offer beef products packaged in ‘SKIN’ type vacuum technology, has

been one of the key developments for the company,” says Mr Kubik. “It has involved significant investments, both capital into appliances and technologies, and strategic, such as establishing a sales network cooperating with wholesalers and retailers. As a factory which was previously supplying significantly to other meat processing plants, which used our beef as the basis for their own subsequent production, we have had to implement new logistical solutions, appropriate to working more with the distribution channels.” Under the new brand, ZPM Biernacki has prepared a wide range of excellent products which, in most cases – such as bavettes, entrecotes, steaks, hamburgers, beef sausages and other offerings – contain

100 per cent beef. The fixed-weight slices of meat are packaged in ‘SKIN’ type vacuum technology; the product is first covered by film, subsequently placed on a tray and the tray itself is then further packaged, which ensures a longer consumption period. “One of the new product is beef carpaccio, made from a highest quality beef muscles, lightly frozen, then machine-cut and packaged in 160 grams package, which contains two 80 gram portions; the product also contains a specially-developed sauce and ParmigianoReggiano cheese,” explains the president of the board. “We also offer a range of beef

cold cuts; veal frankfurters, which contains 40 per cent of veal rather than some products on the market which only contain 20 per cent of meat; beef ‘kabanos’ sausages; maturing beef; as well as two types of tripe.” It is also important to point out that currently in Poland the average consumption of beef per consumer is very low, around 2 kg per head, per annum. This partly results from a lack of culinary tradition and knowledge on how to prepare beef for consumption. To challenge this, ZPM Biernacki has enrolled the patronage of one of Poland’s leading chefs, Grzegorz

Cielecki, who is the country’s Captain of the National Chefs Representation. The chef creates easy-to-follow recipes for preparing different types of beef as well as helping to deliver training for other chefs, particularly in the HoReCa sector.

Ongoing growth The factory is operating at 90 per cent capacity of its current processing slaughtering capability of around 700 cattle a day, and partitioning at 130–150 tonnes of meat, on a daily basis. This meat forms the basis for further processing and creation of

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We are a young, developing company manufacturing cardboard packaging. Our strategic aim is to achieve increasingly stronger position on the domestic market and maintaining a positive image of the company through perfect implementation of processes involved in cutting and assembling specific models of packaging from corrugated cardboard, and subsequently overprinting them. We offer our customers a wide assortment of cardboard packaging, guaranteeing timely delivery and constant quality of products, because we treat customer satisfaction as a measure of quality of our products and a source of impetus for further development of the company. We have a team of qualified employees and a modern machine park, thanks to which we can meet the high demands of the packaging market. Excellent technical and manufacturing capabilities put us in a group of leaders of the packaging industry. Despite the fact that we have been operating on the market for only six years, we have already managed to gain support and trust of many strong companies, particularly in the meat industry across the whole of Poland, as well as in some European countries. With every year of operations our company strengthens its position on the market and exemplifies itself with the strong quality of manufactured products.

Phone: +48 517 232 780 E-mail: kartonix@kartonix.pl www.kartonix.pl

products. “In terms of our distribution markets, in addition to Poland, we have already been present on a number of EU markets, including France, Italy, UK, Germany, Spain and Denmark,” says Mr Kubik. “With the creation of our new brand and delivery of a whole range of new products, we undertook important steps to further strengthen our position in these mature and very demanding European markets. This has proved to be a very successful route for further growing our business and expanding the operations.” In order to meet the growing demand for Polish beef, ZPM Biernacki is focusing on further strengthening its output capacity, both in terms of cattle slaughter

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and partitioning of meat. This is absolutely necessary to ensure a stable supply of source meat for products available under the ‘BeefMaster’ brand. Despite a negative situation on the market, the company is achieving very good results, with sales having risen threefold between 2009 and 2011, and with customers in all of the enterprise’s distribution channels being highly satisfied with the offering. “In Poland our two main areas of sales are, as previously explained, wholesalers and retail networks, with other processing plants forming a decreasing area of our distribution activities,” adds Mr Kubik. “In EU markets we mainly provide

packaged parts of beef to other processing companies; nevertheless we are also looking to start expanding the ‘BeefMaster’ brand. In export markets, such as Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries, we mainly supply processed elements as well as beef quarters, though our new brand is also promising to have an important sales potential in this geographical region. In Arab countries too we are seeing particularly strong opportunities. Most importantly, the company will continue to grow organically in order to optimise the use of all our currently available resources, as well n as those being further expanded.”

For more than 160 years Denmark’s Beauvais Foods has been developing its range of food and beverage products. Abigail Saltmarsh looks at its operations as part of the Orkla group.

SERVING UP

SUCCESS

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eauvais Foods has a long history in the business but that is not stopping it from pushing forward and looking for significant growth under the umbrella of Orkla. The company is part of the Nordic conglomerate, which is seeking expansion through acquisition, and building Beauvais Foods at the same time. Lars Seeberg, export director, said the group was seeking to expand the company’s product portfolio and to push into new geographical markets over the coming years. “We are looking to double our turnover and to be a bigger and more important player in the market,” he says. “We are looking to

acquire companies that fit into our core business – or are close to it – and to grow our export levels.”

From France to Denmark Beauvais Foods was started back in 1860 by Jean Desiré Beauvais, a Frenchman who settled in Denmark after marrying. One of the main products the company first became known for was canned ready meals and tomato ketchup. The company’s portfolio today includes known brands as Pastella, DEN GAMLE FABRIK (The Old Manufactory), Glyngøre, Risifrutti, Panda and, of course, Beauvais. It has an annual turnover of approximately

DKK 600 million and employs about 220 members of staff. “Today our core products remain branded consumer goods. We manufacture a range of products, including ketchups, dressings, pasta and canned and fresh seafood,” he explains.

Part of the group Orkla is a major player in the Nordic region. It currently operates in the branded consumer goods, aluminium solutions and financial investment sectors. The group’s strategic focus is on growth in its branded consumer goods operations. It has 30,000 employees in more than 40 countries and a turnover of NOK 61 billion.

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Beauvais Foods is part of its Orkla Foods Nordic sector, which primarily consists of food and beverage businesses in the region and the Baltic. Other companies in Orkla Foods Nordic include Stabburet in Norway, Procordia Food and Abba Seafood in Sweden, Felix Abba and Panda in Finland, Põltsamaa Felix and Kalev in Estonia, Spilva in Latvia and Suslavicius-Felix in Lithuania.

Activities are concentrated on the business unit’s own strong brands within the product categories of pizzas, pies, sauces, seafood, ready meals, jam, cordials, chocolate and bakery goods. Through its wellknown brands, Orkla Foods Nordic largely holds number one and number two positions in its home markets.

Danish pasta “One recent move saw the acquisition of a fresh pasta business, which means we now have fresh pasta production at Beauvais Foods,” says Mr Seeberg. “We are trying to grow this business and convince people that pasta does not have to come from Italy but can come from Denmark too. “We opened a new pasta plant in 2010 and have been investing in it ever since.” In another step in its drive for growth, Orkla has entered into an agreement with the Rieber family to buy their shares in Rieber & Son ASA. Rieber & Son is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, and is a major supplier to grocery stores in Scandinavia, parts of Central Europe and Russia. Its brands are Toro, Vitana, K-Salat, Delecta, Frödinge, Chaka and Bahncke. Toro is Norway’s leading supplier of sauces, soups and ready meals. K-Salat has a good position in mayonnaise, tartar sauce and salads in both Sweden and Denmark.

“This could take Beauvais Foods into new product areas, such as fresh and chilled salads, but we are waiting to see how it works out,” he adds.

A bigger cake According to Mr Seeberg, some 75 per cent of Beauvais Foods sales are domestic. The remainder go to some 30 different countries worldwide. “Germany is the next largest market for us, followed by The Netherlands,” he explains. “Our focus now is to maintain our presence in the markets where we already have a presence and to strengthen our position in Germany. “It would be good to see a bigger portion of the cake going for export – but at the same time we are trying to make the whole cake much bigger too.” As the company grows, he stresses, it will maintain its independence. And although there is also an emphasis on growth through acquisition, organic expansion is certainly a key driver going forward. “What is good is that we work through local systems and have management at that level,” he explains. “But we are able to do that with a strong mother company behind us – a brand-focused company which is n prepared to invest.”

RIDING THE SKY, SNOW AND WIND The multi-activity Leitner Group is now also present in the snowmaking sector, as Barbara Rossi learnt from Mr Giorgio Pilotti the sales director.

he South Tyrol based group now holds shares in about 70 companies, but its core companies are the seven entities which it wholly owns, namely Leitner Ropeways, Poma, Agudio, Mini Metro, Prinoth, Leitner Wind and Demac Lenko. Demac Lenko is the most recent addition to the group, born out of the strategic partnership of Leitner with Demac, a company in which 140 Industry Europe

the group holds a significant stake, and together with which it has wholly acquired, as recently as the beginning of 2011, the Swedish based company Lenko, including all its branches in Austria, Italy, the USA and Canada. The main sectors in which the group operates are cableways for mountain and urban people transport (Leitner Ropeways and Poma), as well as for moving

goods (Agudio), cableways for urban public transport (Minimetro), snow groomers, track-driven and utility vehicles (Prinoth), and wind power systems (Leitwind). Demac Lenko has allowed the Leitner Group to re-enter the snowmaking field in which the group was present in the 80s and 90s. This means that now the group has the most complete range of winter and alpine tech-

nology products at international level, thus acting as a turnkey system supplier. The group had a very successful 2010, achieving a turnover of €700 million, equal to a 14 per cent increase on the previous year’s figures, a particularly outstanding result considering the world economic situation. At present, 2781 people work for the group at worldwide level, with an overall number increase of 300 from the previous year, and globally there are almost one hundred sales offices and eight production sites, based at Vitipeno (South Tyrol, Italy), Montmélian (France), Grand Junction (USA), Telfs (Austria), Chennai (India), Bejing (China), Starà L’ubovna (Slovakia) and at a Canadian location. Generally all the safety components, whose high quality is vital for products employed in the transport of people, are manufactured in Vipiteno and then exported to other countries, while other types of components may be produced abroad. The group has recently made important investments, starting with the 2500 m2 extension of its Telfs site, the restructuring of the Slovakian production facility, the opening of the Beijing plant and the previously mentioned acquisition of the Demac and Lenko shares. Alongside this, Prinoth has also acquired shares of AHWI, with which it now has a strategic alliance, and thanks to which the company has been able to widen its range of utility vehicles and to enter the field of renewable energy.

This increase in the range of products on offer has made Prinoth one of the two group companies undergoing the most rapid growth, alongside Leitwind, which is benefiting from the increasing interest in and growth of the wind power sector originating both from Italy and abroad. Research and development plays a fundamental role in the group’s life and in 2010 €19.5 million was invested in product technological development in all the different operative sectors, representing a 25.8 per cent increase over the previous year. Numerous staff training courses at various levels are also organised, so as to have highly skilled staff able to face future challenges.

An exciting 2011 Through its companies the group has carried out numerous important projects, such as the renovation of the historical Roosevelt Tramway in New York (Leitner Ropeways and Poma). The group is currently involved in several other projects, which will be completed by the end of the year, including various new cableways in the Italian and Austrian Alps, for instance three eight-seater vehicle cableways, connecting the skiing area of Pinzolo with Madonna di Campiglio (Italian Alps), two eight seat cableways and a six-seater chairlift in Finkeberg, Austria, as well as, still in Austria, a six seat chairlift and an eight-seater cableway in Goldeck, Carinzia. In addition to this, the newly

established Lenko-Demag is undertaking an important project, at Plan the Corones, near Brunico (South Tirol), a winter resort where a new 10-seater Ried cableway has been completed and where almost all the snow groomers are Prinoth branded. Furthermore, the group is also involved in urban transport projects, notably a 10-seater cableway designed for the Colombian town of Santiago de Cali and an eight-seater cableway for the Black Sea town of Ordu, Turkey. This year the group has also been involved in cableway and chairlift projects in Romania, both for ski resorts and urban transport. MiniMetro will complete the new funicular ‘Skylink’, at the futuristic ‘Squaire’ Frankfurt Airport development and the Cairo ‘Airport Shuttle’, which will transfer over 2000 passengers an hour, between three terminals, covering a distance of over 1.8km. This year Prinoth has also presented its new Leitwolf, the first series of snow groomers in the world to comply with Euromot IIIB legislation and part of Prinoth’s ‘Clean Motion’ project, whose goal is that of achieving clean tracks in an environmentally friendly way, with extremely efficient vehicles, thus also offering cost-saving advantages. In terms of wind power Leitwind is building a 3MW wind power generator within a research and development park at Lelystad, one hour from Amsterdam, as well as being involved in numerous wind power parks, both in Italy and abroad. Industry Europe 141

Leitner products are distributed at the global level although historically its core markets are linked to countries where winter sports play an important role, such as the Scandinavian and German speaking nations, Italy, France, the USA and Canada. More recently eastern European states, where an increasing number of the population travel abroad to practise winter

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sports, have become interested in developing their own winter ski resorts. In addition to this, today’s significant markets are Romania, Turkey and Colombia, thanks to urban people transport projects, as well as, obviously, China. In general the projects in emerging countries offer scope for the building of new facilities (while in Italy the projects in which

the company is involved mainly consist of the refurbishment of existing ski resorts). However, the group is not focusing on any one market in particular, but follows all the different sectors with a lot of interest, always deploying in all its activities the quality control focus vital to people transport systems which has now become embedded in the company philosophy. n

BUILDING THE BRAND

For more than six decades, Indian-based commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland has been moving people and goods in countries across the world. Felicity Landon reports on the latest developments.

uilding a brand – and maintaining it – is always a challenge. Ashok Leyland (AL) tackled this challenge with the recent signing up of the iconic Indian cricket captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as brand ambassador. “He fitted the values of Brand Ashok Leyland very well: grounded, a true son of the soil, passionate, straight-thinking and a leader,” says Vinod K. Dasari, the company’s managing director. “He is the face of a robust communication campaign and leads a slew

of marketing initiatives. Dhoni’s recognition transcends regional and linguistic barriers and gives traction to AL’s ambitions to be a stronger global brand.” Ashok Leyland, one of India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, certainly has a strong base to build on. Its buses carry 70 million passengers every day. Nearly 700,000 AL commercial vehicles are on the roads. And the company is the largest supplier of logistics vehicles to the Indian Army. Head-

quartered in Chennai, AL is the flagship of the Hinduja Group, a transnational conglomerate, which owns a 50.98 per cent stake in AL. In recent years, AL has maintained its position of pre-eminence in the Indian commercial vehicle (CV) sector and protected its pole position in the bus segment, while continuing its pioneering efforts to redefine the Indian CV industry, says Vinod Dasari. “What has changed, however, is that firstly, we have become a ‘full range player’

with the addition of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) to our portfolio. Our net worth has increased, we have enhanced our manufacturing capacity, spread our global footprint, given wheels to its plans for diversification, have kept winning awards, and have taken significant steps towards building Brand Ashok Leyland.” AL’s range of products spans 2.5 tonne gross vehicle weight to 49 tonne gross trailer weight in the truck segment; from 18-seaters to 80-seaters in the bus segment; and a host of special application and defence

vehicles and engines for industrial, genset and marine applications. The most significant addition to its range has been ‘Dost’ (meaning ‘friend’) with a rated payload of 1.25 tonnes, the first small commercial vehicle (2–3.5 tonnes) from the AL-Nissan joint venture. “Dost has been positioned as a segmentsplitter, is targeted at those seeking enhanced levels of features, performance and payload,” says Dr V Sumantran, vice-chairman, Ashok Leyland and chairman, Nissan Ashok Leyland Powertrain Ltd. “Dost embodies an attempt to

deliver Japanese technology at Indian costs at a very competitive cost of ownership to the evolving LCV customer. It is already the No. 2 brand in India in its category and was recognised as the ‘LCV Cargo Carrier of the Year – 2012’.” Meanwhile, the company’s flagship heavy vehicle models, such as the 1212, 1616il and 2516il (all haulage), 3116il and 3518il (tippers) and 4019il (tractor trailer), have been performing well, helping AL gain market share because of their superior fuel efficiency, thanks largely to the inline fuel

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pump. AL is the first company in the world to offer a Bharat Stage III engine on a commercial vehicle with an inline pump. AL is readying itself to introduce a host of new, innovative products. One of them, the Jan Bus, will be the world’s first single-step, front-engine, fully flat floor bus. Then there will be new variations on the company’s futureready U-Truck platform and a whole new range of high-performance, high-powered Neptune engines, entirely developed in-house.

Going global Since AL started international operations, the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) markets have been its stronghold, especially Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In a strategic move to increase its global footprint, the company has identified five market clusters to attack – West Asia, Africa, CIS, ASEAN and Latin America. “2011–12 was a great year for international operations, with 25 per cent growth, but the heartening fact was that 69 per cent of sales came from outside our hitherto strong SAARC markets,” says Vinod Dasari. “The company is rapidly making

inroads in Africa. The Bus Rapid Transit System in Lagos runs almost entirely thanks to our buses. We have opened offices in Nairobi (Kenya) and Lagos (Nigeria), and inaugurated a new dealership in Algeria. Many more foreign roads see our buses, including in Vietnam, Turkey, Ukraine, Egypt, Peru and Singapore.” While AVIA Ashok Leyland Motors s.r.o. gives AL a beachhead in Europe and recognition through the famous AVIA D-Series line of trucks, the acquisition of controlling stakes in Optare plc, a well-known bus maker in the UK, has been a significant step in realising its global bus strategy.

Ten plants AL has an annual installed capacity of 150,000 vehicles across seven manufacturing facilities in India: four in the state of Tamil Nadu and one each in the States of Maharashtra (at Bhandara), Rajasthan (at Alwar) and Uttarakhand (at Pantnagar). The Pantnagar plant is the company’s largest and latest, inaugurated in March 2010 and is now running full steam. There are also manufacturing facilities in Prague in the Czech Republic, as part of

AVIA Ashok Leyland Motors, at Sherburn, UK, at Optare plc and at Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, which has already reached peak capacity and is crucial for feeding the high-potential Middle East and African markets. AL’s main customers for trucks include large and small fleet operators and logistics management companies. For buses, the target customers are state transport corporations and private bus operators. Light vehicles are pitched at small fleet operators and drivers who make ‘last mile’ deliveries.

Strategic partnerships AL has four 50:50 strategic joint ventures (JV). The JV with Nissan Motor Company for the development and manufacture of LCVs has already borne fruit with the successful rollout of Dost. The JV with John Deere for the development and manufacture of construction equipment products has come to fruition with the launch of the 435 backhoe loader under the new brand Leyland Deere. AL has two more JVs – one with the Alteams Group, Finland, for the manufacture of high pressure die casting aluminium

extruded components for both the transport and telecommunication sectors, and the other with Continental, AG, Germany, for the development of vehicle electronics, instrument clusters and related products. Another area of focus for AL has been its defence business. Building on its pedigree in logistics vehicles, AL is now focusing on creating a presence in the realm of armoured and tactical vehicles for armed forces both in India and worldwide. The MoU linked recently with Krauss Maifei Wegmann, Germany, one of the foremost names in the armoured and tactical vehicle space, and this has been an important step in the right direction.

Research and development has always been an area of key focus reflected in the R&D spend for 2011–12 of Rs 349 Crore (US$64 million), about 3 per cent of turnover and a 20 per cent increase over 2010/11. Apart from strengthening the current portfolio, the thrust has been towards competency development for the future through facilities and people. AL has a history punctuated with technological innovations that have become industry norms. The pioneering work done in the area of developing alternative fuels has been quite significant: the introduction of India’s first CNGpowered bus; development of the first hybrid electric vehicle followed by the H-CNG engine

that is even more environmentally friendly than a CNG engine; and the HYBUS – India’s first CNG hybrid plug-in bus. And what of the years to come? Vinod Dasari is quite clear in his priorities. “It is not possible to influence aspects that are beyond our control, like the global economic scenario, so we will continue to focus on what we can, which is remaining completely customer-centric and committed to engineering transport solutions that best meet customer needs. The market is witnessing technological convergence, rising customer demand and fierce competition and therefore will pose fresh challenges going forward,” he concluded. n

DRIVING FORWARD As Volvo Construction Equipment celebrates its 180th anniversary, Abigail Saltmarsh learns more about its ongoing success.

Tomas Kuta, president of the company’s EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) sales region

olvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) may have a long history but, says Tomas Kuta, president of the company’s EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) sales region, its continued success is down to its determination to keep moving forward. The company, which is known for its innovative, reliable and highly productive machinery, expects to see high levels of continued growth as it responds to the demands of global markets for ever more efficient equipment and higher levels of customer support. Mr Tomas says, “We now have a full range of construction equipment suitable for customers from civil and road construction through to light mining, quarrying, recycling,

utility works, pipelaying (oil, gas and water) and the forestry industry.” He continues, “We feel we are now in a very good position to make the most of the growth in the markets and that, while we will be looking at a future where we continue to focus on sustainability and technology, we will also move forward with an increasing emphasis on customer support.”

Rolling on Part of the global Volvo Group, Volvo CE has its beginnings in a small engineering workshop opened in Eskilstuna, Sweden, in 1832, by Johan Theofron Munktell. The company initially specialised in printing presses and tool

machinery, such as lathes, drills and grinding machines, but in 1906 it produced its first construction machine: a steamroller. Over the years, the operation has grown. Since the mid 20th century, it has seen major acquisitions and mergers, generating two entirely new market segments. In 1954, it launched one of the industry’s first wheel-loaders. With its pioneering parallel lift arm system and quick coupling attachment bracket, the game-changing machine made heavier loads and higher breakout forces possible. And in 1966, after customers demanded an all-terrain hauler that could negotiate difficult conditions, Volvo gave them the world’s first series-manufactured articulated hauler.

Innovations Since then, there have been major innovations in a number of areas. In 2007, for example, Volvo CE introduced CareTrack, a telematics-based system that uses global positioning and data transmission to provide customers with remote access to a whole host of machine data. “The CareTrack system enables customers to maximise efficiency and pinpoint any operating anomalies that might, in turn, highlight a pending mechanical issue,” says Tomas. Then, in 2008, Volvo CE brought out a range of five 20- to 50-tonne pipelayers. Adapted from a proven excavator design and

featuring modern lifting technology, the pipelayers represented a revolutionary departure from traditional tracked tractors with side booms: instead, they offered a 360-degree swing with full lifting performance and functionality at all radius positions. OptiShift technology was introduced on Volvo CE’s largest wheel-loader models in 2011. With functions to reduce engine revs in long-distance hauling and to create smoother direction changes with automatic braking, this makes wheel-loaders up to 15 per cent more energy efficient. “In mining, we have equipment suitable for small to mid-level mines and some

quarries, and our innovative equipment for overburden stripping in mines is proving highly successful where other trucks are often getting bogged down. We supply them to customers right across the world, in places like Indonesia, South Africa and Australia,” says Mr Kuta.

Global development “Volvo CE is now in a prime position to make the most of growth in Russia, Africa, China and Latin America, as well as Europe and North America,” he continues. While global urbanisation is seeing massive potential in emerging markets, as more and more infra-

structure is required, there is also increasing demand from more mature markets. “Europe is still the engine, and our core market for EMEA. In Norway, for example, there is still significant growth and elsewhere there is still a huge need for the development of infrastructure. It is often down to funding, willingness and political decision making,” says Mr Kuta. Elsewhere, a new excavator facility is set to open in Russia. This represents one of Volvo CE’s biggest investments of recent times and

will see the launch of an operation that will primarily serve the Russian market. “This is where we are expecting to see significant growth in EMEA next,” he says. “There is still a real need for infrastructure there. Turkey and parts of the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia, also hold great potential and Africa, of course, where countries such as Algeria and Nigeria have income from oil for development.” He goes on: “Longer term, I think we will see increasing demand from Kazakhstan,

Iraq, Angola and Libya. Once they are stable enough, development can and I am convinced will take place.”

Environmental responsibilty The key for Volvo CE, he suggests, is to be ready to meet the needs and demands of customers in those markets when the time is right. Vital engineering talent is starting to emerge from many of the markets that are seeing fast urbanisation, so having a local presence and being able to offer the

right training will ensure expertise where it is needed for the future. For the future, there also needs to be a major emphasis on sustainability. Volvo CE, like the rest of the Volvo Corporation, is committed to both environmental and social responsibility. “We have won all kinds of awards for our approach, and together with our joint-venture company SDLG we were the world’s first construction equipment manufacturers to join the Worldwide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) Climate Savers programme.”

Keys to the future Indeed, Volvo CE is determined to demonstrate its commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its production processes and its equipment. It aims to reduce CO2 emissions from production plants by 12 per cent

from 2008 levels and to reduce total lifetime CO2 emissions from vehicles sold between 2009 and 2014 by more than 30Mt compared to 2008 models, via improved fuel efficiency. “Our other prerequisite for the future is going to be customer service,” stresses Mr Kuta. “We need to ensure that we have premium distribution systems and the highest levels of competence in parts and technical support. We need to offer a highly professional and efficient one-stop shop, where our customers can access everything they need, including support.” And he adds: “There is also a lot happening in terms of communication. Through telematics, we will keep improving online accessibility for our customers as I believe this aspect of support will be vital for their businesses going forwards and therefore our future development too.” n

21 CENTURY IN CONTAINERS TECHNOLOGY ST

Celebrating, in 2012, its 25th anniversary, ZPUH Janusz Kiedrowski is a very successful Polish company which leads the way in innovative solutions in container technology and manufacturing. This full of potential, highly competitive enterprise, cooperates with excellent international partners and every year manufactures thousands of containers made from the best steel. A significant number of products, which make up an offer of over 70 different models in more than 200 different types, reach the demanding Scandinavian markets. The company develops dynamically, thanks to which it continuously strengthens its leadership position. Piotr Sadowski writes.

ver the last few years ZPUH Janusz Kiedrowski has been working on a serious strategic development of the company. “During 2010-11 we undertook a very large project, worth PLN 8.5 million, supported by dedicated European Union funds for activities 5.2.2, aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the enterprise,” begins Janusz Kiedrowski, the ambitious founder and managing director of the company. “We 152 Industry Europe

built a brand new second production hall, which gives us a total manufacturing space of over 10,000 m2. Our factory is equipped with the most modern appliances, including automated robots for welding and cutting, which help us to produce even better, even more effectively and competitively. I am delighted to say that this development project was successfully accomplished and my enterprise secured a third place in the prestigious

‘Golden Hundred of Pomerania and Kujawy’ 2010 ranking, for companies which best used EU funds, taking into account the level of funding calculated per one employee.” The strategic development of the company resulting from the above-described project has also contributed to further strengthening the market position of ZPUH Janusz Kiedrowski, both in the country, as well as in the areas of international cooperation. Since 12 years the

enterprise carries out close and partnershiplike cooperation, both in terms of distribution, as well as designing and introducing innovative container solutions to the market, with a Swedish company ILAB Container. The Swedish partner distributes containers manufactured by the Polish producer across the whole of Scandinavia, and the cooperation gives the enterprise access to 60 per cent of the entire Scandinavian containers market. “As an example, in 2009 we were exporting 4000 containers to Scandinavia every year,” explains the company’s owner. “Currently, after introducing the strategic vision of development, this figure rose to 7500 per annum. While in 2009 we were sending 12 transports per week, operated by our own fleet, today no less than 30 transports to Scandinavia leave our factory every week. However, ILAB Container is not only a distributor, but also a very important partner with whom we undertake new projects and introduce joint technological thoughts, and soon a joining of the capital of the two companies may be also possible. I also need to add that thanks to this outstanding cooperation we are a well-known brand on the Scandinavian market: we have excellent contacts and contracts there, such as those with, for example, STENA Company, for which we are the sole supplier of containers. It is also worth highlighting that, as part of its strategic development, ZPUH Janusz

Kiedrowski increased its employment to 340 staff, which is a major growth from the level of 220 employees in 2009. All of this allows us to continue developing, including further strengthening our position across Scandinavia and other markets, such as Germany.”

Cooperation with leading suppliers In the process of manufacturing such a wide offer of innovative containers, used by numerous fully-satisfied clients in the country and abroad, ZPUH Janusz Kiedrowski cooperates with very well-known suppliers of materials. These partners contribute to an ongoing strengthening of the image and innovative character of the company, which in turn translates into successes and business opportunities for all partners taking part in the cooperation. The best quality high grade steel is supplied by a renowned Swedish company SSAB (Hardox, Domex, Docol). In turn, anti-corrosive paints manufactured by the company TEKNOS have for many years been supplied by BAUSTOFF + METALL Color Sp. z o.o., while Nova Verta is a manufacturer of modern painting cabins installed in the factory’s production halls. “Moreover, manufacturing is carried out using cutting plasma machinery from the Turkish company AIAN, whose Poland representative is Mr Łukasz Zawada, co-owner of the company AEP-POLSKA,” Mr Kiedrowski

further explains. “Amongst the group of our leading suppliers we also cooperate with the company Pol-Sver Janusz Nagórka, the representative in Poland of many top manufacturers of appliances for plastic processing of steel sheets, including, amongst others, DURMA machinery from another Turkish company, DURMAZLAR. Thus our suppliers play a very important role in ZPUH Janusz Kiedrowski maintaining the highest quality, innovation and competitiveness of containers manufactured by the company.”

Innovative and competitive products Following the highly-successful introduction of the strategic vision of Mr Kiedrowski, the company is now equipped with some of the most impressive manufacturing appliances in its industrial sector. It is often confirmed by the very clients of ZPUH Janusz Kiedrowski who visit the headquarters of the company. The enterprise uses the most advanced software solutions for creating 3D designs (such as Autodesk Inventor 11) in order to produce a wide range of innovative and competitive containers. “In all of our processes, and of course in products, we focus on innovation,” explains Mr Kiedrowski. “As one of the leading manufacturers on the market we designed, together with our partner Swedish design bureau, the new LVF container, manufactured from

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high-grade steel. The container is 30 per cent lighter than other products proposed by the market rivals, which results in savings, while its price compared to the cost of manufacturing is highly competitive. Thanks to this the container has already, in a short space of time, become one of the leading successes of the ZPUH Janusz Kiedrowski Company, especially on the very important for the enterprise Scandinavian market.” The LVF containers, regarded as flagship solutions of ZPUH Janusz Kiedrowski, have capacity ranging from 15m3 to 40m3. They are used for the transportation of industrial and municipal waste and their innovation and competitiveness is the result of an advanced design that allows for transporting waste at high savings to the user, which reach annual amounts of €10,000 (according to official research). As part of their constructional solution, the LVF

containers have a 3mm thick floor and 2mm thick side walls, which effectively reduces the unit weight and in the end improves the effectiveness and ecology: it is not a heavy container which is being transported, but a much higher amount of waste, and so the emission of pollution to the environment is also lower. It is also important to add that every LVF containers undergoes hydro-dynamic varnishing using an anti-corrosive paint, supplied by the company TEKNOS, available in any chosen colour from the RAL colour range. In addition, prior to painting, every container is first blasted, which results in the longest possible durability of the varnish cover.

Further development In March 2012 the company ZPUH Janusz Kiedrowski celebrates its important jubilee, the before-mentioned 25 years of market operations. The company’s owner is currently introducing his son into the company, whose task will be the successive taking over of the responsibility associated with running this continuously developing, dynamic and ambitious business. “In 1998 I was starting from scratch, so it is particularly important for me to see that the hard work over the years has paid off,” says Mr Kiedrowski. “The company’s offer

definitely meets all of the needs of our customers from Scandinavia and other European markets, as well as, of course, from Poland. The products also meet many stringent regulations relating to environmental protection, which is very important in Scandinavia, where the levels of ecological awareness and practices in waste management are particularly high.” During 2010–11 the company underwent an impressive development of technology and personnel, when the level of employment, as earlier indicated, increased by 70 per cent. The manufacturer is currently capable of manufacturing over 10,000 containers every year, using more than 1400 tonnes of steel every month. “We are looking at the possibility of potential new agreements with companies in Germany and the Netherlands, which would require further continued development of our annual output capacity,” says Mr Kiedrowski. “We will continue strengthening our market position, focusing on technological improvements and introducing ever more effective planning in the company. Timely and high quality delivers will always be an important priority for us. All of this will require continuing hard work and, as it is always the case in business, a certain n degree of luck.”

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LEADERS IN COMPRESSOR TECHNOLOGY B

ITZER has been developing and manufacturing reciprocating compressors, screw compressors, scroll compressors and pressure vessels for over 75 years. With its headquarters in Sindelfingen, a town west of Stuttgart in south-west Germany, BITZER has 27 sales locations and 17 production facilities, and is further represented in over 90 countries. In 1934 Martin Bitzer founded the company which in 2008 became BITZER SE.

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The company started out by manufacturing expansion valves and two-cylinder reciprocating compressors. In 1961, graduate engineer Ulrich Schaufler took over the company. His son Peter Schaufler currently serves as the company’s CEO. In 2011, annual sales revenues of €632 million were achieved with a payroll staff of 2.966. BITZER is an active shareholder in various companies and in all of its subsidiaries the company insists on an environmental policy

The Germany based BITZER SE is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of refrigerant compressors. Marco Siebel spoke to the chief sales and marketing officer, Michael Bauer, to learn more about two models of screw and scroll compressors that the company has launched in 2012.

that conserves resources and the company has earned a wide variety of certifications. Michael Bauer said “In 2011 we invested €50 million in the expansion of two of our production facilities in China and the US. In China the production facility went up from 15,000m2 to 30,000m2, and in the USA from 15,000m2 to 25,000m2. Our R&D expenditure for 2011 was €18 million, which allowed us to launch among other products two new screw and scroll compressors.”

ORBIT 6 scroll compressor series The new ORBIT 6 family of scroll compressors is particularly well suited for use in air conditioning systems and heat pumps. The design of the ORBIT 6 compressors is based on refrigerant R410A, whose comparatively high level of vapour pressure provides a very high volumetric cooling capacity, allowing for the compact design of the new series. ORBIT

6 also sets new standards with a level of quiet operation never achieved before in this performance class. All ORBIT 6 compressors are designed for condensing temperatures of up to 68°C and even covering the operating point of -20°C / +50°C required for heat pump applications. That makes Orbit 6 the compressor series with the widest range of applications. Industry Europe 157

BITZER supplies the models of the ORBIT 6 family of scroll compressors in five performance levels: 10, 12, 13, 15 and 20 hp.

Consistently energy-efficient The design of ORBIT 6 compressors enables them to deliver consistent performance under full-load and part-load conditions, such as those that arise from the severely fluctuating load conditions and ambient conditions associated with air-conditioning and heat pump applications. This results in very high EER, ESEER/IPLV and SCOP values and correspondingly low annual operating costs. 158 Industry Europe

The design and build of ORBIT 6 compressors are also ingeniously suited for installation in compounding systems. The compressors can be better mounted directly to corresponding assembly rails. BITZER offers the matching assembly kits in its delivery range.

CSV series screw compressor The CSV series is a compact screw compressor with integrated frequency inverter that delivers a convincingly good range of control and superb power density. With an ESEER (European Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) of more than 5, the intelligent CSV series sets new standards for air-cooled

chillers with direct expansion. The key to optimum energy efficiency in the new CSV series lies in the integrated frequency inverter achieving variable speed. The CSV series is compact, taking up less space and satisfying the requirements in EMC regulations for industry and residential areas. Thanks to their refrigerant-cooled electronics, optimum operational reliability and low-maintenance operation are assured. The soft-start function of the integrated frequency inverter keeps start-up current at very low levels. Once the system has powered up, operating current rises continuously and smoothly. This avoids high starting current peaks.

Michael Bauer said “The models in the CSV series, that can be used in chillers for the air-conditioning of buildings, in heat pumps and in industrial and process applications, are highly efficient and very cost-effective – a key sales advantage for the countries where we expect up to 20 per cent growth during the next couple of years. On average we are hoping for a 12 per cent growth worldwide between 2012 and 2015.” The CSV series can, of course, be combined to form a system with conventional CSH and CSW compact screw compressors from the BITZER range. This increases flexibility in terms of full and part load characteristics, during the system planning stage as well as during the operational phase. BITZER currently offers three models in the CSV series, all of which are designed to n operate with refrigerant R134a.

DECADES OF EXPERIENCE & CONSTANT DEVELOPMENT The ATB group is currently working on the technology of tomorrow and already offers customized solutions in the premium-efficiency class IE3, which will be mandatory from 2015. Intensive R&D activities in Europe have made the ATB Group a first mover in the highest class of energy-efficient technology motors. As the first supplier in the market, ATB already began in 2011 to develop the next higher energy efficiency class. In Western Europe, about 2/3 of the required electrical power is converted into mechanical energy via electric motors. The technological lead of the ATB group secures its position amongst the top 3 in Central Europe. The part of ATB Group is the Factory of Electric Motors TAMEL. Tamel offers general purpose motors of IE2 and IE3 efficiency, explosion-proof, flameproof, single phase, multi speed and special motors which are design modifications adjusted to needs of the most demanding customers. Decades long experience in manufacturing has allowed Tamel to create long-term relationships with both domestic and international customers. Products reach customers worldwide, mainly Europe, Asia, Americas, New Zealand and Australia. In the history of Tamel, word „quality” has truly reflected what it should - manufacturing the product that fulfills not only the requirements of applicable standards, but also customer expectations. Over 60 years of experience in the production of electric motors speaks for itself, affirming Tamel’s position as one of the most important manufacturers in the industry. The factory maintain and constantly improve the Quality Management System – the recent recertification of the system for compliance with the new ISO 9001:2008 was successfully carried out in December 2009.

phone: +48 14 632 11 33 | fax: +48 14 621 96 64 | e-mail: office.tamel@tamel.pl | www.tamel.pl

KEEPING COOL Commercial refrigeration specialist EPTA Group is a respected global partner and the European market leader in its sector. The company has enjoyed continuous growth throughout the economic recession, so Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the international sales director, Christian Le-Gousse, to find out how this has been achieved.

PTA Group is the European market leader in commercial refrigeration and a widely respected global partner for food retailers, with its five main product areas of cold rooms, refrigerated packs, special cold cases, mainstream cases and their installation and maintenance. Offering five well-established commercial refrigeration brands, EPTA appreciates its position as the partner of choice for retailers looking for turnkey solutions. Its brand portfolio including

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Costan, Bonnet Névé, BKT, George Barker and Euro’Cryor has allowed it to continue to grow throughout the global recession. Mr Le-Gousse told Industry Europe why he thinks this is the case. He said, “There are two main reasons why we have continued to perform well during these challenging economic times. Firstly, we have strategically focused on gaining market share both in our traditional European domestic markets and further afield. Secondly, we are lucky in that we service

the whole of the food industry. This means that whether people have plenty of money in their pockets and are buying luxury food, or if they’re cutting back their food budget and retailers are working hard to retain their profit margin, we still deliver commercial refrigeration units. People always have to eat something!”

New opportunities In 2005, EPTA’s turnover stood at €340 million. By 2011, this had increased to €500 million. The company has employed a strategy of acquiring companies within the commercial refrigeration sector that can support its long-term aim of expanded market penetration. Mr Le-Gousse continued, “We are dedicated to the commercial refrigeration sector and always have been. This helps to keep us focused on the potential opportunities and proves to our customers that we are

a reliable partner for their long-term needs. We have grown quite substantially since 2005 and times have been good.” The focus on gaining commercial refrigeration market share has incorporated close attention to improving all aspects of EPTA’s offer. With both time and money spent on rationalisation, new tools, increased flexibility and enhanced customer service, the company is clear that it is at the top of its game. Mr Le-Gousse continued, “We’ve been systematically focused on trying to get where we were not already. By using our widely-appreciated high levels of service and our well-recognised brand portfolio alongside acquiring companies that already had a solid market presence in the geographical areas in which we were aiming to penetrate, we’ve been able to grow in a solid and sustainable manner.”

Active worldwide, EPTA is currently strongest in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Its extended portfolio still has potential for more acquisitions in both emerging markets and traditional markets where commercial refrigeration for the food sector has either room to grow or would welcome increased competition. In order to increase its competitiveness, EPTA is clear about its unique selling points. Mr Le-Gousse explained, “As an organisation we are continually considering our customers. We stay close to them and listen to their real needs to ensure that we are meeting their changing demands. We are a slim company that is totally up to the challenges presented by the retail industry, particularly during such difficult economic conditions. We know that our complete flexibility and reliability is valued by our customers too, and we have many

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long-term customers that truly see us as a partner. We offer short delivery times and can change orders if required to suit a new style of store, for example.”

Ready for more growth A retail industry trend that is set to see the majority of stores across France change the way they display cold food is also set to have positive repercussions for EPTA. Mr Le-Gousse told Industry Europe about the recent French government announcement that all food retailers will have to display cold food such as meat and cheese behind glass doors by 2020, rather than the open chilled cabinets that are currently used. With EPTA able to supply these units, it is keen to highlight its capabilities in meeting this new regulation. EPTA expects to continue to grow in the coming years due to its dedication to meeting customers’ needs, acquiring new companies that will boost its presence in the commercial refrigeration sector while enabling it to gain new market share in countries outside its traditional European heartland.

Mr Le-Gousse concluded, “In many ways we have reached a critical mass in terms of commercial refrigeration as we have financial stability, excellent R&D, strong customer service and support and an unbeatable offer. What we will concentrate on in the next few years in bringing that total package to a wider

geographical audience by both following our existing customers and looking at interesting acquisitions. Any company we consider must be active in the commercial refrigeration sector but we are open-minded about what area they specialise in, such as manufacturing, n service or contracting.”

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• Elevators & Access Control • The Automotive Industry

Also within the Placisa Group, Plasmold Engineering offers product design and development, CAE Studies and Prototyping, Quick Turnkey Projects, Dedicated Special Projects Management, Outsourcing Follow-up Team services and CMM Dimensional Reports.

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REVOLUTIONISING ENERGY EFFICIENCY ClimateWell® is a Swedish company that is set to make the biggest contribution yet to the reduction in global warming through its hyper-efficient and sustainable heat transfer solutions. Philip Yorke talked to Karl Bohman, the company’s business development director, about the major impact this unique and revolutionary technology will have on the world at large, as well as on our everyday lives.

limateWell® was founded in Sweden in 2001 by two visionaries: Goran Bolin and Ray Olsson. These remarkable entrepreneurs both shared the same revolutionary idea: a unique thermal heat pump that was highly efficient, economically sustainable and environmentally friendly. The outstanding success of this product soon attracted the support of major investors such as General Electric, as well as leading academics, thus further accelerating the company’s research programme and the advent of even more exciting innovative products to follow.

Dramatically reducing carbon emissions Today ClimateWell® technology renders oil, electricity or gas totally unnecessary for indoor climate solutions, thereby making obsolete the need for expensive air conditioning powered by non-renewable energy sources. 164 Industry Europe

ClimateWell’s energy efficient cooling and heating systems are designed to serve three core energy sectors: Water heaters and boilers; air-conditioning systems for trucks and passenger vehicles; and solar cooling and energy storage systems. The company’s advanced heat transfer systems run on solarpowered hot water rather than electricity in order to maximise energy efficiency. It was the company’s solar powered air-conditioning solutions and zero electricity heat pumps that led to the American industrial giant, General Electric, offering a $100,000 cash award to ClimateWell for further product development. This was with granted with a view to applying ClimateWell’s technology to a wide range of GE appliance businesses. This new heat-transfer technology translates into a significant reduction of power consumption and carbon emissions. While

initially targeting operations like hospitals or commercial buildings, the company is working with GE to deploy this technology to additional markets that are already served by the global GE appliances division.

Increasing demand for sustainable indoor climate solutions It is a fact that over 68 per cent of all energy consumed in the US is attributed to household energy consumption, and this is simply for heating and cooling buildings alone. Overall, a significant percentage of the

world’s CO2 emissions can be traced to the need to heat buildings in cold climates and to cool buildings in hot climates. Therefore the opportunity to use renewable, sustainable energy sources can have a huge impact on the world’s total energy consumption and the environment that we share in the future. Further proof of the scale of CO2 savings achieved by ClimateWell technology can be illustrated by the simple comparison between conventional cars with its technology, and today’s hybrid cars without it. For example, changing from a conventional car to a hybrid

car will save in the region of 1 tonne of CO2 per year. Compare this with Climatewell® technology fitted to a conventional car and an average family can reduce their CO2 emissions by around 15 tonnes per year. Bohman said, “Our mission is to develop optimised, energy-efficient components for the world’s major OEMs. We are currently working with a handful of large OEM customers, such as General Electric and Dometic. They set their requirements and we then develop energyefficient products that can be customised and integrated into their products. This is a process that we call ‘design-in’ component technology. Currently we are two years away from producing large commercial volumes of these components. These on going investments in R&D and pilot studies are co-funded by our dedicated OEM partners. We expect to be able to reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 1 billion tonnes per year, once full production levels are achieved by the year 2014. Today we have a significant patent portfolio and many of our patents herald revolutionary technology advances. These include a small, compact energy storage unit for residential use Industry Europe 165

which will transform the way we use energy in the world’s households of the future. Bohman added, “Other ground-breaking innovations include nano-coated salts that allow for energy storage without the traditional problems of corrosion, clogging or swelling – an ideal solution for power-plant equipment companies and heating appliance companies as well as for the chemical industry and many others. A footnote to this

is that until recently, solar thermal collectors only delivered heat when it was hot and they never worked at night. Today our sustainable solutions convert that heat and energy into air conditioning to make it work around the clock. This breakthrough has been achieved by utilising our unique, integrated energy storage system. Today ClimateWell is working tirelessly to make its energy-saving technology more widely available for the benefit of both consumers and the environment. The challenge ahead will be to raise awareness with consumers.”

Heat-driven solutions Dramatic savings both in energy and CO2 emissions can be made with ClimateWell’s heat-driven solutions known as Verdacc. Heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks, buses and construction equipment use a surprisingly large amount of energy and CO2 in order to keep their cabin conditions sufficiently comfortable for work and rest. It is interesting to note that the major part of that energy is consumed

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when the vehicle is stationary, whenever the driver of the vehicle needs heating or cooling. Normally this is done by keeping the engine running and results in a large truck engine working to power one small air conditioner. This is now a thing of the past thanks to ClimateWell’s latest technology. With Verdacc, the desired heating or cooling can be obtained directly from the redundant engine heat or simply from the fuel on board the vehicle. This technology from ClimateWell makes it possible to reduce fuel costs used for cabin comfort by up to 90 per cent, whilst at the same time significantly reducing the environmental impact. This does not just apply to savings on CO2 emissions, but also to the replacement of traditional refrigerants that contribute to high global warming levels. The future for ClimateWell is assured, as is its positive contribution to the future well-being of the planet and its inhabitants. For further details of ClimateWell’s revolutionary sustainable energy solutions n visit: www.climatewell.com

HEATING UP

Rettig Heating, of Rybnik, Poland, is a part of the Rettig ICC Group, the world-leading radiator producer. In 2012 it celebrated its 20th anniversary. “During that time Purmo, the name of the Rettig’s ‘flagship’ brand, has become synonymous with the whole segment of panel radiators in Poland, offering the highest quality for a reasonable price is our main aim,” says marketing and sales director Wojciech Makowski to Dariusz Balcerzyk.

1992, the political changes in eastern Europe led the Rettig Group to establish itself in Poland by acquiring TKM Company, the sole Polish importer of the Purmo radiators. In this way, Rettig Heating was founded. “At that time the Polish market was dominated by primitive cast-iron radiators, with no ability to control temperature. Opening windows was the only way of regulating it. So, lobbying for modern heating systems was our first task. We had to convince customers

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that our systems are better, more efficient and saved money,” recalls Mr Makowski. The quality of the Purmo radiators quickly won clients’ hearts, who appreciated their functionality and aesthetics. Sales went sharply up. As a result of their commercial success, the strategic decision was taken to start production in Poland. In 1993 a part of Silesia Steelwork in Rybnik, south Poland, was purchased and a year later the first Purmo radiators were produced there. Soon, the company established itself as the leading supplier of

heat emitters in Poland and has become the undoubted leader of the market. “Total sales of our three most serious competitors taken together are lower than sales of the sole Rettig Heating,” stresses Mr Makowski.

Heat from Finland The Finnish Rettig Group is active within the heating industry, marine industry and real estate development. In 2006, the parent company Oy Rettig AB was divided into two legal entities: Rettig Group Ltd and Tarkala

Kiinteistöt Oy. All assets relating to the business operations of Rettig ICC are now held by Rettig Group Ltd. Rettig ICC’s (Indoor Climate Comfort) product range includes steel panels, convectors, decorative and bathroom radiators, underfloor heating systems, thermostatic valves for heating and cooling, and radiator manifolds together with electronic control equipment and programmers. The products are marketed via two brand umbrellas: Purmo Radson and Vogel & Noot. Rettig is the largest manufacturer of radiators in Europe, with an annual turnover of around €1 billion. Its products are manufactured in 15 plants located in 11 countries across Europe. In total, the output of the factories reaches 9 million units. In April 2012

the group finalised the acquisition of Hewing, one of the leading manufacturers for PE-Xc pipes and MT-multilayer pipes.

Number 1 branch Rettig’s Polish business unit employs more than 400 people and it is constantly being developed. For example, with the opening of the new high-speed panel line in May 2008 the Rybnik plant is now achieving an average output of 10,000 radiators per day and has become the single largest plant within Rettig ICC. Today, there are three welding lines and two painting and packaging lines in Rybnik. Other production halls are home to the manufacture of insulation for underfloor heating, side and top panels.

Annual sales are estimated at more than €120 million. In quantity terms, about 75 per cent of all production is sold abroad, while in value terms exports make up around 65 per cent. “It’s hard to name all foreign markets where our radiators are present, since most of exports are made via the Rettig group and we simply don’t know where our final clients live,” says Mr Makowski.

All about heating Rettig Heating’s market offering involves a thousand items of radiators. There are three main lines of products in the company’s offer, including panel radiators, special decorative radiators and under-floor heating systems. The Purmo panel radiators are manufactured according to the ISO 9001 and ISO

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14001 quality and environmental systems. Each radiator undergoes the most stringent production, anti-corrosion and finishing treatment to ensure a product of the highest quality and integrity capable of many years of trouble-free performance even in the most demanding conditions. Rettig ICC also produces various decorative radiators, both vertical and horizontal, and the Purmo under-floor heating system, which is increasingly popular with homeowners. Under-floor heating saves 6–12 per cent of energy used for heating and can lower indoor temperatures by 1–2˚C. The company is proud of the fact that it introduces new products every year. In 2011 it introduced a promotion campaign for low temperature radiators. The idea behind this product is that radiators are still frequently associated with ‘old-fashioned’ high-temperature heating systems. However,

when combined with low-temperature heating systems, radiators are the ideal heating solution. Without any changes in operation or effectiveness, radiators can quickly heat a room, providing optimal comfort and increased efficiency at lower costs. The Vido dual climate convector is another new solution that helps to achieve optimum temperatures in the home or the office. At first glance, it is a traditional heater which heats the house in winter. However, the typical heaters are useless in summer, but Vido also protects against high temperatures. After setting the temperature, the machine can blow cool air into the room. Asked about the future, Mr Makowski replies with no hesitation: “We’re going to act better and better to consolidate our leadership positions. And of course we will continue n to introduce new products.”

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SEAWORTHY

The Norwegian company, North Sea Shipping AS, has a fleet of specialised ships that serve the offshore oil and gas industry. Joseph Altham spoke to Knut Karstein Rabben, North Sea Shipping’s General manager, to hear about the difficult work these ships do and the new offshore construction vessel the company has commissioned.

orth Sea Shipping is one of the most experienced shipping companies in the offshore industry, with a history of involvement in offshore oil and gas that goes back to 1984. The company is based in Austevoll, a group of islands whose main industries are fishing and offshore energy. The headquarters of North Sea Shipping are in the village of Bakkasund, right on the quayside. Other firms charter the company’s ships for all kinds of offshore work. These tasks include laying power cables and pipes and conducting

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seismic surveys, together with general inspection, repair and maintenance work. Besides the office in Bakkasund, North Sea Shipping also has a branch in Spain, in the port city of Vigo. At the shipyard in Vigo, North Sea Shipping uses its expertise to manage and supervise construction of new vessels for its clients. North Sea Shipping employs a total of around 120 people, including the ships’ crews. The crews, as Mr Rabben explained, are in a demanding profession. “Members of the crew of an offshore vessel need special skills. They

have to have special knowledge of electrical equipment and must be able to operate the cranes. They must also have dynamic positioning experience and be prepared to work in cold weather.”

Atlantic Guardian North Sea Shipping’s most important vessels are the Atlantic Guardian and the North Sea Giant. According to Mr Rabben, this year, the Atlantic Guardian has been conducting seismic surveys of areas of the North Sea. In oil exploration, seismic

surveys are used to build up a picture of the rock formations under the seabed. By shooting sound waves to the bottom of the sea, and then using receivers to record the way the sound waves are reflected, scientists can create a model of the rock under the sea to determine whether it contains any deposits of oil and gas. “A seismic survey is for developing a new oilfield,” said Mr Rabben. “These surveys can identify where there is a pocket of oil. There is still some oil left in the North Sea and seismic vessels are helping to find it.” The oil industry has been using seismic surveys for many years

but the work is made easier today with the aid of modern information technology, which allows data to be transmitted from the ship via satellite to a laboratory for analysis.

North Sea Giant Finding the ‘black gold’ is only the first step, and most of the work of the offshore vessels is about enabling oil production. North Sea Giant is the newest ship in the company’s fleet. As the name suggests, this is one of the largest and most advanced subsea construction vessels ever built. The ship is equipped with a

Rolls Royce tunnel thruster and five Voith Schneider propellers. The ship needs all this power not for speed but in order to achieve stability. An offshore vessel has to have excellent station keeping capability in order to do its job, and the ship’s dynamic positioning system holds her steady even when the waves are high. “The ergonomic system keeps the vessel in the same position even in a five metre high sea.” The other vital attribute of North Sea Giant is its high redundancy – which means there is a lot of backup on the ship if anything goes wrong. “If something goes out of action,

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the ship must be able to recover and get away. If you didn’t have high redundancy, then in the worst case, you might have a situation where a ship started to drift into an oil platform. For a ship to drift off in the middle of a construction job could do an awful lot of damage.”

New commission North Sea Shipping clearly believes it’s better to be safe than sorry and Mr Rabben sounds like a man with a generally cautious outlook on life. “Oil prices are high and oil companies are investing now, but you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.” However, he did acknowledge – a little reluctantly – that North Sea Shipping is confident about its own prospects. “We’ve commissioned a new offshore construction

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vessel. The ST-261 is very similar to the North Sea Giant and is being built in Bergen for delivery in June 2014. So I suppose this is a sign of our confidence.” From its tranquil island location, North Sea Shipping cooperates with major players in the global offshore industry. After being chartered by Technip, North Sea Giant has been working in the Goliat oilfield in the Barents Sea. “The Goliat project is a big undertaking. The end user is Eni Norge. The vessel has been laying pipes and cables, which is an important job for the oil company.” In the North Sea the vessel has been lying cable at Vigdis oilfield for Statoil, cable laying at Hyme oilfield for Statoil and at Rochelle oilfield for Endeavour. Any client of North Sea Shipping can be sure both

that the vessels are fit for purpose and that they are properly maintained. “Our ships must be kept in good repair and everyone n in our crews is qualified.”

OPTIMISATION AT EVERY STAGE OF PRODUCTION Walzengiesserei Coswig GmbH is a leading European foundry that specialises in steel rolling, hand moulding and machining for a diverse range of industries and applications. Philip Yorke talked to Marko Schulter, the company’s sales director, about its major investments in new plant and further expansion in the world’s fastest growing markets.

oswig foundry was founded in Germany in 1892 and through consistent investment in new plant and technology has grown to become a pre-eminent, European mill foundry. In 1996 the company was acquired by the DIHAG Group, which further leveraged its competitive edge and added to its overall R&D capabilities. Today, based upon its comprehensive and sophisticated manufacturing capabilities, the company can offer a high level of flexibility, which in turn allows it to react quickly to the changing needs of the market and its customers. Optimisation of all Coswig’s stateof-the-art production processes has been the key to its on going success. Outstanding mould quality is supported by a variety of

mechanical and metallographic tests at the company’s own measurement, analysis and simulation programme facilities near Dresden. Coswig foundry’s diverse range of products cover all customer-specific requirements for specialised products such as high quality steel rolls and rings, pistons and plungers and hand-moulded castings for an infinite range of industrial applications.

Innovation and quality driving sales Throughout its long and successful history the company has made innovation, quality and customer service its key priorities. In order to maintain the high standards that are synonymous with Coswig, it continues to invest heavily in the latest machinery and technology.

Schulter said, “We are a privately owned company which gives us a competitive edge when it comes to providing customer service and flexibility. We operate a continuous programme of improvement in order to stay at the top of our profession. In 2009 we invested more than €30 million in the foundry to increase manufacturing capacity and this was achieved with the latest state-of-the-art equipment. This investment boosted our production to over 60,000 tonnes per year, which virtually doubled our turnover. Most of our products are in the middle to big range of castings with more than 30 per cent of our orders requiring products in the 50 tonnes and upwards range. “At Coswig we operate two different divisions. The first is dedicated to the steel

industry with products for the steel rolling sector and most of these products are exported to European countries, the USA, the Middle East, Russia and Asia. Our second division is focused on specialised castings for high-growth industries such as those involved in the renewable energy sector and the mining industry. In the past over 90 per cent of our production has been for our domestic market; however, we have been very successful over recent years in our drive to extend our export levels. Today exports represent more than 50 per cent of our sales.” Schulter added, “Looking to the future we see that growth is coming from non-traditional market sectors such as renewable energy, gas and oil from countries like Brazil, India and Arab countries as well as from the Chinese market. For the next 10–15 years the market for offshore and onshore ‘wind farms’ will be the main driver for sales of our high quality rotor shafts which have to be made to very strict metallurgical criteria and to very tight tolerances. We are increasingly working in close partnership with our

customers to optimise design, performance and energy-saving processes. We employ more than 250 people, including our R&D facility, here in Coswig and innovation can be clearly seen in all aspects of our business activities.”

Quality assured German quality speaks for itself but in Coswig’s case it is further enhanced by the certification of its energy management system according to DIN EN 16001 for the sustainable preservation of the environment. Quality is also guaranteed in many other areas and to ensure its continuing market success the company has consistently upgraded and added to its quality management systems, which cover all aspects of manufacturing, from receipt of the initial order to delivery of the finished products. Coswig foundry’s continuous improvement in quality is achieved by the consistent involvement of its employees and with the company’s advanced testing, evaluation and production methods. The extensive range of equipment available at Coswig’s test-

ing laboratories includes optical emission spectrometers, carbon-sulphur machines, universal-train pressure and bending machines as well as laboratory heating facilities for sample and heat treatment testing. The company also operates a sand laboratory for the determination of foundry sand characteristics and a metallographic laboratory for hardness and micro-hardness testing procedures. Other in-house research facilities include ultrasonic and magnetic particle testing equipment and electronic data and imaging archiving services. In addition, it is envisaged that a process of continuous improvement in environmental protection will soon extend to the company’s suppliers and service providers. At Coswig, environmental considerations form important criteria in all decision-making and development processes. Coswig foundry is fully committed to its environmental objectives and successfully applied for the strict environmental standard ISO 14001 in 2005, which has been in operation ever since with the granting of its n annual TUV standard certification.

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MASTERS OF METAL RECYCLING Kuusakoski is a global leader in the recycling and refining of waste metals and plastics. Philip Yorke talked to Petri Halonen, the company’s CEO about its latest ‘green’ technology, its focus on the recycling of electrical goods and moving into new markets.

ince it was founded in 1914, the Finnish company Kuusakoski has been committed to recycling natural raw materials. Recycling and refining waste metals in an environmentally friendly manner has also been a priority at Kuusakoski since it was first established. Therefore the company has a vast amount of experience in the recycling and refining of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, as well as stainless steel and more recently plastics. To meet the growing needs of today’s modern manufacturing industries, Kuusakoski continuously invests in new technologies to optimise the supply of its recycled raw products to the Far East, Europe, the USA and the Nordic countries. The extensive facilities at Kuusakoski enable it to produce recycled materials in both small and large quantities to the precise composition specified by its customers to suit their individual manufacturing requirements. 178 Industry Europe

Kuusakoski also provides its customers with advanced logistics systems and expertise to ensure that there are no interrupted material flows in production or in its worldwide delivery services. In 2011, the aggregate total volume of material being handled by the company was more than 2.5 million tonnes. Kuusakoski has more than 100 operational locations worldwide, of which 20 are in Finland, with others in Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, the UK, the USA, China and Taiwan. The consolidated turnover of the Kuusakoski Group in 2011 was almost €1 billion and currently the group employs more than 3200 people worldwide of which 1700 are employed in the recycling division. Today Kuusakoski is a global market leader that is capable of offering more dedicated, tailor-made solutions for its clients than many of its competitors. Kuu-

sakoski supplies secondary steel and aluminium ingots to foundries and steel mills worldwide, as well as exporting aluminium, non-ferrous and plastic scrap materials to international markets.

Recycling of electrical goods One of the most difficult and often most neglected areas of recycling is that concerning electrical goods. This involves more complex procedures than the recycling of many other products. At an early stage, Kuusakoski realised that this trend in demand was likely to continue and invested heavily in the design and manufacture of specialised, environmentally friendly technology to address the growing global demand. Hanonen said, “As an independent, family owned business we are able to be more flexible than many of our competitors and believe that we also have the edge when it comes to our advanced technology for

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processing ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Today our main focus in geographical terms is the US market where we are now well established in Chicago and Philadelphia. We are looking at the whole big picture for recycling there and in particular we have invested heavily in new technology for the recycling of electrical goods, where we see a global increase in demand. This is an area where we have a clear technological advantage. We have also recently opened a sales office in China, but most of our recycling operations are carried out at our major plants in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Denmark, the UK and the USA. Hanonen added, “As we go forward we are aware that the market is becoming more and more crowded due to the fact that it is a financially attractive market to be in. This is mainly because it is likely to continue to

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see strong growth for the foreseeable future. However, growth in the mature markets has now stabilised and it is the emerging markets, where recycling is still in its infancy, that the main growth will come from in the future. As a result, our strategy is to go where recycling is still a relatively new industry. This means China, Brazil and South East Asia. We are also constantly monitoring world markets. In many cases you need to be well established in a country in order to understand and comply with the domestic legislation and local trading requirements. In fact, recycling is becoming very much a legislation driven business.”

Optimising ‘greener’ recycling processes Kuusakoski has always placed a high priority on its care of the environment and production processes. Today the company’s

advanced environmental care systems form an essential part of its overall environmental management strategy. This is designed to create the most environmentally friendly procedures during its many recycling processes. Kuusakoski works closely with government and local officials, as well as industry experts, to continuously develop and improve its recycling systems. As one would expect, the company is accredited to ISO 9001 management standard, as well as to ISO 14001, the international environmental certification. Halonen commented, “When it comes to processing efficiency, we believe that our well developed ‘clean technology’ facilities put us ahead of the field. It is the nature of our business and so has always been a priority for us at Kuusakoski. We also attend and contribute to, many conferences and semi-

nars throughout the world and work closely with our customers to provide a dedicated service where they can rely on the purity and composition of the products that they require from us for their industry. What is important to remember is that our strategy is customer focused and market driven. “We have a very strong global R&D presence and we also have the power to develop unique process solutions and products. In fact we see legislation as a friend rather than an enemy, as we are very well placed to encompass it in any of our diverse recycling operations.” R&D at Kuusakoski is proactive and the company is currently building a state-of-the-art research centre in Finland and continuing to develop its close working relationships with the leading universities in Finland and elsewhere. For further information about the products and services of Kuusakoski Oy visit: n www.kuusakoski.com Industry Europe 181

CASTING THE FUTURE Ormis SpA leads the Ormis group, which is renowned in the field of mechanics and metallurgy, and is now also active in other sectors, as its chairman and CEO, Mr Penocchio, tells Industry Europe. Barbara Rossi reports.

rmis was set up in 1975 by Luigi Penocchio, father of the current chairman and CEO, in the Brescia area of northern Italy (Lombardy region). The steel and iron sector was very strong at that time and the company started operating as a service and maintenance workshop in this industry. The company still maintains its family dimension, but due to the changes which have taken place in the steel industry, has expanded and diversified its activity, creating a group. In the course of this expansion Nova Sigma, a manufacturer of boilers for industrial use was

acquired, as well as Copress, which produces sheet metal cold forming presses, and Iceb Tecnacciaio, a leader in the oil and gas and hydropower sectors. Mr Penocchio explains: “Our group, operating in the mechanical sector, is homogeneous, but each of its companies has its own field of specialism. Ormis’ specialism is the steel sector, which is also the core business of the group, generating at least 50 per cent of turnover. In particular we carry out design, construction and ‘turn key’ installation of plants for the iron and steel production sec-

tor, with particular reference to rolling mill machines, continuous casting and furnaces, among others. Nova Sigma specialises in the production of steam boilers, steam and hot-water boilers and thermal oil heaters as well as biomass and heat recovery boilers, serving various industrial sectors, as well as the food and agricultural industries. Copress makes sheet metal cold forming presses for the automotive and white goods industries, while Iceb Tecnacciaio specialises in heavy steel structures for the oil and gas and hydroelectric sectors (for instance reactors,

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vessels, drums, gates and large spherical and butterfly valves). Diversification has helped us in difficult times, and that is why this is part of our group’s philosophy.” Ormis offers new customised systems, as well as tailor-made revamping . The other companies of the group have products in their catalogue, which are then customised according to clients’ needs. In terms of new products Ormis has recently developed a new laser tube cutting system, called `Next 3D’, and one of these systems is currently on display at its premises. This system is able to cut the tube on six CAD/CAM controlled axes using a fibre optic laser.

Optimising group structure Mr Penocchio adds: “We have optimised our organisation, grouping most of the services in the holding company, but each

one of the member companies has its own commercial department. We have two sites, one in Brescia, where both offices and production facilities are located, and another one still in the Brescia area, 10 kilometres away, solely dedicated to production. Overall the two sites occupy a 100,000m2 area, 40,000m2 of which are covered. Both production sites are ISO9001, ASME `S’, ASME `U’ and ASME `U-2’ certified, therefore covering the production of all four of the group’s companies. Our facilities allow the manufacturing and handling of products that require a lifting capacity of up to 200 tonnes and a mechanical processing capacity of up to 10 metres in diameter for turning, as well as of up to 15 metres in diameter in terms of milling. The group offers an integrated production cycle, starting with engineering and the purchasing of raw materials, and includ-

ing heat treatment, annealing furnaces, sand-blasting and painting, therefore being autonomous in terms of the whole process.” Fifty per cent of production is sold in Europe (30 per cent in Italy), including eastern European countries as far as Russia and other former Soviet states, 25–30 per cent in North Africa, 20–25 per cent in Emirates and India. Mr Penocchio further adds: “ In India we have signed a contract for ‘Technical assistance for installation and managing workshop’ with JSW, one of the largest Indian groups, whose core business is the steel sector, but which also operates in a range of industries from energy to logistics, and which has a turnover of 15 billion dollars. Together we are in the process of building a production site for the manufacture of equipment and maintenance services for the JSW group and for markets in general. This partenership is an important step

for the internationalisation of our group. I am honoured to be a partner of this leading group. We will contribute to this project by transferring our know-how and by actually totally managing the production site. We signed the contract in June and start-up is planned for July 2013. This 30,000m2 site, which has the potential of doubling to 60,000m2, based 250 km from Bangalore (Vijayanagar), will be a production site of excellence, at the cutting-edge at all different levels and will give work to 500 people.”

Continuing expansion In terms of future development India will be of crucial importance, thanks to the previously mentioned partnership. However, Ormis is

also expanding its South American markets, in particular in Argentina, where they directly supply the Tenaris group. Another market in which Ormis is very interested is Turkey, where although it is already exporting, it is evaluating possible joint ventures to further its presence and create synergies. In fact, Mr Penocchio adds: “The logical thing with competitive markets is to actually manufacture there.” Other developments are also expected in current markets such as North Africa and the former Soviet states. Future growth could come through both organic expansion and acquisitions. Mr Penocchio tells Industry Europe: “It is hard to predict where future growth will be coming from, as the

situation is very fluid, and we will have to see what happens with the euro, as this will have an impact on the relationship between the different markets. If, as I hope, the United States of Europe will become a reality, we will be able to face different markets. Steel will always be used, as everything is made of steel. The oil and gas sector will carry on being important and boilers for energy production also have a significant future, especially those which use biomass as fuel. We intend to carry on serving the best Italian and foreign clientele in the markets segments in which each company of the group specialises, as we are doing now. Currently we have a range of clients from small n companies to multinationals.”

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INJECTION OF SUCCESS Vaccine-focused biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic is at the heart of developing and manufacturing vaccines for infectious diseases and lifethreatening illnesses. EmmaJane Batey spoke to CEO Anders Hedegaard to learn more about the company’s growth plans and major global contracts. 186 Industry Europe

stablished in Denmark in 1994, vaccinefocused biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic has rapidly and strategically grown to become a leading name in the development and manufacture of vaccines for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and life-threatening illnesses. Listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, Bavarian Nordic has over 450 employees and 2012 expected revenues of DKK900. With manufacturing, R&D and sales facilities in Denmark, Germany, and the USA, Bavarian Nordic has a strong global footprint.

Divided into three core competences, Bavarian Nordic offers vaccines in the fields of cancer, biodefence and infectious diseases.

Government growth A major element in its ongoing success is the company’s highly valuable long-term contract with the US Government for the development and manufacture of a smallpox vaccine. CEO Anders Hedegaard told Industry Europe, “Our development of a vaccine against smallpox is the very core of the company. Post 9-11, the US Government

dedicated huge resources to upgrading its preparedness for a bio-terrorist attack, and having a reliable, effective store of modern smallpox vaccines is integral to that. The turnover of our biodefence unit has been sustainable thanks to this flow of orders from the US Government.” Bavarian Nordic’s contract with the US Government has seen it gain almost $800m in development and procurement funding, which has been an important aspect in

its investment programme. Mr Hedegaard explained, “This investment has enabled us to create and sustain a wonderful infrastructure, the benefits of which are continually passed on to our customers. The US Government’s focus on stockpiling a new third-generation smallpox vaccine has been a key driver in our growth, particularly as it demands the very highest standards throughout every aspect of dealing with us here at Bavarian Nordic. The US Government and all our other customers

can be assured that our development and manufacture of vaccines meets all of the most stringent certifications, and we are regularly audited by the US Government to ensure this is continually the case.” This $800m investment not only allowed for the ongoing development and manufacture of a third generation smallpox vaccines but also for the establishment and maintenance of a technologically advanced facility, including all the relevant logistics provisions

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required, making Bavarian Nordic’s capabilities and infrastructure second to none in the biotechnology industry. The US Government contract remains Bavarian Nordic’s most important programme, and this is expected to continue; however, the company is also keen to highlight its capabilities beyond this part of its business. As a biotechnology company that has steadily expanded beyond its initial core focus on developing and manufacturing a smallpox vaccine, Bavarian Nordic is now looking to build on its highly sophisticated vaccine development capabilities and branch into areas where these skills are also valued.

New product development Bavarian Nordic’s core competences, high levels of investment in its infrastructure and its aim to expand its offer beyond smallpox vaccines is already seeing strong results in terms of new product development. Now, the company’s present and future activities will continue to have smallpox vaccines at its heart, but this is also joined by cancer vaccines and vaccines for other infectious diseases and life-threatening illnesses. Mr Hedegaard said, “We are aiming to broaden our portfolio beyond smallpox, in order to create and maintain a diverse business structure that capitalises on our abilities and experience in developing and manufacturing a third-generation smallpox vaccine for

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the US Government. Our core technology is applicable and transferable to other disease areas, particularly cancers such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.” Mr Hedegaard also explained that Bavarian Nordic’s biotechnology expertise is being wellutilised in its development and manufacture of Prostvac, a vaccination for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. He said, “Prostvac is currently at the third phase of development. It has been created as a late stage cancer vaccine offering a life-extending

possibility rather than as a prophylactic vaccine. Once we have passed the final phase of development we will move on to the marketing of Prostvac and make it commercially available. We expect to establish a global partnership with pharmaceutical partners to bring Prostvac to market following a successful phase 3.” Bavarian Nordic’s expected growth will come from both new product development, such as Prostvac, and its ongoing focus on biodefense vaccines. The US Government contract will continue to sustain the infectious disease unit,

with this unit also moving into other vaccine areas for the commercial sector, including vaccines for RSV and yellow fever which is currently in the early stages of development. Mr Hedegaard concluded, “Our vision is to create Bavarian Nordic as a fully integrated pharmaceutical company. We are currently seen as a strong biotechnology company with an impressive R&D function, and we want to make sure that potential customers and partners are aware of our extensive development potential n and manufacturing capabilities too.”

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SHAPING THE FUTURE OF FIBRE TECHNOLOGY FiberVisions is the global leader in the development and supply of polyolefin monocomponent staple fibres for nonwoven applications. Philip Yorke talked to Garret Davies, the company’s director for strategy and business development, about its enhanced performance fibres and continuing global expansion. 190 Industry Europe

ibreVisions grew out of the Fibres Division of Hercules Inc, which was established in the 1960s and initially produced fibres for the furnishings and carpet markets. Through its ongoing commitment to R&D and market development, the division created many new innovative applications, especially in the fast growing nonwoven fabric area. Through a number of strategic joint ventures and more recently in 2000 after a joint venture with JNC Corporation of Japan (formerly known as Chisso Corporation), the company significantly expanded its line of bicomponent fibres with the formation of ES FiberVisions. In January 2012 a leading publicly traded company, Indorama Ventures Limited (IVL), acquired FiberVisions. Indorama Ventures is a leading producer in the polyester value chain with manufacturing sites in Asia, Europe and North America. Today the IVL

Group employs over 10,000 people and in 2011 recorded consolidated sales of more than $5.5 billion. This new ‘marriage’ creates even greater development and manufacturing opportunities for FiberVisions and enhances still further the company’s position as the number-one global-player in both polyolefin staple fibres and bicomponent fibres. FiberVision’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are located at five key sites around the world and produce innovative fibre solutions for a diverse range of industries, including those involved in hygiene, textiles, automotive and construction.

Focus on hygiene and highperformance fibres FiberVisions is well known for its range of advanced polypropylene (PP) staple fibres, which are the lightest of all commercial fibres.

The low density allows users to make a nonwoven fabric in the same weight range as competing fibres, but with significantly improved coverage. Alternatively these fibres can be produced to make a fabric in a lighter weight range but with the same coverage resulting in lower material costs. PP fibres have high tensile strength, offer excellent resistance to chemicals, and can be made with a broad range of elongation properties. In addition, FiberVisions offers a wide variety of products to meet its customers’ specific needs, with different diameters, finishes, colours, fibre lengths and special additives for enhanced performance. These value-added properties include variations in softness, wettability, opacity, adhesion, antimicrobial, and UV resistance. Many of these properties have been applied to its hygiene fibres for products such as baby

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diapers, sanitary napkins, adult incontinence products and disposable wipes. Mr Davies said, “The acquisition of FiberVisions by Indorama Ventures has provided added impetus to our R&D and manufacturing capabilities in a number of key areas. In particular I am talking about the hygiene and automotive sectors where we are building on a strong presence with a range of new innovative products. We have extensive R&D facilities in North America and Europe which are focused on the development of speciality fibres for a large base of applications in the hygiene area and a growing number of applications in automotive, filtration and insulation. “We are proud of our track record as pioneers of new fibre technology which over recent years has included a range of fine PP fibres for carded thermal bond applications, special finish for air-laid fibres that reduces dusting in air-laid nonwovens containing fluff pulp, and disperse-dyeable PP staple fibres, in addition to many others.” Mr Davies added, “Regarding new products, the majority of our product development efforts are customer-specific and so we are limited in what we can disclose. However, the major trends that we are responding to are lowering the cost-in-use, allowing

customers to use a wider range of materials, such as the variety of materials that can be bound together, and offering them the opportunity to use different non-woven converting processes. In relation to our hygiene products, this means more softness, enhanced appearance and improved fit. In the automotive sector, one growing area for our fibres is their use as binder fibres in combination with other synthetic and natural fibres, allowing the production of lightweight, strong and stiff composites that offer excellent stability and acoustic properties. “We sell our fibres in all regions of the world with our largest markets being North America, western Europe and Asia. We see growth opportunities in all regions, particularly in the fast-growing Asian markets.”

More flexible bicomponent staple fibres FiberVisions’ range of advanced bicomponent fibres are available through its joint venture, ES FiberVisions. These bicomponent fibres allow customers to manufacture nonwoven fabrics without the need for chemical binders. These fibres can also be heat sealable and laminatable to polyolefin-based materials without binders, as well as being heat-mouldable. ES FiberVisions supply a wide range of bicomponent fibres and their

inherent flexibility offer varying cross-sections, different sheath materials, a wide variety of core materials and a range of special finishes to enhance overall performance.

Global R&D facilities All ES FiberVisions’ R&D is carried out in a global environment with research labs in the USA, Denmark and Japan. These facilities include pilot production operations for fibres and nonwovens as well as full analytical labs. Some of the key benefits include fibre production lines which can vary in scale from small to large and can simulate a real-world production line. Furthermore, each site has pilot card lines with calendar and through-air bonding. In the USA, FiberVisions’ R&D facility has the capability to make air-laid products and its analytical labs have a range of polymer, fibre and non-wovens testing capabilities. Many of the world’s leading companies and converters use FiberVisions’ pilot lines for their new product creations, which offer a convenient and cost-effective way to make concept n samples for new products. For further information about FiberVisions pioneering products and services visit: www.fibervisions.com

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PERFORMANCE-DRIVEN TECHNOLOGY

The Lenzing Group is a global leader in the development and manufacture of advanced, man-made cellulose fibres. Philip Yorke talked to Herbert Hummer, the managing director of Lenzing Technik, about its ground-breaking reactor for anaerobic wastewater cleansing, its viscose and fibre technology and its tailor-made engineering services.

enzing was founded in Austria over 70 years ago and has grown to become the world market leader in man-made cellulose fibres. The company has its headquarters in Austria with production facilities in all major markets and a global network of distributors, agents and sales offices. Lenzing provides the global textile industry and nonwovens industry with high quality, man-made cellulose fibres, and is the premier supplier to most of the world’s business-to-business markets. Today the Lenzing Group is the only

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manufacturer in the world to produce all three generations of man-made cellulose fibres globally in six locations in Europe, Asia and North America. While the core business of the Lenzing Group, man-made cellulose fibers, accounts for 90 per cent of the group sales, Lenzing Technik with €115m output or about 5 per cent of the group, is a small but fine business unit of the group representing the innovative, technical heart of the company. It is responsible for the development and implementation of

a wide range of technological competences. These include the development of new treatments and technologies, as well as the manufacture of state-of-the-art machinery, processing plant and robotic equipment. These products are designed equally for use in its own modern cellulose fibre processing plants and for its external multinational customers. The Lenzing Group is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange and currently employs more than 6500 people worldwide. In 2011 the group recorded consolidated sales of over €2.1 billion.

Pioneering environmental and filtration technology Lenzing Technik’s diverse portfolio of products and services include viscose and fibre technol-

ogy, environmental technology, pulp technology and filtration and separation technology. For all these areas the in-house automation group provides the know-how and installation of electrical power supply, instrumentation and auomatic control systems. In addition, Lenzing Technik operates a comprehensive ‘Industrial Plant, Construction and Mechanical Engineering Division including a workshop for industrial services’. However, some of the company’s most exciting and ground-breaking innovations relate to its research in the environmental technology sector where it has been responsible for a number of major technological ‘firsts’. This is particularly true in the area of anaerobic cleaning of organically burdened wastewater. This unique system achieves unsurpassed chemical reduction and offers extremely low-energy

consumption costs. Lenzing Technik’s IM-MS process was introduced to the public for the first time at the ACHEMA trade fair, the world’s largest exhibition of environmental technologies, which was held in Frankfurt in May 2012. This revolutionary, patented process can be used in almost every conceivable industry and has underscored Lenzing Technic’s reputation as the world’s most innovative one-stop shop for environmental technologies. Hummer said, “About 20 years ago after a major restructuring programme, Lenzing Technik was established as a separate entity that was able to not only develop innovative technologies for our own cellulose fibre businesses, but also for our external customers worldwide. Today over 40 per cent of our product development and manufac-

Industry Europe 195

Pressure vessels and Rubber linings Dr. Eugen Mohr KG

ASME Certificate of Authorisation U The National Board Certificate of Authorisation R and NB AD2000, PED97/23/EC, EN13445, CODAP Fachbetrieb nach WHG §19l

Braendleweg 20, 78183 Huefingen, Germany Tel: +49 7707 993-0 Fax: +49 7707 1643 E-mail: info@drmohr.eu www.drmohr.eu

turing is produced for our external clients. All our R&D is conducted in-house here in Austria. Out of all the products currently being developed, it is the environmental treatment and filtration sector which is currently the main focus of our attention. This is an area for us where we can bring to bear our considerable experience as a one-stop shop provider. For example, if you have a technical problem we can do everything from analysing the problem and resolving it, to doing the engineering required, building the equipment and installing it and then providing full, life cycle technical support. This makes us unique in the industry. “To be more specific, in the fibre industry you have to deal with waste composed of many different compounds. We have biological technologies capable of dealing with volatile organic compounds. And when you talk about wastewater, our anaerobic wastewater treatment technology is the most advanced and efficient in the world. Our wastewater treatment technology is suited perfectly for the pulp and paper and food and beverage industry sectors. Our latest anaerobic reactor for wastewater treatment offers a range of significant advantages for customers over current, more traditional anaerobic water treatment processes. “When we talk about environmental wastewater treatments in the western world, we recognise that it has been a priority here for over 20 years. However, we find a different situation when we look at the Asian markets. 200 Industry Europe

Here you notice that environmental protection has not been implemented as quickly as it has been in the west. Indications are that this will change significantly over the next few years. In another major technological advance, in filtration processes for example, we have developed a range of equipment that can be washed, cleaned and prepared whilst it is still in productive operation – therefore there is no expensive and disruptive ‘down time’ involved during the cleaning cycle. “This cutting-edge technology has been developed by Lenzing Technik for our fibre processing divisions, but it is also possible to customise it for other industrial applications. These unique benefits can be utilised for a vast range of industrial applications where process water needs recovery technology for reuse in production. These include industries such as the automotive, pulp and paper, food and beverage industries, as well as those involved in surface coating and corrosion protection.”

Looking ahead Hummer concluded, “What is our plan for strategic development? Our key direction is that we want to continue to serve the growth of the Lenzing Group in cellulose fibre production and a big part of this growth is coming from Asia and in particular China, where we have set up a subsidiary in the Nanjing province in the south-east of the country. We are going to follow the same business model as that of our European operations where we serve our nearby cellulose fibre plants as well

as a wide range of external customers. There are many customers on our doorstep in China as we are located close to a major chemical plant and heavy industrial business area. “In terms of how we will grow our business I believe that we will continue to see strong organic growth, but we are also looking at acquisitions, mainly from our traditional European markets where we can identify with companies that share similar aspirations and synergies to us.” Lenzing Technik is committed to a programme of optimisation for its diverse range of production processes and for the protection of the environment at all levels. The company’s remarkable catalogue of innovative processes and products are too many to include in this article; however, for further information concerning the Lenzing Group and about Lenzing Technik in particular visit: www.lenzing.com n

STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL One of the world’s leading producers of high quality leather for commercial applications, Wollsdorf Leather is proud to stay one step ahead of sustainable environmental demands. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to CEO Andreas Kindermann to learn more about how the company continues to move forward.

ustrian-based high quality leather manufacturer and supplier Wollsdorf Leather has a strong global presence and an ongoing commitment to exceeding the environmental regulations of both the European tannery industry and the sectors in which it operates. Its broad product portfolio is centred on delivering leather of exceptional quality to leading customers in the automotive, aircraft, marine, garment and upholstery sectors. CEO Andreas Kindermann told Industry Europe how Wollsdorf Leather’s focus on quality underpins every area of the business. He said, “We truly understand that

beautiful, hard-wearing leather adds value to our customers products so it is imperative that we maintain our market-leading position as a reliable partner in leather production to a range of high-end industries. Our exceptional technical capabilities in the field of leather production, as well as cutting, dyeing and stitching, ensures that our customers can continue to rely on Wollsdorf Leather as their partner in production. The use of leather in cars, boats and planes truly adds a premium beauty that end users appreciate, so we are pleased to play an important role in that aspect of our customers’ business.”

Global footprint With two production sites in Austria and a worldwide network of sales representatives, Wollsdorf Leather has the foundation to meet the needs of its customers quickly and effectively. The company exports more than 90 per cent of its production, and is active in more than 30 countries. This strong global presence is a key element in its ongoing success. Mr Kindermann explained, “We are present and active in the geographical areas that are important to our customers and their sectors. In addition to our two longestablished production sites in Austria, we have recently started production in China,

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where we have invested heavily in a cutand-sew facility. By keeping key elements of the production in Austria and strategically using this new facility, it will enable us to maintain our well-deserved reputation for excellent quality leather while utilising both the location and the low-cost benefits of this exciting region.” The product areas in which Wollsdorf Leather are active are enjoying solid growth. The company’s product portfolio is both dedicated to traditional quality and futurefocused innovation. With regards to the automotive industry, Wollsdorf Leather’s recent launch of a new steering wheel leather has been well-received. The market leader in this sector, it has recently launched a hard-wearing product that is available in various colours and can be adapted to suit the demands of the customer. Indeed, all Wollsdorf Leather’s products can be customised to suit, including lamination, perforation and deep-embossing as required. The company has also recently launched an all-weather leather than is ideally suited to upholstered furniture for outdoor use.

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Able to be left outside in all weathers except for the coldest winters, this leather has been greeted with approval by luxury garden furniture manufacturers.

Greener than ever Mr Kindermann was keen to highlight the fact that Wollsdorf Leather has recently added to its long list of environmental accreditations, taking its quality-focused production to above-market standards. He said, “We have always been committed to working to the strictest environmental standards, so we are particularly pleased to note that in the last year we have passed a number of environmental audits for our production sites. Firstly, we can state that our carbon dioxide emissions are considerably lower than accepted industry levels, having passed the audit by the German tannery board. Secondly, the famous German ‘Blue Angel’ quality audit has confirmed that Wollsdorf Leather products do not contain any elements which are hazardous to people. Our leather looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside!”

Innovation is important to Wollsdorf Leather. In the industries in which it operates, there is a demand for reliable, hard-wearing leather products that add value to the clients’ offer. Mr Kindermann added, “We are continually looking to develop innovative products that suit the ever-changing demands of our customers in all industry sectors. We know that the added value of leather can be taken even further with the right development and fresh thinking. By working closely with our customers and talking with them in detail, we are at the forefront of technical and design-led innovation for leather.” Wollsdorf Leather’s future plans are clearly defined. The company aims to maintain its market-leading position in the automotive industry, supported by its recent launch of a new steering wheel leather, and to increase its position in the global aircraft industry. Wollsdorf Leather also predicts it will boost its presence in the office furniture and upholstery sectors. Furthermore, with the successful opening of its cut-and-sew facility in China, Wollsdorf Leather plans to see continued cost-effective results n across its portfolio.

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Industry Europe – Issue 23.1

Articles inside

Strong and beautiful Wollsdorf

Performance-driven technology Lenzing Group

Injection of success Bavarian Nordic

Shaping the future of fibre technology FiberVisions

Casting the future Ormis

Masters of metal recycling Kuusakoski

Optimisation at every stage of production Coswig

Heating up Rettig Heating

Seaworthy North Sea Shipping

Revolutionising energy efficiency ClimateWell

Building the brand Ashok Leyland

Keeping cool EPTA Group

Leaders in compressor technology BITZER

21st century in containers technology ZPUH

Driving forward Volvo Construction Equipment

Riding the sky, snow and wind Leitner Group

Serving up success Beauvais Foods

Prime cut ZPM Biernacki

Essential support for power plants

Award-winning solar experts Savosolar

Powerhouse for change EWN group

Masters of pastry perfection Mette Munk

Providing the technology for tomorrow’s solution

One-stop printing partner Konica Minolta

Quality is our business! Panasonic

Global Footprint Fibox

Microwave masters Whirlpool Group

Power behind the power industry

Toothbrush technology M+C Schiffer

Ready for new challenges SBA Group

The future is clear Tenax Group

Decorative cosmetics - the art of success ARTDECO

Wall-to-wall style Marburg Wallcoverings

Leader of architectural lighting ES-SYSTEM

A colourful history Russian Coatings Corp

Winning on competence Skanska Group

VM Motori: Innovation is the key VM Motori

Defining the art of fine-precision automotive part manufacturing Voit Group

Power of the pump Danfoss

Pioneering cool flow technology Tristone Flowtech

Innovative systems for a global market

Clearing the air Beko Technologies

Big pharma under pressure Healthcare spending

Industry people Appointments

Linking up Combining strengths

Prince of onions Breton onions come to Britain

Focus on France Ian Sparks reports from Paris

Moving on Relocations and expansions

Bill Jamieson Eurozone: where ‘recovery’ makes things worse

Winning business New orders and contracts