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STIG BREDAHL – OUR LONE WOLF
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WORLD MAP: 78 EXPORT MARKETS
INTRODUCING A STRATEGIC PARTNER: COVESTROPERSON
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PENOSIL EasyPRO
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Industrial technology has come home:
NEWS: KRIMELTE RUSSIA TURNED 10 ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FOAM +MORE T H E I N C O N S I ST E N C I E S O F S U STA I N A B I L I T Y I N | WINTER CON S Twolf R U tales C T I O1N AUTUMN 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
2016 TO BE THE YEAR OF TEAMWORK!
THE JUBILEE YEAR passed and it was followed by our 21st year of operations. For the Wolf Group, 2015 has been full of challenges and in many respects one of our most demanding. On the one hand, our fortunes as well as our spirits continue to be influenced by crises in Russia, Brazil and Finland. On the other, our list of clients and target countries is getting longer and longer. This means that despite something of a decline in sales volumes, there has been no reduction in how much work we have to do every day. Quite the opposite: we have undertaken many ambitious projects that presented totally new challenges. 2015 has not lacked an anniversary – Krimelte’s Russian factory celebrated its tenth year of operations so please accept congratulations to the whole group in Zhukovsky! The intensive integration of the Olivé Group into the Wolf Group has continued and it seems that this process will continue to be one of the most exciting projects for both companies. The Olivé factory successfully launched Axapta which, for the time being, entails a great deal of work and familiarisation with new practices. The unexpectedly rapid growth in sales in Olivé’s markets has left our produc2
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tion output bursting at the seams but, all in all, this is an extraordinarily positive development. The year 2015 will go down in history for the launch of the new EasyPRO retail concept. Those involved are convinced of the unique value that this new solution has to offer. Two years of intensive work and now at last it is time to see what the results will be. Looking back on a year that will soon be over, it is gratifying to reflect on how many discoveries, opportunities and challenges it has brought us. I have directed this company for more than 20 years, and it is still as exciting as it was in the beginning. As always, we never reach the point when everything is completely clear but thanks to the outstanding people we have in our team, the board of directors continue to seek ways to use them to their full potential. A study carried out regarding our company’s work environment resulted in a critical conclusion about cooperation between our various departments. Nor did the board of directors escape criticism so, knowing that our success is founded primarily on everyone working closely together, the greatest challenge for 2016 will be improving how we do that throughout the group. Everyone has their contribution to make and their opinions and input are extremely important. So, I hereby designate 2016 as the Year of Teamwork! Starting today, let’s all work together in this direction!
Jaan Puusaag Chairman of Krimelte / Wolf Group
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Editorial News A lone wolf in the heart of Europe – Stig Bredahl Industrial technology has come home: PENOSIL EasyPRO Introducing a strategic partner: Covestro Wolf Group world map The Inconsistencies of sustainablity in construction Gallery: summer days of Krimelte and celebration of Zhukovsky factory turning 10 Obituary for Henning Nygårds Obituary for Danel Pleiats Project management success story: Axapta implementation Congratulations: Old-timers, birthdays, new parents, newcomers
Introducing contributors NIGEL PITTMAN PR consultant for 12 years specialising in construction, having previously been a marketing director and manager with leading building product manufacturers for 25 years. Writing in this issue about product sustainability. STIG BREDAHL AP Degree in marketing management – international sales and marketing. More than 30 years experience in purchasing, transport/logistics & global sales and marketing management. For this issue he wrote a farewell to much loved colleague Henning Nygård. JAAN PUUSAAG Chariman of Krimelte. Jaan established OÜ Krimelte with Jaanus Paeväli in 1994. Four years later, they became a manufacturing company with 5 people. In 2010 he was selected businessman of the year. In this issue he writes about teamwork in 2016.
NEWS
VICTORY IN LITHUANIA Let us applaud our great Lithuanian sales wolves! Until now, the largest Baltic market has been Estonia, but this year Lithuania has pulled ahead. According to absolute figures, Lithuania is now the largest Wolf Group market in the Baltics.
SPAIN IS BACK IN THE GAME Spain is recovering from longterm crisis. 2015 is the first to have seen a rise in its GDP, with sales for Krimelte’s subsidiary, Olivé Química increasing by more than 10%. This is an excellent growth indeed!
Happy Birthday, Krimelte Russia! In July, Krimelte Russia reached the 10-year anniversary of its registration as a business. The factory began putting out product in 2007. The festive occasion was celebrated by the board of directors and office personnel of Krimelte Russia on September 24th in true Russian style, that is, with laden tables. Alar Salum, Managing director of Krimelte / Wolf Group, commented “Russia is our largest market with many customers; our factory there supplies foams to a number of private label accounts. We manufacture aerosol products and cleaners there which gives us competitiveness as we have no additional transport and customs costs to cover.” Salum is delighted with the stability shown by this year’s sales compared to those of 2014. He added, “The Russian market is in dire straits, having faced a decline of nearly 30%. Despite this, our team has succeeded in maintaining sales as well as finding new clients to provide a foundation for the future.”
A LEGENDARY STADIUM In Johannesburg, there is a legendary football stadium, which seated 84,890 spectators (the maximum capacity is 94,736) at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It was here that Nelson Mandela gave his first speech after his release from prison in 1990. Products from Olivé Química were used in the building of the stadium. The stadium being built in Russia for the 2018 World Cup is currently on hold, but we hope that the fine achievements of our Russian team will carry through to products in the construction of this building.
A NEW TREND: FOAMS THAT ARE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY In certain countries there are restrictions on sales of products containing MDIs as they classify isocyanates as ‘irritant’. As a result, our development department has focuses on formulating products that will not be classified in this way. Krimelte has developed a new monomeric MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocynate)- free polyurethane foam formulation which we can now offer in these demanding markets. These are still niche products, marketed mainly in Scandinavia, where ecological considerations and environmental awareness are given the highest priority.
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PERSON
Our Lone Wolf in the Heart of Europe Krimelte’s Export Manager Stig Bredahl is considered by his colleagues to be the ultimate salesman. Working alone from Denmark, Stig stresses the importance of empathy with the whole wolf pack in order to be successful. “ALWAYS KEEP DEADLINES,”
is one of the first things Stig says and to which he attributes his success in sales. He has been working for Krimelte for 8 years, though he has known the company and its founders Jaan Puusaag and Jaanus Paeväli from the very beginning. 21 years ago Stig was working as an export manager for a Danish company, Baxenden Scandinavia, one of the first manufacturers of polyurethane (PU) foams in Denmark. He got a call from Jaan; Krimelte was recently established, had a potential customer in Russia and needed a supplier of PU foams. Stig tells the story about the importance of keeping to deadlines and how he became familiar with Krimelte. “A Dutch company Jaan first contacted never came back with a price quotation. You must always keep deadlines and promises and though it sounds very simple, many fail to do it. If this Dutch company had responded on time and done as promised, I would have never met Jaan.” There is more to the simple rule Stig has been following all his life. “Keeping deadlines may be something you can’t do for many reasons, for example, because of work going on with product development. There may be a problem with delivery or some other simple issue, but in such cases I always go back to the
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“I’M QUITE TEAMORIENTED BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE THINGS I AM GOOD AT. IN MOST CASES, I’M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO ACHIEVES SUCCESS. IT IS USUALLY A TEAM EFFORT”
customer and say: “Sorry, we have this issue here, can we find a solution?” Stig is convinced that this rule should be applied not only to professional, but also personal life.
Know Your Strengths
Stig is sure - to be successful it is important to know your strengths. “To be honest, I’m empathic and very good at developing relationships with customers. I’m good at opening doors, no matter whose they are.” Stig adds that this is a trait rather typical of Danes, who are natu-
PERSON rally quite curious. Knowing his strengths helped Stig put together a team with good synergy. “I’m quite team-oriented because I know that there is a limit to the things I am good at. In most cases, I’m not the only person who achieves success. It is usually a team effort.” Stig also feels that you should listen carefully to clients, be aware of their needs and know everything about your products, the markets and trends. Jim Fitzsimons, Managing Director of Olivé Química’s UK Division, met Stig to discuss business in 2013 when his company had just begun to purchase PU foams from Krimelte “If I could summarize Stig’s qualities it would simply be to say he is the ultimate professional salesperson with great selling skills. He is always polite, good humoured and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year”. Jim and Stig kept in contact after the meeting, which involved visiting Liverpool’s Everton Football Club, a team Jim has followed since he was a child. It now also has Stig as a fan. Jim added, “Little did we know that in March 2014 we would now be colleagues in the Wolf Group. This gave us both a big opportunity to attack and close some big volume business which had not been open to us in the past. We’ve worked very closely planning a strategy which has been very successful and brought us good results from ‘blue chip’ companies. This will continue and with co-operation from all of our Wolf Group team we will plot more avenues to attack and prosper”.
A Disciplined Wolf
Stig works from his home in Denmark’s countryside, something he enjoys as he feels he is more productive that way. Working from home is not for everybody and he admits that you need to do so in a disciplined way for it to work. Stig explained, “I start the day typically at 6.00 or 6:30 in the morning and go on until 3.00 to 3:30 in the afternoon. I go swimming every day as long as I’m not travelling on business but will be back at 7.00 in the evening to work for another hour or more. I like it this way”. The first thing he does each morning is to make an agenda for the day. “It is easy to just sit and work step by step, but you will never be more effective if you don’t write down some targets and goals. I do it every day as I try to make the most
GRAND OLD MAN IN FOAM BUSINESS When I joined the Wolf Group six years ago and started interacting with customers, I began hearing unusually positive stories about a legendary salesman who always brought a smile to their faces, made contact at the promised time and never left them in the dark. Around the same time, our business came to the realization that we needed ’our man in Havana’, that is to say someone to represent us in Western Europe. Jaan Puusaag suggested that I call Stig, even though by that point he was no longer with us. We always try to make important things happen very quickly and this proved to be no exception. Two hours later the agreement was in place for Stig to work for us again. Stig is a grand old man in the foam business: he knows in detail every distinctive feature of our company and its products as well as those of our main competitors. He is one of those salesmen who shoots like an extremely precise sniper. As a person, Stig is always a pleasant travelling companion. We share a passion for live music and despite our age difference, we are fans of the same bands: we both like the Rolling Stones and AC/DC. Stig always prefers live performances and for him it is no problem to interrupt his vacation, if he hears, for example, that Paul McCartney is performing in Stig’s homeland, Denmark. MARGUS VIHMAN Group Sales Director Krimelte / Wolf Group
Stig opens up about his ethos in sales: “Keeping deadlines may be something you can’t do for many reasons, for example, because of work going on with product development. There may be a problem with delivery or some other simple issue, but in such cases I always go back to the customer and say: “Sorry, we have this issue here, can we find a solution?”
out of my time as possible. If you are well prepared, you will be more focused on what you are doing. Otherwise you can shoot but you will never succeed”. Everything has its pros and cons and working at home can mean that if you aren’t socializing during the day you lag behind with information that circulates around the office. But Stig travels several times every month either to Estonia or to see customers and he gets his share of social interaction this way. Stig is cheerful, tells stories and jokes that he is “an old hippie” expressing his love for 1960’s music. He has seen most of the popular bands from the time when rock ’n ’roll revolutionized music and has a collection of more than 10,000 albums. “Music is a funny thing because either it works or it doesn’t. When you see it performed live, you appreciate it at its very best, but not always,” says Stig, who still goes to see some of the old superstars in concert.
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PRODUCT
YEARS LIFETIME MINIMUM
EasyPRO will make customer’s life easier A product range with clear labels to identify the right sealant solution TEXT: TIIT ARRO, DOVYDAS AUŠTRAS
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WOLF GROUP has great news this au-
tumn – we have launched a new product line called EasyPRO. What is so special about it? Three key factors should be mentioned: firstly, the industrial sealant market experience of Olivé Química and the retail market experience of Krimelte have been combined in this new line. Secondly, each EasyPRO product has 10-year lifetime and, last but not least, the concept is made so clear for the end consumer that the requirements of 5-second decision making are all met.
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PRODUCT In terms of range size, one of the world’s leading innovators, Apple, provides the perfect example of a company which has deliberately limited options to make choice simpler. Now, Wolf Group is taking a similar approach by offering specific sealing solutions for insulation, energy saving, mould resistance, weather-proofing and filling & painting. All to ensure the best possible user experience. The long term goal is to become a global leader in construction sealants. Inspiration for the new retail concept came 3 years ago when the Krimelte marketing and sales teams brainstormed ideas for targeting the North American market. Tiit Arro, Wolf Group’s Business Development and Marketing Director recalls, “One of the aims was to have a concept that is scalable around the globe so we decided 18 months ago to adapt the concept for the European market as well.
The EasyPRO range is small but at the same time covers every likely sealing solution.
60 years of experience combined
The EasyPRO range is small but at the same time covers all sealing solutions. It offers high quality formulations based on the combined knowledge of the Olivé Química, 40 years of experience, and Krimelte, 20 years of experience, research and development teams. Thanks to the Olivé Química merger with the Wolf Group a wider range of industrial / professional products can be offered. Those recipes in the EasyPRO range are, without question, the best available as they have been formulated for the most demanding applications and industries.
The long lifetime and best user experience of EasyPRO
Given that the quality of the product would be the best possible, the question of user experience was vital in product development. To fine tune the retail concept, the Wolf Group worked closely with a Spanish design and brand development agency Summa:, which provided them with highly professional input to the project throughout. Based on the design brief Summa: came up with three attractive creative options. Tiit comments: “The one we decided on, supports our retail concept best as the packaging designs and POS display guide consumers quickly to the right
THE EASYPRO CONCEPT OFFERS A WEALTH OF SOLUTIONS In store, standing in front of shelves the end user invariably faces too many manufacturer and product choices. The 5-second decision making principle, with the support of easy-to-understand POS, literature and web support will save them time and money and avoid the need to seek advice and information. Confusion arises with product ranges which are too extensive. EasyPRO covers all home sealing solutions in a limited, carefully selected range. That means less shelf space is needed, stock management is easier and products are sold long before ‘best before’ dates are reached. Selling value-added products is the challenge. Industrial technology has come into the home, offering a unique standard of performance and modern packaging design. This will generate more revenue and margin and require lower discounts. It is hard to win and maintain customer loyalty but our 10-year service life promise demonstrates the Wolf Group’s confidence in and commitment to the brand. Our key promise is that it will save money by using products which last longer and help reduce environmental impact. Without the need to repair or re-seal, money spent on replacement products and labour is saved and less waste goes to landfill. This will create a higher level of customer satisfaction, the effect being that buying patterns currently based on price will shift to become ones driven by quality. Lack of product familiarity is a big problem but patented EasyPRO tools like EasyGun foam applicators give an excellent user experience which will increase the likelihood of repeat purchase.
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PRODUCT The EasyPRO concept was developed to provide construction products with an FMCG emphasis for the retail market.
Comment: IT’S A PERFECT COMBINATION!
product. This gives a favourable buying experience rather than one which is lengthy and painful. This is all the more important when you consider how difficult it can be to get advice from store staff”. Dovydas Auštras, Wolf Group’s Retail Sales Development Manager added, “As far as the retail market is concerned, we are looking ahead to how it will look in 5 years’ time. Our analysis showed that the business model for sealants in the retail sector will be similar to that for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)”. The EasyPRO concept was developed to provide construction products with an FMCG emphasis for the retail market. Dovydas continued, “The concept’s unique points are that a focussed range covers all sealing solutions with products which are genuinely innovative. With the help of EasyPRO tools that means quick and easy product application.”
5-second decision making principle
End users such as the average DIY buyer take no more than 5 seconds to decide which product to buy. Key factors which we believe will have a dramatic impact in that selection are: • 10-year lifetime for all products
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•
A brand new, contemporary label style which has been created on the principle of providing ‘instant focus. The design philosophy is that all products are application-based and have labels that are quick and easy to understand. All the decision-making factors are illustrated on the main product face. Of course, the concept will evolve based on consumer feedback. Tiit gives an example. “Our labels used to include details of a product’s usability temperature range but we removed this information when developing the EasyPRO concept. Based on user comments, however, it became clear how important this was to them so we made the decision to reinstate it”. Dovydas explained, “The end user doesn’t need to make decisions based on opinion as the labels contain everything he needs. In fact the information is likely to exceed his expectations”. Our aim is to provide end user satisfaction, a good product experience and, ultimately, loyalty to the brand. EasyPRO products are already available in Lithuania and Portugal and target markets over the next few months will be Estonia, Latvia and Spain. The concept will be available in all countries with Wolf Group sales subsidiaries and active re-
OLIVÉ QUÍMICA Portugal S.A. Key Account Manager João Mamede added, “When the concept was presented to me, I felt that we were offering the right number of solutions to meet user needs. It was easy to understand the concept’s logic; we are building something that can only be successful because it was conceived to make life easier for consumers. And when all said and done, carefully developed marketing strategies designed for end users are invariably successful”. “The focus of our concept has been to make it work for consumers! They have been at the heart of every decision in the range’s development in order to ensure that they will empathise with it. In my opinion, the concept carries considerable added value and is about more than products in a cartridge or can. We have a sealant solution for every application in the home. The entire range of Penosil products was designed strategically but the EasyPRO concept offers the combination of experience from both Olivé Quimica and the Wolf Group. And that’s a perfect combination!”
PARTNER
The secret of doing great business - a strategic partner you can trust. We introduce a company that has a longstanding relationship with Krimelte.
KRIMELTE AND COVESTRO – TRUSTWORTHY PARTNERSHIP IF GERMAN CHEMIST Otto Bayer
had not discovered polyurethane in 1937 the world today might not be as bright a place as it is. It was Bayer who mixed two chemical substances and invented the PU foam by pure chance and to begin with. To begin with nobody knew what to do with what looked like Swiss cheese. Today, polyurethanes can be found almost everywhere and contribute to the quality of modern life. “Polyurethane is a very versatile product and today has uses as wide ranging as insulation in construction, furniture and and motorvehicles. “All the car seats in the world are made from polyurethane and every fridge and freezer is insulated with it” says Niko Palosuo, Head of Global Communications for the polyurethane business unit at Covestro, the company for which Bayer worked. Nearly 80 years later, Covestro, based in Leverkusen, Germany, is one of the world’s largest polymer companies. It manufactures high-tech polymers and develops innovative solutions for many products which are a feature of everyday life. Covestro has 30 production sites and employs around 16,500 people worldwide.
ABOUT COVESTRO: • Worldwide sales in 2014 of €11.7 billion with pre-tax profit of €1.19 billion • Biggest market is Europe with 38% of sales, followed by Asia/ Pacific 28%, North America 22% and America, Africa and the Middle East 12% • Main markets are automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and sports and leisure
Long-standing relationship
Covestro has a long-standing relationship with Krimelte which dates back more than ten years. Krimelte was one of the companies which, quite early on, started to produce products based on polyurethanes. Covestro supplies Krimelte with MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocynate), a polyurethane raw mate-
rial which is the main constituent in onepack polyurethane foam. It is MDI that foams when the genie is out of the can. Covestro also provides Krimelte with expertise on chemical formulations for its factories in Russia and Spain. Covestro has a warehouse facility in Tallinn which enables Krimelte to maintain continuous production through receipt of chemicals at very short notice. “We are happy to see that Krimelte appreciates the quality of materials we supply them” says Niko.
Growing business
Insulation is a growing business around the world, but especially in Nordic countries where there is a particular need to renovate and upgrade homes. One-component foams are used widely to install windows and doors as Niko explains. “The level of co-operation between our companies is good. It is solid, as we know that Krimelte staff are highly trustworthy. What we agree also happens. It is good to have a strategic partner who you can trust and Krimelte is an important and growing customer in the onecomponent foam sector. They are a big player and are expanding so we look forward to growing with them”.
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MAP
Wolf Group World Map Wolf Group is: • present in 78 countries • 4 production units located in Tallinn (Estonia), Barcelona (Spain), Moscow (Russia), and São Paulo (Brazil) • 10 sales units: one in each of the Baltic States, Ukraine, Romania, Denmark, Spain, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom
CIS & ASSOCIATED: Russia Ukraine (Associate, 1993) Kazakhstan Belarus Moldova Georgia (non-CIS, 2009) EUROPE Baltic states: Estonia Latvia Lithuania Western Europe: Andorra Austria Belgium Germany Ireland Italy France Netherlands Portugal Spain Switzerland United Kingdom Central Europe: Poland Hungary Czech Republic Slovakia Nordics: Denmark Greenland Finland Norway Sweden
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South-Eastern Europe: Bosnia-Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Greece Romania Serbia Slovenia Turkey Macedonia NORTH AMERICA: USA Canada LATIN AMERICA: Argentina Brazil Chile Colombia Cuba Dominican Rep. Mexico Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela AFRICA Ghana Israel South Africa
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NORTH AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST: Algeria Dubai Libya Morocco Oman Qatar Tunisia UAE ASIA: China India Japan Hong-Kong Mongolia Korea OCEANIA: Australia New Zealand
MAP
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INDUSTRY Sustainable buildings require high performance so the roof windows in this project had to meet a range of performance standards.
THE INCONSISTENCIES OF SUSTAINABILITY IN CONSTRUCTION
IN THE UK, this has reduced pressure on house builders to move away from long-standing procurement practices which many feel encourage a commodity approach to the detriment of quality. A ‘Sustainable Procurement Task Force’ therefore defined sustainable procurement as “a process whereby organisations meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole life basis and generates benefits not only to the supplier, but to society and the economy, while minimising damage to the environment.” For now, however, private sector construction still relies heavily on ‘lowest tender pricing’ despite greater pressure for better quality due to improving building standards. As a result, many 12
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Buildings and their construction account for around 40% of worldwide consumption of resources and 30% of energy generation. Even so, despite the many initiatives in recent years to produce more sustainable building products, in some countries there has been significant pressure on Governments to deregulate. TEXT: NIGEL PITTMAN manufacturers have found it difficult to justify the development costs of products which may be more expensive but benefit a building over its design life.
Looking at the positives
And yet there are considerable grounds for optimism. Though the target for zero carbon construction in the UK has been postponed until 2020, the perceived value of energy efficiency standards such as Passivhaus is slowly, and against many forecasts, increasing. Passive
House Institute testing and certification carries considerable weight and is already common in many of the developed economies. For self-builders in particular such eco-certification provides a way to check which products can be trusted and evaluate the cost against long-term benefit. Natureplus®, a pan-European Association also promotes sustainable use of resources and tests building products to ensure they have no adverse impact on health. While other standards accommodate a degree of offsetting, all
INDUSTRY Even fast-track buildings are being uprated in terms of sustainability. Who do you think this building belongs to? Answer: McDonald’s!
elements of Natureplus testing must produce the same high standard of performance. As such, this has encouraged higher standards of sustainability in mainland Europe.
Regulations encouraging better quality
Tighter building regulations have however begun to prompt widespread introduction to the construction sector of products developed for more demanding uses. Sealants manufactured by the Wolf group for the nuclear, aerospace and ship building industries are finding favour despite construction’s traditional treatment of such products as commodities. Higher quality materials invariably come from companies showing greater environmental responsibility, and this too is a factor which is at last coming onto many buyers’ agendas. This has knocked on to new products for which, until recently, it would have been incon-
ceivable to see sealants and tapes developed purely for a specialist function such as a building’s airtightness. Mandatory tests for air leakage have shown the immediate and long-term value of these unseen and relatively expensive building accessories and the vital functions they perform. Sealing laps in underlays, filling holes for pipework penetrations and services to photovoltaic panels reduce energy consumption but perhaps more importantly, airtight construction invariably provides a far better internal working and living environment.
Too many claim their products are sustainable
A product’s true sustainability however, can be difficult to determine in a market where everyone wants to lay claim to eco-credentials. Timber is a good example as, despite having been among the first materials to establish an acknowledged standard for responsible sourcing
and management, until 2014 there were still major problems with the quality of products such as roof battens. This has been addressed with the consolidation of EU standards in countries such as the UK with products now requiring a quality compliance mark. With the support of the internationally recognised Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody certification, it is now extremely difficult to ignore environmental responsibility. Unfortunately, many argue that products can still be described as sustainable if their use improves overall building performance or if they just have a ‘low’ carbon footprint. The irony is that this can be to the detriment of many natural products such as slate, the manufacture of which often involves a high degree of waste. They may also score poorly for no other reason than the distance involved in transporting them. However, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) was the first and remains the most widely used sustainability standard for commercial buildings.
Waste still a problem
There is an irony in the fact that while manufacturers throughout the world continue to develop more sustainable products, there is still a massive amount of waste on many building sites. Between 20-30% of what goes to landfill consistently comes from building and demolition and figures of up to 13% have been recorded of unused materials being disposed of in such a way. Fortunately, material return schemes should make this a thing of the past in the foreseeable future but in the face of such waste carbon offsetting seems a pointless exercise. Ultimately, better standards in construction will reduce waste while also encouraging greater efficiency and for manufacturers and builders whose ethos is based on quality this can only be good news.
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GALLERY
Initiating new Wolf cubs Alar Salum, Krimelte’s Managing director, with two of his kids.
Tiit Arro, Business Development and Strategic Marketing director.
This year’s Krimelte Summer days were held on August 8th at the Rebasemäe picnic grounds of the Tallinn Zoo. A good deal was closed out of respect for the weather but as a break from the rainy, cool summer the sun shone that day and not a drop of rain fell. This was truly ideal weather for spending a family weekend. There were plenty of good things to eat and drink, as well as activities for everyone, big or small. The Tireless Auntie organized enough interesting games and activities to keep the children busy for the whole day. Whoever wished to could have their face painted, stamp a coin, or polish a nice necklace out of the world’s softest stone for themselves or as a gift for a friend. All of this was not just meant for children: families engaged in happy cooperation created many colourful works of art. Those who had courage and strength to spare could test their skills at shooting a bow or crossbow or throwing an axe. As is the custom, at the end of the day the best received awards and the new wolf cubs were initiated. And accompanied by pleasant guides, guests also toured the zoo and met many different kinds of animals, those with cloven hooves as well as feathered friends. Our wolf pack was treated to much new and exciting knowledge.
Reigo Oras, Krimelte’s Purchise Director, with family.
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GALLERY The team of Krimelte Russia celebrating.
A RussianStyle Feast In July, the Krimelte Russia factory at Zhukovsky in the Moscow oblast celebrated the tenth anniversary of their registration as a business. The festive occasion was marked by the Krimelte Russia board of directors and office personnel on September 24th with a truly Russian-style feast, that is with laden tables.
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In Memory of HENNING NYGÅRD – the Great Danish Viking It was with great sadness that we received the news of Henning Nygård’s death. Henning reached only 64 years of age. TEXT: STIG BREDAHL
EVER SINCE we came into contact
with he at Baxenden Scandinavia, he has had a major impact on many of our decisions. In particular, the decision to start the production of PU foam here in Estonia. Henning has worked for us in the capacity of advisor and auditor since 1998. He will be remembered as a good employee and a family man - Henning and Alice lived together for 30 years, marrying 8 years ago. Henning has always been a passionate angler and has travelled most of the world to find the absolute best fishing spots. In Denmark Henning had a large personal network; he has always been very active in local associations. He has been part of St. George guilds in Sorø for many years. Henning was never afraid to express his views, which were based on a deep understanding and knowledge of the subjects that were discussed; whenever he had something to say, it would contribute positively to a discussion.
To illustrate this, I recall a meeting in PU Schaum Group (FEICA today) that Henning attended. Because of a major fire at Baxenden Scandinavia it was discussed whether or not to end the use of propane/butane propellants. After endless discussions, Henning got tired of the bureaucrats’ attempts to restore the old propellants. He stood up in the assembly and asked - “What is important – the burning-down of a simple warehouse or eliminating the ozone layer?” Unfortunately Henning had not cleared this with the CEO of Baxenden Scandinavia (Jørgen Judson), so Jørgen had to use all his influence and diplomatic skills to calm the troubled waters and placate the members of the PU Schaum Group. Not having Henning among us anymore is a big loss of a big personality, a great mentor and a dear friend. Henning will continue to have a major influence on our production of PU foams well into the future. Henning, you will always be remembered and be in our hearts.
REMEMBERING A GREAT MENTOR There have been very few people who have contributed as much to Krimelte’s growth from the beginning. From the moment we made a decision to start manufacturing PU foams in Estonia, Henning was the only one who knew what it meant to do so. I didn’t have a clue. He was here to choose the right building and to adjust it according to our needs. We spent many days and nights together at our small plant getting the machines up and running. Henning never worried about time or working hours. He was a great mentor for me and I learned a lot. He never compromised safety. Once I asked him if we really needed an EX ventilator for the lab because it is so much more expensive. I will never forget his answer – „when your building is on fire, you will learn what expensive means!“ After we got started I asked Henning to visit our factory every year in order just to walk around and tell us where he thought we should do things differently. Many things he taught I only understood years later. His last long visit was two years ago. It was more than 7 years since his last visit and this time we felt we had really impressed him. Fully automated packaging lines, injection moulding, new office and production facilities. This time I could really feel that we had gained our mentor’s approval. Thank you, Henning, for being a mentor and a friend! JAAN PUUSAAG, Chairman of Krimelte / Wolf Group
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Goodbye, DANEL PLEIATS Wolf Group was deeply shaken by the sad news that Danel Pleiats, plastics production department manager at OÜ Krimelte had passed away on 04.11.2015. DANEL JOINED our company 5
years ago, and he was the initiator of the injection moulding project of OÜ Krimelte. Until now, he had been in charge of the entire plastics production department. Before Wolf Group, Danel had worked in different plastics production companies for 20 years. He once said that his education comes from high school and the university of life. His dedicated work brought him much respect and recognition, both within Krimelte and among the partner companies. In 2010, he became Wolf Cub of the year. Danel was awarded the title of Leader Wolf in 2014. Alar Salum, Managing Director of Krimelte / Wolf Group: “We have lost a true wolf, a great colleague, a professional manager, and just a beautiful person … he was just 43… In our hearts and thoughts we are with Danel’s family – his wife Kristel and their two kids.”
TESTIMONIALS Danel was the sort of man who could be compared to all the others and always come out the best, both as a co-worker and outside the workplace. As soon as the topic of producing plastics came up, his eyes would begin to glow and there would be enough to talk about for quite awhile. I was amazed how he could remain so calm in stressful situations where my own blood pressure was already approaching 200. I took Danel as a role model as I tried to cultivate such calmness in myself. It would be difficult to overestimate Danel`s contribution to the creation of team spirit. Danel was the soul of our social gatherings: without him a fishing trip would not be a fishing trip, and a party would not be a party. IVO LAAN, Production Manager, OÜ Krimelte
Danel has left his mark forever at Krimelte in the form of the plastics casting department. He was the one who chose the machinery and moulds for us and trained his whole team. From our first meeting it was clear that he was a technocrat, and this was expressed in everything he did. Danel once said to me that plastics are both his work and his hobby, all wrapped up together. In this spirit he developed and led his department. Danel was continually seeking ways to add new products to the work portfolio, as well as to make the existing products better. Often when I came to work on a weekend, I would find Danel already there and busy. He was always cheerful, and even in the worst situations he would remain calm and crack jokes. Danel was a role model for those who answered to him, and certainly for his colleagues as well. One could hardly wish for a better team member. I will always remember Danel as a wonderful person! MEELIS BERGMANN, Production Director, OÜ Krimelte
I first met Danel in April 2011 when I came to work for Krimelte. We worked together for four and a half years. During this time we became close colleagues and friends. We shared an interest in fishing - he fished mostly in Estonia, but traditionally I would also fish once a year in Norway. I spread the Norwegian fishing bug to Danel as well. For two summers we travelled together to that land where nature is so mystically beautiful. I have fine, brightly coloured memories of those trips that can be relished for a long time to come. We had already made arrangements for next year`s trip to Norway. Unfortunately, Danel can no longer participate in these adventures, but he will certainly look down on our fishing from someplace above and comment on it to himself.
It would be hard to find a better co-worker. Danel was an inseparable member of our department who kept the whole team pleasantly hopping. Our work environment was hardly peaceful and monotonous. Something new was happening every day, and often we would have to “bring the chestnuts out of the fire”. Danel knew how to do that, and he would remain calm despite everything. One should cherish one´s good friends and co-workers. Let us care about one another! Danel, keep up the good work wherever you are out there, carrying on with your many activities. You were the best! JANARI TALVISTU, Warehouse Manager, OÜ Krimelte
He gave his all to the job. He always had an extraordinary work ethic and perseverance in achieving the goal at hand. Danel was always ready to extend a helping hand. In all the years of working with him, I did not encounter a single situation where he would not be willing to help. At work, he liked discipline and was a demanding leader. He liked to work well but also to relax well. As a friend, he was always kind and positive in every situation. He loved his family and talked about his children with respect and pride. Such people are very few. It’s unfair that the best ones leave so early. IGOR ŠVEDOVSKI, Technical Director, OÜ Krimelte:
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INSIGHT
The Wolf keeps extending its reach “MY NAME HAS become synony-
mous with Axapta in this company,” says Jano Kahr laughing. He is Group Infosystem Consultant for the Wolf Group and the person who introduced Axapta (officially named Microsoft Dynamics AX) to Krimelte back in 2005. Since then, he has been responsible for implementing the system at all of the rapidly expanding company’s different locations. According to Jano, Axapta has grown to become the backbone of the company. “Absolutely everything in the Wolf Group begins and ends with it. Our whole business, from production, buying, planning, resources, warehousing and of course sales and finance is driven by the system,” he says. One of Axapta’s main assets is that it provides a single source of information about the status of the whole group, including its different branches and departments.
No time for sightseeing
The Portuguese and Spanish branches of the Wolf Group are the latest to implement Axapta, with Olivé Spain going live as recently as July. The whole project in Spain came at significant cost and took six months. At the start there were problems and a few setbacks, but the final outcome was smooth. “Our initial plan was to launch Axapta at the beginning of June, but we lost almost two months in negotiations with our local Axapta partner” says Jano. This meant postponement of our go-live date and at one point even July didn’t seem to be realistic. Our next chance would not have been until January and with the fear of losing another six months, it was full speed ahead.” For Jano, this meant being in Spain every other week and working 12-14 hour days. Even though Olivé Spain is very close to Barcelona, he didn’t even have the time or energy to discover Catalonia’s capital. “It was a very difficult project for many reasons,” Jano says. Firstly, Olivé is a large 40-year old company with a long history and tradition of
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Jano’s Detour to Columbus The Wolf Group’s road to Axapta was quite rocky. Back in 2003 the company operated using three different Excel sheets - one for sales, one for production and one for purchasing. Due to the rate of its growth a specialized ERP was needed. After a few mishaps the company found Columbus IT who didn’t just sell an Axapta license but the whole package. “It’s a long process to analyse, design and implement Axapta for a company,” says Jano. “Together with Columbus we got the system working.” As one thing led to another, Jano ultimately decided to join the Columbus team and became their Axapta consultant. “I was lucky to work with a lot of different clients who needed to make full use of Axapta. It really was a good education for me.” In 2010, having become a true Axapta specialist Jano rejoined the Wolf Group. Columbus remains the company’s partner and continues to help with every aspect of Axapta today.
how it does things. Secondly, the company had a bad experience seven years ago when they tried to introduce a similar system so it was understandable that they were quite sceptical. Thirdly, at the time the company was facing other pressures such as implementation of a new brand and a high level of orders which caused the factory to be working at full capacity.”
Double advantage for Spain
Nevertheless, the deadline to go live in July was met and Jano says that the process was actually much smoother than anticipated. Luis Olivé Palau, the Managing Director at Olivé Química S.A. agrees that Axapta’s implementation was successful. “It is always difficult to change to a new ERP (enterprise resource planning), but in this case we had two advantages,” Luis says. “One was that the old Navision system was something like a little sister of Axapta. The second was that they were able to copy the setup of Krimelte in Estonia. As a result, there were no major issues when the new system went live.” Luis emphasises that over the next months the challenge will be to maximise advantages that Axapta will bring such as improving organization, getting better coordination between departments and more efficient planning. Olive’s Portuguese branch implemented Axapta shortly before Spain. “To begin with, Axapta did not seem easy to use. We had many questions about a programme which was quite complex” admits João Mamede, Key Account Manager at OLIVÉ QUÍMICA Portugal S.A. “But Jano has helped immensely by training us so that we have been able to adapt and work through some difficulties.”
Next: the UK and France
João says that now everyone works with clear access to all information which, among its many advantages, speeds up customer response. “We are constantly adapting to a programme like this, because for each new issue that comes up day-to-day Axapta has the solution.” So, what’s next? There are still a couple of branches that have yet to implement Axapta and Jano says the question is not ‘if’, but ‘when’. “The next in line is probably the UK and ultimately we’ll also launch it in France too.” Jano says that no deadlines have been set yet, but the first steps will probably be taken next year.
First National Bank Stadium, also known as Soccer City and The Calabash, is a stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Olivé Química products have extensively been used in this stadium’s construction.
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Produced by: Menu Content Agency Editor: Anu Lill www.menuk.ee
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Info: Wolf Group Coordinator: Philip P. Philipoff Suur-Paala 10, 13619 Tallinn, Estonia Phone: + 372 6059 300 Fax: +372 6059 315 E-mail: info@wolfgroupweb.com www.wolfgroupweb.com