EME Outlook - issue 38

w w w. e m e o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 38

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP Innovation and adaption through COVID-19

STANDING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH SLOVENIA Richard Browning, the man inside the ‘Iron Man’ suit, tells us the story behind monetising the idea into Gravity Industries

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD

A true pioneer of the circular economy

PTOL | OLD MUTUAL BOTSWANA

w w w. a f r i c a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 86

SUSTAINABLE AND SMART Rubicon Group has a mission: to help every home, business and community in Africa become more sustainable and energy resilient

w w w. a p a c o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 46

w w w. e m e o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 38

Portfolio edition

w w w. n o r t h a m e r i c a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

INCHCAPE SHIPPING SERVICES

MESINIAGA BERHAD

A mainstay in Malaysia’s technological story

MWC19

Mobile World Congress provided the ultimate forum showcasing innovation

Leveraging technology to provide international transparency in the shipping industry

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC Futureproofing businesses postCOVID-19

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP

dhk ARCHITECTS

Innovation and adaption through COVID-19

Adapting and innovating during the COVID-19 pandemic

BESTMED MEDICAL SCHEME Inside South Africa’s largest self-administered medical scheme

STANDING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH SLOVENIA

Redpath Australia continues to secure work despite the onset of COVID-19, building on its global standing and reputation as a go-to contractor

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD

A true pioneer of the circular economy

How Wind River software continues to lead the way in today’s hyperconnected and autonomous era

Sujay Sarka, Regional CFO for West and Central Africa, on how Olam International plays a key role in building food security across the continent

Danny Wilson, General Manager of Onsport, on the development of a new online sports arena in Australia

Richard Browning, the man inside the ‘Iron Man’ suit, tells us the story behind monetising the idea into Gravity Industries

Ian Pearson, the President of Ford Romania discusses a 6,000-strong workforce and state-of-the-art Craiova plant

International plays a key role in building food security across the continent Sujay Sarka, Regional CFO for West and Central Africa, on how Olam

development of a new online sports arena in Australia Danny Wilson, General Manager of Onsport, on the

the story behind monetising the idea into Gravity Industries Richard Browning, the man inside the ‘Iron Man’ suit, tells us

6,000-strong workforce and state-of-the-art Craiova plant Ian Pearson, the President of Ford Romania discusses a

standing and reputation as a go-to contractor despite the onset of COVID-19, building on its global Redpath Australia continues to secure work

medical scheme largest self-administered Inside South Africa’s

SCHEME MEDICAL BESTMED

SLOVENIA WITH SIDE-BY-SIDE STANDING

hyperconnected and autonomous era How Wind River software continues to lead the way in today’s

circular economy A true pioneer of the

Tell us your story, and we’ll tell the world.

COMPOSAD HOLDING & SAVIOLA

COVID-19 pandemic innovating during the Adapting and

through COVID-19 Innovation and adaption

ARCHITECTS dhk

HOSPITAL GROUP SAINT JAMES

sustainable and energy resilient business and community in Africa become more Rubicon Group has a mission: to help every home,

AND SMART SUSTAINABLE

COVID-19 businesses postFutureproofing

ELECTRIC SCHNEIDER

shipping industry transparency in the to provide international Leveraging technology

technological story A mainstay in Malaysia’s

SERVICES SHIPPING INCHCAPE

BERHAD MESINIAGA

w w w. a f r i c a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 86

w w w. a p a c o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 46

w w w. e m e o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 38

Portfolio edition

showcasing innovation provided the ultimate forum Mobile World Congress

MWC19

w w w. n o r t h a m e r i c a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Africa Outlook, APAC Outlook, EME Outlook and North America Outlook are digital and print publications aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers, reaching an audience of more than 800,000 people around the world; spanning the full range of industrial sectors.

PTOL | OLD MUTUAL BOTSWANA

With original and exclusive content compiled by our experienced editorial team, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from across the globe.

Your company can join the leading industry heavyweights enjoying the free exposure we provide across both digital and print platforms with a free marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to help you grow your business.

Visit www.outlookpublishing.com/work-with-us for details on how your company can feature for free in one of our upcoming editions.

www.outlookpublishing.com/work-with-us

WELCOME

Industry Marches On

EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Tom Wadlow tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com Editor: Dani Redd dani.redd@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Marcus Kääpä marcus.kaapa@outlookpublishing.com PRODUCTION

As Europe continues to grapple with the winter season and heightened spread of COVID-19, one constant is that businesses are determined to keep economies moving.

Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Junior Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT DIRECTOR Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com HEADS OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS David Knott david.knott@outlookpublishing.com Matthew Taylor matthew.taylor@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Administrative Assistant: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT EME Outlook East Wing, Ground Floor, 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 Email: tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com www.emeoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/emeoutlook Follow us on Twitter: @eme_outlook

This issue we explore the response of several industrial organisations operating across the heart of the continent – from Poland and Slovenia to Italy and Romania. These are vital economic endeavours which must continue if populations are to be supplied energy and products made available to buy.

Our cover story dives into one of Slovenia’s oldest and most important mining operations.

Premogovnik Velenje (Velenje Coal Mine) continues to supply vital coal to the nation’s energy mix, the operation representing one of the most sophisticated in Europe, with plans afoot to ensure its long-term future.

“The most important long-term challenge facing us is how to create attractive and well paid jobs for the next generation,” says General Manager Janez Roser.

“There is an opportunity to improve the environment and health in the region, to invest into infrastructure and create more attractive local living conditions for the local inhabitants. Infrastructure that will stay after mining can be prepared in advance and take on new opportunities, serving other industries, education and tourism.”

Elsewhere we explore how the plastics industry in Italy continues to operate in difficult times with insight from family firm LATI Industria Thermoplastici, and investigate how Swiss medical device manufacturer Valtronic pushes the boundaries in its field.

Before these in-depth profile interviews you will find a fascinating discussion with Richard Browning, creator of a real-life Iron Man suit and founder of Gravity Industries.

Making its money by touring the world with public demonstrations, holding private training sessions and conducting work with military clients, the company is now fully standing (or flying) on its on two feet.

“The feeling is like nothing else,” he says. “It’s dreamy. There is no gravity and you can be completely free to go where you want. I remember doing a flight in Prague and flying past a duck in the air above the river – I turned round and chased after it. I cannot really explain how it felt to be flying alongside a bird at 40 miles per hour. It’s ludicrous, entirely epic.”

Enjoy the issue!

Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing EME Outlook issue 38 | 3

CONTENTS

10 REGULARS

6 NEWS

EVENTS

Around Europe and the Middle East in seven stories

168 Cityscape 2020

8 EXPERT EYE

170 The International Business Excellence Awards

Four Steps to an Impactful Sustainability Programme for Retailers

BUSINESS INSIGHT

16

Leadership 10 The Real Flying Marvel The story behind Richard Browning’s reallife ‘Iron Man’ suit

Technology 16 Post-Digital Evolution Integrating and leveraging digitisation

TOPICAL FOCUS

Sustainability 22 Chocolate with a Conscience Talking success, ethics and sustainability with Tony’s Chocolonely

26 Sea Change Inside an ambitious sustainable tourism project

26 4 | EME Outlook issue 38

Helping real estate rebound

Celebrating hard work, dedication and excellence in business

172 European Mining Convention – Virtual Edition A state-of-the-art digital platform for mining industry exhibitors

174 THE FINAL WORD What, in your opinion, makes a good business leader?

EME OUTLOOK MAGAZINE

F E AT U R E S

30 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

MINING

32 Premogovnik Velenje (Velenje Coal Mine) Standing Side-by-Side with Slovenia

Ensuring energy security for decades to come

56 Salrom

Salt of the Earth

ENERGY & UTILITIES

122 Water Services Corporation

Managing Malta’s Water Supply Safeguarding the most important commodity

HEALTHCARE

132 Saint James Hospital Group A Maltese Mainstay

Innovation and adaption through COVID-19

Inside Romania’s largest salt producer

CONSTRUCTION

MANUFACTURING

142 CBRE Façade Consultancy

62 Saviola Holding & Composad

Pioneering Circular Economy A leading transformer of wood waste

76 TMK-Artrom

The Romanian Road to Sustainable Steel Pipes Serving customers through challenging times

86 SPEA

Standing the Test of Time Inside 45-plus years of customer-driven progress

94 Ceramika Paradyz

Poland’s King of Ceramics An industry-leading operation defined by innovation and creativity

100 LATI Industria Thermoplastici

Shaped by Family Values Diverse and responsible thermoplastics solutions

106 Valtronic

106 132

Standing Strong

A go-to specialist in façade consultancy

148 Glass Aftercare

Technical Support for FM & Building Managers Maintaining the value of your property portfolio

152 Euro Mechanical

Respond, Recover, Thrive A resilient, determined response to the COVID challenge

158 OBMI Architecture

Architecture Designed for Experiences Supporting modern construction values

SUPPLY CHAIN

162 Hala Supply Chain Services

152

The Complete Supply Chain Solution Transforming KSA into an international logistics hub

Enhancing Life Pushing the boundaries of medical devices

112 Corplex

Closing the Loop Making the packaging industry more sustainable

118 Cargo Control Company Transporting the Future

Making transport safer and more efficient across Europe

162 EME Outlook issue 38 | 5

NEWS Around Europe & the Middle East in seven stories…

ENVIRONMENT

France’s Total in sustainable business drive

R E TA I L

IKEA LAUNCHES BLACK FRIDAY “BUY BACK” INITIATIVE H O MEWA RE A N D furniture giant IKEA plans to buy up secondhand furniture from customers in an attempt to cut back on wasted products during the coming Black Friday weekend.

The company will provide customers with vouchers in exchange for the used items, and the value of these vouchers will depend on the original price of the item as well as the kind of condition they are in when re-purchased.

“By making sustainable living more simple and accessible, IKEA hopes that the initiative will help its customers take a stand against excessive consumption this Black Friday and in the years to come,” the company says.

The “Buy Back” initiative will be available in 27 countries and will largely apply to those items that are mostly made of hard materials, such as desks, stools, tables, bookcases, and shelves.

TOTA L S E is shifting towards the future of renewable energy. The company works in providing B2B gas and power in a host of European countries, as well as B2C in France and Belgium.

The company has revealed substantial annual investment of $1.5 to $2 billion towards low-carbon electricity production. The majority of these investments have been towards solar and wind technology.

“We offer a wide range of renewable deals in different countries. Our European strategy is very similar to what we do with our traditional oil business, we are producers, providers and suppliers to the end user,” says Thomas Rebeyrol, Senior Vice President Strategy, Growth & People.

E M P LOY M E N T

World’s best workplaces 2020 revealed G R EAT P L AC E to Work (GPTW) has named its best workplaces for 2020.

After US company Cisco Systems took first place, DHL was placed second on this list. Not far behind, Swiss 6 | EME Outlook issue 38

company The Adecco Group, human resources provider and temporary staffing firm, sits in seventh place.

Of those based in Europe, the top 25 also includes: Ernst & Young (EY), multinational professional services network, at number 10. Admiral Group, British financial services company, placed 14th; Volvo, Swedish car manufacturing firm, 20th place.

FINANCE

TECHNOLOGY

GCC REPORTS MALWARE SPIKE

An alternative to cryptocurrency?

T H E E UROP EAN Central Bank (ECB) is to conduct experiments for a potential digital euro startup.

The ECB stated that the launch of a digital euro could provide support to the Eurosystems objectives through citizens receiving a safe form of money.

Another benefit of the digital euro is that it would be backed by the central bank, and is therefore not volatile – one of the downsides of private digital currencies such as Bitcoin. Although

the prospect does not come without its cons, in this case, potential negative impact on financial stability.

“We should be prepared to issue a digital euro, should the need arise,” says ECB President Christine Lagarde.

COV I D -1 9

DHL aiding victims of COVID-19 economic hardship T H E G E RMA N transport and delivery company is cooperating with small and medium-sized enterprises from developing countries.

The pandemic is cutting trade relations in these countries, plunging another 115 million people into poverty in this year alone. As of October, DHL has given these enterprises access to the global markets through the

cooperation of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Over the course of the next few years, the partners aim to invest €30 million into the digitisation of customs and trade processes, the promotion of ecommerce, and low emission logistics in urban areas.

Morocco, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast will be the first places to receive this aid, and the partnership has the added focal point of promoting female entrepreneurs in these developing countries.

CO U N TR I E S I N the GCC are facing increasing malware attacks.

Financial malware is aimed towards stealing financial data and makes up a large portion of the cybersecurity threat element active in the digital realm.

The United Arab Emirates saw a 42.5 percent rise in financial malware within the first half of 2020, in comparison to the first half of the previous year.

For the larger Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, there was around a 45 percent increase in financial malware, with the highest rise being seen in Oman – a substantial 72 percent growth.

TECHNOLOGY

SAUDI ARABIA UNVEILS AI STRATEGY SAU DI A R A B I A plans to become the global leaders in artificial intelligence by 2030.

At the Global AI Summit in Riyadh this year, the Saudi National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI) made it public knowledge that the country aims to but AI at the centre of its growth and development.

The kingdom nation has a young population desiring large scale digital and technological developments. Upcoming projects include NEOM smart city, Qiddiya entertainment and leisure capital, and National Industrial Development and Logistics Program, will provide testbeds and living laboratories for AI and datadriven concepts and applications.

Saudi Arabia aims to play a vital role in the global dialogue of AI in order to support socioeconomic development.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 7

EXPERT EYE

Four Steps to an Impactful Sustainability Programme for Retailers Capgemini’s Tim Bridges outlines how retail organisations can achieve impactful and positive change through sustainability strategies Written by: Tim Bridges, Global Head of Consumer Goods and Retail, Capgemini

T

here’s no longer any doubt about it – consumer preferences and purchase decisions are strongly impacted by sustainability and ethics, and an organisation’s stance on them, according to new research from Capgemini.

Nearly four in five consumers want to make a difference in saving the planet for future generations, and more than three quarters are concerned about the humane and fair treatment of workers; these trends have been further accelerated by COVID-19.

We know that consumers are more attuned than ever to brand authenticity and purpose. When asked, 78 percent of consumers said that consumer product and retail organisations (CPR) have a larger role to play in society, and 53 percent prefer to engage with CPR organisations that showcase strong sustainability credentials and embody a sense of purpose.

Furthermore, climate change and societal wellbeing are impacting consumer preferences which, in turn, have huge knock-on effects for CPR organisations. The bell has rung for corporate change, and while most organisations recognise this, they are underestimating the pace that is needed to transition to sustainable practices.

8 | EME Outlook issue 38

Sustainability is linked to a common misconception around cost, with many business leaders believing that it diverts money from other business priorities. However, it’s been well documented that eco-innovation boosts revenues, and our own research supports this: 77 percent of executives pointed to an increase in customer loyalty as a major benefit from sustainability initiatives and 63 percent have seen a revenue uptick.

“CONSUMER PREFERENCES AND PURCHASE DECISIONS ARE STRONGLY IMPACTED

BY SUSTAINABILITY AND ETHICS, AND AN ORGANISATION’S STANCE ON THEM” How to achieve impactful, positive change The good news is that nearly half of CPR organisations have started to deploy sustainability initiatives across some of the regions in which they operate.

However, when it comes to achieving this at scale, fewer than

a quarter have accomplished widespread coverage. There is clearly work to be done to meet consumer expectations and for these initiatives to have a positive impact on the planet. Here’s how organisations can achieve impactful, positive change: Empower employees and consumers: First, internal changes need to be infused into an organisation’s culture for success.

Business leaders must make their employees advocates of sustainability and create a culture of awareness and responsibility across the enterprise value chain.

On the consumer front, companies also have a huge role to play in educating and supporting their consumers. By making the environmental and ethical footprints of their products clearer, consumers can make choices that suit their beliefs. In line with this, organisations should assess how their ranges match their target customers’ values and sustainability ambitions to ensure they are aligned. This means evaluating what’s on the shelves, how much it costs, and the role loyalty and reward can play in driving positive incentives for change.

Position technology at the core of sustainability initiatives to drive value: new technologies can help businesses to leapfrog their existing

sustainability initiatives and open untapped innovation opportunities.

The possibilities are vast – from digital twins, to blockchain, to AI. One successful example is British cosmetics retailer Lush, which is using AI and machine learning in its ‘Lens’ app, which lets customers use their phones to scan the company’s packaging and label free products.

This gives the shopper product information like ingredients, price and even videos of how to use them – and simultaneously allows the retailer to gain a deeper understanding of its customers’ needs and desires.

Build in robust sustainability governance: without an action plan, accountability for sustainability is ineffective. Successful management requires a clear strategic vision and committed leadership. Underpinning this must be an in-depth governance

structure that helps an organisation to scale its sustainability strategy across business units, overseeing the objective-setting and reporting processes, and strengthening relations with external stakeholders.

Collaborate with the broader ecosystem for a greater impact: sustainability cannot stop at the perimeter of one’s organisation; partners, suppliers and distributors must also be considered.

Sustainability-led collaborations with an organisation’s ecosystem can help alleviate the environmental and social impacts deeply embedded in the sector’s supply chains.

As with all transformations, the road to long-term, impactful change will involve an overhaul of internal systems, services and operations. It’s a big task, but CPR organisations must move quickly to stay competitive.

To turn ambition into reality, they need to accelerate sustainability at scale, exploiting technology’s potential to drive and realise the sustainability imperative, educating and empowering consumers and employees, putting robust governance in place, and extending sustainability to the entire ecosystem.

ABOUT THE EXPERT Tim Bridges leads Capgemini’s Global Sectors and the Consumer Products, Retail, Distribution (CPRD) global sector practice, a portfolio that includes major global retail, fashion, restaurant, consumer products, transportation, and distribution brands such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Office Depot, Domino’s, and Unilever.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 9

GRAVITY INDUSTRIES

10 | EME Outlook issue 38

LEADERSHIP

THE REAL FLYING MARVEL Richard Browning’s ‘Iron Man’ suit has thrilled crowds and wowed the social media stratosphere since it launched in April 2017. He tells us the story behind monetising an idea into Gravity Industries Writer: Tom Wadlow

Actually, in and around that TED event, I stopped off in San Francisco and did a flight demo for the Drapers, who I didn’t realise at the time were one of the biggest VC families in the valley. They offered me a $640,000 deal in the car park. That was my one and only VC round, and since then we have been able to generate our own capital.”

You would be forgiven for thinking that Richard Browning was involved in a mafia-style exchange in the summer of 2017.

An extraordinary amount of money to receive in a parking lot, the inventor and entrepreneur knew he was onto a winner when he wowed such a formidable venture capitalist to this extent. And it is little surprise given what the demonstration was – a flight in a real-life ‘Iron Man’ suit.

Its proper name is the Gravity Jet Suit, Browning having successfully converted an idea and prototype into a fully functioning business named Gravity Industries.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 11

GRAVITY INDUSTRIES Making its money by touring the world with public demonstrations, holding private training sessions and conducting work with military clients, the company is now fully standing (or flying) on its on two feet, the Founder and CEO citing this as arguably a greater challenge than developing the extraordinary product in the first place.

THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGE “From a technical point of view, the biggest challenge was incorporating thrust to the human brain and body to create elegance in the movement.

“Take a bicycle. If you have never seen one before, you would think ‘what on earth is this?’ and probably fall on the floor trying to make it work.

“However, look at the elegance of a bicycle when it is married up with the human brain and body.

My idea was to create a sort of aeronautical bicycle in a way. It is a wonderful feeling being in control, so this is what I wanted to make, rather than a machine that simply flies you to a postcode.”

12 | EME Outlook issue 38

But where and how did it all begin?

Considering Browning’s family heritage and working background, the fact he created a jet-propelled flying suit is perhaps less surprising than you might think.

“I was an oil trader with BP for 16 years, and spent six years with the Royal Marines in parallel with that,” he recalls. “My whole family background centres around aeronautics and aviation – one grandfather used to be a civil and wartime pilot, and the other ran a helicopter firm. My late father was an aeronautical engineer and kind of maverick inventor of his own.

“I had a challenging time during childhood. My father died when I was 15, and that provided the determination for me to build a secure foundation for myself. While I worked for BP, I was involved in a lot of enterprising work and have always had a passion for building and breaking things apart.

I was always ready to go where others hadn’t, and soak up failure after failure, if it meant eventually arriving at something that hadn’t been done before.

“So, in a way, I amalgamated my family background and a passion for human capability that the Marines taught me. There was a lot of calisthenics training, so I had this idea that you could probably support your own bodyweight via a momentary form of propulsion, a way of getting off the ground that people seemingly didn’t think was possible.”

This prompted Browning to, in his words, “mess around with existing pieces of equipment” to test the concept towards the end of 2016, the starting point of the Gravity journey.

Such was the entrepreneur’s concern that the idea may not lead into a viable earner for the rest of his career, he managed to keep ties with BP for another two years, a safety net which gave him the confidence to go full throttle and turn the concept into a reality.

Evenings and weekends were spent experimenting until the trigger was pulled with the launch of Gravity in

April 2017, Browning immediately receiving interest and invites to various events.

“BP knew everything I was doing and loved it,” he says. “I had a history of enacting some pretty wacky R&D there during my time, especially around how commodity trading was conducted globally by doing something with cargo tracking, which is now very much mainstream.

I stumbled across it in a similar sort of vein to Gravity.

LEADERSHIP

“IN TERMS OF A MAINSTREAM FORM OF TRANSPORT, IT IS NOISY, POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS AND NOT THE MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT WAY OF GETTING AROUND, BUT THEN AGAIN, THE FIRST MOTOR CARS WERE THOUGHT ABOUT IN THAT WAY VERSUS A HORSE” “I held on at BP for another six months and then took a career break, leaving the backdoor open in case I needed to come back in. It’s one thing developing this on the fly – it’s entirely another thing to turn it into a viable business. That, arguably, has been a harder challenge than developing the idea. It is actually one of the proudest parts of this story for me.”

With the help of a business partner in the media and entertainment sphere, the Gravity brand was born.

A first major breakthrough came with Red Bull, the stunt-friendly company co-producing some promotional videos which helped to catapult the company into the public eye.

Events such as TED quickly followed, the demand for demos and private training sessions snowballing alongside the traction being gained via social media platforms, especially YouTube and Instagram.

“We’ve done 103 events in 30 countries so far – it’s absolutely

fantastic for me and our seven pilots to be paid to travel and fly in front of people,” Browning adds. “We also earn good money in California and the UK carrying out client training programmes. They have really good fun coming over to us and learning how to fly, and you can do it in a couple of days.”

It hasn’t all been plain sailing, however. For a company so reliant on thrilling crowds, the impact of coronavirus has been particularly EME Outlook issue 38 | 13

XXXXX

“BEING ABLE TO MOVE FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER OR AROUND OBSTACLES LIKE MINEFIELDS AND RIVERS, AT SPEED, IS ALL OF SUDDEN A VERY USEFUL CAPABILITY TO HAVE”

disruptive. Gravity was due to launch an inaugural flying race series in Bermuda in March, its postponement being a huge disappointment to Browning, who firmly believes it can build a Formula One style platform around the world.

But that time will arrive, the priority for Gravity at the moment being to continue building up its profile by pushing out the reams of video content it has all over social media.

The conversation soon turns to the endgame for the Iron Man suit. Although the company has sold a couple of units, ramping up production and making it mainstream is not on Browning’s radar.

“I’d say we operate more like the model of a high-end Ferrari, where they only let you drive it round a track before putting it back in the box again,” he explains.

“This is similar. While it is not especially difficult to fly one of our suits, if you let your foot slip on the throttle then you’re potentially flying at 150 miles per hour into a wall. I didn’t set the company up to do that – I want people to be safe, happy and have fun.”

And Gravity isn’t also about to revolutionise the realm of public transport either, not with the suit in its current form at least.

Browning continues: “In terms of a mainstream form of transport, it is noisy, potentially very dangerous and not the most fuel-efficient way of getting around, but then again, the first motor cars were thought about in that way versus a horse.

“My stance on it is to have massive fun trying to inspire people, especially younger generations, from a STEM point of view in the form of a race series. That is an amazing vehicle with which to develop the technology. If we have a huge breakthrough with energy storage and batteries, for instance, why can’t we go electric? That then opens up the conversation about becoming a bit more mainstream.

LEADERSHIP

“However, I am not going to stand on a stage and announce that I am about to transform public transport!

Mind you, we do get people messaging us saying how they want to fly to work to avoid congestion.”

And what of the Gravity Jet Suit’s military potential? By Browning’s own admission, this is much more of an experimental stream of business, but one which has yielded far more progress than he ever imagined to date, and certainly one to watch in the future.

He explains, in layman’s terms, why.

“This will make more sense to people involved in tactical military operations than somebody who has watched Saving Private Ryan.

“People immediately think it is noisy and you can’t use your hands, so how can it be useful? However, there is a pretty simplistic rebuttal in that wars are not quiet, and when you are moving you are not firing. So, with that in mind, what are you trying to do?

“Being able to move from one position to another or around obstacles like minefields and rivers, at speed, is all of sudden a very useful capability to have. It can also serve extraction purposes, taking away the need to fly a helicopter into dangerous areas.”

The experimental work will no doubt continue, and as 2020 draws to a close, Browning is fervently optimistic

about what next year will bring, especially if the race series is able to take off.

For the time being, however, it is all about awareness. I end the conversation with a question that easily could have started it – simply, what does it feel like to fly the suit?

Browning answers: “The feeling is like nothing else. It’s dreamy. There is no gravity and you can be completely free to go where you want. I remember doing a flight in Prague and flying past a duck in the air above the river – I turned round and chased after it. I cannot really explain how it felt to be flying alongside a bird at 40 miles per hour. It’s ludicrous, entirely epic.”

EME Outlook issue 38 | 15

ALKEMY

POST-DIGITAL EVOLUTION Coronavirus has highlighted the importance of digitisation, but how can businesses ensure they fully grasp the opportunity for digital transformation?

Writer: Dani Redd

E

ven before the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, companies were investing heavily in digitising their businesses.

According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), businesses spent $1.25 trillion on digital transformation in 2019. By 2022, over 60 percent of global GDP will be digitised. In other words, soon digital innovation won’t be a way for businesses stand out from the crowd – it will be a basic requirement for doing any kind of business at all.

According to experts, we now live in a post-digital era.

“In its first phase, digital was managed separately from traditional channels, often leading to internal competition within the business itself,” explains Duccio Vitali, CEO of Alkemy.

“What it is meant by ‘post-digital’ is that now digital and physical channels are integrated to innovate and improve the customer experience.”

16 | EME Outlook issue 38

Duccio Vitali knows digital.

After graduating in engineering, he spent the 90s working in one of Italy’s first internet startups, an independent online advertising agency, before returning to university for an MBA, and then joining global management consultancy Bain & Company.

“In those years, I realised that something was changing,” he explains.

“The CEOs of our customers’ companies were starting to understand that ‘digital’ was something far beyond the development of a simple website, and they needed help in evolving their business model to really capture the value of digital. And I also realised the general struggle in the consultancy world, as no one was really able to address their needs. Thanks to my past experiences, I soon became Bain’s ‘digital guru’ and the point of reference for CEOs on the subject.”

In 2012 he founded Alkemy, which was set up to fill this gap in the market,

enabling CEOs of large companies to digitise their business models through a combination of strategy and implementation. He was recently recognised by Business Insider as one of 100 People Transforming Business.

COVID-PROOFING COMPANIES It is undeniable that the COVID-19 panic has highlighted the importance of digitising business models.

Within the retail sector, strides were made in ecommerce, with many companies blending virtual reality technology merged with online shopping to recreate the experience of browsing in a real shop. Image search and personalisation – being able to visualise an outfit on a human body – is one example. Digitisation and AI have also been leveraged to great effect in healthcare, from robots taking temperatures to ‘test and trace’ apps.

Vitali believes that digitisation is now vital for all companies.

TECHNOLOGY

EME Outlook issue 38 | 17

ALKEMY

“All companies have always had an increasingly urgent need to digitise their business model. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly accelerated this process. Indeed, it has shone a light on the strategic relevance of digital innovation for companies,” he says.

But digitisation should be about more than a survival response to COVID-19.

“The worst mistake that a company could make right now is to use the digital lever just to plug a hole and to respond only tactically to the current situation. On the contrary, the time has come to finally grasp the opportunity to change and evolve the whole business structure and development. At least 20 percent of the EU Recovery Fund must be employed on digital transition investments: companies can’t miss this chance,” the CEO explains.

For Vitali, communication should be a key pillar of any company’s digital transformation strategy for recovery post-COVID. 18 | EME Outlook issue 38

SUPPORTING DIGITAL EVOLUTION Alkemy helps CEOs effect digital transformation of their businesses with the following offerings: BUSINESS MODEL TRANSFORMATION (BMT): Alkemy increases its customers’ businesses competitiveness by combining consulting with brand planning, service and product design with state-of-the-art technologies.

BUSINESS ACCELERATION (BA): Customers’ business performance is increased through the leveraging of big data, extracted from media planning, marketing automation tools, AI-based technologies and CRM platforms.

BRAND EXPERIENCE (BX): Customers are supported to build, maintain and evolve their brand through brand strategy, campaign design, monitoring behaviour and brand intelligence.

CUSTOMER VALUE MANAGEMENT (CVM): Alkemy works alongside its customers to create measurable value, managing projects from campaigns to delivery in a single stream to design integrated customer experiences.

TRANSFORMATION-AS-A-SERVICE (XAAS): Alkemy provides cuttingedge solutions – from digital skills to R&I, data management to platform maintenance – which customers can use as services. They have maximum flexibility in selecting these solutions in trial and pilot projects.

TECHNOLOGY “If there is one thing the pandemic has highlighted it is how quickly things can change,” he says. “What seemed a certainty the day before may no longer exist the next day. Technology evolves, markets and habits change quickly, and the only thing that can keep a company relevant is to build, sustain and maintain a strong relationship with its customers.

“Through the digital lever all companies can keep constant contact with their clients, understanding their changing needs. Despite the turmoil, the relationship resists, and it’s what makes the evolution possible.”

The companies who are emerging well from the COVID-19 crisis, then, are not necessarily those who have embraced the most cutting-edge technologies. Rather, it is those organisations who have leveraged digital strategies to communicate well with their staff and customers who are proving to be most resilient.

This means that companies will need to learn and integrate skills that are not necessarily their core competencies.

For example, a mining company will have to look beyond its core business, searching for experts and business models outside of the sector. The CEO believes that this highlights the need for innovation governance to help implement the digital transition.

Businesses like Alkemy are also on hand to help. In line with the postdigital landscape it has undergone its own innovation programme, transitioning from a ‘digital enabler’ to ‘an evolution enabler’, embracing

the need for integrating physical and digital strategies for growth. To help facilitate this last year it acquired a 20 percent stake in Design Group Italia, an international design player focussing on product and space design.

“Integrating digital and physical channels to deliver the best possible experience for customers is much more complicated, but it is the only way to really evolve the customer experience and create incremental value for clients and companies. And Alkemy is committed to support the top management of companies in such a critical journey,” the CEO says.

A POST-DIGITAL EVOLUTION The pandemic has accelerated the post-digital evolution.

“Current market trends arise from the fact that from now on all businesses will be tech and data driven, and to be resilient and competitive companies need to do multiple things, from redesigning the customer experience, to integrating data analytics into the decisionmaking processes,” Vitali says.

‘IN LINE WITH THE POSTDIGITAL LANDSCAPE IT (ALKEMY) HAS UNDERGONE ITS OWN INNOVATION PROGRAMME, TRANSITIONING FROM A ‘DIGITAL ENABLER’ TO ‘AN EVOLUTION ENABLER’ EME Outlook issue 38 | 19

Outlook Creative Services Complementing the production of EME Outlook, APAC Outlook, Africa Outlook and North America Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising these same specialist production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

DESIGN: Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 959 656 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

E D I TO R I A L : Tom Wadlow +44 (0) 1603 959 657 tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com

Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 959 661 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Dani Redd +44 (0) 1603 959 667 dani.redd@outlookpublishing.com

TOPICAL FOCUS

CHOCOLATE WITH A CONSCIENCE

As consumers become more conscious about the origins of where products come from, we caught up with Tony’s Chocolonely to see how inequality can be removed from the industry Writer: Marcus Kääpä

22 | EME Outlook issue 38

SUSTAINABILITY

E

verybody loves chocolate. That’s more or less a fact. But among the vast and various companies that place bars, boxes, and buttons on our shelves we often forget to consider an important question at the centre of business today. Are the products sustainable? And, if so, are they ethical?

Over the course of the past decade especially, there has been a huge shift in recognition for worker’s rights and environmental preservation at both the company and consumer end. The everyday consumer is not just thinking about what they would like and when they would like it, but also the deeper processes behind production. The effects of waste, and the working human rights issues that overshadow the reputation of many companies out there (food and beverage or otherwise), is more realised then ever before. Brand missions remain a key factor in consumer thinking, and because of this, there is a great shift in what we buy and why.

“Consumers are actively seeking our more authentic brands with true missions,” comments Ben Greensmith, UK Country Manager at Tony’s Chocolonely.

With family roots and influence in the food and beverage industry, Ben Greensmith had worked with Innocent Drinks for eight years before taking up the exciting opportunity to help build Tony’s Chocolonely overseas in the UK. Starting with Selfridges, Greensmith has helped the Dutch company expand through the UK market, seeing products stocked in other well-known retailers such as Ocado, Waitrose, much of the Sainsbury’s estate, and other independent retailers.

“I’ve always had a love for building businesses,” he says. “To be able to take an amazing brand, great-tasting product and a single-minded mission and bring it to the UK has been the best thing I’ve done”.

Having only arrived in the UK as of 2019, Tony’s Chocolonely has boomed

and been welcomed as an authentic brand that places “purpose and planet above profit”. The company mission has become one of the primary factors behind its success with £2.8 million revenue being delivered during its first financial year in UK and Ireland, and then doubling the following year.

On top of this, the community of both dedicated customers and brand advocates has tripled, spreading the influence of the company’s positive brand mission on its behalf. “That said, we’re only just starting,” Greensmith says.

For a company and brand such as Tony’s Chocolonely, future goals are both grand and demanding.

Not only does the company seek to expand awareness of its sustainable and ethical mission, but also focus on challenging the ingrained players in the market to adapt.

“To really make an impact, and to change things, we need to show that our business model is scalable,” Greensmith says.

An issue that arises when regarding change in businesses is implementation through a smooth transitional clarity. Tony’s sits in a multi-billion-pound market, one that houses major chocolate companies with decades of presence. A change like this does not happen overnight.

TOPICAL FOCUS

For the consumer, however, this change in production is positive – it means more sustainably sourced cocoa through ethical and fair means.

Greensmith believes that, should other companies follow the same brand mission that Tony’s was built around, “everyone can enjoy their chocolate guilt-free”.

He goes on to say: “Our mission starts with consumer issue awareness and then arming these consumers with the information and facts they need to demand change from their favourite chocolate brands. We don’t want people to have to stop buying their favourite chocolate bars because the cocoa isn’t sourced responsibly – we want those chocolate companies to change how they source”.

It is not only the low prices offered by major chocolate brands that are fuelling the unfair cocoa trade in areas of Africa and abroad. Despite a significant rise of awareness, the recognition of processes within the cocoa industry still remain unknown to most general consumers. The bulk of these consumers purchase cheaper chocolate options without ever hearing or learning of the unfair 24 | EME Outlook issue 38

“WE DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE TO STOP BUYING THEIR FAVOURITE CHOCOLATE BARS BECAUSE THE COCOA ISN’T SOURCED RESPONSIBLY – WE WANT THOSE COMPANIES TO CHANGE HOW THEY SOURCE”

conditions of the cocoa farmers on the production side.

“Currently there are 2.1 million children working illegally on cocoa farms in Ghana and Ivory Coast where 60 percent of the world’s cocoa is grown. There are also at least 30,000 instances of modern slavery where children are trafficked to work on cocoa farms,” Greensmith continues.

“This is a direct result of the poverty that the majority of cocoa farmers live in. Big chocolate companies are profit-driven and so it is in their best interests to keep the price of cocoa low – inhumanely low in our opinion.”

Yet Tony’s Chocolonely aims to combat this problem. The company can put its brand mission success down to a few practices that achieve fair and practical results.

Tony’s Beantracker is one of these.

As well as providing production updates as from where the cocoa is being supplied (such as Ghana or Ivory

SUSTAINABILITY

TONY’S RECIPE FOR SLAVE FREE COCOA Chocolate can be made differently – without slavery and exploitation. These five ingredients allow farmers to make a decent living as well as giving us the knowledge on where our beans come from: TRACEABLE COCOA BEANS: Trade directly with cocoa farmers or farming cooperatives. Research who is farming the beans and under what circumstances so you can take action.

A HIGHER PRICE: Pay the farmers what they need to gain a living income. Pay additional premium to ensure the market can allow this to happen.

STRONG FARMERS: Work together to professionalise so the farmers can change inequality.

THE LONG TERM: Give the farms five years of sales at a higher price. Give them financial stability for investment.

PRODUCTIVITY AND LESS DEPENDENCY: Invest in knowledge and skills to growing cocoa and others.

Coast), the actual volume of beans is also trackable. This ensures the regulation of cocoa beans delivered to (and processed within) Belgium and, most importantly, provides the percentile knowledge of individual efforts. From this information farmers can be paid what they are deserved for their work, reducing unregulated labour exploitation.

“There are over two million children working illegally in West Africa as a result of poverty. The good news is there is a solution and we’re part of it,” Greensmith says.

Working together with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), Tony’s Chocolonely implemented the Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) to monitor and prevent the risk of child labour, as well as raising the living conditions of individual cocoa farmers. Through a variety of means, Tony’s Chocolonely is able to set the bar for moral and progressive attitude towards chocolate production.

“Changing consumer behaviour is vital to achieving our mission,” Greensmith

adds. “Awareness of slavery in the chocolate industry is very low (<30 percent) globally, apart from in The Netherlands (where Tony’s started) where it is 70 percent. Only when consumers are aware of an issue can they make a conscious decision about what they are buying.”

Tony’s brand mission is to inform and address the problems within the cocoa industry to shift both attitude and practices of other major companies. With its impressive entrance into the UK market and growing support, time will tell how the chocolate industry moves forward.

“We need consumers to purchase more consciously and demand more from their favourite chocolate brands; we need governments to change legislation to make it illegal and punishable to knowingly have illegal labour in your supply chain; we need retailers to only source products that adhere to that law and ultimately we need the biggest chocolate companies to change the way they source their cocoa,” Greensmith finishes. “It’s a huge problem to fix but we are making fast progress and will not stop until we get there.”

EME Outlook issue 38 | 25

TOPICAL FOCUS

P

SEA CHANGE

icture 90 untouched islands in the translucent waters of the Red Sea, an archipelago of dormant volcanoes, deserts, mountains and coral reefs.

They fringe 200 kilometres of Saudi Arabia’s western coast, its cultural heritage apparent in the petroglyphs carved into its rock formations. This is the site of The Red Sea Project, a tourism initiative aiming to set new standards in sustainable development while introducing the world to this pristine environment.

“The Red Sea Project is one of the world’s most ambitious sustainable tourism developments, bringing together luxury, authentic cultural experiences, and a sustainable approach in one of the world’s last natural hidden treasures on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia,” explains Dr Rusty Brainard, the project’s Chief 26 | EME Outlook issue 38

The Red Sea Project relies on innovative technologies to achieve its ambitious sustainability goals and achieve 30 percent net conservation benefit Writer: Dani Redd

Environment Officer.

The project, which aims to welcome guests in 2022, has ambitious sustainability goals: not only is it aiming for 100 percent carbon neutrality, it would also like the destination to contribute a 30 percent net conservation benefit over the next two decades.

“For us, a truly sustainable approach has to be baked into the project from the outset as opposed to an afterthought. This means that from

destination planning all the way through to welcoming guests in 2022, a concern for environmental protection, preservation, and enhancement has to always remain a priority,” Dr Brainard explains.

SMART PLANNING The Red Sea Project’s first task was to undertake an ambitious Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) programme in partnership with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

Using innovative technology, it digitally surveyed and mapped out the 28,000 square kilometre project area, which gave it an unprecedented insight into any potential environmental impact of its development and helping it to minimise environmental harm.

“As a result of the MSP efforts,

SUSTAINABILITY

INNOVATION IN PRACTICE THE ‘BRAINS FOR BRINE’ INITIATIVE “The ‘brine dilemma’ has been a long-standing challenge facing the scientific community worldwide and is an issue that particularly affects the Middle East, given its lack of natural fresh water,” Dr Brainard explains.

“Over half of global brine waste (the by-product of water desalination) is created in the region, and with no disposal solution yet found, it’s a significant problem for countries in the Middle East where concentrated brine water is typically discharged into the Red Sea and Arabia Sea.”

we have been able to identify key areas in need of protection and have designated nine islands as special conservation zones. We will also leave 75 percent of the destination’s islands untouched,” Dr Brainard says.

“We are presently in the process of conducting extensive habitat mapping and ecosystem assessments that will provide scientifically robust baseline measurements used to monitor our progress toward achieving our ambitious enhanced sustainability goals, while protecting all of the endangered and threatened species that call The Red Sea Project home.”

When it comes to technological innovation, MSP is only the beginning.

“For us at The Red Sea Project, technology and sustainability are intimately linked – with technology allowing us to find new and more effective ways of protecting and

preserving the natural environment that makes our destination so special,” says the Chief Environment Officer.

“Beyond the Marine Spatial Planning programme which informs every stage of our destination development and future management, we’re investing heavily in new technologies to enable our vision for a truly sustainable tourism project.”

The project’s environmental and sustainability team will use state of the art Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry to collect 3D images of the project site’s coral reefs, which will help monitor vital rates of corals.

Working with KAUST and other partners, it hopes to design machine learning tools that will conduct automated analyses of these images.

Technology also plays a vital role in ensuring the destination remains carbon neutral. The team is

Dr Brainard and his team wanted to help tackle this long-standing issue, not just for the benefit of The Red Sea Project but for the greater environment. In partnership with KAUST, the team set up with the ‘Brains for Brine’ challenge, calling academics, scientists, engineers and those in the water industry for creative solutions to the ‘brine dilemma’.

Over 125 ideas were submitted from across the world, and three competition winners announced at last year’s Aquatech conference in Amsterdam, each receiving $10,000.

The Red Sea Project is now exploring using their ideas to set up potential pilot projects onsite.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 27

TOPICAL FOCUS

“WE’RE AMBITIOUSLY STRIVING FOR ZERO WASTE TO LANDFILL ONCE THE DESTINATION IS OPERATIONAL. IN ADDITION, WE’LL BE IMPLEMENTING A BAN ON SINGLE-USE PLASTICS”

LEADERSHIP FOCUS DR RUSTY BRAINARD Marine scientist Dr Rusty Brainard began his career working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US, spending nearly 40 years studying, researching and observing changes in marine life and ocean climate. He specialises in the impact of climate change and other stressors upon ecosystems.

“I founded the NOAA’s Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) and spent decades working to understand how we can better protect our oceans from the impacts of climate change, fisheries, and coastal development,” he says.

“Joining The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) as the Chief Environment Officer has been incredibly rewarding and it’s exciting to be part of a project that really is setting new standards in environmentallysustainable development and seeking to redefine what luxury, regenerative travel looks like.”

28 | EME Outlook issue 38

investigating innovative solutions for sequestering carbon, including marine algae farms and mechanical trees.

Furthermore, the project site will be incorporating integrated smart sensors, which will provide real-time observations about the status of the environment, such as the abundance and movement patterns of wildlife, water and air quality readings, and the environmental impacts of human activity. This data will enable the team to better protect the natural environment.

A COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY As construction begins on the Red Sea Project, adhering to sustainable

principles continues to be of paramount importance. Buildings are made using innovative ‘green concrete’, and prefabricated and modular construction techniques will reduce the environmental impact of the project. The project’s aim is for every element of construction to secure LEED gold or platinum certification upon completion.

“As work on site ramps up, we’ve made a number of commitments to ensure that we’re developing responsibly and sustainably,” Dr Brainard says.

“For instance, we currently have a large Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the market to sustainably provide all of the key utilities for the Project,

SUSTAINABILITY including 100 percent renewable energy (24 hours a day via solar and wind power), water production, and waste management.

“Regarding waste management, we’re ambitiously striving for zero

waste to landfill once the destination is operational. In addition, we’ll be implementing a ban on single-use plastics policy at our islands and inland sites.”

Dr Brainard outlines an ambitious

Clean Mobility Strategy that means only hydrogen-powered and electric vehicles (eventually even short-range aircraft) will be able to operate in the destination. It has also partnered with architecture firm Foster + Partners on the design of an international airport with innovative climate control technology.

In short, sustainability permeates every aspect of the project, from its goal to operate solely by using renewable energy to encouraging sustainable agriculture, so that a third of food consumed at the project’s hotels and restaurants is locally produced. And then there’s the goal to achieve 30 percent net positive conservation benefits.

“We’re striving to achieve this through enhancement of biologically diverse habitats, including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, and native land vegetation, which will enhance both biodiversity and tourism benefits, as well as contributing to our carbon neutrality commitment,” Dr Brainard says.

The project is also hoping to become an accredited International Dark Skies Reserve, and is working with a development firm, Cundall, on a lighting plan that protects nocturnal wildlife and marine life.

Throughout COVID-19, the Red Sea Development Project has endeavoured to progress with development while ensuring the safety of its staff team. Dr Brainard believes that while the pandemic has been economically disruptive, it has also changed the way people think about international travel.

“With much more of a focus now being placed on protecting the planet and traveling sustainably, sometimes called regenerative travel, destinations like The Red Sea Project – with a philosophy of preserving and enhancing the integrity of the environment whilst delivering authentic experiences – are likely to see a higher demand,” he concludes.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 29

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world.

EME OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries in Europe and the Middle East regions.

With content compiled by our experienced editorial team, complemented by an in-house design and production team ensuring delivery to the highest standards, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from the length and breadth of Europe and the Middle East.

Reaching a combined audience of more than 395,000 people, EME Outlook covers a full range of industrial sectors: agriculture, construction, energy & utilities, finance, food & drink, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & resources, oil & gas, retail, shipping & logistics, technology and travel & tourism.

In joining the leading industry heavyweights already enjoying the exposure we can provide, you can benefit from FREE coverage across both digital and print platforms, a FREE marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to grow your business.

To get involved, please contact Outlook Publishing’s Managing Director, Ben Weaver, who can provide further details on how to feature your company, for FREE, in one of our upcoming editions.

FREE

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE)

w w w. e m e o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Marketi ng Oppo rtunity

MINING

Issue 38

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP Innovation and adaption through COVID-19

STANDING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH SLOVENIA

STANDING SIDE-BY-SIDE C WITH SLOVENIA

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD

A true pioneer of the circular economy

Premogovnik Velenje (Velenje Coal Mine) continues to supply vital coal to Slovenia’s energy mix, the operation representing one of the most sophisticated in Europe, with plans afoot to ensure its long-term future Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

2 | EME Outlook issue 38

oal has long played a critical role in Slovenia’s energy mix.

Home to rich deposits, the country still relies on lignite to produce around 30 percent of its electricity, activities which continue to provide stable employment and form the pillar of many communities.

It is a proud industry, one which Janez Roser has identified himself with from a very young age.

“Ever since I was a child, I watched the parades of uniformed men on Miners’ Day and, given that there were no miners in my family, I watched these dignified men with even greater interest,” he recalls. “This sense of pride and belonging that they radiated made a strong impression on me.

ENSURING ENERGY SECURITY FOR DECADES TO COME

EME Outlook issue 38 | 3

Richard Browning, the man inside the ‘Iron Man’ suit, tells us the story behind monetising the idea into Gravity Industries

www.emeoutlookmag.com/work-with-us

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE)

PHOTO BY KAVÄ&#x152;NIK FB

32 | EME Outlook issue 38

MINING

STANDING SIDE-BY-SIDE C WITH SLOVENIA Premogovnik Velenje (Velenje Coal Mine) continues to supply vital coal to Slovenia’s energy mix, the operation representing one of the most sophisticated in Europe, with plans afoot to ensure its long-term future Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

oal has long played a critical role in Slovenia’s energy mix.

Home to rich deposits, the country still relies on lignite to produce around 30 percent of its electricity, activities which continue to provide stable employment and form the pillar of many communities.

It is a proud industry, one which Janez Roser has identified himself with from a very young age.

“Ever since I was a child, I watched the parades of uniformed men on Miners’ Day and, given that there were no miners in my family, I watched these dignified men with even greater interest,” he recalls. “This sense of pride and belonging that they radiated made a strong impression on me.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 33

SAFER, SMARTER, MORE EFFICIENT For more than 50 years, the Becker Mining Systems Group is setting worldwide standards in technological innovation for the mining industry.

We offer solutions that maximize production, increase efficiency and improve safety while reducing the environmental footprint.

With our latest automation and energy distribution systems PROMOS 4.0 and ENDIS 4.0, we offer modular and fully integrated solutions for a faster and smarter operation. Together with our battery-powered monorail flag-ship CA-190 we provide the core of an efficient and smart logistic system.

Be ready for the challenges of the future!

PROMOS 4.0 - PF1020

ENDIS 4.0 - CS4008H

Becker Mining Europe GmbH Walter-Becker-StraĂ&#x;e 1, 66299 Friedrichsthal | Germany info@becker-mining.com | www.becker-mining.com Tel +49 6897 857 - 0 | Fax +49 6897 857 - 188 Becker Mining is a trademark of Becker Mining Systems AG. Š 2020 Becker Mining Systems AG or one of its affiliates.

CA-190 - Battery monorail

LGA 190 - Battery locomotive

Becker-Warkop Sp. z o.o. ul. PrzemysĹ&#x201A;owa 11, 44-266 Ĺ&#x161;wierklany | Poland becker@becker-mining.com.pl | www.becker-mining.com.pl Tel +48 32 432 99 38 | Fax + 48 32 432 99 01

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE) “After graduating from high school, I enrolled in the study of geotechnology and mining engineering, as I was attracted to the engineering challenges of building underground facilities. After completing my doctoral studies, I was offered the opportunity to work in the Premogovnik Velenje Group in the mine surveying and geodesy programme.

“Looking back, I am grateful to have taken the opportunity to work in the coal mining industry, as our work is full of challenges – it is demanding, but we still have a spirit of camaraderie, mutual help and pride, which are certainly feelings that enrich and fulfil every individual.”

Today, Roser serves as Premogovnik Velenje’s General Manager. The company operates at the Velenje Coal Mine in the Šaleška dolina valley, a basin in northern Slovenia nestled in the north-eastern pre-alpine foothills.

The mine feeds the Šoštanj Thermal

Power Plant with just over three million tonnes of coal a year, which in turn produces almost a third of the electricity consumed domestically.

Indeed, it represents a key chunk of what is a healthy and flexible Slovenian energy mix, with nuclear power also accounting for around 30 percent power generation and renewables another 30 percent (hydro being the dominant player here).

However, despite the balance of generation sources, the country was a net importer of electricity in 2019.

Coal production is also in decline, as a result of the closure at Rudnik Trbovlje-Hrastnik in 2013 and lower production at Velenje, which today is the only operation extracting from a Slovenian lignite deposit.

But the site remains a national and regional flagship – an ultramodernised mine which carries a formidable legacy behind it.

“Velenje Coal Mine is one of the

“LOOKING BACK, I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN THE COAL MINING INDUSTRY, AS OUR WORK IS FULL OF CHALLENGES...”

– JANEZ ROSER

36 | EME Outlook issue 38

largest and most modern deep coal mining sites in Europe,” Roser says proudly. “It operates on the largest Slovenian coal deposit and on one of the thickest known coal layers in the world.

“In 145 years of operation of the coal mine, nearly 220 million tonnes of lignite have been extracted from the lignite seam of thickness up to 165 metres, and there are still more than 100 million tonnes of coal reserves here.

“A clean and healthy environment represents important values for the company. Therefore, responsible and controlled environment management has been included in our strategy. In accordance with the legislation requirements, Velenje Coal Mine performs monitoring of impacts of mining works on the environment (ground, air, water and noise), and constantly strives to reduce them.”

Becker Mining Systems Group Becker Mining Systems AG with its subsidiaries (Becker Group) is a high-tech supplier in the fields of energy distribution technology, automation technology, communication technology and transportation technology.

We set international standards with our concepts for the operation of mines, which are geared towards safety and sustainability. We develop systems for the energy-efficient operation of mine infrastructures as well as logistics systems for the safety of the people and production streams, including the associated communication systems and the higher-level control and visualization software.

In the field of transport technology, we develop battery drives for rail & trackless vehicles, and conductor rail drives, both of which are particularly suitable for underground CO2-neutral applications.

All our systems meet the highest safety standards and serve to increase production.

Becker Mining Europe Becker Mining Europe, based in Germany, is developing innovative solutions for the mining industry in the areas of energy distribution, automation and communication for more than 50 years.

Our decades of experience flow into our 2020 product lines PROMOS 4.0 and ENDIS 4.0: We are breaking new ground in automation and power distribution solutions and support the mines enjoying the benefits of an ever-increasing amount of available data.

Being integrated in our software solutions MineView® and smartflow® such real-time-information enable our customers to achieve an optimized operations management.

And thanks to the modular and flexible design of our products, existing systems can be supplemented as well as expanded to meet future needs.

Becker-Warkop As a part of the Becker Mining Systems Group Becker-Warkop, located in Poland, is specialized in mining transport systems since 1991 and a worldwide leading supplier of mining equipment. Our diesel suspended monorail sets standards and still is highly demanded in both underground and surface mining operations in order to transport personnel or heavy equipment.

Due to the flexibility of the design, each of our products can be adapted to customer requirements, making it suitable even for other industries like tunnelling.

With the implementation of our new batterypowered transport systems we combine features such as efficiency, safety, simplicity of use and sustainability.

The flagship product of Becker-Warkop is the battery-powered CA-190 monorail using the latest technology with its upgraded LiFePO4 battery.

Over 30 locomotives of this type operate in various configurations in different mines: starting with standard-of-the-shelf setups – built with cabs for the transport of material, equipment and crew – to autonomous locomotives that can be remotely controlled.

Our battery technology is also used in floor-mounted locomotives. Such applications are currently implemented at Premogovnik Velenje coal mine located in Slovenia.

In more than 110 years of company history, with our products we have shaped the Mining Industry with Quality and Reliability worldwide.

With these values and our experience, we will continue to be a reputable supplier to underground mines around the world – today and in the future.

With our water hydraulic competence, we design individually tailored pump stations for underground mines. Whether high pressure pump station or water spray pump station, with or without water treatment, we manufacture certified pump systems with all the necessary approvals for underground mines all over the world. Hauhinco stands for high quality plunger pumps and systems producer that guarantee the necessary safety and reliability at the longwall.

With a big partner network all over the world Hauhico can give the customer the biggest benefit around water hydraulics applications.

We are proud to be a part of your success.

Engineering firm, producer and supplier of leading technology for economical use in mining and tunneling

hauhinco.de

Korfmann Maschinenfabrik was established in 1880 in Witten – the birthplace of Ruhr mining. Besides ventilation, the company was initially also involved in dismantling, loading and salvage. In 2001, the company began operating under the name Korfmann Lufttechnik GmbH and has since specialised in the design, construction, manufacture and installation of fans and ventilation systems for use above and below ground.

Korfmann Lufttechnik GmbH develops individual, special ventilation systems, for mining, wind tunnels or numerous tunnelling machines. The company also offers outstanding solutions for the increasingly important topics of energy and sound insulation, which are available on request.

The company’s many years of experience and high level of expertise are sought after and put to the test in a wide variety of applications: Whether mechanical jacking in tunnelling, drilling and blasting in mining or renovating tunnelling systems by means of push ventilation – the services and solutions from Korfmann Lufttechnik GmbH offer a breeze of fresh air and guarantee that the project goes off without a hitch.

korfmann.com

“we give impulses” For more than 23 years Premogovnik Velenje d.o.o. and Tiefenbach Controls Systems GmbH with its mother company Knapheide GmbH Hydraulik Systeme form a strong bond with the common goal of making coal production as safe, cost effective and efficient as possible. Tiefenbach Control Systems and Knapheide provides electric and hydraulic control units, auxiliary valves, hydraulic hoses and fittings to Premogovnik Velenje to upgrade existing longwalls and to improve them. With its equipment Tiefenbach Control Systems and Knapheide contribute one of the key factors to adapt to the continuously rising requirements of modern coal mining.

Premogovnik Velenjes goals of rationalizing coal production, developing clean technologies of coal consumption, optimisation and automation, ecology of work and occupational health and safety are part of our selfconception. This makes Premogovnik Velenje, Tiefenbach Control Systems and Knapheide not only economic partners but also partners of a joint vision of the future of coal mining. Together with the clear understanding of our responsibility to the environment all three companies are working together to ensure a lignite production with the least effect on ecology proving coal mining as a future-proof technology. As our company motto “we give impulses” indicates, a constant foresight into the future is always our goal.

Experience has no substitute • Eickhoff since 1864 Higher productivity with Eickhoff machines - Whether at one of the world‘s most productive mines on the southern hemisphere, whether in the cold winters in the Russian region of Workuta or whether with the worldwide biggest shearer loader in Inner Mongolia – Eickhoff mining machines are at the forefront. Eickhoff shearer loaders and continuous miners steadily set new standards as regards to quality and innovation.

Taking a look to a long partnership, Premogovnik Velenje with a fleet of 4 Eickhoff SL 300 stands for high technical and quality standards in operation. The Eickhoff SL 300 was first introduced back in 1995 as the shearer loader for low to mid seam applications. At that time the machine was originally equipped with two 220 kW cutter motors and two 35 kW DC haulage motors. Nowadays the Eickhoff SL 300 is equipped with two 480 kW cutter and two 90 kW AC haulage motors

eickhoff-bochum.de

due to Eickhoff´s consequent product development. Even though the cutter and haulage motor power has meanwhile been more than doubled, the original basic machine concept remained unchanged.

This is due to latest technology of manufacturing for Eickhoff gears and the availability of smaller electrical components specially designed and ruggedized for mining applications. The Eickhoff SL 300 has achieved production outputs of 600,000 t/month in high demand operations in the USA and Australia.

We are thankful to have Premogovnik Velenje as our strategic partner for technical improvements of our machines. Our trustful long lasting relationship initiated a variety of leading evolutions in underground coal mining. We are looking forward to continue this win-win partnership with Premogovnik Velenje.

“OUR SOLUTIONS, YOUR SUCCESS” • since 1976 •

siming.eu

thiele.de

THIELE is an innovative manufacturer with a long tradition in the production of round steel chains and forged parts for the Conveying and Lifting technology sectors.

Our products are used to mine hard coal, to lift, move and secure loads and to convey bulk materials.

tibacon.com

We guarantee you the best quality, easy handling and excellent service - Made in Germany. Our highly qualified engineers develop solutions that are indispensable in today’s conveying and lifting technology sector.

The THIELE tradition of providing top quality dates back 85 years. All of our production is conducted internally and subjected to very stringent quality controls, enabling us to ensure that our products meet the highest demands.

From our headquarters in Iserlohn, Germany, we supply high quality products to our customers throughout the world. Our global network enables us to provide top quality, exclusive service to customers in a total of 72 countries. Around the world, our customers rely on us and our products.

Each of our employees is dedicated to continuing this tradition – this is our pledge to you.

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE) Beyond producing coal, major activities at Velenje Coal Mine include the mechanical and electrical design of underground facilities and opencast mining, designing of all types of underground facilities, drilling, geomechanical research, mine surveying, hydrogeological and technological services, and education services – a truly multifaceted operation.

And this is critical when looking through a long-term lens.

Although the deposit’s reserves are sufficient for another three decades of mining at the current output, the energy industry is shifting towards carbon neutrality, a reality which Roser and Premogovnik Velenje are already planning for.

“Due to shifts in the energy industry and the envisaged changes in the operation of the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant, mining sites will in the most part close before lignite reserves are exploited,” Roser says.

PHOTO BY KAVČNIK FB

40 | EME Outlook issue 38

MINING AT VELENJE A BRIEF HISTORY The deposit in the region was first discovered as surface outcrops in the very eastern part of the seam. After local residents started to use the coal as a heating source, the first explorations took place in in the 19th century, with the first drilling activity taking place in 1875.

In 1887, the first mine at Velenje opened for business, and by 1927 the first lignite-powered plant was built near the site. In the years following the Second World War, production peaked in order to fulfil huge demand for electricity.

Such demand kept growing until the middle of the 1990s, at which point the Velenje Coal Mine was producing up to three quarters of Slovenia’s coal. In the mid-80s, production levels were as high as five million tonnes a year, but despite the modernised methods being used, output was barely keeping up with demand.

The post-war period also brought substantial coal-related investments into the Šaleška dolina valley – the town, infrastructure, schools, culture and sports are all areas that Premogovnik Velenje continues to invest in to this day.

OUR SOLUTIONS, YOUR SUCCESS - SINCE 1976

T

he company SIMING d.o.o. was founded in 1976 as a family owned private company with its headquarters in Slovenia since 1993.

The company’s main activities are distribution, representation and service of mining, tunnelling and low construction civil engineering equipment.40 years ago with the adoption of representation of ThyssenKrupp Bauservice, the company started the equipment rental business and entered the domain of special low construction civil engineering.

A good reputation and market success of the company SIMING in the area of former Yugoslavia has led to a program of representations, which belongs to the world’s elite suppliers of mining equipment for underground exploitation as well as equipment for special low construction.

As our long-term business partner, we must highlight Premogovnik Velenje mine. From the very beginnings of company SIMING, we are working closely with Premogovnik Velenje, supporting them in their vision, development and growth. In this long-term partnership we have managed to support Premogovnik Velenje with knowledge and experience of our principals, starting with company DBT which developed shield support allowing exploitation of 5-17 m of coal seam from the roof. This is so called “Velenje mining Method” and it is unique in the world. Back in the time DBT was one of the most famous world longwall shield support producers. Today after almost 40 years of cooperation Premogovnik Velenje is one of the most equipped & advanced underground mines in the world, and together with our principals like Eickhoff, Tiefenbach&Knapheide, Thiele, Hauhinco, Korfmann we are proud to be part of their success and vision.

Today the company Siming d.o.o. is one of the leading companies in the mining industry segment on the market of former Yugoslavia with tendency of steady growth. At the moment our company has an available warehouse as well as business facilities in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovenia and Serbia.

Prerequisites for our further success continue to be our friendly and correct relationship with our buyers, mutual trust and business conduct quality enjoyed by our foreign partners, fast delivery times, highest product quality, warranties as well as services through our partners or directly by us. With our almost 40year tradition and experiences on the market we wish to offer complete “turnkey” systems, where the customer is allowed to choose the best from the best manufacturers to ultimately receive everything from one hand in one package. We and all our principals, we always aspire to quality, innovation, develop and progress. That is why we can say we are a reliable partner to support you on your way to success.

Obrežje 7D | 8261 Slovenia | info@siming.eu | www.siming.eu

You connect us all Mining is at the heart of global supply chains providing the raw materials required for nearly every industry and consumer product. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your hard work that makes it possible for the world to work from home, learn online and keep up with friends and family.

Thank you.

Komatsu Mining Corp.

Bromyard Road Worcester WR2 5EG Phone:+44 370 252 1000 Visit us at: https://mining.Komatsu

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE)

PHOTO BY ALEKSANDER KAVČNIK

PHOTO BY ALEKSANDER KAVČNIK

“A gradual closure of the mine and the abandonment of fossil fuels at Šoštanj power plant in the future will have a significant role in the country’s energy transition, as both companies represent an important energy pillar of Slovenia.”

There is also the Šalek valley community to consider. “The most important long-term challenge facing us is how to create attractive and well-paid jobs for the next generation,” Roser continues.

“There is an opportunity to improve the environment and health in the region, to invest into infrastructure and create more attractive local living 44 | EME Outlook issue 38

conditions for the local inhabitants.

Infrastructure that will stay after mining can be prepared in advance and take on new opportunities, serving other industries, education and tourism.

“There will be opportunities for new jobs in renewables which includes the production and installation of photovoltaic, biomass, related wood industries and more.

“From our perspective, we need to consider strengths in coal mining which can be utilised in civil construction, machinery and electrical activities, as well as new industries in accordance with smart specialisation

strategies and industry 4.0.”

THE VELENJE WAY But there is plenty of life still left in Velenje Coal Mine.

Indeed, Roser calls for a balanced approach between the objectives of the European Union and Slovenia’s national policy for a competitive, affordable and secure energy mix. Coal is still abundant in supply and relatively cheap, a factor which cannot be ignored when balancing environmental and economic priorities.

And Premogovnik Velenje continues to produce coal in a way that is reliable, safe and efficient.

A longstanding foundation builds longwall success The global coal mining industry continues to play a vital role in in ensuring ensuring that that the the world’s world’s growing population has adequate adequate access access to to electricity and the steel needed to support the rapid rise in in infrastructure infrastructure development. To To meet demands, demands, longwall mining operations continue continue to increase increase production while maintaining sustainable sustainable operations operations that that do not increase the safety risks to mine personnel.

One such operation in Slovenia and important for the life of the Šaleška Valley and the wider region is Premogovnik Premogovnik Velenje Velenje (PV) Velenje Coal Mine. With more than 145 years in lignite mining, PV is is continuously continuously seeking ways of optimising optimizing its operations to increase increase production to meet demand without increasing safety risks to its personnel. Our partnership with PV began back in the 1960s when a Joy loader was first supplied to the Velenje Coal Mine and used in the unmechanised unmechanized process of coal production.

As technologies progressed, and mechanized mechanised mining was introduced in the 1970s, Velenje Coal Mine selected our our longwall roof supports to handle their unique geological conditions. Throughout Throughout the 1990s, the Velenje Coal Mine continued to introduce modern modern longwall equipment, including heavy-duty Joy Armored Face Conveyor (AFC) systems, as well as a high-performance high-performance Joy Joy 4LS5 4LS5shearer, shearer, which went on to achieve mine production records.

Over the years, we’ve worked in a collaborative manner with PV to understand the conditions in which which their their equipment equipment operates operates and and the design features employed employed so we can help them achieve optimum performance.

Adopting this philosophy creates a platform to solve problems, allowing design to meet the mining operation’s operation’s expectations. expectations.

including cradle-mounted frames and line pans with suit the the mining mining methods methods needed needed to to integral cradles to suit production, while lowering achieve higher levels of production, maintenance costs. major longwall markets has its own unique unique Each of the major requirements and challenges. Across the world, collaborative efforts like the one described above are crucial to the development of effective and efficient longwall systems. In Australia, these partnerships have seen the introduction of the first Joy OptiDrive variable speed drive system, helping the mine break increasing our understanding production records while increasing potential of of automated automated longwall operations. operations. of the potential Collaboration with partners in the United States realize exceptional reliability and has helped mines realise productivity of their longwalls.

The benefits of a close partnership between a mine equipment manufacturers (OEMs) (OEMs) and their original equipment are proven, and have demonstrated how OEMs can help support mining companies in achieving worldclass levels of production and productivity in their underground mines without increasing the safety risks to mine personnel. At PV, this partnership enabled us to develop develop aa bespoke bespoke mining mining method to work with PV to meet their complex conditions. It is a relationship that has provided reliable Joy AFC equipment that supports and ultimately ultimately supplies the both PV and their end users, and that keep keep Slovenia’s Slovenia’s lights on. power stations that

This close partnership with PV has led to to the the development development of customized customised features for PV’s operation,

Worcester, UK | T +44 370 252 1000 | W https://mining.Komatsu

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE)

PHOTO BY ALEKSANDER KAVČNIK

Its self-developed process, known as the Velenje Mining Method, was first introduced in 1947 and has stood the test of time thanks to continued enhancements and innovations through the ensuing years.

Patent-protected, it is described as a “method of winning coal, particularly from thick coal-seams”, with Roser explaining how it has evolved specifically over the past decade.

“The procedure of controlled winning of roof coal by ‘pouring’ over roof supports into the Longwall Chain Conveyor provides very high production capacity with an extremely high level of safety and economic return,” he says. “Current mining results are comparable with the top results in Europe.”

Innovation is also being adopted in numerous other ways. On the business side, the company carries out a total 46 | EME Outlook issue 38

renovation of internal processes thanks to the deployment of an SAP business information system, while it also upgraded the computer infrastructure of its data centre.

In the mine itself, a sophisticated communications network is underpinned by extensive fibre optic and wireless systems – a setup which enables reliable operation of information systems and comprehensive control of safety and technology parameters, making it a reference point among underground coal mines in Europe.

Roser goes on to introduce the company’s Safety and Technological Information System, better known as VTIS. “The backbone of this system is formed by an optical ring in the mine with communication nodes, and is

VELENJE MINING METHOD “THE PROCEDURE OF CONTROLLED WINNING OF ROOF COAL BY ‘POURING’ OVER ROOF SUPPORTS INTO THE LONGWALL CHAIN CONVEYOR PROVIDES VERY HIGH PRODUCTION CAPACITY...”

30 Years of Partnership and Cooperation

Steel Mine Supports Mining Chains and Accessories Bolts and Nuts Yoke Joints, Bolted Joints Bending Machines

Ekon spol. s r.o. Bezova, 1658/1, 147 14 Prague 4, Czech Republic.

T: 00420 44462218 E: ekon@cdipraha.cz www.ekonsro.cz

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE) extended at worksites by wireless networks,” he explains. “Various sensors, smart devices and equipment are connected to it. This is the basis of the communication infrastructure for the many systems in the mine.”

These can be divided into surface and mine-based programmes.

In the mine, VTIS enables the functioning of numerous systems, including: SCADA systems to control safety and technological parameters; VOIP telephony; automation and remote control of equipment such as coal conveyers, crushers and ventilation stations; real-time tracking of assets via RFID; seismographs for detecting movements in the mine;

and other computer equipment for reporting work.

On the surface, data obtained data from VTIS are stored and processed in various systems, such as: the coal mine control centre; Thingsboard IoT platform for analysis work; dispatch centre for mine transport; and IBM’s Maximo Enterprise Asset Management Software for predictive maintenance of machinery and equipment.

These systems are in turn supplemented by numerous other programmes, among them a web port and app which simplifies communications between employees and company management.

Q: WHAT DOES YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORK LOOK LIKE, AND HOW ARE THESE RELATIONS MANAGED? JANEZ ROSER: “The coal industry, from extraction to power generation, represents a completely secure value-added industrial supply chain, creating economic wealth and prosperity in the wider region.

There are also a great many indirect jobs supported by coal mining and thermal power plant electricity production.

“In terms of our supply chain, the majority of maintenance services of mining equipment and similar are carried out by affiliated companies which are in 100 percent ownership of Premogovnik Velenje, such as the supply of wood for the mine, which represents one of the strategic supply categories.

“Today, to a certain extent, our engineers, together with our subsidiaries, design and manufacture individual parts and larger segments of more complex mining equipment. In the field of mining equipment, we have noticed in recent years a reduction in the number of producers in Europe.

We have to consider that mining equipment is very specialised, as it must stand up to the safety standards and regulations.

“Around 80 percent of our suppliers are from Slovenia, with the rest coming from abroad. Foreign suppliers are those that manufacture heavy mining equipment and machinery, supporting elements for roadways in coal mines.

There are no such companies in Slovenia. The importance of relations with suppliers is case specific and sometimes subject to business secrecy.

It is worth mentioning that our subsidiary companies will have a big role during the future transition process, due to looking for new opportunities, challenges and new markets.”

48 | EME Outlook issue 38

TEVEL The TEVEL Group was founded 30 years ago. Its experience dates back to the 1960s, when the need for electronic devices in mining began to grow.

Currently, 40 of TEVEL’s employees work alongside over 100 external associates at universities and institutes, developing and streamlining the most demanding mining processes.

We are also involved in various R&D projects focussing on gas detection as an external development partner.

Here, our collaboration with PV, our most important partner in this field, brings synergies – an entrepreneurial mindset in process development and the constant search for improvements serve as a starting point of each product development.

The development and implementation of the CIS (Central Information System) was such a project: it originated from an idea that led to the development of a state-of-the-art coal mine monitoring system, with open possibilities for adding additional modules.

Our motto is ‘Our Quality – Your Safety’, which reflects our mission to provide quality products and solutions that enable safe workplaces for miners in countries including Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia and former Yugoslavia.

Our references and reputation led us to cooperate with reputable German and Russian partners, ensuring the company’s further development and growth.

All this requires constant investment in resources in the fields of production and quality control. Supported by robotics and controlled processes, we are moving towards Industry 4.0.

To learn more, visit www.tevel.si

www.tevel.si

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE) And it doesn’t stop here, for Roser plans to go even further down the digital path, moving the organisation to paperless operations and bolstering cybersecurity defences, among other priorities for the coming years.

A CARING COMMUNITY It is a physical, biological threat which has caused most concern in 2020, however.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has swept its way across Europe after emerging out of China towards the end of 2019. As well as causing very serious health issues and taking many lives, the virus has also created enormous socioeconomic disruption, with almost all industries disrupted.

In Slovenia, Premogovnik Velenje could not afford to close its operations and cease supply of coal to Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant. Any closure would have immediately cut off 30 percent of electricity capacity and

forced the country to plug the gap with costlier imports.

For Roser and the company, employee welfare was and continues to be top of the agenda.

“We organised our work to ensure the smooth implementation of activities, while taking into account all the recommendations of the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) and other measures to ensure we contributed to reducing the spread of the virus,” the General Manager explains.

“The safety of employees in the companies of the Premogovnik Velenje Group has always been our number one priority, and this is also the case in emergency situations.

“We are very pleased that we managed to survive the first wave of the epidemic without infection among employees, and for the second wave we are working on various measures on a daily basis to curb the spread of the disease in the companies of the Group.”

Industrija promet d.o.o.

Industrija promet d.o.o. is a family owned private company. The company’s main activities are in distribution and representation.

Ever since 1980, Industrija promet d.o.o. has been an exclusive distributor and representative for SMT Scharf GmbH for Slovenia.

For 40 years, the company has been working alongside its longstanding partner Premogovnik Velenje in order to find the best solutions for transport and logistics.

A good reputation and market success, has led the company Industrija promet d.o.o. to other representations of companies in the mining industry and low construction.

www.industrija-promet.hr

Salus The machine-building company Salus was founded in 1991 and is located in Ravne (Slovenia), where the steel industry has 400 years of tradition.

Our business connections with many experts and companies allow us a high degree of flexibility and capability.

We are involved in the design, development and manufacture of mechanical equipment (turnkey projects), especially for induction hardening and cryogenic technology and for mining equipment.

For the coal mine Velenje we have produced many customised gearboxes, winches, mixers, agitators, banding machines, equipment for safe work in mines etc.

PHOTO BY MIRAN BEŠKOVNIK

50 | EME Outlook issue 38

www.salusdoo.si

SCHARMAN

MINING

Monorails with dieselpowered locomotives are particularly designed for the transport of men and material in branched rail networks with varying gradients. By means of the diesel-powered monorail locomotive even difficult transport problems can be solved)

FEATURES & ADVANTAGES - Self propelled system - Capsulated cooling circuit for exhaust gas cooling - Gradeability up to 25 degrees with friction wheels - Min. at least 12 hours no-break operation by the use of largely dimensioned diesel tank - Safety and simple control system - Safety standard diesel engine suitable for connection to standard lifting devices - Modular assembly

DZK 1800

A Zelinska 5, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia info@industrija-pomet.hr | www.industrija-promet.hr

Got a problem?

You’ve already found the solution!

Custom mechanical engineering

Turnkey solutions for the mining and steel industry SALUS is a machine-building company. We design and produce only on order and we are always striving for more flexible, more advanced, different solutions.

CUSTOMIZED IDUCTION HARDENING MACHINES for large rolls, roll necks, raceways…

CRYOGENIC TREATMENT FREEZERS MINING EQUIPMENT: WINCHES GEAR BOXES BENDING AND STRAIGHTENING MACHINES FOR ARCHES MIXERS FOR PLASTER AGITATORS PARTS AND COMPONENTS

www.salusdoo.si | anja.rek@salusdoo.si

EME Outlook issue 38 | 51

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE)

MDR MDR has wide expertise in development and production of industrial metal detectors and magnetic separators for different industries in more than 35 countries around the world.

Metal detectors and magnetic separators in heavy industry are used to protect crushers, belts, and other downstream equipment from tramp metal contamination (roof bolts, digger teeth, wear plates, manganese steel, …).

With our custom-made equipment we offer technological solutions to protect the equipment in downstream production process.

T: 00386 70 412 061 E: office@mdr.si www.mdr.si

PHOTO BY MIRAN BEŠKOVNIK

During the first wave, the company adopted an array of measures. These included installation of disinfectants across all sites, procurement of surgical masks, adoption of a new hoist machine usage regime, and use of thermal cameras and thermometers to check employee temperatures.

Premogovnik Velenje also limited entries to the mine, cancelled all business trips and non-essential meetings inside and outside of the firm, suspended group transport schemes and moved to home working where possible. Finally, Roser and his leadership team prepared detailed plans for three potential scenarios – continuation of work as it is currently, a reduction in work and people on site, and a total shutdown of operations.

No stone has been left unturned, and Roser is determined to continue paying this much attention to detail moving forwards.

“Despite the easing of measures at the national level in the summer 52 | EME Outlook issue 38

months, the company followed the NIJZ recommendations without interruption, and kept other necessary preventive measures to control the spread of the coronavirus as much as possible,” he adds.

“Given the deteriorating epidemiological picture in Slovenia and the increase in the number of infected people, the consistent observance of preventive measures has proved to be the right decision and we will continue to follow this in the future.”

This care and consideration for the health and wellbeing of its people also translates into Premogovnik Velenje’s relationship with the wider community.

In particular, the company engages in activities in the realms of sport, culture, social affairs and education, and Roser is all too aware of how important it is for the firm’s legacy to stretch beyond simply providing economic stimulus and employment

to the local area.

“Much importance is laid on the quality of life and work of our employees, cooperation with the local community and care for the broader environment,” he says.

“The significance of the Velenje Coal Mine cannot solely be measured by satisfying the society’s basic need for coal – it should also be measured by direct impacts of the coal mining industry on the environment and by its attitude towards the environment.

“The company is aware that its activity greatly affects the local environment, and that they have taken a lot from the valley. But it has also given a lot.”

Areas which have been excavated are promptly rehabilitated. For example, in the eastern part of the exploration zone, a tourist recreation centre and stadium have been built alongside the construction of hiking, running and cycling routes and installation of 100 benches.

MINING

MDR has wide expertise in development and production of industrial metal detectors and magnetic separators for different industries in more than 35 countries around the world.

With our custom-made equipment we offer technological solutions in order to protect the equipment in production process.

For heavy industry we manufacture: Industrial Metal detectors: • Standard industrial metal detectors for heavy working conditions • special industrial metal detectors that detect metals inside of different types of ore • industrial metal detector that can be installed on the excavator Magnetic separators: • • • • •

Permanent magnetic separators Electromagnetic separators Electromagnetic separators with permanent plate Industrial magnetic drums Industrial magnetic and electromagnetic pulleys

All the equipment can also be manufactured in Ex protection.

T: 00386 70 412 061 E: office@mdr.si www.mdr.si

We have been developing, manufacturing and servicing all types of hydraulic cylinders for over 30 years.

We are most proud of our rich experience and special knowledge in the field of mining, where our hydraulic cylinders must reliably operate in the most demanding conditions.

www.kovinarstvo-rozic.si

Your regional partner for Your regional partner for complete PPE solutions. complete PPE solutions.

TRY US, WE CAN BECOME YOUR RELIABLE PARTNER

zavas.com

Kovinarstvo Rožič d.o.o.

Cesta na Lavo 11B, SI-3310 Žalec T: +386 3 710 31 31 | M: +386 41 442 014 | E: info@kovinarstvo-rozic.si

EME Outlook issue 38 | 53

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE) These are used by inhabitants of the area and visitors, with Roser also pointing to the Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia which was opened in 1999 in the abandoned pits of the Škale mine, presenting the coal mining tradition of the Šaleška dolina valley in its authentic environment.

“It is comprised of original rooms on the surface, such as dressing rooms, a bathroom, the calling room and sections of the underground part of the mine,” the General Manager describes.

“The museum guide, the multi-vision presentation and scenes with lifesize puppets of coalminers will give you an insight of the work in a coal mine both in the past and present day. The museum houses various exhibitions, theatre plays and birthday parties

PHOTO BY MIRAN BEŠKOVNIK

as well as children’s Bergmandelc workshops for the youngest visitors.

“With its contribution to the development of the Šaleška valley, the Velenje Coal Mine has proven that it has been and will continue to be a key driver of development in the area.”

A FUTURE BEYOND COAL Looking ahead, such development will inevitably involve a diversification away from coal over the next couple of decades.

This is not an unfamiliar exercise, as the company and its subsidiaries have developed numerous other activities through its 145-year history.

Today, it employs people across an array of professions with transferable skills that can be applied to non-coal endeavours, and plans are already

being developed for more marketoriented programmes that will reduce dependence on coal mining.

“Within the Velenje Coal Mine, we are well aware of the necessity of transitioning into a carbon-free society, which is why we have joined the inter-ministerial working group set up by the Ministry of Infrastructure,” Roser adds.

“The Group prepared restructuring measures for coal mining regions, and will coordinate activities linked to the preparation of legal bases for the adoption of a regional strategy for the restructuring of such regions, and the adoption of a national strategy for the phase-out of coal, in line with the principles of a fair transition.

“The Velenje Coal Mine wishes to actively cooperate in further

MINING

PHOTOS BY MIRAN BEŠKOVNIK

development of the Šaleška dolina valley and the entire of Slovenia.

Energy generation is an important issue, and Slovenia needs different energy resources such as hydro, thermal and nuclear to ensure its prosperity in the future.”

But the near term very much involves coal, and Roser is determined to keep enhancing the way Premogovnik Velenje goes about its staple business.

Stabilisation and optimisation of operations form the crux of the General Manager’s immediate plans, the ultimate goal being to facilitate more profitable activities that in turn will enable investment into the longterm plans already described.

Central to this is continuing investment in people.

“At Premogovnik Velenje, the employment and retirement of employees is carried out in accordance with the realisation of business plans,” Roser explains, bringing the conversation to a conclusion. “We pay special attention to the appropriate transfer of knowledge between employees and the mentoring process, as we are aware of the importance of maintaining key jobs and key skills.

“Due to the specifics of our work and the consequent rapid retirement of employees in underground mining jobs (our employees retire on average at the age of 53), the retirement of these employees are appropriately replaced and we follow a system of successions that enables quality career development of individuals.

We are therefore optimistic about the

future, as we believe that the quality of our staff is our key advantage for tomorrow.

“At Velenje Coal Mine, we still strive to preserve traditional values such as comradeship, solidarity, affiliation, which are unfortunately disappearing in the modern society, but are of extreme significance in the coal production process.”

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE) Tel: +386 (0) 3 899 61 00 info@rlv.si www.rlv.si

EME Outlook issue 38 | 55

SALROM

56 | EME Outlook issue 38

MINING

Salt of the Earth Salrom is Romania’s largest salt producer, but it also offers unique saline tourism excursions into the country’s disused mines Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

On every table in the world, salt, we see your piquant powder sprinkling vital light upon our food.”

These are the words that Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda once wrote

about salt, arguably one of the world’s most vital minerals.

For thousands of years, salt has been used as both flavour enhancer and preservative, making it possible to transport food over vast distances.

This has made it pivotal to the establishment of civilisations, and a vital cornerstone of ancient economies. Roman soldiers were paid their wages in salt; this ‘salarium’ is where the word ‘salary’ comes from.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 57

SALROM Salt is found in solid form (in rocks, earths, sands, plants) or liquid form (seawater or saline rivers). In general, most of the world’s salt is harvested from mines or through the evaporation of mineral rich waters. Different mineral contents and processes can lead to variations – for example, Himalayan pink salt is mined from the Khewra Salt Mine and gets its distinctive pink colour from trace amounts of iron oxide.

These days, sophisticated extraction and processing techniques enable salt to be used in a wide variety of applications beyond food processing.

“We offer a portfolio of salt and saltbased products. These include gem salt, which is exploited through mining works, with use for human consumption, in industry, animal husbandry and road maintenance,” says ConstantinCatalin Radu, the CEO of Salrom.

“Another product is recrystallised salt (obtained by vacuum evaporation from the salt in solution exploited by means of wells) which has various uses for human consumption, industry and water treatment. Finally, we also offer salt in solution that is exploited by kinetic dissolution with the help of probes and is the raw material for the chemical industry of chlorosodium products.”

Salrom – or Societatea Nationala a Sării SA (translated as the National Salt Company SA) – is a state-owned company, and Romania’s largest salt producer. The country is rich in salt, which it has been extracting since Roman times, when Dacia was the main supplier to Rome. Meanwhile, the first recorded reference of Turda Salt Mine dates to 1271, making it one of the oldest salt mines in the world.

“Through its salt extraction and processing capacity, proven stability over time and the knowhow gained through experience, but also through alignment with modern production and quality standards, Salrom manages to offer a complete range of salt products for all uses (food salt, industrial salt and cosmetics),” Radu says.

58 | EME Outlook issue 38

The company currently stands at 1,600-people strong, and has seven mining branches spread across the country: Cacica Salt Mine (Suceava County), Târgu Ocna Salt Mine (Bacău County), Praid Salt Mine (Harghita County), Slanic Salt Mine (Prahova County), Râmnicu Vâlcea Mining (Valcea County), Ocna Dej Salt Mine (Cluj County) and Ocna Mures Salt Mine (Alba County).

“THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD” In addition to its main activity – extraction, processing and marketing of salt and limestone – Salrom also promotes saline tourism in five out of its seven mining branches, which are no longer operational.

It might sound unusual, but underground salt mines are a popular tourist attraction in Romania.

“Romania’s salt mines, apart from their economic importance, also represent remarkable touristic attractions:

Titan Machinery Titan Machinery sells and provides a full range of construction equipments, parts and service support for the highest quality Case Construction and used heavy equipment in the industry.

Titan Machinery is the largest Case Construction dealer in North America, and one of the largest construction equipment dealer in Romania.

Whether you’re a fleet operator, owner-operator, government entity, or a homeowner, you can count on us to help you get the job done right, on time, and on budget.

CASE supports your business by optimising equipment for productivity – that also means we’re constantly striving to design machines that are simple to own.

www.titanmachinery.ro www.casece.com

LEADERSHIP FOCUS Constantin-Catalin Radu Constantin-Catalin Radu was appointed CEO of Salrom in July 2020.

He has extensive experience in public administration and management.

Between 1993 and 2005 he held the position of General Manager of a joint Romanian-German-Israeli company working in the field of trade and tourism. Other positions include being the main advisor to the Competition Council and advisor to the Ministry of Justice.

“Salrom represents a challenge, both in terms of field of activity and for professional development,” Radu says.

“I will take all necessary measures to increase the general performance of the company, by ensuring an efficient management of its natural, financial and human resources, in accordance with the requirements of the legislation in force.

“I will also build a strong image of the company, nationally and internationally, so that Salrom becomes a brand of quality and rational and sustainable management of national resources.”

MINING

Quarrying

|

Infrastructure

|

Urban

|

Recycling

PROVIDING THE POWER AND PRECISION TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS!

titanmachinery.ro

they are ‘the eighth wonder of the world’,” says Gabriela Mantu, Salrom’s Chief Financial Officer.

“These salt palaces with salt aerosols have medicinal effects and allow the visitor to admire the unique structure of the salt, benefiting from quality services both in modern health and recreation complexes. They have space for hosting national and international sports contests, playgrounds for children, and areas for religious services can also take place here in a special environment,” she adds.

Cacica Salt Mine, for example, boasts a subterranean Roman Catholic chapel dedicated to St Varvara, the patron saint of miners. It was created in 1806 on the request of Pope Jakub Bogdanowicz, who wanted the miners to pray before and after work. The mine also boasts a ballroom, where elegant events have been held for over a hundred years. Next door is an artificial lake with a sunken, salt-encrusted raft in the middle – young

casece.com

Praid salt mine couples would row out on the raft to announce their engagement. More modern additions include a machinery museum and a soccer field; although it is difficult to breathe at first, the salty air helps clear out the lungs.

“Among the objectives of Salrom is

the arrangement in each salt mine of a modern area with facilities for visitors, where tourists besides the medical benefits can enjoy modern leisure facilities, but at the same time can discover a fascinating history of salt exploitation in Romania,” Radu explains.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 59

SALROM

Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS? CONSTANTIN-CATALIN RADU: “Considering the type of activities carried out by the company and the fact that they take place in different areas of Romania, the dialogue with stakeholders at local and national level is an extremely important aspect to ensure the success of the company’s initiatives.

“Adequately meeting the expectations of stakeholders is a crucial commitment for Salrom, and for this reason, it is one of the requirements for the efficient and effective functioning of the integrated management system implemented and certified in the organisation.

“In this sense, the company maintains the “Register of Relevant Stakeholders of SNS S.A.”, which is updated annually. Each year, the company organises and implements various consultation initiatives with stakeholders, internal and external, such as: research and studies on the level of customer and employee satisfaction; marketing studies and market share developed by third parties; and events with the local community in the tourist salt mines. All these initiatives aim at an open dialogue with all stakeholders, helping us to understand their vision of the company, their expectations and how these expectations can be met.”

60 | EME Outlook issue 38

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES The company did not escape unscathed from the COVID-19 pandemic. For a start, it was forced to close those salt mines open to tourists, which affected its revenue. Furthermore, exporting its salt products proved impossible during the state of emergency, when borders were closed for a short period of time.

“Making important and sustained efforts, the company’s management managed to reopen the salt pans of the tourist circuit, respecting exactly all the prevention and security requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” explains Mantu.

“It brought joy to thousands of visitors who enter the fascinating universe of salt pans.”

Over the upcoming year, Salrom plans to expand its tourism provision, ensuring mines open to the public have children’s playgrounds, sports facilities and beds for those who have lung diseases, and want to take in the restorative air of the mines.

“We also have both the plans and the means to develop new investments in mining equipment, salt packing machines, work protection equipment, trucks and conveyor belts,” Radu adds.

Salrom has developed a five-year strategy that considers long-term concerns such as governmental policy and the company’s national and international commitments. It aims to focus predominantly on the extraction, processing and marketing of rock salt products.

MINING

As well as commercial operations, Salrom oversees tourist activities at some if its mining sites in Romania “These directions represent the dominant business lines – our core business – for which the company seeks market share and the achievement of over 50 percent of revenues,” Radu explains.

Salrom wants to maintain its market share in Romania and significantly increase its stake in the international market. To achieve this, it plans to prioritise its investment programmes, consequently reducing the operating costs of rock salt and thereby increasing the cost-effectiveness of its products.

Another important direction is the production and marketing of products obtained from solution salt, such as recrystallised salt and softening tablets.

“This is the second important direction of concern for the company’s

management,” Mantu comments. “We are aiming to significantly increase market share in this category of products by streamlining operations, but also with the development of new internal sales channels and penetration of the external market.”

The third most important avenue the company is exploring is the provision of increased saline tourism services, which Salrom would like to expand to such a level that it represents 10 percent of its turnover.

Finally, the organisation will also explore the possibility of reopening its graphite mining operation, as the demand for the material has increased, as has its market value.

All in all, both the CEO and CFO feel optimistic about the outlook for Salrom.

“The future of the National Salt Society is shaping up beautifully,” Radu enthuses. “The concerns that have become classic, the development of salt tourism, as well as investments in graphite mining, will lead to the stability and sustainable development of the company, so that it remains a landmark of our national economy.”

SALROM Tel: +40 21 317 89 81 | +40 21 317 89 88 sns@salrom.ro www.salrom.ro

EME Outlook issue 38 | 61

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD Eco-ethical particleboard manufacturer Saviola Group has been embracing principles of sustainability and upcycling decades before it was considered fashionable Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

Pioneering Circular Economy

62 | EME Outlook issue 38

MANUFACTURING

T

his is the decade that matters.

In 2016, 174 states and the European Union signed the historic Paris Climate Agreement, pledging to develop sustainably and to limit the increase in global temperature to well below two degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels (pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 °C).

With temperatures edging up 1.16°C, there is pressure on both the public and private sector to reduce emissions and become more environmentally friendly.

But while many businesses are only just waking up to the necessity for sustainability, it is built into

the very DNA of the Saviola Group, the world’s largest consumer of post-processed wood.

“We use 100 percent recycled wood; 1.3 million tonnes of it every year, which is the equivalent of saving 10,000 trees every day, and one million tonnes of CO2 saved every year,” proclaims etc. etc. Nicola Negri, Managing Director of Saviola Holding and its integrated furniture company, Composad.

CIRCULAR VISIONARIES Negri has a background working with large multinational companies, but in 2015 was offered the role of Managing Director at Saviola Holding, which he was happy to accept.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 63

LA VERNICIATURA AZZANESE

INDUSTRIAL PAINTING FOR THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY SINCE 1977 With a long-time experience and consolidated know-how, we could be considered the reference point for the industrial painting of furniture components, especially as regards lacquering and painting (UV and traditional) of wood panels and furniture complements.

La Verniciatura Azzanese s.n.c. | Via Antonio Meucci, 14 33082 – Azzano Decimo (PN) – Italy

FORNITURE PRODUCERS Thanks to the optimization of all internal processes, we realize our product by strictly following the customer requirements, maintaing high-quality standards and respecting the delivery times agred.

Our clients consider us a reliable partner, able to reach the same common objectives.

GENERAL CONTRACTORS

TAILOR MADE SOLUTIONS Thanks to high-level experience, as a rsult of many years of activity, we are able to satisfy the needs of a large and demanding clientele, with particular attention to details and quality, guaanteeing a high level customized production. By making use of the most advanced technologies and professional staff our productive process, completely automated, allows us to mantain a high qualitative standard, respecting the environment and employees health.

We also meet the needs of all those who need contract furniture, offering personalized solutions on time while managing different types of projects.

The solid technological innovation, efficient and flexible organization are the pillars on which we base all of the activity.

DESIGNER We face with enthusiasm new challenges in order obtain unique results and products with a good balance between function and aesthetic.

We work side by side with designers, helping and supporting them with the realization of their original products.

M: 0434 640856 | E: info@lvazzanese.it | P.Iva IT 00212020937

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD

Mauro Saviola

“ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GOT ME TO JOIN SAVIOLA – AFTER WORKING FOR MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES – WAS THAT I WAS REALLY FASCINATED

BY THE FOUNDER MAURO SAVIOLA AND HIS IDEA TO PRODUCE PARTICLE BOARD WITH 100 PERCENT RECYCLED WOOD” “One of the things that got me to join Saviola – after working for multinational companies – was that I was really fascinated by the founder Mauro Saviola and his idea to produce particle board with 100 percent recycled wood,” he explains.

“In 1963, I believe very few people around the world, apart from him, were thinking very much about sustainability. He was a visionary. And now that his son Alessandro Saviola is the president of the Group (since 2009), this concept is still the driver of the company – it is very sustainable and green oriented.”

In other words, Saviola has been perpetuating a circular economy before most businesses had even heard of the concept.

It began making its own glue (to make particleboard) in 1973, allowing it to establish an independent and integrated production system. By 1992, Mauro Saviola presented his idea for the Ecological Panel – particleboard made from 100 percent recycled wood.

At the time, there were no products like this available on the market, and 66 | EME Outlook issue 38

SAVIOLA BY NUMBERS

€588 REVENUE

6mn

BOXES OF R.T.A FURNITURE PRODUCED EVERY YEAR

1.3mn

TONNES OF WOOD RECYCLED PER YEAR

1,459 EMPLOYEES

13

FACTORIES

4

BUSINESS UNITS

particleboard made entirely from materials deemed waste and scrap was greeted with some scepticism.

But Mauro persisted, and by 1997 had achieved the goal of producing 100 percent recycled wood panels.

“We are fully integrated from a vertical point of view. We produce the glue we need to stick the particle board together, the particle board and the furniture all in one location – Viadana, Mantua. Now we have 13 plants,” proclaims Negri.

“This means we also avoid polluting the air with logistics. We are the only company in the world based in the same location, making 100 percent recycled board. We are totally unique.”

In its current incarnation, Saviola Group consists of four different Business Units, each feeding into its circular economy.

Saviola produces panels made with 100 percent recycled wood, which have been awarded an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification.

It was recently charged with making the displays for the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), a project Negri is

La Verniciatura Azzanese PROFESSIONALISM AND EFFICIENCY AT OUR SERVICE Care for details and handcrafeted quality are combined with the most high-tech processes, in order to realize the right solutions to satisfy high qualitative, aesthetic and functional standards.

• to be cheap and maintain a balance between perfomarce and costs, in respect of the material used and time spent; • to be ecological, using easily recycled and reusable material • to optimize your logistic process.

PROTECTION OF THE PRODUCTS Depending on destination and trasportation, we select the most appropriate packaging for your load.

DIFFERENT UV FINISHES

According to your preference, we can use:

• • • •

• paper, wadding or similar to put between the two sashes, to amortize the vibration during the transport • coatings of shrink protective film of different weithts, to guarantee safe handing of the article; • custom cartons packaging, for your speciale logistics and distributions requirements.

Lacquer Opaque Varnish Polyestere

TRADITIONAL FINISHES • • • •

Fireproof Acrylic in Polyurethane Lacquered

BRUSHING ON ROUGH WOOD QUALITY CHECK AS A GUARANTEE OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Quality control consists ok making sure that the product is compliant with customer requirements, making before the delivery general checking and measurements in order to eliminate the products yhat do not match clients needs.

Quality check is carried out following three steps: • in the beginning for not placing into production the wrong raw materials; • during the entire production process, when the products are not finished yet; • at the end, testing if finished products match the requirements, before the packaging and delivery.

The non-compliant products are carefully checked with a consequent corrective action.

LOGISTIC OPTIMIZATION Inform us all your storage needs: • maximim height of the pallets; • labels and barcodes to put on each package (n. order, place of destination..); • any special documents and certifications to be directly attached to th products.

We will examine and implement all your requests.

ECOLOGY AND RESPECT FOR THE ENVIROMENT ARE AMONG THE MAIN VALUES OF OR COMPANY The company policy is particulary careful about technological innovation, to mantain high levels of productivity but respecting the enviroment at the same time.

During the processes, we cary out many quality controls, which allows creating eco-friendly products.

All of our systems have a modern and sophisticated air filtering system in order to avoid and paint dispersion.

THE PACKAGING AS THE FINAL STEP OF THE PRODUCTION PROCESS Our good’s packaging complies with the following goals: • to facilitate product transportation and delivery; • to protect products and finishings from dents and breaks

Azzano Decimo (PN), Italy | T 0434 640 856

|

E info@lvazzanese.it

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD

ARPA Technologies S.r.l.

MASTER Factory, QUALITY, SPEED, EFFICIENCY to boost your business Since 1996 ARPA TECHNOLOGIES has been designing and developing MES solutions that stand out for their extreme ease of use and complete integration with management applications and third-party systems.

These features are fully expressed in MASTER Factory®, the modular and scalable system developed by ARPA Technologies to meet the demands of all types of production processes and all sizes of companies.

Successfully applied by leading companies in a variety of sectors woodworking and furniture (Gruppo Saviola), high tech (Sariv), car components (Marposs), metallurgy (Acciaierie Valbruna), pharmaceutical (Temmler) -, MASTER Factory® offers a wide range of features, such as:

Composad sells furniture made from Saviola’s recycled particleboard

Q: HOW DID THE COMPANY COME TO TERMS WITH COVID-19?

NICOLA NEGRI: “We have been forced to be apart. To work together but not next to each other. We have been very quick in adopting to the shutdown that we had in March. We were prepared from a network point of view, but not a mobility point of view. The employees took the desktops under their arms and took them home and reconnected them, and the next day we were together, but apart.

“This is such a nice group of people and this experience shows that we aren’t just a business, we are a group. I am proud of everyone for reacting so quickly.”

68 | EME Outlook issue 38

inordinately proud of.

The second Business Unit, Chemical, manufactures urea and melaminebased resins – not only are these used in its particle board formulations, but they are also sold to customers from various sectors in high performance and customised formulations. Its newest Business Unit, Life Science, sells high-performance slow release fertiliser making synergies with glue raw materials. The fourth Business Unit is Furniture - Composad, which sells furniture made from Saviola’s recycled particleboard.

“When we started, the European community was not really alive – there were lots of barriers and custom duties. But the founder had it in his mind that Italy was not sufficient for him. That’s why he created Composad,” explains Negri.

“The particleboards Saviola makes measure around five metres by two metres – he understood that the radius for these products, so as not to lose the margin, was about 500 kilometres:

• full integration with the new generation of ERP systems - SAP S/4 HANA, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle Cloud - and with automated warehouses, PDM, QMS, MMS; • real-time feedback on the status of work orders and stocks: through the collection of data on traceability and the control of production operations, the system shows the selected KPI in dashboards and reports; • identification of bottlenecks in the production departments: through the centralization of production data and procedures, the system highlights aspects which could be improved to increase organizational efficiency and visibly enhance the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE); • management of tools/equipment and parallel operations; • order scheduling based on available resources in order to reduce delivery times.

These are just a few examples of how MASTER Factory® can boost your business. Discover the rest on our website!

www.arpatechnologies.com

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD

Bratek BRATEK is specialised in the production of chemical products and spraying devices for panel cleaning during edgebanding.

Putting our philosophy into practice meant shaping a product range that ensures a high-quality edgebanding process and less defects waste.

Leading companies, such as Saviola Holding & Composad itself, rely on us in order to face the most challenging aspects of the edgebanding process and to maintain top standards.

Our customers’ trust represents a source of great pride for us and is the result of our constant commitment to customer support.

www.bratek.it

Gematech We, Gematech mbH, are a team of professionals who take special care of you.

Our excellent product concept for customers who love quality.

merely Italy. He was struggling to get into other markets. But he realised, ‘if I cut these big panels, make some holes and add some edges, they can be used for furniture and go around the world’.

So, in 2000 he did it.”

It is this commitment to sustainability that Negri believes makes Saviola stand out from the pack. For example, last year Composad won an FSC award for Disegno, its elegant range of home office furniture.

“Every one of us breathes ecology.

It was in the blood of the founder, it is in the blood of his son and still flows in the veins of everyone who works at 70 | EME Outlook issue 38

Saviola,” he says.

“Indeed, we don’t do just recycling, we do upcycling. We take a pallet, for example, with a value of one euro, and at the end of the chain we make furniture with a much higher value. We give a second life to the tree that was cut to make pallets. Recycling, for our company, is not sufficient.

“When you see the mountain of raw material, those broken pallets, fruit crates, old furniture, window frames and cable reels, you realise it would have been burnt or thrown away but instead it is being used to make furniture, either directly or indirectly, and it feels really true. In this world,

First-class modification, further marketing and utilization of MAW / Nottmeyer - through-hole drilling rigs Our spare parts for your machines are top quality. For components that are not available on the market or are difficult to access, we are at your disposal professionally to solve your problem. We manufacture your spare part from the drawings in our archive.

Our specialists with many years of experience build a new drilling rig with the drilling spindles that are suitable for you and take care of the overhaul and maintenance of your existing Drilling gears.

All drilling gears we manufacture are checked and tested in our factory before delivery to our customers.

MANUFACTURING

Choosing Bratek means saving your time and money. ✓No more extra cleaning hours ✓Significant defects waste reduction ✓Increase of your edgebanding machine performance

The Never-Ending Quest For Perfection Bratek – Your Edgebanding Experts

www.bratek.it

Your success is our business The GeMaTech mbH “Society for Mechanical Engineering” is a global innovative service company in the field of special machines and plant construction . We offer you the full project support you need for throughfeed drilling machines with and without insertion technology, as well as for stationary drilling machines.

Maintenance Work Machine Inspections Spare Parts

Gematech mbH, Dieselstr.9, DE 31737 Rinteln

| Tel +49 5751 921 0360 | Fax +49 5751 921 0366 | Mail info@gematech-mbh.de EME Outlook issue 38 | 71

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD

“ALESSANDRO SAVIOLA, WHO HAS BEEN TAKING CARE OF THE COMPANY SINCE HIS FATHER LEFT, HAS BEEN PUTTING A LOT OF EFFORT INTO HUMAN CAPITAL” where everyone is promising to reduce their emissions by one or two or 10 percent, we are already doing it. For us it isn’t a promise for the future, it’s what we are doing already, a hundred percent and we do it NOW.” Each year, Saviola collects approximately 1.3 million tonnes of post-consumer wood through its network of 19 Ecolegno collection centres. These are distributed around Italy, France and Switzerland, in proximity to urban centres. They are visited by a wide variety of consumers, from small-scale greengrocers with used vegetable crates to large industries receiving multiple wooden boxes every day. Waste wood that would normally be deposited in landfill sites is instead collected, processed and transformed.

Saviola deals with waste wood collection directly, in order that selection is implemented correctly.

Not all wood can be reused, including railway sleepers have been chemically treated or window frames painted with chemical paints.

72 | EME Outlook issue 38

SCALING UP While Saviola started off as a small family company, it has inevitably grown larger over the years.

“Alessandro Saviola, who has been

taking care of the company since his father left, has been putting a lot of effort into human capital,” explains Negri. “He understands that the company is becoming more complex as it and exposed to more countries and different languages. Human capital is at the core of our company.”

The group’s managers have MBAs and years of professional experience, in line with other international companies. They also receive a raft of benefits. However, Saviola believes all its employees should be adequately compensated for their work – its factory workers receive financial recognition whenever the company performs according to its annual budget.

“In the last four years we always gave this recognition to our employees. This makes them feel part of the company; not just having the name Saviola on their breast but getting rewarded when the company does well. When you get people involved, it creates a positive loop,” the MD comments.

MANUFACTURING

Walk on ‘Gripp’ and you’re safe!!!!

HOLDERS Production of hardware kits for the furniture industry, the covered area of the production plants is 7.000 square meters;

10 production lines

12 million packages per year.

Manual packaging department, equipped with a pc on each individual work station; product quality control guarantee

Gripp by: www.graepel.com +39072252939 info@cgferramenta.it

Industrial supplies, equipments for precision mechanic whorkshops, equipment for plumbing, carpentry, machine tools

Via Castelleone, 103/B - 26100 CREMONA Tel. 0372 471124 / 0372 471114 - info@upm-srl.it

Via Falagrate, 8 - 26029 SONCINO (CR) Tel. 0374 85901-2-3 - info@ferramentavanolispa.it

EME Outlook issue 38 | 73

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD

74 | EME Outlook issue 38

MANUFACTURING

PROTECT THE PRESENT,

PROJECT THE FUTURE.

ENGINEERING L A B O R ATO RY C O N S U LT I N G FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

The positive working climate at Saviola has recently been formally recognised by Italian magazine Repubblica Affari & Finanza, who voted Composad as the second-best furniture company to work for in Italy – proof that investment in human capital delivers positive results.

Saviola not only invests in its staff; it has also made significant investments into improving its facilities in recent years.

“In the last three years the company invested a lot,” Negri says.

“We invested €18.9 million in 2018, a bit more than €23 million in 2019, and spent more than €35 million in 2020. In the last five years we have doubled investment. We are a growing company. We updated our equipment inside. This is an internal project – continuously updating the company.”

The firm is also continually expanding. Last December it acquired a 50 percent stake in Rheinspan, a German company which provides

chipboard for the furniture industry, tailored to customer requirements.

The two companies’ capabilities will be combined in a novel approach to design, sustainability and circular economies. It will also allow Saviola to take on more cross-border projects.

“When the opportunity came to enter Germany, which has the second largest furniture market in Europe, Alessandro did it. This joint venture is the result of his father’s ideas, which couldn’t be realised back then but can now,” Negri explains.

Over the upcoming year, the company has one single target: growing and expanding abroad. “We want to be known in other markets,” the MD says.

Composad is already on its way to realising this and expanding its footprint via ecommerce giant Amazon, which has recently set up a digital shop where it sells only FSC-certified furniture. Composad was the first European company to be listed in this space.

But despite a drive towards expansion, Saviola Group has no intention of forgetting the sustainable principles at the heart of its business.

“We are going to issue this year in November, for the first time ever, a sustainability balance sheet. It has everything on it; how much CO2 we use, the quantity of reused materials,” Negri says.

The path Saviola chooses to follow over the next few years will move the company forwards, while maintaining its principles of sustainability and respect towards the planet and its resources.

SAVIOLA HOLDING & COMPOSAD Tel: +39 0375/7871 info@saviolaholding.com www.grupposaviola.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 75

TMK-ARTROM

The Romanian Road to Sustainable Steel Pipes

CEO Adrian Popescu talks about the challenges posed by COVID-19 and the innovative improvements TMK-Artrom has made to better serve customers of the steel pipes industry Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

I

n recent years Romanian steel pipes manufacturer TMK-Artrom has evolved markedly.

Based in the south of the country in Slatina, capital of Olt County, the firm has been a heavyweight player in the steel industry for decades – it is a leading manufacturer of seamless steel pipes for industrial applications across the board. Within these industries, engineering and automotive are two of the most prominent receivers of the company’s products and services.

TMK-Artrom specialises in the

76 | EME Outlook issue 38

production of mechanical tubes, pipes for hydraulic cylinders, pipes for automotive and energetic applications, as well as many other types of pipes, with 80 percent of its products being exported beyond Romania to places such as other European countries, the US, Canada, North African countries and so on.

Production processes such as heat treatments quenching and tempering, normalisation, stress relieving, annealing, normalising and tempering and others allow the company to cater to a variety of industry requests,

fuelling its annual production capacity of around 200,000 tonnes of pipes.

Such products are then shipped to locations in and beyond Europe, making TMK-Artrom an organisation with a truly international reach.

The firm is backed by a workforce of around 1,500 employees, while TMK Resita, its raw material supplier, has a further 750 staff on its books.

On top of this, group division include TMK Italia srl (Italy), TMK Europe GmbH (Germany), and TMK Industrial Solution (USA).

MANUFACTURING

EME Outlook issue 38 | 77

TMK-ARTROM TMK-Artrom was founded in 1982 under its previous name “Intreprinderea de Tevi Slatina”, and has been in the full swing of manufacturing since 1988. Renamed to “Artrom SA” a few years later, it then joined the TMK Group that resulted in the name it is known by today.

TMK-Artrom has therefore driven decades of steel pipe manufacturing, and its current CEO, Adrian Popescu, has had the privilege of working alongside the company for more than 35 years.

Indeed, Popescu has watched TMK-Artrom come a long way since he moved into the company’s core senior team in 1992. For the now CEO, the change that the company has undergone represents a necessary adaptational advancement within the industry.

“Over the past years, we have realised that an extremely important

and current change is shaping all our business processes as well as the company’s market positioning. It is absolutely necessary to be a modern company, own the latest production technology, and manufacture high quality tubular goods,” he says.

But even as methods of production shift and move forward, he reinforces a single value that has been around since the company’s beginning and will remain despite global changes in industry.

“Our team is stable and works together in the same direction, like a real family. That is why we often say, ‘Artrom is not our job, it’s our home’. I always say that a stable management team can make or break the company, and I believe more stability creates more devoted workers,” Popescu adds.

The CEO believes that keeping the company as modernised as possible with regards to technology

Karl Deutsch The privately owned company KARL DEUTSCH from Germany offers products for non-destructive materials testing (UT-MT-PT).

The robust and reliable ECHOGRAPHPAUT-RPTR for our customer TMKARTROM is an advanced full-body ultrasonic rotating pipe testing system that uses the advanced ECHOGRAPHPAUT phased-array electronics to meet the most demanding requirements regarding volume and surface inspections of seamless tubes.

Current high level industry standards such as API-5CT/-5L can be fulfilled as well as extended testing tasks for gapless oblique defect detection up to 75° in heavy-walled pipes.

New probe holder design for rapid coupling and advanced inspection modes as parallel firing allow highest productivity.

www.karldeutsch.de

PIPE PRODUCTION TMK Group has its main production units located in Russia, Romania and Kazakhstan. The total production capacity of the entire organisation exceeds three million tonnes of steel pipes annually.

TMK-Artrom specialises in the production of seamless steel pipes for industrial applications such as carbon, low alloy and alloy steels, as well as hot rolled and cold drawn.

Such products include: • Mechanical tubes • Boiler tubes and for high temperature service • Pipes for low temperature service • Pipes for gas and water installations • Precision pipes for the automotive industry • Pipes for coupling stock production for oil and gas industry • Pipes for hydraulic cylinders • Inside skiving and roller burnishing pipes for hydraulic cylinder production • Outside grinded tubes – tubes for piston rods or telescopic cylinder production • Pipes cut in small parts with precise lengths for the automotive industry and other applications

78 | EME Outlook issue 38

MANUFACTURING

High-Speed Phased-Array-Testing of Heavy-Walled Seamless Pipes for our Customer TMK-ARTROM Testing Tasks: Longitudinal, Transverse, Oblique (0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 75° gapless), Laminations, Wall Thickness Robust and Reliable, Steel-Mill-Compatible, Rapid Ultrasonic Coupling using Advanced Probe Holder Design, High Productivity Full Body Inspection of Tubes with Plain and Uncut Ends Advanced ECHOGRAPH-PAUT Testing Electronics with more than 800 Parallel Phased Array Channels enabling Advanced Inspection Modes such as Parallel Firing and Scalable Parallel Evaluations ECHOVIEW Software for Fast Data Processing and Management Meets High-Level Industry Standards such as API-5CT and API-5L

In-House Design | Made in Germany | www.karldeutsch.de

Green Land activity as a maintenance, repair and overhaul company started with a partnership with URB, a very known brand with a long tradition of good quality bearings. As a strategic partner of URB we dedicated all our efforts to promote URB brand, firstly in Romanian market and in the last years, in some other countries, too.

Our efforts have driven us in unintended territory of fighting against fake bearings, but we fought this battle backed by one of the most important metallurgical plant from Romania and in the same team with Rulmenti SA, the producer of URB brand.

Because we value trust and transparency in our

business endeavor, we hope to create around us an ethos of reliable partnerships including our distributors network. Over the years we added to our business other strong ties with some other brands like FKL, a Serbian producer of bearings for agricultural machinery and SLF, a German producer of bearings for precision equipment. Also, we have added some other products to our portfolio like hydraulic hose from Gates and Gost type bearings. These bearings are used mainly in metallurgy and are produced by SVPZ in Russia. Our plans for the future include the developing of recently started cooperation with renown FAG & INA bearings producer.

SC Green Land SA

Str. Sperantei, Nr. 86, Bragadiru, Ilfov Tel: +4 (0) 374640227 office@greenland.com.ro www.greenland.com.ro

EME Outlook issue 38 | 79

TMK-ARTROM

Adrian Popescu, CEO

and methods, at the same time as it being led by a devoted team and workforce, places TMK-Artrom above its competition.

STANDING STRONG However, the past year has presented challenges to many industries globally.

With the COVID-19 pandemic ever present, sectors such as steel manufacturing have had to adapt to the fall in demands and incorporate new methods of production to fit new restrictions and practical requirements.

“Now it is an unfavourable period for all companies in our sector,” Popescu says. “We are used to downturns, but this is not a classic one. It is occurring at a time of very low consumption and a considerable global production overcapacity that is challenging the business model of the industry’s companies.”

Adapting to a new reality is difficult for companies that have established themselves over many 80 | EME Outlook issue 38

decades – however, Popescu believes that through modernisation and implementing new ways of working, TMK-Artrom will continue as a lead protagonist in its own industry.

“As a key player in Romania, TMKArtrom must participate in the sector’s transformation,” he says. “There will be winners and losers.

“Even if the situation in the European market remains challenging with low demand, overcapacity and low prices of pipes, TMKArtrom is accelerating its profound transformation based on solid strengths – the trust of its customers, key positions in the major markets, the expertise of our teams, the power innovation, and a strong commitment.”

Currently, there are two other factories in Romania that produce similar goods as TMK-Artrom. This not only makes Romania one of the leading European countries in the production of seamless steel pipes, but also creates a high level of

Reika GmbH & Co. KG Two REIKA RingSaw®s CSM 105 are in production at TMKARTROM since I. Q 2020 for highperformance cutting of heat-treated steel tubes. The RingSaw®s cut tube ends, samples and partial length. The new line is perfectly designed for quenched and tempered thick-wall steel tubes.

Reika’s hungry RingSaw®s: • High speed cutting of high tensile steel tubes • Rectangular, precise cut • Free from ugly burrs • Effective solution also for thick-walls • Low tool cost • Short, heavy chips, easy to remove • No pipe magnetisation • Low noise emission • Ergonomic/safe machine operation

www.reika.de

MANUFACTURING

t: +39 035 6667811 e: info@zaninoni.it www.zaninoni.it Today as yesterday, aware of customers’ needs, Zaninoni IFA S.p.A. proposes itself as a reliable, expert and constantly updated partner, to effectively find the right balance between costs and timing for each type of shipment, from groupage service to Project Cargo.

We integrate our freight forwarding activity with a customs advisory service and the preparation of related documentation thanks to our staff, expert and constantly updated in the customs field, and to the collaboration with important national and international partners.

Our experience in the field of iron and steel shipments began in 1979, the same year of our foundation thanks to the first contacts with the main Italian ironworks and steelworks, which then became strong and lasting collaborations.

For 40 years, the logistics of iron and steel industry has been our flagship. Our highly qualified staff has decades of specific experience in handling these materials and is able to manage traffics in import, export and cross-trade thanks to a network of national and international partners who share our same dedication to this market.

From raw materials to semi-finished and finished products, we offer optimal and highly customized logistics solutions by combining all types of transport, according to Customer and product necessities.

Sea: We manage sea and river-sea shipments in import, export and cross-trade, taking care of loading/unloading operations and related customs/documents formalities.

Air: Our air department is able to carry out any type of transport, including door-to-door and chartering services, and perform all kinds of customs formalities.

The wide and consolidated experience of a well-trained team guarantees the best technical and economical solution in a “first class service” context.

Land: We organize with experience and professionalism road transport by complete, normal and exceptional trucks, groupages in import and export, in a context of perfect logistic organization including collections, movements, customs formalities, drafting of shipping documents, insurance and eventual control of delivery restrictions.

Warehouse: At our headquarter in Bagnatica (BG), we operate in an area of about 25.000 square meters of both covered warehouses and yards and is equipped with bridge cranes and fork lifts. Thanks to a team of highly qualified employees and eventually cooperating with specialized suppliers.

More Bite More Efficiency

RingSaw Reika GmbH & Co. KG

Tiegelstraße 3 58093 Hagen - Germany Homepage: www.reika.de E-Mail: info@reika.de Fax: +492331 9690-36 Tel: +492331 9690-0

EME Outlook issue 38 | 81

TMK-ARTROM competition between those respected companies to manufacture at the best possible quality at the most competitive price.

And this competition has only increased since the industry downswing as a result of COVID-19.

However, for TMK-Artrom, recent years have seen it enter extensive modernisation and transformations that have given it an upper hand.

The company transitioned from producing commodity pipes to those of premium grade; a change that sufficiently increased the value of its primary products. The firm also added customised sizing to its seamless pipes orders as to better suit customers’ needs, giving them yet another advantage over alternative industry competition.

These internal changes have been well timed and have helped TMKArtrom to weather the storm of COVID-19.

“We are permanently anchored to the realities of the market, and we try to anticipate the needs of our clients so that our commercial relations develop continuously,” Popescu says.

“Our clients have understood that in TMK-Artrom they have a reliable partner, always focused on their needs, and always open to finding suitable solutions.”

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE The company’s recent investments have followed innovative new paths of industry production methods, not only making TMK-Artrom more efficient with a higher quality of product, but notably making the production process far more sustainable than it ever has been.

For instance, during 2018 it completed a substantial investment (€36 million) in the completion of a new heat treatment complex loaded with state-of-the-art technology.

The system has given TMK-Artrom the ability to perform various heat treatments, like quenching and 82 | EME Outlook issue 38

TMK-ARTROM: SEVEN KEY ATTRIBUTES FLEXIBILITY - production versatility with orders as small as five or 10 tonnes with just-in-time delivery, as well as customisation of pipe size, prompt post-sale services, and company site visits if required.

RARE PRODUCTS - heat treated tubes customised to customer requirements, including quenched and tempered long tubes with a wall thickness up to 60 millimetres.

HIGH PRECISION PRODUCTS - for highly specialised uses: produced in micron tolerances, a dozen times higher than industrial commodity pipes.

VERTICALLY INTEGRATED - a seamless steel pipes plant integrated upstream with a modern steel plant, and downstream with three trading entities well positioned to serve clients in the largest markets worldwide: Europe (including North Africa), the Americas, and the Middle East.

LOCATION - the geographical location provides efficient plant-to-plant and plant-to-port connections.

MODERN - around 200 million USD worth of collective investments for the modernisation and efficiency-enhancing of TMK-Artrom and TMK Resita, commissioned over the last 15 years, enabling the delivery of high quality, precise, premium products, in the top tier of the pipe industry globally.

MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE - the core senior team has over 30 years of experience in the industry. Management has an in-depth understanding of all aspects of the business, including production processes, the supply chain and the needs of the customer portfolio.

MANUFACTURING

Tools & Technology Solutions for a Demand-oriented Surface Quality

Systems and Markup Solutions – always at your disposal.

Roller Burnishing Smoothing Surface Finish

Use the INK MAINTENANCE JET coding and marking systems to code and mark products and surfaces from a wide variety of industries (STEEL, WOOD, RUBBER and PLASTIC) with texts, linear barcodes, data matrix codes, logos, product information, sell-by dates, batch numbers, data for traceability, quality assurance and counterfeit protection.

Deep Rolling Increasing fatigue life of a component

INK MAINTENANCE JET together with REA JET wins customers over with its many years’ expert knowledge and state-of-art coding and marking technologies – for inks, paint or laser.

Skive Burnishing Internal processing of cylinder tubes Contact us: ECOROLL AG Werkzeugtechnik Phone: +49 5141 9865 0 | Mail: mail@ecoroll.de Fax: +49 5141 881440 | Web: www.ecoroll.com

Mob +40728 875 027 | +40721222684 | Tel +4021 346 41 41| Fax +4021 346 46 49 EMail office@sistememarcare.ro www.sisteme-marcare.com

PARTNER FOR INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS

www.trieurodata.ro | office@trieurodata.ro Automation and process digitization • Industrial robots • Cobots • Industrial software • Sensors, monitoring, sampling control • Actuation technology equipment • Data collection, transmission, storage and processing systems • Handling systems and production logistics • Assembly technologies • Security systems

EME Outlook issue 38 | 83

TMK-ARTROM tempering for lengthy industrial pipes with a much larger wall thickness (up to an impressive 60 millimetres), a rarity amongst other European producers and nor only. Where the lengthy pipe was previously less durable through necessity of thin walls for its design, the new complex allows for far more durable quality of metal that makes such pipes to have a better structure.

On top of this, the heat treatment complex metal production process uses sustainable technology that

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS Since the outbreak of the pandemic and the consequent obstacles that multiple industries have faced, Popescu considers the relationship between supply chain partners to be of a particular importance.

“The company’s success is ensured by long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with partners, customers and suppliers,” he says.

“We aim to develop responsibility-based relationships with partners, customers, and contractor based on principles of good faith, honesty, accountability, transparency, professionalism, mutual trust, and respect between all partners.

“Together with all its partners, Artrom provides customers with as much transparency as possible on the supplier channel. This is not only in terms of technical capability, but also in terms of how the supplier is active in the market from an environmental, social, and health and safety point of view.”

84 | EME Outlook issue 38

drastically lowers CO2 emissions in comparison to prior methods, while also being more economical with its average fuel consumption.

“All the investment from the recent years in TMK-Artrom aim to increase the share of high valueadded products in the company’s total sales,” Popescu adds. “These investments were aimed to increase the productivity and profit of the company and increase the number of customers by reaching alternative areas of the market where only

premium producers are accepted.

“Thanks to this, we can now proudly say that TMK-Artrom products have reached several hundreds of customers located in 75 countries on five continents.” Popescu says.

Alongside such substantiated investments, the company has started an exciting ecological shift towards production for the electric vehicles market. The newer pipes produced by the heat treatment complex holds a greater physical endurance and industry potential than those pipes

MANUFACTURING

“WE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR PRODUCTION CAPACITIES, UPDATE OUR METHODS AND MARKET REQUIREMENTS, AND ADVANCE OUR TECHNOLOGIES...” that were formed via the original methods of production.

In addition to these movements towards sustainable industry methods, the company also aims to help the EU reduce the total amount of CO2 emissions through the goods that it produces.

Here, TMK-Artrom is preparing its pipes for transport of hydrogen in Europe and not only, hydrogen representing an alternative to traditional fossil fuels that can sufficiently cut back environmentally damaging waste and emissions.

And within its own supply chain, key supplier TMK Resita utilises a process which means that TMK-Artrom

products effectively contain around 98 percent recycled materials.

As for the near future, the company aims to increase the sales of premium products and its presence in what is a competitive European market that is increasingly being penetrated by non-EU participants who are subject to less stringent production measures and costs.

However, Popescu is confident that the company’s mixture of quality steel and new more ecological and efficiency methods of production will carry sales forward in Europe and further afield. On top of this, the firm is also focused on keeping up with the latest innovative trends within the

steel industry.

“We will continue to increase our production capacities, update our methods and market requirements, and advance our technologies so that we can continue to offer the products our customers’ need,” Popescu concludes.

Tel: +40 372 498 102 office.slatina@tmk-artrom.eu www.tmk-artrom.eu

EME Outlook issue 38 | 85

SPEA

STANDING THE TEST OF TIME The story of Luciano Bonaria and his company SPEA – set up in the 1970s, today it stands proud as a go-to partner for vital electronic equipment testing Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

T

here are literally billions and billions of devices that require electricity to run.

From smartphones and vehicle components to home applicances and military equipment, we rely on electronic goods every hour of every day.

Since 2013, annual global electricity consumption has surpassed 20,000 terawatt-hours, more than double the yearly usage recorded at the end of the 1980s.

Be it growing populations or human innovation, there are many factors which explain the exponential rise in power consumption and the number of electronic products produced and used around the world – and one consequence of this is that the need for reliable, rapid and abundant equipment testing has never been more important.

Luciano Bonaria knew this when he set up SPEA in Torino, Italy, in 1976.

Today the firm stands as a leading producer of automatic test equipment (ATE) with clients all over the world from a raft of industries, including automotive, consumer, industrial, health and military, to name but a few.

Bonaria still serves proudly as CEO, a venture which even he admits was not on the agenda when he was working for GE’s mainframe computer division as a test and design engineer in the early 1970s.

86 | EME Outlook issue 38

MANUFACTURING

EME Outlook issue 38 | 87

SPEA “Back then in my 20s I was happily employed,” he recalls. “I conceived and developed very complex ATE for the mainframe computer boards, including a highly sophisticated and advanced memory tester for chips, boards and modules.

BREIF BIO: SPEA

CREATIVITY. INNOVATION. INGENUITY. These are three words which summarise all things SPEA. The company’s automatic test equipment is used to test semiconductors, MEMS, sensors, modules and electronic boards that are utilised in automotive, consumer, industrial, medical, defence, and other fields.

Established in 1976, today the company turns over more than €100 million with 700 employees based in Italy and another 150 spread across subsidiaries in Germany, USA, China, Singapore, South Korea, Mexico, Thailand and the Philippines.

Products supplied to electronics industries include in-circuit testers: bed-of-nails and flying probes, functional testers, power testers and optomechatronic testers with flying actuators.

The main products produced for semiconductor industries are multi-core mixed signal testers, power testers, test handlers, bi-side wafer probers and full integrated automatic test cells including test handler, tester, contactor, socket, conversion kit and software for MEMS and sensors.

88 | EME Outlook issue 38

“Before then, in 1968, I was working for Olivetti and conceived and developed the testers for the boards of the first PC in the world, just invented by the company.

“Olivetti was growing into electronics, office and banking machines, and they had to test single board power supplies in high volumes. I was inspired to start my own company by the fact that Olivetti needed such testing capability, and by 1976 I was sure I could offer them a superior solution not available on the market.

“This type of ATE I was developing was not on the market – in-circuit testers were only available for analogue and mixed signal boards, not including power components. So, I suddenly decided to start my own company to produce ATE for the market, and that was the beginning of SPEA.” One customer soon became several as the company expanded into the rest of Italy and Germany in the early 1980s, this being a particularly receptive market to Bonaria’s pioneering testing invention – not only is it able to detect every fault, it is also tangibly faster than any alternative.

L.M.A srl Our headquarters are in La Loggia (near Turin) and we have 30 years of experience gained in the field of mechanical processing.

We have a close-knit team comprised of 30 employees and a production area of over 3,000 square metres (outdoor area 1,800 square metres), equipped with 19 machining centers, six control lathes, two vertical milling machines, two parallel lathes, three measuring machines and two automatic vertical storage systems.

Our priorities have always been: customer satisfaction, improving production, respecting total quality.

To keep in step with the times and to be able to fully satisfy the customer’s needs, it is essential to have quality equipment.

Over the years, therefore, we have constantly purchased and used innovative products, characterised by top technology.

Quality control is essential, and we use only state-of-the-art measuring instruments. Every day our team works extremely hard to provide the customers with the best solution.

FIRST RESPONDERS Some 44 years on, now aged 72, and Bonaria still carries the same passion and level of enthusiasm for the company as he did on day one, his innovations still the cornerstone of electronic equipment testing today.

He has learned many a lesson as the company developed over the decades, not least in dealing with difficult geopolitical situations and ensuring that customers and employees are taken care of.

Gradually SPEA’s remit increased into producing testing equipment for a variety of industries, a recent addition being the microelectronics field, an arena which the CEO describes as particularly exciting and fast-moving, making agility and speed to market an imperative for the company.

www.lma-srl.com

We are suppliers of companies working in several sectors for the production of equipment (from single piece to series of 100-200 pcs), with various materials such as steel, stainless steel, inconel, titanium, aluminum, copper, brass, bronze.

With the success achieved over the years at national level, we have shifted our focus from the automotive sector (without abandoning it) to new sectors such as medical, oil, steel, electronics aerospace sector and militar equipment.

The constant demands of the customers and the tenacity of the team have allowed us to increase our production, with development programs and designs for the next 5 years, always improving speed and quality.

Strada Carignano 50/9 10040 La Loggia (TO) ITALIA Tel- 011.962.34.68 amministrazione@lma-srl.com Manuela@lma-srl.com www.lma-srl.com

SPEA Indeed, SPEA’s development has been defined by its ability to react faster than others, a feature which enables it to stand tall and boast an unrivalled portfolio.

“Still today the SPEA in-circuit testers have many advantages in fault detection capability over the closest competition, due to the superior test methods and test techniques required to test electronics, also including power components,” Bonaria says.

“We have a strong reputation for making the highest throughput testers available on the market, for both electronic, semiconductor and MEMS and sensor devices. One SPEA tester typically does the job of two or three testers from other manufacturers.

“It is the combination of highest throughput and superior fault detection that means we can give to the customers the minimum reachable cost of test.”

And it is the customer which is front and centre of the company’s priorities.

This is one major constant throughout the past 44 years, and something which the CEO is determined to continue placing at the heart of SPEA’s activities moving forwards.

SUPPLIER FOCUS

Q: How important are partner and supplier relationships to the success of your business?

Luciano Bonaria: “The supply chain is very important to be able to have success in this field.

“The SPEA policy is to have qualified and reliable partners and suppliers with whom to have stable relationships over a very long time. A stable and strong supply chain is a key factor to avoid issues coming from errors, defects or delay of delivery.”

90 | EME Outlook issue 38

“I believe that one key step of the evolution and growing of SPEA is the capability to intercept and detect new technology through discussions with our customers,” Bonaria continues.

“Every day our teams talk and listen to our customers – we try to do business on a technical but friendly level in a way that means all of our clients enjoy discussing with us new ideas and new needs. Partnerships with our customers is key.”

MADE IN ITALY Another constant since Bonaria established SPEA is that the company remains proudly Italian, with the majority of its machines still made in the country.

The CEO intends to continue a strong manufacturing presence in Torino, the only exception being specific instances where equipment has to be produced in Asia. Once more this reflects the customer-first ethos, a major reason for keeping production local being the ability to react fast to customer demands and keep turnaround times as low as possible.

Research and development is also critical to this objective. Bonaria reveals that SPEA is expanding its R&D

ARME At ARME, customer satisfaction is our first priority. We focus on the relationship with each customer because we can tailor our solutions to the specific needs, optimizing customer performances and costs.

ARME is able to satisfy both large and small companies, with high quality and timely delivery in the development of prototypes and both small or large series production.

Leveraging experiences in several different areas and technologies, for many years we have designed and produced our own machinery for textile industries.

www.armegroup.it

capacity at its Italian HQ in preparation for future increases in demand for ATE, both in terms of volume and variety of applications.

MANUFACTURING

EN9100:2018 Reg. N.00510-N ISO9001:2015 Reg. N.00510Q-A

SINCE 1952 manufacturing of multipurpose metal structures, precision mechanical machining, according to customer specification

designs and builds machines for the textile business

specialized to supply customers in the sector: � � � �

Avionics Naval Electronics medical

Via Bessanese 1 – 10073 – Ciriè (TO) – Italy E-mail: info@a-b.it Web: www.armegroup.it

FREE FROM FRICTION

Since 1979 we design the future of air bearings.

The highest technologies and service to grant our customers’ success

Let’s shape the future of Electronics together: info@elco-group.com +39 086390641

Proudly manufacturing PCB since 1970

Mager develops and manufactures innovative and customized air bearings motion solutions for industrial applications, embedded with direct drive technology.

Phone: +39 011 944 19 74 Mager Air Bearings www.mager-ab.it

EME Outlook issue 38 | 91

SPEA

OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES

COUNTERING CORONAVIRUS When Italy entered a drastic nationwide lockdown in early 2020, Bonaria and SPEA were determined to remain open for business, not least because medical equipment manufacturers rely on testing to produce products that save lives.

Remarkably, SPEA has been able to continue operating with zero hours lost to illness, with not a single one of its employees facing a symptom or testing positive for the virus.

How was this possible? For Bonaria, it has been all about the simple, but effective measures.

“I spoke at length to every employee about the importance of very simple hygiene measures and rules that we decided to adopt,” he explains.

“Whether it is washing your hands or minimising contact with other colleagues, the simple solutions really do work. Torino witnessed a big peak in COVID-19, but not one of our people were infected.

“I am also extremely proud that we were able to continue producing solutions for our customers unaffected with zero delays.”

92 | EME Outlook issue 38

MANUFACTURING

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

“SPEA recently conceived the necessary automation modules to satisfy the growing demand of fully automatic machines, able to perform the whole test and handling operations without an operator, overnight and over the weekend,” he adds.

“This ‘operator-less’ capability demand is growing due to the lockdown situations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers see a huge advantage in having a single supplier that has full responsibility of the complete automatic machine, which takes care of designing, manufacturing and integrating everything necessary, including hardware-software applications.”

One focus for the immediate future is the microelectronic field which Bonaria has already alluded to.

“This category is seeing a very rapid evolution,” he continues. “New technologies and new inventions require new testing machines which don’t yet exist. Our goal is to be able to

SPEA headquarters, Torino, Italy invent, develop and deliver disruptive innovation to our customer before any competitor, in order to satisfy their new testing needs.”

Indeed, this forms the crux of the CEO’s plans moving forwards, the conversation turning to what the future has in store from a personal perspective.

Having built up the company for the past 44 years, Bonaria looks ahead to the next chapter.

“I want to carry on working for the next 20 years, maybe with the extra half day here and there spent riding my motorcycle through the mountains,” he muses.

“I am fortunate that my son, Lorenzo, has been working in the company for 20 years now, and has taken on his own responsibilities – when the time comes, he will be running SPEA and I am convinced that the business will be in very safe hands.

“We are a brains company, and by that I mean I hire people for their minds, not an ability to push buttons or operate a machine. Most of our 700-plus people were graduates and students who we have invested huge amounts of time in developing them, what I like to call building brains. They are the future of the company and will determine its success for the next 50 years.”

SPEA Tel: +39 011 982 5400 info@spea.com www.spea.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 93

CERAMIKA PARADYŻ

Poland’s Queen of Ceramics Ceramika Paradyz is determined to propel Poland to new heights in a European industry traditionally dominated by producers in Spain and Italy Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

C

eramics is big business in Poland.

Contributing more than €560 million to the annual GDP, the country produces around 100 million square metres of ceramic tiles every year, making it the third largest producer in the entire European Union behind Italy and Spain.

But it could be even better.

According to Jurand Brzezinski, CEO of leading Polish ceramic tile manufacturer Ceramika Paradyż, the industry has historically lacked commercial focus on western markets, a factor which has allowed its Italian and Spanish counterparts to seize a competitive advantage.

“Equipped with the right tools and competences, Ceramika Paradyż aims to change that,” he says.

“We have a sound strategy in place and made the first step already by strengthening our footprint in Germany, with the UK and France 94 | EME Outlook issue 38

coming up next. Our ambitions do not stop on Europe, and will soon tackle high value markets in North America and MEA. “Being a leader obligates us to be on top of all that’s going on in the areas of marketing, design, technology and digital. We invest a lot in people, knowledge, research and state-of-theart technology.”

Indeed, the last three decades have seen the family-owned company emerge as a national leader in the production of ceramic tiles, its trendsetting capabilities seeing deliver innovative products to customers in 50 countries around the world.

Ceramika Paradyż is head quartered in Opoczno, a town in south-central Poland in the eastern part of Łódź Voivodeship where it has provided community and charity support ever since it was founded.

The company’s facilities include five manufacturing plants and one of the

most modern, automated high bay warehouses – such operations employ over 1,200 people, making the firm one of the largest employers in the region.

“Our product portfolio consists of a full spectrum of ceramic coverings, from wall and floor tiles, large format slabs, and clinker to glass decorations and ornaments,” adds Brzezinski.

“During the company’s 30-plus years, we have manufactured enough tiles to cover the whole area of the five smallest countries in the world – the Vatican, Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu and San Marino – with three layers!

MANUFACTURING

“The measure of our success, however, is not the scale of manufacturing, but above all the trust of our customers who for years have been using our products to create their dreamed-of interiors.”

Brzezinski joined the firm in 2019, sensing the opportunity to bring some commercial innovation to an industry which has remained relatively unchanged in recent decades. Recognising the technical competencies of the Polish ceramic sector, he jumped at the chance to come on board and spearhead the

next chapter of Ceramika Paradyż’s development story.

“I have over 20 years of experience in managing organisations with strong growth ambitions,” Brzezinski adds.

“I have a passion for identifying new business opportunities, implementing pioneering strategies which increase sales, improving operations, and growing people.

“Ceramika Paradyż is a company with character, a strong brand, a wellestablished position on the regional market and ambitious plans for growth in exports. That is a foundation for

further sustainable development.

“The owners, who have built the business from zero in 1989, nurture a culture of courage, respect, openness and care. This is a great place to work, and is abundant with potential to become a pioneer and leader of new solutions in the industry.”

STANDING APART Indeed, the CEO states the company’s wide manufacturing capabilities and tremendously skilled human capital as key factors that stand it apart in the field.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 95

CERAMIKA PARADYŻ Ceramika Paradyż is the only manufacturer in Poland able to offer tiles in all available technologies, the firm determined to continue pioneering new techniques and processes in order to stay ahead of the curve and compete with international rivals.

Brzezinski’s claims are backed up by a string of prestigious awards. It is the only Polish player to be recognised by three recognised international accolades, including the Red Dot Design Award 2016 for its Trakt Collection, and the iF Design Award 2017 for its Elanda/Elando collections.

The third and most recent is the Bronze A’Design Award for the Modernism collection of tiles.

“The Modernism collection is a true piece of art characterised by “Warsaw corsets” – mosaics, which are meticulously built from small, iconic tiles with characteristic notches and arches,” Brzezinski describes.

“Inspired by Polish designs from

Manufacturing plants in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

the 1920s, it proves that true art does not age. The corsets were used to decorate the interiors of public buildings, as well as lobbies and staircases of private houses. We have brought those forgotten by history products back to life.”

Ceramika Paradyż very much hopes to be on the receiving end of more prestigious awards in the future, this made more likely thanks to an ambitious expansion strategy which is centred around a €30 million investment into new manufacturing capabilities at one of its plants.

This will enable it to enter into completely new product categories not served by the ceramics industry and inaccessible to the company’s competitors.

Specifically, it is investing in an innovative technology offering the possibility of a unique ‘tile through’ decoration in the entire ceramic tile. Thanks to this innovation, the Polish company will be able to offer

Esmalglass-Itaca Group The Esmalglass-Itaca Group is a leading business corporation of Spanish origin. We cover all fields of the ceramic industry offering a wide range of products (frits, glazes, pigments and digital inks) with the highest quality and a complete technical assistance and design service.

We are consolidated in the main markets of the ceramics worldwide, with 26 headquarters in 14 countries, positioning us between the three first groups of the world in our sector.

Our success is led by a great team of more than 1,300 employees who move forward together with a clear direction: our customer’s satisfaction.

To sum up and in conclusion, a large business group capable of offering global ceramic solutions that anticipate the future.

www.esmalglass-itaca.com

MANUFACTURING ei_Stayonestepahead_160x97_2009_ENG.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

1

17/09/20

11:11

STAY ONE STEP AHEAD

Now more than ever, you need to explore new paths

walk with us!

with a leader company in the ceramics sector.

https://stayonestepahead.esmalglass-itaca.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 97

CERAMIKA PARADYŻ an unprecedented range of largeformat ceramic tiles with extensive decorative effects visible in the entire cross-section of the tile, even after mechanical edge treatment.

The project – a world first – has been preceded by industrial research and experimental development work.

In November 2020, contracts will be signed with suppliers selected by tender, and the assembly of components of the modern production line will start at the beginning of the next year, with manufacturing planned to start in the first half of 2022.

FUELLED BY INNOVATION

NEGOTIATING A CRISIS Q: How has the COVID-19 impacted your operations, and how has the company responded?

Jurand Brzezinski: “The crisis triggered by COVID-19 brought a series of dynamic changes and new challenges that no one had anticipated, and which we all had to face within a very short time. At an early stage of the restrictions introduced by national governments, we had no knowledge or experience of what to expect and how the situation would further develop.

We did not panic but we were aware of two issues. The manufacture of ceramic tiles is energy-intensive, and the products we manufacture are not on top of the pyramid of needs at such moments.

“We adapted to the new reality very swiftly, introducing the necessary procedures and specific preventive actions, thanks to which the company could operate with due care for the health and safety of our employees and customers. Thanks to our long-standing commitment to digitisation, all IT systems were ready for remote operations. This enabled us to continue our commercial activities without any significant disruption for our customers and partners. In hindsight, I believe that we have responded well to the challenge, and discovered and quickly addressed new areas of process optimisation.

“What makes us proud is that in this difficult time we have continued our charity activities. We have financially supported several hospitals, purchased anti-exposure suits and masks for healthcare personnel. We have also donated hundreds of metres of terrace tiles for use as flooring in triage field tents at several hospitals throughout the country.”

98 | EME Outlook issue 38

Further, the onset of coronavirus has perfectly highlighted Ceramika Paradyż’s thirst for innovation.

Anticipating that there will be a drastic drop in footfall to its showrooms, the company quickly realised the need to create a virtual experience for customers to visualise their concepts.

In another Polish industry first, it has created an online offering made up of three components. The Virtual Studio allows users to see selected collections of tiles in predefined, high resolution and photo-realistic spaces. Once a customer has made up their mind, they can use the 3D Planner to simply and quickly design and visualise the layout of their specific room.

Alternatively, they can book an online consultation with one of Ceramika Paradyż’s interior designers to talk through process – at the end of the process, the customer walks away with a full design and shopping list, which they can fulfil in the online store.

MANUFACTURING has already described, assets which Ceramika Paradyż will be able to leverage globally.

In terms of leadership and structure, the company is also in good health for the long term, Brzezinski concluding the conversation by paying tribute to the owner’s proficiency in securing its legacy moving forwards.

“Being a leader obligates us to be on top of all that’s going on in the areas of marketing, design, technology and digital” “In just a couple of weeks, we have enabled a completely new digital journey, but we have not stopped there,” Brzezinski adds.

“As we speak, we are fully revamping and re-platforming our ecommerce to the world renowned Adobe Magento 2 to make the digital shopping experience even easier, more intuitive and richer in relevant and in-context content, and will rapidly add new languages.”

Such innovation and agility would not be possible without collaboration up and down the Ceramika Paradyż supply chain.

Brzezinski is quick to recognise the contribution of the company’s partners. “We are very close to the customer and are usually first to identify new opportunities,” he says. “By sharing our knowledge and experience, we provide fuel for innovation at our machinery and raw materials suppliers, what in turn allows us to design and manufacture products that have not been made before.

“We have many great and reliable partners from Italy, Spain and Germany, among others, with whom we have been cooperating since the establishment of the company. It is impossible to list and address each of them here, but I would like to thank them for being with us and helping develop our business.”

Looking ahead, the CEO is all too aware of how important these relationships will be, the short-term future being centred around plans to return to the levels of growth seen before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.

This involves intensifying product development and commercialisation activities, as well as kicking off new digitisation programmes. For instance, the firm recently installed a new CRM system and is currently building out the ecommerce offering as Brzezinski

“Most private businesses in Poland were established in the early 1990s,” he explains. “This means that most of them are now facing the challenges linked to generation change and ownership succession. Companies from the old EU have gone through that in the 1970s and 80s, resulting in many private businesses collapsing or being acquired by multinationals.

“Ceramika Paradyż is a glorious example where this challenge was successfully addressed. With the change of the ownership structure in 2016, the second generation of the company’s owners took over. Children of the founder – Adam Tępiński and Anna Tępińska-Marcinek – continue their father’s traditions and pursue his values, moving the company into the 21st century.

“The founder, Stanisław Tępiński, always says: My greatest success is the fact that I had someone to hand over this company to.”

Tel: +48 44 736 41 00 info@paradyz.com.pl www.paradyz.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 99

LATI INDUSTRIA THERMOPLASTICI

Shaped

by Family Lati Industria Thermoplastici (LATI) has been in business for 75 years, valuing long-term customer relationships and prioritising employee satisfaction

Values

Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

2

016 was a big year for Italian Michela Conterno – she took over from her father as CEO of her family’s company, Lati Industria Thermoplastici (LATI). She came onboard to deliver an ambitious 10-year strategy, industry 4.0, aimed at centralising LATI’s industrial activities while modernising layouts, plants and machinery.

The process began with the creation of an automated, shelved and interconnected warehouse. The factory is entering its era of digitisation through IoT, a Manufacturing Execution System and a smart performance dashboard providing real-time insights. The next stage is to implement analysis and maintenance processes. Alongside that, LATI is investing further in automation and process innovation to improve its products.

“The final benefit of the investment path will be a greater awareness of our

100 | EME Outlook issue 38

performance, higher efficiency and increased competitiveness,” Conterno says.

“Digitisation is for LATI, a historical industrial company, an important change of mindset: for this reason, we work a lot on consulting and training to empower our people. We also reassure them that the digitisation process does not translate into FTE savings, but into dedicating free time for activities with a higher added value!” she adds.

This statement epitomises what LATI is all about. While it is a forward-facing company it is very much a family-focused organisation, something that permeates every aspect of the way it does business.

LATI took its name in 1945 after being setup in 1943 by Professor Cosimo Conterno, and over the ensuing decades was transformed from a local company to an international player in the thermoplastics industry.

MANUFACTURING

Michela Conterno, CEO, sitting beside her father Francesco Conterno, President of the Board

LATI INDUSTRIA THERMOPLASTICI “LATI is one of the most important European manufacturers of engineering thermoplastics for high performance applications: our compounds are transformed into components for durable goods in the electrical, electronic, industrial and transportation sectors,” the current CEO says.

“We are leaders in flame retardant materials for the electrical and home appliance sectors, and leveraging on our core business we want to confirm ourselves as the reference partner for high added value technical solutions and become a leader in special compounds, ensuring sustainable development, respecting the environment and enhancing our people and knowledge.”

The company occupies a niche position on the supply chain as an independent compounder, which means it can transform polymers via an extrusion process to give them special characteristics.

“We transform plastic into its opposite. Plastics burn and we prevent them from burning; plastics insulate thermally and electrically, and we make them conductive,” Conterno explains.

“Compared to large vertically integrated chemical producers, which are usually focused on one or a few

LATI INDUSTRIA IN NUMBERS ANNUAL TURNOVER:

€150m 300 2,000 PEOPLE:

NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS:

NUMBER OF ACTIVE FORMULATIONS:

2,400 40,000 PRODUCTION CAPACITY:

TONNES

PRODUCTS EXPORTED:

70 PERCENT

polymers, we are distinguished by freedom: the possibility to offer the customer the right polymer according to his application, choosing among more than 20 bases.”

The company can draw on its many years of expertise in formulating and processing plastics to provide each customer with the exact formulation for their product requirements, something which distinguishes it from chemical contributors offering more standardised solutions.

Alongside its unique product offering, the CEO believes that LATI’s family values are a key distinguishing feature of the company.

“Being a family business is another differentiation from other chemicalintegrated companies because they are very often public companies.

These companies always have a name, of course, but they don’t always have a face,” she says. ”A family business means the family is inside the company; everyone knows each other and there is a continuity between the family and the company. Its reputation is vital – family is the foundation of the company’s ethics, and social responsibility is in our DNA.” An added advantage of being a family company is that LATI can take a long-term approach to planning and investments. While managers of public

MANUFACTURING

companies are often required to bring in results and ROI in a maximum of three years, a family company such as LATI has the freedom to adopt a more long-term, ‘patient equity’ approach.

One such example is industry 4.0, LATI’s investment plan from 2016 to 2026.

“We can wait a long time for returns on our investment and in the meantime we can support the company through crisis events like the one we are facing right now, the recession after the COVID emergency. We can wait to get the same profitability level that we used to have,” Conterno says.

Her father is the main shareholder of the company and in times of crisis does not withdraw dividends; instead he invests the profit in the company to provide continuity and future development. This means that LATI has been able to face the COVID-19 crisis without any personnel restructuring and is able to

Michela Conterno and her team in an R&D meeting continue employing its staff through any low periods. This generates positive repercussions for the entire community.

“We are an alternative to capitalism: for us profit is not an end, but a means to create economic and social value,” the CEO says.

LATI’s family-centric attitude also extends to its relationship with its partners and suppliers, with whom

it is looking to form longstanding connections.

“Most of our relationships, whether Italian or foreign, are historical. Our number one customer, a leading company in the electrical sector, placed the first order at our French subsidiary in the year I was born – 1975. Since then, it has never stopped ordering and we have never stopped growing with it,” Conterno explains.

LATI aims to generate customer loyalty through granting them the best solution for their product needs and a caring aftersales service. Meanwhile, as a company which customises formulas it seeks suppliers with similar ideals, who can support it in research and development activities through implementation of digitisation and automation.

A SUSTAINABLE ETHOS Sustainability is one of LATI’s strategic pillars and is a requirement of many of its customers.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 103

LATI INDUSTRIA THERMOPLASTICI The company is working on becoming more sustainable on several fronts. For example, it aims to create compound formulations free from substances harmful to the environment. It also uses biopolymers, which are materials derived from renewable resources.

However, Conterno does believe that plastics are sometimes unjustly accused of polluting the environment.

“I think it drives attention to the plastics itself, but we should be more concerned about human behaviour,” she explains.

LATI organises campaigns at schools, explaining to students that while plastics can be used in a variety of applications, they can also be reused and reprocessed so they become resources instead of waste products.

“A circular economy is very important; we try to talk to schools about it and influence the opinions of the public and our stakeholders,” the CEO adds.

the Second World War my grandfather started an all-female factory focused on collecting and disassembling plastic parts so they could be re-transformed – we were recovering what was waste and re-entering it into the economy.”

This was more to do with a paucity of materials than it was to protect the environment, but even so it instilled the principles of creating circular economies that LATI uses today.

WEATHERING COVID

Thermoplastics – which can be reprocessed and retransformed – are ideally suited to form part of a circular economy. LATI also buys regenerated plastics to use as raw material.

“Circular economy really is in our DNA,” Conterno says. “During

LATI Industria can produce 40,000 tonnes of product a year

104 | EME Outlook issue 38

LATI was a company started during war time, and it has weathered its share of crises over the decades, the most recent being the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, it began 2020 in a positive economic situation, with cash to face the crisis. Furthermore, its work was considered vital by the Italian government, meaning it didn’t have to close during lockdown.

MANUFACTURING

Of course, like many other companies within the sector, LATI faced a drop in demand for its products. However, this was somewhat mitigated by the fact that the company is very well-diversified, making products for many different sectors.

“We could also face this drop in demand because we have many products with a lot of added value; by selling products with a lot of added value, we could boost our profits,” Conterno adds.

Furthermore, its factories were already set up for social distancing with long extrusion lines that mean workers are spread far apart. Personal protective equipment was already an onsite requirement, so there was never a shortage of masks. The company even used its 3D printers to create face shields for the local ER doctors taking care of COVID patients, which it donated free of charge, along with

other medical materials.

Office staff were required to work from home during this period. Luckily, LATI had recently trialled a homeworking programme. While take-up had been low (as employees preferred coming into work), it meant that the IT department was ready and able to implement mass homeworking at short notice.

“This was a great opportunity to enter and accelerate digital transformation; when people are forced to change, they accept it far more quickly,” the CEO reflects.

LATI is now looking ahead, ready to seize opportunities in emerging sectors. It is expanding into several niche markets, such as e-mobility and the production of electric vehicles.

“This is a great opportunity because the electrification of cars, to be done safely, will require more and more thermally conductive plastic materials to

dissipate heat, and self-extinguishing materials, which have always been our strong point,” Conterno says.

The conversation concludes on an optimistic note, the CEO outlining several other areas for development including antistatic and heatdissipating plastic for electronic sensors and control systems, as well as 3D printing with bio polymers.

“LATI has an opportunity to diversify. There are new trends we can benefit from, such as digitisation, sustainability and 3D printing. We are involved in all the sectors that will drive the recovery,” she concludes. ®

HIGH PERFORMANCE THERMOPLASTICS

Tel: +39 0332 409 111 info@lati.com www.lati.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 105

VALTRONIC

Enhancing Life

Valtronic continues to reset the boundaries of possibility within the medical device space, the contract manufacturer renowned for its formidable pool of industry skills and knowledge Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

106 | EME Outlook issue 38

MANUFACTURING

There is no excitement without challenges. And there is nothing worse or more boring than keeping doing the same things the same way month after month and year after year.”

The words of Rainer Platz could not speak more truly of the mantra adopted by Valtronic, the company he currently leads.

A Swiss-based contract manufacturer of medical devices, it has been at the forefront of innovation in this ever-evolving domain within healthcare ever since it was formed in 1982.

“At Valtronic, our business model and positioning has us continuously exposed to some of the most exciting technologies and therapies at the

forefront of our customers’ innovation roadmaps,” Platz continues. “It is amazing to be part of an industry that improves therapies and patients’ quality of life year over year. What has been impossible only a few years ago is becoming the standard of care.”

Platz himself has enjoyed a career immersed in technology and innovation.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 107

VALTRONIC He joined Valtronic in 2015 and is now something of a medical device industry veteran – but despite being in this area for two decades, it was not necessarily a path he was destined to take.

“I have always been broadly interested in many things, from humanities over music to science,” Platz says. “My IN FOCUS

ACTIVE IMPLANTS Active implants are medical devices intended to be totally or partially introduced or implanted into the human body – they are referred to as active because electronics driven by internal or external power supplies are part of the system.

Examples, among many others, include cardiac pacemakers, implantable infusion pumps, ventricular assist devices or neurostimulation devices that stimulate nerves to manage pain, treat different pathologies (like tremor control for Parkinson’s disease) or allow profoundly deaf patients to hear again (cochlear implants).

Valtronic has been a leader in this subsector for several decades.

The company houses the required miniaturisation expertise and quality management systems to produce the highest quality implant devices for its customers.

“In the future, implants will certainly help more patients suffering from chronic pain or chronic diseases. It is an exciting and strongly growing market segment,” Platz says.

108 | EME Outlook issue 38

PhD was in semiconductor technology, so at that time healthcare and medical technologies were not necessarily my focus.

“The one thing that has always been a driver in my life was to do something meaningful, and that is what I found when I started working as a project leader for a medical device company 20 years ago – it is an area that I have never left since.”

Today he is responsible for steering Valtronic forwards. The company stands as a leading manufacturer of medical devices covering the full product lifecycle, from design and development to manufacturing on behalf of its OEM clients.

The name literally translates to valley of electronics, its 350-plus employees being spread across its base in the Greater Geneva area, North America hub in Ohio, USA, and manufacturing facility in Morocco. Its customers are OEMs of all sizes who generally demand highly complex devices produced in low-to-mid volumes, all to exacting standards and with enormous levels of quality control.

SETTING THE STANDARD Interestingly, the company also applies its capabilities to non-medical fields where advanced microelectronics are required.

This is testament to the wealth of knowledge and skills contained within the organisation, a facet which Platz believes stands Valtronic apart.

“Valtronic specialises in two areas,” he explains. “Firstly, we have decades of experience and track record in extremely miniaturised electronic assemblies. Our engineers know how to reduce board space using literally all three dimensions, and our production technicians and operators know how to build the corresponding products to the highest quality standards. Both disciplines

Dyconex Highly reliable ultra-HDI multilayer flex PCBs for miniaturised medical devices DYCONEX, a company of the MST group, is a leading provider of highly complex flexible, rigid-flex and rigid ultra-HDI/microvia PCBs, LCP and chip-packaging substrate solutions.

These products are used in every application where miniaturisation, increased functionality, quality and the highest level of reliability are required.

DYCONEX’ offer also includes FullFlex PCBs for 3D miniaturisation by folding. These foldable Full-Flex PCBs are built with flexible acrylic or epoxy adhesive in comparison to standard rigid-flex PCBs with prepregs. The very thin and flexible materials allow for thinner and smaller bending zones.

DYCONEX’ ultra-HDI/microvia and ultra-fine line technology provides miniaturisation down to 40um blindvias and lines/spaces down to 25/35 um. Therefore, higher packaging densities compared to classical rigid-flex PCB with prepregs are possible. Such easily tailored, ultrathin, foldable full-flex constructions are a perfect match for small, reliable, microelectronic systems, being used in medical technology and other industries.

The product reliability needed for medical technology, but also for other high-reliability industries, is precisely monitored in the reliability testing laboratories – a centre of competence at DYCONEX. With regard to IoT all production data is recorded, ensuring the product’s reliability and traceability.

For critical applications such as active implants, DYCONEX has developed systematic methodologies to gather evidence about product reliability.

Towards this goal, the firm employs accelerated test methods such as the interconnect stress test. IST tests enhanced by additional testing schemes and analytic methods form the basis for guaranteed, measurable reliability of DYCONEX products.

Your Partner for High-Reliability Interconnect Technology • Ultra-HDI/microvia PCBs • Full flex substrates for 3D miniaturisation • LCP substrates for biocompatible and RF applications • High-density chip packaging substrates • Application and design support • Comprehensive reliability testing • ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and EN 9100 certified

DYCONEX AG, Grindelstrasse 20, CH-8303 Bassersdorf, Switzerland Tel. +41 (43) 266 1100, mail.dyconex@mst.com, www.mst.com

VALTRONIC

Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS? RAINER PLATZ: “Our business is not really focused on mainstream mass manufacturing where verticalisation of a small selection of technologies is a frequently observed option – instead it targets extreme miniaturisation and complex mechatronic systems. This means we heavily rely on our supplier partners to provide their share of the solution to a given challenge.

“We rarely source millions of standard components but rather hundreds to a few ten thousand of sometimes extremely sophisticated customer-specific components or assemblies. These components or sub-assemblies are frequently critical components within a product, and therefore we work with suppliers that have state-of-the-art quality systems and are able to provide complicated components with extremely challenging specifications and tight tolerances.

“The performance of our supply chain operations and the relationship with our global supplier base therefore is extremely important to our business.”

110 | EME Outlook issue 38

are of utmost importance when it comes to active implantable devices and other medical devices where ‘minimally invasive’ is a keyword.

“Secondly, and benefiting from being embedded in a micromechanics and micromachining environment here in Switzerland, we have over the last 15 years built up our ‘mechatronics’ business, which we define as the combination of active electronics with precision mechanical assemblies, integrating sensors, actuators, optics and sometimes fluidics into complex functional assemblies or full devices.”

Valtronic indeed builds and ships complete devices (what are known as box builds), including final calibration and testing. Further, the company offers in-market services such as repairs and refurbishment.

In short, the firm pushes the bounds of what is possible and thrives in complexity, and backs it up with firstrate customer service.

As a mid-sized company, Valtronic is also able to move with the times extremely quickly, its agility being another hallmark that Platz recognises as critical to its success. “As I keep telling my teams, a good waiter anticipates the customer’s wish and may even upsell with a desert to total customer satisfaction,” he adds.

Such agility has been tested during what has been an extraordinary year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous disruption to industries across all parts of the world, not least manufacturing operations which have had to either shut down or severely adapt in order to meet newly drafted safety protocols.

Valtronic has very much passed the test, its operations across all three sites continuing uninterrupted.

“Our global IT infrastructure has been able to smoothly support remote work for functions that are suitable,” Platz adds. “Executing on our pandemic plans and, most importantly, the commitment of our employees worldwide, has allowed us to remain fully functional.”

The CEO does reveal that overall business experienced some slowdown in the late spring and summer months, and that ongoing travel restrictions has disrupted collaboration on cross-border projects, but he also says the pandemic has opened the company up to some new perspectives among clients.

“The supply chain uncertainty has become a growing concern and companies are also realising that other events such as floods, fire, strikes or political instability can jeopardise their future,” Platz continues.

MANUFACTURING

Valtronic, USA

“Taking these growing concerns into consideration, OEMs will need a contract manufacturer that offers stability and reliability with redundant sourcing and manufacturing capabilities, and which is operating in politically and economically stable countries. I think that the Valtronic footprint and offer are fully in line with these expectations.”

THE FUTURE OF MEDICAL DEVICES This leads the CEO onto the topic of the future and what lies ahead for Valtronic in the coming years.

The future will be defined by innovation both in terms of product and process. For example, Platz reveals plans to greatly invest in digitisation and unification of systems across its three sites in what will be a major milestone on its developmental roadmap.

Indeed, Platz outlines an ambitious programme of investment which centres around expanding infrastructure across all three hubs, the Swiss centre also set to see its capabilities in microelectronics assembly enhanced.

“We strongly believe that the area of sophisticated highly miniaturised microelectronic assemblies, including but not limited to implants and sensors, will continue to be an enabler for novel therapies on the one side and a driver for the business on the other side,” he explains.

Platz identifies a trend towards smaller, smarter, lighter, portable and inherently more complex medical device equipment that will likely steer Valtronic in the future.

Patients, he says, prefer to avoid extended hospital stays and sophisticated medical equipment is critical to ensuring that more treatment can be provided at home where they feel more comfortable.

The notion leaves the CEO resolutely optimistic about the next chapter of the company’s development.

Bringing the conversation to a conclusion, Platz says: “In the future, more medical devices will evolve

and include electronics. Existing devices will have to be redesigned as a consequence. It is exciting to imagine the next generation of devices that will further improve patients’ lives.

“I believe that Valtronic is well positioned to be the manufacturing partner for this next generational wave. We have 35-plus years of experience in the medical device market and we are dedicated to the medical industry. The design phase is performed with the design for manufacturing methodology, meaning our engineering team knows all manufacturing constraints and takes them into account to allow for a smooth transition from R&D to industrialisation and manufacturing.

“I am proud to say that we are already working on several thrilling next generation projects for longstanding customers and also for new customers.”

Tel: +41 21 841 01 11 www.valtronic.com info@valtronic.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 111

CORPLEX

MANUFACTURING

Closing the Loop Corplex is committed to reducing waste and driving industry-wide change with its closed loop concepts and circular solutions Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

What excites me most about working here is that we can really change the approach to plastics,” proclaims Lucas van der Schalk, CEO of Corplex, a company specialising in circular plastics solutions.

Over the past few years, there has been a revolt against plastic – in 2016 a Greenpeace petition to ban plastic microbeads in the UK (used in face scrubs) hit 365,000 signatures in only four months. The media is saturated with images of plastic waste piled up in landfill sites and in the stomachs of sea creatures. An article by The Guardian calls it ‘the most visible product of our past half-century of rampant consumption’ – in other words, a tangible symptom of a wider problem.

You might think that a CEO of a plastics company would want to sweep such problems under the rug.

But van der Schalk is eager to engage people on these issues, and he and his company are being proactive in implementing real changes to the industry.

“Fundamentally, the worst thing about plastics is that we often use them once and throw them away – it’s anathema to me and it doesn’t sit right with the business, so we are trying to do something about it,” he tells me.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE “We talk about the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, so recycle is the last step. First you just want to reduce the amount you’re using, and then you want to try and reuse it,” the CEO continues.

“For us, waste is the single most important element we focus on, not just in our own operations but those of our customers. The more waste we can eliminate, the better it is.”

Van der Schalk entered the packaging industry via a background in the automotive sector; car assembly requires many different components, which in turn necessitates many EME Outlook issue 38 | 113

CORPLEX

Lucas Van der Shalk, CEO

different types of packaging. He was initially struck by the operational immaturity of the packaging industry compared to its automotive counterpart.

“Plastics in the automotive industry are much more technical, with much higher demands placed upon them,” he says.

“For me, taking the operational experience from automotives and bringing that into plastics for packaging has meant that we’ve been able to up the quality standards and demands we put upon ourselves, and are actually in the process of changing the paradigm within the industry to make it more professional, scientific and consistent in its quality.”

With factories in Europe and USA, Corplex creates circular plastics solutions. It makes plastics and packaging products, including polycarbonate product such as skylights, stadium roofing, packaging for the automotive, retail and

ADVOCATING FOR SIMPLER PLASTICS The HMRC are about to bring a plastics tax into the UK, which will tax manufacturers using less than 30 percent recycled content. Although it sounds like a step in the right direction, van der Schalk believes that there is a better way to go about it. The biggest issue, he explains, is that there are seven different types of plastic recognised for collection, which must be split to be recycled.

“There are already so many steps to recycling, and if you could just take one step out of it, such as splitting the materials into the seven different types, it makes a huge difference,” van der Schalk says. “Recycled material will become much cheaper and then everyone will be using it, whilst also removing a huge amount of the uncertainty and confusion around plastic collection for recycling.”

To simplify plastics recycling, he believes products should be taxed on the amount of different types of plastics they use.

“A bottle made with only one type of plastic would result in no tax, whereas for one made with two types of plastics you would get 20 percent tax.

You get these films that use seven types of plastic, which are impossible to recycle – those things should be taxed up to 400 percent, so people stop doing it. Plastic is a very versatile material and clever engineering can achieve the same result without the need to mix the plastic types.”

114 | EME Outlook issue 38

pharmaceutical industries, and products for the construction and graphics industry. Its production is underpinned by sustainable principles – it wants to abandon the traditional linear supply chain model in favour of more durable products that can be returned, recycled and repurposed at the end of their useful lives.

“The simplest way of putting it is that very little waste leaves our sites.

All of our sites are self-contained insofar as they produce the products, convert it into whatever is needed, and the final product will then be shipped to the customer or they will come and pick it up,” the CEO tells me.

While it endeavours to create products with zero waste, this isn’t always possible. For example, its extrusion lines are two metres wide, but sometimes it might have a customer who would like a 1.8 metre product. This extra 20 centimetres of plastic is either fed directly back into the machine or into one of the onsite re-grinding or re-pelletising machines.

It also works with a lot of postindustrial material, such as waste from the production of crisp packets.

“We will work with a third-party supplier – in this case Biffa – and they will take this post-industrial material, make it into pellets and we will use that as well. That means we can divert some material from landfill,” van der Schalk says.

Corplex also works with customers, helping take some of their waste back.

It is currently working with a popular supermarket chain to take their plastic waste and make new packaging for them from it. It also provided the plastic signage for the 2012 London Olympics, which it collected and recycled into new products once the event was over.

Van der Schalk believes that Corplex’s ‘global but local’ approach distinguishes it from competitors while minimising its carbon footprint.

The company has nine facilities, in Slovakia, Spain, the UK, the US and five in France.

MANUFACTURING

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

Exceptional service. Technical expertise. Competitive pricing.

WORLDWIDE RESIN DISTRIBUTION. WORLD-LEADING SERVICE.

Bamberger Polymers distributes high quality prime-spec and wide-spec plastic resins to customers worldwide. We aim to be trusted advisors to our customers and suppliers.

We have been providing our clients with superior support, know-how, and unlimited delivery capabilities; supplying the dependability they need to grow their business.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

“We have global principles and global specifications that we apply to all these sites and then we have best practices that we apply to local areas,” the CEO explains. “Anything we ship in the UK can always come back to our factory in the UK and we can reuse it.

“Then, because we have a group of disparate customers with smaller projects, we can develop pilot projects with them, which we can then show to other potential clients. We can show them that this way of doing something works and saves money. That gets them on board and gives us even more pilot projects.”

Yas Durmaz (Area Sales Manager) yasd@bapoly.com +31 767 516 519 www.bambergerpolymers.com

re-using the product for a prolonged period and at the end of life recycling the material to make a new version of the product and the cycle starts all over again.

CUBES AND LOOPS In short, Corplex is aiming to “close the loop”, a term which in the plastics industry refers to the process of recycling and using products without material loss, reducing waste and using fewer raw materials. The three main stages of the loop system consist of manufacture of the product,

Corplex works with its customers to create closed loop systems.

“The loop is an investment, so customers are always happy spending some time planning it,” van der Schalk.

When created and implemented correctly, closed loop systems will allow companies to save money while reducing their carbon footprint.

“We get a container and develop it in a such a way that we use as much of the air inside it as possible, which is called ‘cubing it out’. That container then goes into the truck which is also ‘cubed out’, so there is a minimum

CORPLEX

AkyPak Advance Reusable Container by Corplex. The concept and easy forming of the bulk-container

116 | EME Outlook issue 38

MANUFACTURING

“FOR US, WASTE IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT WE FOCUS ON, NOT JUST IN OUR OWN OPERATIONS BUT THOSE OF OUR CUSTOMERS. THE MORE WASTE WE CAN ELIMINATE, THE BETTER IT IS”

amount of air being shipped to the customer. The customer takes the product and unpacks it. When the container is empty it collapses, and you can put as many as four collapsed containers in the space where one container was.

“This means that only one in four trucks have to return to the supplier.

On average we save around 300 tonnes of CO2 per product per year. Think how many thousands of products go into the car; it’s hundreds of thousands of CO2 being saved per car,” the CEO explains.

The concept of ‘cubing out’ (also referred to as ‘cube optimisation’) refers to efficiently optimising the amount of space used to ship and store products.

Surprisingly, it is not common practice in the delivery industry, which van der Schalk explains has prioritised optimising customer experience over storage and packing.

“When you order something online, someone will deliver it and you will see inside the van that it’s half empty, with loads of cardboard boxes thrown in.

The box is the wrong size and there’s a box in that box, which gets thrown away,” he adds.

“Our boxes and totes are stackable, so you can put a number of different shaped products inside and they will stack one on top of each other.

Then when you put them in the vans, they are suddenly cubed out, and you only need to have two vans delivering instead of six. For larger trucks we have have developed a sleeve pack solution : Akypak Container a PP sleeve which goes around the thermoforming pallet, then you can put a lid on top and stack more on top of it, which again conserves space.”

Each Corplex office has an onsite design team, which works with customers on the best way to “close

5

Reasons to start using Returnable,

Foldable and Reusable Transit Containers for all your logistics needs

the loop” and show them the best way to cube their trucks out properly.

Over the next year or so, Corplex is looking to expand its customer base.

Van der Schalk cites America as a key area for development, especially since its facility is the only one in the country producing these kind of products entirely manufactured in the USA. He wants to increase the amount of pilot projects run in the countries where Corplex operates.

“The more pilot projects we can run in each of these countries to show the benefit of closed loop systems which could end up being recycled at the end of it, say seven years later, the more we can demonstrate to other businesses that this is feasible and can make you money.

“It is inspirational to be able to tell a positive story about plastics, instead of a negative one,” he concludes.

CORPLEX info.marketing@corplex.com www.corplex.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 117

CARGO CONTROL COMPANY

T

ransporting goods from A to B has been a fundamental pillar of human civilisation through the

ages.

From the first river barges created by the Ancient Egyptians to the mammoth freight trains and shipping vessels that carry unfathomable tonnes of products around the world every day, never has a reliable global transport network been more in important.

In Europe, road freight transport was worth â&#x201A;Ź341.5 billion in 2018, with air cargo activity accounting for another $24.68 billion. Rail freight activity was estimated at around 430 billion tonne-kilometres in the same year, while shipping was reported to have contributed â&#x201A;Ź41 billion to European GDP in 2014.

So, in short, the movement of goods represents big business.

However, according to Cargo Control Company, this is no reason for various transportation industries to rest on their laurels safely in the knowledge that the demand for their services will always be there.

TRANSPORTING THE FUTURE Through its two leading brands, Cargo Control Company is on a mission to make transport safer and more efficient across Europe Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

118 | EME Outlook issue 38

MANUFACTURING

EME Outlook issue 38 | 119

CARGO CONTROL COMPANY

TWO BRANDS, ONE CARGO CONTROL COMPANY Cargo Control Company owns and operates two major brands which serve multimodal transport needs.

• LOADLOK is the specialist when it comes to cargo control solutions. It promises to offer efficient and optimised solutions for any kind of transport by road, rail, sea or air.

• ROLAND is the largest European integrated curtain manufacturer. Roland offers an unrivalled combination of in-house printing solutions and curtain manufacturing ability.

LoadLok ESC System for closed boxes can be used in different types of trailers and applications

120 | EME Outlook issue 38

“AS A BUSINESS PARTNER WE ARE PASSIONATE TO FIND A SOLUTION TO FIT YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS... WITH ALL THE IN-HOUSE EQUIPMENT, MACHINERY, KNOWLEDGE AND SOFTWARE, WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO DELIVER TAILOR MADE SOLUTIONS” “The status quo is not a safe haven that we should hold on to, but a form of stagnation that we want to disrupt,” the firm states. “Initiate and embrace the fundamental, ground-breaking changes of the years to come. We know how to move on – and we dare to do it.”

Indeed, the company’s stated mission is simple, yet bold – to make transport safer and more efficient by providing best of class cargo control solutions to the European transport industry, and to thrive for innovation in products and production methods.

It delivers this through two leading brands, the first of which being LoadLok.

LoadLok was established in 1984 in Rotterdam (Netherlands) to produce cargo fastenings for heavy-duty road transport.

The firm’s remit has since grown to cover sea, air, rail and retail sectors.

Currently, it has two production facilities in Europe, nine European sales offices and, in total, more than 500 highly experienced people in engineering, R&D, manufacturing, sales and distribution.

Today it distributes its products in 42 countries all over the world. These include steel and aluminium tracks, shoring systems, double decking systems, garment systems and unilok

MANUFACTURING

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

Birmingham Plating Co LTD `The Polished Performer` Bust the rust with zinc, help your product live longer.

Tel: 0121 558 2341 www.birmingham-plating.co.uk sales@birmingham-plating.co.uk

Specialist high volume processing in decorative nickel, chrome and bright zinc finishes.

Probably the largest rack zinc facilities in UK. Collection and delivery service available.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

All processing conforms to BS EN ISO 9001:2015 Environmental system 14001:2015

systems, as well as lashings and multitemp systems.

“As a business partner we are passionate to find a solution to fit your specific needs,” LoadLok states. “With all the in-house equipment, machinery, knowledge and software, we have the flexibility to deliver tailor made solutions.”

Roland stands as, in its own words, the number one fully integrated manufacturing partner for transport companies and trailer- and body builders, housing the complete process under one roof – from design to printing to fully produced and delivered custom made curtains.

It has over five decades of experience in trailer curtain printing and can draw on the knowledge of 500-plus highly experienced professionals, who are responsible for in-house testing, graphic design, development and manufacturing.

Roland’s InfiniShield range has become a go-to for premium quality

Roland’s InfiniShield brand, the ultimate printed curtain, combining cutting-edge digital printing technology and superior durability, under all conditions digital prints – these products are renowned for combining cutting-edge digital printing technology and superior durability, under all weather conditions.

This is made possible by Roland’s in-house laboratory which powers R&D activities.

“A curtain is so much more than just your logo printed on PVC,” the company states. “Your creative designs excel at our state-of-the art printing equipment. That is why we want to have a deeper understanding of what

our products have to go through. In the Roland Laboratory we do intensive testing of our products to take quality to the next level and to build curtains that last longer.”

Such activities will be critical as Cargo Control Company moves forwards into the future.

As new and more refined ways of transporting cargo emerge, it is vital that the company remains agile enough to meet whatever new demands may come its way.

Given its track record to date, there is no reason why it can’t continue to deliver ground-breaking solutions to clients all over Europe for many more years to come.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 121

WATER SERVICES CORPORATION

Managing Maltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Water Supply

The Mediterranean island of Malta is a world leader in water management, pioneering reverse osmosis and leakage management strategies Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: David Knott

122 | EME Outlook issue 38

ENERGY & UTILITIES

The commodities of the next generation will be data and water, because both will be key to the survivability of nations and communities,” explains Ivan Falzon, CEO of Malta’s government-run Water Services Corporation.

According to the United Nations, the world’s water usage has been growing

at over twice the rate of population increase in the last century. While those living in arid regions might be aware of water’s value and scarcity, many of us are not. Falzon was once one of them.

“My previous experience with water is that I turned on the tap, and water is there, and that’s it,” he tells me.

But since taking on the role of CEO back in March, Falzon has become more appreciative of the complex processes of water supply, treatment and conservation. With a background in aviation sales and revenue management, he has had a varied managerial career across the public and private sectors, most recently EME Outlook issue 38 | 123

SHAFT EXCAVATIONS ROCKBOLTING ROADHEADERS SHOTCRETE RAISEBORERS

Rockcut Limited, established in 1990, mainly carries out mass rock excavations, tunnel and shaft excavations, road works and construction.

Call +356 2180 2726 info@rockcut.com.mt www.rockcut.com.mt

WATER SERVICES CORPORATION

Ivan Falzon, CEO of Malta’s Water Services Corporation as CEO for Malta’s main Mater Dei Hospital between 2014 and the start of this year.

“I do believe that the CEO post is temporary; it shouldn’t be more than three or four years. A CEO stint comes with a business plan and once you deliver that business plan then it’s time to move on,” he says.

This allows for a continual, dynamic managerial cycle and stops a corporation from stagnating. Falzon confesses to being excited and challenged by his new role, and over the course of our conversation outlines his ambitious ideas for Water Services Corporation.

“We are finalising a three-year business plan which is based on quality, efficiency and effectiveness.

You can be efficient without being effective and effective without being efficient. The main pillar remains quality, which is applied to everything from how we answer the phone to how we deal with the most complex engineering issue,” he explains.

ISLANDS OF INNOVATION Malta’s topography creates unique challenges when it comes to water management.

126 | EME Outlook issue 38

“We are an island, the borders are natural, and that provides us with some challenges. We don’t have rivers, so traditionally water was extracted from the groundwater table. Malta was always at the forefront of how to take seawater and turn it into potable water,” the CEO tells me.

The first desalinisation plants were established on the Maltese archipelago during the 1880s, while it was under British rule. Some of the water infrastructure developed by the British – including boreholes and groundwater tunnels – is still in operation today.

That’s not to say that Malta isn’t forward-looking when it comes to water management. These days water infrastructure consists of around 1500 kilometres of sewer network spread across the islands, three treatment plants for wastewater and around 2500 kilometres of drinking water pipelines. The country is widely known for its expertise in Reverse Osmosis desalination technology, which it first adopted in 1982, after seeing a pilot project in Florida.

“What was a beta test in America was accepted as the way forward here.

Malta, being a small island of 450,000 people, was therefore already at the forefront of reverse osmosis technology in 1982,” Falzon explains.

Since then, Malta has opened a new reverse osmosis plant every decade and is now considered an industry leader in the technology, collaborating with other governments and top industry players on projects.

But its strategy, Falzon explains, is not solely focused on production.

“There is a cost to producing an infinite amount of water. You need a holistic approach and a circular economy to manage your network efficiently,” he says.

“Over the years the corporation was lucky to have some people that focused on a leakage control strategy, and we now have amongst the best leakage rates in Europe, maybe across

Burmarrad Group Burmarrad Group, Malta’s leading family-owned vehicle sales, leasing, management, and rental business was established in 1984 and has a diverse fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles, which includes a wide range of specialist commercial and industrial vehicles.

In addition to this, Burmarrad Group is also the top corporate leasing business in Malta and offers one of the largest vehicle servicing facilities on the island.

Water Services Corporation is one of the company’s largest clients, trusting them with their rentals and leasing of their vehicle fleet for their various sections across the Maltese Islands.

www.bc.com.mt

EtaS&S EtaS&S was founded by graduate engineers in 1994, specialising in industrial controls.

Early major clients included utilities for sewage, water treatment and water distribution, today all part of the Water Services Corporation.

Initially supplying conventional electromechanical starters, application of soft-starters and variable frequency drives began with simple applications more than 20 years ago.

The aim has always been the improvement of service and reduction of operation costs. Encouraging results paved the way for increasingly ambitions applications up to the big infrastructural projects we see today.

EtaS&S are proud to be part of this success.

www.etass.com.mt

Burmarrad Group is Malta’s leading supplier of new & used commercial and private vehicles Also offering leasing and rental services together with unsurpassed servicing facilities for your vehicle, providing peace of mind, guaranteeing satisfaction.

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Burmarrad Group is Malta’s leading supplier of new & used commercial and private vehicles Also offering leasing and rental services together with unsurpassed servicing facilities for your vehicle, providing peace of mind, guaranteeing satisfaction.

BurmarradGroup GroupisisMalta’s Malta’sleading leadingsupplier supplierof ofnew new&&used usedcommercial commercialand andprivate privatevehicles. vehicles.

Burmarrad Alsooffering offeringleasing leasingand andrental rentalservices servicestogether togetherwith withunsurpassed unsurpassedservicing servicingfacilities facilities Also foryour yourvehicle, vehicle,providing providingpeace peaceof ofmind, mind,guaranteeing guaranteeingsatisfaction. satisfaction. for

LEASING

SALES SALES SALES SALES

SALES

Burmarrad Group is Malta’s leading LEASING supplier of new & used commercial LEASING LEASING and private vehicles.

Also offering leasing and rental services together with unsurpassed servicing facilities for your vehicle, providing peace of mind, guaranteeing satisfaction.

LEASING

RENTALS

SERVICING & REPAIRS

RENTALS RENTALS RENTALS

SERVICING&&REPAIRS REPAIRS SERVICING SERVICING & REPAIRS Official Distributors and Service Partners Official Distributors and Service Partners for: for: Official Distributors and Service Partners for: Official Distributors and Service Partners for:

Official Distributors and Service Partners for: Authorised Repairers for:

Authorised Repairers for: Authorised Repairers for: Authorised for: AuthorisedRepairers Repairers for:

RENTALS

SERVICING & REPAIRS W: www.bc.com.mt

W: www.bc.com.mt W: www.bc.com.mt

F: facebook.com/burmarradgroup F: facebook.com/burmarradgroup

F: facebook.com/burmarradgroup

W: www.bc.com.mt

E: info@bc.com.mt E: info@bc.com.mt

E: info@bc.com.mt

F: facebook.com/burmarradgroup

T: 21573261 T: 21573261

T: 21573261

E: info@bc.com.mt

T: 21573261

A: Burmarrad Road, Burmarrad, SPB9060 A: Burmarrad Road, Burmarrad, SPB9060

A: Burmarrad Road, Burmarrad, SPB90

A: Burmarrad Road, Burmarrad, SPB90

W: www.bc.com.mt F: facebook.com/burmarradgroup E: info@bc.com.mt T: +356 21573261 A: Burmarrad Road, Burmarrad, SPB9060, Malta

CONSULTING DESIGN PRODUCTION INSTALLATION

Providing a total end to end solution

info@etass.com.mt | www.etass.com.mt

At EtaS&S Ltd we specialize in the distribution of components for the control of electro-mechanical apparatus. We supply material and value-added services for machine builders, system integrators in industrial automation, process control and

building management applications and contractors in building services.

We also stock supplies for machinery maintenance, repair and upgrade.

We work with our customers to customize our inventory and scope of supply to meet their needs.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 127

WATER SERVICES CORPORATION the world, and our people collaborate frequently with other international stakeholders to assist with leakage strategies.”

Alongside these two areas of expertise, Malta is also making forays into the interesting field of new water technology (also known as HPTTW – highly polished tertiary treated water) initially developed in Singapore. It involves treating sewer water with reverse osmosis technology and making it into ‘new water’. This water has been repeatedly and rigorously tested, and it by far exceeds the minimum quality requirements in its class.

“The government’s policy is to distribute it to the agriculture industry, farmers, tourism and use it to replenish groundwater,” he adds.

SMART INVESTMENTS Falzon plans to make widespread changes to Water Services Corporation over the next three years through quality control, training and investment.

“I found a corporation that was already robust in terms of forwardlooking investments. We are currently implementing a massive project worth 160 million euros, which is connecting all these nodes of the network to make them more efficient but also creating a process of automation,” the CEO says.

“Automation and real-time actions are key in the sector. Security of supply depends on timely actions. If you see something going wrong, you cannot depend on someone looking at the screen to act. We are talking about massive investments to improve efficiency, improving effectiveness but also to automate.”

One of the largest projects featured in Water Service Corporation’s business plan is an AI model, which it will use to help how it blends and stores its water. That will require getting all of its pumps online with effective controls in place, which will require investment and

International Safety Training College Part of Alberta Group, ISTC is Malta’s distinguished training centre focusing on emergency response, disaster management, offshore and marine survival, fire safety, health & safety and first aid.

The unique training facilities offered by the company have been specifically designed for the aviation, oil and gas, and marine industries, among others.

ISTC combines real life simulators and highly trained experienced personnel to provide training and consultancy to meet international standards and legal requirements.

With the support of international partners and affiliates the college provides classroom sessions combined with practical simulations along with digital courses that can be accessed from anywhere without the need to travel.

www.istcollege.com.mt

Zahra Enterprises Ltd. Zahra Enterprises Ltd. was formed as a family business in 1975. Prior to the company formation, initial business had been the importation, installation and maintenance of windmill water pumping systems to supply local farmers with their water demands.

Since then, electric water pumps to supply homes, hotels, factories and the nation with water has been our core activity. We also supply related ancillaries, including variable frequency drives designed to minimize energy use and other pump control systems.

Our strength has been the maintenance, support and aftersales for all our products.

www.zahra.com.mt

128 | EME Outlook issue 38

ENERGY & UTILITIES

A training hub for

FIRE, SAFETY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE MANAGEMENT Achieve and maintain your OPITO Qualifications.

From basic safety training to emergency response, our combined range of courses include classroom sessions with practical exercises whilst simulating real time scenarios. Some of our courses can also be accessed from anywhere without the need to travel.

sales@istcollege.com istcollege.com.mt

Suppliers for all kinds of water pump, domestic and industrial, ancillary equipment, including variable frequency drives and sets.

Address: 190, Triq Santa Katarina, Attard ATD2601 T: 21431961 / 21417156 | E: zahra@zahra.com.mt | www.zahra.com.mt

EME Outlook issue 38 | 129

WATER SERVICES CORPORATION planning. Correctly implementing this automation strategy will also involve working with new suppliers and innovative personnel.

Improving efficiency is not solely to improve profitability – Water Services Corporation is eager to improve its carbon footprint and green credentials.

Its 160-million-euro project is a netzero emissions project, and it is open to further ideas on enhancing its power to production ratio.

“One of the advantages of the sewage system in Malta is that it is, at large, driven by gravity – you don’t need power. Yes, we do have pumps at the far end of systems and networks, which we will have to work on developing.

“We are looking at ways to generate power onsite at our plants, with onsite investments, partnering with organisations in the industry, as our experience is mainly in production and distribution,” Falzon says.

Another way to improve efficiency

and reduce water waste is through community education and engagement. Falzon recently met with local stakeholders to push forward the concept of smart developments from the design stage. Water Services Corporation also recently embarked upon a campaign to alert people to leakages in their properties. It already has tools on its website, allowing customers to check for leakages, but the new system operates in real time,

alerting people who have a possible abnormally high use of water at their residence.

“The engagement we saw from the public fills us with courage. You could say, ‘let the people waste the water, because then they will pay for it and we will make more money’, but we also have an obligation to educate people.

We will provide good quality water at a fair and reasonable price, accessible to all, but that water has to be used well,” the CEO says.

Water Services Corporation is currently working with a PR professional on communicating with clients in non-technical jargon to increase engagement. For example, it is considering changing its bills to litres rather than cubic metres, as the former will be easier for clients to visualise.

“If need be, we might design them something to show the quantity of water being used. The clients deserve to be communicated within a language they understand,” Falzon adds.

“I AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT DURING THE COVID LOCKDOWN, MOST OF OUR SYSTEMS WERE OPERATED, MONITORED AND MANAGED FROM BEDSIDE TABLES, USING A SIMPLE LAPTOP AND A SECURE CONNECTION”

130 | EME Outlook issue 38

ENERGY & UTILITIES

A NUMBER OF PROJECTS TO RECTIFY PROBLEMS IN THE SEWER NETWORK ARE ALSO UNDERWAY.

Definitive Ecology is a leader in the design and manufacturing of machinery for primary treatment or mechanical treatment processes, for installation in the wastewater line of municipal and industrial water treatment plants.

Customized machines for wastewater pre-treatment PRODUCTS • • • • • • •

02.

SCREENING SCREENINGS TREATMENT GRIT SEPARATION AND TREATMENT COMBINED TREATMENT SEPTIC SLUDGE RECEIVING STATIONS SHAFTLESS SCREW CONVEYORS POWDER DOSING SYSTEMS

Definitive Ecology combines wideranging technical skills with the ability to customize each individual application to respond perfectly to the diversified needs of its customers and the requirements of their projects.

20

Years of experience

Sewer mains laid below sea level will be upgraded to reduce sea water intrusion, meaning less saline sewage reaching the treatment plants. This will ultimately lead to better quality second-class water.

This upgrade will reduce pumping losses and the energy required to produce this new resource.

03.

01.

Sewer extensions and upgrading to minimise sewerage exfiltration to improve the quality of ground water.

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING In February 2020, it looked like Water Services Corporation was all set for a record-breaking year, with January alone experiencing a 10 percent increase in water production. But COVID-19 disrupted that, and many upcoming projects.

“Our key plan is to recover and realign ourselves with this new reality.

The second stage is to stabilise and adapt to this situation as it develops.

We are seeing changes from one month to the next. For example, England is our largest tourism revenue; one month it is open for business and then it is closed, creating fluctuations in our economy. Of course, you can’t hire or fire people based on what England does, so we will use this time to stabilise and invest in our resources,” Falzon tells me.

This includes human resources.

Water Services Corporation is planning to roll out an extensive

New discharge monitoring stations will ensure the quality of discharges into sewers with the aim of reducing the overall cost of waste water treatment.

Towards a Email: info@definitivecology.com | Tel: +39 059 544471 NET ZERO-IMPACT UTILITY wsc.com.mt

training programme for its employees, helping align them to the new realities they will face in the future, and showing them how to interact with an increasingly automated system.

“I am pleased to say that during the COVID lockdown, most of our systems were operated, monitored and managed from bedside tables, using a simple laptop and a secure connection.

That experience showed us that we can do it, but also showed us we can do it even better,” the CEO says.

Although the pandemic was disruptive for many businesses, Falzon sees a bright side to the situation.

“Every cloud has a silver lining, and COVID-19 is giving us a period of calm that Malta hasn’t experienced in six or seven years. This is thanks to a record increase in tourism arrivals and the population growing from 420,000 to 515,000 in the past five or six years, as the nation is an economic magnet for foreign workers,” he explains.

“Now we can play catch up with

certain issues, such as distribution in areas where the network has been designed for a certain amount of people, but now there are many more.

We hope that when we do go back to normal operations, we will be all set to face these new challenges. I am sure better days are ahead of us.”

The conversation ends with Falzon reaffirming the importance of a secure water supply to the economic development of Malta.

“We do what we do out of loyalty to the nation and the people who trust us with their money. Malta will always find the Water Services Corporation by its side,” he concludes.

Tel: +356 2244 5566 customercare@wsc.com.mt wsc.com.mt

EME Outlook issue 38 | 131

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP

A Maltese

Mainstay As COVID-19 dominates the 2020 agenda, we talk to Saint James Hospital Group about its aims to boost the advancement of medical facilities in Malta and beyond Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Callum Waller

Through our large, dedicated team and the new opportunities provided by technology, we are able to contribute to making people’s lives better in a tangible way.”

The Saint James Hospital Group stands at the pinnacle of Maltese private healthcare, providing a broad range of medical, surgical, and allied health specialities in four locations across the country, on top of other core operations in North Africa and Hungary.

Jean Claude Muscat

132 | EME Outlook issue 38

As the leading name in the private healthcare sector of Malta, the company has earned a reputation for an incredibly high grade of medical service and 25 years of experience in the industry, employing 450 individuals with a complement of over 300 medical specialists and doctors.

It is through the firm’s pairing of dedicated medical professionals and the latest practical and innovative technology that it achieves a service unmatched in the country. Its services range across the whole spectrum of the medical sphere to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of all its patients.

For Jean Claude Muscat, orator of the opening words, working within healthcare was somewhat inevitable.

“I was practically born into the industry,” he says. “My father founded Saint James Hospital, at that time known as the Saint James Natural Childbirth Clinic, almost 35 years ago.”

From joining the company at the age of 19, his career has allowed him to contribute to and witness the development of the organisation – now he sits as the Managing Director of Saint James Hospital Group and CEO of Saint James Hospital International.

HEALTHCARE

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP “In 2003 I spearheaded the company’s largest acquisition to date – the purchase of a competing medical facility, which today is our flagship hospital. In 2006 I took on the internationalisation of the Group and developed the business in Libya and Hungary,” Muscat adds.

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE The Maltese healthcare industry is divided into the public and the private sectors. Saint James Hospital Group operates exclusively within the private sphere, and is available to those individuals holding a comprehensive private health insurance policy.

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP MISSION, VISION AND VALUES Saint James Hospital Group has earned a reputation for excellence and innovation, backed by the latest state-ofthe-art technology, and staffed by highly qualified professional personnel.

MISSION: To constantly deliver high-quality healthcare services within the community, in a safe and caring environment backed by modern technology and skilled professional staff.

VISION: To continually improve company services and facilities by investing in the latest technology, employing the highest level of medical specialists, and maintaining a dynamic and motivated workforce which has become the flagship of the Group.

CORE VALUES: • A passion for excellence • Mutual respect • Personal responsibility • Teamwork

134 | EME Outlook issue 38

And because of this there are two major obstacles that arise. The first and most obvious is the nature of private healthcare – it costs as opposed to being free to receive and is constantly competing against these free public options. This automatically reduces the market for the Group’s services to around 15 to 20 percent of the population.

Another challenge that emerges is that of Malta’s geography and demographics. The nation of islands and its limited size means that there are less than half a million inhabitants.

This automatically brings to light the issue of a capped economic scale for the company, especially one that exists in an economically demanding industry such as healthcare.

“On the positive side this keeps us on our toes and always on the look out to introduce new and unique technologies and services such as artificial intelligence, advanced hospital information systems,

non-invasive and minimally invasive surgery techniques, as well as specialisations in specific medical segments such as ophthalmology, amongst others,” Muscat says.

“The limited private market share also pushes us to continue pursuing our investments in overseas markets.”

Indeed, although there are bold plans to expand into overseas markets, it is difficult to deny that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused disruption within the Maltese healthcare industry.

The pandemic has postponed the development and completion of some planned projects, and over the past year it has pushed the company into an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to dealing with the large increase of necessary anti-coronavirus precautions and new hospital functionality.

“Although we had the advantage of realising the severity of the situation from the way Italy was being hit by

“

Serving with dedication whilst leading with innovation

Associated Equipment Limited has been established in 1988 and since its incorporation it has been engaged in promoting innovative healthcare solutions throughout Malta and Gozo.

“

Our specialization lies in offering a distinct approach towards most recent advances in Healthcare, thus we strive to make sure that our product reaches our clients expectation, furthermore fulfilling its medical purpose towards the patient’s needs.

Our dedicated team of product specialist and technicians are one of the many pillars to our success, thanks to their dedication we are able to provide our customers with the very best products and services in the healthcare arena.

Telephone No: (+356) 21384347 info@associated-equipment.com www.associated-equipment.com

Our Mission statement has always been to “Serve with dedication whilst leading with innovation”, to which we are proud to have been and will continue serving our clients and their patients with dedication whilst offering the best solutions the healthcare industry has to offer.

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP FACILITIES IN FOCUS SAINT JAMES CAPUA HOSPITAL, SLIEMA Largest hospital the company has in Malta. It offers a vast array of healthcare services and features, including: • 74 in-patient hospital beds, and four operating theatres • Endoscopy Unit, and a day ward • Medical and surgical wards • 24-hour emergency services, and a radiology department • Outpatient and specialised clinics • Physiotherapy services including a rehabilitation gym • Ambulance services, and a dental and implantology unit

CE Installations Ce Installations Ltd, as we know it today, was set up 12 years ago by three young, enthusiastic, and passionate individuals who yearned to embark on a new beginning.

Mark Camilleri took over Camilleri Installations from his father Joe in 2004. A healthy business relationship with BMV Ltd owned by Marlon Brincat, led to both parties joining forces to form CE Installations Ltd. Entrusted with important public and private projects, CE Installations Ltd is now one of the leading mechanical and electrical contractors in Malta.

• In-patient pharmacy, and laboratory services SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL, ŻEJTUN This is the latest addition to the group’s facilities in Malta, which is set in a rural and quiet area within the limits of Tarxien and Żejtun. The hospital offers a modern and welcoming environment. It is easily accessible with ample parking space available on the hospital grounds.

SAINT JAMES CLINIC, BURMARRAD This clinic, which is situated in the north of Malta, provides various medical ambulatory services, within a warm and welcoming environment. The clinic has an Immediate Medical Care Unit which provides high-quality, safe, and timely care, and is equipped to treat more serious ailments including fractures, sprains, and wounds.

SAINT JAMES EYE CLINIC This facility is an ophthalmic centre of excellence, offering its patients the very latest medical technology for cataract and refractive surgery, amongst others.

136 | EME Outlook issue 38

www.ceinstallations.com.mt

the pandemic, we had to be very quick and efficient in setting up processes and procedures whilst determining and implementing new workflows in order to continue providing our services whilst providing a safe environment for our staff and patients alike,” Muscat continues.

“Specific duties and deliverables included creating protocols dealing with infection control processes, documented contingency plans, reorganisation of staff rosters to be able to manage in the event of a shift needing to be quarantined, screening logistics for clients and staff, training of personnel, and information policies to staff and patients, amongst others.”

But the physical and logistical demands were not the only challenges posed by the virus. The firm saw a sudden decrease in revenue – as much as 50 percent due to patients avoiding hospitals unless it was an absolute necessity to visit. On top of this, many of the specialists who deliver the

HEALTHCARE

Leading Turnkey Contractors A PASSION FOR PROJECTS CE Group, 150, Triq Il-Fortizza, Mosta, Malta

+356 2767 7822/4/6

info@ceinstallations.com.mt

www.ceinstallations.com.mt

Our team of professionals, work with architects, designers, developers and business owners, to skilfully craft bespoke joinery, enhancing the finest quality of commercial spaces.

Be it clinics, hospitals, offices, showrooms or catering outlets, we provide innovative solutions and industry-leading services to deliver superior projects on time and budget.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 137

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP EXPERTISE BREAKDOWN Saint James Hospital Group offers private medical care across many departments, each specialised in a particular field.

IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE UNIT: The IMCU’s staff members are a motivated, dedicated, and compassionate team of doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, and ambulance drivers. We strive to ensure minimal waiting times and prioritise the most urgent cases by assessing each patient immediately upon arrival.

IN-PATIENT PHARMACY: In-patient pharmacies are staffed with a fully trained and friendly team of pharmacists who work hand-in-hand with our consultants and nursing staff to ensure a safe and efficient pharmaceutical service to our patients.

IN-PATIENT SERVICES: Endoscopy; operating theatres; cosmetic surgery.

MEDICAL LABORATORY: Saint James Hospital houses its own laboratory, which is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, ensuring continuity of care, and enabling us to cope with high demands from consultants and patients alike.

OUT-PATIENT SERVICES: Outpatient care, also known as ambulatory care, is a core service provided throughout our hospital and clinics. Most medical specialities are available daily.

PHYSIOTHERAPY: Planet Physio is the physiotherapy service within Saint James Hospital which offers various physiotherapeutic and rehabilitation treatments.

138 | EME Outlook issue 38

Group’s private healthcare opted out of providing their services to similarly avoid the virus. This situation only began to be relieved from mid-May onwards – following a gradual climb back towards normality.

Thankfully, the disruption and response caused by the sudden emergence of the virus has left Saint James Hospital Group in a state of preparedness and vigilance to face the second wave.

“I am proud to say that all our processes and procedures are very well organised with our members of staff extremely in tune with the required safety protocols, which helped us adapt to the new reality we are living in whilst managing it as well as possible,” Muscat informs us.

HEALTHCARE FURTHER AFIELD Away from Malta, and as Muscat has alluded to, the company is busy building up its presence as a means of overcoming the growth limitations of the domestic private market.

The firm has already breached markets in Libya and Hungary. In the former, the Group has almost completed a 50-bed in-patient hospital despite its construction being stalled due to various obstacles arising.

“We started off with Libya where we opened our first clinic in Tripoli in 2006,” Muscat says. “This turned out to be a very successful initiative until political events within the country slowed down our investment to a near halt.

“Furthermore, before 2016 ended we also opened a separate dental facility and a physiotherapy centre on the outskirts of Tripoli. In 2014 we commenced construction of a brandnew hospital – however, this project had to be halted at almost 70 percent completion due to the unstable realities within the Libyan jurisdiction.”

Before this, the firm decided to expand its services to Hungary, commencing activity here in 2007.

The country was developing with regards to its healthcare industry, opportunities, and private facilities.

It was later in 2009 that the Group inaugurated a specialised ophthalmic clinic in the centre of Budapest, with another following in Pécs.

As well as investing in bricks and mortar, Muscat and Saint James Hospital Group also recognises that without a brilliantly dedicated team of employees it would not be where it is today.

Recently, recruiting staff has posed its own challenges – sourcing skilled workers in the industry has been difficult, and so the firm has focused on recruiting staff who have the potential for development as well as a dedication to the sector.

“Through our various training programmes and human resources department, we then provide intensive in-house training to our personnel which allows us to encourage, empower and develop skills at the

Saint James Hospital started off in Libya with its first clinic in Tripoli, which opened in 2006

EME Outlook issue 38 | 139

SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP outset and throughout,” Muscat adds.

“Training for us is not a one-time opportunity but a continued requirement which is key to ensuring a team of personnel are abreast and in tune with the Group’s vision and mission.”

Muscat also notes that when it comes to employing professional staff, the company makes use of external recruitment agencies if recruitment from afar is required. To this end, a diversified workforce of local and foreign expertise ensures that quality care is delivered consistently across the board.

Partnerships and supply chain relations are also extremely important to the successful operation of medical facilities. It is the reliability and dependability of suppliers providing quality products and solutions, while maintaining ethical standards of practice, that supports the firm in various aspects of its business.

“Supply chain quality and reliability are key for our organisation to be able to maintain the high-quality standards we consistently aim to deliver to our clients,” Muscat says. “This means being able to trace supplies all the way from the moment the goods leave the manufacturer, through the transportation process, storage and until delivery to our stores.

“Today we consider our suppliers as partners and we realise that we are only as good as the team we work with on a daily basis, providing an interdependability that guarantees a long term successful relationship for both parties.”

LOOKING AHEAD Even though COVID-19 has halted some plans, Saint James Hospital Group is aiming to complete a comprehensive restructuring initiative to better manage local and overseas operations. This initiative will see the internal administrative element of the company reconfigured to separate the local and overseas management into different entities.

HEALTHCARE

Saint James Hospital, Zejtun, Malta

“This will allow the Group added focus and dedication of resources to both local and foreign operations providing it with an increased focus on market penetration, diversification, and growth,” Muscat explains.

And while the pandemic has forced the company to make its operations leaner, growth is still very much on the table.

“As part of the Group’s drive to continue pursuing its investments in overseas markets we are currently focusing on the African market in order to provide our expertise in the form of management agreements with private hospitals,” he continues.

“Our goal is to continue to develop and provide our brand services

overseas by specialising in the management of existing healthcare facilities that are seeking to reach an international standard of care and service, and which will ensure that they stand out from the rest of the competition.”

Back in Malta, the Group continues to invest in innovation as it looks ahead to the future.

For example, it is investing in innovative obesity treatments that are aimed to attract patients from outside of the country.

“We shall also be investing in innovative medical equipment which allows us to perform less invasive oncology interventions and which will also allow previously complex interventions to be carried out in a

shorter time with significantly shorter recovery periods,” Muscat says, bringing the conversation to a close.

“Of course, our international presence is of utmost importance too, and it is within this context that we are currently finalising our business plan to invest in a facility in Western Africa, together with the support of our partners.”

Tel: +356 2329 1000 www.stjameshospital.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 141

CBRE LIMITED - FAÃ&#x2021;ADE CONSULTANCY

142 | EME Outlook issue 38

CONSTRUCTION

Standing STRONG Throughout 2020, CBRE Façade Consultancy has gone from strength to strength, offering its clients technical support and specialist advice on building façades Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

C

OVID-19 has undeniably disrupted businesses across the world, thanks to loss of face-to-face interaction and disruption to supply chains across borders. But every now and then, one encounters a rare success story.

And CBRE’s Façade Consultancy is one such example.

“2020 has been a fantastic year for the team in terms of expanding and diversifying. The team has exceeded financial expectations, which is even more commendable considering the difficult market conditions,” says Tudor Pop, the company’s Head of Façade Consultancy.

The façade industry is fast emerging as a profession in its own right within architecture. But this wasn’t always the case.

“In the early days it amalgamated professionals from other more established professions such as architecture, structural engineering and building surveying,” explains Tudor. “There weren’t many professionals who would call themselves Façade Engineers, it was just those with an affinity for niche, quirky technical challenges and design.”

“As technical advisors operating within a commercial environment, we are acutely aware of the wide ranging requirements of our clients” – Tudor Pop, Head of Façade Consultancy

Tudor was one of them. “From early on I have been interested in how buildings perform,” he continues. “The façade is the first defence against the weather and bearing the brunt of the elements. Combined with my interest in heritage, the link with the façade industry was made early on.”

Joining CBRE over a decade ago has allowed him to focus on his interest in façades within a highly specialised environment. As a façade consultancy operating within the real estate market, the team jokingly refers to itself as a “niche within a niche”. However, since inception it has highlighted the benefits that a specialised façade consultant can bring to the real estate industry.

EXPERTS IN THE FIELD CBRE is the largest real estate advisor in the world, and the only one with an established in-house façade consultancy. It has been firmly established in the UK for over 16 years, and is able to integrate and add value to a number of other service lines CBRE offers, including property valuation, advisory, and consultancy services.

“We are heavily involved in the façade industry, from taking part in academic research to detailed specialist EME Outlook issue 38 | 143

CBRE LIMITED - FAÇADE CONSULTANCY

Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS?

inspections on-site and everything in between,” the Head of Façade Consultancy explains. “Our wealth of knowledge and experience ensures we help clients to strike the right balance between a building that looks great and performs exceptionally.”

The consultancy offers a range of services: expert witness; façade fire risk assessment; monitoring, re-cladding; defect analysis; advice on materials and finishes; technical audits and much more.

It consists of a growing team of eight experienced façade engineers based in London, with regional hubs beginning to emerge across the UK. This provides greater coverage and specialist local knowledge of particular façades – such as the unique knapped flint common in Norfolk and Suffolk – which is integral to preserving built heritage.

The consultancy boasts a broad client base of investors, lenders, owners and agents.

“As technical advisors operating within a commercial environment, we are acutely aware of the wide ranging requirements of our clients,” Tudor says. “Gone are the days of simply meeting the scope of the brief – we strive to surpass in every instance, ensuring that we understand that 144 | EME Outlook issue 38

TUDOR POP: “Being a highly active and visible consultancy demands that we in turn work with the best partners to assist us in delivering our services in a timely and cost-effective manner. Just as we strive to forge relationships with our clients, we do the same with our partners.

We often need to be reactive and respond to extremely tight timescales and that is made possible with the partners we work with. The key is that they understand what needs to be achieved and the importance of doing so as more often than not; it may be a safety issue requiring immediate resolution.

“CBRE operates an approval system for its suppliers and partners, requiring detailed standard information to be issued as part of the Pre-Qualification stage. Once this first hurdle has been cleared, an interview is arranged with the company wishing to supply its services or products. We operate a trial process which ensures that suppliers are vetted in all operational aspects before being finally accepted on the Approved Supplier list.”

CONSTRUCTION

Glass Aftercare proactive & reactive glazing and façade maintenance Open Entrances innovative entrances and frameless glass solutions

Defect and Failure Remediation

Complete FM Support

Technical support for FM & Building Managers

www.glassaftercare.com | www.openentrances.co.uk

Bespoke Entrance

High Level Glazing

Leak Investigation

Automatic Doors

Get in Touch +44 (0)1923 277901

We are a roofing and cladding business that forms close working relationships with our Clients. Due to the nature of the type of work that we undertake it is imperative that such understandings are formed to allow seamless onsite installation.

At present, we are working on Qbic Hotel in Manchester. This scheme consists of SFS, Marley hidden fix and face fix linear, Shackerely Sureclad system. The finished Project will be outstanding and will become a prestigious landmark in Manchester. The scheme is on budget and will be complete by December 20.

We have built up a great working relationship with CBRE over the past 18 months carrying out logistically challenging intrusive investigation works, stretching from Dundee to Plymouth.

Furthermore we have undertaken some rectification works to a number of the sites.

Due to our “can do” attitude we have also been commissioned by another Blue Chip client to undertake more complex and logistically challenging remedial investigations and corrective works. Again spread over the whole country, we have formed a great partnership which has facilitated us working together in a framework type arrangement over the next 5 years.

RHRC takes pride on building solid long term relationships with all our selected Clients. This we believe is what sets us apart and makes us the preferred contractor for many Clients, which is demonstrated by the level of repeat business we secure.

Please visit our website www.rhrc.co for further information and more contracts successfully completed in recent times.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 145

CBRE LIMITED - FAÇADE CONSULTANCY

client needs from the get-go.

“Our clients are furnished with independent and objective advice centred around the huge wealth of specialist knowledge within CBRE. This will eventually be reflected in clear proposals that give clients a cost-effective route to achieve their goals in relation to matters such as due diligence, commercial risk and growing factors such as fire safety.”

It is this adaptability, combined with a well-grounded commercial understanding of complex specialist technical advice, that Pop believes differentiates CBRE Façade Consultancy from its competitors.

“CBRE had a vision to establish a façade consultancy team a long time before anyone else in the market. This has given CBRE a strong advantage and lead,” he says.

Its established client base and 146 | EME Outlook issue 38

“CBRE FAÇADE CONSULTANCY CONTINUES TO GROW, THRIVE, EXCEED CLIENT EXPECTATIONS AND HAVE NEVER BEEN BETTER PLACED TO PROVIDE THE BEST ADVICE AND WIDEST RANGING SERVICES THAN NOW” regional presence means CBRE Façade Consultancy has an eclectic mix of current projects. These range from the maintenance of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to new-build construction façades, which total around 25 to 45 percent of total building cost. Not only must such façades be aesthetically appealing, but they must also conform to ever more stringent regulations.

The importance of building cladding has become shockingly apparent in the UK after the Grenfell Tower fire of 2017, when an electric fire spread

quickly through the apartments, killing 72 people. The fire’s rapid spread occurred mainly due to the cladding on the outside of the tower, which incorporated a highly combustible polyethylene polymer filler.

“The Grenfell Tower Fire has had a deep impact on the industry,” Tudor says. “Clients are finding themselves in the extremely complex position of navigating the mire of legislative changes relating to fire safety and building safety. They are also having to deal

CONSTRUCTION with assets that undergo significant investigations.”

The consultancy has found itself increasingly engaging in large scale re-cladding schemes due to fire safety issues. After identifying the issues, the team guides clients on funding applications, finding subcontractors and tender submissions.

It prides itself on providing advice that is detailed, precise and insightful.

The façade team often deals with complex mixed-use assets – where retail, residential and office space are incorporated, for example – and takes care to provide objective advice to mitigate risks.

EXPANDING AND DIVERSIFYING Despite the fact that 2020 has been a year of lockdowns and restrictions, CBRE Façade Consultancy has continued its valuable work throughout the year, predominantly conducting health and safety inspections and glazing audits.

One of its largest projects has been its contribution to a large number of student accommodation blocks across the UK – this has involved a review of complex fire safety information, alongside a consideration of the long-term performance of the building façades.

The Head of Façade Consultancy professes pride in how his team have handled COVID-19.

“We have had to adapt to the everchanging situation, utilising new digital tools with- old-fashioned teamwork to ensure continuity of our services to our clients, which is more important than ever,” Tudor says.

“The team is continually growing and developing better, more efficient ways to service our clients, whilst aiming to retain and develop its people.”

Attracting new talent has, he said, been difficult under the circumstances – despite an increase in the number of jobseekers, such a specialist

profession often relies on casting a wide geographical net to broaden its limited recruitment pool. For this reason, CBRE strives for high employee satisfaction.

In 2019, the firm won a slew of awards: Best Employers for Diversity

by Forbes; it was one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the sixth year running; and it was the highestranked the real estate company on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list.

“Diversity is one of the core pillars of CBRE’s values, with the Façade team providing a good representation of the inherent diversity in the industry,” Tudor says.

“We also speak a range of languages and undertake work regularly outside of the UK, covering EMEA and even further afield. We are acting for both UK and international clients who seek out the independent and objective advice we provide.”

The strength of his team’s specialist expertise, international outlook and adaptability make Tudor very optimistic about the upcoming year.

He is confident the team will carry on developing and delivering its services, furnishing clients with the technical and commercial advice to make well-informed decisions about their building façades.

“CBRE Façade Consultancy team continues to grow, thrive, exceed client expectations and have never been better placed to provide the best advice and widest ranging services than now,” he concludes.

TUDOR POP: +44 (0) 207 182 3816 tudor.pop@cbre.com CHRIS MCKAY: +44 (0) 7881 848719 christopher.mckay@cbre.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 147

GLASS AFTERCARE / OPEN ENTRANCES

148 | EME Outlook issue 38

CONSTRUCTION

Technical Support for FM & Building Managers Glass Aftercare and its sister company Open Entrances continue to deliver above and beyond for clients, its meticulous attention to detail and capacity to deliver safely and often outside of the box proving to be a winning formula Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

I

t is difficult to imagine a world without glass.

Invented around 4,000 years ago, the material has become engrained in our everyday lives in a whole host of ways – from gazing out of a train window to enjoying a refreshing drink, it is almost everywhere we go.

This includes buildings. Be it windows, partitions or entrances and many other elements in between, glass is an essential component that is produced in enormous quantities. For instance, last year glass manufacturers around the world made $127 billion worth of product, the majority of which being utilised in building construction.

But what happens to glass after the building is finished?

KEY SERVICES

GLASS AFTERCARE • Planned maintenance • Refurbishment • High level glazing replacement • Condition and acquisition surveys • Leak investigation and repair • Manual and automatic door maintenance • Bespoke entrance design and installation

EME Outlook issue 38 | 149

GLASS AFTERCARE / OPEN ENTRANCES

KEY SPECIALITIES

OPEN ENTRANCES • Revolving doors • Sliding doors • Swings doors • Frameless designs

of managing and maintaining the envelope or fabric of the building with a specialist focus in façade glazing and fenestration,” says Rod Milicevic, himself a veteran of the trade with years of experience and specialist knowledge in installation and integration under his belt.

Glass Aftercare is joined by its sister company Open Entrances, the two firms representing two sides of the same coin.

Open Entrances works with architects and designers to create, engineer and install innovative glass entrances and frameless glass solutions, priding itself on the ability to push boundaries and use innovation techniques and aesthetic solutions to solve any entrance conundrum, especially if oversized and elegance comes under the same breath.

A UNIQUE APPROACH

Revolving doors, Strata Tower, London, UK An equally critical facet of the glass lifecycle is maintenance and, when necessary, repair – and this is where Glass Aftercare comes to the fore.

One of the UK’s leading commercial glazing specialists, the company works closely with facilities management clients to provide proactive (i.e. planned) glazing and façade maintenance, as well as reactive repairs as and when the need arises.

“As Managing Director, I can assure our customers that we take the uncertainty and danger out 150 | EME Outlook issue 38

Indeed, the formidable base of knowledge and unique approach to doing business stands both firms apart in the field, the companies predominantly operating in London and the surrounding home counties.

However, for special commissions it has and will continue to travel further afield, a flagship example being the work carried out in Scotland at the Macallan Distillery, just north of the Cairngorms National Park.

Glass Aftercare alone has several hundred years of combined

experience between its 25 personnel, a resource which enables it to tackle any problem faced by building management clients. Combine this with the experts housed within Open Entrances who understand how to design and install glass entrances from scratch, and a catch-all group emerges.

“The fact we are two medium-sized businesses also allows us to give each and every client 110 percent of our attention and efforts. We are able to think outside of the box and question the impossible, providing it is safe to do so.

“Our health and safety record speaks to this, and we are willing to take on the unique, exciting and sometimes scary jobs that others may shy away from.”

Crucially, Glass Aftercare and Open Entrances operate as one-stop service providers, able to deliver start to finish packages entirely in-house with all project stages meticulously planned, what the companies refer to as sweating the small stuff – the abbreviation small stands for scope and spec, materials and mechanics, access, logistics and labour.

“We have our own specific methodology to ensure that the clients’ needs are understood and met. We believe in the old adage that the devil is in the detail, and we make sure we sweat the small stuff so our customers don’t have to be.

CONSTRUCTION “IT’S BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT GLASS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE BUILDING, ITS EFFICIENCY AND AESTHETICALLY HOW IT AFFECTS POSSIBLY THE GREATEST ASSETS WITHIN IT – THE PEOPLE THAT WORK AND LIVE THERE”

“For us, it is all about the materials and the mechanics, how glass structures are assembled and mechanically put together so that it’s functional, aesthetically pleasing, fit for purpose and, of course, compliant to all regulations.”

The challenges brought about in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent response of both companies, are testament to its approach to doing business.

“We were one of the few businesses that stayed solid through the pandemic. We took all the relevant precautions and more to keep our engineers safely on site and ensure we delivered promised work to clients.

“From office staff getting RAMS done to the specialists on the front lines, we are extremely proud of our teams – it really proved that we never shy away from challenges.”

LOOKING AHEAD This has resulted in a number of bluechip clients being on the books.

For example, Glass Aftercare has provided services to the likes of Standard Life, NatWest, Westfield, CBRE, the UK Home Office and Skanska, to name but a few.

This in turn reflects a varied and award-winning portfolio in terms of building types, from Westfield’s shopping centres to the Royal Opera House and other heritage buildings, Glass Aftercare has a provable track record across a hugely diverse spectrum of constructs.

“Whether working with curtainwall systems or fire screens, there aren’t many systems that we haven’t worked with or installed over the years. Facade consultancy is a specialist niche within facilities management, and whilst we work with blue-chip facade consultants, we also bring our own expertise into this field.”

And looking ahead to the future, this formidable bank of knowhow is going to be critical.

The challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic still rage on, the economic fallout of various lockdown measures yet to be fully felt.

However, Glass Aftercare and Open Entrances remain supremely confident in their capacity to continue delivering projects on time with as little disruption as possible to the client and fabric of the building.

The concluding message is very much one of being open for business, the MD ending the conversation by coming back to a very simple piece of logic behind the naming of Glass

Aftercare.

“People often ask why we are called Glass Aftercare, and the answer is simple,” Milicevic says.

“It’s because we care about glass and its impact on the building, its efficiency and aesthetically how it affects possibly the greatest assets within it – the people that work and live there.”

GLASS AFTERCARE OPEN ENTRANCES Tel: +44 1923 277901 office@glassaftercare.com www.glassaftercare.com www.openentrances.co.uk

EME Outlook issue 38 | 151

EURO MECHANICAL As the world tackles the health and socioeconomic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Abu Dhabi’s Euro Mechanical continues to make progress on projects and diversify its operations Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

T

he year 2020 will be remembered as the year the world shut down to contain coronavirus.

No matter where you look, almost every industry has been disrupted in almost all corners of the earth – from tourism and manufacturing to mining and food production, enterprises large and small have been forced to adapt, innovate and dig in in order to survive.

The oil and gas sector has been no different. Current oil demand is around 92-93 million barrels per day, down from 100-101 million - a reduction of around nine percent.

In the UAE, maintenance, construction, control and automation solutions provider Euro Mechanical and its key client ADNOC continue to operate strongly. Yes, some projects have been held

Respond Recove up, but both parties are confident in executing their long-term ambitions.

For Euro Mechanical CEO Jon Rawding, the 12 months since we last spoke have been defined by three words – respond, recover, thrive.

“Our organisation and its relationships with people have historically been grounded in trust,” he says, “and that means having trust in both the leadership of Euro Mechanical and the government of the UAE and Abu Dhabi – a belief that we have their best interests at heart.

152 | EME Outlook issue 38

Thrive

CONSTRUCTION

ver EME Outlook issue 38 | 153

EURO MECHANICAL “The pandemic has brought the family closer. I have been here since February 2018 – my predecessor served for more than 30 years so it was vitally important to establish trust with the team, especially given the events of this year.”

The CEO adds that the firm has been assisted by a coordinated and decisive governmental response to the pandemic.

Indeed, the UAE and Abu Dhabi authorities must take credit for the way in which testing has been

made available en masse, with clear follow up communication ensuring the virus is contained effectively, thereby minimising disruption to socioeconomic activity.

Euro Mechanical itself has also been quick to respond, its first priority being the health and safety of its employees.

“This is our number one brand belief, and while we have had some positive COVID cases among our team, so far they have, thankfully, all been asymptomatic,” Rawding says.

INTRODUCING EURO MECHANICAL Euro Mechanical has been delivering solution to the Abu Dhabi oil and gas industry since 1976 through several core business groups. Although its main focus has been on the downstream side of the industry, the company is adding services and products to support the upstream and midstream sections, as well as other industries.

Driven by Abu Dhabi’s long-term vision for economic growth and diversification, Euro Mechanical is also investigating the expansion of its artificial intelligence, automation and renewable energy solutions.

Although the firm is focused on the future, it has not neglected its core business units. Over the last two years, Euro Mechanical has analysed how these business units could be better utilised to add further value to the industries served. With the introduction of its recently acquired upstream solutions provider, SAMCO, the company now offers unique answers for reservoir evaluation, well integrity and intelligent artificial lift, just to name a few.

Euro Mechanical’s advanced technologies provide a wide range of authentic quality products that meet all standards of certification – these include artificial intelligence and automation solutions.

Further, Euro Mechanical offer concept to reality and asset management through its Construction and Fabrication division.

The Bolting and Machining Solutions division will continue to support the flange integrity sector with the introduction of new services and products in the near future.

NDT and Testing Machines continues to supply state-of-the-art destructive, non-destructive and inspection equipment to industries where failures can’t happen.

Euro Mechanical Manpower Services provides short and long-term solutions for its clients – this covers a wide range of disciplines across a host of different industries and sectors.

154 | EME Outlook issue 38

Haig Barrett Partners Haig Armaghanian founded Haig Barrett Partners, a strategic management consultancy, headquartered in London.

Haig and his global team have spent over 20 years partnering with some of the world’s most successful companies in a variety of industry sectors to strengthen their brand, provide strategic foresight and develop new business models.

Haig has been working closely with Euro Mechanical to develop its longterm strategy for growth.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Euro Mechanical over the last couple of years and to have such a clear, insightful vision of where they want to take the business. A great example of where strategy meets execution” - Haig Armaghanian. www.haigbarrett.co.uk/thenext20

“The other side of the coin has been to ensure the mental and emotional wellbeing of our colleagues. This has involved engaging with each individual, sharing learning and experiences relating to stress and burnout, and regular updates from leadership to keep the whole team updated on the latest events both within the company and externally.”

Another challenge has centred around the movement of people between or within projects, especially given that much of Euro Mechanical’s workforce are internationally based.

“We kept abreast of various travel restrictions and moved people when we could, but it is not something we have been able to control, so unfortunately some of our people have been stuck,” Rawding adds.

“Communication has been critical to managing the situation with employees abroad, and we’ve also made some new in-country hires to help get resources to where we need them.”

CONSTRUCTION

We focus on opportunities to accelerate sustainable growth and profitability with strategies that align to your business vision

HAIG BARRETT PARTNERS

London - Paris - Abu Dhabi - Dallas - Bangkok Shape The Future • Create Opportunity • Build a Better Business www.haigbarrett.co.uk/thenext20 Contact us: T: +44 7384 699 013 E: haig@haigbarrett.com

Euro Mechanical company history timeline

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE Indeed, the COVID response has been defined by what Rawding believes continues to stand Euro Mechanical apart in the field.

The company’s operations are grounded in long-term relationships that have been built up over generations and are based on mutual trust. And the CEO is determined to maintain a listen-first approach to all communication, be it with employees, clients or suppliers.

“Our relationships with partners are vitally important, and without these there simply would be no Euro Mechanical,” Rawding adds.

“The pandemic has tested these relationships and shown us how critical they are, and once again this is all about communication and trust.

“Some of our partnerships stretch back decades, and are built on the premise of we do what we say we’re going to do. The events of 2020 have highlighted this imperative.”

Such productive and trust-centric collaborations have helped Euro Mechanical to make sound progress on a number of external and internal projects through the course of 2020.

For instance, the firm recently acquired upstream solutions provider SAMCO, a move which is unprecedented in Emirati business circles.

Overseeing the groundwork for the deal is Chief Business Officer Ahmed Jasser, who explains how it will enable Euro Mechanical to dive into the world of upstream.

“We saw the opportunity to act as a go-between for ADNOC, a traditional oil and gas operator, and a fast-moving, agile technology-driven enterprise,” he says. “This will allow us to source, suggest and supply new and potentially game-changing solutions to ADNOC’s upstream operations.”

This represents something of a diversification drive, the idea being to open up more opportunities and spread risk.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 155

EURO MECHANICAL

156 | EME Outlook issue 38

CONSTRUCTION

“We have traditionally been a downstream company, but see the need for a trusted partner in the upstream space, both from a client and principal perspective,” Jasser continues. “We listen to our clients’ challenges and deliver solutions for them.

“Moving upstream is a natural step, as we have significant collective experience in this space. With ADNOC, for example, we will be able to provide more innovative solutions that will ultimately reduce their costs and increase their outputs.”

From an internal perspective, Euro

“WE’VE JUST MOVED INTO A BRAND-NEW HEADQUARTERS WHICH REPRESENTS THE START OF AN EXCITING NEW CHAPTER. I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT IN A YEAR’S TIME THAT THE WORLD HAS MOVED ON FROM COVID-19” Mechanical has been equally busy optimising processes, streamlining the organisation and investing in people.

Jasser himself is a case in point, a new appointment whose role is to head up the new business support team which focuses on customer management, strategic business, marketing and innovation. Euro Mechanical also recognises internal talent, promoting from within three of its own employees to division manager roles in 2020, as part of a long-term strategy to develop the career paths of staff.

One of the long-term strategic initiatives being overseen by Jasser is to streamline business units, an example of this occurring in 2020 when its construction and fabrication divisions merged into a single, more cohesive division.

In another move to better serve customers, Euro Mechanical has invested in an enhanced customer relationship management process, and is also in the final stages of evaluating a potential new ERP system.

This leaves Rawding resolutely optimistic about what lies ahead.

“We’ve just moved into a brandnew headquarters which represents the start of an exciting new chapter.

I would like to report in a year’s time that the world has moved on from COVID-19,” he says, bringing the conversation to a close.

“We have worked hard this year to build a resilient foundation to be there for our clients and partners so we can all thrive in the post COVID-19 world, and I cannot express enough how proud I am of everyone in the group. We now need to build on this effort, execute our plans to grow into the upstream space and expand our current business.”

Tel: +971 2 6781133 sales@euromechanical.com www.euromechanical.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 157

OBMI ARCHITECTURE

Architecture Designed for Experiences 158 | EME Outlook issue 38

CONSTRUCTION From urban communities to island resorts, OBMI is the firm that creates globally spanning construction projects designed to represent the company values of preservation, heritage, luxury, and sustainability Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Ryan Gray We are architects of storied places” – this one quote sums up the thinking behind project design for OBMI Architecture.

An international leader for luxury travel design, the company boasts multiple projects that span the globe, each of which incorporate the positive core values the company holds.

From its founding in 1936 (then known as Onions and Bouchard – the names of those that started it), the firm took to the stage starting by popularising Bermuda-style architecture. Through attracting wealthy clientele, the company moved forward. The firm was commissioned to complete larger and more notable projects such as the island’s Bermuda City Hall.

Then, in 1950, it saw a change to the name we know today.

In the present, OBMI Architecture focuses on various projects that span from inner-city urban development to hotels and resorts on exotic Caribbean islands.

Holding to its core values, the firm’s designs remain seamlessly incorporated into the nature of landscapes. As for larger projects surrounding urban development, the company ensures that there is a maximum use of outdoor social areas, and ergonomic office space.

OBMI’s urban planning team (urban planners) add vitality to company designs through transferring their understanding of urban forces to project practice.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 159

OBMI ARCHITECTURE “Our firm was born from the idea that appropriate architecture creating a well-designed space is itself an experience,” the company states.

The urban planners provide the designs with an element of social meaning that enhances the lives of those in the area. By increasing space and adding the seamless transition of design the company creates urban areas with a “sense of place”.

NATURE AND NEWBUILDS It is the core company values that are key aspects in its designs. As the firm often works in exotic and environmentally vulnerable locations, the planning of projects always considers and ensures wildlife preservation. Sustainability in both the wilderness and the human world is incorporated into the thought and practice behind design.

PROJECT FOCUS

COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN, MIDDLE EAST “OBMI sought to create a new standard for sustainability and luxury in this beautiful delicate ecosystem. Encompassing a vast breadth of land and sea, this master plan preserves the region’s pristine seascape, while at the individual level providing each guest with intimate spaces and private worlds of tranquillity.”

160 | EME Outlook issue 38

OBMI manages to achieve this level of preservation through building a relationship with the local wildlife, allowing it to thrive during and after construction. Each project works alongside the wild flora and fauna to ensure connectivity between the human and natural world.

This important task is largely down to the company’s Green Matters team. Team members focus their efforts towards creating a symbiotic relationship between the construction projects and the vulnerable wildlife that lays beyond.

The team always works with the future in mind and installs a well thought out plan for the best longterm conditions for the land, sea, and the people.

OBMI’s Ritz Carlton Hotel based in the Cayman Islands is a prime example. The site had been severely affected by Hurricane Ivan due to previous man-made destruction of the mangrove system. The roots of the mangrove trees collectively make a barrier that acts as a buffer to dissipate the forces of the ocean. This protects the coastal regions from the effects of storms and erosion.

Hermitage Bay Resort is another.

Based in an environmentally sensitive water’s edge in Antigua, the Hermitage Bay project focussed on blending the architecture into the natural beauty of the landscape, rather than sitting upon it.

As previously highlighted, OBMI ensures that its work caters to both nature and people.

On the human side of the firm’s architecture, historic and cultural elements are widely utilised. The focal point of this aspect is celebrating the heritage of various cultures through historic and traditional design, such as the planned Tazi Palace Hotel based on the outskirts of Tangiers.

“Sensitive architecture makes the five-star Tazi Palace Hotel an authentic celebration of Morocco’s rich history and culture.”

SKETS Studio SKETS Studio Private Limited, established in 2005 and situated in Delhi, India, is a design documentation and BIM Consultancy firm with a strength of 400-plus architects & designers.

SKETS Studio has completed 1,000-plus projects across various sectors and is a global leader in hospitality and interiors.

Being one of the early adopters of BIM, SKETS Studio has been showcased

by AutoDesk India in its official case studies and SKETS’ Retail Revit studio has been presented in Autodesk’s official infographic.

SKETS Studio is one of the few firms to have an independent 3D Visualization studio working alongside the design documentation teams. SKETS is a global leader in hospitality interiors and BIM interiors design documentation.

SKETS Studio was also awarded ‘Point of Excellence’ award by Wilson Associates.

www.sketsstudio.com

The beauty of the heritage factor is that it blends into the tradition of the chosen project’s local areas. This ends in newly completed designs feeling as if they fit in with the vast history that dwells throughout the different countries and regions the company works within.

BEYOND COVID-19 However, with current global obstacles severely affecting the construction and, without a doubt, the travel industries, OBMI has had to adapt.

“As many hotels around the globe begin to reopen with unprecedented exposure to virus-related risks, operators and developers look for guidance for essential measures to operate safely and attract guests to their property,” the company states.

‘Beyond COVID-19’, an article written by Giovanni Medina, the firm’s Associate Lead Designer, talks about combatting the virus in the industry.

“Its effects are going to last into the

CONSTRUCTION

PROJECT FOCUS

KOKUYÉ RESORT COMMUNITY “Kokuyé will become a world-class boaters’ destination known for its turquoise waters, unmatched reefs, and indigenous culture. The master plan crafted by OBMI in collaboration with G.Moreno & Partners, protects and builds upon the site’s unique natural features, with a storyline offering the evolution of a series of interlinked traditional, vibrant waterfront villages, with three unique island clusters, offering an opportunity for a natural phased development of these first-class beachfront and waterfront communities.”

foreseeable future,” Medina says.

“As hotel designers and architects, we are always looking for ways to innovate and introduce new concepts to meet the constantly evolving needs of guests. Now more than ever, it’s our responsibility to solve some of the challenges stemming from the pandemic so that guests feel safe, while also continuing to elevate convenience and the overall guest experience.”

The future, then, will be defined by how innovation is utilised to overcome these complex challenges. With the industry adapting to new methods of working, exciting times lay ahead for the sustainable luxury projects designed by OBMI.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 161

HALA SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES

SUPPLY CHAIN

The Supply Solution Hala Supply Chain Services continues to develop and expand in line with Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision, the aim being to build a truly international logistics hub Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

How did I land in Saudi Arabia working in the supply chain industry? Wow, what a journey and adventure it has been.

Following tenures with multinationals such as SABMiller, Total and Super Group and some other journeys, I was presented with the opportunity to make a mark in a new country, in an emerging market.”

For Pieter Spaarwater, the opportunity to head up Saudi logistics specialist Hala Supply Chain Services (SCS) was too enticing to turn down.

Joining in 2008 when the company

had just two clients, the CEO spotted the enormous potential to grow the business into a national and regional supply chain industry leader. Add to that a long-held fascination of the way a product makes its way from A to B, and the perfect match was made.

“I have always had an affinity for how product moves from demand to delivery, and at the time of my studies I was fortunate to secure a bursary with one of the largest beverage companies in the world, sponsoring my studies up to MBA level,” Spaarwater recalls.

“At the time SABMiller was at the forefront of leveraging competitive advantage through their route to market and distribution strategies.”

Today, Hala SCS stands a 400-strong team able to procure and move product to and from any location in and out of Saudi Arabia, a one-stop solution which distinguishes the company from its competitors, which include many multinational heavyweights.

EME Outlook issue 38 | 163

HALA SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES Fast-forward from 2008 and two clients, the firm now serves more than 120 customers, including the likes of SABIC and other large petrochemical companies, pharmaceutical giant Baxter, and more.

“One of our recent larger successes has been the award for distributing pharmaceuticals for the Ministry of Health in the western province of Saudi Arabia, a large operation including scheduled and temperature-controlled medicines,” Spaarwater adds.

“With our integrated solution of procurement, forwarding and clearance, transport and warehousing, we now serve a variety of industries such as

STANDING APART At the end of 2019, Hala SCS won Frost & Sullivan’s KSA Customercentric Warehousing Solution Provider Company of the Year Award and its Middle East Best Practices Awards Banquet. It was an extremely proud moment for the company and testament to its drive to continuously improve and innovate.

Asked what he believes sets Hala SCS apart, Spaarwater adds: “Our differentiation comprises of a basket of elements that make our clients decide to partner with us over extended periods.

“Not only do our clients appreciate our value for money offering, in other words the best service for the best price, but our ability to offer flexible and resourceful solutions tailored to their needs. We are seen by our clients as their trusted advisor, known for its quality and attention to detail with an open and transparent engagement process.

Our mantra reads ‘nothing is impossible’.”

164 | EME Outlook issue 38

healthcare, oil and gas, petrochemical, FMCG, retail and the government.

“Our service offerings and solutions are underpinned and supported by a warehouse infrastructure in excess of 125,000 square metres and access to over 2,500 trucks, with smart technologies supporting our people, processes and information flow, as well as providing visibility to our clients.”

GROWING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH KSA This sustained growth journey is very much in tandem with the economic development and diversification of Saudi Arabia more widely.

Spaarwater explains how Hala SCS aims to contribute to such an end.

“Saudi Arabia is going through a very interesting period of transition,” he says. “Any change is accompanied by uncertainty, resistance and some tough times, but it presents great opportunities and the Kingdom has a very specific plan with its 2030 vision.

EPG - Erhardt Partner Group EPG is a leading international provider for a comprehensive Supply Chain Execution System (SES) and employs more than 600 people at 17 locations around the world.

The company provides its more than 1,500 customers with WMS/WCS/ WFM/TMS and voice solutions to optimize logistics processes – from manual to fully automated logistics environments.

EPG solutions cover the entire supply chain: From warehouse and road to ground and cargo handling solutions at airports. Logistics consulting, cloud services, managed services and logistics training courses at the company’s own academy round out the comprehensive list of solutions from EPG.

Find out more at www.epg.com

SUPPLY CHAIN

“HALA SUPPLY CHAIN’S STRATEGIC PLANS ARE FULLY ALIGNED WITH THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA’S VISION 2030, BOTH ADDING VALUE TO AND BENEFITTING FROM ITS MACRO VISION AS A REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS HUB – INDEED, THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES”

EME Outlook issue 38 | 165

HALA SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES “Hala Supply Chain’s strategic plans are fully aligned with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030, both adding value to and benefitting from its macro vision as a regional and international logistics hub – indeed, these are exciting times.”

Spaarwater’s comments also reflect developments internally, with Hala SCS set to open a new logistics park facility in Jubail in early 2021.

Spanning 115,000 square metres, the site will include: warehousing for spare parts, raw materials and finished goods, including handling of dangerous goods, temperature controlled storage; container handling, cleaning and repairs; container stuffing and

166 | EME Outlook issue 38

“IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO ENGAGE AND PARTICIPATE YOU WILL BE LEFT BEHIND AND BECOME A DINOSAUR... HALA SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES IS GLAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE PART OF AND WILL PROBABLY SOON LEAD AN ALLIANCE ON THE DIGITISATION OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT MARKETPLACE”

de-stuffing; silo business; value added services relating to product preparation, packing and repacking; reverse logistics; cross-docking; handling of reefers and ISO tank containers.

The company is also expanding its existing facility in Jeddah, a flagship site which has already been expanded in recent years to cater to increasing client demand. Phase two will see another 15,000 square metres added, the expansion currently in the planning stage and budgeted for completion in 2021.

Hala SCS’s growth over recent years has also encompassed a diversification of services, most notably a venture into the records management solutions space.

SUPPLY CHAIN

“This service entails the safe keeping and management of records and data for our clients, electronically and physically,” Spaarwater says. “Today, our solution offering has made huge inroads, gaining significant market share, serving clients like Bupa, SABIC and Shell.”

Such developments and expansions bode well for the future of the company as it makes its contribution towards Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030.

Spaarwater explains that a very targeted and specific five-year business plan is in place, with near term priorities being to overcome the complexities and challenges presented by COVID-19.

“The pandemic has posed some new challenges, especially with regard to ensuring robustness and resilience of our service offering and how to work, creating a new dimension of continuous improvement with visibility and adaptability as the order of the day,” he adds.

What the COVID-19 outbreak has also shown is the need to embrace digitisation and agility in order to adapt and survive, something which Hala SCS is all too aware of and actively working towards.

This is where the conversation

Hala SCS warehouse and distribution centre in Jeddah has encompassed a diversification of services around business storage comes to a close, the CEO offering his thoughts on the impact of numerous technologies and how the company is looking to respond.

He concludes: “Whilst we do not have the same luxuries of the larger multinationals to invest in R&D for digitisation, AI and automation of

logistical functions, we are not left behind and have ventured into the exciting world of digitisation of the road transport market as a SaaS based offering. We are also evolving our records management solution into a data management solution.

“The supply chain fraternity is living in such an exciting time of transformation with digitisation, AI, robotics and 3D printing all taking place at a rapid pace.

“If you are not prepared to engage and participate you will be left behind and become a dinosaur. Although we would like to engage more, Hala Supply Chain Services is glad to announce that we are part of and will probably soon lead an alliance on the digitisation of the road transport marketplace.”

The message, very much, is ‘watch this space’.

HALA SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES Tel: 920004252 marketing@halagroup.com www.halagroup.com

EME Outlook issue 38 | 167

Helping real estate rebound:

Chris Speller of Cityscape discusses this year’s plans to support the B2B property market across MENA The face of the MENA region’s real estate sector has been transformed

by COVID-19 and while there have been serious economic implications brought on by the pandemic, innovative solutions and concepts are emerging which are creating opportunities for the industry. Cityscape events across the region are rising to the challenge of driving market recovery, starting with ‘Cityscape’s Real Estate Summit’, a new look event which will take place in November at Dubai World Trade Centre.

This content-led networking event will connect B2B real estate professionals across the residential, industrial, hospitality, retail and commercial sectors and will be centred around a focal Arena, with powerful keynote speakers taking the stage; a second stage with tactical talks covering industry and market analysis; and 121 meeting pods – offering invaluable opportunities to create the connections that will enable market recovery.

Cityscape’s Real Estate Summit will help to restabilise the market by enabling developers, legal consultants, architects, investors and more expand their networks, share knowledge and find the solutions to the uncertainty brought about by COVID-19.

Walk us through the decision to change the format of Cityscape for 2020. Were exhibitors and stakeholders consulted to reach a solution that will benefit all participants?

Ultimately, the decision to change the format for 2020’s event is entirely co-created with the industry, In one of the more pertinent conversations we had over the last few months, a developer told us that the biggest missing piece for the real estate industry this year is a place where they could “feel the pulse of the market”.

Cityscape’s Real Estate Summit has been founded on this principle – an unparalleled opportunity to hear from and meet the people that will change the real estate outlook in 2020 and beyond. The past few months have seen a massive transformation to how individuals, companies and government organisations interact with the market, and Cityscape has been asked numerous times to help support through this transformation.

The summit has therefore been created for the real estate industry to deliver a B2B meeting place and knowledge-sharing destination in response to market demand. Through conversations with our stakeholders we know the appetite for knowledge supersedes other concerns. Above all, the priority has been put on the need to know more and answer questions on the future of the sector, what opportunities there are to capitalise on and how to develop longstanding business-to-business relationships with stakeholders and prospective partners.

How will the new format benefit the B2B side of the real estate industry?

What do you want participants to get out of the event?

While onsite sales have been a huge part of Dubai’s Cityscape events in the past – a reflection on where the

market was at the time – Cityscape’s Real Estate Summit is focused now on creating the B2B partnerships that will be key to market stability and future sales.

Our main focus for the exhibitors and participants is to ignite and fuel conversations of recovery. By looking past the pandemic and sharing solutions on how to improve the industry, long-standing relationships and partnerships can be built. The networking opportunities and sessions are built to have a lasting impact on all those who attend.

What content will be delivered during the conference and how has this been tailored to be relevant for the market?

Industry professionals operating in the residential, industrial, hospitality, retail and commercial real estate sectors will have free access to detailed market intelligence through 100-plus hours of live and digital industry-specific insights, market analysis, keynotes and tactical talks across two stages.

All content delivered will serve as stimulus for conversation on recovery.

Additionally, many sessions have been developed to encourage more audience interaction. The industry has a multitude of stakeholders and we feel giving a voice to all professionals – not just decision makers – will widen the conversation, as well as give a holistic picture on the impact of COVID-19.

Please outline the role Cityscape’s Real Estate Summit will play in the recovery of the region’s real estate industry.

Identifying and capitalising on opportunities presented to the real estate industry will be a critical pillar in recovery. In a lot of ways, Cityscape’s Real Estate Summit will act as the bedrock for this recovery by bringing together government, industry leaders and professionals under one roof with a single goal.

Feel the pulse of the real estate market Connect with real estate professionals to explore market opportunities across all industry asset classes.

Industrial | Commercial | Hospitality | Retail | Residential

Secure your spot today 16thâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;17th November 2020 Dubai World Trade Centre cityscapeglobal.com

EVENTS

bout EMC 2020

European Mining Convention – Virtual Edition Tel: +44 (0) 208 242 6566 | info@europeanminingconvention.com

he COVID-19 outbreak, business networking is facing cedented challenges with social distancing protocols e across many countries. As an alternative to this rtent situation, virtual meeting environments are the ality. Considering the prevalent social distancing and the safety of our clients as topmost priority, the ean Mining Convention will go virtual this year as 2020 - Virtual Edition.

2020 - Virtual Edition will be a breakthrough event European mining industry. This pioneering virtual will once again break bounds and feature a conented online conference and live exhibition. EMC Virtual Edition will again bring together leading global uropean Mining Ministries, International Mining & ying Companies, Geological Surveys, Mining trade ations, Service & Technology Providers, Thought s, Investors, Consulting Organisations and Academia hange their experiences and explore numerous new ss opportunities.

A state-of-the-art digital platform for mining industry exhibitors EUR O PEA N MIN IN G Convention (EMC) 2020 – Virtual Edition will be a (0)208 242 6566 breakthrough event for the European mining industry.

This pioneering virtual event will once again break bounds and feature a content oriented online conference and live exhibition. EMC 2020-Virtual Edition will again bring together leading global and European mining ministries, international mining and quarrying companies, geological surveys, mining trade associations, service and technology providers, thought leaders, investors, consulting organisations and academia to exchange their experiences and explore numerous new business opportunities.

This trailblazing virtual conference and expo will offer a state-of-theart digital platform for exhibitors to

@europeanminingconvention.com

172 | EME Outlook issue 38

showcase their products and services and allow industry peers to present and discuss the recent innovations, trends and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the way forward for the global mining industry.

EMC 2020 – Virtual Edition will continue with the theme of sustainability, innovation and experience, signifying the need for strengthening global collaboration and technology exchange towards creating the sustainable future of the mining industry.

The event will focus on sharing experience and technical know-how by bringing together global mining leaders in a seamless virtual environment to collaborate and work towards the concept of re-framing sustainability for a better mining future.

The exhibition at EMC 2020 – Virtual Edition will bring together national

and international mining companies, equipment companies and service providers from across the globe in a virtual setting, facilitating them to promote their brands and introduce new products and solutions in the real time in front of an enthused audience. The live exhibition will allow an excellent virtual showcase of the products and services with virtual exhibition halls and feature packed customisable 3D booths.

The online interactive conference will provide an exclusive platform for business experts, thought leaders and policymakers to connect and share the valuable insights on the different aspects of the mining industry including the latest trends and techniques, global collaborations, lessons learned and real time solutions to tackle the ongoing challenges.

About EMC 2020 Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, business networking is facing unprecedented challenges with social distancing protocols in place across many countries. As an alternative to this inadvertent situation, virtual meeting environments are the new reality. Considering the prevalent social distancing norms and the safety of our clients as topmost priority, the European Mining Convention will go virtual this year as EMC 2020 - Virtual Edition.

EMC 2020 - Virtual Edition will be a breakthrough event for the European mining industry. This pioneering virtual event will once again break bounds and feature a content oriented online conference and live exhibition. EMC 2020-Virtual Edition will again bring together leading global and European Mining Ministries, International Mining & Quarrying Companies, Geological Surveys, Mining trade Associations, Service & Technology Providers, Thought leaders, Investors, Consulting Organisations and Academia to exchange their experiences and explore numerous new business opportunities.

info@europeanminingconvention.com +44 (0)208 242 6566

THE FINAL WORD To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, MAKES A GOOD BUSINESS LEADER?

Adrian Popescu CEO, TMK-Artrom “I am now looking to my 35 years of professional life, and I believe that my greatest achievement is the team I have had around me all these years. The core team managers have been with with me for a very long time; we are all acting as one single mind. We have the next generation growing and they were integrated perfectly in the team. Nobody can do lone miracles in business; nobody can be Superman in such activities.

“To paraphrase Alexandre Dumas, a team that can say it acts “all for one and one for all” in the service of its company and business, is proof of a good business leader.”

Michela Conterno CEO, Lati Industria Thermoplastici “Today a leader must be able to lead his or her organisation through a volatile world, with ever more sudden cyclical fluctuations and ever-shorter visibility. The COVID pandemic was a black swan, a traumatic and unexpected event, capable of reversing an economic cycle. There could be others: uncertainty is the new normality. To be resilient in my opinion you have to face uncertainty with flexibility. It is important to develop the ability to adapt quickly to sudden market changes. How can this be done? It is 174 | EME Outlook issue 38

certainly important to have a good risk management and business continuity system. It is also important to set a business plan, budget for multiple scenarios and draft resilience plans.

“But above all a leader must create other leaders: the era of the man alone in command is over! It is essential to delegate and empower managers so that, inspired by the company strategy and policies, they can take quick decisions independently. Naturally, this presupposes a cohesive and motivated group. In my opinion, the secret of effective delegation is mutual trust.

Especially in a world where relationships are becoming more and more virtual and people management takes place remotely, it is necessary to focus on results and trust.”

Jurand Brzezinski CEO, Ceramika Paradyz “First of all, a good leader should articulate their vision and gather the people around them to embrace and be inspired by that vision. They should build bridges of co-operation and co-creation in the organisation,

identify and remove obstacles, and most importantly make space for people to grow.

“This management philosophy unearths hidden potential, energy and gets things moving at a pace and quality impossible to achieve otherwise. Add to that consistent praise for our values – courage, respect, openness and care – and you have a recipe for success.”

Luciano Bonaria Founder and CEO, SPEA “A good business leader is the one that is able to precisely understand what the customer wants, what the reason is for the requirement and, consequently, they must be able to provide the best possible product at a reasonable price, at the right time.

More than that, the product supplied must have a high level of quality, so the customer will be happy to buy more products.”

Are you a CEO or a Director with a company story to tell?

Contact EME Outlook now!

Ensuring energy security for decades to come...

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE)

MINING

See page

36 32 PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE) These are used by inhabitants of the area and visitors, with Roser also pointing to the Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia which was opened in 1999 in the abandoned pits of the Škale mine, presenting the coal mining tradition of the Šaleška dolina valley in its authentic environment.

“It is comprised of original rooms on the surface, such as dressing rooms, a bathroom, the calling room and sections of the underground part of the mine,” the General Manager describes.

“The museum guide, the multi-vision presentation and scenes with lifesize puppets of coalminers will give you an insight of the work in a coal mine both in the past and present day. The museum houses various exhibitions, theatre plays and birthday parties

STANDING SIDE-BY-SIDE C WITH SLOVENIA

A FUTURE BEYOND COAL Looking ahead, such development will inevitably involve a diversification away from coal over the next couple of decades.

This is not an unfamiliar exercise, as

Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

2 | EME Outlook issue 38

MINING

being developed for more marketoriented programmes that will reduce dependence on coal mining.

“Within the Velenje Coal Mine, we are well aware of the necessity of transitioning into a carbon-free society, which is why we have joined the inter-ministerial working group set up by the Ministry of Infrastructure,” Roser adds.

“The Group prepared restructuring measures for coal mining regions, and will coordinate activities linked to the preparation of legal bases for the adoption of a regional strategy for the restructuring of such regions, and the adoption of a national strategy for the phase-out of coal, in line with the principles of a fair transition.

“The Velenje Coal Mine wishes to actively cooperate in further

the company and its subsidiaries have oal hasdeveloped long played a critical numerous other activities its 145-year history. role in through Slovenia’s energy mix.

Today, it employs people across an Home rich deposits, the arrayto of professions with transferable skills that can be applied to non-coal country still relies onand lignite produce endeavours, plans areto already around 30 percent of its electricity, activities which continue to provide stable employment and form the pillar of many communities.

It is a proud industry, one which Janez Roser has identified himself with from a very young age.

“Ever since I was a child, I watched the parades of uniformed men on Miners’ Day and, given that there were no miners in my family, I watched these dignified men with even greater interest,” he recalls. “This sense of pride and belonging that they radiated made a strong impression on me.

Premogovnik Velenje (Velenje Coal Mine) continues to supply vital coal to Slovenia’s energy mix, the operation representing one of the most sophisticated in Europe, with plans afoot to ensure its long-term future

ENSURING ENERGY SECURITY FOR DECADES TO COME

as well as children’s Bergmandelc workshops for the youngest visitors.

“With its contribution to the development of the Šaleška valley, the Velenje Coal Mine has proven that it has been and will continue to be a key driver of development in the area.”

EME Outlook issue 38 | 3

development of the Šaleška dolina valley and the entire of Slovenia.

Energy generation is an important issue, and Slovenia needs different energy resources such as hydro, thermal and nuclear to ensure its prosperity in the future.”

But the near term very much involves coal, and Roser is determined to keep enhancing the way Premogovnik Velenje goes about its staple business.

Stabilisation and optimisation of operations form the crux of the General Manager’s immediate plans, the ultimate goal being to facilitate more profitable activities that in turn will enable investment into the longterm plans already described.

Central to this is continuing investment in people.

“At Premogovnik Velenje, the employment and retirement of employees is carried out in accordance with the realisation of business plans,” Roser explains, bringing the conversation to a conclusion. “We pay special attention to the appropriate transfer of knowledge between employees and the mentoring process, as we are aware of the importance of maintaining key jobs and key skills.

“Due to the specifics of our work and the consequent rapid retirement of employees in underground mining jobs (our employees retire on average at the age of 53), the retirement of these employees are appropriately replaced and we follow a system of successions that enables quality career development of individuals.

We are therefore optimistic about the

future, as we believe that the quality of our staff is our key advantage for tomorrow.

“At Velenje Coal Mine, we still strive to preserve traditional values such as comradeship, solidarity, affiliation, which are unfortunately disappearing in the modern society, but are of extreme significance in the coal production process.”

PREMOGOVNIK VELENJE (VELENJE COAL MINE) Tel: +386 (0) 3 899 61 00 info@rlv.si www.rlv.si

EME Outlook issue 38 | 25

8 | EME Outlook issue 37

EME Outlook issue 37 | 9

2 | EME Outlook issue 37

EME Outlook issue 37 |to3grow 15 percent, year on year.

continue with its ambitious target: Consumables division is poised to the sector solidified, the Tools & With its trust in the resilience of

sign a number of major contracts with sales concepts. We have been able to match well with us and our strong on each market,” he says. “They usually cessful and most productive resellers “We choose to sell to the most succustomers and investing in innovation.

– through working with the right main ways the target can be achieved According to Fredell, there are two

more profitable. However, Fredell also to increase their sales and become customers it already has, helping them company intends to focus on the In the upcoming months, the after COVID-19.” our targets once the market stabilises confident in reaching and exceeding last 12 months, which is why we are those kinds of customers during the

www.bergmanbeving.com info@bb.se Tel: +46 (0)10-4547700

Premogovnik Velenje has told its story.

CONTINUING TO GROW

THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES ENSURING CONTINUITY OF SUPPLY

manage change. also shown its ability to successfully

lead that company, along with the Beving gave me the opportunity to he continues. “Joining Bergman & distributor in Sweden – Luna Group,” study the operations of the strongest engineering students in order to across the country with fellow “In around 2000, I travelled for it. long nurtured aspirations of working manufacturing sectors, and Fredell has and services to the construction and Europe’s leading suppliers of products The Swedish company is one of Bergman & Beving. the Tools & Consumables Division at Fredell, who is Managing Director of These words are spoken by Oscar sharp mind I hope I inherited.” could utilise the practical skillset and me to become an engineer, where I Therefore, it came quite naturally to size businesses as entrepreneurs. minds’. They both ran their own small ‘practical men with sharp characterised by being My father and grandfather are

renowned products. The sector has Europe. robots, which leads to globally reach now extends well into northernrelying heavily on automation and it – they are technologically advanced, sectors as well as imports them; its in the companies that operate within COVID-19, but he also professes pride manufacturing and construction ning to emerge from the shock of does Fredell feel the sector is beginand develops products for the the nation’s industrial sector. Not only optimistic outlook when it comes to remained more stable than other the company now also designs team and its operations.”

This leads him to an extremely The division’s main market, Sweden, very proud of our supply chain now over back on a track.”

Fast forward century and future,” Fredell adds. our suppliers to improve. I feel and shows a general strength for the ers and producers and are therefore companies. flow, and continuously work with were lucky to have such strong suppli- ing the state of Swedish industry planning our inbound material ble. To me, that is good news regardon stock in the Nordics in June. We distribute among Swedish industrial performance into account when strong ability in being agile and flexition sector, which is why we ran short We take four years of historic increase in sales towards the construcadvanced industrial capital goods to “The Swedish industry has shown a regarding products on stock. crisis, but with the industry overall. however, see a 20 percent volume to achieve high service degrees in 1906 to import the division’s handling of the COVID-19 drop ontechnologically sales,” he continues. “We did, source of pride for us to be able Overall, he is not just impressed with by forecasting a 20 percent volume Bergman was founded efficient operations, it is also a & Beving our partners safe so far,” Fredell says.

“We made an early mistake in April

firms in Sweden stand as one of the most reputable industrial The firm was founded in 1906 and continues to Consumables Division at Bergman & Beving.

Oscar Fredell, Managing Director, Tools &

we have kept our personnel and coronavirus effectively.

A STRONG weather GROWTH MINDSET seems of zero personnel with antibodies. It pany’s supply chain that enabled it to

“Apart from enabling us to run

of all Vattenfall’s offshore windfarms outside Scotland.” windfarms, and these tool kits are now placed in the machine room on top EVA tool set that contained all the tools needed to do the service in the “Together with the windfarm engineers, he also designed a customised

Tools & Consumables Division. as an organisation, not least in Fredell’s Beving will not just survive, but thrive following the coronavirus, Bergman & growth suggests that in the months This commitment to innovation and research and development personnel. been the recruitment of senior A large part of this strategy has resellers,” he explains. and customer loyalty for us and for our innovation to secure long-term growth long-term and invest even harder in “We have chosen to look even more upcoming years. the sourcing and R&D teams in the solutions that will be emerging from to some interesting products and In regard to innovations, he alludes Nordic countries. to penetrate more markets beyond division’s largest brand, Teng Tools, outlines ambitious plans to expand his

Now, why not tell yours? Our bi-monthly magazine EME Outlook is essential reading for operations over a long period. lasting, where we optimise joint by usually being very longrelationships are characterised partners today. Our supplier and feel we have very good expectations of our suppliers, operation. We have high functioning supply chain an important part of a wellsupplier partners are obviously OSCAR FREDELL: “Our

According to Fredell, it was the com-

STAYING RESILIENT AND AGILE

employees in August, with the result “We ran an antibody test on all

activities,” he adds. or leaving work. strength,” Fredell says. temperatures of staff when arriving at the manufacturing and construction partnerships as a consequence of that shift, virtual meetings and measuring new contracts and keep long-lasting brands for professional users within to reduce the amount of people on chain and logistics operations. We win cleaning of spaces, splitting worktime “We arebuild renowned for our supply Such measures included increasing achieve its goal to world-class Taichung. ments, while maintaining efficiency. extremely skilled people helping it toits office and production environers comes annually from Ningbo and inbound flow of 400 40-feet containures to protect its personnel in both “Bergman it&necessitates Bevingminimal is full of handling. An It had to implement many measoptimises container flows as has faced challenges.

YOUR BUSINESS? sion-making which mindset. hubs are located close to harbours, world, however, Bergman & Beving THE SUCCESS OF (China) and Taichung (Taiwan).

These Like most companies across the cultureTO and its decentralised deciRELATIONSHIPS Gothenburg (Sweden), Ningbo products to customers. company’s strong AND SUPPLIER Katowice entrepreneurial (Poland), Bedford (UK), here, it was able to continue delivering Its main hubs are located in the company’s main hub is based ARE PARTNER When asked why, Fredell cites the as countries. enacted by its government. Luckily, HOW IMPORTANT the less stringent lockdown measures come true.” Ireland, the UK and the Nordic chains, which flow mainly through markets in which it operates, due to & Consumables division. It is a dream other strong brands within the Tools BERGMAN & BEVING

Limit Micrometer

designed legs. manager then drew a tool box with a little wider work bench and specially needed a workbench on top of the tool box. Our end user development the floor. As the space is limited in the windfarm machine room, they even for their windfarms they needed a service tool box that could be bolted to tool kits to their offshore wind farms. They liked our roller cabinets, but “Last year the energy giant Vattenfall approached our partners about

business executives wanting to keep up with the latest in global news and trends affecting kit solutions exactly the way our customers want them. close cooperation with our suppliers there, we are able to customise tool Fredell explains: “As we have our own organisation in Taiwan and have a

a renewable energy project. action comes from Taiwan, where the company has been busy working on A demonstration of the Tools & Consumables Division’s partnerships in

TAIWAN

European and Middle Eastern businesses across all industries.

PROJECT CASE STUDY

MANUFACTURING

THE TOOLS POWER TO

continues to pursue an ambitious strategy of growth Reaching an audience of over 395,000 Despite readers, your company can take advantage of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Bergman & Beving’s Tools & Consumables division Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

exposure in EME Outlook with a FREE article and FREE digital brochure, as well as access to further digital and print-based marketing tools that could transform your business.

To share in this unrivalled opportunity, contact one of our project managers today!

BERGMAN & BEVING

MANUFACTURING

w w w. e m e o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 38

www.emeoutlookmag.com/work-with-us SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL GROUP Innovation and adaption

Complementing the production of EME Outlook, APAC Outlook, Africa Outlook and North America Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising these same

Outlook Creative Services

specialist production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

DESIGN:

E D I TO R I A L :

Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 959 656 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

Tom Wadlow +44 (0) 1603 959 657 tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com

Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 959 661 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Dani Redd +44 (0) 1603 959 667 dani.redd@outlookpublishing.com