INMOTIONA new sheen for our green.The kitchen design magazine “der küchenplaner” on the latest developments at GRASS:

MORE SERVICES FOR THE TRADE.Dirk Braemer explains the new services aimed at supporting GRASS customers. Page III

GREEN DAYS IN ATLANTA.The GRASS exhibition team has completed a fascinating exhibition at IWF. Page VI

GRASS PEOPLENew employees impress with their competence and passion. Pages lV – Vll

CUSTOMER MAGAZINEISSUE 3/2010

MOveMeNTs

Young architects in a compe-tition to redesign the GRAss showroom in Höchst. In the spring, GRASS invited architects to take part in a competition. The company was looking for a new design of the GRASS showroom in Höchst to reflect the GRASS motto “Movement is our passion”. An excellent partner was found for the project in the Vorarlberg Architecture Institute (vai): “We are keen to promote young architects, and therefore welcomed the initia-tive by GRASS,” explained Marina Hämmerle, Director of vai. We will report on the result in one of our next issues.

Radiant green lights up the night. The newly designed glass facade in Höchst is a clear signal of the new mood at GRASS. “Glass is a fan-tastic material which conveys high quality and a modern feel,” explains Harald Klüh, Global Brand Manager at GRASS. “Glass reflects its sur-roundings, fits harmoniously into any environment and conveys openness and transparency – which is what the new GRASS brand is all about.” For this reason, green transparent glass elements play a special role in GRASS’s new pictorial language. And in future, they will also feature in building designs. “The gleam-ing glass squares are intended to express our new understanding,” summarises Brand Manager Harald Klüh, “because rather then being a fortress, we want our building to be open to the world around it – allow-ing sight and insight.”

There is a new mood at GRASS. Two years on from the merger of GRASS with Mepla-Alfit and the integration of Hetal, a lot has changed. Hardly a stone has been left unturned in the new company set-up. There have also been changes in the minds of key players within the organisation. More on pages II/III.

TEC Soft-close: unique comfort made in the US.

The new hinge system with integrated damper conquers the American market

TEC Soft-close was developed espe-cially for furniture manufacturers in the American market. The hinge was launched at the International Wood-working Fair (IWF) in Atlanta, and was met with an enthusiastic response from visitors. The new system for face-frame cabinetry includes a so-phisticated damping system which is integrated in the hinge cup. It offers end customers maximum operating comfort and functional technology in modern kitchen, bathroom, living

room and bedroom furniture. In addi-tion, the installation of TEC Soft-close is particularly easy and efficient due to a number of unique features. The new unique hinge system extends the prod-uct range for the American market and further increases the attractiveness of GRASS movement systems for furniture makers. There are now even more products available to the furni-ture industry and cabinetmakers using different construction methods. For more details, go to Page VII.

INMOTION. THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE. Page II/III

There are expressions that appear to be so overused that their use ought to incur a five-euro fine! This also includes: “You cannot kindle a fire in any other heart until it is burning in your own.” This wis-dom has been credited to the bishop and philosopher St Augustine (354 – 430). There is hardly a sales workshop that can get by without this mantra. But what might look out of date at first sight, is actually more topical than ever. A role model might be another way of describ-ing it.

Frank Nessler, who has been the GRASS Group’s Sales & Marketing Director since March 2009, and previously held the same position at Mepla-Alfit, seems to fit the bill of role model. When you ask the 42-year-old about the current situation and the future marketing strat-egy of GRASS, his eyes light up and he seems to sparkle with enthusiasm for action. An energy that is infectious with-out appearing to be imposing. Instead of making abstract statements, he likes to speak in metaphors.

“GRASS is a diamond that had to be polished” is one of his images. With this image he condenses the ups and downs of GRASS’s 60-year history into a bite-sized portion. A diamond is valuable, it is not created from one day to the next

and has a natural and very individual beauty. The fact is: at the beginning of the decade, the company got into diffi-culties and was acquired by the Würth group in 2004. In 2007, the company was merged with local firm Mepla-Alfit from Götzis, also part of Würth, to form the new GRASS Group. Meanwhile, the Hetal plant at Alpirsbach also became part of the group of companies that now jointly markets its products under the GRASS brand name. The product range was selected by choosing “the best of everything”: movement systems such as Nova Pro come from GRASS, DWD XP from Mepla-Alfit, and the expertise for designing wall and corner cabinets originates from Hetal.

A fresh wind. Since the birth of the new GRASS Group, a fresh wind has been blowing through the different parts of the company which have gradually grown together to form one unit, or – as the re-structuring of Hetal shows – are in the process of doing so. Redundant struc-tures were dispensed with and new ones put in place. Both physically and mentally. To date, the parent company Würth has invested some EUR 100 million in plant, products, training and branding. Even the GRASS green seems to be greener. More modern. One could also say: the people at the top have done an excellent polish-ing job – with visible success. Nonethe-less, some of the after-care measures are yet to be completed.

A vibrant company culture. “It certainly wasn’t an easy process to take people from their respective positions and explain the purpose of the merger to them,” Frank Nessler admits honestly. He refers to the grow-ing together of the company as some-thing that was “exhausting, challenging and interesting”. “The development and nurture of a company culture is a never-ending process,” says Frank Nessler. The fact that his eyes light up as he says that indicates that he enjoys processes of this kind. And en-thusiastically leads by example. Proc-esses of evolution and change always start at the top – that is something the “greens” at Höchst have clearly taken to heart.

Strength in unity. For GRASS too, 2009 proved to be a difficult year. The company saw sales revenues plummet from EUR 297 million in 2008 to EUR 254 million – a drop of 13.7 % This was largely down to the well-known difficult market conditions in the USA, the UK, Spain and The Netherlands. Things now look decidedly better, and for 2010 Frank Nessler expects to see double-digit growth. “If the autumn produces really good figures, we might even get back to the 2008 results,” ventures Frank Nessler.

However, as already stated at the time of the merger, the fundamental sales targets are significantly higher – aiming at EUR 700 million by 2020. “We are far from exploiting our full potential in the world markets,” says the Director, and he speaks of “huge opportunities”. The company currently operates in 60 countries, either through its own sales organisations or through distributors.

Long-term support. “Products, dynamism, service” are the three key words, rooted in quality, which are in-tended to bring GRASS closer to its sales targets. Put the other way around: “We will continue our approach of not selling on price.” This company policy, which is aimed at durability, is also fully in keeping with the parent company’s philosophy. “Prof. Dr. Würth is a vision-ary who takes a long-term view of his investments and provides us with the funds to realise our objectives,” says Frank Nessler, full of praise. Some EUR 100 million has been invested in the last three years, and even in the crisis year 2009, investments totalled EUR 32 million worldwide, with another EUR 42 million available for 2010.

Modern products. What makes the Sales & Marketing Director look confi-dently to the future is the modernised

The trade press reports: Chief editor of the kitchen design magazine, “der küchenplaner”, Dirk Biermann, on his visit to Höchst and his impressions of GRASS.

A new sheen for our green. Sparkling like a polished diamond.

“The future is a blank canvas for the designer.”product portfolio with solutions to suit movement requirements. All this comes under the philosophy of premium qual-ity – for products, logistics and service. Sometimes this is expressed in the wide range of options such as with the Tiomos hinge system, which is available with and without integrated damper. At other times there is technical sophis-tication such as the “world’s first com-pletely synchronised concealed slide system Dynapro”. And high quality also applies to the selection of materials and production methods.

More electrical applications. Frank Nessler has high hopes for the electrification of kitchen, bathroom and living room furniture. At Eurocucina 2006, GRASS was the first supplier who dared to stick out their neck and offer the first fully electronic Sensotronic movement system for fronts without handles. Although it must be said that electrically controlled drawers failed to achieve the anticipated triumphant suc-cess, he nonetheless sees the “electri-fication of furniture” as an unstoppable development. In Nessler’s view, it will take another three to five years until the idea takes hold.

The millions of euros invested since 2004 will ensure excellent prospects for the future.

“We make movement an experience. This emotionality creates a positive perception of the GRASS brand among end customers and helps furniture makers differentiate their products.”

Frank NesslerDirector of Sales and MarketingGRASS Group

Dirk Braemer, head of the new GRASS Distributor Management, speaking about the new service and its additional customer benefits.

“Our excellent movement systems come with customer-oriented service for distributors and cabinetmakers.”

Dirk BraemerHead of GRASS Distributor Management

Performance for the trade.Distributor management – a new compo-nent of GRASS’s new orientation towards customer service. Its head, Dirk Braemer, and his team have accomplished a lot in a short period of time, and want to do much more: “It is our task to provide an optimum service in all areas to our dis-tributors and, in particular, to the cabi-netmakers who install our movement systems. Both OEMs and cabinetmakers have certain needs in common, but are also different in many ways. What we aim for is to do justice to both groups of customers and bring them on board.”

Supporting the cabinetmaker’s strengths. “An individually crafted piece of furniture requires something different from us than industrially pro-duced furniture,” says Dirk Braemer, and he elaborates: “The cabinetmaker needs a wider and more comprehensive range of products than an OEM so that he can play to his strengths and respond to cus-tomers’ wishes. We can help by providing a lot of inspiration for the innovative use of movement systems and marketing aids aimed at the end consumer.”

Set packs, single sets and cardboard drilling templates. Set packs make it easier for the cabi-netmaker to buy the Sensomatic elec-tromechanical opening system and the Kinvaro flap system. All the necessary components, including a cardboard drilling template, are included in the set to facilitate quick and easy instal-lation. “For the cabinetmaker, a drilling template is extremely important. That’s why every GRASS product will have a template specifically aimed at the cabi-netmaker,” says Dirk Braemer.

GRASS Distributor Manage-ment is currently working on a new comprehensive catalogue which will show the extensive range of products for distributors/cabinetmak-ers and which will provide cabinetmakers with all the technical and administrative information needed for the efficient order-ing and installation of GRASS products. A project that is particularly close to Dirk Braemer’s heart, and which will also be completed in the near future, is the new Ganileos design and ordering software. With this software, GRASS wants to op-timise all ordering and design processes, providing significant help to both cabinet-makers and distributors. In summary, Dirk Braemer sees the challenge as “provid-ing cabinetmakers with quality products in terms of design and function which are easy and efficient to install”.

GRASS Single-Sets include cardboard drilling templates for easy installation.

All information at a glance in the GRASS cata-logue for distributors/cabinetmakers. Available from June 2011.

All the ingredients for perfect movement in the GRASS Single-Set box. Available for Dynapro, Sensomatic and Sensotronic.

Product information with much emotion – GRASS teaser brochures for distributors.

INMOTION. THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE. Page IV/V

GRAss peOple

Lars Heine has been responsible for HR management and devel-opment, employer branding, job enlargement, recruitment and apprentices since August 2010. He graduated in business admin-istration and also wants to use his many years of experience as a management consultant with emphasis on HR management in his function at GRASS. Lars Heine states the qualities a GRASS manager should have as problem-solving skills, strategic and entre-preneurial thinking, discipline, re-spect and accountability. His first aim is to provide “the necessary training modules for methodo-logical, communication, team and management competence.”

Lars HeineResponsible for HR developmentJoined the GRASS team in August 2010

“Our customers deserve perfection. No-one can achieve that on their own, but together we can. For this reason, we want to develop all employees to a point where they can make full use of their personal potential and do so with enthusiasm.”

Competence and enthusiasm are the foundation of a strong brand.

Christoph Walter, the GRASS Group’s Finance & Administration Director, talks about employees, passion and continuous knowledge building.

The first impression of Christoph Walter is one of an analytical, calm and stra-tegic thinker; and there is no doubt that’s what he is. But he is more than that, and his whole passionate energy and vivaciousness become apparent when he talks about the qualifications of employees and managers: “We need courageous managers with ideas and we need employees with the drive to make things happen, who are prepared to join us in building a green future.” Christoph Walter sees human capital, the expertise of employees, as a criti-cal factor for sustained success. It fol-lows that he places great emphasis on HR development: “Competitive factors such as speed, flexibility, customer orientation, quality and productivity can only be achieved if all employees are competent, motivated and able to learn and adapt.” Christoph Walter sees focused employee development as much more than classical training

activities. For him, HR development comprises all measures that help em-ployees to acquire the personal and professional skills required to perform their tasks and meet company objec-tives: “With our new HR Development Manager Lars Heine, we will therefore be paying special attention to topics such as job enlargement, successor planning, training models and much more. It is our aim to recognise individ-ual development potential at an early stage and to systematically encourage the motivation to achieve.”

From the executive workshop to the Management Academy. Building on the first executive workshop in Brand in 2009, the second workshop was held in the same place in Sep-tember 2010. 130 management staff from all European GRASS locations in Höchst, Götzis, Salzburg, Reinheim, Alpirsbach, Jönköping and Krumlov

accepted the invitation. The subject of this extremely intensive three-day workshop was the optimisation of in-terface management and internal com-munication.

Efficient communication is very impor-tant to Christoph Walter for the con-tinuing development of the company: “In order to achieve our ambitious tar-gets, we need clear, direct and focused communication, a clear perception of interfaces and good mutual under-standing between all employees – far beyond the limits of departments and locations.” That was exactly what was practised during the workshop in a range of indoor and outdoor activities. At the end of the three days, partici-pants exchanged impressions on their learning experience as well as looking to the future and how they would imple-ment what they had learnt in their own working areas.

Christoph WalterDirector of Finance and AdministrationGRASS Group

“We need courageous and imaginative managers and employees with a strong will in order to implement our strategies.”

Tiomos hinge system by GRASS.

Thomas Müller, the GRASS Group’s Technology and Development Director, talks about the key topic of increased productivity.

Productivity is a challenge for the entire company.Thomas Müller takes the view that sus-tained success with innovative products that meet high quality requirements demands highly professional methods for securing the competitiveness of the company. The Technology & Develop-ment Director emphasises that “in ad-dition to the achievable selling price in the market, the company’s productivity has the largest impact on the success of our products and services. Our main emphasis is therefore on our employees and their qualifications as well as on the plant and equipment incorporated in the value chain”.

Total Productive Management (TPM) has led to decisive im-provements. Five years ago, GRASS decided to introduce a comprehensive productivity management system which ensures a continuous improvement process in the company. Total Produc-tive Management (TPM) impacts on

production as well as all adjoining areas in logical sequential steps in order to systematically detect and successively reduce any kind of waste.

“Increased plant efficiency and em-ployee productivity and, in particular, the improvement of our internal qual-ity performance are central to this ef-fort,” says Thomas Müller. The method is supported by a system of produc-tion performance indicators and target agreements, accompanied by monitor-ing audits to ensure progress within the organisation. At the facilities at Höchst and Götzis in particular it has been pos-sible to achieve encouraging progress in the last two years. Thomas Müller pays special attention to the standardi-sation of work processes, and faster and more flexible set-up times. Overall, he sees this as optimisation of the or-ganisation as a whole in combination with a highly qualified workforce.

Efficiency and effectiveness. For Thomas Müller, an increase in pro-ductivity is “a challenge affecting the en-tire company, one which goes far beyond improving individual machine cycles”. Future increases in productivity will be based on inter-departmental coopera-tion and systematic project implemen-tation. “It is essential for us to proceed systematically and to resolve conflicts of objectives in the organisation effectively and efficiently so that our company suc-ceeds in the industrial production and sustainable optimisation of products that are wanted in the market,” says Thomas Müller.

Thomas MüllerDirector of Technology and Development, GRASS Group

“Future increases in productivity will be based on inter-departmental cooperation and systematic project implementation.”

GRAss peOple

Herbert MaiselHead of Product ManagementJoined the GRASS team in April 2010

“There are no com-promises in product management. If movement is to be an experience, then the quality, functionality and aesthetics of our systems must meet the highest requirements.”

The new Head of Product Man-agement, Herbert Maisel sees the “green spirit” as the reason for his move to GRASS: “GRASS is a growing company with a clear vision. Together with my team I want to build on the successes of the recent past – design orien-tation, functionality and the drive for productivity – and set trends in every respect.” After gaining a degree in business administration, Herbert Maisel went on to special-ise at ETH Zurich and the Univer-sity of St. Gallen before acquiring many years of experience in the kitchen industry. “There has been a strong trend towards differentia-tion in the industry in recent years. Of course, it must be our objective to support premium OEMs and cabinetmakers with our products and services.”

EGO cabinet series by Blaha with the Tiomos hinge system inside.

GRASS Tiomos moves the doors of the EGO cabinet series by Blaha.

Unique: a piece of furniture with two “red dot” awards.The fact that a piece of furni-ture has obtained the same design award twice is prob-ably rather rare in the history of the prestigious “red dot” award. So it is no surprise that the Austrian office furni-ture manufacturer Blaha and GRASS were doubly pleased at the “red dot” award cere-mony in Essen – both individ-ually and jointly – as the ac-claimed Tiomos hinge system also moves the EGO cabinet series by Blaha.

“The red dot is proof for us that the company’s internal 5th Milestone Design

programme has worked,” explains Blaha Head of Marketing Mag. Marcus Haas. This is not the first Blaha project where external designers were used. Then in 2007, the company established its own design team. EGO was developed by the Linz designer Thomas Feichtner. “In Thomas Feichtner we have found a kindred spirit,” explains DI Michael Thurow, who is responsible for design and product management at Blaha. “The communication between designer and company is one of the most excit-ing aspects of the process that develops an idea through to its implementation.” Cool on the outside, sophisticated inside. “The cool looks of the EGO are matched by its sophisticated inner workings,”

A small dot with great impor-tance. The red dot is one of the most coveted interna-tional design awards.

explains DI Michael Thurow. “Often it is things that you don’t see at first that impart the sheen of quality: the way the forms fit together, the connections between the parts, the sophisticated technology and the precision of the mechanics.”

GRASS Tiomos and GRASS Dynapro are amongst the best of over 4,200 products. In Blaha office furniture, GRASS Tiomos defines the aesthetics of the door movement and GRASS Nova Pro that of the draw-ers. For other GRASS customers, it is the new concealed slide system GRASS Dynapro which was also distinguished with a red dot award. Head of Marketing,

Andreas Marosch, echoes the conclu-sion of Michael Thurow of Blaha: “The many years of cooperation with our designer Stefan Ambrozus have forged a close relationship. The intense dia-logue between our technicians and the designer, who has won several awards, has opened up a new dimension for us in form and function.”

INMOTION. THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE. Page VI/VII

Movement as an experience. At the GRASS exhibition stands, tangible space becomes emotional space. The rooms have been designed down to the last detail and create an atmosphere that fascinates customers and employees alike and never fails to bring new surprises.

“It’s amazing!” Visitor response is reward for hard work.Peter Bennath, who heads the exhibition construction team, on the exciting time spent in the USA.

“Green days” at IWF in Atlanta. GRASS impressed with its product innovations and the new market launch.

The International Woodworking Fair is the most important industry event on the American continent. So it is no surprise that tensions rose for Peter Bennath in the days leading up to the event, especially since it was the first time that GRASS pre-sented itself in the USA with its new global corporate design. Peter Bennath, who was responsible for building the stand, and Jan Fitzpatrick, who was responsible for the organisation, are clearly moved as they recount: “The 350 m2 exhibition stand in its new look and full of innova-tions such as TEC Soft-close, Tiomos, Dynapro and Kinvaro was a huge surprise for our customers, the trade press and even our own staff in the USA.” This high-light was the result of many months of planning and hard work. The exhibition stand itself, with the GRASS LED cube at its centre, as well as all brochures, films, animations – i.e. the entire marketing ma-terial, had to be redesigned for this event, which only takes place every two years. On the opening day, Peter Bennath and the whole team were full of expectation to see how the new movement systems and the new brand design would be received in the USA. And the eyes of the man in charge of exhibition stand construction still shine today: “It was amazing!”

Constantly energised. Peter Ben-nath doesn’t easily lose his nerve. A quality he really needs, because as head of exhibition stand construction at GRASS, he is constantly “energised”. With his team of nine permanent staff and further temporary staff for setting up and dismantling the stand, Peter Bennath organises an average of 25 ex-hibition stands per year. That requires experience, expertise and full com-mitment. He sees a special challenge in the fact that there is always a firm deadline and in the special require-ments and demands made by GRASS and the visitors to the exhibition: “For an exhibition you always have to be ready on the dot, you can’t afford one hour’s delay. Of course you can plan for that, but with exhibition work there are always unforeseen circumstances. In addition, the stands we design and build our not exactly simple, as we try to make the world of our products into a unique and memorable experience for our customers.”

Innovative presentation meth-ods and space for personal communication together cre-ate the typical GRASS feeling. Peter Bennath and his team create vi-sionary spaces “so that our visitors can experience the GRASS spirit with all their senses”. To achieve that, GRASS’s exhibition experts use all that technol-

ogy can do, especially for the large exhibitions. Together with Head of Mar-keting, Andreas Marosch, and Global Brand Director, Harald Klüh, the team around Peter Bennath implements its ideas with LED walls – even entire LED rooms – animation, film and sound. However, Peter Bennath does not want to overdo it, but achieve a harmonious mix: “In Atlanta, new products such as TEC Soft-close need space to unfold their beauty and functionality. Custom-ers and customer advisers want a quiet but nevertheless inspiring atmosphere for their meetings, and the GRASS brand wants to convey its unique mes-sages – it has, so to speak, its own spirit which penetrates and pervades everything.”

Four days of emotion over 600 m2 – thousands of hours of preparation. When large ex-hibition stands have to be built, such as at IWF in Atlanta or at Interzum in Cologne, several thousand working hours are necessary as well as the optimum cooperation of all involved. It takes several months from the first architectural sketches to the design of the last details, because GRASS sees its exhibition presence not as a static presentation, but as a moving stage production. Christian Kadur, Rupert Cesa, Helmut Tomaselli and Harald Sperger of the GRASS exhibition team

in Höchst emphasise: “In that situa-tion we benefit from our experience, from meticulous preparation and also from the flexibility of the staff and their ability to improvise.” Together with their colleagues in the exhibition team at Reinheim, Richard Forgber, Jörg Deelmann and Reinhold Nelischer, they mention another aspect of their complex task: “We don’t just design and build the exhibition stands, we also construct the furniture on show.” Nevertheless, the entire team also fo-cuses the same attention on smaller exhibitions. Julian Hollersbacher and Herbert Loacker of the GRASS team in Höchst: “It is often harder to imple-ment our ideas in smaller spaces, but we tackle each new exhibition with fresh enthusiasm as we want to fasci-nate visitors in every country.”

Exhibition service requires maximum preparation. One of the tasks of the GRASS exhibition team is also the exhibition service for GRASS customers, who showcase their innova-tive furniture at exhibitions such as the furniture fair in Cologne, Küchenmeile A30 or Eurocucina. That is always “a new challenge, but nothing is more exciting and beautiful than to be able to present our movement systems in our customers’ latest models”.

Peter BennathHead of GRASS Exhibition Stand Construction

“We always aim for a balance between emotion and information.”

GRASS USA with a new Vice President.A man for all seasons – Jürgen Ahlfeld accepts a new challenge.

The restructuring of GRASS USA has been completed and it is possible that break even will be achieved as early as 2010. Jürgen Ahlfeld feels that the com-pany is well on course; he also empha-sises the importance and the challenge of the US market for GRASS: “In coop-eration with us, the team in North Caro-lina has achieved an enormous amount in the past months. We are building on that. Forward-looking products such as the TEC Soft-close and Tiomos hinge systems, the Dynapro concealed slide and the Kinvaro flap systems are as pop-ular with our customers as the uncon-tested design classics – the double-wall Nova Pro and DWD XP drawer systems. In addition, are focusing very hard on service and productivity.”

A globetrotter in the service of technology and progress.

Jürgen Ahlfeld brings a lot of experience and a progressive approach to North Carolina. The personal career of this father of three fits perfectly with the American dream. Following his training as a machine fitter he went to evening classes after work and obtained his qualification to attend the University of Applied Sciences at Koblenz, where he studied mechanical engineering. In the 1980s he first worked as development engineer and later as workshop manag-er and head of research & development for an international industrial company in Frankfurt.

Even in those days, Jürgen Ahlfeld loved a new challenge. In 1990 he packed his bags and, together with his family, moved to Singapore in order to run the production facility for another German industrial company. Three years later his

company asked him to become works manager at a facility in Düsseldorf. Then finally, at the turn of the millennium, changes came about at GRASS and Ahlfeld and his family moved from the north of Germany to the banks of Lake Constance. Now, Jürgen Ahlfeld is at-tracted to the winds of change at GRASS America; he comments on his personal change in moving across the big pond: “GRASS is a specialist in movement sys-tems. I myself love movement and inno-vation, new tasks energise me, whereas routine paralyses me.” Jürgen Ahlfeld still considers America as a country of unlimited opportunities, especially for GRASS and for himself: “I like the culture of getting on with it in a daring and pioneering spirit, and that is exactly what we are now doing.”

Jürgen AhlfeldVice President OperationsGRASS USA

“I’m inspired by America’s spirit: we want to – and will be – pioneers again.”

GRAss peOple

Christine MödritscherHead of the GRASS Academy, joined the GRASS team in September 2010

“Our movement systems are pure passion. That’s why our employees need not only the competence to understand and convey technical facts, but also the ability to communicate emo-tionally, authentically and inspiringly.”

Christine Mödritscher has been re-sponsible for managing the GRASS Academy since September 2010. In addition to her qualification in business administration, she has many years’ experience in leading positions in the field of further edu-cation. She is currently working on a new concept for the GRASS Academy and she truly loves it: “Our distributors’ sales reps, the workforce of cabinetmakers and OEMs, and of course, GRASS em-ployees, will all benefit from the new organisation.”

Beauty and movement as ex-pressions of pure joie de vivre. Closing furniture doors with TEC Soft-close is something special. The unique hinge sys-tem cushions the movement, and softly and quietly pulls the doors shut.

Many thousands of visitors to the GRASS exhibition stand in Atlanta were able to experience the feeling. The system, which was developed for the American market and the face-frame tradition, was popular right from the start. TEC Soft-close offers maximum operating comfort and functional tech-nology for modern furniture – in kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms or bedrooms.

The great adaptability of the TEC Soft-close system has been achieved through its intelligent and space-saving functionality, which inte-

grates the damping system within the hinge cup.

Jürgen Ahlfeld, Vice President Operations of GRASS USA, is very pleased with cus-tomer reactions: “With TEC Soft-close we can provide a wonderful boost to the construction method with solid face frames, which is so popular amongst many cabinetmakers. Some of our US customers produce frameless furniture, many of them work with face frames and some even with both. But they all have one thing in common – they want to capture the imagination of their custom-ers and offer a range of solutions. They need to weigh up the costs and benefits of the production methods as well as the demand of the end consumer for one or the other construction method.” Jürgen Ahlfeld emphasises the flexibility and numerous options furniture makers have with GRASS: “With our new TEC Soft-close hinge system and our entire

comprehensive range of movement sys-tems, we support every cabinetmaker in his effort to find his own individual solu-tions and to match them with customer requirements, and thus to differentiate himself positively from his competitors.”

Beauty and comfort for the end consumer, efficient installation for the furniture maker. Jürgen Ahlfeld has been in charge of the devel-opment of TEC Soft-close right from the beginning. He and his team were keen to combine the unique comfort and ben-efit for end consumers with a number of installation benefits for the furniture makers. Most important were the small dimensions of the hinge because the smaller a movement system is, the bet-ter it is suited to face-frame construc-tion. “It’s a small package with a big Soft-close and huge benefits,” says the new Vice President, clearly proud of the result.

The launch of TEC Soft-close at IWF.The new face-frame hinge generation with integrated damper.

Ideal for face-frame construction: the damper is inside the hinge cup.

Editorial information: owner, editor and publisher: GRASS GmbH | A-6973 Höchst/Austria | Grass Platz 1 | www.grass.eu | Design: GRASS Marketing, Editors: die3 – PR Agency, www.die3.eu. Subject to printing errors.

INMOTION. THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE.Page VIII

Artic

le N

o.: 7

1969

-00

New faces and many winners at GRASS.

Competence for a secure future.In September 2010, 17 young peo-ple, 14 boys and 3 girls, started their apprenticeship at GRASS. In Austria alone, GRASS trains 62 apprentices, ten of them girls. Reinhard Lecher, Head of Apprentice Training: “These young skilled workers receive a level of training which is internationally in demand. This is borne out by the ca-reers of former apprentices who today have jobs such as production manager, works manager or who are recognised production plant experts.”

GRASS apprentices top the list at the 2010 apprentice competitions. GRASS’s vision “We want to be the best” has already be-come a reality for the apprentices.

This is supported by the rankings achieved in the annual examinations and apprentice competitions organ-ised by the electrical and metalworking industries of Vorarlberg. Here, GRASS apprentices compete with those from other leading international companies. In 2010, Bekir Yildiz achieved first place in the field of metalworking, and the bronze medal was won by Mario Blazevic, who was closely followed by Martin Barta. Some of the best places were also won by the two ma-chine tool technicians, Michelle Feigl and Melanie Metzler, who passed their stage exams with distinction. Thomas Leonhartsberger has passed his ex-amination as machine tool technician with distinction.

Melanie Metzler and Bekir Yildiz are just two of those who have achieved outstanding results in the apprentice competitions. Our congratulations go to all winners.

The advantage card for those under 26.

Using the GRASS Greencard for “moving” events.Registration for the new GRASS Greencard is possi-ble by going onto the GRASS apprentices’ homepage at www.ichundgrass.at or onto Facebook. Numerous advan-tages are available to Green-card holders.

According to Frank Nessler, Sales & Marketing Director of the GRASS Group, the GRASS Greencard is intended to benefit the many thousands of young people who live near the company fa-cilities in Höchst and Götzis. As one of the biggest local employers, GRASS has a special interest in the pupils,

GRASS says goodbye to one of its veterans.

GREENCARD

Denis Marsh, Managing Director of the sales offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town, is retiring.

The life and career of Denis Marsh would be worth a feature film. Although the script writer would be hard pressed to make the film into a reflective comedy or pensive drama about the meaning of life, about love, trust and faith. Which-ever way, spectators would leave the cinema deeply touched. Just as Denis Marsh’s retirement touches his custom-ers, business partners and all GRASS employees who have got to know and appreciate him over many years. His successor Wayne Nabal, who we will be introducing in the next issue, will certainly not find it easy to step into his shoes. However, Denis Marsh is full of praise for him: “Wayne was our ideal candidate, he will run the company in his own way and develop it success-fully.”

With flashing lights and sirens to the interview. A breakdown, and everything might have been different. In 1986, Denis Marsh was on the highway in Cape Town, South Africa, on his way to an interview with Horst Lautenschlager. The engine stalled, the car stopped, time ran out, there was no telephone booth nearby and mobile phones were not yet available at the time. Denis Marsh’s

luck came in the form of a traffic po-liceman who did not hesitate to drive him in the police car, and at speed, to the interview, thus helping him to his job and a career which he began as general manager.

Many companies, one man-ager. In 1993, Lautenschlager be-came Mepla, in 1996, Würth took over the company and a short time later appointed Denis Marsh as man-aging director for the headquarters in South Africa. In 2002, Mepla and Alfit merged. And finally, in 2008 GRASS South Africa was born. Through-out these years, Denis Marsh had an impact on the development of the com-pany and he fondly remembers some of the magic moments: “At the beginning we travelled all over South Africa to present our hinges and slide systems, and I myself operated the machines in order to demonstrate the efficient instal-lation. Later, customers came to us.” Denis Marsh organised many parties for product launches which hundreds of his customers remember well. Denis also fondly remembers his oldest customer and the difficult start of the cooperation: “Twenty years ago he thought that our

products were too expensive and that he could buy a Mercedes as a present for his wife after just one year if he used other hinges. And that’s what he did, but six months later he came back to me as the quality and service problems en-countered with the others had annoyed him and won him over to our products.”

A fulfilled and meaningful life – full of plans. Denis Marsh finds great joy in dedicating himself to his family, his grandchildren and the charity cam-paigns of the protestant “Assembly of God” church. Since his wife died of can-

cer and his son was also diagnosed with the disease, Denis appreciates time in a deeper sense and wants, as he says, “to make use of every minute”. He has many plans to keep himself busy, apart from his commitments to his family and the church. He wants to travel within South Africa as well as to Europe, Israel and the Arctic, and also to make one dream come true: in his garage he has an MG dating from 1932. He wants to renovate this car and perhaps will soon be driving on the same highway as at the time he went to the interview at Lautenschlager. But this time without a breakdown!

Denis Marsh Managing Director GRASS South Africais recognised for his life’s work

“Time is short, use every minute!”

trainees and students of the region. In future, card holders will get discounts for certain events and in certain shops, and can take part in draws for tickets to Vorarlberg first-division matches of Cashpoint SCR Altach and SC Austria Lustenau.