Sanitary Equipment Heating Technology Kitchens · of UBS research focus and economist at UBS AG,...

AFG shines: with Forster Profile Systems

T h e m a g a z i n e o f A F G A r b o n i a - F o r s t e r - H o l d i n g A G June 2011

AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AGAmriswilerstrasse 50 · P.O. Box 134CH-9320 ArbonT +41 71 447 41 41 · F +41 71 447 45 [email protected] · www.afg.ch

H e a t i n g Te c h n o l o g y

L o g i s t i c s



W i n d o w s a n d D o o r s

K i t c h e n s

Precis ion Stee l Tubes

D o o r s

Surface Technology

W i n d o w s a n d D o o r s

R e f r i g e r a t i o n

Prof i le Systems

n Heating Technology and Sanitary Equipment Pages 14 – 21

n Kitchens and Refrigeration Pages 22 – 31

n Windows and Doors Pages 32 – 37

n Steel Technology Pages 38 – 43

n Surface Technology Pages 44 – 49

H e a t i n g Te c h n o l o g y a n d S a n i t a r y E q u i p m e n t

Division Kitchens and Refrigeration

Logistics

Division Windows and Doors

Division Steel Technology

Division Surface Technology

Division Heating Technology and Sanitary Equipment

Premiere Page 24

PUR11 by Forster Kitchens impresses

EgoKiefer presents innovations

STI | Hartchrom – good gets even better

Ideas Page 33 Kaizen Page 46

K i t c h e n s

A jewel with many facets

Ladies and Gentlemen,Dear employees

Since 1 June 2011 I am the new CEO and am responsible for the

operational side of AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG. I am look-

ing forward to this task for two reasons. On the one hand, the

management of an independent company with over 6000 em-

ployees provides me with the opportunity to commit myself fully

as a key manager in applying my experience, goals and values.

On the other hand, AFG with its impressive product and service

portfolio and its distinct innovation potential is an attractive

company to work for. AFG is a jewel with many facets – a jewel

which can be further refined.

I would like to take the opportunity here to give credit to my

predecessor, Dr. Edgar Oehler, for his impressive achievements.

He has built up AFG into an international and successful com-

pany. I am fully committed to continuing on this path. In order

to be able to have a place in the market in the future, AFG

has to develop into an effective industrial holding company.

I see my main tasks as systematically improving efficiency and

furthering the organisation’s international development and

innovative strength.

I am aware of the fact that I can only achieve these objectives

in close and trusting cooperation with the Divisions and AFG’s

subsidiaries. I am also aware that the different parts of the AFG

organisation operate in very different markets with their specific

requirements. This means that there will not be a central recipe

for success. We will be looking for solutions that contribute to

the best possible outcome in industry- and market-specific situa-

tions. Naturally, this will require the support and expertise of all

management and engineering staff in the whole group of com-

panies.

When you now browse through this current AFG WORLD, dear

readers, you will once again be able to witness the fascinating

diversity of this company. It is almost unbelievable «how many

pies AFG has its finger in», as is evident from the current Annual

Report.

Behind the different orientations of the Divisions there is a

shared philosophy, which I want to strengthen in the years to

come: fast decision-making, high efficiency, cautious interna-

tionalisation and the passion for the best products – in regard

to their technology, user-friendliness and design, and in respect

of all services, which are characterised by strict commitment to

customer proximity.

I hope you will enjoy reading this copy of AFG WORLD!

AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG

Daniel Frutig, CEO

Prelude 1

AFG WORLD, the magazine of AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG, appears bi-annually in four languages in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic, in Slovakia as well as in other countries around the world.

Circulation 20,000

Editorial addressAFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AGEditorial AFG WORLDFabienne RohnerAmriswilerstrasse 50P.O.Box 134CH-9320 ArbonT +41 71 447 41 41F +41 71 447 45 [email protected]

ProductionConcept/Layout/Text editorial:E,T&H Werbeagentur AG BSW CH-9401 RorschachPrinting: dfmedia, CH-9230 Flawil

Title image: Forster profile systems ensure quality, aesthetics and safety throughout the world. The Prime Tower in Zurich could be seen as the «home match». This office building, which is currently the tallest in Switzerland, has been fitted with 750 fire safety doors made with Forster profile systems.

Copyright: Thies Wachter, Architekturfotografie, Zürich

Imprint

n PreludeEditorial ............................................................................. 1

n In a nutshellNews ................................................................................. 2

n FocusA great entrepreneur steps down to the second tier ............ 4

«Efficiency, internationalisation and innovative strength

as key tasks» ....................................................................... 7

Safety for the tallest building in Switzerland ........................ 8

n AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG2011 General Assembly: witnessing change ........................ 12

Opening ceremony of AFG Competence Center, Shanghai .. 13

n Heating Technology and Sanitary EquipmentKermi eccolution – successful start as heating technology

system supplier ................................................................... 15

ISH 2011 – Kermi and Arbonia still on the fast track ............ 16

OOO AFG RUS: Leonid Evlentev new CEO ........................... 19

«Best up-to-date exposition» for Kermi

at the 15th Aquatherm ........................................................ 19

Skilled tradesmen survey: Kermi once more at the top ......... 20

Maximum room comfort due to multifunctional

underfloor convectors ......................................................... 20

Quality, service, design: 10 million competent

shower enclosures «made by Kermi» .................................. 21

n Kitchens and RefrigerationForster Kitchens and Refrigeration under new management 23

Forster PUR11 – an exciting revelation in the Maag Hall ....... 24

Successful AFG premiere at the LivingKitchen 2011 ............. 26

Piatti kitchens at the Aare ................................................... 28

Innovation: a secure investment .......................................... 28

Order can be this appealing – thanks to Piatti! .................... 29

Warendorf now also in Hanover .......................................... 30

Holger Bodendorf enjoying the Library ................................ 30

2 x Interior Innovation Award for Warendorf ....................... 31

Warendorf also in demand in Asia and the Middle East ....... 31

n Windows and DoorsLeading with ideas. Zofingen – a practical example .............. 33

EgoKiefer launches «Energy&More» online with success ..... 34

EgoVerre® – now also produced in Romandy ....................... 35

Children sing for children .................................................... 35

GEWA Award powerful 50 plus:

RWD Schlatter among the top 3 .......................................... 36

RWD Schlatter nominated for the IBK Health Award ............ 36

Slovaktual kicks off the building season

with a myriad of exhibitions ................................................ 37

Slovaktual: Expansion of the Pravenec plant ........................ 37

n Steel TechnologySecret TV stars ................................................................... 39

Forster Profile Systems – made to impress ........................... 40

Elegant and safe ................................................................ 42

Rail transport for energy savings ......................................... 42

Excellent supply quality ...................................................... 43

Annealing shop refurbished in 6 x 24 hours ........................ 43

n Surface TechnologyDr. Hannes Schmüser, new CEO of the

Division Surface Technology ............................................... 45

… and every day a little bit better....................................... 46

Drinks packaging in production –

it is the texture that counts ................................................ 48

STI | Hartchrom expands its goods and services

to the aviation industry ...................................................... 49

STI | Hartchrom sets standards ............................................ 49

Contents

3Focus2 In a nutshel l 3

news2

AFG «Landsgemeinde» (rural council) as managing instrumentOn 29 March 2011 management staff and others with responsibility at AFG met for the traditional «Landsgemeinde» or people’s assembly. Topics were the state of the economy, the 2010 business year, finances, lowering the cost of materials and qualifications. In his rear- and forward-looking assessment, Dr. Edgar Oehler gave an interesting overview of the most im-portant developments in the world economy in the past and current years. Dirk Faltin, Editor-in-chief of UBS research focus and economist at UBS AG, gave a talk entitled «Assessment of developments in the European economy – factors affecting the Eurozone» where he presented informative scenarios of Europe’s economic future. The «Merkur» material cost reduction programme and the SWOT analy-ses of all Divisions added further valuable input. The «Landsgemeinde» was concluded with a forward assessment of the 2011 business year. «

Philippe Starck in Italy and RussiaTwo design-related events in Italy and Russia – that was enough for Philippe Starck to make him come in person. At the Salone del Mobile exhibi-tion in Milan from 12 to 17 April 2011, Warendorf Kitchens GmbH presented itself in an upmarket design furniture studio in the centre of Milan, in cooperation with other high quality brands. One of the exhibits was the small but select Primary with a mirror glass front from the Starck by Warendorf series, which was displayed in the shop window and attracted a lot of attention. Many potential customers expressed their interest and collected information; likewise, it attracted a lot of attention from international media representatives. On 12 April 2011 an exclusive press confer-ence took place for invited editorial staff. Philippe Starck personally presented his Warendorf kitchen concept to a small group of people with extreme dedication, sparking a lot of enthusiasm amongst the journalists. On the initiative of the Rus-sian distributor FTF Holding, Philippe Starck himself kick-started the introduction of the Starck by Warendorf product line on 5 April 2011 in Moscow. The press confer-ence and introduction event were organised on the same day and were extremely successful because, with about 1000 guests, the number of visitors was much higher than expected. With his open and uncomplicated style of presentation, Philippe Starck sparked off a lot of enthusiasm here too. «Philippe Starck signing autographs.

EgoKiefer wins 2011 marketing trophyThe campaign entitled «Climate protection included – strong EgoKiefer plat-form» won the coveted Swiss «Marketing Trophy» in the «online visitor award» category – which is determined by online voting. The innovative, new EgoKiefer platform is the result of the cooperation between EgoKiefer, the light artist Gerry Hofstetter and the «freicom» communication agency. In this campaign, the ecological thinking and actions of EgoKiefer have been turned into visual content via a series of communication measures. «For many years, EgoKiefer has been active in supporting a healthy environment», says Michael Dietsche, Head of Marketing Services at EgoKiefer. «With this campaign we show our awareness of the environ-ment every day of our working lives. As the first company in this industry, we pro-duced a life- cycle analysis for our products as early as 20 years ago, and in 1999 EgoKiefer was awarded the ISO 14001 environment certificate.» «

More than just windows and doors – at EgoKiefer climate protection is included.

Kermi and Arbonia: New Sales Director Middle EastFor the sale of Kermi and Arbonia products in the Middle East, Sherif El Khodragi has been working as Sales Director Middle East since 1 March 2011. His professional career has been shaped by a number of sales and marketing activities in the Middle East. In one of these, Sherif El Khodragi was working for Franke GmbH where he was responsible for all sales operations in the Middle East regions. This experience, together with his Bachelor qualification in Business Administration and an MBA in Sales and Marketing which he is currently working for, make him well equipped for his new duties. Sherif El Khodragi is looking forward to finding new strategies and distribution channels for Kermi and Arbonia products in the Middle East regions. We wish Sherif El Khodragi every success and much luck in his new post. «

Forster Profile Systems:Excellent adviceA broadly-based survey organised by the AIT magazine amongst architects in Germany revealed that Forster Pro-file Systems’ architectural advisers are much esteemed. The survey was sent out to over 1300 German architects and interior designers without revealing any brands. In the «Win-dow/Facade» category, Forster Profile Systems achieved a rank-ing amongst the top ten and was awarded «Silver» status. «

The Silver award was received by Ludger Lohaus, representing all architectural advisers on the occasion of an awards ceremony in Cologne in March 2011.

Sherif El Khodragi, the new Sales Director Middle East.

To be a guest, and yet feel at home – the luxurious apartments of Hotelbusiness Zug AG in Zug offer first class home comfort in short lets. Guests who stay longer in the magnificent region in central Switzerland will be spoiled with a homely atmosphere, the best service and top-class furniture. An absolute highlight: 22 of the exclusive apartments have been fitted with the «Primary» Starck by Warendorf kitchens designed by Philippe Starck. «These kitchens suit perfectly», explains Jan Ericsson, Head of Marketing for Hotelbusiness Zug AG. «With their distinctive design they have both a subtle and stylish effect.» «

«Primary» in a smooth paint finish matching the interior design in pure white and warm terracotta.

Luxury apartments with Starck by Warendorf kitchens

The former head office of AFG: up to 2008, a worldwide corporation was managed from this handsome Art Nouveau villa in Arbon.

5Focus4

A great entrepreneur steps down to the second tier

On 29 April 2011, the General Assembly gave warm applause and its farewell to Dr. Edgar Oehler as Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO. However, as member of the Board of Directors and main shareholder, he will continue to be close to AFG.

Dr. Edgar Oehler was born in Balgach in 1942 and is a gen-uine son of the Rhine Valley region: strongly rooted in his home territory – and unguardedly open to the world, per-haps even as a result of this «grounding». At the young age of 19 he went to the USA as an exchange student. At the age of 28 he spent a guest term at Tokyo University – at a time when such exchange terms were not yet very common. In the meantime, he studied political science at St.Gallen University and in parallel built up a plastering business with 40 employees. At the early age of 29 he was elected to the National Assembly. This is all the more aston-ishing as, prior to his election, he never held a mandate in a municipal or cantonal council. Furthermore, during the election campaign, he overtook other well-known candi-dates because he knew how to mobilise the electorate. On the road with his «Oehler-mobile» vehicle, he distributed fried sausage and knew how to win over the population with his reasoning. As National Councillor, he not only

Tireless, active and wide awake to the newest technological and economic developments: Dr. Edgar Oehler.

Dr. Edgar Oehler with his guests (from left): Economic Adviser Roland Grafe, the former German Ambassador Andreas von Stechow and former Regierungsrat Hans Peter Ruprecht of Thurgau.

moved quite a few things in Bern, but also in Iraq, where, as head of a delegation, he achieved the liberation of 36 Swiss hostages held by the former dictator Saddam Hus-sein. This earned him the title «Caliph of Bagdad». He also made a name for himself as erudite Editor-in-chief of the dai-ly paper «Die Ostschweiz». 1985 was a decisive year both for Dr. Edgar Oehler and AFG. As General Director and member of the Board of Directors, he took over the management of AFG as it was then. He and the two incumbent Federal Councillors, Dr. Kurt Furgler and Dr. Christoph Blocher, formed a truly illustrious triumvirate. In 1990, the talented entrepreneur accepted a term contract for the restructuring of Justus-Dornier-Holding AG, Zurich, as chief representa-tive for all connected companies. In spite of being a commit-ted non-smoker, he became President of the Swiss Cigarette Industry Association. In 1998 he acquired Hartchrom AG Steinach. As Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO he recognised the strong potential of technical hard chrome

coating and developed the company, which he integrated in-to the Division Surface Technology at AFG, into a globally leading organisation.

The second half of his life he dedicated fully to AFG.The period between 13 October 2003 and 29 April 2011 stands out for both Dr. Edgar Oehler’s personal success and AFG’s success as a company. In 2003 he acquired the majority shareholding from the Züllig heirs, who were dissatisfied with the management at the time and saw no future potential for the company. From a good but rela-tively uninspiring company with nearly CHF 700 million turnover he formed an internationally successful industrial group with a turnover of CHF 1.5 billion. AFG – which in 2003 had two Divisions and 3000 employees – today has five Divisions with over 6000 employees. As a gifted com-municator, Dr. Edgar Oehler ensured that AFG was also in the eye of the general public – for example, by acquiring

the naming rights to the AFG Arena, the construction of the Corporate Center, through focused sponsoring, in particu-lar of Swiss Sailing and the St.Moritz Match Race and above all, through his frequent public talks and media contacts and his intensively nurtured customer contacts. On the entrepreneurial side, Dr. Edgar Oehler strengthened AFG with the integration of well-known companies:

2004 Bruno Piatti AG, kitchens2004 EgoKiefer AG, windows and doors2005 Miele Kitchens (today: Warendorf Kitchens)2006 Schmidlin ASCO Swiss, heating technology2007 STI | Hartchrom AG, surface technology2007 RWD Schlatter AG, doors2007 Aqualux, showers and accessories2008 Slovaktual GmbH, windows and doors

7Focus

«Efficiency, internationalisation and innovative strength as key tasks»

Daniel Frutig, the newly appointed CEO, who took up his post on 1 June 2011, made his first public appearance on the occasion of the General Assembly. He referred to the organisational change of AFG into an industrial holding company, the increase in efficiency, and continuing internationalisation and strengthening of innovative vigour, which had already been decided upon by the Board of Directors, as key tasks to be tackled.

Daniel Frutig, who took up his post as CEO on 1 June 2011, started his career in 1987 at Sulzer Infra Consulting in Win-terthur, initially as Project Leader, and ultimately as Director of Facilities Management Consulting. From 1998 to 2003 he worked for Accenture consultants, a job that took him to almost every corner of the globe. From 2003 to 2005 he headed up Swisscom Immobilien AG as CEO and from 2005 he managed the Support Services business unit of the British food company, Compass Group. Daniel Frutig concluded his

studies in 1987 in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineering at the University of Lucerne. In 1994 he gained an MBA qualification from the University of St.Gallen. He has outstanding knowledge of the property industry and services associated with the construction industry, as well as many years of experience in the management of related business, particularly in Eastern Europe, India and China. Daniel Frutig is married and the father of two children. «

Personal profile

Trainingn 1984 – 1987 Studied Building Services Engineering

(heating, ventilation and air conditioning) at the University of Lucerne

n 1992 – 1994 MBA course with qualification at St.Gallen University

n 2000 Further training at the IMD International Institute for Management, Lausanne

n 2004 – 2005 Qualification from the Top Management Executive Programme at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France

Professional careern 2005 – 5/2011 Compass Group PLC, Chertsey, UK Group Executive Directorn 2003 – 2005 CEO, Swisscom Immobilien AG, Bern

n 1998 – 2003 Accenture Associate Partner Global Services (formerly Arthur Andersen Consulting), Zurichn 2001 – 2003 Global Director of Services & Technologyn 2000 – 2001 Director of Facilities, Services &

Procurement for Europe & Latin American 1998 – 2000 Director of Facilities, Services &

Procurement for Western Europen 1987 – 1998 Sulzer Infra Consulting, Winterthur Director of Facilities Management

Consultingn 1991 – 1994 Head of the branch for Infrastructure

Technology Systemsn 1987 – 1990 Project Manager

Personaln Married, 2 children, resides in Winterthur/ZH

Daniel Frutig was born on 8 October 1962 and today lives in Winterthur, canton of Zurich.

Daniel Frutig, the new CEO of AFG.

As a youngster, already a talented entrepreneur: with a loan of CHF 10,000 Dr. Edgar Oehler formed his first company when he was still a student.

6

«As member of the Board of Directors

I am still fully committed to my responsibilities.»

You will still be a member of the Board of Directors of AFG and its largest shareholder. Will there not be a temptation to interfere with the new management?Not at all. Because Daniel Frutig is now responsible for the operative management. As CEO he is free to make decisions within the strategic framework set by the Board of Directors.

How do you understand your new role?Just as what it is: as a member of the Board of Directors who contributes his experience and competence without trying to sell these as the ultimate truth. Besides, I have two ears, which still work pretty well. My role as member of the Board of Directors has the advantage that I can observe and suggest, without being exposed to the pressure of operative management. That widens the perspective for the future and all the opportunities it offers our company.

In future, will you devote more of your time to your private interests?I went abroad at an early age and have cultivated contacts with other cultures throughout my career. And I have always worked hard. With all due respect for my family, I am certain-ly not going to take a sharp turn towards domestic idleness. I will shift the balance very gradually towards a more private life. After all, I don’t want to bother my wife by retiring home and doing nothing. My daughters have left the nest and live their own lives. And last but not least, I also want to do justice to my duties as member of the Board of Directors and the responsibilities this function conveys on me. «

Strong symbols – recovering from the crisisThe AFG Corporate Center was opened in 2008 and is a strong symbol of a company which believes in functionality, quality and aesthetics and which, in spite of its global orien-tation, is committed to its location in eastern Switzerland. The global crisis year, 2009, brought about a slump in the economy but in 2010, AFG was already able to report a return to profitability with a net turnover of CHF 1,413.5 and a profit of CHF 14.2 million. This means that Dr. Edgar Oehler is able to hand over the company to his successors in a perfectly healthy state. «I will now enter my active pre-retirement», he commented on his step down from his posi-tion as Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO. «It is my intention to remain the largest shareholder of AFG in the future with at least the same proportion of shares as now.»

Dr. Edgar Oehler, you have managed AFG extremely successfully. After retiring from your position as Chair-man of the Board of Directors and CEO, do you not feel a little bereft?Most certainly. Many years of committed activities, practically around the clock and around the globe, create an emotional tie to the company which cannot simply be severed in one step. But luckily, as an entrepreneur, I not only have a heart but also a brain and that tells me: «Now is the right time for a change in management.»

Was this change in management somewhat accelerated by criticism from certain shareholders?Not at all. This decision goes back a few years. I have active-ly used the period since that decision to safeguard AFG’s future by placing it on sound foundations. This has now been accomplished. And this in turn not only pleases my brain but also delights my heart, and these feelings far outweigh sense of loss.

In a first step, the door frames were fitted to the existing openings. This ensured that the other construction workers were able to carry out their work without delay.

Focus 98

Safety for the tallest building in Switzerland

At Prime Tower in Zurich, currently the most talked-about new construction project,

about 750 fire safety doors by Forster Profile Systems ensure safety. The tower,

which was designed by Annette Gigon/Mike Guyer Architects, is 126 m high and

the tallest office building in Switzerland.

Together with the two annexe buildings «Cubus» and «Diag-onal» the 36 floors with over 47,000 m2 floor space will pro-vide more than 2,000 workplaces. Prime Tower is located in Zurich West, on the terrain of the former Maag site next to Hardbrücke railway station. The tower, with its crystalline exterior and partially projecting glass facade, rises from an irregular octagonal footprint layout. The top floor will have a restaurant und bar, from where visitors will have a breath-taking view of the city and region. The impressive building complex was the winning entry of an international competi-tion, with high-profile competitors, in the year 2004, which had been organised by the owner, Swiss Prime Site AG head-quartered in Olten, a leading Swiss property investment com-pany listed on the stock exchange. The general contract was awarded to a consortium comprising Losinger Construction AG and Karl Steiner AG.

«Forster were given the opportunity to present

their fire and smoke insulated systems to the

architect as early as 2008.»

A new conspicuous landmark: the Prime Tower on the terrain of the former Maag site.

To protect the delicate highly polished surfaces, the profiles were covered with protective foil until the end.

Forster Profile Systems were involved from the beginningEven before the groundbreaking ceremony in July 2008, Forster were given the opportunity to present their fire and smoke insulated system to the architects. The briefing was clear: door elements flush mounted on the exposed concrete and natural stone. So that no visually detracting components had to be installed, the architect opted for integrated door closers. After the first inspection of the steel and stainless steel profile systems, a number of meetings took place to de-termine the various door types and connection details. Once approval had been obtained, a technical pre-specification with all necessary details was drafted, including fire safety aspects and the required fire resistance classes. A preliminary computation of the material quantities was established for versions in steel and stainless steel and a rough initial cost calculation produced. By the middle of 2009 all design docu-ments, including component schedules, were ready for hand-ing over to the project management as basis for the submis-sion. Once a number of metalwork companies had submitted their offers, the general contractor led the pre-contract dis-cussions and finally, at the beginning of May 2010 – about two years after the first meeting – the contract was awarded to Hammer Wolfermann AG, Nänikon. Because of the very short implementation period available, the appointed sub-contractor opted for a solution he had specially developed,

The skyline of Zurich is reflected in the glass surfaces as well as the stainless steel frames.

Focus 1110

Facts & Figures

Building Prime Tower, Zurich West, Maag siteArchitects Annette Gigon/Mike Guyer Architects, ZurichClient Swiss Prime Site AG, OltenUse 36-storey office building, 126 m total height, annexe buildings «Cubus» and «Diagonal» Public ground floor with shops and restaurants, different types of offices, top floor with

restaurant and barDesign/construction 2004 – 2011General contractor Prime Tower consortium, Losinger Construction AG and Karl Steiner AG

Fire safety elements Fire safety and smoke protection doors Forster fuego light EI30 and Forster presto E30 in a number of versions: mostly double-leaf door elements with highly polished stainless steel sheet lining (mirror finish)

Metalwork Hammer Wolfermann AG, Nänikon, Zurich, St.Moritz

«On a contract of this size and with such time pressure, it is not easy to always keep the whole process in the frame. The reliability of suppliers and the impeccable motivation of our employees were important factors in completing the project. I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone involved.»

Jürg Gschwend, Managing Director of Hammer Wolfermann AG

which allowed the subsequent lining of the fire protection system profiles with highly polished stainless steel sheet ele-ments. Thanks to the excellent stability and outstanding di-mensional accuracy of the profiles, as well as the precision finish in fabrication, this presented no problem. The result is a fully flush mounted construction. Special emphasis was given to a design that was easy to install since there were about 300 workers deployed on site and all construction activities, including even the use of the lifts in the shell building, had to be precisely coordinated. The tight schedule also presented a formidable challenge for the production and delivery of the profiles and components, as well as the entire installation process. The material was called up in stages in order to pro-vide a steady work flow in production of the elements at the metalwork company. It was thanks to the outstanding coop-eration of all parties involved that it was possible to complete and install all elements on time. By now, the approx. 750 fire safety and smoke protection doors fulfil their function and contribute their part to the safety within the building.

Very complementary feedbackAfter the elements were handed over in mid February 2011, Klaus Müller, the Site Manager responsible for the Prime Tower consortium, gave Hammer Wolfermann AG the fol-lowing feedback: «We, and also the client, were delighted when we saw the CNS doors for the first time without their protective foil. I congratulate you on your (now nearly com-pleted) work, and would be grateful to you if you would pass on this complement to your colleagues. Your effort was truly worth it. Many thanks!» «

Tall buildings have exacting safety requirements. The fire protection system profiles by Forster are ideally suited to meet these conditions.

Fast and easy installation of door-leaves thanks to slender and hence attractive rebate hinges for screw fixing.

For some rooms with special service equipment, flush EI30 fire safety doors with full metal lining were installed.

«Particular emphasis was placed on a design

that was easy to install.»

FocusAFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG12

2011 General Assembly: witnessing change

At the General Assembly on 29 April 2011, Dr. Edgar Oehler stepped down from his position as Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO. He will remain involved with AFG as member of the Board of Directors and majority shareholder. Paul Witschi was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors and the new CEO, Daniel Frutig, made his first public appearance.

As leading supplier to the construction industry with 13 top European brands, AFG opened the AFG Competence Center in Shanghai on 26 January 2011. In China too, the company focuses on segments which reward outstanding innovation and proactive commitment with stable margins and extraordinary long-term growth.

Opening ceremony of AFG Competence Center, Shanghai

The AFG Competence Center, Shanghai

The AFG Competence Center, Shanghai provides over 1,400 m2 of floor space, including two office areas and an exhibition area. The contract for the design was placed with Swiss architects Virtuarch. The exhibition area com-prises five parts for four product presentations: kitchen products, sanitary fittings, heating systems, steel profile systems and a model room.

AFG is developing very rapidly in China. Two years after the AFG group had entered the Chinese market, it invested mil-lions of Yuan in the construction of the AFG Competence Center, Shanghai. The Centre presents all AFG products under one roof and shows how they perfectly complement each oth-er – thus producing an attractive value-creation chain as well as an environment-friendly, energy-efficient ambiance. Some AFG products can be shown and explained: Kermi heating systems and shower cubicles, Warendorf kitchens, EgoKiefer windows, RWD Schlatter doors and Forster steel profiles. Guests of honour at the opening ceremony were: the General Consul of Shanghai, His Excellency Heinrich Schellenberg, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of AFG, Dr. Edgar Oehler. Felix Aepli, CEO of AFG Asia Pacific, wel-comed over 300 guests, which included well-known develop-ers, designers, architects, representatives of the authorities, business partners and over 30 media representatives. The event programme was supported by lively jazz and artistic perform-ances and a live cooking demonstration. Guests were able to experience AFG products close up and enjoyed fresh and tasty food prepared in Warendorf kitchens. The AFG Competence Center, Shanghai underscores the company’s confidence in the development of the Chinese market. «

Symbolic highlight: ceremonial cutting of the tape.

Dr. Edgar Oehler captures the interest of the audience with his fascinating talk.

The General Assembly approved all motions by the Board of Directors.

«In 2010, AFG was able to report a profit of

CHF 14.2 million, bringing it back into the black.»

Felix Aepli, President and CEO of AFG Asia Pacific, welcomes nearly 300 guests.

The Swiss General Consul of Shanghai, His Excellency E. Heinrich Schellenberg, addresses the public.

AFG highlights in 2010

n Significant increase in turnover: + 5.8%, purely organic growthn Profitability re-established: EBITDA margin 8.6% (7.7%), EBIT 3.4% (0.6%) n Return to profit: profit of CHF 14.2 million (previous year: loss of CHF 22.5 million)n Return to the ability to pay dividends: payout of CHF 0.50 per sharen For the first time in several years, all Divisions produced a higher turnover than in the previous year

In the past year, AFG was able to return to a positive result with a profit of CHF 14.2 million. Following the previous year, in which the group did not pay any dividend, shareholders will now receive a dividend of 50 Swiss centime per share. The turnover of CHF 1.41 billion is 2.1% higher than in the previous year. Without the recent hardening of the Swiss Franc, which is detrimental to the Swiss export industry, it would have risen by 5.8%.

Important personnel changesThe General Assembly approved all motions by the Board of Directors. Delegates said their farewells to the incumbent

Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, Dr. Edgar Oehler, who stepped down from his functions on the occasion of this General Assembly. However, he will remain involved with the company as member of the Board of Directors and majority shareholder. In its constituent meeting following the General Assembly, the Board of Directors elected the previous Vice-President Paul Witschi to its Presidency and Christian Stambach to Vice-Presidency. During the General Assembly, the recently newly-appointed CEO, Daniel Frutig, who had taken up his post on 1 June 2011, made his first public appearance. «

13

Kermi eccolution on the simulation wall.

14 15

A great deal has happened in the Kermi heating technology field. With the innovative eccolution renovation system Kermi is now able for the first time to ensure energy-efficient operation of single-pipe systems including their mandatory hydraulic alignment.

Kermi eccolution – successful start as heating technology system supplier

Great emphasis was placed on the modernisation and reno-vation market which will be gaining in importance in the fu-ture. A previously untapped but nevertheless weighty system sector is to be found in buildings and units with so-called single pipe heating systems. The eccolution was presented to trade visitors for the first time at the ISH 2011 International Heating and Sanitary Fair in Frankfurt. The excitement among the team members was tangible! Had Kermi really developed a promising system solution for energetic modernisation of old systems which meets the expectations of the skilled trade, planners and house-building industry? The extraordi-nary number of visitors crowded around the simulation wall developed especially for visualisation of the system spoke for itself. Kermi’s sales engineers used various practical examples from the field to demonstrate various target and actual tech-nical conditions of the heating systems.

Savings of up to 18 per cent They showed very clearly how the Kermi eccolution system can improve the deficits of the existing single-pipe systems so effectively that savings of up to 18 per cent are possible, depending on the system. The heart of the eccolution system is the «single pipe valve block» patented by Kermi with a valve on the left or right and a variable bypass. This ensures that a single-pipe system not only runs perfectly under full

load conditions, but also under partial load conditions, which occur much more frequently.

Modernisation with the Kermi eccolution systemThe remaining eccolution system components such as the control valve, the circulation pump and the electronics box can be optimally combined with the Therm X2 flat radiators. As always Kermi also thought of easy solutions for trades-men! The many talks and discussions with customers at the show clearly revealed how urgent a matter the modernisa-tion of single-pipe heating systems is for all involved. Skilled tradesmen will in future have a system at their disposal to solve the problem of how to effectively increase the energy efficiency of existing systems. The eccolution system offers housing associations the opportunity to do justice to the increasingly important aspects of modernisation regarding energy savings and also enhancing living comfort. When ap-plying for subsidies from the KfW Reconstruction Loan Corpo-ration fund, hydraulic alignment is an essential prerequisite. With the Kermi eccolution this is now possible for single-pipe systems for the first time! In summary Kermi has succeeded in taking a pioneering step from being a radiator supplier to becoming a system supplier for building services engineering applications and at the same time is making an active contri-bution to conservation of our energy resources! «

Andreas Wolffgramm, Heating Technology Sales Engineer, unveiling the new eccolution system.

Heating Technology and Sanitary Equipment


The Kermi Sanitary Equipment stand was impressively aesthetic.

16 17

The dominating topics at this year’s ISH were conservation of resources, sustainability, efficiency and renewable energies. These were also the topics at the centre of the Kermi and Arbonia presentations and which were also focused on by more visitors from other countries, especially from the regions currently undergoing economic growth – the percentage of visitors from these areas rose by 6 per cent to 71,000.

The stand as a communication centreWith the Kermi sanitary equipment stand in hall 3 and the heating technology stands of Kermi and Arbonia in hall 8, the Division Heating Technology and Sanitary Equipment was once more represented with three stands showcasing central

With 204,000 visitors and 2,355 exhibitors the ISH, the leading international trade fair for sanitary equipment, heating and air conditioning technology, was able to improve on its results in 2009 once more in both areas. These positive figures and the tangible spirit of optimism indicated that the negative effects of the economic crisis have been generally overcome.

ISH 2011 – Kermi and Arbonia still on the fast track

themes of the show. The striking dome design of the stands which was often complimented on by visitors could not be overseen, and its attractiveness meant that the stands were often the first port of call for trade visitors from the commer-cial and trade sectors and also architects, planners, engineers as well as press representatives. The well-manned Kermi and Arbonia teams of specialists and assistants were equipped to show the constant flow of visitors the latest innovations and further developments both in personal talks and also in per-fectly prepared presentations. The positive response made it clear that the service and product portfolios of both compa-nies meet the requirements and current needs of the market exactly.

New Kermi featuresThe new features at the Kermi sanitary equipment stand were focused on the currently dominating topic of flush-floor showers and wet rooms.

The Kermi wet room: Flush-floor and tileable showers are currently in vogue and are replacing conventional shower trays. Kermi has made use of its experience and competence in shower enclosure construction and design to develop its wet room solution and now supplies a system to the trade with all necessary elements and materials to create a wide range of attractive, safe and convenient wet rooms which are very simple to install. The optimum downward gradient to the drain is already included. The wet room can be cus-tomised to suit the taste of end users with either point (rectangular) or line (channel) drainage systems.

Walk-in-Shower XS: The Walk-in-Shower XS which won the iF product design award 2011 has a striking, exclusive but ab-solutely robust design. This new range includes more than 50 different designs in both the FREE (free-standing) and WALL (wall-mounted) series.

Atea with lift-lower-slide mechanism: The design of the successful Atea shower enclosure has once more been im-proved. The new variation with sliding doors does not feature

the standard lower guide profile. The patented lift-lower-slide mechanism ensures that the doors are tightly closed to retain flowing water. This version therefore meets all requirements for installation in a tiled wet room.

Nova 2000 with a new height: With the new standard height of 2,000 mm and the off-floor sliding doors for the Nova 2000 shower enclosure, Kermi also opens the doors to a flush-floor shower room in the upper economy segment. The new height prevents water splashing over the top of the enclosure, even with tall users.

Energy efficiency and the modernisation of existing heat distribution systems were the main features at the Kermi heating technology stand.

eccolution: Previously single-pipe heating systems were regarded as impossible to modernise to achieve a higher energy efficiency. The innovative eccolution modernisation system proves the opposite. It comprises a few elements such as the single-pipe valve block with a variable bypass as well as a control valve, two temperature sensors and an electronic control unit, which are generally very easy to in-stall. The possible control quality and energy efficiency as well as the heating comfort meet the values of a modern double-pipe heating system.

The Kermi trade fair team impressed visitors with the new features of the latest innovations.

«Flush-floor and tileable shower solutions

are fully in vogue.»


The new CEO Leonid Evlentev.

This is where all heating comfort dimensions can be experienced: the Kermi Heating Technology trade fair stand.

The Arbonia trade fair team also had interesting new features to show.

1918

x-part: With the x-part connection sets with kv presetting, Kermi has applied its experience of 25 years of track-proven valve technology onto the compact radiators, heating walls, convectors and the Kermi Decor round tubular radiators. A coherent, unique colour concept allows skilled tradesmen to coordinate the flow rate exactly with the size of the radiator on site. If all radiators of the heating system are equipped with x-part, the hydraulic alignment is regarded as completed on the basis of the table calculations. This is now mandatory and a requirement for obtaining government subsidies.

Therm X2 heat-pump optimisation: The general opinion is that alternative low-temperature systems such as heat pumps or solar thermal systems can only fully unfold their energy- saving potential in combination with underfloor heating. With an up to 25 per cent reduction in the heating time, a 100 per cent increase in radiation output and up to 11 per cent energy savings in comparison to conventional flat radiator technology, the Therm X2 is, however, the optimum supplement to all modern heat generators which rely on low supply tempera-tures.

New colours: Kermi has extended its radiator colour concept with new, bright trendy colours. The five edition colours are available for all Kermi radiators and also the shower enclo-sures.

New Arbonia featuresThe new features of the Arbonia range are fully geared to simple installation and product quality as well as energy savings.

Quick-mounting console for tubular radiators: The new quick-mounting consoles available in all room heater colours ensure firm attachment to all types of masonry, secure the ra-diator against lifting and shifting and minimise time required for installation at the construction site.

Arbofit: The new connection sets with kv presetting for all Arbonia compact room heaters make it easy for tradesmen to connect the room heater. A unique colour code on the packaging of the room heater and connection set as well as the valve itself effectively eliminates any confusion. Each individual room heater is supplied with the optimum volume

of heating water. Under certain conditions the hydraulic align-ment is regarded as completed when all room heaters are equipped with the pre-set connection sets and with a heated area of up to 500 m². At the same time Arbofit saves up to 6 per cent of energy consumption.

Decostar Plus prototype: The pilot series model of the Decostar Plus flat-design room heater with a bi-colour op-tion was launched at the show in a special way. Visitors were asked to give a rating and state their opinion on the prototype. The evaluation of the result revealed that the Decostar Plus was enthusiastically received by the public and fully meets the current trends in interior and bathroom design.

All new products are featured on the websites www.kermi.de, www.arbonia.ch and www.arbonia.de. «

«Therm X2 is the optimum supplement to all modern

heat generators.»

OOO AFG RUS: Leonid Evlentev new CEO

As part of internationalisation and long-term expan-sion of business and sales activities in eastern mar-kets, AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG decided to set up a sales organisation in Moscow/Russia. This decision was made to intensify service activities for existing custom-ers in the Russian market by deploying more local employ-ees and boosting business further by selective training and pre-sale activities. The sales agency is located in the north-east area of Moscow. AFG succeeded in appointing Leonid Evlentev as CEO who assumed his duties on 30 April 2011.

In this function he bears the responsibility for selling prod-ucts of the Arbonia, Kermi and Forster Steel Technology brands. Leonid Evlentev studied Industrial Management at the STANKIN State Technical University in Moscow. Over the course of his career he was able to gain experience in the heating, air conditioning, ventilation and sanitary sec-tors. He last worked as Head of the Heating Technology Division of the Rusklimat Moscow wholesale company. We wish Mr Evlentev a good start and much success in his new job! «

«Best up-to-date exposition» for Kermi at the 15th AquathermThe traditional Aquatherm trade fair was held in Moscow from 8 to 11 Feb-ruary 2011. More than 500 participants from a number of countries exhibited their products from the heating, sanitary equipment, water supply and ventilation sectors. The fair was attended by both exhibitors from Russia and also internationally renowned companies.

The Aquatherm is one of the leading platforms which attracts the attention of industrial specialists and end users. 17,000 visitors attended the fair in 2011. It could already be seen from the entrance that the exhibition space had been increased, the number of exhibitors and visitors had doubled and that there was generally much more activity. The Division Heating Technology and Sanitary Equipment of AFG was represented at the Aquatherm with its own stand, show-casing both the latest innovations as well as the popular traditional products such as shower enclosures, flat radiators and design radiators, convectors, heating walls and the xnet surface heating system.

The joint Kermi and Arbonia stand won an award for its impressive design. The alternating colour scheme with the blue of water and the red to symbolise heat was very eye-catching and a magnet for visitors. «

The award-winning joint stand of Kermi and Arbonia.

Award for good design.


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The markt intern award for underfloor heating and radiators was presented at the ISH 2011 in Frankfurt. From left to right: Dr. Roger Schönborn, Head of Kermi Marketing and Sales, Hans Georg Pauli, markt intern Chief Editor, Christian Ludewig, Head of the European Heating Technology Market Division.

20

The markt intern heating ranking is compiled in various product groups every two years by the markt intern publishing house on the basis of a survey distributed among around 20,000 skilled tradesmen in the HVAC and sanitary equipment sectors. Kermi reached top ranking for all nine in-dividual criteria in the surface heating section, defending its top position of 2009. The companies were called upon to give their marks for the best manu-facturer in nine different categories. Surface heating and radiators were among the criteria under scrutiny. In all nine categories – which included quality, ease of instal-lation, spare parts supply, field service, delivery service and spirit of partnership – Kermi achieved first place in the surface heating category and was therefore able to defend its top position of 2009. In the radiator category the company reached second place after topping the ratings in 2009. The categories most worthy of mention are «product quality/processing», «ease of installation/product training» as well as «spare parts supply/complaint handling», in which Kermi was once able to reach top positions and only just missed first place in the overall ranking by one hundredth of a point. Dr. Roger Schönborn, Head of Kermi Marketing & Sales commented the results as follows: «We were really pleased about the excellent re-sults achieved in the radiator and underfloor heating categories after reaching top place in the shower enclosure category once more. It makes us particularly proud that our xnet surface heating system, one of the younger products in our range, has met with such great approval from skilled tradesmen, enabling us to achieve and defend our top position. We will thoroughly analyse the potential improve-ments which are possible on the basis of the individual assessments for the second place in the radiator category. Although the results were very close in this case, it is our declared aim to top the rankings once more in the next survey.» «

Skilled tradesmen survey: Kermi once more at the top

Overall results Surface heating 2010/11

2.15

1.88

2.21 2.21

2 1 3 3

Quality, service, design: 10 million competentshower enclosures «made by Kermi»On 2 May 2011 Kermi was able to celebrate a remarkable anniversary with the production of the 10 millionth shower enclosure – and even more impressive than this number is the development of the company to become one of the current market leaders.

From the very outset the company has focused on providing quality, service and high-quality design. With constant further development and optimisation, always geared to the needs of the specialist trade and consumers, Kermi now offers a unique range of services and products in the shower enclosure sector. This also includes the product variety which permits far more than one million different versions and also the standard comfort features in all segments such as lift and lower doors, glass-flush fittings and the optional easy-care KermiClean coating.

Number 1 partner of the trade for 8 yearsThe CE certification and the 20-year spare part supply guar-antee are benchmarks for service and customer orientation. The design is also an important factor, and the company has been awarded a number of coveted awards for a wide range of product ranges which not only evaluate the appearance but also handling and practical value of the products. Various shower enclosure ranges have received the iF product design award and also the red dot design award. This shower enclo-sure competence has also found recognition in the regular satisfaction surveys of the German sanitary equipment trade, where Kermi has been the uncontested Number 1 in the trade for eight years on the trot. With the almost seamless range of shower enclosures in all segments Kermi has something to suit all tastes and applications. If the comprehensive standard range is not sufficient, the KermiEXTRA special service assists

with customised solutions tailored to incorporate all needs and wishes. In all cases each shower enclosure has all attributes which characterise a brand product «Made in Germany». All shower enclosures are naturally optimally designed for instal-lation on the Kermi wet room solution, which interprets the growing trend towards flush-floor, tileable shower areas with the customary Kermi perfection. «

Very pleased with the company’s success, from left to right: Knut Bartsch, Management Speaker, Dr. Roger Schönborn, Head of Kermi Marketing & Sales, Dr. Klaus-Dieter Gloe, Head of Production, Peter Krayer, Head of Technology.

Maximum room comfort due to multifunctional underfloor convectorsThe BBO Bank Brienz Oberhasli AG in Brienz, Bern has chosen Prolux Ascotherm for its new building. Aesthetic, economical and technical safety requirements as well as the very latest building services technology were the main focus.

The main challenge to be met by the heating, ventilation and cooling planners of Flück Haustechnik AG, Brienz, was find-ing a system which also permits inclusion of the room control (control box) which is integrated into the building manage-ment system in addition to heating, cooling and ventilation functions. The new, modern bank building with large, flush-floor windows also required various column and mitre cut-ting. For this reason the underfloor convector system also had to be very flexible to ensure adaptation to the architec-tural specifications. The height was 143 mm with a structural depth of 314 mm. The lengths had to be adapted individually to the structural conditions.

One single system for heating, cooling and ventilationWith the new Ascotherm underfloor convectors the construc-tors chose a Prolux product which meets all requirements with only one single system. In addition to the heating func-tion, Ascotherm also features cooling on a forced convection basis with a cross-flow blower with a 2 or 4 conductor sys-tem. At the same time fresh air is supplied and the room is ventilated with the Ascotherm underfloor convectors. The 18 to 20 employees in the building will therefore enjoy a pleas-ant indoor environment at all times of the year. Heizkörper Prolux AG has been selling underfloor convectors since 2006. The range includes both heating systems with free convec-

tion and forced convection. The forced convection systems are run either with a cross-flow blower or the interior air, depending on the site conditions and the system type. The highly-flexible construction offers planners maximum free-dom to create individual solutions without almost any restric-tions for any building – also with corners and curved window fronts. The Prolux technical consultants also provided support for the new build in Brienz from planning through to installa-tion of the underfloor convectors and worked closely and successfully with the companies Flück Haustechnik, Brienz (HVC planning) and Schütz Service, Belp (electrical planning).

Building profile, BBO Bank Brienz Oberhasli AGA four-storey new construction, built to MINERGIE® standard with 36 rooms; of these 15 with underfloor convectors. (Start of construction: February 2009, completion in September 2010); gross floor area: 1,435 m2, building volume: 5,000 m3; architect: Ruch Architekten AG, Meiringen; construction

management: Raess Architects, Meiringen; engineering/building management planning: Flück Haustechnik, Brienz; specialists: Energieatelier AG, Thun. «

BBO Bank Brienz Oberhasli AG: Modified indoor environment with Ascotherm.


Rolf Steiger, the new managing director of Forster Refrigeration.

Lukas Bischof, the new managing director of Forster Kitchens.

Dr. Karl-Heinz Hartmann, the new COO of the Division Kitchens and Refrigeration.

22 23

PUR11: Foster’s new kitchen line impresses in every aspect.

Kitchens and Refrigeration

Forster Kitchens and Refrigeration under new management

The Board of Directors of AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG appointed Dr. Karl-Heinz Hartmann (60) as the new COO (Chief Operation Officer) of the Division Kitchens and Refrig-eration. In this role, he will oversee the technology, produc-tion and logistics departments and report directly to AFG’s CEO. After graduating as a mechanical engineer, Dr. Karl-Heinz Hartmann obtained a PhD at the University of Dort-mund and subsequently took over responsibility for manu-facturing and production in numerous Airbus plants, first in Germany and later on in other European countries, and for Mercedes-Benz in Argentina. He managed a variety of inter-national projects and is a renowned specialist for improving processes in precisely those areas for which he is now re-sponsible at AFG.

Continuity in managementPreviously, Dr. Peter Boeglin had been functioning as the in-terim manager of Forster Küchen- & Kühltechnik AG since February 2010. As of 1 January 2011, after the contractual cooperation with Dr. Peter Boeglin had finished, a successor was needed to manage the company. The aim was to find a long-term solution to ensure continuity on the management level. An in-depth analysis found that the management of the company should ideally be spread across two individuals with different spheres of responsibility. Lukas Bischof took over responsibility for the sales and marketing departments of

Forster Kitchens. Since 1 January 2011, Rolf Steiger has been in charge of the Forster Refrigeration division and of refrigera-tor and kitchen furniture production. Both are jointly respon-sible for carrying out corporate management duties.

Convincing track recordsLike Dr. Karl-Heinz Hartmann, both Rolf Steiger and Lukas Bischof have accumulated extensive experience and consider-able expertise. Lukas Bischof joined AFG Services AG in 2004. After studying business administration at the University of St.Gallen, he worked at Forster Kitchens as a business unit controller from 2004. In 2008, he took over the newly creat-ed role of division controller at the Division Kitchens and Re-frigeration. Rolf Steiger has been with AFG since February 2006. After training as a mechanic and subsequently holding the positions of machine installer and service engineer for CNC lathes at Ebosa SA in Grenchen, he was able to gain initial management experience as group leader and depart-ment head. Other milestones in his career included roles as head of prefabrication, head of production engineering as well as head of production and member of the management at Harting AG, Biel. From 2003 he held the position of opera-tions manager and COO (Chief Operating Officer) as a mem-ber of the group management at Nussbaum AG in Eastern Switzerland. Subsequently, he joined Arbonia AG as a manager. «

The Division Kitchens and Refrigeration has seen a change of leadership and is now managed by COO Dr. Karl-Heinz Hartmann. In addition, Dr. Peter Boeglin has handed over the responsibility for Forster Küchen- & Kühltechnik AG to Rolf Steiger and Lukas Bischof.

Kitchens and Refrigeration

The guests were engaged in lively conversations.

24

Forster PUR11 – an exciting revelation in the Maag Hall

On 18 January 2011, Forster celebrated the launch of its latest kitchen line, PUR11. Around 300 guests were invited to marvel at the new Forster kitchen, which was presented for the first time in Zurich’s Maag Hall, and to celebrate the occasion.

The evening kicked off with a press conference where 28 media representatives keenly listened to the introduction by Dr. Edgar Oehler, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AFG until 29 April 2011, Lukas Bischof, the managing director of Forster Kitchens, as well as the designers Anette Ponholzer and Fritz Frenkler, who revealed the first product details at a round table event. But they were not al-lowed to see and feel it until later on, together with the other invited guests. After a welcome drink and a brief greeting by Dr. Edgar Oehler, the festively decorated event hall with the covered kitchens was opened. The ambiance of the old gear-wheel factory provided the perfect backdrop for staging a presentation focusing on the subject of steel. Once all guests had taken their seats as close to the stage as possible, Lukas Bischof greeted the visitors with a moving welcome address.

Kitchens and Refrigeration 25

The PUR11 kitchens are revealed with a fireworks display.

While the guests enjoyed an amuse-bouche, host Meret Box-ler presented the rest of the programme and was joined on stage by the two designers of f/p design, who answered a whole host of questions. What was it that fascinated them about Forster steel kitchens, and why did they want to change such a popular product specifically? Many questions were tricky yet of great interest to the audience. A perfor-mance illustrating the processing of steel and thus drawing the attention to materialisation concluded with the revelation of the first PUR11 kitchen. The interview with the two de-signers was continued in the kitchen itself and now focused on the actual product details. Subsequently, the host an-nounced the exciting performance by Bubble Beatz from St.Gallen. Accompanied by a magnificent fire show, the Supertalent show finalists pounded away on their drums with peculiar metal instruments creating hot rhythms and really got the crowd going. Fireworks also formed the back-drop as the final covers were removed to reveal two further

With their extraordinary metal instruments, Bubble Beatz really got the crowd going.

Lukas Bischof, managing director at Forster Kitchens.

PUR11 kitchens. Now the audience could not hold back any longer and flocked to the kitchens to examine, feel and ad-mire them. The multitude of new details mesmerised many guests. Dinner was served very swiftly to provide plenty of opportunity to gaze at the kitchens and pose questions to the Forster team. Later in the evening, Dr. Edgar Oehler con-cluded the official part of the presentation and invited the guests to a dessert buffet with coffee and bar service. The kitchens remained a hot topic of conversation throughout the whole evening and the guests were reluctant to leave the cosy atmosphere. As a reminder of this unforgettable evening, the Forster team sent all guests a photo album with documents on the new PUR11 kitchen. «

Elegance in perfection: PUR11 by Forster Kitchens.

Cooking and living skilfully combined: Swing by Warendorf.Straight lines, classy, functional and completely made of steel: Forster Kitchens are also enjoying increasing popularity abroad.


From 18 to 23 January 2011, the kitchens of the AFG brands Forster, Piatti and Warendorf were introduced to an excited international audience in Cologne on the occasion of the LivingKitchen, which always takes place at the same time as the imm cologne.

As an international furniture trade fair in Cologne, the imm cologne is the world’s leading trade fair for furnishings. A total of 138,000 visitors attended the event, of which 96,000 were trade visitors and 42,000 private individuals, whilst 33% of the trade visitors came from abroad. Thorsten Prée, managing director of Warendorfer Küchen GmbH, as-sessed the show very positively: «We are very happy with our presentation at the LivingKitchen. Our exhibition stand proved to be a real crowd puller. We have received consist-ently positive feedback on the highlights we presented and on our appearance overall. The guests appreciated the cosy, homely atmosphere at the AFG Arbonia-Forster Holding AG trade fair stand. Our dealers and country managers also had numerous successful discussions. Several of the contacts made at the trade fair have already resulted in potential business deals. We had a virtually never-ending stream of visitors until the very end of the event. Some of our visitors travelled quite a distance to join us, from neighbouring Euro-pean countries to others further afield including Bulgaria, Russia, China, Japan and New Zealand. We hope that the positive hype this trade has generated fair will continue.»

Successful AFG premiere at the LivingKitchen 2011

«With its brands, AFG caters to a variety of

different target groups.»

Pure elegance: Library by Warendorf, top, and insights into the new Forster kitchen PUR11.

As such, the first joint international trade fair appearance on an exhibition area of 537 m2, featuring 12 exhibited kitchens for visitors to look at and touch, showed that AFG with its Forster, Piatti and Warendorf brands caters to completely different target groups in terms of brands and products.

Forster impresses with exceptionalismFor Forster Kitchens, this international presentation can be considered an important basis for entering the export busi-ness. The fact that international interest in steel kitchens has already been on the rise in recent years validated Forster Kitchens’ export strategy. The product’s uniqueness coupled with the simple design enticed many trade fair visitors to linger at the stand. It was, most of all, the sandwich con-struction that amazed many guests. The Amigo utility room quickly emerged as the star of the show: Forster Kitchens’ clean and ergonomic solution in the washing segment that inspired the international audience. Visitors to the trade fair came from all kinds of different backgrounds. In addition to many European guests, it was primarily prospective custom-ers from the Arab and Asian regions who sought advice

from Forster staff. Regarding exports, Forster Kitchens still has a fair bit of homework to do. After this trade fair week in Cologne it has become clear that there is definitely a de-mand for the products in other countries and that the efforts to tap into the export business are worth it.

Piatti with three new conceptsThe Swiss market leader convinced with more than 60 years of experience with quality, competence, passion and innova-tive strength, which also sets the standards on terms of envi-ronmental compatibility. The result is individual dream kitch-ens without compromise at affordable prices. With Congo, Linea and Tabola, Piatti presented no fewer than three kitch-en concepts.

Warendorf with attractive accentsIn addition to a broad range of Starck by Warendorf kitchens, a special highlight was a fully floating kitchen design by Warendorfer Küchen GmbH. Minimalist design combined with neo-Baroque accents, techno design combined with brick-red accents, a white kitchen with a mixture of matt glass fronts and crystal white fronts or a kitchen in black oak with a silestone chrome work – these are just some of the myriad of styles featured by the Warendorfer kitchen designs. The different styles, which can be combined with each other in a variety of ways, illustrated once again how the Starck by Warendorf kitchens harmonise the most different lifestyles and expectations. Dimensions, materials and colours deter-mine the individual appearance of each single kitchen and show the characteristic kitchen creations in a new light. «

Everything within easy reach: Linea by Piatti.

Powered by Piatti kitchens. Piatti offers timeless elegance that caters to a broad range of tastes.

28 Kitchens and Refrigeration 29

Piatti kitchens at the Aare

The reputation of Thun’s Selve-Areal as an industrial area and party location will soon be a thing of the past. A new resi-dential building with a 42 m high-rise and several residential blocks make the property on the Aare an attractive place to live and work. The 100 rental apartments and 85 condo-

Thanks to our long-standing cooperation and a competitive offer, the heads of the large-scale residential building project at the Selve-Areal in Thun chose Piatti once again.

miniums offer plenty of space for Thun enthusiasts. In the spring of 2011, the occupants could already move into their apartments – and enjoy the built-in Piatti kitchens. The kitchens in the rental apartments are equipped with silver-grey synthetic fronts and a granite cover – a timeless combination that caters to a variety of tastes. Depending on the apartment layout, angular kitchens with a small kitchen island or single-line kitchens were chosen.

Piatti as an attractive alternativeFollowing many years of cooperation and a competitive offer, the builders, HRS Real Estate AG and Frutiger AG, chose Piatti once again. Frutiger AG took over the development lead. In 2005, the company had carried out an architecture competi-tion and subsequently developed a sustainable building project together with the winner – all of the apartments meet the requirements of the MINERGIE® standard. «

Convenient, useful, homely: a Piatti kitchen.

Innovation: a secure investment

Sustainability and stability as arguments in favour of a se-cured production site are in great demand. According to the motto «Think first, then act», Piatti has decided to rely on the advantages of the innovative plasma technology rather than the laser technology that has already been in-troduced to the market. Innovation is lived or expressed in the words of Anton Zöchbauer, the head of production: «After thorough development and planning, Piatti has

Piatti takes a huge leap ahead. As the first kitchen manufacturer in the world, the Swiss market leader has been able to apply the edge bands using plasma technology since April 2011.

decided to embark on a journey to a new milestone in the company’s history.» The smooth edges, produced with plasma technology, are based on future standards. In addition to the visual bonus of no visible joints, the product boasts a new ecologial advantage: as there is no glue layer, the sustainability of the Piatti kitchens can be improved even further. «

Order can be this appealing – thanks to Piatti!

And suddenly, reaching for a capsule, cutlery or spices becomes a truly enjoyable experience.

Piatti drawer inserts turn any product into a star.

Made from top-grade ash, the new Piatti drawer inserts promise every kitchen utensil a comfortable front-row seat and present it accordingly. You will no longer be staring at boring plastic when opening a drawer, as the classy wood exudes soothing harmony. The light ash adapts perfectly to any colour combination and comes from sustain-able production. Piatti not only develops products for new kitchens, but also relishes in fitting out existing cooking oases. The new inserts can be purchased subsequently like accessories and function as highlights in exactly the right place. Apart from the classic cutlery inserts, which are avail-able in any size, Nespresso capsules are now also welcome in this nature paradise and can take their seat right next to the spice insert, knife or roller holder. The combination options are virtually boundless and delight both sticklers for order and design enthusiasts in equal parts. And the individual kitchen tuning is just the thing after a successful cleaning session. The affordable ash inserts can be ordered at www.piatti.ch. «

«The light ash adapts perfectly to any colour

combination.»

The future lies in plasma

technology.

«Elegant Fascination» – the unique living room kitchen with bronze glass fronts.

«Library» creates fluid transitions between cooking and living.


Warendorf now also in HanoverWarendorfer Küchen GmbH continues on its successful path and is still driving the positive hype of the Living-Kitchen 2011. Still at the trade fair, Helmut Staude, owner of the furniture company, took the decision to enter into a partnership with Warendorf – such was his conviction of their product, presentation and perform-ance. A quote from his interview with the möbel kultur mag-azine, issue 3/2011, reflects this approach: «… our kitchen share is more than 30%. So it was an important step for the company to competently present the kitchens on a dedicated area of 4,000 m2. This includes a precise product range struc-ture with pricing models for selected suppliers, which now even includes Warendorf’s Philippe Starck. Customers per-ceive a higher level of competence through stand-alone divi-sion than merely an affiliated department. Trust is one of the most crucial factors of success, and reliability and perform-ance are also at the top of the list for kitchen purchases, in particular …» As such, the new top-class kitchen designs by Warendorf were presented on an area dedicated to the brand spanning approximately 330 m2. Here, end customers can draw inspiration from this recent collection, which they can look at close-up and touch. The exhibition presents the complete kitchen portfolio comprising a variety of surface materials and possible features, ranging from architectural constructions of the floating «Swing» kitchen to the «Elegant

Fascination» model, which has received the Interior Innova-tion Award, as well as a sophisticated yet casual family kitch-en. «The complete Starck by Warendorf collection is also displayed in Hanover: from the most popular product as the moment, the Starck by Warendorf Library, through to Duality, Primary and Tower», explains Helmut Staude. Two partners with the same plans and clear objectives provide the best foundation for success. The first kitchens have al-ready been sold immediately after the launch. «

Helmut Staude, owner of the Staude furniture company.

«Primary» in black and white.

Michelin star chef Holger Bodendorf serves top-notch individual culinary creations at his gourmet restaurant «Bodendorfs» in the luxurious 5-star Landhaus Stricker on the Northern German island of Sylt. Despite his occupa-tion, he still enjoys cooking for his family and friends at home. After a long search, he has chosen the Starck by Warendorf Library kitchen together with his wife: «The kitchen’s modern, rather puristic shape integrates beautifully into our living space with our antique pieces of furniture. We had renovated out 1960s house and want-ed something special in the kitchen area.» Because of existing steel beams in the property, the Library kitchen needed to be adjusted for perfect seating comfort. In the process, the Warendorf team provided him with competent, friendly and reliable advice throughout. «We were in good hands. Now the Library fits perfectly, is a real eye-catcher yet practical at the same time.» «

Holger Bodendorf enjoying the Library

Holger Bodendorf is delighted about his bespoke Library kitchen in comet-grey.

The bronze glass Warendorf kitchen entitled «Elegant Fascination» and the Starck by Warendorf «Library» kitchen have been declared Interior Innova-tion Award Winners 2011 by the Design Council. The Design Council praised the Warendorf kitchens as outstanding innovations and awarded them the highest valued design prize in the furnishing sector. Their charm and representation dem-onstrated uniqueness and product differentiation.

Experience a different type of uniquenessWarendorf demonstrates outstanding uniqueness with its kitchen creation «Ele-gant Fascination», which is a combination of Warendorf and Starck by Warendorf kitchens. The larger sized living room kitchen with bronze glass fronts is combined with a white Starck by Warendorf tower. The combination of two product lines has resulted in a fascinating mixture: the wall unit, the island and the tower have be-come one. The combination of high-gloss lacquer and smooth lacquer in the wall unit and the bronze glass of the island creates a luxurious, elegant and stylishly exclusive effect.

Library – a source of inspiration for body and soulStarck by Warendorf Library is a kitchen that exudes the atmosphere of a library. The version of Library that won the Interior Innovation Award features a combina-tion of opaque white and pale olive smooth lacquer. This Library version radiates a special feeling of lightness, and therefore expresses something quite unique. Whether classically stocked with cooking utensils or with books: the transition between cooking and living becomes fluid. «

2 x Interior Innovation Award for Warendorf

The young Warendorf brand transcends borders: at the moment, 660 kitchens are supplied to the Middle and Far East. The order volume corresponds to around 3 million euros. For the «Tip Top Project» in Beijing, 90 kitchens are manufactured to be installed in high-quality apartments and villas. The properties are being constructed in Nanjing in the province of Jiangsu. They form a closed settlement with several rows of terraced houses and villas. The kitchens are designed in a classic L-shape with a row of tall cupboards for large appliances that is integrated into the wall. Warenhaus acquired a further property in the form of the Yanlord Townhouse project in Shanghai

Warendorf also in demand in Asia and the Middle East

where 18 buildings with generous living units of 160 to 300 m² are equipped with 298 kitchens. Here, nothing but top quality workmanship is required – which is why the kitchen design boasts bronze glass fronts. In addition, Warendorf is realising a large-scale project in Abu Dhabi, the so-called Landmark Tower. With a height of 330 m and a total floorspace of 205,000 m², it will be the tallest build-ing on Abu Dhabi island. The tower will be used both com-mercially and privately – with five storeys reserved for shops, restaurants, offices, etc. and 72 storeys with apartments and a penthouse. 270 kitchens will be delivered to the highest speci fications. «

Warendorf is realising 90 kitchens for the «Tip Top project» in Beijing.

30

The AllStar AS1® EgoKiefer window with the EgoVerre® triple-strength insulating glass guarantees lots of light and excellent insulation values.

A multi-family house in Zofingen, equipped with the AllStar AS1® window technology by EgoKiefer.

33Windows and Doors

Windows and Doors

32

EgoKiefer products convince with their unrivalled life cycle assessment results and excellent heat insulation performance. A practical example from Zofingen.

MINERGIE®-P residential building in ZofingenIn 2010, 32 apartments were built in Zofingen in accordance with the MINERGIE®-P standard, the most stringent energy conservation standard in Switzerland. This chal-lenging yet attractive project focused on sustainable solutions for maximum energy efficiency that would retain the property’s value at the same time. Consequently, the requirements on the windows and front doors were correspondingly high. With the new EgoKiefer window technology AllStar AS1® and the exclusive EgoKiefer triple-strength insulation glass EgoVerre®, all specification were met at the highest level and to the full satisfaction of the builders. The same applies to the front doors. Like the windows, the EgoKiefer front doors are also MINERGIE®-certified and perfectly suited for installation in MINERGIE®-P properties.

EgoKiefer AS1® window range even more attractiveAs part of its continuous product development process, EgoKiefer is constantly opti-mising its products, including the AS1® window range. Bonding the insulating glass to the casement near the glass edge increases the structural strength and functional reliability throughout the window’s life. The combination of glass, hinge and bond-ing improves burglar protection and the thermal characteristics. AS1® windows re-duce energy consumption through the window by up to 75%. «

EgoKiefer continues to leave its mark in the Swiss window and door market with ideas and innovations. As a leading MINERGIE® partner for windows and doors, the company’s main focus is always on climate protection and sustainable energy conservation.

Leading with ideas.Zofingen – a practical example

Innovation by EgoKiefer

Slides out of your way: the new EgoKiefer wood/aluminium lift-and-slide door

EgoKiefer lift-and-slide doors create more light, transparency and space in apartments and are important factors for more living comfort and quality of life. The new wood/aluminium lift-and-slide door by EgoKiefer boasts numerous major advantages. With features ranging from its impressively beautiful design, unparalleled heat insulation performance, through to convincing technical details such as the venti-lated aluminium trays, the new EgoKiefer wood/aluminium lift- and-slide door is sure to leave no customer’s wish unfulfilled.

35Windows and Doors34

EgoKiefer launches «Energy&More» online with success

Proper planning and the right products can reduce energy consumption drastically. As the no. 1 in the Swiss window and door market, EgoKiefer has been active in environmental issues for decades. EgoKiefer comes with climate protection. And for this reason, the company assists all builders, home owners, real estate companies, architects and other specialists who wish to make a long-term contribution to the environ-ment and, as such, take it easy on their wallets too.

EVALO – a virtual redevelopment platformEVALO is Switzerland’s first virtual redevelopment platform. Developed in cooperation with the University of Zurich, this tool offers a myriad of attractive applications. EVALO analyses and evaluates a property’s current energy output and illustrates specific optimisation possibilities. Based on a clear before/after comparison, EVALO synchronously indicates the energetic im-provement, calculates the necessary investments in considera-tion of any funding and provides the user with comprehensive documentation that can be downloaded.

Energy saving calculator – simply and convenientBuildings lose the greatest amount of energy through win-dows, facade, attic floors and roof. A well-insulated house not

only keeps heat within its own four walls but also the money in the owner’s wallet. With modern energy-saving windows by EgoKiefer, energy consumption through windows can be re-duced by up to 75%. This is not only easy on the household budget but on the environment too. The EgoKiefer energy saving calculator simply and quickly calculates the cost saving potential when using modern EgoKiefer windows.

Funding database – a comprehensive overviewIn Switzerland, builders and redevelopers have a whole host of attractive funding programmes at their disposal – from the National Building Programme to cantonal and regional pro-grammes, through to mortgage credit offers from banks. For private builders, in particular, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay on top of things. EgoKiefer offers Switzerland’s first complete national funding database. If you fill in the list of questions electronically, you will receive your personal funding documentation by email right away. www.energy-and-more.ch also offers other valuable functions, for example, information on MINERGIE®, an energy consumption guide and an overview of public energy information events.

Advice ForumEnergie&More visitors now have the option to save their questions on all matters related to energy conservation. An internal or external consultant will then reply to them within 48 hours. «

www.energy-and-more.ch

Clear and informative: screenshots from the new «Energy&More» Internet platform.

As scheduled, «Energy&More», the EgoKiefer Internet platform on the subject of energy conservation went live on 1 January 2011. It contains all the important information for sustainable energy-efficient construction and refurbishment. After all, those who build or renovate properties make decisions that determine energy consumption, energy costs and CO2 emission levels for a long time to come.

EgoVerre® – now also produced in RomandyEgoVerre® – that is the name of the exclusive insulating glass by EgoKiefer. The high-performance insulating glass is manufactured by Schollglas, a leader in the glass industry. By November 2011, a new pro-duction plant will be constructed in Romandy, which will bring with it many advantages for EgoKiefer and its customers. With its thermoplastic spacer (warm edge), the EgoVerre® high-performance insulating glass achieves excellent thermal insulation values and reduces the cold zones along the edges of the glass significantly. In 1998, Schollglas built a state-of-the-art glass factory at its Altstätten location to supply to EgoKiefer exclusively. The short distances re-sulted in numerous benefits for EgoKiefer, which were also passed on to the end customers. The lead and delivery times, in particular, were reduced markedly and, what’s more, CO2 emissions were reduced significantly due to the short transport routes.

Urgently required capacities securedIn April 2011, Schollglas began constructing a new plant in Romandy. If every-thing goes to plan, glass production is set to commence as early as at the end of 2011. This new facility is now duplicating the successful concept of Altstätten in Romandy. Apart from EgoKiefer’s «Climate protection included» environmen-tal protection campaign and the company’s increased flexibility, the urgently required resources are also being secured. «

Children sing for childrenThe charity concert for children suffering from cancer at Zurich’s Children’s Hospital, supported by RWD Schlatter, raised 27,310 Swiss francs. It was held at StageOne in Zurich on 13 November 2010. Together with the renowned gospel singer Richard Broadnax and Irish Broadway star Morgan Crowley, 100 primary school children showed off their skills in a four-day workshop. Thanks to the fantastic support of RWD Schlatter AG, the concert was re-corded in cooperation with Birrer Music Event Management and Gallus Media AG and broadcast on Tele Züri. All of the proceeds were donated to the Zurich Children’s Hospital. Business partners of RWD Schlatter AG benefited from this event in the form of a DVD recording of the concert that was given to them as a Christmas gift.

Effective supportProf. Dr. Felix Niggli, head of the Oncology Unit at the Zurich Children’s Hospital commented: «If healthy children do some-thing to support ill children, then that is admirable. The com-mitment of all of these children and organisers to this special concert was extraordinary. The Children’s Hospital Zurich was able to collaborate with a top organisation, and the music event was a highlight for young and old. The charity concert raised an impressive amount for children suffering from can-

cer. This financial support enables us to help families with children affected by cancer in areas where government subsi-dies are not sufficient. For example, we can use the money to provide psychological support to affected families or carry out diagnostic laboratory tests, which are important for the diagnosis and thus for the cancer therapy. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the children and organisers.» «

Fruitful commitment: children in action.

Above: EgoKiefer partner Schollglas is now also building a plant in Romandy.

EgoKiefer’s MINERGIE®-certified AS1® window range meets all customer requirements.

Windows and Doors 37

RWD Schlatter nominated for the IBK Health AwardAs part of the 4th IBK Symposium for Health Promotion and Prevention, RWD Schlatter was among the five nominated Swiss companies. On this occasion, the 4th IBK Health Award was also presented at the Bregenz Festival Hall on 11 November 2010.

For this purpose, innovative, sustainable and reproducible ideas in the field of health promotion and prevention were submitted between January and March 2010. A total of 160 applications with projects and project concepts were submitted to the organisers – an unprecedented number. Five national judging panels reviewed the submissions and nominated projects that were proposed to the main judges for the IBK Award. The objective of the IBK Health Award is to publicise and honour best practice examples beyond na-tional and cantonal borders.

Important foundation stone laid with «stress reduction»As part of the further development and improvement of the corporate culture at RWD Schlatter AG, the subject of «health» was not to be overlooked. Today, in particular, stress and its consequences are current topics as never before. For this reason, RWD Schlatter laid an important foundation stone for the continuous health promotion of its employees with

The RWD Schlatter delegation at the 4th IBK Symposium, from left to right: Georges Hutter, Jasmine Serfözö, Connie Gnehm, Ferruccio Vanin at the award ceremony.

a project to recognise and reduce stress. Once again, the company was nominated; each country could propose five companies or organisations. This time, we did not win the award, but it was an honour to be nominated nevertheless. «

Slovaktual kicks off the building season with a myriad of exhibitionsAs a leading provider in the Slovakian window and door market, Slovaktual has symbolically kicked off the building season with a number of different build-ing exhibitions. In Slovakia, the largest building trade fair is the CONECO in Bratislava, and in the Czech Republic it is the IBF in Brno. But Slovaktual also remains loyal to regional exhibitions in which their regional trade partners are involved. Following the successful conclusion of the trade fairs in Pardubice, Prešov and Nitra, the exhibi-tions in Banská Bystrica, Spišská Nová Ves, Košice and Frýdek-Místek are next on the agenda.

No less than 1,141 customers already acquired in 2011The main reason for participating in these trade fairs is the motto: «We don’t attend trade fairs to present, but to close business deals.» And we have already been implementing this concept successfully for a number of years. Our sales representatives, for example, hold active sales talks with po-tential customers, explain the differences in quality between Slovaktual and other products – and, most of all, establish

customer contacts. The Slovaktual team invites prospective customers acquired in this way to a point of sale in their home town. If an order is placed, they will be granted a trade fair discount of 10%, which is valid for a limited period of time. In this way, Slovaktual has already acquired 1,141 cus-tomers in 2011. Compared to the previous year, Slovaktual has registered increased interest in windows with the Slovak-tual profile systems Pasiv OL and HL, which confirms that customers care about the quality of the window panels and about energy savings. The new lift-and-slide door, which serves as a modern architectural element for glazed fillings, also generated a great deal of attention. Feedback on the AL Clip System for the Slovaktual window ranges Standart OL and Pasiv HL was equally as positive. Although the visitor numbers were slightly lower than in the previous years, Slovaktual continues to focus on strong trade fair presence. This will boost customers’ confidence that they have made the right decision – for Slovaktual products with more than 20 years of tradition in development, innovations and the quest for optimal solutions. «

Sales success through intensive consulting.

Slovaktual:Expansion of the Pravenec plantOn the path to further internationalisation, the Division Windows and Doors continues to expand its production capacities. As such, a new modern production plant for synthetic windows will be constructed at the Pravenec site on an area spanning around 6,500 m2 by the middle of 2011. In the last week of July 2011 – that is just under a year after the approval by the AFG Board – the first windows will roll out of the new production site in Pravenec. The ultramodern, flexible production lines manufacture both Slovaktual’s Standard and Pasiv window systems for the Slovakian and Czech markets, and EgoKiefer AS1® synthetic windows for the Swiss market. By expanding the Pravenec production plant, the Division Windows and Doors provides the necessary additional capacities for synthetic windows and makes the extended Pravenec plant an international production location in Europa. «

The new Slovaktual production plant will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

GEWA Award powerful 50 plus: RWD Schlatter among the top 3Once again, RWD Schlatter AG came out on top – this time, in a competi-tion that honoured outstanding contributions in the field of demography management.

On 12 May 2011, the GEWA Award powerful 50 plus ceremony was held. This award honours Thurgau-based companies that employ an increasing number of employees older than 50 years of age and develop innovative solutions for pro-moting their strengths and potentials. A glance at the demographic development of the working population and the associated pressure on our companies of hav-ing to achieve our goals with an increasingly older workforce prompted the GEWA management to present the GEWA Award powerful 50 plus for the first time at the upcoming trade fair. Once again, RWD Schlatter was one of the three nomi-nated companies in such a competition. The fact that we did not manage to se-cure a win in the end should not be a cause for disappointment. What we should take away is that we are one of the best companies in demography management. It was obvious once more that a company’s social responsibility should go far be-yond merely generating good figures. After all, the demographic development in Switzerland will pose a challenge to us all in the future. Our nomination has shown that we are willing and able to face this challenge and to develop and implement future-oriented solutions. «

36

Connie Gnehm, human resource manager at RWD Schlatter AG, with a GEWA Award certificate.

A familiar scene – the interior of the conference room.

Steel Technology38 39

Federal Palace Media Centre: Forster Profile Systems ensure transparency.

Secret TV starsThe Media Centre at the Federal Palace in Berne is a popular backdrop for the latest news, statements and responses. The people in front of the camera change, but Forster Profile Systems stay – and provide the back-ground of modern elegance and security. Media confer-ences of the Swiss Federal Council, various departments, political parties and committees and also recent statements on the current situation in areas of conflict – news is broad-cast almost daily by the various TV companies from the in-terior of the Media Centre of the Federal Palace in Berne. The topics and correspondents change, but the Forster Pro-file Systems are always in the picture – discreet and in the background. The filigree transom and mullion facades and the integrated entrance doors of fire protection category EI30 separate the foyer and conference room. They provide a literally safe framework for events. More than 20 other fire and smoke protection doors, some with a round arch, are also installed in other areas of the building. «

Forster doors can also be found in the Parliament building, such as here at the visitors entrance.

Seamlessly integrated fire protection doors with a round arch.

«The people in front of the camera change, but Forster

Profile Systems stay.»

Steel Technology


Forster Profile Systems – made to impress

The passenger handling areas of airports accommodate a large number of people, sometimes around the clock. It is therefore obvious that their safety is the number one priority; the terrible scenes of the fire at Düsseldorf airport in 1999 are still indelibly printed on our minds. Since then fire protec-tion regulations have been tightened considerably in various countries. Very stringent regulations have already been in place for fire protection doors and glazing for some time.

International track recordForster systems have been tested, approved and have proven their worth on an international scale for many decades. A selection of equipped airport buildings evidences the variety of possible applications of Forster Profile Systems in steel and stainless steel. Other airports such as the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse, Terminal 5 at London Heathrow, the Fraport Frankfurt and even the Aérogare Pointe-à-Pitre Guadeloupe feature Forster Systems for the safety of their guests. «

We are all familiar with the spaciousness of airport terminals. In many of these Forster fire protection doors provide the necessary safety in the event of an unexpected fire breaking out in spite of all precautionary measures.

Düsseldorf International: horizontal G30 glazing in the transit area.

Düsseldorf International: the transition points to the finger docks are equipped with Forster thermfix vario G30 fire-protective glazing.

«Forster Systems contribute to air

passenger safety.»Munich Airport, Terminal 2: fire protection doors EI30, some with anti-panic pushbars.

Athens Airport, top, Moscow Airport: Forster Profile Systems enjoy an excellent international reputation.

Zurich Airport, Airside Center: fire-protective glazing EI30 in the VIP lounge and a number of fire protection doors in steel and stainless steel.


Elegant and safeThe prototype of a sliding fire protection door with an additional swing-out additional emergency exit function unveiled in January 2011 at the BAU Munich attracted a great deal of all-round attention. The de-sign version developed at the company is based on the track-proven Forster fuego light fire protection system and has already been successfully tested to the EN standards 1634-1 and 1361-1 in fire protection category EI30. The door is threshold-free and is therefore suitable for barrier-free access. Finger protection is naturally also included in compliance with DIN 18650. As on the standard rotating door, concealed, flat installation of all fittings is possible. The fire protection sliding door with a swing-out function (also referred to as an IEE – Integrated Emergency Exit), also has an extremely slim outline and pleases the critical eye of designers. In Switzerland this innovative sliding door is already approved by the competent authority VKF (Asso-ciation of Cantonal Fire Insurers). The last additional tests to prove its long-term function are also currently underway in preparation for its launch in other European markets. To this purpose 1,000,000 opening cycles must be performed without any functional faults. Availability of the door on the Swiss market is planned for September. The approval is first required for the other markets. As became impressively

apparent at the BAU international construction fair in Mu-nich when the door was unveiled for the first time, both architects and planners as well as door manufacturers think that this design has very good sales prospects. The highlight of this innovation is the combination of two door systems and functions in one (slide & swing). This gives planners maximum design freedom when drawing up plans for build-ing entrances and emergency exit routes. It is therefore pos-sible to do without the otherwise obligatory, additional emergency exit on a newly planned entrance with a sliding door. «

The elegant sliding door mounted in a Forster thermofix vario transom and mullion facade for exhibition at the BAU trade fair.

Rail transport for energy savingsInteresting statistics revealed by SBB Cargo show that last year the Division Steel Technology also prevented a tremendous amount of polluting emis-sions by its widespread use of rail transport. Goods transported by rail are mainly steel strips from the various steelworks across Europe, which amounted to a volume of more than 47,200 tonnes in 2010. According to the calculations of SBB Cargo it was possible to make the following savings in pollutants in comparison to road transport:

Carbon dioxide 1,932 tonnes 79% (savings)Primary energy consumption 729,575 litres of diesel equivalent 68%Nitrogen oxide non-methane 6,165 kg 92%Hydrocarbons 1,092 kg 95%Fine dust 185 kg 80%Sulphur dioxide 2,425 kg 84%

The calculations were carried out on the basis of ecotransit.org. (Train: 1000 tonnes; electric train; load level 60%; empty runs 50%Truck: 24 – 40 tonnes; EURO-V; load level 60%; empty runs 20%)

For the sake of completeness it must also be mentioned that the finished products (steel tubes and profiles) are still transported by road. The Division Steel Technology is certified to the ISO 14001:2004 environmental management system and places great emphasis on careful use of resources with the aim of achieving further im-provements in this area. «

Front page of the emission report: SBB Cargo honoured the environmen-tally-friendly operations of Forster Rohr- & Profiltechnik AG.

Annealing shop refurbished in 6 x 24 hours

The young lumberjack in the wild swings his axe powerfully and fast. Then his foreman says: «You are working like a madman but still aren’t felling enough trees!» The lumber-jack replies: «Well, my axe is blunt but I haven’t any time to sharpen it because I’m so behind.» Our annealing shop was in a similar situation – on the one hand the annealing ca-pacity was severely overtaxed with a large number of new orders and quantity increases, on the other we did not have the two weeks time we needed to modernise the oven with new ceramic burners to increase capacity because we were so behind schedule.

Twice as fast as normalThe solution surprised even the long-term oven supplier LOI: The Forster team, supported by LOI experts and other external specialists, managed to carry out all the necessary modernisation work in only two weeks. The oven was cooled down over the Easter holiday with the aid of a blower and then refitted by a team of 15 working around the clock in two shifts. During this time 20 conventional burners were removed, five openings closed, 15 drilled open and in these 15 modern ceramic burners in ceramic flame tubes were fitted and connected. On Saturday, the sixth day of the modernisation, the oven was re-ignited

The new ceramic burners for annealing oven 1 at the steel tube works have meant an increase in capacity and also a considerable boost in energy efficiency.

and two days later, on Monday, production was resumed. The reason for the success of this mission was the thor-ough preparation, the experience gained from previous modernisation projects and the perfect interaction of production, service and process technology teams and the supplier. «

The annealing oven after modernisation.

Excellent supply quality

Giving everything for customers every day and meeting high demands by en-suring a high quality awareness on all levels along the entire process chain is the highest aim of Forster Precision Steel Tubes. Innovation and technical ad-vancement are the foundations for a successful future. With its guiding prin-ciple «successful together», Forster Precision Tubes strives to create long-term values which customers appreciate and which continue to motivate employees to achieve an outstanding performance. «

Forster Precision Steel Tubes has received an award from the Mercedes-Benz works in Hamburg for cooperation excellence and outstanding quality. The praise of such a renowned company once more underlines Forster’s high performance standard.

Visible sign of our corporate philosophy – the certificate of the Hamburg Mercedes- Benz works.

Looking forward to the challenge: Dr. Hannes Schmüser.

Surface Technology 4544

Stavros Pomakis, right, Deputy Sector Head for pistons, discusses improvements at the Kaizen board with Nebojška Radulović, piston grinding operator.

Dr. Hannes Schmüser, new CEO of the Division Surface Technology

From 1 July 2011, Dr. Hannes Schmüser will join the management of AFG and become CEO of STI | Hartchrom AG with responsibility for the Division Surface Technology. He wants to focus on expanding the business in China and exploring other industries.

Through his previous activity as Vice President Sales & Market-ing and member of the management of Bühler Druckguss AG, Uzwil, he has a lot of experience and knowledge of the production and international sale of high-tech capital equip-ment requiring declaration. He knows how to make the bridge between «customers», the «market» and «technology».

Enthusiastic about dynamism and internationalityDr. Hannes Schmüser sees special challenges and, at the same time, growth opportunities to be used in expanding STI | Hartchrom in China and exploring other industries. His enthusiasm for the dynamism of international business and its associated increasing opportunities in the context of globalisa-tion have already occasioned him to spend longer periods in Brazil and China. He lived in Shanghai for about three years, during which time he was a member of the management of Dürr AG, Stuttgart, and managed the business of its subsid-iary in Shanghai. Dr. Hannes Schmüser and his family live in Winterthur. He balances his working life with sporting activities such as skiing and sailing. He also enjoys getting to know the culture of other countries during his travels. «

Personal profile

Dr. Hannes Schmüser was born in Hamburg in 1968 and today lives in Winterthur in the canton of Zurich.

Trainingn 1988 A Levels (Abitur), Bielefeld n 1988 – 1989 Basic military servicen 1989 – 1995 Studied Industrial Engineering,

specialising in Mechanical Engineering at Technical University, Darmstadt

n 1996 – 1998 Doctoral dissertation on «Globalisation of the economy» at the Daimler-Benz Research College

Professional careern 1998 – 2000 Roland Berger Strategy Consultants,

Automotive Competence Center, Brazil and Europe

n 2000 – 2005 Dürr AG, Stuttgart/Shanghai, Managing Director of Dürr China

n 2006 – 2011 Bühler AG, Uzwil, Managing Director, Sales & Marketing of Bühler Druckguss AG

n From July 2011 AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG, Head of Division Surface Technology and member of the corporation management

Personaln Married, 2 children, resident in Winterthur,

canton of Zurich n Hobbies: skiing, sailing, travelling and other cultures

«His strength: the international capital equipment

business.»

Surface Technology

Before and after. Time spent searching for things is also a waste. If everything is in its place, the right tool can be found instantly.

Kaizen is not a project but an on-going improvement process which helps to recognise and eliminate waste in everyday working life.

Kaizen meetings are used to compile and prioritise all improvement proposals.

Surface Technology46 47

… and every day a little bit better

STI | Hartchrom places great emphasis on its processes which it regularly puts through tests and which it improves on a continuing basis. With the help of the Kaizen optimisation technique, the Swiss company utilises methods that originated in Japan.

The term «Kaizen» comes from the Japanese language. It is made up of «Kai = modification, change» and «Zen = for the better». This refers to the stepwise and continuous improve-ment of processes, production procedures or products through all involved members of a company’s staff. The idea is not to aim for major innovations, which are worked out by individual members of staff behind closed doors. Rather, the aim is to involve all members of staff and to rapidly imple-ment a large number of improvement proposals in order to obtain quick visibility of success. When success becomes quickly visible, it has a motivating effect and paves the way towards sustainable improvement in quality and efficiency.

«Pioneers» test whether an idea can be implementedThe foundation stone for continuous improvement was already laid in 1996 through the introduction of the quality management system. The certification under ISO 9001 con-firms that STI | Hartchrom is already successful in minimising the cost of processes and errors and in turn benefits from in-creased motivation of its members of staff and from satisfied customers. Nevertheless, the management are agreed that they want to continue investment in this area, in line with the principles of the Continuous Improvement Process (CIP). Since September 2010, management and members of staff are trained in becoming Kaizen experts. They receive profes-

sional support from Abegglen, a company which has been advising medium-sized companies in Switzerland and all over Europe since 1975. For the pilot phase, from September to December 2010, two teams were selected from Production. These so-called «pioneers» test whether a proposal can be implemented in everyday working procedures, using the Kai-zen approach. A point was made to choose teams which were different in their organisational structure. The «piston» team covers the complete value-creation chain of the piston sector.

The «grinding workshop» team comprises the grinding pro-duction process of the sector for serial parts, i.e. a part of a value-creation chain. These different teams make it possible, in the pilot phase, to collect important findings for the com-pany-wide introduction of Kaizen.

Recognising waste …In the initial meetings, the first task was to convey the basic knowledge to the «pioneers» and to increase their awareness to help them recognise waste. In addition, they were familiar-ised with the handling of the Kaizen board, an important aid for putting good resolutions into action. Potential improve-ments which are discovered are recorded and prioritised on the Kaizen board in regular meetings. Each team appoints a board leader who will moderate the meetings and document the improvement proposals and their implementation. «In spite of initial scepticism from some ‹pioneers› the interest and motivation of the members of staff involved is very high. When the first improvement actions have been implemented and success becomes directly visible, there is an enormous motivating effect. Both teams are good and constructive at achieving changes for improvement», reports Marcel Riedweg, who leads the introduction to the Kaizen process. Even though the teams had to find their feet with the Kaizen process, the objective of the pilot phase was reached and even slightly exceeded by the achievement of 21 implemented improve-ment actions within the first three months.

Kaizenkai = to change

zen = to improve

1. Collecting proposals for improvements 2. Prioritising ideas

and working out actions

3. Implementing the actions4. Measuring success

Identifying waste

… implementing improvementsIn the coming months it is intended to roll out the system with four other project teams. «We want to keep making improvements continually in small steps. Just as in mountain-eering, you reach the destination by taking it step by step and in a team. If we continue to make good progress in that way, in a year’s time we will be able to look back on numer-ous successes», says Marcel Riedweg. So that this is success-ful, Kaizen coaches are being trained in addition to the basic training that is taking place. These coaches have the task of training the different board leaders in the methods and moderating techniques and of acting in a supporting role. Because it is one thing to discover weaknesses in a process, and quite another, and much harder, to implement ideas for improvement. The objective is to make Kaizen a firm compo-nent in the everyday working life of all staff. This is a change that does not happen from one day to the next but, very much in the spirit of the Kaizen approach, is driven continu-ously, systematically and in small steps. «

Movements1

Waiting time and downtime2

Excess production/excess information3

Excess processes4

Defects and errors5

7 types of waste

Storage6

Transport/information transfer7

The participants in the Kaizen training learn to identify and name different types of waste. This is the first step to improvement.

Changes for improving everyday working procedures are carried out in a group effort.

Although we may be very familiar with the packaging of drinks in everyday life, we may not know how complex it is. Rollers coated by STI | Hartchrom ensure that the plastic layers have the right texture.

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Drinks packaging in production – it is the texture that counts

Millions of people every day quench their thirst with drinks from paperboard containers that are coated with plastic. To ensure that these containers perform as they should do, they must be right down to the last detail. With its Hartchrom texturing system, STI | Hartchrom provides an efficient tool for modifying the properties of plastic surfaces.

One of the most important and most obvious tasks of pack-aging is to protect the product against external influences. However, there are also a number of other issues. For example, the colour and feel contribute to the recognition value of the item. As does the shape, which should also minimise the total volume of the package in storage and transport.

It is the surface that mattersSo that packaging can meet all requirements, it needs several layers of paperboard, polyethylene and aluminium. The pa-perboard gives the container its structure, the aluminium pro-tects the contents from light, foreign aromas and oxygen – factors which would otherwise impact on the durability of the product. Polyethylene coating is applied in several places. On the inside it forms a barrier for the liquid from the inside to the outside, while on the outside, it keeps out any mois-ture and in its special texturing, it influences the printed im-age and the degree of gloss of the packaging. Polyethylene coatings between the layers serve as «adhesive», for example for binding together the aluminium foil and paperboard. Again this requires a very special texture which is created in the production process in so-called extrusion coating ma-chines. In these machines, the polyethylene is applied to the carrier material in hot and liquid form. Hard chrome coated, double-walled cooling rollers, which are cooled by a cooling medium, reduce the temperature in a controlled way and join

up the polyethylene with the carrier material, e.g. the paper-board. The desired texture of the plastic is achieved by the texture of the surface of the cooling roller, which is the result of the chrome coating process and which transfers the tex-ture specified by the customer on to the plastic, similar to a negative print.

Reproducibility – a mustFor STI | Hartchrom the production of these specially textured and precisely specified layers for packaging industry custom-ers is a core competence. It is essential that these specially structured surfaces are reproducible. This is the only way for the manufacturers of the packaging to ensure that they make a product with the same properties throughout the world, or, after a change of rollers in the plant with very few process adaptations, production can be continued in exactly the same way.

Exactly documented prototypesIn order to ensure the reproducibility of a surface it is neces-sary to keep exact records and to perfectly master each pa-rameter in the chrome coating process. Thanks to its own R&D Department, STI | Hartchrom is in a position, on the basis of a specification profile provided by the customer, to produce a prototype coating which is then precisely docu-mented and finally adopted for serial production. «

Polyethylene

Aluminium

Polyethylene

Paperboard

Polyethylene

Surface Technology 4549

STI | Hartchrom owes its reputation as a recognised surfacing partner of leading industries worldwide to its comprehensive range of technologies and reliable quality. By expanding its range of technologies for customers in the aviation industry, the company aims to become a complete supplier to this demanding industry.

STI | Hartchrom expands its goods and services to the aviation industry

With the integration of decontamination technology and the paint coating and mounting process, STI | Hartchrom has already significantly expanded its technological range of services during the first half of 2011. At the beginning of March 2011, Pierre Aubert, the Director of the French sub-sidiary, Hartchrom Aeronautics France, presented the newly introduced decontamination technology to customers and interested parties from politics and commerce. Decontami-nation technology is used for cleaning components which are built into engines and turbines of planes and helicopters, and thus for minimising the particulate contamination of the oil and fuel circulation. Thanks to this extended range of tech-nologies, the company was able to strike up a close and long-term partnership with Turbomeca, a specialist in the construction of aeroplane engines. This was followed in April by the acquisition of Avia Peintures, a small company in the south of France offering paint coating and mounting processes to the aviation industry. Avia Peintures has pro-duction facilities in Pau and Bayonne and employs 35 mem-bers of staff. Thanks to the wide range of processes for alu-minium, steel, PVC and composite material components, the wide and in-depth expertise, the high quality standards

In March, customers and interested parties from politics and commerce were presented with the newly introduced decontamination technology offered by Hartchrom Aeronautic France.

and over 100 certifications, Avia Peintures is already well established in the French aviation market and thus comple-ments the range of processes and the expertise offered by STI | Hartchrom. With Avia Peintures, STI | Hartchrom now has 13 subsidiaries and eight production facilities in Switzer-land, Germany, the USA, France and recently in China. «

STI | Hartchrom sets standardsThe construction of the production facility in Changshu, China, which was started in June 2010, is progressing swiftly. The quality of the building and the environmen-tal protection measures, which have been integrated in the building, have received explicit and public praise from the Chinese government. The first construction phase covered a floor space of around 4,300 m2. It includes a state-of-the-art galvanising facility, a research laboratory and me-chanical production lines for processing perforated baskets, pistons and the complete processing of cylinders. In spite of the fact that delays occurred at the end of 2010, it is expected that production will start at the end of 2011. The State author-ities take a keen interest in the construction progress. In April 2011 the building site was visited by Wang Xiang, the Secre-tary of the City Committee and the leading representatives of the Changshu municipality. The attention paid to the construc-tion progress underlines the importance of STI | Hartchrom as an important commercial partner for the Changshu region. Wang Xiang enquired about details of the production building

In April 2011 representatives of the Changshu region came to inform themselves about the construction progress of the STI | Precision Machining (Changshu)Co. Ltd. production facility.

and showed himself to be very satisfied with the high quality of the production building and the environmental measures: «The Swiss company STI | Hartchrom sets new standards for environmental protection, the working environment and factory facilities.» «

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