Roto inside - Roto Fenster

Partner and employee information of the
Roto window and door technology division
No. 19
November
2011
For a good pur-
Scheidegger
At the centre of old
There’s no alterna-
Powerful on the
Rotomania: Top
pose: Cycling on
Metallbau AG: Cre-
trade routes: Latvia
tive: Glazing pack-
Russian market:
exhibitions for top
the Nürburgring
ative – constructive
ers with multi-pane
The BFK produc-
consultants
track
– innovative
insulating glass
tion group
Page 3
Page 4
Page 7
Page 8
Page 6
Page 11
Faster communication, better information
The launch of a new Roto Web site
Find a piece of information quickly and safely, discover the contact
details of the right person – this is what Internet users want today.
In particular those companies with a constantly growing product
range and several thousand employees all over the world like the
Roto Group need an intelligent system and database structure. For
only with correct data, a Web site can work perfectly ... Marketing Director Udo Pauly explains in an interview with Roto Inside
that the work on the databases, accessible for the visitors of the
Roto Window and Door Technology Division Web site since the 1st
August 2011, has been a real challenge: “It’s been simply because
of the wealth of information that has to be processed and updated
constantly now.”
In the first instance, the new Web site
of the Roto Window and Door Technology Division is unlocked in German and English. “The system was
designed so that all possible requirements of the national Roto sales companies and customers worldwide are
fulfilled, without forgoing a common
basic structure. Only thanks to this
uniform structure, we can provide
the data in the quality of care that we
intend”, explains Marketing director
Udo Pauly in an interview with Roto
The preparations of the Roto
Group’s specialists together with
the consultants and programmers
of an Internet agency took approximately one year. “Together, they
have defined structures and processes to ensure that, for example,
the product representation for the
Internet users is always up to date
in the future, that it is comprehensive and clearly arranged. All information that customers need and
seek, should be both enjoyable and
intuitive to find”, explained Pauly
to Roto Inside. By now, he is satisfied with the visible appearance of
the new Roto Web site: “The initial
feedback from the market point out
that we have set the right course.
Both the new structure of known
information offerings and new
offerings such as online spare parts
service are well received.”
National convincing – internationally compatible
In the first instance, the new Web
site is unlocked in German and
English. In the months to come,
further language versions will be
successively unlocked. “The system was designed so that all possible requirements of the national
Roto sales companies and customers worldwide are fulfilled, without
forgoing a common basic structure.
Only thanks to this uniform structure, we can provide the data in
the quality of care that we intend.”
In the opinion of Udo Pauly, this is
the real performance of the system developers: “Most of our cus-
Inside.
tomers have certainly only a very
abstract idea of ​​what it means to
develop an internationally recognised Web site for the Roto Group.
Although regular readers of Roto
Inside know about the wide scope
of our fields of activities ... But that
is totally okay. For customers, it is
most important that his search is
successful.”
Close to the customer
Why, with so much content and
service the project from the point
of view of Udo Pauly is still only
“at the start”, the communications expert explains: “Unlike the
media, we had twenty years ago,
the Internet-based services and formats are constantly changing. It is
our task to follow the preferences
and desires of the Roto customers and to respond to the changes.
The new Web site of the Roto Window and Door Technology Division
is therefore only the prelude to the
permanent confrontation with the
future possibilities. But you can
be sure: Roto is always online and,
thanks to the now provided basis,
we will be very fast in setting up
communication channels in the
future.”
An efficient door threshold system
Eifel T/TB reduces energy losses
Greater demands with regard to
the thermal insulation of buildings as formulated in (for example) the Energy Saving Regulations (EnEV) 2012 in Germany,
are highlighting main and side
doors in particular as potential weak points in the building
shell. The Roto door threshold
system Eifel T/TB from the Roto
DoorPlus product range makes
a decisive contribution towards
greatly reducing possible temperature losses and therefore
energy losses via the doors.
The actual evidence for this is
provided by an isotherm calculation carried out by a neutral
institute.
Good marks: An up-to-date isotherm
calculation confirms that the Eifel T/
TB door threshold system possesses
efficient thermal insulation qualities.
It reduces temperature and energy
losses and thereby reduces the risk of
condensation and mould formation in
the door area.
The thermal separation of the
threshold profile plays an important role in assessing the energy
efficiency of doors. The now-completed investigation determined
the relevant temperature value
(fRsi) as being 0.8 for the Eifel T/
TB from Roto. This puts it clearly
above the specified 0.7. In addition,
the calculation produced a temperature line of 14.9 °C, thus permanently avoiding the risk of condensation and mould that arises at
below 9.3 °C. The values obtained
in the test apply to the system in all
available profile depths.
1
In the hot seat
A discussion with the Board
Chairman of Roto Frank AG,
Dr. Eckhard Keill
Roto Inside: In a German trade
magazine, it said recently that
you would advocate joint advertising of the entire windows
industry. Can that be taken to
mean that Roto would in fact
invest in a brand-independent
campaign?
Dr. Keill: You can take it to mean
that, yes. Because among our
customers, there are some today
who don’t want to buy just standard windows at low prices. These
are manufacturers who want to
impress building owners with that
which a sensibly-priced, energyefficient window can also still be:
an expression of design and an
element of comfort in the building
shell. These manufacturers want to
make their customers aware of the
opportunities presented by acrossthe-board planning of a building’s
structural elements. And joint
advertising for windows would help
both these manufacturers as well
as the entire supplier industry.
Roto Inside: Because it would
be more professional?
Dr. Keill: Not necessarily. I am
aware of absolutely professional,
very good campaigns for all types
of residential windows from manufacturers from all over Europe.
But the success of the advertising is also related to frequencies.
Frequency and ranges. Both cost
money. Money that no mediumsized company in our industry
wants to provide and pay out alone.
Roto Inside: So the idea is what:
Pooling budgets to achieve
more?
Dr. Keill: Exactly. Many industries
have done it before us. All companies in the industry in question
profit from campaigns that advertise beautiful kitchens or modern
bathrooms. That’s why today, many
people are bathroom-conscious. To
make them window-conscious, we
need to provide them with all the
information about the “feelgood
technologies” that we can bring
into a house today in the shape of a
window. We must use communication to create a climate that awakens their desire for our products.
Windows are closely linked to the
quality of life and comfort in new
or renovated buildings – and we
need to tell this to many more people much more often than was the
case in the past.
Roto Inside: Is that a recommendation that applies only to
Germany?
Dr. Keill: No, it’s a recommendation
that applies to all well-developed
markets with a high or growing
degree of requirement and product
differentiation.
Roto Inside: Are you considering a Europe-wide campaign?
Dr. Keill: No, what I have in mind is
many national campaigns throughout Europe. Campaigns that take
account of which trends can be
seen in a country and what messages about design or comfort
could impress building owners in
the country in question.
Roto Inside: These sound like
exciting concepts. Roto Inside
is with you in excitedly looking forward the first examples. Many thanks for this
discussion.
A full range of accessories from a single source
Door manufacturers profit from know-how and consultation
Two years ago, after the takeover of Roto Gluske-BKV, one
thing was clear: The Roto Group
plans to and will change its
position as a partner of European door manufacturers. A
well structured, complete range
of accessories from a single
source – that was the aim that
was achieved as early as this
year. The attractive hardware
range is supplemented by services of real monetary value of
the type that Roto customers
are already familiar with from
the company’s windows production: Consultation on product optimisation and within
the framework of new product
development from superbly
trained engineers.
Boosting optimisation potentials hand-in-hand
As is usual with Roto, the optimised
“hardware” now comes with “software” that is no less useful. This
is in the heads and project con-
2
With the DoorPlus range that includes
name of the DoorLine range.
products such as door thresholds or
lever-handle sets for all important
applications, the Roto Group offers
a complete range of accessories for
door manufacturers.
cepts of Roto’s engineers: On the
basis of a precise analysis of what
is actually needed, they develop,
realise and monitor new production
sequences, machines and logistics
concepts for and in collaboration
with door manufacturers who want
to concentrate on working with
Roto. Advice is given, for example,
on questions relating to material
flow, production buffers, correct
workplace design, and also investment decisions and improving
product quality.
This summer, the Roto Group filled
the last remaining gaps in its door
range with the new Roto DoorSafe
600 lock generation. The multipoint locking systems for main,
escape and panic doors that had
their global launch in July 2011 set
new standards in terms of security, energy efficiency and comfort.
Four product segments today come
under the umbrella of the Roto
Door range.
Four networked segments
The DoorBase segment covers all
available mortise locks. The DoorSafe segment includes mechanical,
mechanical-automatic and electromechanical multi-point locks,
electrical openers and frame parts.
The DoorLine name is carried by all
Roto door hinges, with DoorPlus
referring to the other accessory
elements such as door thresholds,
floor-door gaskets, lever-handle
sets and profile cylinders. All these
components that are required for
main door production have been
precisely harmonised with each
other over the past two years.
All Roto main door hinges bear the
with the greatest depth of production in the international factory
alliance. The press department,
electroplating facility, powder coating department, zinc die-casting
department, PVC injection moulding department, prefabrication and
special production for individual
components, assembly as well as
warehouses for semi-processed
products and finished goods from
the Door range are spread across
just under 27,000 square metres
of floor space. Thanks to this concentration of all necessary means
of production in one location, very
small and large series runs for door
manufacturers can be produced
within a very short time in Kalsdorf
in line with demand.
door manufacturers need.
The efficient hub
The “Door” competence centre –
the hub for development, design
and production – is still located in
the Austrian town of Kalsdorf. Here,
the Roto Group operates the plant
With professional consultation, Roto helps door manufacturers to boost their
The “Door” competence centre is in the Austrian town of Kalsdorf, making it the
operational added value. Advice is given, for example, on questions relating to
location with the greatest depth of production in the Roto Group’s international
material flow or correct workplace design, but also with respect to investment
factory alliance. Here, very small and large series runs can be produced within a
decisions and improving product quality.
very short time in line with demand.
The full range of accessories from a single source: The Roto Group supplies what
Inside
Cycling at Nürburgring in 2011
Strong legs for a good cause
A 24-hour race for cyclists
takes place once a year where
Formula 1 cars and other vehicles with similarly powerful
engines are usually at home.
The goal: to ride as many kilometres as possible in a team on
the world-famous Nürburgring
racetrack. More than 10,000
participants came to the “Ring”
this year from 20 to 21 August
to prove to themselves and others just what enormous endurance they’re capable of. These
included two Roto teams with
participants from the towns of
Leinfelden and Bad Mergentheim, supported and cheered
on by the commitment of
numerous sponsors.
For the racing cyclists there is a
course with over 24.4 kilometres on
the legendary northern loop, and
for the mountain bikers a sevenkilometre downhill course through
the surrounding forests illuminated
at night with torches. Two teams
of 8 cyclists each with two substitute riders met on their racing and
mountain bikes to ride as many
kilometres as possible within 24
hours and achieve a place in the
team ranking. With notable success: The Roto team on their racing
bikes covered an impressive 586
The 18 participants of the Roto Group were actively supported by numerous
Successful as a team: All together the two Roto teams rode approximately
sponsors as they fought their way in two teams to over 17,000 Euros for a good
936 kilometres in 24 hours.
purpose
kilometres and achieved 16th place,
while the mountain bikers fought
over a total of 50 laps to achieve
37th place.
26 sponsors – 17,000 Euros
in donations
But where they placed was not
of primary importance to the two
Roto teams. Instead, their joy was
dependent on the amount of donations collected for the distance
they rode. 26 sponsors rewarded
the teams with donations both in
kind and in money. Over 17,000
Euros were collected with which
the social institutions of the Elfriede
Frank Foundation, the initiative
“Athletes against Hunger” and the
kindergartens in Bad Mergentheim
were supported in equal parts.
In the opinion of racing cyclist
Christoph Hugenberg, Director
of the Roof and Solar Technology
Division, every single participant
will continue to live off his or her
very individual impressions for a
long time to come. “It takes a few
days before you really realise what
you experienced at Nürburgring.
Some of us rode down the legendary ‘Fuchsröhre’ (fox pipe) at 100
km/h on narrow racing bike tyres in
the middle of the night and then at
the end laid into the left-hand curve
at that speed ... And then there
was the great rapport in the riders’
camp – this weekend really was a
once-in-a-lifetime experience. And
it was one that enabled us to support social projects.”
Sitting out the monsoon safe in a rainproof house
Roto helps with donations in Cambodia
Many people fulfil a life’s dream
when they build a house for
themselves and their family.
Some of our Roto Group colleagues take a different route:
They make sure that the dream
of having an own roof over
one’s head is fulfilled for poor
families in Cambodia.
They first got involved last year.
That’s when they began to donate
money themselves and to collect from friends and colleagues
in order to build a safe house that
would accommodate one Cambodian family at a cost of US$ 1000
per house. Taken by the idea of
directly helping needy families, the
Roto Group donated two houses
this year. Johann Lukas, Director of the Eastern Business Areas,
made available the budget for an
additional house privately. Carisa
Fey, Sales Manager for Roto Frank
Asia-Pacific, took some days holiday and paid the money for a flight,
accommodation and food because
she too was enthusiastic about the
idea and wanted to get involved.
And some 10,000 volunteer helpers have done likewise over the ten
years in which the Tabitha organisation has built more than 4000
houses for needy families.
Protected against floods and
snakebites
“On average, the families themselves save two years in order
to contribute their own share of
US$ 25. That makes them feel
that the house being built really is
their own. Even though they do of
course know that the financing is
covered by donors from all over the
The traditional Cambodian bamboo hut provides virtually no protection from the monsoon. Floods
Carisa Fey, Sales Manager for Roto Frank Asia-Pacific (on
often completely destroy huts. Snakes can get in with no problem and pose an additional hazard to
the ladder) wanted to get involved in house-building in
residents.
Cambodia.
world”, explained Carisa Fey following her stay in Cambodia. Ten
houses were made just during the
days that the 33 year-old was there.
Houses that protect their inhabitants from the monsoon far better
than the wooden huts that are common in the region. “The houses are
on stilts, which means that they
can’t be flooded. And the inhabitants are also better protected
against animals such as snakes and
rats.” Snakebites and sicknesses
transmitted via contaminated water
remain a major hazard to people in
this part of Cambodia.
Seeing with your own eyes
what helps
That’s why two fresh water wells,
financing courtesy of donations
from other Roto colleagues, were
also cause for much satisfaction.
And plenty of household utensils
could also be bought with the collected donations. “There’s simply
a lack of necessities here” says
Carisa Fey, adding that “Next year,
we want to collect again for house
building in Cambodia and also
build again ourselves. That way we
can be quite sure that not a single
donated Euro will be spent wrongly.
Anyone wishing to help is warmly
invited to donate or get involved
on location.” Those interested can
find more information on the home
page www.tabithasingapore.com
or from Carisa Fey at carisa.fey@
roto-frank.com. She can also see
to it that donors wishing to finance
the building of a complete house
will receive a tax-deductible receipt
for their donation and can monitor
precisely what the donated money
is being used for.
3
30 years of Scheidegger Metallbau AG
Creative – constructive – innovative
Prudent and easy-going – that’s how many people would probably
describe a typical native of Switzerland. And the entrepreneur Fritz
Scheidegger from Kirchberg does indeed fit this picture to some
degree. “That cost me some money,” he said, for example, softly
when speaking about the few undesirable trends or bad decisions
in the many years of the company’s history. But it quickly becomes
apparent that behind his calm appearance lies a man with quite a
fighting spirit.
The founder still heads the management and the company. This year
he celebrated its 30 th anniversary
together with his staff, its customers and suppliers. In a few years
his son René is to assume this role
and guide the fortunes of Scheidegger Metallbau AG together with
the other members of the management, who have been at the company for decades.
Well-prepared in the starting
blocks
In 1981 Fritz Scheidegger founded
Scheidegger Metallbau AG in a
small workshop with an office in
an unheated shack. Back then he
focussed on the planning, production and assembly of metal construction and fitting work. Following an apprenticeship as a fitter and
training as a metal construction
draughtsman, Fritz Scheidegger
was initially employed as the head
of the workshop, project manager
and technical director at various
window and facade construction
companies before daring to take
the step and become self-employed
at the age of 34. Today Scheidegger Metallbau AG has a staff
of approximately 60 employees
not far from the site of its founding in the Swiss town of Kirchberg.
As a renowned facade construction company, it is involved in many
commercial and public building
projects. For example, a luxury
watch making company with brand
names known the world over is one
of its regular customers.
The facade as ambassador
Maximum entry of light, optimum
protection from sunlight, modern
thermal insulation, perfect ventilation, reliable fire protection and outstanding individuality – today the
list of requirements for the hightech products of a facade builder
is a long one. Alexander Sanchez,
member of the management and
responsible for sales and marketing, is at times reminded of what
goes on in the world of fashion.
“It used to be that you wore clothing in order to be properly dressed
for the weather and the occasion.
Today you wear clothing to send a
message. And that is a highly individual thing. Just like the building
facade has the task today of conveying the message of the builder
or the architect. Then it is often
extremely difficult to harmonise
some creative drafts with the technical requirements of the modern
age.”
Human, loyal,
performance-conscious
Scheidegger Metallbau AG has
always cooperated closely with its
builders, however increasingly also
with engineers, architects and specialist planners. The company management is closely allied with suppliers like Wicona, Roto and Raico.
For example Hansueli Kaufmann,
4
managing director of Roto Frank
AG in Switzerland, and Fritz Scheidegger became acquainted over
a complaint. “Actually, this crisis
first led to a trusting business relationship and then to a friendship,
which ultimately also included our
families,” said Fritz Scheidegger,
for whom loyalty and humanity
are very important. However, it’s
a humanity that doesn’t question
the fact that everything – including
trust and teamwork – starts with
the will to perform. “I’ve continued
to educate and develop myself my
entire life,” he says. “At the age of
55 I once again began an intensive
study of business economics at
the University of St. Gallen. That’s
how I know just how valuable it is
for every person to challenge themselves. If we want the best, we can
achieve it. But we have to want it.”
A clear goal in sight
René Scheidegger, today 36,
already wanted the right thing at
an early age, says the father with
planner enquires and not just us.
Then the price is negotiated down
umpteen times. Until the cheapest one is awarded the contract.
Whether it’s the cheapest because,
for example, it saves on materials
is then no longer the question, as
that is often not apparent even to
the expert planner. And that means
it’s necessary to find a system for
each order that’s so intelligent that
it can be offered at a competitive
price without saving on materials.
That requires a great deal of design
know-how and close cooperation
with the supplier.”
The management of Scheidegger Metallbau AG (from right): Fritz Scheidegger,
Robert Moser, Alexander Sanchez and Daniel Ritter.
a smile. “My son already said that
he wanted to be a fitter in kindergarten. He’s been with the company now since the beginning of
May. In three to four years he’ll
probably take over my position as
head of management.” But first
René earned his spurs outside his
father’s company, among others at
Wicona. In addition to Fritz Scheidegger and Alexander Sanchez,
Robert Moser, the company’s most
senior employee, and Daniel Ritter
are also members of the manage-
ment. “All have been at the company for a very long time and contribute their experience, which we
discuss with each other,” said the
owner.
Intelligent systems at a low
price
But what has changed in 30 years
of company history? Fritz Scheidegger said, “The customs. It used
to be that we planned the facade
for and with the builder and then
usually also built it. Today an expert
Pioneer of CAD-controlled
profile machining
Just like sheet metal parts, the
company buys some of the window elements which are already
fitted into many of the prefabricated facade parts in the workshop
from partners. Fritz Scheidegger
decided early on: “We’ve concentrated on machining aluminium
and a little steel from the outset in
order to really be one of the best.”
Fritz Scheidegger was the first
facade manufacturer in Switzerland
to invest in the introduction of a
CAD-controlled machining centre
for aluminium profiles in 1988. It
was commissioned in 1990. “That
was the best decision of my professional career,” he says today. “Even
In 1987 Hansueli Kaufmann (on left) and senior partner Fritz Scheidegger (centre)
The extreme mountain climber Ueli Steck is known far beyond the borders of
met when there was reason for a “critical dialogue”. The start of a lively friend-
Switzerland. He delighted the approximately 260 guests of Scheidegger Metall-
ship that has continued until today. “I’ve experienced how René Scheidegger (on
bau AG invited to the company’s anniversary celebration on 15 September 2011.
right) has gradually grown into the company,” remembers Hansueli Kaufmann.
“It’s great when business friends share a common road for so long.”
Photos: Scheidegger Metallbau AG
It’s apparent that the paragraphs of the guiding principles of Scheidegger Metall-
“Each employee is supported in his or her work through the use of the most
bau AG don’t just exist on paper. Guiding principle 4: “Every employee should
modern technologies available today.” The guiding principles of Scheidegger
be happy to work at our company and should feel comfortable. His or her active
Metallbau AG state that “the safety, health and well-being of the employees are
contribution helps create a good working environment.” Guiding principle 5: “We
decisive criteria for our thoughts, decisions, leadership and actions”.
help every employee improve his or her professional qualifications. He or she will
be informed before important decisions are made and his or her opinion will be
taken into account whenever possible.”
Inside
Luxury apartments were built in 2009
The Sälihof in Olten is an expressive example of what Alexander Sanchez
Reichle & DeMassari AG in Wetzikon manufactures passive wiring solutions.
and 2010 in the Sempach park in Bern.
observed: “Today you wear clothing to send a message. And that is a highly indi-
Scheidegger Metallbau AG supplied the entire facade for its new company head-
“One of few residential building proj-
vidual thing. Just like the building facade has the task today of conveying the
quarters for approximately 5.4 million Swiss franks. It purchased timber/alumin-
ects that were realised on such a high
message of the builder or the architect.”
ium windows valued at approximately 900,000 Swiss franks from the window
level that an investment was also
manufacturer Albisrieden AG. They were all equipped with the concealed Roto
made in a glass facade,” says Fritz
NT Designo.
Scheidegger.
if people thought I was crazy – we
became so flexible and successful
that we could have grown without
end.” Today the company has over
17 networked CAD workstations for
developing designs and offers. The
company was ISO-certified for the
first time in 1998. “For all the flexibility, we have still always worked
on a high level of process reliabil-
ity”, comments Fritz Scheidegger,
“and that is perfectly covered by an
ISO audit. That’s why this certification really means something to us.”
Celebrating with both feet on
the ground
On the evening of the last working
day in the 30 th year since the company’s founding on 15 April, Fritz
Scheidegger first did what’s most
important to him: He called his
employees together and celebrated
a party with them that was both
relaxed and cheerful. Five months
later, he invited the firm’s customers and suppliers – and of course
also its employees – to another
“Swiss event”. The extreme mountain climber Ueli Steck, known
far beyond the country’s borders,
delighted the approximately 260
guests invited to the anniversary
celebration on 15 September 2011
with his talk. He spoke about his
climbing expeditions and the goal
of conquering the three famous
north faces of the Alps – Eiger,
Matterhorn and Grandes Jorasses –
alone and in record time.
success, which has so far helped
us to get through the global economic crisis and the subsequent
crisis in the Spanish construction
sector: Every customer is equally
important to us.”
superbly equipped rental apartments. Tower Number Three is
used by a large hotel chain.
sion T600. Hardware that we fabricated for the first time and that
convinced us 100%.”
“For the ‘Cubics’ building, the
architects designed very large glass
facades that are supposed to let as
much natural light as possible into
the building interior. A lot of daylight enters every room of all apartments through large window and
facade elements. As is so often
the case, the weights of these windows and elements into which sun
screens and air conditioning have
been integrated, represented the
main challenge. The architects also
requested that the window hardware should remain concealed so
that the window handles would
be shown to their best advantage.
And we were able to meet these
requirements with the Roto AluVi-
A perfect presentation
For Juan Carlos, there is no question that the still very recent cooperation with the Roto hardware
experts from Montmeló and Leinfelden has been worthwhile for
the company: “The hotel chain
was immediately impressed by
our window solutions and was
very satisfied with the work. With
the windows in the ‘Cubics’ buildings, we’ve left behind an excellent business card that’s resulted in
us already working with the same
group of investors towards making several more hotel projects a
reality.”
Aluminios Jucarma S.L.
Facade solutions from Galicia
The native Galician Juan Carlos began manufacturing aluminium
windows and doors over 25 years ago. The Aluminios Jucarma S.L.
company, of which he is today managing director, came into being
in 1990 as a result of the merger between his company and three
other construction firms. By combining their competences and
thanks to the know-how of staff who were now combined into a
single team, the joint undertaking Aluminios Jucarma became one
of Spain’s leading facade specialists.
A trade with a QM system
In the opinion of managing director
Juan Carlos, it is above all the still
low level of automation at Jucarma
that guarantees maximum quality
no matter what the batch size. “We
are extremely flexible and can react
quickly to any customer enquiry.
At the same time, we introduced a
quality management system some
years ago that covers the entire
development and production process and ensures that Jucarma
quality is guaranteed with every
window and every facade.” A quality that is noticed on the market
and that Juan Carlos regards as a
clear advantage over the competition, particularly in economically
difficult times.
Photos: Aluminios Jucarma S.L.
Some 60 employees develop and produce high-quality facade systems at the
main Aluminios Jucarma plant in the Galician town of Lugo.
The headquarters of the Aluminios Jucarma company is located
in north-western Spain, more precisely in Lugo in the autonomous
region of Galicia. Here, some 60
employees are dedicated to the
development and production of aluminium facade systems: Jucarma
can supply sliding windows, TiltOnly windows, doors, glass facade
elements, fanlights, lightweight
facades, railings – everything that
defines the appearance of facades.
The company’s credo is: A lot of
work by hand, a lot of quality management and dealing with all orders
speedily and in close collaboration
with the customer.
“To date, Aluminios Jucarma has
established itself primarily among
Spanish building owners as a leading facade specialist” reports managing director Juan Carlos. “Our
customers include both large property construction companies and
private building owners. And that
may also be one secret behind our
A “Cubics” in the townscape
Despite the large proportion of
manual work in the company,
Jucarma can produce up to
100,000 window units in a year
when necessary. This is important
in order to win over project developers and investors as long-term
customers. This has been done
successfully in Santa Coloma de
Gramenet, a town in the Barcelona
metropolitan area. This is where
in the past three years, an impressive ensemble called “Cubics”,
consisting of three free-standing
buildings has been built. Two of
these together contain about 250
In Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a town in the Barcelona metropolitan area, an
impressive ensemble of three free-standing buildings has been built in the last
three years.
5
Staļi Ltd.
Successful thanks to national preferences
Anyone who travels by plane to
the Latvian capital of Riga has
already seen – consciously or
unconsciously – the country’s
natural treasure: wood! Around
40 per cent of the area of Latvia
is “covered” with this valuable
raw material. Approximately
13 per cent of the total Latvian
export volume consists of wood
or products of the wood processing industry. An extremely
successful representative of
this industry is Staļi from the
former Hanseatic city of Cēsis.
Today Staļi is one of the largest
window and door manufacturers
in North-Eastern Europe. When
asked about his formula for success, several aspects occur to managing director Janis Lasmanis at
once. “Our customers value both
wood as a natural material and
what we do with it. In many cases
they have trusted in the craft skills
of our employees for many years
now. Staļi has never produced a
‘standard window’. On the contrary, we are oriented toward the
local conditions on our export markets, the country’s typical windowbuilding traditions and of course
the ideas and requirements of our
customers.”
It’s the difference that does it
Today Staļi supplies customers in
Norway, Sweden, France, Great
Britain, Finland, Lithuania, Germany
and many other countries. In Latvia the manufacturer’s windows are
mainly in demand by private builders, while in other countries they
are mainly purchased by large construction and project companies.
“The customer and sales structures
we have to adjust to as flexibly as
possible differ as greatly as the
window solutions preferred in the
respective countries. For example,
our products are sold in Sweden
by a large chain of DIY centres
with more than 60 sales locations
around the country”, says Janis
Lasmanis.
Approximately 250 employees have
produced quality timber windows and
doors at the Staļi plant in Cēsis since
1992.
Even if there are no Staļi standard
windows, the window professional does, of course, systematically react to national window construction preferences. As a result,
“Scandinavian” windows leave the
plant in Cēsis almost exclusively as
Top-Swing, Side-Open and SideTurn models. “Both on the Latvian
market and in the great majority
of our non-Scandinavian export
markets, the ‘German’ window
with Tilt&Turn system is in greatest
demand. And that’s why it’s hardly
surprising that we can already look
back on 15 years of close, successful cooperation with the Tilt&Turn
experts at Roto.”
You won’t find “standard windows”
The loyal customers value wood as a
at Staļi. On the contrary, the manu-
natural material and trust in the craft
facturer is oriented toward the local
skills of the employees at Staļi.
conditions on its export markets, the
country’s typical window-building traditions and of course the ideas and
requirements of its customers.
Photos: Stali Ltd.
Standard: No, quality: Yes
The cooperation is so successful
because it perfectly fits the quality concept of Janis Lasmanis and
his team. “Of course, the price is
always an object of negotiations,
but for many of our customers the
quality of the products is of primary importance. And especially
in Scandinavia, Great Britain and
Germany, the subject of energy
efficiency naturally also plays an
important role. Staļi windows and
doors score well here not just due
to their natural, renewable raw
material, but also because they
achieve excellent thermal insulation values. We can offer builders
interested in ecological, sustainable
building very high-performance
systems. And the number of those
to whom this applies will increase
in the future, I’m sure of it.”
The windows and doors are manufactured on modern production
lines in which the company has
continually invested – even in economically difficult times. On the
one hand, one goal is to permanently supply top quality in this
way, says Janis Lasmanis. On the
other hand, it’s important to him
and his team to react to complex
requirements and individual ideas
of their customer with increasing
flexibility. “In future as well, there
will be no ‘standard’ at Staļi. Customised products for Europe’s construction sites will continue to be
our daily work.”
“We can offer builders interested in
ecological, sustainable building very
high-performance systems. And the
number of those to whom this applies
will increase in the future, I’m sure of
it,” says Janis Lasmanis.
Customised windows from Staļi for
... and in energy-efficient building shells of modern apartment complexes.
specific customers and buildings: as
part of historical facades ...
The Latvian window market
Where trade routes and action meet
The “Baltic tiger” is roaring
again: Following a bitter economic crash in 2009 and the
subsequent drastic government programme of savings
and reorganisation, Latvia is
today back on the road to its
former strengths. The country
and its people have long possessed sufficient potential and
openness.
The most important trade routes
between eastern, central and
northern Europe were already converging on Latvia’s Baltic Sea coast
6
Inside
Multi-pane insulating glass
Still no alternative to glazing packers
The development of new systems progresses especially
quickly in the course of growing requirements for the energy
efficiency of windows. The
trend to ever larger sashes,
narrower profiles and growing
weights caused, for example,
by triple-glazing, lead to the use
of new forms of processing.
For example, the circumferential gluing of the glass proves to
be a high-performance design
method which eliminates the
need for steel reinforcement,
however not the use of glazing
packers. Andy Bauer, application engineer at Roto GluskeBKV, explains why to Roto
Inside.
RI: Mr. Bauer, why is circumferential gluing of the glass with
multi-pane insulating glass on
the advance?
Andy Bauer: The adhesive bonding technique offers a number of
advantages. On the one hand, it
enables narrow frame designs,
and therefore increased entry of
light through the window. On the
other hand, it improves the stability and burglary inhibition. In addition, the heat and sound-insulating
properties of the window can be
optimised with gluing. And furthermore, the window manufacturer can also reduce the amount
of material used, as the use adhesive bonding eliminates the need
for steel reinforcement in PVC
windows.
of the edge composite material so
that then, for example, the panes
can mist up from the inside due to
penetrating humidity. And this also
applies to glued panes.
RI: What exactly does that
mean for the installation of the
packers?
Andy Bauer: First it’s necessary to
observe the compatibility of the
materials, as otherwise so-called
plasticiser migration can occur,
which can in turn damage the
glass structure. Here it’s a matter of both the material of the edge
composite material and the glazing packers and the composition of
various silicones, for example for
fixing the packers in place which
come into contact with the packers of the edge composite material.
Not to forget the broadest range of
adhesive materials for gluing glass
panes.
The “Glazing Guide” from Roto Gluske-BKV provides collective expertise on the
topic of proper glazing with information and facts according to the latest guidelines and current practical experience, which is available for downloading free of
charge at www.gluskebkv.de.
RI: And there are no
disadvantages?
Andy Bauer: No. The ift Rosenheim
recently conducted a very interesting test on this topic. Its results
clearly show that professionally
glued glazing has no disadvantages
whatsoever with regard to the adequacy and the durability. However,
the basic condition is that use of
glazing packers with soft gluing
systems. The many years of testing
of the ift have shown that lowering
of the panes can occur with pane
gluing without glazing packers.
This in turn results in a number of
problems and the period of usability of multi-pane insulated glass is
considerably reduced. The recommended Dagi report “Einsatz von
geklebten Verglasungen im Fensterbau – Einfluss von innovativen
Techniken auf die Dauerhaftigkeit
von Mehrscheiben-Isolierglas”
(Use of glued glazing in window
construction – influence of innovative techniques on the durability of
multi-pane insulating glass) can be
requested from ift Rosenheim at
www.ift-rosenheim.de. (Editorial
note: “Dagi” is the German abbreviation for “Durability of glued insulating glass”.)
centuries ago. Since then, nothing has changed in that respect or
with regard to the commitment of
Latvia’s business community. So
it’s no surprise that since gaining
independence in 1991, Latvia has
been able to achieve rapid economic growth – with double-figures
growth rates almost every year up
to 2008.
continued in 2010, albeit much
less markedly. Since residential
and office building construction
in particular were affected by this
decline, many of the still young
companies in the construction elements sector also came under
pressure.
However, the decline also started
in double figures: In 2009 alone,
country’s construction output for
example fell by over 30 percent.
This was a negative trend that
RI: What functions do the packers assume and what loads are
they subject to in the life of a
window?
Andy Bauer: The carrier packers
channel the weight of the glass
unit into the frame structure. The
spacer packers ensure the spacing between the edge of the glass
and the rebate base and guarantee
force-free installation. For this purpose, they temporarily also assume
the task of the carrier packers in
case of a functional change of
the sash. Together the carrier and
spacer packers ensure proper operation of the element. During the life
of the window, the packers themselves are also subjected to climatic
and wind loads in addition to the
normal operating load.
RI: What must be observed for
the glazing packers?
Andy Bauer: For the glazing packers it must be ensured that the
removal of the glass weight does
not result in unchecked, spot pressure loads of the glass edge and
the edge composite on the carrying packers. This can, for example,
occur when packer material that is
too soft is used or the degree of filling of the edge composite material
is too high. This can be recognised
from a warpage of the edge composite over the glass edge. In this
case damage can occur in the area
Latvia in numbers
- Form of government: Parliamentary
republic
- Area: 64,590 square kilometres
RI: What different versions of
glazing packers are there?
Andy Bauer: Of course, there are
glazing packers for all standard
glazing. For example, here Roto
Gluske-BKV offers the GL-SV and
the GL-IB for triple-glazing or the
GL-B packer with integrated brake
membranes. In this case the need
for fixing of the packer with additional adhesives, such as silicone,
quotas, the large window fabricators in particular have found their
way out of the crisis more quickly
than companies in many other
sectors.”
- Population: 2.3 million, including
some 750,000 in the capital Riga
- GDP 2010: approximately 18.9 billion Euros (equivalent to 8400 Euros
Getting through the crisis with
growing exports
“The Latvian construction sector
has had to get through two difficult years”, recalls Uldis Kreslins,
subsidiary manager of Roto Latvia. “Yet thanks to their high export
In addition, the packers must
above be properly dimensioned.
The width of the packers is to be
at least equal to that of the glazing unit plus two millimetres. With
glazing gaskets, the distance to the
packer width must also be added.
The thickness should be approximately a third of the glass rebate
height, however the mark of five
millimetres must not be dropped
below under any circumstances so
that the adhesion of water droplets can still be reliably avoided.
The length of the packers is usually
100 millimetres. The arrangement
of the packers is dependent on the
function and type of opening of the
window. The distance between the
packer and the corner of the glass
unit should generally be approximately the length of one packer.
With special frame designs – for
example with wide, fixed units for
display windows – the carrier packers must be seated over the fastening points of the frame. The packer
can therefore be moved up to 250
millimetres out of the corner.
per capita)
- Most important trading partners:
Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden, Norway,
Germany, Russia
- Currency: Lats (pegged to the Euro)
He also pointed out that in particular, favourable economic developments in central Europe and
Scandinavia, as well as Latvia’s
geographical proximity and good
logistical links to these important
export markets, had resulted in
a certain degree of relief for the
companies that had come under
pressure. “And based on what we
Ventilation
channel
Leg system
The more demanding requirements
of the German Energy Saving Regulations (EnEV) increasingly result in
the use of triple insulating glass. The
resulting higher glass weights which
did result must – even with gluing – be
supported with packers, for example
like the GL-IB from Roto Gluske-BKV,
over the entire glazing thickness.
is eliminated. The brake membrane protects against slipping and
ensures that the packer remains in
the right place. A special solution
developed by us represents the GLUKS, a special glazing packer with
a steel core insert. It is used with
especially high pane weights or if
the substructure is planned so that
the protrusion of the ISO pane is
unavoidable. As a result, the entire
ISO pane then has a complete contact surface. All packers from Roto
Gluske-BKV and their pressure
deformation behaviour while taking the Technical Guidelines of the
Glazing Trade, Part 3 (TR 3), into
account are also summarised again
in the Roto “Glazing Guide”.
currently know, the signs are that
many companies will once again
experience growth this year.”
In Uldis Kreslins’ opinion, approximately 15 companies comprise the
country’s major building element
manufacturers. Their production
is approximately 20 per cent timber windows and 75 per cent PVC
constructions. In Latvia, aluminium
plays only a subordinate role as a
window profile material. Roto has
been active on the Latvian market
since 1997.
7
A powerful presence on the Russian market:
The BFK Production Group
Photos: BFK
The Russian BFK production
Group, founded in 1995 in
Novosibirsk, has five subsidiaries. PVC and aluminium components are manufactured in two
of the three plants. There are
two service companies which,
together with about 150 freelance dealers, take care of sales
and provide advice relating to
these components. In 2010, the
Group achieved a total turnover
for the year of around 3.5 billion
Roubles, equivalent to some
87.5 million Euros.
More than 2000 employees work
at the BFK plants, manufacturing
windows, doors and facade systems across 30,000 square metres
of production floor space. In 2010,
about 550,000 square metres of
PVC windows were made at the
two plants in Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk. In parallel to this, the BFK
Production Group turns on average
500 tonnes of aluminium per year
into windows, doors, balconies and
facade structures. Roto Inside had
the opportunity to conduct a short
interview with Managing Director
Maxim Jakubenko.
He had this to say about the latest
developments of the BFK Group:
“We always wanted to be one of
the best. And we’ve succeeded.
In Russia, today there is no other
window manufacturer active in a
region of comparable size. In 2010
we once again produced over
500,000 square metres of PVC windows – in other words exactly the
same as in 2007 before the global
economic crisis. We are not aware
of any other Russian window manufacturer who achieved that.”
RI: In view of these very positive developments, are you considering expanding your production capacities?
Maxim Jakubenko: Of course.
We’re working on it at the moment.
The aim is for our dealers to be
able to get their order within a few
days throughout Siberia at any time
throughout the year. That’s why at
the present time we still maintain
In Krasnoyarsk too, the third largest city in western Siberia, investors and build-
As a complete supplier of alumin-
ing owners are relying on the support of the BFK Production Group. The picture
ium facade structures, windows and
shows the building of the Krasnoyarsk region court of arbitration, completed in
doors, the BFK Production Group has
2010.
also worked for Sibirbank. Sibirbank
belongs to Russia’s largest banking
group. Its branch in Novosibirsk was
a relatively large stock of finished
goods, although this of course
weakens the company’s profitability. Our aim is to expand production
capacity to 90,000 square metres
of windows monthly.
RI: Since you make both PVC
windows and doors and aluminium facade systems and
windows, the development of
project business should also
be of great importance to you.
In which projects is the BFK
Production Group currently
involved?
Maxim Jakubenko: We only get
involved in projects that have been
costed on a firm basis and that
are being built by renowned companies. At the present time for
example, we are working on the
construction of the new trade fair
centre in Novosibirsk. The building
work going on here is to an internationally recognised high standard.
All the new buildings should be
completed by the end of 2011.
RI: Can you imagine being
involved in the project business
only?
Maxim Jakubenko: No. In Novosibirsk, only a few projects are
realised at a global level, even if it
would be good for the city’s image
if there were more of them ... In
February 2011, the BFK Production
Group started to use Roto NT and
Roto Designo in its PVC windows
production – a measure that has
put us further ahead of the competition and extended our success
in high-quality home-building. Our
aim is to deliver the best quality,
so we’re on the lookout all over the
world for the ideal components and
for good partners in this country.
The Russian trading house TBM for
example maintains a large warehouse in Novosibirsk, in which
stocks of the Roto hardware for
the BFK Production Group are also
kept. As a result, TBM can supply both our plants on any working day – which means that we can
keep our own material inventory
built in 2006 and is today one of the
city’s most modern office buildings.
Photo: oknamedia
Maxim Jakubenko, Managing Director
of the BFK Production Group, proudly
said: “Investors and planners are turning to us with confidence and in some
cases also want to place the planning
of the entire building shell in BFK’s
hands. Our engineers then help to
make high-quality solutions a reality.”
relatively small. Within the space
of a few months, Roto, TBM and
ourselves have developed a perfectly organised system of working
together and we’re very pleased
with it.
his satisfaction with the start of the
cooperation: “The BFK Group is not
only Siberia’s largest window manufacturer, it’s also one of the most
important manufacturers in Russia. One thing was clear to us: A
manufacturer of this size needs to
be able to rely on a top-class delivery service from us and our partner
TBM if this is to be the foundation
for a long-term partnership. After
all, besides price and product quality, the window manufacturer also
needs to be able to impress with
a first-rate delivery service. In my
estimation, BFK, TBM and Roto
together are setting new standards
with their cooperation.”
In the discussion, Matthias Eberlein, Roto market director for Russia and Central Asia, also expressed
Endurance test for windows
Triple glazing to keep out the Siberian cold
Experts at the Russian Academy of Sciences have calculated that
using energy-saving windows in Siberia would save up to 250 kilowatt-hours per square metre of window surface area within a single average heating period from October to April.
In the ‘Nordmaster’, an O-shaped profile reinforcement, an above-average
number of gasket compression elements and a frostproof polyurethane
foam seal ensure that there are no
In the city of Novosibirsk alone,
replacing all poorly insulated windows could save up to one billion
kilowatt-hours in a single winter
– the figure for the entire Siberian
Federation being as much as ten
billion kilowatt-hours, which is the
equivalent of five times the annual
production of Novosibirsk’s hydropower plant.
recalls: “When we were developing
the ‘Nordmaster’ window, we were
looking to create the ideal window
for the hard Siberian climate. Many
years of experience and a great
deal of work by our engineers have
gone into this window. It is so reliable and robust that we give a tenyear guarantee on every window
delivered.”
leaks. This guarantees air-tightness
even at a temperature of minus 40
degrees. The top-class heat insulation
of the ‘Nordmaster’ was achieved by
a combination of a 5-chamber Veka
Softline profile with an energy-saving
triple-glazed pane. The triple glazing
increases the width to 40 mm. This
almost eliminates the formation of
ice in the lower part of the window
– which used to be one of the major
At the present time, it is not by
chance that 30 per cent of the BFK
Production Group’s turnover is
accounted for by its “Nordmaster”
and “Grandmaster” windows. Managing Director Maxim Jakubenko
8
problems associated with insulation
glass in Siberia.
Inside
The BFK Production Group
Competence for PVC and aluminium
Photos: BFK
The group’s oldest company, BFK-Extrusion, was founded in 1997
in the city of Krasnoyarsk for the production of decorative material made of PVC. The manufacture of window profiles and doors
has seen the production floor space of BFK-Extrusion increase to
11,000 square metres today. Its products are made on the most
modern production systems in Russia.
Since 2008, the company has been
manufacturing interior doors from
foamed PVC under the brand name
“AquaDoor”. Completely resistant
to moisture, these doors have a
much longer service life than timber doors or veneered particle
board doors. They also have better soundproofing and are more
resistant.
Product developments such as
these and the continuous modernisation of the production technology
have laid the basis for BFK-Extrusion becoming the leading PVC
manufacturer in the Krasnoyarsk
region with its over 2.8 million
inhabitants. Each month, windows
equivalent to a total surface area of
around 40,000 square metres are
produced in Krasnoyarsk. In 2007,
it opened sales offices in Moscow,
Abakan, Achinsk and Zheleznogorsk in eastern Siberia. Over 150
dealers sell BFK windows in the
rest of Russia.
Aluminium systems from
Novosibirsk
Since 1997, aluminium facades, balconies and window systems have
also been assembled at the Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk plants.
For this, both plants today rely on
aluminium profiles from companies
in their immediate proximity. The
situation was different in the early
years. Then, BFK imported profiles
from Western Europe so that solutions conforming to international
standards could be assembled and
supplied in Novosibirsk. That’s why
today, the company is also one
of the leading manufacturers of
facade structures in Russia.
In the approximately 8300 square-
The service company BFK-Persona is
metre Anatoliy Kuzmin production
intended to specifically assist the col-
hall that was built in 1939 and which
laboration with architects in residen-
is situated on the former site of the
tial construction and in private single-
ironworks in Novosibirsk, some 1500
family house construction.
employees of the BFK Group produce
approximately 900 PVC windows, 30
Service to ensure customer
loyalty
The sales offices that have been
founded in the meantime in Tomsk,
Kemerovo, Novokuznetsk and
Omsk also guarantee that BFK
consultants are very close to their
customers. Great importance is
attached to planning service and
after-sales service. The number of
consultant engineers within the
Group has therefore been constantly increased over the past few
years.
aluminium balconies, 20 aluminium
doors, 180 construction glass plates,
40 shutters and 300 mosquito nets in
a single day.
Innovations and the continuous modernisation of production have laid the
basis for the BFK Production Group
being one of the leading manufacturers of PVC windows in Russia today.
The company BFK-Expert, which
was originally founded as a service company, deals primarily with
consultation for architects and
investors looking for advice for
designing facades, windows and
doors. Managing Director Maxim
Jakubenko explains what led to this
company being founded: “The BFK
Group can now offer many systems
and products from a single source.
This means that investors and planners are turning to us with confidence and in some cases also want
to place the planning of the entire
building shell in BFK’s hands. Our
engineers then help to make highquality solutions a reality in order to
fulfil the needs of the people who
will be using the building later.” A
second and recently founded service company, BFK-Persona, is
intended to specifically assist the
collaboration with architects in residential construction and in private
single-family house construction.
With its sales offices in Moscow and
in almost all the other larger cities in
the Siberian Federation, the BFK Production Group ensures that its specialists are very close to the customer.
Novosibirsk
The city of Novosibirsk is, after Moscow
Novosibirsk, the State Technical Univer-
and Saint Petersburg, the third larg-
sity of Novosibirsk, and the Novosibirsk
est city in Russia and the largest city in
State University for Architecture and
Siberia. It has a population of just under
Construction. The large conservatoire is
1.4 million, and owes its founding to the
also well established.
construction of a bridge for the TransSiberian Railway over the River Ob in
The city has an international airport (Tol-
1893. Since then, Novosibirsk has devel-
machevo), a municipal airport (Gorodskoi
oped into Siberia’s main traffic nodal
Aeroport), an inland port, a bus station
point connecting West and East.
and lies at the route of the Trans-Siberian
Railway. Via this, it is possible to travel
The Siberian department of the Academy
directly to Novosibirsk from Berlin, for
of Sciences in Novosibirsk was opened
example.
Photo: lovei
as long ago as 1943. The city is the cultural centre of Siberia and an important
theatre and music location in Russia.
college. The Academic Symphony Orches-
Today, Novosibirsk is one of Russia’s most
The attractions of Novosibirsk also
The professional theatre in Novosibirsk
tra of the Novosibirsk State Philharmonic
important industrial and scientific cen-
include many representative buildings
recruits its members from the famous
is also internationally famous. The city’s
tres. Consequently, it is also the seat of the
built at the beginning of the 20 th cen-
“Glinka”, the State Conservatoire, the
violin school has been attended by interna-
Siberian section of the Russian Academy
tury, such as the railway station in the
ballet school and the theatre school in
tional greats such as Anton Barachowski,
of Sciences, 34 universities, colleges and
city centre which is one of the largest
Novosibirsk, as well as from the music
Vadim Repin and Ilya Konowalow.
institutes including the State University of
of its kind in Russia.
Siberia
Krasnoyarsk
Covering 13.1 million square kilometres,
With almost one million inhabitants, Kras-
Siberia is larger than any other coun-
noyarsk is the third-largest city in Sibe-
try on Earth. It is bordered in the west
ria and also the capital of the region that
by the Urals, in the north by the Arctic
bears its name. Krasnoyarsk is approxi-
Ocean, in the east by the Pacific and in
mately 4100 kilometres east of Moscow
the south by the People’s Republic of
and about 800 kilometres east of Novosi-
China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. This
birsk. It is home to the second-largest alu-
means that Siberia covers almost three
minium plant in the world. Near the city
quarters of the territory of Russia and is
there is an underground industrial com-
divided up into several vegetation zones:
plex, the “mining and chemicals com-
Cold arctic desert, tundra, taiga and
bine” of Zheleznogorsk, formerly a highly
steppe. The average annual temperature
secret complex that even today remains
isolated from the outside world. Russia’s
is around zero degrees Celsius. With just
38 million inhabitants, Siberia is sparsely
Photo: Alexandra Pyssina
first final storage facility for radioactive
populated. The average population den-
material will go into operation in Kras-
sity is only about 2.9 people per square kilometre.
noyarsk this year.
Photo: Fluggesellschaft „UTair“
9
Z-Fenster-Technik
Family power of the Bavarian type
The firm Z-Fenster-Technik in Herrnwahlthann near Regensburg
in Germany certainly has no shortage of important milestones in
its company history. Founded back in 1881, it is one of the oldest
companies in the Bavarian county of Kelheim. Today the managing director is Alfons Zizlsperger, a great-grandson of the founder,
who has made the company one of the largest manufacturers of
doors and windows far and wide. In 2006 he founded the partnership with Roto. “So that our quality philosophy ‘From professionals, with professionals, for professionals’ could become reality,”
says Alfons Zizlsperger of this decision. All windows from both the
company’s plants are supplied today with concealed hardware and
a third gasket as standard.
GmbH with headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany, was founded for
this purpose. In 2006 the capacities
of this production segment were
expanded with the establishment
of a fully-automated panel storage
system.
Alfons Zizlsperger, Managing Director
of Z-Fenster-Technik
Like many specialists in window
and door manufacturing, Z-Fenster-Technik also has its roots in
a joiner’s workshop and furniture
business. In 1973 the decision was
made for a specialisation in the production of windows which were to
be sold exclusively to joiner’s workshops and qualified building element dealers. In 1986 the production and sale of patented main door
blanks was also begun. These are
sold via the industrial business-tobusiness sector to main door manufacturers and joiner’s workshops.
The company Haustüren-Ring
Expansion to Czech Republic
Together with a partner, Alfons
Zizlsperger founded AR OKENNÍ
TECHNIKA s.r.o. in Vrhaveč, Czech
Republic in 2001 – a production
company which manufactures PVC
windows fully automatically for
both the German and the Czech
market. It has been so successful that a separate branch sales
office was set up in Prague in 2005.
Z-Fenster-Technik meanwhile supplies timber and timber/aluminium
windows and main doors to this
and other branch offices in Marienbad and Pilsen.
Expansion of Herrnwahlthann
plant
In 1996 a production line for PVC
windows was also established at
the Herrnwahlthann site in addition
to timber window production and
was officially opened in the 115th
year after company’s founding.
In 2004 a seven-digit figure was
invested in a new receiving warehouse for blank production. Today
production takes place here at the
main plant on approximately 8000
square metres. Over 50,000 windows and 18,000 main door blanks
Over 50,000 windows and 18,000 main door blanks leave the modern production
is quite especially proud, for it was
built under the firm’s own direction
and with the very vigorous support
of its employees. “One floor was
added to the existing administration building, with the new top floor
being placed on steel supports
over the existing building,” reports
Alfons Zizlsperger. “The former
roof was retained and is now used
as an installation level. The top
floor stands independently on the
steel supports and it was possible
to realise the structural changes
during ongoing office operations.
We planned, manufactured and
installed the post-and-beam facade
and the windows used. Of course,
we also used the Roto NT Designo
in the process, which has become
a standard in our product developments over the years.”
line every year.
Photos: Z-Fenster-Technik
Mutual trust has grown in the
meanwhile five-year partnership between Z-Fenster-Technik
and Roto. “Although ‘has grown’
sounds too passive from my standpoint,” says Alfons Zizlsperger, indicating just how convinced he is of
the partnership with Roto. “We’ve
all worked hard to earn this trust.
And that from the outset, beginning
with the smooth conversion of our
production to the Roto NT Designo
hardware, through joint dealer
training and support all the way up
our daily work. The five years with
Roto have been characterised by
uncomplicated, committed mutual
cooperation.”
The administration building was expanded in 2010 under the company’s own
direction and with plenty of Z-Fenster know-how.
leave the production line every
year. All together the corporate
group currently employs a staff of
around 200 under the direction of
Alfons Zizlsperger.
Trust that has grown
At the end of 2010 the company
moved into the expanded administration building – its latest investment of which Alfons Zizlsperger
Oasis and garden
Z-Fenster in modern residential complexes
Green living in an urban environment
requirements applied with regard to heat
Z-Fenster team. Since 2009 a complex
is marked by expansive green belts, water
a perfect calling card for our company.
– that’s the promise of two develop-
and sound insulation,” remembers Alfons
of apartment buildings has been built on
areas, streams and planted natural stone
We can present our entire expertise
ment projects in Regensburg, Germany,
Zizlsperger. Z-Fenster-Technik equipped
a quiet, sloped property directly at the
walls. “All buildings are designed as KfW-
here,” says Alfons Zizlsperger.
that are just as ambitious as they are
every flat of the “Oasis” with highly-insu-
southern edge of the historic city centre
40 houses. For ‘Il Giardino’ we produce a
groundbreaking. The “Wohnoase am
lated windows.
of Regensburg. As the name suggests,
window system made of Schüco profiles
here the focus is also on the connection
and Roto NT Designo hardware with a
Hochweg” – built between 2002 and
2009 – comprises approximately 600
And the “Il Giardino” project currently
of urban living and the recreational value
U-value of 0.9 W/m2K. Modern residential
flats, distributed over 30 individual
being realised is no less exciting for the
of being close to nature. The appearance
building projects of this kind are naturally
buildings with different designs. The
entire quarter covers around 43,000
square metres. The model for the planners of the residential complex was the
appearance of a medieval town which,
despite a limited selection of architectural elements and building types,
imparts a feeling of uniformity, unity
and security due to the greatly varied
repetition of these elements within
a limited space. The equipment and
structural realisation of the flats, which
are between 40 and 140 square metres
in size, provide for the greatest possible attractiveness. “The builder of
the ‘Wohnoase’ (residential oasis) has
placed great importance on high-quality, durable building materials and products. Of course, for us as window
suppliers particularly demanding
10
Z-Fenster in practice: The “Wohnoase am Hochweg” offers flats with high-quality appointments in an environment that’s both urban and green.
Inside
Rotomania – an initiative of Roto in Poland
Top exhibitions for top consultants
Many Polish premium window manufacturers who work
with Roto products have one
thing in common: They develop
new windows and doors with
a strict focus on solutions and
customers. However, there are
occasionally still problems with
regard to the advantages created in this way, believes Barbara Ahlers, Roto market director for North-Eastern Europe.
“Here the benefit-oriented argumentation and the concept of
living-space related window
solutions we recommend has
already developed into a true
guarantee for success for many
of our partners. Starting immediately, we want to share their
positive experiences with other
sales and trading partners as
part of the Rotomania initiative,” she said in explanation
of the core idea of a program
recently launched in Poland.
Being not just good, but simply
better than others – this is an idea
that is apparently also attractive to
the customers invited to participate in the program. For example,
Katarzyna Dworkiewicz, marketing
specialist at the window and door
manufacturer Nexbau and Rotomania participant from the outset,
explained her commitment to the
initiative as follows: “On the one
hand, it’s a matter of freshening
up our own knowledge on the new
technical developments with a very
close, direct and regular exchange
of ideas with Roto. On the other
hand, we want to make our salespeople, customer advisers and
partners in the window trade even
more familiar with the right sales
strategy for living-space related
window solutions and very generally train their sales skills further
with the help of trainers provided
by Roto.” So there are several good
reasons for participating in Rotomania, the latest Roto qualification
initiative.
Information should flow
In addition, the “communication
gap” between the window manufacturers and the window trade
proper environment, Roto intends
to contribute professional consulting for the redesigning of sales
points and showrooms. Zbigniew
Kulejewski, managing partner of
the window manufacturer Oktim,
finds that a good idea. “If we want
to make the end customers, who
are ready and able to invest, aware
of how important it is to invest in
high-quality windows and doors,
then we can’t do it with a little brochure. From my own experience
I can say that I have to be able to
convey the advantages of a certain
solution in a varied, attractive way –
for example with exhibits, displays
and 3D animations on a computer
screen.”
Photo: Salva
Photo: Halupczok
Practical details: With stickers which indicate with a photo of the product setting which room a window or a door and its
hardware equipment are intended for, the Roto partner creates occasions for a consultation in the showroom on the idea of
the living-space related window. For example, the window dealer Salva in Zielona Góra (left-hand photo) or the timber window manufacturer Halupczok in Węgry near Oppole.
Around 100 showrooms of up to 20
Roto partners are to be optimised up
Long-term common growth
The idea of the initiators of Rotomania is to get away from “technical gibberish” and move toward an
argumentation on the benefits and
a product development adapted
to the end user. And they’re thinking very long-term, proves Barbara
Ahlers. “There’s no time limit on
our offer of further training for the
sales personnel and the design of
modern sales points. We hope to
create a new platform with Rotomania on which the professionals will still be able to meet and
exchange ideas and thoughts for
their mutual benefit many years
from now. The goal is to optimize
around 100 showrooms of up to
20 Roto partners in the first year.
This goal appears realistic to me,
as many customer are reacting
extremely positively and with great
commitment to the Rotomania
initiative.”
to the summer of 2012 as part of the
Rotomania initiative. There top trained
consultants will inspire builders to use
living-space related windows.
perceived by many market participants is to be closed with the Rotomania initiative, continued Barbara
Ahlers in an interview with Roto
Inside. “Many manufacturers primarily concentrate on the development of the highest-quality window
solutions possible and the establishment of perfect production
logistics. Unfortunately, the necessary information from the trade for
the right, end-customer-oriented
representation of new technologies or product advantages often
falls by the wayside. Our idea is
now to regularly bring together the
employees from the manufacturers
with those from the trading com-
panies to provide more room for
an exchange of ideas on the ideal
sales argumentation.”
Convincing consultants in a
convincing environment
So that the newly acquired argumentation strength of the trained
consultants can unfold in the
“We want to make our salespeople, customer advisers and
Zbigniew Kulejewski (on left), managing partner of the window manufacturer
Barbara Ahlers, Roto market director for North-Eastern
partners in the window trade even more familiar with the
Oktim, had the main elements of the initiative explained to him by Mirosław
Europe, informed Roto Inside about the Rotomania initia-
right sales strategy for living-space related window solu-
Bogdalski, Roto sales director for Poland, during the Rotomania kick-off event
tive. “We hope to create a new platform with Rotomania
tions and very generally train their sales skills further with
on 16 June 2011 in Warsaw.
on which the professionals will still be able to meet and
the help of trainers provided by Roto,” explained Katarzyna
exchange ideas and thoughts for their mutual benefit many
Dworkiewicz, head of marketing at the window and door
years from now.”
manufacturer Nexbau. She will also participate in training
courses of the Rotomania initiative.
11
Inside
Casa Noastra
How “needs” become virtues
Photos: Casa Noastra
Imprint
Publisher
Roto Frank AG
Wilhelm-Frank-Platz 1
D-70771 Leinfelden-Echterdingen
Germany
Editorial board:
Monique Gnuschke, Udo Pauly,
Ralph Saile
The Romanian company Casa Noastra is one of Eastern Europe’s
leading window and door manufacturers. And the company
founded by Stefan Cherciu is famous far beyond the country’s borders thanks particularly to its PVC window brand “QFort”. The 44
year-old engineer talked to Roto Inside about Casa Noastra’s export
successes, a few special aspects of the company’s history and the
current situation on the Romanian windows market.
Windows with high thermal insulation
On 2nd June 1995, Stefan Cherciu had the Casa Noastra company (or more precisely the trading company S.C. Casa Noastra
S.R.L.) entered in the Romanian
commercial register. The company
name, which translated means “our
home”, is an expression of an idea
from the time when the company
was founded, which Stefan Cherciu describes as follows: “After we
opened up to the West, Romania’s
transformation from a centralised
planned economy to a free market economy proceeded relatively
unhurried. Its people got used to
the new opportunities only gradually, in an almost shy way. When I
became self-employed in the mid
1990s, it was still a time of transformation. We built up window
and door production with a few
friends and partners – our ‘family’.
And ‘our family’ lived in ‘our home’.
That’s what we called it back then.
And suddenly it was clear to everyone: That was the perfect name for
a company that had set itself the
task of improving people’s living
environments. Of course, the company has grown since then and the
family is now more of a team.”
“No” to price pressure
This is the pressure that Stefan
Cherciu didn’t want to bow to right
from the start. That meant that
Casa Noastra had to tap into new
business areas and opportunities. “Unlike many of our competitors, we didn’t look for the solution in the lower quality that you
have to accept if you want to drum
up orders with lower prices. Right
from the outset, we continued to
make sure that all the ‘ingredients’
were right: High-quality profiles,
high-quality hardware, high-quality
seals and handles from renowned
manufacturers brought our windows up to a Western European
standard, if you want to call it that.
A standard that although it is in
demand from quality-conscious
Romanian building owners, also
paved the way into new markets
for us particularly during the crisis years. Our windows found their
way onto more and more building sites in Italy and Austria – and
today we deliver to nine European
countries. In 2010, our export
quota accounted for six per cent
of our turnover. This year it will be
about 20 per cent and for 2013 we
are already anticipating a turnover
share of 50 per cent.”
The family becomes a team
A team of around 600 colleagues
that is! The “home” for a few colleagues at the company’s Romanian base in Craiova, about 200
kilometres from Bucharest, became
a modern components factory
which today has, among other
things, five fully automatic production lines on which up to 1200 PVC
windows and doors can be produced each day. Thermal glazing,
with a production capacity of up
to 4000 units per day, is produced
on two fully-automatic lines. Stefan Cherciu and his team decided
to produce their own modern thermal glazing because they were not
satisfied with the solutions available on the market: “Previously,
we bought in thermally insulating
glass from other suppliers. In 2005
and 2006 there was then a strong
boom in the Romanian construction sector and we increasingly had
problems in finding glass of a suitable quality and from manufacturers who could be relied upon to
deliver. So we then invested in our
own plant.”
Looking beyond the borders
And that wasn’t the last time that
Casa Noastra reacted to unsatisfactory market developments and in
so doing broke new ground in its
own company history. Neither did
the company become an exporter
in the way it had planned. “Up until
2009, we concentrated mainly on
the Romanian market. Our own
branches and sales partners covered almost the entire country. We
offered all services from a single
source – from technical consul-
properties of the well-known “QFort”
brand are among the products made at
the company’s base in Craiova.
Stefan Cherciu founded Casa Noastra
in 1995.
tation to sales to installation. But
due to the global economic crisis,
the Romanian market pretty much
imploded in 2009 and the construction sector ground to a halt. Work
on large buildings already under
construction was stopped completely or was completed only in
the cheapest way possible, and
unfortunately quality was neglected
accordingly. Decisions on new
buildings and modernisation projects were postponed indefinitely.
Right up to today – perhaps unlike
in Germany or France – the economic crisis has held large tracts
of Romania firmly in its grip. That’s
why one thing above all else rules
in negotiations with the customer: Absolute market and price
pressure.”
“QFort” for quality and comfort
A success story that is due above
all to the window brand “QFort”:
Windows with high thermal insulation properties and at least fivechamber design profiles, Roto NT
hardware in security grade A and
also double and triple thermal glazing. Stefan Cherciu once again talks
about the “ingredients” of his windows. “The loyalty and proximity
to our partners is certainly part of
the reason for our very quick and
growing success on the Western
European markets. Names such
as Roto are familiar to German and
Austrian building owners, most of
whom can then quickly recognise
that we’re not some cheap supplier
but rather can deliver a quality that
will meet their demands.” Short
delivery times and flexible transport capacities have done the rest.
Casa Noastra has at its disposal
production floor space in excess of
10,000 square metres, plus around
13,000 square metres of storage
space. The company’s own vehicle
Editorial staff
Comm´n Sense GmbH
Haverkamp 30
D-45289 Essen
Telephone:+49 201 89470-0
Telefax: +49 201 89470-22
[email protected]
Design and production
gantenhammer
Werbung & Design GmbH & Co. KG
Meerbuscher Straße 64-78
D-40670 Meerbusch
Telephone:+49 2159 69616-0
Telefax: +49 2159 69616-18
[email protected]
Printing house
Kohlhammer & Wallishauser GmbH
Brunnenstraße 14
D-72379 Hechingen
Telephone:+49 7471 1802-0
Telefax: +49 7471 1802-60
[email protected]
Total circulation: 14,330 copies
pool has over 250 vehicles. These
are other convincing arguments
for building owners and fabricators
alike.
Waiting for the upturn
And what’s the current outlook for
the future of the Romanian market?
“If we were to make a film about
the current mood, it would be a
sad affair. But I’m a born optimist,
and there are real opportunities to
be taken in the future, for example
a great need for modernisation in
the inventory. At the same time,
it’s just a matter of time until the
Romanian government formulates
generally applicable and binding
requirements for energy efficiency
in buildings based on the model
of many Western European countries. And if at the same time the
Romanian banks make credit easier to obtain and both large and
small projects can once again be
financed in the long term, there’s
absolutely no reason why there
can’t be a sustained upturn. In any
case, nothing will change as far as
our quality promise is concerned.”
Five fully automatic production lines and two lines for manufacturing thermal glazing guarantee Casa Noastra’s high
delivery readiness.
12