Hettich Forum now open

Furniture with power to impress easys adds emotional appeal

Beloved workplaceOffice pedestals for customised use

The Hettich Magazine

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Publication data

Publisher:Hettich Marketing- und Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KGPostfach 124032269 KirchlengernDeutschland

Editor:Hettich Holding GmbH & Co. oHG

Layout & production:Hettich Management Service GmbHTelefon: +49 5223 77-1736Fax: +49 5223 77-1737E-Mail: info@de.hettich.com

All rights reserved.

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editorial

Using opportunities

Although there are many things we have been prepared for in life, the world never ceases to surprise us. We observe terror and natural disasters. We encourage glo-

balisation. We go for unbridled growth. And now we face the system-changing ques-tion of whether to put new reins on the financial world. The extent of the worldwide financial crisis, in fact, is plunging into unprecedented dimensions.

Nobody hazards an answer to the question of what to expect tomorrow, in the next few months or in the years to come. We are all in for a rough ride. All the same, let us fight to stop this development with all our might and with the necessary optimism. No one must stand there and hope to come out of the storm unscathed. Now is the time to bundle our energies and stave off damage. We must use the crisis as a challenge to seize new opportunities.

This is why our investments are seen to protect the environment with lasting effect. This applies to our buildings just as it does to our products. And also includes our pro-cess management and focus on occupational health and safety.

We base our success and stability on four core values. We stand for quality, innovation, customer focus and reliability. We favour partnerships that resolve common problems efficiently. Our goal is to make our partners successful through everything we make and do.

This is what our customers have come to expect. And they can, today just as they will be able to tomorrow.

Dr. Andreas HettichChairman of the ManagementHettich Holding GmbH & Co. oHG

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Hettich Forum now open

Beloved workplace

Furniture with power to impress easys adds emotional appeal

Office pedestals for customised use

The Hettich Magazine

current news

innovation

Title story:Hettich Forumopen nowpage 7

service

page 28

page 41

Hettich on tourTrade shows 2009/2010 6

Hettich Forum now openAll-embracing mirror image of the Hettich brand 7

International Design AwardFocus on 2020 10

Working to the highest standards!Merging functions for a process- oriented management system 14

Cooperation with universities proves a success „Hettich Experience“ 16

„Quality products are still out there“gb Meesenburg: 250 years of trade and growth 18

Source of inspiration for innovationHettich takes trend forum a step further 21

From vision to realitySights set on the future 22

Attractive distinction on a lean levelInnoTech drawer system excites with new design language 24

Internet portal as online knowledge databaseLightweight construction competence resolutely broadened 25

Quality and design in a competitive marketGeba kitchens with trendy Touch-in handles 26

Furniture with power to impresseasys adds emotional appeal 28

Handleless beautyP2O from Hettich responds to fingertips 30

Cool load carriersQuadro Compact: Focus on Convenience 31

Beloved workplace Office pedestals for customised use 32

Worldwide network for architects, planners and designers ProjectBusiness, the exclusive dialogue and development platform 34

325 branches refitted in 14 weeksGerman market leader OBI calls on Hettich expertise 36

On the road for AudiVoit GmbH – operating on the world stage 37

Staying at the show hotelHands-on „Ideenräume“ concept 38

Ocean-going giant offers comfort in a class of its ownSimon Möbel builds furniture for ship cabins on the Celebrity Solstice 41

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Road show airs trend know-howKitchen furniture industry in China 44

Trading up with perfect technology „mosys“ drive system at Colchón Star 45

Focus on veteran kitchensHettich demonstrates the benefits of modern hardware systems to owners of old kitchens 46

New company base in Montévrain permits expansion Hettich France at new site 47

The art of boatbuilding Baltic Yachts: Better yachts with hettinject 48

Passionate about precision Benson Industries Ltd. believes in InnoTech and Quadro 50 New showroom for Montreal design centreTendances & Concept, Canada – La cuisine réinventée 51

Seoul concentrates on future design World design capital 2010 52

A picture book story Brand leader Sanicoc in Columbia 53

“Maria” sets trends in RussiaAt the top after ten years 54

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contents

page 30

page 22Logistics centre in Russia expandedCapacity doubled and SAP system implemented 56

Hettich Academy starts up in MoscowUpdated showroom in Russia 56

Success for Hettich Australia 57

AMK „Ratgeber Küche“, a practical kitchen guide The brand-indepedent guide offering advice to anyone interested in kitchens 57

Hettich receives double award Office Excellence Award 2008 57

Going East! Praktiker expands in the Ukraine 58

Sales office opens in Belorus 58

Training award for Hettich 58

Internet tips for must-have kitchens 59

Hettich do Brazil: Receives Top Mobile Award 59

in brief

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Trade shows 2009/2010

Hettich on tour

2009April:DesignEx, Melbourne, Australia30 April to 2 May 2009

May:K/TO Atlanta/ USA 01 to 03 May 2009

EuroExpoFurniture (EEM), Moscow, Russia12 to 16 May 2009

Interzum, Cologne, Germany13 to 16 May 2009

Kitchen & Bath, Shanghai, China25 to 28 May 2009

June:Schreiner, Kloten, Switzerland18 to 20 June 2009

Menuisier, Lausanne, Switzerland25 to 27 June 2009

September:WMS, Toronto, Canada24 to 26 September 2009

October:Ambienta, Zagreb/ Croatia13 to 18 October 2009

SICAM, Pordenone, Italy14 to 17 October 2009

November:Maderalia, Valencia, Spain03 to 06 November 2009

Prowood, Ghent, Belgium10 to 14 November 2009

Mebel, Moscow, Russia23 to 27 November 2009

February:ZOW, Bad Salzuflen, Germany

March:HOLZ-HANDWERK, Nuremberg, Germany 24 to 27 March 2010

April:DesignEx, Sydney, Australia

MayEuroExpoFurniture (EEM), Moscow, Russia

2010

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The Hettich Forum in Kirchlengern was officially opened on 17 March 2009, eleven months after laying the cornerstone.

Within the company group, the building is seen as the logical continuation of its environmental management system

that concentrates on sustainability. The Hettich Forum aims to lead the way in speeding up the market penetration of

innovative technologies and system solutions.

The Hettich Forum is distinguished by the extensive consideration it gives to aspects of energy and ecology. Embracing every de-tail, this includes the use of energy, building materials and floor space. As a building with a neutral energy balance, the Hettich Forum is a shining example of sustainable, future-proof building design.

Hettich Forum now open

“In the Hettich Forum we plan to showcase innovative solutions to providing furniture with functionality and for improving the qual-ity of life at home and in offices. At the same time, visitors are to experience the building, with its almost neutral energy balance, as our commitment to the sustainability of every-thing we make and do, as the all-embracing message behind the Hettich brand”, says Dr. Andreas Hettich, managing partner.

The building pursues three ambitious goals: Inspiration, communication, innovation. Inspi-ration provides the impetus for new innova-tions both with and through communication with like-minded people. The Hettich Forum

acts as an information platform and source of inspiration for furniture manufacturers, for architects and designers and for visitors from the fields of product development, marketing, production and purchasing. It also provides a showcase for exhibits and conveys visible proof of the hardware manufacturer‘s exper-tise in “Technology for Furniture”.

Economising on resources throughout the life cycleAward from the European Commission

In Germany, buildings are responsible for over one third of resource consumption, en-

All-embracing mirror image of the Hettich brand

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ergy consumption, and CO2 emissions. For this reason, low environmental impact and cost-effectiveness were an important focus in planning for the Hettich Forum. The aim was to ensure that the building’s resource consumption and operating costs would be low over its whole life cycle.

Through the combination of rigorous energy-saving measures and extensive solar energy systems, the Hettich Forum building achieves a net zero energy balance. On March 5, 2009, the Hettich Forum project received a partner certificate from the European Commission’s Green Building Programme. To become a GreenBuilding partner, the primary consump-tion of new buildings must be 25 per cent below the standard defined in the Energy Conservation Ordinance. In actual fact, the building falls 73 per cent below the values permitted under the current Energy Conser-vation Ordinance. The GreenBuilding part-

nership honours the exemplary planning and construction effort and the implementation of Green Building Programme guidelines for energy efficiency in non-residential build-ings.

Building insulationThe building envelope is extremely well-in-sulated, including under the foundations and the outer walls. The insulation layer, up to 40 cm thick, is mainly environmentally-compat-ible cellulose material. The total amount used is equivalent to 120,000 daily newspapers in the form of recycled paper ground to flakes. The window glazing meets the rigorous stan-dards for passive houses with their very low energy consumption.

Heating The heating system allows individual settings for each area to be heated, ensuring that heat is only supplied when the spaces are in use.

The Hettich Forum is linked up to the com-pany’s own efficient district heating system which uses off-heat from production and a combined heat and power system. The actual annual energy requirement of 30 kWh/sqm is 80% below the specific requirement set out in German energy-saving legislation (EnEv). The resulting saving of 226.618 kWh per year is equivalent to the annual consumption of 21 detached homes.

VentilationThe building has a mechanical ventilation system combined with a high-efficiency heat recovery system. Ventilation units control the supply of filtered fresh air, the space heating and the recovery of heat from the extracted air. Offices are ventilated on a constant vol-ume basis during working hours, but confer-ence rooms are fitted with volume flow con-trols so that they are only ventilated when in use. The ventilation system is under the over-

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all control of the automated building man-agement system.

LightingAll the lighting in the Hettich Forum uses en-ergy-saving luminaires with dimmable, elec-tronic ballasts. A light management system and LED fittings in the showroom and bou-levard areas minimizes the time lights are in use, reducing power consumption for lighting by 25%. The background lighting system for these areas during working hours automati-cally tops up the available daylight. Sensors detect the presence of people and the ap-propriate preprogrammed lighting scenario is activated.In the office zone, the lighting system was planned to comply with DIN EN 12464, the European guideline for lighting intensity in in-terior workplaces. In all the offices and confer-ence rooms, presence detectors make sure the lights are on only when the areas are in use.

Solar powerThe capacity of the 239 m² of photovoltaic panels installed on the building is over 25,000 KWh per year, with peak output of 30 KWp. This would be enough to operate up to 1,500 energy-saving 20 W light bulbs simultane-ously. A 6 m² solar collection system supplies most of the hot water required for the heat-ing system and normal hot water.

Green roofWide areas of the roof have been constructed as a green roof and planted with low-growing, drought-resistant plants. The green roof keeps the building cooler in summer and warmer in winter. A cistern stores rain water run-off to use for toilet flushing.

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International Design Award 2009

April 2008 saw the starting shot for the 2009 Inter-national Design Award. Pro-

fessors and lecturers from universities and colleges all over the world with furniture-making, furniture design and furniture con-struction faculties were called upon to mea-sure themselves against an international yardstick by en-tering their students’ designs in the competition. “Compared with the last competition, the task set for the seventh International Design Award has be-come considerably more complex”, explains Oliver

Schael, Head of Systems and Standardisa-tion at Het-tich and General Project Man-ager for the Interna-tional Design Award. “It is for this reason too that we are delighted to see a further rise in the number of regis-trations and such a high level of quality in the innovative designs that were entered.” The num-ber of registrations rose from 1,330 in 2007 to over 1,600 for the 2009 International Design Award. This means the competition, which is jointly staged every two years by Hettich and REHAU, has now

For the first time in its history, the focus of the seventh International Design Award was on visions of two future lifestyle

worlds in the year 2020. The competition was looking for innovations in furni-ture, furniture functions, practical and

superior surfaces as well as coordinated systems to meet all of the function-related demands and lifestyles of people

living in these worlds.

Focus on 2020

The Silver Business Generation

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become the post popular and largest student design competition there is.

The brief for the 2009 International Design Award embraces visions of two future life-style worlds from 2020: The Silver Business Generation and Technology Freak. Both life-style worlds were explained using two ficti-tious protagonists. Sören Nordström belongs to the Silver Business Generation. 72 years of age, the Swede is married and committed to his job as head of urban planning with a wealth of experience. He has kept young, is in good physical shape and has an active

mind. As a lover of nature, Sören’s spacious, tastefully furnished home stands by the sea. He is convinced that technology should make life more pleasurable and easier. Ha-kan Turhan is 22 years old and was born in Turkey. The financial web consultant is single and lives in Istanbul, Boston and Shanghai. He’s a hectic perfectionist, ambitious and quality-conscious. Constantly on the look-out for information, he’s technology-mad. In his scarce free time he’s always on the move.

The adjudicating panel

An international panel of judges comprising designers and architects selected the five prize winners on 11 and 12 March 2009 at Herford’s MARTa Museum. The two-day session gave the panel time to assess each of the design drawings entered. Particular attention was paid to the design aesthetics and innovative content of the entries submitted. The panel members were shown to be impressed by the quality of the designs and by the way they had been influenced by the different cultures.

Nitin Killawala, Mumbai, India Nitin Killawala, architect and interior designer, lives in India. He was President of the Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID) from 2006 to 2008. He has received numerous awards for his works that are published on a regular basis in trade journals.Fernando Jaeger, São Paulo, Brazil Fernando Jaeger from Brazil studied Industrial Design and worked in industrial production after graduating. His furniture, made of wood from sustainably managed forests has attracted many prizes. He has showrooms in Rio de Janeiro und São Paulo.Kaarle Holmberg, Helsinki, Finland Kaarle Holmberg teaches interior design at Lahti University‘s Institute of Design and the University of Industrial Arts in Helsinki. He also runs his own design studio.Catherine and Bruno Lefebvre, Paris / Grenoble, France Catherine and Bruno Lefebvre founded the C+B LEFEBVRE design agency in France in 1993. Their many award-winning designs unite function, human experience and the poetry of life.Pierre Lo, Hong Kong Pierre Lo is an interior designer (IFDA, ICIAD) with a profound understanding of global design trends. He has dedicated all of his working life, which includes three years as Director of the permanent Design Centre in Hong Kong, to promoting good design.

The Technology freak

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The prize winnersAward ceremony at interzum

The winners of the seventh International De-sign Award were presented with their prizes in the Hettich Architecture Lounge at interzum 2009 on 14 May 2009. The chief executives and divisional managers from Hettich and REHAU, the companies organizing the com-petition, as well as the adjudicators congratu-lated the students and their professors.

Lukas Priecko from Slovakia received 1st prize for his “transfoarmchair” design, an interactive three-dimensional armchair. The chair’s wire meshing is made of an intelli-gent alloy whose shape changes in relation to an electronic field and can then return to its original form. This metamorphosis is voice-controlled. Two layers cover the mesh-ing: Silicone oxide gel, a non-conductive material with excellent heat insulation properties, and electrochrome polymers that can change their colour when applying an electronic field.

The 2nd prize went to Elena Veselkova, Rus-sian Federation, for her “ROOT” work. She took the inspiration for her furniture creation – an armchair, a couch and a floor covering – from the root system of a tree. Through its materiality, the surface conveys the feel-ing of sitting on soft, cool grass. Made of wound roots, the frame supports the weight of the user while the upper layer adapts to the body’s contours.

Chao Luan, China, was given 3rd prize for his “Melted Star” idea. He designed a solar-powered sofa enveloped in a liquid-crystal display. The armrest acts as a control panel for programs that can access all kinds of in-formation: appointments, body weight, state of health, still pictures and videos, weather reports, light mood, entertainment and much more.

Fourth prize was awarded to Stefan Ulrich and Yi-Cong Lu from Germany for their “Liq-uid Wall” design that focuses on the apart-ment of the future. At the centre of the de-

sign is a white room in which small strokes gradually arch out of the wall to create re-lief-like bands that creep over the wall into the adjacent areas. When the inhabitant en-ters the room, the wall imperceptibly begins to adapt lighting and room atmosphere for maximum comfort. Extending out of the op-posite wall is a seat for the apartment dwell-er to relax on while news flashes discreetly run past on the wall.

Fifth prize went to Igor Lobanov, Russian Federa-tion, for his “PICCELLS” design. In its closed state, the long, slender body of the furniture serves as a room divider or as a coffee table. Open, it reveals its content: This consists of interconnected films that inflate while the carcase, including content, slowly unfolds. The cells can emulate various bio-logical and natural structures and textures. The structures are created by interlinked cell bundles that can be illuminated on the in-side. The linking pattern between the indi-vidual cells can be varied by hand.

1st prizetransfoarmchairLukas PrieckoSupervisor: Prof. Marian IhringTechnical University of ZvolenFaculty of Wood Sciences andTechnology, Slovakia

2nd PrizeROOT

Elena VeselkovaSupervisor: Prof. Anton Rakov

Samara State University ofArchitecture and Construction

Russian Federation

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5th PrizePiccells

Student: Igor LobanovSupervisor: Prof. Victor Bragin

Ural State Academy of Architectureand Arts, Yekaterinburg

Russian Federation

3rd prizeMelted StarChao LuanSupervisor: Prof. Yuan TianBeijing Forestry University,China

4th prizeLiquid Wall

Stefan Ulrich/Yi-Cong LuSupervisor: Jens Franke

HAWK Hildesheim / Holzminden /Göttingen University of Applied Sciences and Arts,

Faculty of Design,Germany

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The growing number and complexity of management systems is making ever heavier demands on businesses. Clarity and

transparency sometimes suffer when, for example, quality management and environmental protection have to operate side

by side as separate management packages. A further complication is the imminence of an international standard for occu-

pational health and safety. Companies have to appoint responsible officers for each management system, and each system

has its own handbook and documentation. There is, however, an alternative approach. It involves the mammoth task of

identifying all the processes that have to be managed in the company and integrating them into a uniform system. Hettich

is in the process of doing just that. The ultimate goal is to increase the benefits to our customers.

Working to the highest standards!

Merging functions for a process-oriented management system

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In companies with a focus on forward planning, integrated management sys-

tems are right at the top of the agenda. Essential components of every manage-ment system are unambiguous guidelines. At the same time, customer requirements must take priority. Often customer re-quirements are based on an international set of standards. Since 1987, the widely accepted international standard for qual-ity management is ISO 9000 ff with its regular revisions. The version valid since December 2008 is ISO 9001:2008.

In 1996, the International Standards Organi-zation (ISO) published its 14001 standard for environmental management systems. Most recently revised in 2004, the standard sets criteria for companies’ environmental policy, environmental goals and environmental pro-grammes. The EC launched its eco-manage-ment and audit scheme (EMAS) in 1995. The goal of the scheme is continuous reduction in environmental impact and EMAS require-ments, while incorporating ISO 14001:2004, are substantially more comprehensive, more rigorous and more targeted.

The widely used OH&S management system BS OHSAS 18001:2007 (British Standards Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Management Systems) is aligned to both these quality and environmental management systems. OH&S management aims to reduce work-related accidents and improve workers’ health. The BS OHSAS 18001:2007 standard is widely accepted as the international basis for national standards.

All three systems are based on a regime of auditing and certification. Documented proof of compliance tells customers that they can rely on the system and process quality of their supplier. The Hettich Group joins forces with its suppliers to comply with the provisions of ISO 9001:2008 quality management. Produc-tion locations that are relevant in terms of environmental impact have participated in the rigorous EMAS scheme with regular au-dits since 1996. The binding rules we have in place for OH&S-relevant employee behaviour and company organization are oriented to currently defined standards aligned with the BS OHSAS standard.

The logic of integrating all three systems into one process-oriented management system

is driven partly by the content of the stan-dards themselves. Many of the requirements and definitions are deliberately aligned to or build on the other standards. By contrast, the specific requirements for the objectives of the different standards are viewed as supplemen-tary obligations.

Hettich implements an integrated manage-ment system

The Hettich group is in the process of setting up an integrated process-oriented manage-ment system for quality, environmental pro-tection and occupational health and safety. The system will be implemented across all locations, departments and functions. We are systematically expanding our strategic and operative business processes in order to maintain and increase customer satisfaction, which we recognize as indispensable to run-ning a profitable business.

Dr. Ulrich Krohn, head of quality manage-ment, and environmental officer Dipl.-Ing. Martin Palmer explain the first steps to-wards the new integrated system. “In an in-ternational company like Hettich there are a huge number of processes. It’s essential to identify those processes that ensure suc-cess and minimize risks, explained Dr. Krohn and adds, “in order to identify the ‘top level processes’, customers, employees, sustain-ability and profitability must be subjected to this process analysis.” Martin Palmer, who is also responsible for overseeing occupational health and safety sums up, “Our substantial success to date can be steadily and system-atically increased through process orientation and process integration. We can get faster, better and safer.”

Behind this summing up lies a vast amount of detailed work. The entry to integrated process management is a process map which defines business processes that apply across func-tions. They increase customer satisfaction and they add value. The map categorizes them into management, core and support processes. It shows how Hettich interacts with its custom-ers – from the first customer enquiry, to order processing, quotations, delivery, invoicing and payment, not forgetting market analysis and innovation control. It identifies everything that will increase customer satisfaction and ensure compliance with due diligence as we work to meet market requirements.

We all know that Rome wasn’t built in a day and it took time and effort to draw up this process map. Each process is diagrammed and described in detail. Consideration has also been given to the need to evaluate all our management systems systematically and regularly in order to achieve our goal of con-tinuous improvement.

In Kirchlengern, the structures for our pro-cess-oriented management system are now in place. Roll-out of an internationally-oriented, integrated, process-oriented management system will take place in stages. The first stage will involve selected German organizational units. In the second stage, the system will be rolled out to international subsidiaries.

Both Dr. Ulrich Krohn and Martin Palmer are aware that one of the most complex tasks will be to standardize processes across the whole company group. They recognize that the real challenge is to strike the right balance between the independence of the operating units and their obligations to the Holding in a way that profits all.

The task has to be tackled because, as Dr. Ul-rich Krohn points out, it’s essential that the Hettich brand is recognized worldwide as standing for clear and unambiguous values. “First we need to achieve uniformity in au-diting and certification in all the countries where we operate. At present, even when we’re applying international standards, the regional differences are still too big”, say Dr. Krohn. And Martin Palmer gives his vision free rein: “We want to turn passive acceptance into active commitment. What we really want are 6,000 highly-motivated quality, environ-mental and occupational health and safety officers!“

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The starting shot was fired in summer 2007 for a further form of cooperation between Hettich and institutions of

higher learning (as we reported in intime 2008). This centres on intermeshing theory and practice in the form of com-

pany projects. What make this so special: students work together in small groups and develop solutions of practical

relevance under the supervision of Hettich mentors and university professors. The results are

recognised as part of course work. Introductory project management training activities help

budding academics studying technical and business administration courses to adopt a struc-

tured and target-focused approach to work. In the meantime, the program has attracted

several universities as partners, and it has been possible to recruit former participants as

new members of staff.

Cooperation with universities proves a success

„Hettich Experience“:

The programme pursues several objectives: To begin with, it’s about finding solutions to

problems encountered in the practical world. This is where the students’ fresh outlook is to

help find unconventional solutions. With the programme being integrated in the

course of studies, this approach further intensifies cooperation with univer-sities on a sustained basis. It also

makes Hettich even better known as an attractive employer for

graduates, as shown by the number of good pro-gramme participants who actually start a career with Hettich later on.

Of those taking part – meanwhile numbering around 70, with many still studying – it has been possible to take on five former “Het-tich Experience” par-

ticipants as junior members of staff. The company is in

contact with a number of other programme participants through work placements, bach-elor dissertations and master degree theses.

“It was only through this programme that I realised Hettich was the right employer for me”, says Sebastian Bend. Although the 24-year old mechanical engineer from Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences had initially not short-listed the company, he describes starting his career at Hettich Maschinentech-nik GmbH & Co. KG as a logical move. “Af-ter all, following the student project, I did a dissertation in my future field of work. I was then given the chance to take responsibility for turning the theoretical results into prac-tice – as a member of staff.”

Today, the young academic is introducing the PPC system in SAP, a software solution for optimising the planning, control and simula-tion of production processes. The native East Westphalian was among the first to take part in the “Hettich Experience” in summer 2007. He even worked on optimising process cycles as part of the student team. At the time, the specific focus was on the flow of materials

Sebastian Bend was among the first to take part in the “Hettich Experience” in summer 2007

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between two Hettich production plants. Se-bastian Bend and his team prepared an inven-tory and process-cycle analysis, documented the results and derived a number of optional solutions.

Jan Peter Rolf (28) was interested in a project at Paul Hettich GmbH & Co. KG through his main subject of Material Flow and Logistics. His team examined the extent to which a “trolley train system” provided the answer to a problem in the conveying system. “Although the solution we came up with was not imple-mented in practice, it did lead to optimisation in other areas of conveying”, the engineer and qualified IT special says, summing up. Jan Peter Rolf can also look back on a successful practical dissertation project that today ben-efits Hettich Logistik Service GmbH & Co. KG.

“I liked Hettich from the very start. The com-pany has a good corporate culture, offers a broad range of career development opportu-nities and, as a young member of staff, you can quickly take on responsibility. That’s why I specifically looked for an appropriate posi-tion at Hettich”, acknowledges Bünde-born Rolf who lives in Bielefeld. And he found it: Today, he works in Technical Project Planning/Work Preparation in the Kitchen & Bath Divi-sion. “In my work, I am the link between de-velopment and production, for example when we introduce new products. And that’s really exciting.”

Both staff members say the university pro-gramme provided an important basis to start their careers on. “You rarely get such feed-back. The final event with the Hettich men-tors and the supervising professor war par-ticularly defining”, Sebastian Bend remarks.

“We presented our project results and had to defend them and our approach in a discussion that then followed.” The focus was not only on the project’s actual substance but also on the form of presentation, the right type of reasoning and on team performance. Jan Pe-ter Rolf adds: “And during the project phase, we were able to gain broad insight into the company and build networks which made us feel integrated.” This opened a bridge into the company.

Further rounds of the “Hettich Experience” are also planned in 2009. New to the format is the way the students will be prepared for their project work by inviting participants to attend a two-day introductory event with training on project management. “The chal-lenge lies in synchronising widely differing lecture and exam times with the tasks set and supervision capacities at Hettich”, points out Jörg Hesse, Head of Corporate Human Re-sources. This will also demand a high level of flexibility on the part of the Hettich mentors. It is also for this reason that the specialists

from the Hettich Group meet up at least once a year with representatives of the uni-versities for a facilitated exchange of experi-ence to improve the programme and tailor it to the requirements of both sides. Because “Hettich Experience” has grown into a firmly established programme, as Dr. Andreas Het-tich, managing partner, points out: “An im-portant part of our human resources strat-egy is career development within the Group and, with this, keeping good staff at Hettich. Winning qualified and motivated young people over for our company is the first step in this process.”

“Hettich Experience” was the gateway to the company for Jan Peter Rolf

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In the 1980s, the company worked hard to transform itself from a retail business into

a specialist hardware dealer supplying indus-try and the trades. At the end of the 1990s, Meesenburg began a cooperation arrange-ment with the specialist construction hard-ware retailer Gütersloher Baubedarf GmbH, which culminated in 2006 in a merger of the two companies to form gb Meesenburg oHG. In 2007, the company acquired Geniatec which continues to operate as an indepen-dent subsidiary.

The complete gb Meesenburg product range, over 50,000 articles, is available to custom-ers round the clock from an online shop. The warehouses at each subsidiary’s location – altogether over 25,000 m² – are linked by a sophisticated overnight logistics system. In this way, although the warehouse system is decentralized, the company can ensure deliv-ery within 24 hours. For absolute service reli-ability, the company operates its own fleet of 50 trucks and 30 service vehicles.

gb Meesenburg oHG is one of the oldest trading companies in northern and western Germany. With its Flensburg head-

quarters not far from the Danish border, the company specializes in building and furniture hardware, ironmongery, tools,

power tools and machinery. gb Meesenburg’s main customer base is in the wood, plastics and metal processing sectors.

The group employs 650 people, around 150 of them in locations outside Germany, and generates sales of around 200

million euros. The company operates 15 sales centres in Germany, three in Russia, one in the Czech Republic and one in

Scandinavia.

„Quality products are still out there“gb Meesenburg: 250 years of trade and growth

In 2008, gb Meesenburg celebrated its 250-year jubilee with a cruise for employees from Kiel to Göteborg – among other events. The company also welcomed over 10,000 custom-ers and industry partners to a series of in-

house shows celebrating the jubilee at seven regional locations. Martin Meesenburg, one of the managing partners, also gave this in-terview to in time.

Martin Meesenburg, managing partner of the gb Meesenburg Group, and Jan Hübschmann, Sales Manager at Hettich FurnTech

The modern-looking Flensburg outlet with department for the trades and safety advice centre for consumers

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current news

Mr. Meesenburg, where do you see the com-pany’s unique selling proposition in this very competitive market?

Martin Meesenburg: As a family-owned and family-run company, we enjoy far more independence than publicly listed compa-nies. Our focus is not on shareholder value, but on building a strong company going for-ward and on the wellbeing of the employees. In addition, we’ve mastered the challenge of being both a family-owned company and achieving a certain size, which enormously broadens our scope to operate at an interna-tional level. Despite the size of the group as a whole, each of our centres is deeply rooted in the region it serves. Each has its own profile, shaped to the specific customer re-quirements of the local region. At the same time, the centres profit from being part of a strong network with a broad product range targeted to different customer groups.

Another aspect of our USP is the stress we put on outstanding training for our employ-ees. We offer places for up to 50 vocational trainees, many of whom subsequently join our staff. We believe in keeping employees’ skills up to date with frequent internal and external top-up training plus practical ex-perience in our other centres, often in other countries. We are proud of our well-trained, committed young staff. The final building block in our USP is our international reach. We are among the few suppliers who are prepared to go where we can deliver benefits for our customers and suppliers.

What market trends are you observing outside Germany?

Martin Meesenburg: Outside Germany, our presence is mainly in eastern Europe. It’s an area where per-capita living space is ex-tremely tight so that I foresee substantial growth in building. There’s no reason why people living in Moscow shouldn’t want a similar amount of space per person as people in Flensburg or Hamburg, namely 45 or 50 m². But at the moment, only about a tenth of the population enjoys this sort of living space. The future construction boom, in both the public and private sector, will be an area where we can profit enormously.

We also need to take account of galloping globalization. Suppliers, products, the com-petition and our customers are becoming

more and more international. Globalization can look threatening, because it increases competition; the other side of the coin is that globalization opens up enormous market po-tential. Nowadays it’s absolutely routine for us to send, for example, our door closers to India, Malaysia or New Zealand.

Since when has Hettich been a partner? What’s special about the partnership?

Martin Meesenburg: Hettich has been one of our supply partners for many years, but initially we only bought a few specific prod-ucts. Now Hettich supplies the complete range of furniture hardware that we offer. We profit enormously from our close coop-eration with Hettich and from Hettich’s fo-cus on its customers, both dealers like us and the people installing the fittings. The expe-rienced Hettich staff, and the eye-catching and informative catalogues and brochures, all supply us with strong sales arguments. Then there’s the top quality of the products and the fast, flexible deliveries. And finally the fact that we can trust Hettich to keep coming up with innovative products.

How important is the whole issue of POS dis-plays for gb Meesenburg? Do you favour a fo-cus on specific living areas, like kitchens?

Martin Meesenburg: In our mission state-ment, we’ve stated clearly that we intend to maintain a regional presence. Part of this presence is always a showroom to attract artisans into our business. In fact, taking all our branches together we have a total show-room area of well over 10,000 m².

Working with Hettich, we’re in the process of redesigning the displays at those branches where interior fittings account for a substan-tial share of sales – starting in Flensburg. We plan to install show kitchens – but also bed-room and living room displays. Our aim will be to spotlight furniture hardware and to at-tract the attention of interior decorators and fitters. We hope they’ll bring their custom-ers to our showroom and show them how furniture hardware can deliver functionality, comfort and design. They can use it as a sell-ing point not only for the product but also for their own services.

A lot of people think nothing of spending 30,000, 40,000, 50,000 and more euros on a car, but they will often skimp on their kitch-

The modern-looking Flensburg outlet with department for the trades and safety advice centre for consumers

2020

en or on the door hardware in their homes. Somehow we don’t seem to be able to per-suade our segment about the extra value of the quality products that are certainly available. We are committed to promoting these quality products and we are commit-ted to supporting the artisans and craftsmen whose customers make up the high-end 25% of end users. These are the people who set great store by good, high quality, well-designed products.

You have an online shop. How do people use it?

Martin Meesenburg: Predictably, our online shop is used very little by the private sec-tor. On the other hand, our Safety Centre, where we do supply directly to end users, makes about a third of its sales online. Trade customers make intensive use of the whole online shop. Around 300 of them use the on-line ordering facility. In our experience, the online shop is not really a sales promotion element for trade customers, they value it for fast, 24/7 access to us.

Is “blaugelb” (blue-yellow) one of your brands? Where do you position this brand?

Martin Meesenburg: “blaugelb”, one of our brands, is positioned in the top third of the market. We use this brand for those articles that aren’t associated with their own strong brand. If the articles we sell do have a strong and established brand then, in our own in-terest, we work with that.

You acquired a 100% share in Geniatec in 2007. How have you integrated Geniatec into the group?

Martin Meesenburg: We have a lot of ex-perience in this area, because Geniatec is not the first company we’ve taken over or merged with. The merger process between gb Gütersloher Baubedarf and Meesenburg began in 1995. By the time it completed in 2006, there was no distinction between the company taking over and the company be-ing taken over. We have a strong corporate culture which lays stress on mutual under-standing and respect. These are the most im-portant conditions for a successful merger. This is why the name Geniatec was retained; it’s known in the region and enjoys a good reputation. North Germans traditionally have little time for arrogance, but they will admire a team with high goals, who identify strongly with the interests of their custom-ers. We would never destroy this capital by forcing conformity with a single profile onto the diversity of our company.

You are at the head of a company with a long tradition. How do you see the future for spe-cialized builders’ merchants like yourselves in the construction sector?

Martin Meesenburg: The pace of change is accelerating. We used to have five or ten years to adapt to changes, nowadays the process lasts at most two years. I hope build-ers’ merchants will continue to be flexible enough to find the right answers to future changes, which in my view are basically due to globalization. I am absolutely commit-ted to the concept of specialized builders’ merchants. Clusters of manufacturers and dealerships, which functioned very well in the past, will continue to be unbeatable in the future. Naturally, both sides have to put in some effort to achieve this. I don’t see the

segment as in any way endangered; in fact, I see the changes as an entrepreneurial op-portunity for us to reprofile itself.

What areas are you concentrating on? How do you see the your company being oriented in the medium and long term?

Martin Meesenburg: Without question globalization is in the foreground, both for procurement and especially on the sales side. Our big advantage as dealers is that we can supply our markets in Europe with good products and proven quality ‘made in Ger-many’. In the final analysis, this comes down to motivated employees who are enthusias-tic about the product, the company and the idea. We put people first – in our dealings with customers, suppliers and our employees – and we give people space to develop and fulfil their ambitions.

Would you like to venture a forecast for the rest of 2009?

I don’t think that’s possible. But my personal opinion is that with hard work, commitment a good product or an enterprising service there can be no crisis. If we continue to work and trade with clear goals in view, then we won’t present any weak points from where we can be dragged into any crisis.

Goods in the region – for customers in the region. A network of warehouses ensures a high level of service

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The call to leave the beaten track is also reflected in the new trend forum presented by Hettich for the first time in 2008.

The result – exciting design statements furniture and kitchen manufacturers as well as interior-design specialists can

adapt with ease for their own furniture.

Source of inspiration for innovation

Hettich takes trend forum a step further

Using four modules – cube, sphere, lozenge, crystal – the 2009 trend forum highlights the four dominant basic trends, bringing them to-

gether with typical shape and material preferences as well as relevant colour worlds.

The cube represents “New Modern”: Pierced, look-through surfaces and a reduction to the bare essentials are the features that characterise this trend. The lozenge embodies the “Folk” trend that stands for the re-dis-covery of traditional values. The sphere says “Organic”. Characteristic of this trend is the careful use of natural materials in conjunction with vis-ible, tactile features and rounded shapes. The crystal provides the symbol for “Deluxe”: The blend of shapes and colours from different cultures pro-duces new and sometimes opulent styles. Elements of black and white as well as polished chrome – combined in well-balanced doses – create a picture of harmony.

These trends are united by the common denominator of clarity and mo-dernity. Each trend statement is expressed in its own combination of colours and styles that conjures a truly unmistakeable look. Closely in touch with reality, the result is a presentation that adeptly provides a source of inspiration for kitchen and furniture manufacturers, architects and designers alike.

The way colour and material trends are translated into the product lan-guage of Hettich’s drawer systems and 2009 handle collection demon-strates how design ideas can be adapted in practice. It illustrates the ease with which manufacturers can pick up on the latest trends from the world of fashion, design and architecture and boldly interpret them in their own furniture using shapes, colours, materials and patterns. This way, standard products are transformed into trendsetters for kitchen and furniture design of tomorrow.

The four basic trends of “New Modern”, “Deluxe”, “Organic” and “Folk” provide the structure for the 2009 ProDecor Collection. Reflecting each trend statement, it shows stylish, tactually and functionally appealing models that provide new impetus for a contemporary and creative fur-niture look.

Forms reduced to the bare essential belong to the “New Modern” trend. Their shape results from the technical means of producing them and cre-ates a visual fascination. Asymmetries offer exciting contrasts to sleek kitchen and furniture frontages. Filigree forms emphasise the airy, casual nature of the modern world of furniture. Inlays that distinction-seeking furniture manufacturers can lacquer themselves provide further options.

Lively, organic shapes define the handles belonging to the “Organic” trend statement. Round forms underscore the organic design language of furniture or deliberately add contrasts to minimalist-looking furniture. Each trend statement provides practical versatility and leaves plenty of scope for interpreting the spirit of the times with a distinctive personal twist. The 2009 trend forum takes forward the key trends and consumer de-mands constantly observed and analysed by Hettich’s innovation manag-ers. It creates a scenario of future consumer wishes and provides inspira-tion to experiment with practicable ideas.

innovation

Creating new styles, shapes and colours from different cultures

defines the basic “Deluxe” trend

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The future_bizz communityGESCHÄFTSIDEEN FÜR ZUKÜNFTIGES LEBEN, WOHNEN UND ARBEITEN

| Home | Mission | Community | Projects | | |

www.futurebizz.net

Founded in 2007, future_bizz is a network of companies that develops business

ideas for tomorrow’s home, lifestyle and working world. “The companies involved in future_bizz projects are actively providing for the future”, says Ralf Müterthies, Head of Program Management in the Kitchen/Bath Division. “The Hettich Group implemented a standardised system of innovation man-agement many years ago as a core process

“How will the home, work and life be like in 2020?” This question was addressed

by an interdisciplinary team made up of students as well as representatives from

science and industry as part of the “Connect Creativity” project. The project was

initiated by the future_bizz network, an alliance of leading industrial concerns.

The result – surprising ideas of which some are already being used at the compa-

nies for designing actual products.

From vision to realitySights set on the future

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extending right across the company. The alli-ance and affiliation with high-ranking part-ner companies in the future_bizz network is particularly interesting for Hettich because we can generate significant added value in the network.”

future_bizz projects follow a strict 4-stage process for developing business ideas and business models. The process is consistent with the process stages involved in Hettich’s innovation management system: The focus is on end-users with their wants and needs. The first stage brings together knowledge and experience in scenarios and trend fore-casts. Market forecasts are then drawn up by getting the future target groups to describe their needs as well as the conditions they can see themselves living their lives and working in. These results are used in the third stage

for sketching out visionary home, lifestyle and working environments. These provide the basis for developing actual product and business ideas. The fourth stage finally works out actual business models and measures for implementing them.

The “Connect Creativity” project centred on developing concepts for new lifestyle and working worlds as well as actual product ideas for five defined scenario groups: Sil-ver Business Generation, Modern Performer, Technology Freak, Single Commune and Working Middle Class. The project involved participants from the faculties of art, design, architecture and interior design at Cologne, Braunschweig, East Westphalia-Lippe, Pfor-zheim, Dortmund, Coburg and Halle Univer-sities. “What makes the project special is the way in which it intermeshes the various

university disciplines with industrial exper-tise and support from partners in industry”, Ralf Müterthies sums up. The project was supported by Henkel, Bayer, Duravit, Rehau, F. Grohe and Hettich as the companies par-ticipating.

It took the project’s participants less than three months to present their impressive re-sults to the partners from industry. Whether the SOMNA bedroom for more time to live or immersing into another world with AQUABUBBLE – the ideas not only fascinate, they provide powerful impetus for develop-ing future products.

„1 qm bathROOM“Dennis Rohm, Hochschule Pforzheim

If the average size of a family’s home gets smaller and money tighter, even less space will be allotted to the bathroom than to-day. The 1-square-metre bathROOM is the solution for the middle class living in 2020: Shower, mirrored cabinet, washbasin and WC all on one square metre! The simple block saves space, water and is extremely flexible. All functions can be controlled us-ing a clearly structured touch sensor.

Sleep gives the body a chance to recuper-ate. Anyone wanting to wake up rested and ready for the new day needs optimal sleep. The SOMNA sleep capsule promises more time for living. It aims at optimising sleep and shortens the recuperation time spent sleeping to win more time. The capsule hangs from a curved support and appears to float in the room. The highly contrasting combination of materials, the shiny surface, the dominant, fluid shapes and its presence in the room make SOMNA a unique design object for people who want and appreciate individuality.

Life in 2020 is highly complex. Leisure time is a scare and valuable resource. It counter-balances the pressure to perform at work and, in particular, provides rest and regener-ates the mind. The half-closed cocoon is a sleep island for resting, sleeping and dream-ing. The bed regulates temperature and ven-tilation and even helps the occupant to fall asleep with mood-conjuring images, trips of a lifetime, music, fragrances and warmth. From the rear, freiTraum is enclosed by bed’s protective shell. Shelf cubes in different sizes provide storage space and appear in contrast to the cocoon’s organic shape.

„SOMNA“Heiko Aupperle, Hochschule Pforzheim

„freiTraum“Roland Wulftange, Fachhochschule Coburg

innovation

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Whereas a railing has so far been nec-essary for creating closed pan-drawer

sides, the new DesignSide now permit the use of glass, stone or other trendsetting materials without incorporating a railing above. The effect is astonishing because the focus of design surpasses purely functional aspects. The new DesignSide can be used in the carcase for integrating on-trend mate-rials that are important in furniture design and create a seamlessly harmonious look.

The adapters for DesignSide are available in grey, charcoal and white to match the de-sign of the drawer. If the kitchen is equipped with drawers featuring decorative profiles in chrome or stainless-steel effect, this design can also be continued throughout pan-draw-er level; because the grey or white adapt-ers can additionally be made to match with chrome applications, the charcoal-coloured adapters with stainless-steel applications.

Designed as a platform concept, the Inno-Tech drawer system can be used to create all looks using the same drawer profiles, rear panels and unchanged Quadro runners. Even the drawer fronts, including drill holes, remains completely as they are. This means

Kitchen cabinetry that‘s as beautiful inside as it is on the outside puts a smile

on kitchen buyers‘ faces. Add to this a touch of individuality, and the job of

pleasing design purists is just about done. The InnoTech drawer platform is now

joined by a attractive option that gives interiors a mark of distinction so that

external and internal values can be intermeshed even more perfectly than ever.

The clever part: All drawer components can be used exactly as they are.

Attractive distinction on a lean level

that manufacturers also wanting to use the design of drawers and pullouts as a mark of distinction within their product lines can use the InnoTech system as a unique, uncompli-cated basis for generating a variety of op-tions. Because despite customised design features, logistics, inventory and production remain lean on account of the unmodified basic components. The ease of retrofitting helps to upgrade show kitchens and bath-

rooms quickly and with minimal effort. The result: attractive sales points that are always right on trend.

The InnoTech drawer platform permits attractive kitchen unit interiors that stand out from the crowd.

InnoTech drawer system excites with new design language

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The points in favour of using lightweight panels speak for themselves. They save resources, are light and give impetus for new design. Yet

despite all the benefits, it takes a while for new technologies to gain ac-ceptance. Hettich is now treading a further logical path in communica-tion by launching the new www.hettinject.com website.

The new lightweight construction portal explains which components to use for intelligent furniture construction. The „lightweight approach to business success“ is the theme when it comes to new design options for all areas of the home and work environment. And the technology is opened up to the technically minded among surfers when it comes to honeycomb, facing layers and edges. Detailed information on „hettin-ject“ technology clearly illustrates the many benefits. In the meantime, the technology is presented as a comprehensive system that can be in-stalled either by machine or by hand. The lightweight construction portal also explains in detail how the technology can be used in the trades and mass production. The automatable „hettinject“ method provides maximum fastening quality and process reliability in different frameless lightweight boards, including ones with very thin top and bottom facing layers. The „hettin-ject“ bonded dowel provides the capability of attaching standard fittings, illustrating the future prospects the system promises. Now wider than ever, the range of fittings caters to a wealth of possible applications. New capabilities in design, for instance, are provided by the integrated „hettinject-insert“ carcase connector, the „hettinject-titan“ fitting for use in frameless wall shelves or the integration of light without visible cables. The entire website leaves the user in no doubt that in opting for „hettinject“ it will also be possible to mount new und future hardware solutions in the same way.

Hettich‘s new Internet portal provides a competent source of informa-tion that meets the growing interest in lightweight construction. The new „Lightweight Construction – hettinject Connecting Technology“ catalogue shows that virtually all lightweight construction is possible with the product solutions from Hettich. It presents the fittings special-ist‘s product portfolio along with its many fields of application. Both media make it clear that initial market launches of office, bedroom and RTA furniture in lightweight construction mark the start of a journey that leads to the future. And this concentrated package of information gives all those about to embark on it a sound point of departure for harnessing the coming trend to their own advantage.

Internet portal as online knowledge database

Lightweight construction competence resolutely broadened

Right on time for interzum 2009, Hettich is has created

an information platform for industry, the trades and ar-

chitecture by launching the www.hettinject.com website.

The focus is on functional and connecting fittings as well

as innovative „hettinject“ technology that permits the use

of resource-saving materials.

innovation

2626

Virtually flush with the surface, the Touch-in elements leave front looking “handle-free”

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Quality and outstanding design is what this small, but quality-conscious, com-

pany aims to deliver. It already counts among the established suppliers in the international kitchen market. Geba aims to be a full-system supplier of complete solutions and as such, the company offers its partners a large num-ber of options to differentiate their products clearly from competitor products. Exports account for 97% of sales. Strategic markets include Switzerland, Spain, France, Benelux and the UK. The main growth markets are Po-land, Russia and Greece. Outside Europe, too, Geba has intensively cultivated contacts for many years, resulting in furniture orders for up-market projects.

With innovative products, a well-structured product range and a very high level of cus-tomization, Geba is meeting the expectations of its customers. Through close cooperation and the high quality of its products and ser-vices, Geba keeps its ties with customers and partners strong. Since 1995, the company’s

The furniture manufacturers Geba

Möbelwerke GmbH in Löhne, West-

phalia, have their sights set on in-

ternational growth. Their know-how

includes expertise in implementing

complete innovative, open-room con-

cepts. These concepts result in strik-

ing solutions that demonstrate Geba’s

ability to interweave kitchen ele-

ments and accessories into attractive

environments for living. The Touch-in

handle is perfect for this approach.

Quality and design in a competitive market

Geba kitchens with trendy Touch-in handles

quality management system has been certi-fied to ISO 9001. Geba kitchens also bear the “Golden M”, which is awarded by the German Furniture Quality Association (DGM) after thorough product testing.

To maintain its high standards, Geba subjects each load of incoming goods to rigorous qual-ity controls. Geba also continuously reviews the agreed supply terms in a continuous dia-logue with its suppliers. A finely scaled index system provides information for both sides on current performance and quality status.

An internal project, Safety, Organization and Cleanliness (German acronym SOS) creates the framework for continuous process opti-mization and quality improvements. The proj-ect is maintained by a highly-motivated team of employees who aim for clear goals.

Geba regularly integrates the expertise of its suppliers in its innovation process. One of Geba’s goals was to produce a range with minimalist, no-handles design combined with excellent functionality and haptics. Hettich’s Touch-in handle more than met Geba’s re-quirements.

The story behind its development is an in-teresting one. The original design came from Pavol Torma a student at the Technical Uni-versity Kosice/Slovakia. He entered it in the sixth International Design Award 2007, orga-nized by Hettich and Rehau, where it placed first in its class, winning high praise from the international jury panel. They said, “This handle element shows excellent functionality, because it can be opened in different ways. In addition, it can take on different shapes to harmonize with the style of the furniture.” Hettich invested in Pavol Torma’s design and developed it for mass production. Most re-cently, the handle won an iF product design award 2009.

Geba designers were impressed by the Touch-in handle. “Mounted almost flush with the panel, it underscores the smooth elegance of the front. The user can reach in to open the unit from almost any angle, so that it offers optimal ease-of-use. And its design empha-sizes the individuality of the kitchen,” com-mented Geba’s product management team.

Technical expertise and imagination go hand in hand when it comes to implementing ultra-modern design. Fitted with Touch-in elements, kitchen front panels and furniture still look like sleek, no-handles designs. The Touch-in is an innovation that’s in tune with the lucid shapes and structural elegance that have become a Geba trademark.

The sweep of unbroken surfaces and keen at-tention to detail produce furniture of great harmony and elegance. With its understated, ‘architectural’ kitchen designs that blend eas-ily into living areas, Geba is making a name for itself in the world of kitchen manufacture.

innovation

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When Hettich first presented the idea of electrically opening furniture ele-

ments a decade ago in its Kitchen Concept 2010, the vision bowled the industry over. Today, just ten years on, furniture can pro-vide power-assisted drawer opening. A sys-tem being developed for side-mounted doors is almost ready to go into production.

Purist in appearance, the lines of contempo-rary furniture creations are reduced to the essential. Wherever possible, a handleless look is favoured that conceals all manner of technical sophistication and ergonomic practicality. Drawers and saucepan pullouts open automatically in response to a nudge at any point on the front. A survey among end-users confirms that the system’s quiet operation, low activation force and practi-cally orientated opening behaviour leave no margin of doubt. The response from consum-ers is particularly enthusiastic when it comes to moving heavily laden pull-outs or waste sorting systems.

Technical sophistication as a mark of dis-tinction

Developed for the high-end segment, easys sets furniture apart from the broad mass on the market. Within their product lines, fur-niture manufacturers can use the system to create subtle design differences and practi-cal highlights. Picking up ideas and filling strategic niches, retailers are provided with convincing selling points that can be put to consumers entering the furniture store with exacting demands and clearly defined ideas. In the showroom, themes and trends can be staged with maximum emotional appeal and a generous pinch of lifestyle. All this, of

Technology dominates all walks of everyday life. GPS, air-conditioning and elec-

trically adjustable outside mirrors are just part of the convenience that’s taken for

granted in the motor-car. Not only providing navigation systems, mobile phones

are mutating into all-rounders capable of taking photographs, managing ad-

dresses as well as sending e-mail, text and MMS messages. Technology ticks the

boxes if it takes the effort out of everyday chores. When it comes to furniture,

emotional appeal and convenience are as important as design. easys, the system

line-up for power-assisted opening, is synonymous with furnishings that give the

home practical convenience and a sense of luxury.

easys adds emotional appeal

Furniture with power to impress

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The system also remains inconspicuous when used for power-assisted side-mounted door opening. The electromechanical unit is inte-grated either in an attractive light panel or un-obtrusive profile below the top panel. Straight-forward plug connectors simplify assembly.

course, also goes for specialist interior fit-ters who, with cleverly devised technology, are positioned to tempt clients with options that provide an element of surprise and cre-ate that must-have factor.

Safe in every phase

Powered by safety extra-low voltage, the easys system is completely safe to use. The electric drive unit ensures evenly controlled movement on opening drawers, pull-outs, side-mounted and sliding doors. A mere nudge on fronts is enough to trigger the opening movement which reliably stops when slight resistance is met. No electri-cal assistance is required for closing draw-ers and pull-outs. Time-honoured runner technology and Silent System close drawers and saucepan pull-outs gently and quietly.

Side-mounted doors are also closed by hand without electrical assistance. If there is ever a power cut, drawers, pull-outs and side-mounted doors can also be opened in the normal way. Where drawers and saucepan pull-outs are positioned across a corner, they can be prevented from opening simultane-ously, and thus from colliding, by fitting a connecting cable between diagonally oppos-ing units.

Easy installation

Drawer and runner stay exactly as they are when used in conjunction the new system. The electromechanical drive unit only takes up a minimum of space between drawer and carcase rear panel. The system requires no alterations to any of the other drawer com-ponents or carcase either.

An illuminated shelf does a great job concealing the electromechanical unit.

Design, convenience, ergonomics, electrification and multimedia networking are at the focus of “Kitchen Concept 2015”.

innovation

The electrification of furniture gives inesti-mable added value to home environments and furnishings that appeal to the emotions. It also provides huge practical benefits that are predestined for the automated age we live in. Technically sophisticated furniture focusing on design and operating as if con-trolled by magic delights and inspires. It is precisely this emotional touch that gives furniture an unmistakable identity. In short, it makes consumers want it.

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P2O from Hettich responds to fingertips

Tried and proven for many years on the market, the Quadro runner can now be

equipped with the push to open system. With this system, drawers and pull-outs open at the mere press of a finger, almost silently and as if by themselves. A special mechanism in the form of an activator makes this possible. The activators are designed for long-lasting furniture. The properties of the Quadro run-ner‘s proven technology are left completely un-affected.

P2O concentrates on the essential: providing a system that performs with perfection and is hidden from view. The fabrication process at the client remains un-changed. When fitting Quadro drawer run-ners with P2O, there‘s no need to depart from standardised hole pat-terns. What‘s more – in just the same way as for doors – the system manages without the need for any complicat-ed additional compo-

Push to open (P2O) – a permanent favourite among design purists: because anyone with a preference for minimalist looks

wants the enjoyment of furniture fronts in their purest form. More than ever, sleek furniture fronts are regarded as the

ultimate in modern furnishing concepts. Addressing this trend, Hettich has extended the tried and proven P2O for doors

to include P2O for drawers. Hidden out of view, the technology opens furniture fronts in response to a nudge.

Handleless beauty

nents. Hettich offers furniture manufactur-ers a one-piece version. This produces clear benefits: lean logistics and significantly less assembly work.

The Quadro principle benefits furniture man-ufacturers and end-users alike. Because the Quadro has made it possible to exploit the extremely rugged ball-bearing principle for

furniture manufacturers. All across the globe Quadro runners are found in furniture where top performance matters. Today, the Quadro principle is seen as the worldwide technical standard in kitchens, living-room and office furniture, in kitchen appliances and contract furnishings.

Drawers and saucepan pull-outs open at the mere press of a finger, almost silently and as if by themselves.

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Refrigerators and freezer cabinets have risen to become design objects that of-

fer a wealth of additional benefits. Multiple-zone appliances with separate chilling and freezing zones are complemented by zero-degree zones that provide ideal conditions for storing sensitive foods and provisions with optimum temperature and humidity control. Being able to use this feature con-veniently demands the right fitting system. The Quadro Compact runner with Silent Sys-tem permits the gentle, quiet and controlled closure of salad drawers in the refrigerator as well as freezer-cabinet compartments at icy sub-zero temperatures. The new runner is also suitable for warming drawers if these too are to provide the luxury of silent clo-sure. The system has no problem whatsoever coping with extreme temperatures from - 25 °C to + 90 °C.

The concealed Quadro Compact runner not only bridges different climate zones, but also offers flexibility in catering to consumer needs with different lengths and a choice of mounting options.

Developed as a modular system in line with the design specification, the Quadro Com-pact is geared exactly to the specific re-quirements of the consumer: Fully or over-extending drawer runner, with and without Silent System, for the freezer, refrig-erator or warming drawer, for side or base mounting with upwards or downwardly fac-ing brackets.

Quadro Compact drawer run-ners are designed as a prod-uct family. This currently in-cludes the Quadro Compact FE runner capable of carrying loads of up to 45 kg, as well as the Quadro Compact HD runners with a loading ca-

pacity of up to 80 kg, thereby meeting the demands of different application conditions.

Clearly organised and easy-to-use storage drawers in refrigerators and freezers belong to the practical details passionate ama-teur chefs wouldn’t want their kitchens to be without any more. Refrigerators are al-ready on the advance that consist entirely of drawers. Appliances of this type offer the advantage of not having to open the whole cabinet but just one compartment. The re-sult – better energy efficiency. This is where runners like the Quadro Compact add the luxury and convenience of easy opening and gentle closure.

Quadro Compact: Focus on Convenience

Cool load carriersHousehold appliances not only make life easier in the home. They are also a

statement of lifestyle trends, such as healthy cooking and living. Their operat-

ing convenience, intelligent technology, energy efficiency and excellent design

are nothing short of impressive. With the Quadro Compact runner, the luxury of

soft and self-closing drawers featured as standard in the premium-class kitchen

can also be enjoyed in home appliances.

The Quadro Compact runner is a reliable

performer whether used for carrying crispers in refrig-

erators or front pull-outs in fridges and freezers.

innovation

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Beloved workplace

Design in the office is defined by a wide range of handleless fronts and fashionable white. „Push-to-open“ solutions are

heralding the way to the convenient office. A high level of quality is also reflected in the inner values of furniture. Softly closing pull-outs and drawers have now become established on a broad front.

These developments are set to go further. In addition to controlled self-closure, there‘s also an emphasis on damping that gently clo-ses open drawers. This is made possible by a soft-closing mecha-nism integrated in the runner.

The office environment can be seen to provide people working there with a feel-good factor without putting excessive strain on the investment budget.

Although these trends are not yet reflected everywhere in the of-fice world, recognition of the necessary changes is growing. As the bso study shows, the focus in new and replacement office furnishings is on ergonomics and health. In addition to this, more and more companies are using office design and furniture as an attraction factor in competing for potential staff. The fact that staff are being involved in decision-making processes more ac-tively than they used to be shows their needs are playing an in-creasingly significant part.

A market research project conducted by Hettich‘s innovation ma-nagers and involving office users, office furniture retailers and facility managers arrives at the same results. However, in addition

The latest “Erfolgsfaktor Büro” (Success Factor Office) study by bso, the German association for office furniture, seating

and contract furniture, shows that the individual is gaining significance as a factor in furnishing the office environment.

This finding falls in line with the results of investigations by Hettich’s innovation managers. These reveal that although

staff needs are changing, the design of new office furniture only takes account of this in part. Hettich presents ideas

that will bring a new pleasure to working in the office.

Office pedestals for customised use

to the projections pointing to the future, it also becomes clear that insufficient consideration is being given to the changing needs of staff when it comes to designing office furniture.

This thorough analysis of the market has prompted Hettich to come up with a number of new product ideas that are currently entering the marketing phase. These take into account the central conclusion from Hettich‘s market research that the desk pedestal is an elementary office component that will continue to maintain its ground. In future, however, the pedestal will be used different-ly. The reason for this being the recognition that filing is becoming

In addition to new organisational elements, the Big Org@Tower provides screening and a sound barrier.

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conditions in which to work. Hettich makes a small yet important contribution to making sure they find them.

detached from the pedestal‘s classic storage concept. The focus is moving towards solutions that meet the individual‘s personal requirements.

It is in this context that the furniture hardware manufacturer has taken a closer look at the desk pedestal. Instead of acting as a simple filing facility, the desk pedestal is predestined for adapting its inner values to individual needs and providing a constant abi-lity to change. A deep pencil tray capable of holding 54 per cent more content provides direct access to storage media, docking stations, mobile phone, writing pad and much more. The pedestal drawer is organised by a flexible wavy divider to suit whichever purpose it needs to serve. Flexibly integrating into the drawer, the wavy divider broadens the scope for arranging its interior to meet any organisational change.

Instead of using a cradle, the container’s lower section is orga-nised along its vertical axis to permit the storage or personal be-longings. Called OrgaTank, the pull-out holds items, such a break-time thirst quencher, books, a handbag or briefcase and other personal belongings.

These product ideas follow the trend that individuality is a top priority when it comes to designing the work environment. It is not without good reason that employers are giving staff more and more opportunities to develop their full potential. Needless to say, it‘s about improving work efficiency in the office. But there‘s also an element of the awareness that good people look for good

Pencil tray with 54 per cent more capacity

OrgaTank

Flexible wavy organiser

innovation

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With a network of branch offices and agents in over 100 countries, Hettich

has the right structures for fostering commu-nication between developers, architects and users, and turning its own products into inno-vative solutions with integrated intelligence. “ProjectBusiness” was set up with the aim of promoting dialogue between Hettich, archi-tects and planners. “The idea behind Project-

Business is to generate interaction – specifically between idea and imple-mentation, product and solution as well as plan-ner and user”, says Fritz Prommersberger, Head of ProjectBusiness, explain-

ing the basic concept in a nutshell, and adds: “This is the only way our partners can main-tain, continue developing and broaden their own particular style of design.”

Integrated intelligence

In cooperation with the industry’s creative tal-ent, visionaries and masterminds – architects, planners and designers – Hettich charges existing design with additional intelligence. Form, function and materiality are applied to new fields where they are utilised with a high level of efficiency. The possibilities of doing this are virtually boundless and unob-structed access to planning spaces, furniture and technology permits new combinations. “Our product solutions challenge architects and planners to think that important step further. This constantly produces new ap-

Worldwide network for architects, planners and designersHettich operates in over 100 countries. Reason enough to create an exclusive dialogue and development platform

for architects, planners and designers. ProjectBusiness provides Hettich with the capability of bringing together major

development partners and users – and opens up new avenues for forward-pointing applications in the many different

walks of everyday life. This makes ProjectBusiness a powerful driver of innovation.

ProjectBusiness, the exclusive dialogue and development platform

proaches in relation to all aspects of conve-nience, handling and design”, says Fritz Prom-mersberger, explaining how ProjectBusiness works as a driver of innovation.

Trying out new ideas

Development evolves in direct dialogue. Pro-jectBusiness works with selected architects, planners and users to develop new and in-novative product ideas from the tried and proven. The result: new standards in function, convenience and quality of life. For example, fittings that are predominantly used in the classic living-room furniture segment open up completely new application possibilities in of-fices and shops. Storage solutions that prove their worth in the kitchen also permit unprec-edented efficiency in space concepts for the hotel sector. In addition to this, ProjectBusi-ness also harnesses international expertise for Hettich. “Access to different cultures opens up surprising possibilities. In Asian countries, new fields of application are being found all the time that we in Europe may never have thought of – and vice versa. This way, we can additionally improve the efficiency of our own products”, says Fritz Prommersberger.

Fostering communication

ProjectBusiness is also understood as a com-munication hub. It is on this basis that Het-tich provides architects, planners and design-ers worldwide with support that focuses on realising their particular visions and targets. The design centres and showrooms at the ar-chitecture hotspots of London, Sydney, Pune and Melbourne take on the function of cen-tral meeting point within this communication strategy. Needless to say, competent Project-Business contacts are available for interested parties to speak to at local level. They provide architects and planners with assistance in pre-paring planning and tendering documents and a first-class set of samples designed specifi-cally for this target group. By setting up Pro-jectBusiness, Hettich is laying the foundation for taking ideas forward – right through to new solutions with integrated intelligence.

innovation

OBI was founded in 1970 in Germany. Its widespread store network is managed

centrally from the company’s headquarters in Wermelskirchen not far from Cologne. The sales network includes not only OBI branches, but also stores operated by franchise partners or run as joint ventures. With over 300 home improvement stores, OBI is market leader in Germany. The company employs a total of 38,000 people.

The partnership between OBI and Hettich began over 20 years ago. In the meantime, the range of Hettich articles sold by OBI has grown to almost 2,000 different products. In addition to articles from its own production, Hettich also supplies some OBI branches with a wider range of products, including furniture castors and feet, wheels for outdoor use, felt gliders and wardrobe rails.

The latest project with OBI again shows the strong support the Hettich Group’s DIY Divi-sion is prepared to offer its partners. In the context of terms commonly used in the in-ternational DIY trade – category partnership, technology competence & innovation, mar-keting support and merchandising service – Hettich helps its trade partners revamp their sales strategies.

In just 14 weeks, the store displays for Hettich products in 325 German branches of OBI, the home improvement chain,

were completely revamped. The shelves were given a completely new look – new communication, new products and an

innovative packaging system. Hettich’s Refit and Merchandising team worked closely with OBI specialists to achieve this

brilliant transformation in the shortest possible time. Hettich partners with OBI not only in Germany, but also in many of

the company’s international stores.

325 branches refitted in 14 weeks

German market leader OBI calls on Hettich expertise

In just 14 weeks, the presentation of the Hettich range in 325 German branches was completely re-vamped. The transformation was organized and sup-ported by (from left) Ludwig Aumiller (Key Account Management OBI), Dagmar Großpietsch (Sales), Lena Lehmkuhl (Category Management) and Andreas Hertel (Merchandising).

Colour coding specially aligned with OBI’s sy-stems guides shoppers quickly to the type of product they’re looking for. Special packaging variants and presentation concepts are targe-ted at specific customer groups. Readiness to commit to business partners results in coo-perative solutions that fit perfectly into the holistic OBI concept.

OBI’s expansion began in Germany and soon resulted in impressive international reach. The OBI brand is now established in twelve countries as the address of choice for DIY and home improvement shoppers. In seven countries – Poland, Romania, Russia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Hungary and Switzerland – Hettich is one of the core suppliers of tech-nical furniture fittings.

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Production is highly mechanized, with five CNC machines, two horizontal saws

and two edge banding machines. Efficiency and repeatability are the basis on which the company outfits Audi dealerships around the world. For each dealership, Voit produces 100 modules – furniture for the customer zone and car display area, for the shop, the service and reception area and for the lounge and cafete-ria. The material mix includes stainless steel surfaces, black mdf-board, grey Melamine and laminated surfaces made of special Audi paper. Audi’s brand strategy calls for a consis-tent, easily recognizable, high-value look for all its dealerships.

Voit is a wood-engineering company

based in Au in the Hallertau, a re-

gion of Bavaria, Germany. Founded

as a carpentry workshop in 1919, the

company has expanded and is cur-

rently managed by the fourth gen-

eration of the founding family. One

of its core businesses is fitting out

complete facilities, for example, Audi

showrooms around the world. Voit

currently employs 53 people and has

6,000 m² production area.

On the road for AudiVoit GmbH – operating on the world stage

Two years ago, Isaria Corporate Design AG in Oberpframmern, Upper Bavaria, won the con-tract to design the showrooms for Audi AG. The design agency, which specializes in indoor and outdoor POS concepts, took Voit GmbH on board as the practical partner. Regionally and internationally, Isaria has worked with well-known, global companies. The agency designs systems for space organization, fur-nishing , information systems, promotional and window display elements which reinforce their customers’ brand identity and strategies. Voit was consulted from the start on design and detail questions in the preparations for the Audi bid, so that actual production would go as smoothly as possible. For example, all elements had to be designed and manufac-tured to LGA (Landesgewerbeanstalt Bayern, a testing and certification body) standards.

All the modules in the office area of the Audi showrooms are fitted with Hettich’s office

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Stefan Voit jr. and Walter Steinberger, Hettich

Production at Voit is highly automated

The working partnership Isaria/Voit won the contract in an internet submission process.

furniture system Systema Top 2000. “We’ve used the system regularly in office furniture projects and we’ve always found it very sat-isfactory,” says Stefan Voit, adding “The func-tionality, ease-of-use and sophisticated looks of the interior elements are a perfect match to Audi’s expectations for its high-performance office landscape.”

Voit produces all the elements in Oberpfram-mern and ships them by truck to the Audi dealerships where they are installed by exter-nal fitters. When an Audi showroom was in-stalled in China last year, two Voit employees travelled to China to train local fitters.

The company can look forward to the future with optimism; in the next three years all Audi sales partners worldwide will change-over to the new showroom design. The quality workmanship comes from Bavaria.

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“Ideenräume”, explains Markus Hinnüber, managing director of Ideenräume as well

as man in charge and proprietor of the Kreien-baum firm of cabinet-makers, “is a network of 75 partners from the trades, retail business, industry and architecture.” Initiated originally by Jab Anstoetz and the Fachverband tischler nrw (Trade Association of Cabinet-Makers in North Rhine-Westphalia), Markus Hinnüber has taken just two years to turn the idea into reality, including an impressive show hotel. As general contractors, ten cabinet makers from North Rhine-Westphalia take care of coordi-nating individual projects. Added to these are local networks made up of further cabinet makers and other trades from the building and finishing segment as well as prominent industrial concerns, such as Brillux, Dorma, FSB, Gral, Jab Anstoetz, Kaldewei, Keuco, Miele, Swarovski, Westag & Getalit AG and Hettich. Ideenräume, or the one-stop shop service behind it, is complemented by archi-

tecture firms. “Working together as a team is better than competing with each other. Be-cause every cabinet-maker has a different fo-cus. Some go into the clinic segment. We also work in this segment because today’s clinics, with their choice of accommodations, are al-most designed and built like hotels”, Markus Hinnüber says.

Ideenräume is the roof under which custom-built hotel, clinic and office furnishings are planned and produced. Markus Hinnüber has been pursuing the idea since he and his Kreienbaum cabinet-making firm re-designed all of the interior fittings at the luxurious Le Mirador Kempinski Hotel on Lake Geneva as general contractor. “As no one had heard of Kreienbaum in Switzerland at the time, we operated under the Jab Anstoetz/Kreienbaum label. We put in our offer and were awarded the contract.” This sizeable contract, which at that time also benefited Warendorf busi-

nesses, demonstrates that a well-organised network of tradespeople and firms are al-together in a position to rub shoulders with those up front in the Champions League of contract fitters.

And Markus Hinnüber has since perfected this idea. His concept is: Service, service, ser-vice and all from a one-stop shop. “Our cli-ents want the complete hotel package, from laying the cornerstone to the Murano glass chandelier in reception.” And this is precisely what Ideenräume aims to provide. The cus-tomer has just one contact person from the concept phase to the point of completion. “Of course, you also need a project department and architects. Any partner that doesn’t have an architect of its own can take one from the group. Or thoughts and ideas are exchanged. It is important for the partners to communi-cate”, Markus Hinnüber explains.

Ideenräume has its headquarters in Waren-dorf right next to Kreienbaum. Markus Hin-nüber purchased the building, a former Team 7 furniture store, in 2007. It is here that the cooperation partners have created a unique stage and showcase that addresses all the senses. Occupying an area of 950 m², a presti-

Hands-on „Ideenräume“ concept

Think globally, act locally – this is how you could describe the concept idea

from Warendorf that‘s altogether capable of displaying international format.

Markus Hinnüber is the creative mind behind this marketing idea whose name,

“Ideenräume” (Rooms Full of Ideas), is exactly what it says.

Staying at the show hotel

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gious lobby, conference rooms equipped with centrally controllable system technology, a bar, a professional kitchen, standard hotel rooms as well as 4 and 5-star suites make the exhibition a fully functioning first-class hotel. Customers enter the show hotel on a red car-pet, stay overnight in the suites where they can pamper themselves after attending pre-sentations. With in-room espresso machine, home-cinema size TV screen and whirlpool in the bath tub, there’s nothing to stop them. The lighting concepts in the rooms and sani-tary areas are not only multi-functional but also create moods to make hotel guests feel at home in. Nothing is left undone when it comes to firing the imagination of the inves-tor or hotelier in terms of hotel outfit. In addi-tion to the permanently changing and evolv-ing show hotel, there’s a product and material library that’s always up to date. This makes it possible to look up materials, decorations, furniture and appointments.

Ideenräume focuses on privately run hotels with a 4-star rating and higher. “Furnishing a 5-star room with us costs 7 69,000 from the building shell stage and includes the bath-room. Because quality ‘made in Germany” is our benchmark. We are unable to offer prices

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“Ideenräume” is presented on 950 m2 of floor space as a fully functional first-class hotel

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significantly below this level. Anyone who does is likely to be from Eastern Europe and will not infrequently cost work at the expense of quality”, Markus Hinnüber lets on.

Every partner is called upon when it comes to attracting new business. “Because contacts come through the partners all the time. Some are highly committed, some do nothing – al-though they should have an interest in show-ing commitment”, Markus Hinnüber explains. We only use products from partner companies. “But I can give no-one any guarantee they’ll get orders. Every partner must stand behind Ideenräume”, Markus Hinnüber says. Work-ing together as a team, the network naturally provides mutual benefits too. And there are many different ways of working together: not only within the network but also, for example, among companies from industry.

Contracts govern the way partners work with each other. For Markus Hinnüber, it’s not about clauses but about providing succinct and clearly worded contracts. Partners pay monthly contributions and appoint the su-

perlative-class show hotel, including sample library. Each partner is able to use the show hotel. The general contractors have a key, the others agree a date. Needless to say, events and conferences can be held there as well. Any anyone interested can, of course, also drop by on the spur of the moment because reception is staffed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Hettich has been supporting Ideenräume for just under a year. For Markus Hinnüber, this partner is a locomotive. “Hettich is interna-tionally positioned and internationality is our goal.” Because what began with the Mirador in Switzerland is growing all the time. “Our contacts even go as far as Dubai”, Markus Hinnüber justifiably reports with pride. “A German architect with a network of over 500 architects wishes to set up a showroom in Dubai. A consortium in Austria is showing in-terest in just the same way as interested par-ties from Switzerland who would like to im-port Ideenräume.” However, as initiatives like this cannot be turned into reality simply in passing, Markus Hinnüber, who invests a good deal of time and commitment in Ideenräume,

has been asked by the partners to become managing director on a full-time basis.

The concept meanwhile sells itself. It is a prime example of how systematically building up services can open up new market oppor-tunities. Partnership, cooperation as well as the joint use of business-sourcing, marketing and sales channels are showing to be an in-teresting and model solution – as Ideenräume impressively demonstrates.

A comprehensive lighting concept ensures that guests feel at home.

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Simon Möbel builds furniture for ship cabins on the Celebrity Solstice

The Celebrity Solstice is the largest cruise liner ever to be built in Germany. The

ship has 1,426 passenger cabins providing comfortable accommodation for 2,900

passengers. Measuring around 317 metres in length, the luxury liner built by the

Meyer shipyard in Papenburg for the American shipping company Celebrity Cruises

in Miami is about as long as three football pitches. The floating palace has a width

of 36.8 metres. With a GT (gross tonnage) of 122,000, the Celebrity Solstice is one

of the world’s largest cruise ships. Simon Möbel GmbH in Quedlinburg played a key

part in fitting out the luxury liner’s elegant interior.

Ocean-going giant offers comfort in a class of its own

Matthias Simon, Dr. Ludwig Simon, Michael Simon (all managing directors), Jörg Feige, sales representative, Hettich Furn Tech (from left to right)

Quedlinburg-based Simon Möbel GmbH can look back on a 165-year company

history. Heinrich Simon founded the joinery in 1840 that Dr. Ludwig as well as Matthias and Michael Simon run today in its sixth genera-tion. The old-established business has devel-

oped into an efficient and highly productive company employing some 60 staff. For the three brothers who share the management, it is quality craftsmanship, reliability and flex-ibility that are responsible for the company’s success.

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Using cutting-edge machinery on a produc-tion area of around 6,000 m², the company makes bespoke contract furnishings for the hotel, clinic and shipbuilding segments. In re-cent years, fitting out ships has had a positive influence on the way the company has devel-oped. “We have been working with the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg on a successful basis since 2001. As a result, around 50 per cent of orders by 2010 will come from the cruise-liner shipbuilding segment”, says Dr. Ludwig Simon, drawing a balance.

The latest result of this close cooperation is the contract to equip 1,356 cabins with fit-ted furniture and 1,356 wet units with bath-room furniture on the Celebrity Solstice that was handed over to the cruise line in October 2008. Simon Möbel also fitted out many cab-ins and wet units with high-quality furnish-ings on the sister ship, the Equinox that was also completed this year. The construction team in Quedlinburg prefabricates all of the interior fittings for the luxury liners so they

can then be assembled and installed on site. “Through the Meyer shipyard, we now work on projects for a variety of shipping compa-nies. Our job is to turn ideas into reality with precision and in first-class quality. Our exper-tise is in demand, particularly when it comes to complex details”, Michael Simon explains.

With a speed of over 24 knots (approx. 51 mph), the mighty mega liner cruises the Ca-ribbean in winter and the Mediterranean in the summer months. The ship’s stylish interior shows lavish attention to detail with modern, sleek lines far removed from the Grand-Hotel atmosphere of a bygone age. The large and elegantly furnished cabins offer guests the ul-timate in comfort. This includes the practical storage space that Simon Möbel has equipped with the Top Line 110 sliding-door fitting as well as various ball-bearing pull-outs from Hettich for practical convenience. This pro-duces a perfect combination of aesthetic beauty and functional practicality that was demanded for seamlessly meshing classic el-

egant cruises and modern lifestyle. Matthias Simon: “We enjoy a long-standing partner-ship with Hettich. It’s the know-how as well as the quality of products and service we’ve come to appreciate over the years.”

In addition to fitting out ships’ interiors, Si-mon Möbel’s portfolio is complemented by the hotel and clinic segments. The Maritim Hotel Company and Steigenberger Hotel Group are among the reputable interior fit-ter’s clientele. The list of reference projects includes seminar and conference rooms, re-ception areas, patient’s rooms and check-in counters for hotels and clinics.

Current highlights on the Quedlinburg inte-rior fitter’s reference list are the Equinox and the Celebrity Solstice that give a whole new definition to the legend of floating palaces. Because over 2,000 m² of real lawn inviting passengers for a game of golf, bocce and cricket or simply to picnic on the high seas, the gigantic theatre hall, the fitness studio

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The interior furnishings onboard the Celebrity Solstice are modern and sleek, showing meticulous attention to detail

overlooking the sea and the “AquaClass” cab-ins with their own balconies and unrestricted access to the “Relaxation Lounge” for spa enthusiasts convey a modern lifestyle that clearly sets the ship apart from the ever-growing number of cruise ships nowadays sailing the seas. Standing out from the crowd is also the philosophy at Simon Möbel GmbH. This includes unique and creative ideas as well as strong and efficient partners.

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The themes covered by the road show were many and varied. Current trends on the

colour, shape, surface and material front were discussed in particular detail. The Inno-Tech drawer system and the ProDecor handle collection, for example, provided the basis for discussing ways of applying them to in-dividualise furniture. In the trend forum, the new ProDecor handle collection met with a particularly positive response with its con-vincing interpretation of trends borrowed from architecture as well as the world of car-making, fashion and art.

The various stages in Thorsten Rosensten-gel’s career at Poggenpohl, Wellmann and Alno grabbed the attention of his Chinese audience. He competently spoke about trend issues as well as other factors that play an important part in the purchasing decisions of kitchen buyers, such as the quality of kitchens.

The presentations were delivered to a highly confident audience. The endeavours clearly visible on the part of some kitchen manufac-turers to build up their own brands under-score their focus on marketing. Many Chi-nese kitchen manufacturers also see quality as a crucial mark of distinction in the face of growing competition. On top of this, Chinese

kitchen manufacturers, who keep the time for marketing new products extremely short, attach tremendous importance to flexibility. Several new ranges a year from a manufac-turer are seen as nothing usual.

Other subjects, such as compressing car-cases, were also discussed at length. Given the huge distances that need to be covered within the country as large as China, carcas-es tend to be delivered dismantled, with the final stage of manufacture being moved to the point of assembly at the consumer with limited quality control.

In terms of furniture technology, more and more Chinese manufacturers of high-qual-ity kitchens are adopting the international standard. The single-wall MultiTech steel drawer is seen as an interesting gateway to Hettich quality. There is growing demand in the high-end segment for double-walled InnoTech drawers with the many different design options they provide in the form of decorative profiles and TopSides. And as far as hinges are concerned, the broad range of applications that are possible with Intermat hinge leaves no margin of doubt. Product information on the “sensys” hinge with in-tegrated soft-closing system as well as the electro-mechanical “easys” opening system

attracted particular interest from the high-end segment now slowly becoming estab-lished.

Summing up these four events, it can be said there is great interest in information on new trends, and the options of using fittings to apply these trends to kitchen furniture. Many of the ideas and suggestions from Het-tich met with keen interest and led to some intensive discussion, fully enabling Hettich to live up to its reputation as a competent supplier and service partner to the kitchen industry.

Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Guangjou were the venues for the programme Hettich China had organised for its cus-

tomers. China‘s „Who‘s who“ of the Chinese kitchen furniture industry and the trade press came together in the confer-

ence hotels from 10 to 14 November 2008 to discover everything that‘s worth knowing about the latest trends and new

fittings from Hettich. Guest speaker was designer Thorsten Rosenstengel, proprietor of the „by form“ design company in

Bielefeld.

Road show airs trend know-how

Kitchen furniture industry in China

Thorsten Rosenstengel, designer and proprietor of the byform design company

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news

To satisfy the growing demand for comfort and convenience, Colchón Star has includ-

ed electrically adjustable beds in its range. Toni Beltrán, head buyer at Colchón Star, states the reasons for working with Hettich: “We needed an experienced and extremely re-liable partner for developing the range. Het-

tich met these re-quirements so were able to develop the line of beds jointly.”

But the first step is always the hardest. The original system from Hettich had

to be changed. The beds from Colchón Star differ from solutions commonly found on the market in terms of frame strength and opti-mum frame adjustability. Mounted on top of the frame there’s also an additional level that provides greater stability. This meant that attachment of the drive system had to be adapted to the space between the slats and other system components. Beltrán: “Taking account of all these factors wasn’t easy. But cooperation between the technical depart-ments is meanwhile so good that the initial problems have been resolved.”

And Toni Beltrán points out that the “mo-sys” drive system benefits from efficient mo-tors, high response speeds and the ability to change system components quickly and eas-ily. As a result, adding electrically adjustable beds to the range is also paying off in the cur-rent crisis. Beltrán: “The crisis also brings op-portunities. We make high-quality products and provide outstanding service. We will also be re-defining our product range to stand our ground on the market.”

Plans include a new design of metal beds as well as the introduction of an electrically adjustable bed with an aluminium frame. In addition to manufacturing sprung mattresses, the range of viscoelastic mattresses is being extended by new materials. “The new prod-ucts aim to set milestones in this difficult time”, Toni Beltrán says.

Colchón Star is doing all it can to resist be-coming involved in a price war. The company’s philosophy sets other goals: “We cultivate our brand image and believe in safety and qual-ity”, explains Toni Beltrán.

Colchón Star has long held certification under ISO Standard 9001. “We also require our sup-

pliers to hold certification and be in posses-sion of all product certificates”, Beltrán says, adding: “We expect them to display a com-mitted involvement in developing products and provide the necessary training for our staff with a view to product models.”

Business relations between Hettich and Colchón Star are considered exemplary. Toni Beltrán sums up: “Our products are the result of bringing together prototypes from both companies. We thoroughly test all improve-ments Hettich makes to the “mosys” drive system before including them in our products. We have worked hand in hand virtually every step of the way.”

„mosys“ drive system at Colchón Star

The Spanish company Colchón Star has been specialising in developing, manu-

facturing and selling relaxation furniture for over 40 years. At its headquarters

in Vinalesa near Valencia it employs 140 members of staff. Production covers

metal and wooden bed frames as well as slatted bed bases which, together with

various mattress systems, are sold right across Spain. The “mosys” drive system

from Hettich Franke brings convenience to adjusting bed surfaces.

Trading up with perfect technology

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Focus on veteran kitchens

Hettich demonstrates the benefits of modern hardware systems to owners of old kitchens

The new “Intelligent Kitchens – Not Born Yesterday” film immerses the viewer into

two different kitchen worlds. It shows two women baking a cake. Whereas one of them slaves away in the kitchen from the 80s, the other enjoys the convenience of a contempo-rary kitchen. “Taking a tongue-in-cheek ap-proach, the film demonstrates it’s worthwhile investing in high-quality kitchen interior fit-tings that make ergonomic sense”, says Elke Meyer, head of kitchen/bathroom marketing. “Because while one is still battling with the inadequacies of her old kitchen, the other al-

ready has the job done. She even has time to play fairy godmother and iron out deficits of the old kitchen.” Launching the website for optimum kitchen planning in February 2009, Hettich has made a further step towards the consumer. As part of an all-embracing approach, a place has also been made for this topic in the Hettich Forum. “A kitchen without modern hardware technology gives visitors the opportunity to find out and even test for themselves the differences optimised kitchen fittings make. Using a decibel meter, for example, they can

measure the noise that’s produced when a door is shut without soft closure. It’s not un-usual for 80 decibels to be reached, which is equivalent to the level of noise that’s heard just 25 metres away from a busy motorway”, Elke Meyer reports. Focusing on this subject, promotional mate-rial, such as flyers, displays and newsletters, will be available for kitchen manufacturers and kitchen retailers to use in their commu-nication with owners of old kitchens with the aim of whetting their appetite for a kitchen that offers significantly more convenience.

Some nine million kitchens in Germany are over 15 years old. In terms of ergonomics and organisation, modern kitch-

ens are streets ahead. Reason enough for Hettich to apply an all-embracing concept and raise consumer awareness for

the benefits of a kitchen that’s equipped with modern fitting systems and sensibly organised to satisfy ergonomic

principles.

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The staff at Hettich France

New company base in Montévrain permits expansion

Completed in 2008, the building in Mon-tévrain has three floors each providing

600 m² of floor space. Marne-La-Vallée Uni-versity, Disneyland Resort Paris, shopping cen-tres as well as the administrative headquar-ters of internationally renowned companies are among the immediate neighbours. Hettich France moved into its new prestigious home on the 2nd floor on 1 June 2009. Two hundred square metres accommodate the showroom, including the Hettich Academy. The remainder is occupied by offices, conference and training rooms. All offices as well as the meeting rooms are fitted out with lightweight furniture based on hettinject technology. “This gives our cus-tomers the chance to experience innovations from Hettich in practice when they come to see us”, explains Hettich France’s managing director Stefan Kükenhöhner. The Magic light-ing system and ProDecor handle range have been used throughout the offices.

The new Montévrain site belongs to the Paris Marne-la-Vallée region’s urban development zone that was set up in 1972 as the “Ville Nouvelle” (New Town). Montévrain is directly linked to the A4 motorway and is located in the immediate vicinity of the A104. Its beneficial infrastructure also includes the Val d’Europe railway station with its urban and fast train links as well as direct TGV connection. Finally, its proximity to Charles de Gaulle Airport just

Hettich France, one of the group’s first subsidiaries set

up abroad, moved to Montévrain in the Marne-la-Vallée

region on 1 June 2009. Hettich France had been operating

from Bonneuil-sur-Marne for 34 years. Plans for a new

prestigious showroom as well as expansion of the Hettich

Academy had made the move necessary to the “Ville Nou-

velle” (new town) some 30 km to the east of Paris.

Hettich France at new site

ten minutes or so away by TGV, makes the new site convenient to reach for French and foreign business partners. The hotel capacities available close by provide sufficient overnight accommodation.

The new showroom was inaugurated in Sep-tember. The Kitchen and Bath, Residential, Of-fice and Professional divisions are generously represented with their innovative products. Serving architects, designers and planners

The new premises of Hettich France in Montévrain

worldwide, the Project Business section gives the showroom defining highlights. Within the showroom, Hettich Academy also plays an important part. Its future function will be to make know-how accessible as a knowledge platform. Customers, business partners and internal staff are to be provided with wide-ranging opportunities to benefit from the international group’s expertise in theoretical and practical training activities and presenta-tions.

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Baltic Yachts, Bosund/Finland, is among the world’s leading boat builders, building unique, customized yachts up to 60

metres long. Their successful philosophy creates boats which are as perfect for cruising as they are for racing. Since this

demands a lightweight structure, the company is now using hettinject to simplify the production process for lightweight

interior fittings.

Baltic Yachts: Better yachts with hettinject

The art of boatbuilding

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From the very start, in 1973, Baltic Yachts’ philosophy has been to build sailing boats

that are lightweight yet at the same time both rigid and extremely robust. This produc-es a boat that is perfect for both short sailing trips and extreme racing. The company and its production facilities are located in the town of Bosund on the west coast of Finland. Early on they were involved in serial production of sailing boats between 9 and 15 metres (30 and 50 feet). In recent years the trend has moved more towards making larger “one-off” boats, with each boat being uniquely constructed.

they might well come back and trade up to a larger boat. The boats from Baltic Yachts are also extremely fast, thanks to their light-weight structure. Early on, the hull and deck were made using balsa and polyester, but these days they mostly use carbon fibre and Kevlar, which also permit an even more rigid structure. The boat’s interior is also designed in such a way as to save excess weight. The bulkhead low in the boat is constructed using different types of lightweight spacing materi-al. This means that the material has a foam or cellular core that imposes particular require-

is an innovation for Baltic Yachts, they have worked together with Hettich Scandinavia for a long time. They have been using Het-tich’s ONI hinges for many years, for example. “We always look for the best supplier for each project,” says BengtA philosophy of quality and the use of the latest materials and techniques are part of Baltic Yachts dedication to giving their cus-tomers exactly what they want. Their luxury, high-performance yachts are a yacht owner’s dream.

The company also standard moulds for semi-customized boats between 15 und 20 metres (50 and 66 feet). All the boats are take the customer’s specifications into account. Up to now, the yard has had the capacity to build boats up to 60 metres, but construction has just finished of a brand new production facil-ity (opened November 2008) in the harbour of Jakobstad (Pietarsaari) in Finland. This will permit the building of even bigger boats, as well as offering waterside servicing of sec-ondhand boats.

The company occupies a unique niche in the Nordic region – combining cruising and rac-ing in one large yacht. It is represented by dealerships in the Nordic region, Europe and the USA. The strongest market areas are cur-rently Germany and the Mediterranean coun-tries. Customers are often private individuals with a great passion for sailing who want to realise their dream. Often they produce their own sketches and then work closely with production in selecting materials and actu-ally developing the boat. Several years later

ments when it comes to installation. The sur-faces are also often small, which means there is little space for screwing and fastening. But now Baltic Yachts has switched to using Hettich’s hettinject installation. It makes the production process simpler and more flexible, but maintains the necessary high level of reli-ability. Previously it was necessary to decide as early as the blueprint stage on the precise locations for all installations, for example mountings and electrical components. Then a special material was inserted at these points to provide a site for securing the installations. “The new hettinject has been a lifesaver for us, making our work much easier and saving time too. With hettinject, it is much easier for us to make adjustments to the interior during the final stages. hettinject also inge-niously allows different lengths depending on the location of the installation,” says Bengt Östman, joinery foreman and the person at Baltic Yachts responsible for wood purchas-ing. The first boat, a 78-footer, in which het-tinject was used for producing the interior, has just been completed. Although hettinject

The focus is on the customer‘s specific requirements whatever the type of boat Ingmar Sundqvist fitting hettinject in a wardrobe door in the cabinet-making workshop at Baltic Yachts

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This sums up Benson Industries’ philosophy. With its headquarters on Vancouver Island in British Columbia/Canada,

the manufacturer of high-quality kitchens sees itself as a trendsetter on the domestic market. Ranging from modern to

classic, the company manufactures kitchens used by architects to equip their high-end residential construction projects.

In addition to Canada, we have kitchen installations in areas as diverse as the USA, Russia, China and Japan.

Precision and innovation have been the cornerstones of the company since it was

founded in 1976. What started out as two-man craft business has today grown into an ultra-modern operation manufacturing cus-tomised kitchens on a mass-production basis with cutting-edge, computer-aided technol-ogy. In 1981, as the first regional manufacturer to do so, Benson Industries decided to include European-style frameless kitchens in its prod-uct portfolio.

“Most people in British Columbia own a Ben-son kitchen. Other kitchen brands are less in demand”, says Paul Benson not without pride. Since 2000, the kitchen manufacturer has been focusing on the segment of customised, high-quality kitchens for exacting residential building projects. Accompanying this devel-opment, the kitchen furniture manufacturer decided in favour of the InnoTech drawer system.

“We opted for the InnoTech drawer system with Quadro runners because this system is unique in the options it provides for setting a mark of distinction in the various quality seg-ments within our product range. For instance, the Quadro drawer runner allows us very easi-ly, and without altering the drawer, to change from part to full extension with Silent Sys-tem. This saves considerable process costs in production”, Paul Benson explains. “On top of this, InnoTech is a high-quality drawer system which is why it is used in our top-segment kitchens.”

In addition to precision and quality, Benson Industries takes ecological aspects very seri-ously. True to the principle of “thinking glob-ally and acting locally”, the kitchen furniture manufacturer tries to minimise harmful im-pacts on the environment. Waste is recycled wherever possible. Scrap paper, cardboard and metal are all recycled locally. Waste tim-

ber goes to local greenhouses where it’s used as fuel. Benson uses an in-house system to recycle all solvents.

For a company that’s so committed to pre-serving the environment, hardly any other supplier could have been taken on board than Hettich. Holding certification under EMAS, the Environmental Management and Auditing Scheme, the supplier and its InnoTech drawer system fit in perfectly with Benson’s environ-mental efforts.

The company founder is known for his pas-sion for precision. This profile goes well with the performance, efficiency and quality of the fittings manufacturer. Benson Industries is proud of having Hettich as a partner that makes it possible to plan long-term growth and success.

Passionate about precision Benson Industries Ltd. believes in InnoTech and Quadro

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Te n d a n c e s Concept re-

cently opened a new showroom in the heart of Mon-treal’s designer district. Here too, the company’s

quality philosophy is strikingly obvious – with a team of advisors trained to listen intently and interpret customer wishes exactly, pro-viding exclusive product quality, reliable on-time delivery and perfect after-sales service.

The company is not overly worried about how the high-end kitchen market will fare in the current financial crisis. “At the mo-ment we aren’t too concerned. We have a customer reference list going back 30 years and we trust this will be defense against de-clining sales,” they say. Something else that encourages their optimism is the fact that, “Over the past three years, we’ve seen de-mand in Quebec for kitchens in traditional design staying constant and growing inter-

For 30 years, the name Tendances Concept has stood for individual, high-end

kitchens and bathrooms in Quebec, Canada. The manufacturers’ signature

phrase “reinventing the kitchen” sums up their confidence in their ability

and commitment to deliver highest quality in design and installation. Their

showrooms in Saint-Jérôme and Montreal offer one example after the other of

how excellent design – both traditional and modern – married to high-calibre

technology can create living spaces which exude a feeling of well being. Much

of the high-quality kitchen hardware comes from Hettich.

New showroom for Montreal design area

Tendances Concept, Canada – reinventing the kitchen

est in modern kitchens.” They can quote high praise from customers, with testimonials that speak of expectations exceeded, professional-ism, courtesy and outstanding service. “We’ve learnt to listen, to understand what our cus-tomers want and to implement their special wishes in our own cabinetry workshop” says the 18-strong designer team.

The company’s suppliers must comply with its quality criteria. The management’s com-ment on Hettich emphasises their satisfaction “Hettich is professional. That suits us. Hettich products are high quality and innovative. The benefits we get from using Hettich products come from their reliable functionality and from its wide offering of high-quality prod-ucts. Last, but not least, the punctual deliver-ies fit our workflows perfectly.”

The quality of the kitchen fittings is evident not only in the kitchens and bathrooms on display, but also in regular cooking events. “We enjoy welcoming our loyal customers as our guests at these shows. Francas, our cook,

Facts and figures Tendances Concept employs 72 people in its two factories with over 5,500 m² (60,000 square feet) production area. 18 kitchen designers advise customers in the two showrooms. 20 kitchen fitters install the units in the customers homes. There are 10 employees in the administrative offices. Tendances Concept supplies the mid-range and high-end project segment with top prices of up to 300,000 Cana-dian dollars (around A 185,000). In a new partnership with Hettich, Tendances Concept will be developing new and ex-citing kitchen concepts to meet the high expectations of its customers.

gets together with our guests to prepare their special menus. Everybody always has a won-derful time. Building and maintaining good customer relations is top priority with us at Tendances Concept.”

The company spares no effort to differentiate itself from the competition. An inherent drive to innovate leads to continuous improvement in its outstanding product quality, exclusive design and perfect service. The new show-room in Montreal suggests that expansion is the order of the day. The reinvented kitchen is firmly on course for success.

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The Samsung Art & Design Institute was founded 13 years ago by the Samsung

Group of Companies as a design school for talented students. The three-year course covers all disciplines from the principles of design to design practice, including spe-cialisation in communications, fashion and product design.

Last year’s graduation exhibition took place on 30 October at the SADI Gallery in Non-hyun-dong, Seoul. Guest speaker was Prof. Dr. Peter Zec who has headed the North Rhine-Westphalia Design Centre since 1991 and is also initiator and internationally famil-iar promoter of the renowned red dot award. In his presentation, he recalled to mind that SADI students had received the “best of the best” red dot concept design award three years in succession, producing no fewer than

14 prize winners in 2008 alone. This is a record-breaking achievement of any single design school or even any country.

A further guest speaker was Lee Soon In, Di-rector of the Seoul Design Center. He empha-sised that design is seen as a true driver of growth. In this context, it is of significance that Seoul has been nominated as the 2010 world design capital.

Following the official speeches, the 29 stu-dents presented their graduation pieces. The central graduation theme was “e-office 2013”. The exhibits were impressive because the way the students see it, office work should be more convenient in the future. The various themes focused on furniture design just as much as electronic equipment for the digital office in five years’ time.

As this graduation exhibition’s vision of the future coincides with the theme set for IDA 2009, Hettich Korea devoted much attention to this aspect. Participation in the exhibition has opened up new perspectives for Hettich Korea in the context of its design-focused work.

Registration by around 300 students to take part in the 2009 International Design Award (IDA) organised by Hettich and

Rehau motivated Hettich Korea to create an additional presence for the subject. Hettich Korea was also on show at the

graduation exhibition at the Samsung Arts & Design Institute (SADI) which showed the works of 29 students. SADI is one

of the universities participating in IDA 2009.

Seoul concentrates on future design

World design capital 2010

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Originally, Rafael Vargas comes from an Andean village in the north of Colum-

bia. At the age of 20 he moved to Bogota. He gathered his vocational experience during the first six years at various companies. He and his wife then took the plunge and started up their own business. Despite little seed capi-tal, the two of them and three members of staff succeeded in specialising in „all things kitchen“.

The 80’s changed life for Rafael Vargas. The com-pany he set up was named Sanicoc, the reverse spelling of Cocinas which is the Spanish for kitch-ens. Specialisation, in fact, produced some im-pressive growth. In next to no time, the company had caught up with Columbia’s brand leaders on the kitchen market.

The energy behind everything comes from the family. The company founder’s eldest son, Ju-lio Vargas, has since taken over as manager. His brothers Fabian Leonardo and Rafael jr. also have a share in the responsibility. Their wives and many other members of the family belong to the team which today numbers some 100 employees. Pro-duction floor space has grown to 5.000 m². The shipping department covers an area of 300 m². Two company-owned goods vehicles are avail-able for the logistics.

Sanicoc attaches priority to ensuring that tech-nology and production processes are at all times state of the art. Certification under ISO 9001:2000

South America is geared towards European kitchen trends too. The best example is Columbia’s brand leader Sanicoc.

Specialisation in kitchens and an undivided partnership with Hettich provide the competitive edge. The company’s history

also proves once more that the iron will to succeed and family tradition are good recipes.

A picture book story

last year is also evidence of the advance from car-penter’s workshop to industrial operation.

The activities geared towards perfection in pro-duction are reflected in the products. In the search for quality-assuring suppliers, Fabian Leonardo Vargas got in contact with Hettich do Brasil back in 2006. The resultant connection to Hettich FurnTech now influences all areas of kitchen production.

“Sanicoc works exclusively with Hettich prod-ucts”, confirms managing director Julio Vargas and adds: “The decision in favour of Hettich in 2006 was a turning point. It made our kitchens competitive across the globe. Our business and personal relationship with the Hettich team also gives us the feeling of being part of Germany.”

Today, Sanicoc sees itself as the No. 1 on the Columbian market. This leading position also be-

comes clear in the company’s local presence. In Bogota there’s a showroom with a display area of 1,200 m² on three levels. Cali has a showroom covering 96 m². Further sales showrooms are planned for Cucuta, Cartagena and Bucaraman-ga. Hettich is involved everywhere with market-ing support and technical selling points. “All this is not just a tremendous help to our own staff in sales but also convinces our customers they are buying the best product from a technical point of view”, Julio Vargas says.

Sanicoc is setting the standards in Columbia. In the face of major competition, the Vargas Family has managed to work their way to the top. For company founder Rafael Vargas, a dream may have come true that he probably had when he came to Bogota at a young age. For his sons, it’s now a matter of defending the role of being first choice and continuing to grow. They are on the best way.

Brand leader Sanicoc in Columbia

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Maria showroom in Saratov

Following continuous growth, “Maria” has become one of the best known furniture

manufacturers in Russia. The factory opened in 1999 in Saratov is one of the most modern in Russia, with wood processing machinery

“Maria” has only been making kitchen history in Russia for ten years. With modern production facilities and administra-

tive headquarters in Saratov on the middle Volga, the kitchen manufacturer sells it products through its own marketing

channels. Thirty company-owned stores and around 290 outlets in Russia and the CIS states sold around 25,000 indi-

vidually planned kitchens last year, making it a major force in the market. As a preferential partner, Hettich supports

Maria with quality products and intensive know-how.

“Maria” sets trends in Russia

from leading Italian and German suppliers. The furniture is manufactured to the very highest standards using state-of-the-art technolo-gies, with the list of supply partners on the company website including leading European

companies. Maria also highlights its environ-mental impact information as a decision aid for consumers. Among the furniture compo-nents featured on the website are Hettich’s InnoTech drawers and Intermat hinges.

At the top after ten years

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Evgeny Mihailenko, Manager of the Kitchen & Bath Division at Hettich Russia

Main entrance to the showroom in Saratov Efim Kats, General Director of the „Maria“ furniture factory.

Efim Kats, General Director of the “Maria” furniture factory emphasizes: “The harmony of design and functionality is what character-izes high-calibre kitchens. This is one reason why we prefer Hettich products, because with them we can create true masterpieces. We thank the Hettich team and we are certain that the unique kitchens we’ve developed to-gether will give our customers many years of enjoyment.”

Maria’s great success, with annual sales growth of between 50 and 60%, comes via a widely distributed, centrally controlled network of kitchen studios. The company is now represented by a total of 290 dealers in 140 towns and cities; 30 of them carry the “Maria” name. Wherever they are, the broad network of kitchen studios sells individually planned kitchens that meet European stan-dards. They also offer electrical home appli-ances and tables and chairs.

Maria sees direct contact with prospective kitchen buyers as the key to success. The cus-tomer calls the tune because the customer pays. In the company’s experience, custom-ers set store by quality and comfort. They also value expert advice to help them make a good decision.

With this in mind, “Maria” takes advantage of every opportunity to top up the expertise of its kitchen planners and sales staff. They have found that an excellent way to achieve this goal is to call on the specialist know-how of the company’s suppliers. Last year, joint campaign staged a series of regular seminars,

the first phase of which was for training staff from the network of kitchen studios in Mos-cow.

Over 80 kitchen planners from 19 “Maria” showrooms took part. The stated goal was to boost earnings per kitchen through sales of extra accessories from the Hettich range. Course participants learnt how to promote the attractiveness of interior organizers for drawers and damping for Intermat hinges.

To monitor the effect of the training once the planners were back on the job, attractive prizes were offered to the sales reps who sold the most Hettich products. To increase com-petitiveness, sales staff were rated monthly with the winner receiving a Samsung LCD TV set and those coming second and third taking home an electronic home theatre and a video camera respectively.

The competition for sales staff was accom-panied by a special incentive for customers, most of whom jumped at this offer. The sales figures showed clearly that the measure had brought results. Sales of accessories escalated compared with the same period the previous year. An extra bonus was the increased mo-tivation of the sales teams who tackled the challenge with great élan and strong interest in the products.

Evgeny Mihailenko, Kitchen & Bath Divisional Manager at Hettich Russia, commented: “When we sum up the positive experience from the joint activities, it only makes sense for us to continue in this direction and ex-

pand the project beyond Moscow to include kitchen studios in other regions of Russia.”

The campaign had a measurable influence on the sales of high-quality, practical accessories and the outstanding technology that makes modern kitchens what they are. As the man-agement at “Maria” maintain: “Our goal is to change the world in a small but nonetheless important area – the kitchen.”

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„By modernizing our warehouse, we can improve our service to customers. At

the same time, we are creating a springboard for future growth,” points out Dmitry Kotel-nikov, logistics manager at Hettich in Russia. We look at the background to this recent in-vestment.In 2005, Hettich in Russia felt well-prepared to face the future. Its new warehouse in Zheleznodorozhny, around 20 km east of Moscow, seemed to provide ample space for future growth. But by 2007, strong annual

Capacity doubled and SAP system implemented

growth rates had made it necessary to expand the warehouse and optimize the logistics sys-tems. The second building has now doubled warehouse capacity.

The building was planned to accommodate Hettich’s logistics flow. At the same time, the SAP-Hettich Europe system was implemented. Dr. Bernd Lowitzer, Logistics Project Manager at Hettich Holding, and Ruslan Arslangareev, IT manager at Hettich in Russia, pushed the project through in record time.

The company showroom at Hettich Russia has also been completely revamped. The

Kitchen Concept 2010 shows a vision for the future, products displaying iF product design and red dot awards are evidence of innova-tive design and development, the InnoTech system offers great potential for product differentiation and the ProDecor collection offers a wide choice of furniture handles. The hettinject displays focus on connection options for lightweight boards and a display of assembly aids demonstrates how produc-tion efficiency can be improved.

The showroom, which was first fitted out four years ago, has recently been updated. The increasing interest of the Russian furniture industry in Hettich’s furniture hardware dic-tated the focus of the exhibits. The Intelligent Kitchens display is a response to the fast-growing demand for fitted kitchens in Rus-sia. Many other displays open a window for visitors on trendsetting furniture fittings – for example, for sliding doors.

Most of the visitors to the showroom are small and medium-sized furniture manufac-turers, cabinetmakers and kitchen fitters. The displays of machinery – the Blue Max auto-matic drilling and pressing machines, assem-bly aids, drilling and punching templates – are of special interest to this customer group.

Last year also saw the start-up of Hettich Academy in Russia. Its brief is to transfer Het-tich know-how to local furniture manufac-turers, artisans and sales partners. Academy trainers make use of the new showroom dis-plays in their training courses.

The project was completed at the end of Oc-tober 2008 and now the logistics centre in Russia is ready for the future.

Logistics centre in Russia expanded

Hettich Academy starts up in Moscow

Updated showroom in Russia

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in brief

For the sixth time, Stuttgart-based business consultants Macils Management-Centrum GmbH, has awarded prizes to companies who in 2008 were able to achieve an above-average improvement in their office efficiency as part of a benchmark project comparing companies across Germany. Following 2007, the Hettich Group once more took first place in 2008, also becoming the first company in the project to re-ceive the special „International Roll Out“ award.

The awards were presented in February 2009 at the Office Excellence Con¬gress in Kassel. The cornerstone of Office Excellence is internal com-pany communication to which the newly imple-

Hettich receives double award Office Excellence Award 2008

mented Hettich Wiki communication platform is a key contributor. Any member of staff can take part in compiling the encyclopaedia, which is not restricted in content, by offering his or her knowledge. Norbert Günther, general manager of the Hettich Office Excellence project: „Het-tich Wiki gives 5,800 staff members worldwide the opportunity to take an active part in shaping the way communication is changing“.

At present, 1,400 members of staff from the group are directly involved in the project. The methods and tools have been synchronised in-ternationally during the course of the project so that in addition to the German operations at Kirchlengern/Bünde, Exter, Spenge, Berlin and Balingen, the subsidiaries in China, USA, Canada, Spain, the Czech Republic and Russia are cur-rently taking part in the initiative as well. The special „International Roll Out“ Award recognis-es the focused and resolute manner with which installation of the Office Excellence project has been taken forward.

The „Office Excellence – More Productivity in the Office“ benchmarking & transfer project is an

The brand-indepedent guide offering advice to anyone interested in kitchens

Answers to questions on all aspects of the kitchen are provided on the 68 pages of the new and extensively revised “Ratgeber Küche” kitchen guide published by the Mannheim-based working group for modern kitchens, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche e. V. (AMK). Professional tips and ideas on plan-ning and equipping modern fitted kitchens offer helpful advice to anyone buying and modernising a kitchen. Lavishly illustrated, the new guide provides information on the latest kitchen trends and new products on the market. Innovative technology behind cabinet frontages, such as modern soft-closing systems as well as doors and drawers that open automatically are cov-ered in just the same way as the subject of optimising storage space in base and corner units as well as larder and wall units. The guide is also recommended to kitchen mod-ernisers as an important source of informa-tion providing professional advice irrespective of personal budget and taste. The brochure is available from kitchen retailers or for a cover charge of 7 5 plus postage from www.amk.de direct.Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche e.V. is the trade association of the German kitchen industry. It has been representing the interests of its member companies for over 50 years. Its functions include promoting the planned fit-ted kitchen as well as supporting and foster-ing member companies from the kitchen seg-ment on a cross-sectoral, brand-independent support basis.

AMK „Ratgeber Küche“, a practical kitchen guide

outstanding joint project that embraces over 30 prominent companies. The project brief is to improve office efficiency on six modular levels. This involves restructuring and opti-mising processes and operating procedures so as to slash throughput times und drastically reduce the work involved in administrative activities.

Saturday in Design 2009

Taking place annually and alternating bet-ween Sydney and Melbourne, „Saturday in Design“ is the event for the Australian design scene. In 2009 it was Sydney‘s turn to showcase the best-known national and international brands. Furniture and kitchen furniture manufacturers, the furniture supp-ly industry as well as manufacturers of home accessories opened their showrooms to ar-chitects, designers, contract fitters, students and private design freaks.

Hettich Australia also took advantage of this unique opportunity on 1 August 2009 to attract the undivided interest of the ar-chitecture and design scene. The echo was overwhelming in the „Design on Flinders” precinct where the furniture fittings spe-cialist and Laminex, the manufacturer of decorative surfaces, were on display in the

showroom of famous kitchen and furniture manufacturer Gelosa on Flinders Street. Some 1,400 visitors were able to convince themselves of the practical function and design of Hettich‘s products. In addition to the top brands, a major prize package va-lued at $ 15,000 also attracted visitors. The lucky winner was Laura Gerrie from Wisclen Architects in Mosman. She was thrilled with the high-quality home furnishing accessori-es which also included the Cosario storage system from Hettich.

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Some 420 DIY stores in nine countries current-ly belong to the Praktiker Group. Among these, three are in the Ukraine. Hettich DIY has been supplying them with technical and decora-tive furniture fittings as well as shelf brackets and casters since 2007. Alongside the Ukraine, the Praktiker Group also operates in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Poland, Ro-mania, Turkey and Hungary. A further twelve Praktiker DIY stores will be opening up by 2011

in the Ukraine alone. Because despite sluggish growth in Ukrainian mid-size business, the overall economic situation appears to be im-proving all the time – not least a consequence of the pace with which the country is striding towards the EU. Hand in hand with the Prak-tiker Group, Hettich DIY will utilise this oppor-tunity and continue to become established in Europe‘s south-east as a leading sup-plier to the retail trade.

In autumn 2008, the team headed by Li Chong in China earned the B&Q Training Award for the best supplier training. B&Q – one of the world’s biggest home impro-vement and DIY chains and a customer of Hettich’s DIY Division for many years – makes this award annually to the suppliers who have provided the best training in the current year.

Team manager Li Chong trained the heads and department heads of the B&Q stores in the four Chinese cities and districts Shang-hai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chongqing.

Going East! Praktiker expands in the Ukraine

Training award for Hettich

Hettich Marketing- und Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG’s newly founded Belorusssian sales office was officially opened in Sep-tember 2008. Over 30 customers and business partners came to Minsk for the opening ceremony. Presentations on the Hettich Group as well as guided tours through the showroom immersed nu-merous guests in the Hettich world.

The growing demand for high-quality fittings and strong growth in the local furniture industry were pivotal in the decision to operate in Belorus from a dedicated office. This commitment now makes it possible to provide customers with intensive support that’s truly in touch with the market. The sales office in Minsk has a showroom with exhibits demonstrating all hardware applications and hinge technology right through to sophisticated systems for all areas of the living room and kitchen.

The Belorussian sales office current-ly employs a staff of three. Maksim Maskevich heads the sales office, Tati-ana Bondarenko is responsible for mar-keting, sales and logistics, and Vladimir Davidovski provides technical support in addition to his activities in sales.

Sales office opens in Belorus

Li Chong with a Hettich demo model

From left to right: Vladimir Davidovski, Sergej Schneider,Tatiana Bondarenko,

Waldemar Janzen, Maksim Maskevitch

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The kitchen is moving more and more into the focus of designing and structuring liv-ing spaces. It is the place for cooking, talk-ing, celebrating. But it takes knowledge to make it a cooking workshop, gathering place and party venue all rolled into one. The new www.hettich.com/kitchenbuyer website provides information on the latest trends, gives advice on planning and shows cleverly thought-through solutions that create func-tionality and added value. Kitchen aficiona-dos can also find out what can be done to upgrade an existing kitchen and how to save energy.

Professional in design and clearly structured, the website quickly gives users a good idea of the different aspects covered. Information is conveyed in easy-to-understand language with appealing photos, making it enjoyable for the inquisitive consumer to navigate through the Hettich world of kitchen.

The kitchen user discovers the many facets to kitchen technology with each click of the mouse. It soon becomes clear that Hettich focuses attention on the practical value of advanced hardware solutions. It’s all about convenience, optimizing storage space, er-gonomics and efficient workflows. Retrofit solutions are also shown for one or the other problem zone in existing kitchens.

The website graphically displays the key principles of kitchen planning that Hettich illustrates in its Intelligent Kitchens concept. Knowledge about the concept’s five function zones is helpful for planning or modernising. Online tips clearly show just how important optimised workflows and short distances are in helping to make a pleasure of working in the kitchen. A check-list summarises all the most important advice. It can be down-loaded and used as a guide for talks with the kitchen planner.

Film clips provide insight into the kitchen world of tomorrow. Forward-pointing design ideas and technical refinement reflect cur-

rent trends. This is where the kitchen can be discovered as an open and exciting space that wants to be lived in.

In an age of exploding energy costs, visi-tors to the website can also find out how easy it is to save energy in the kitchen every day. Grandma’s housekeeping tips as well as cooking ideas from Dr. Oetker’s “No. 1 – Any-one Can Cook” cookery book complement the wealth of information provided online from Hettich’s kitchen world.

Internet tips for must-have kitchens

in brief

Hettich do Brasil: galardonado con el premio Top Mobile

Cada año, la revista especializada Revista Mobile convoca el premio Top Mobile. Con motivo de la feria Abimóvel en São Paulo, se premiaron el 19 de agosto de 2009 los ganadores en un total de 39 categorías. En la categoría ”Tiradores de mueble“, Hettich obtuvo el primer premio. En la categoría Herrajes, Hettich ocupó el tercer lugar. Con el rep-resentativo lugar del acto, el Teatro Elis Regina en São Paulo, los organizadores supieron impresionar tanto a los premiados como a los visitantes.

Ricardo Schartner, marketing manager HBR y Sra. Maristela Cusin Longhi, president of Movergs (Association of furnirure industrys from state Rio Grande do Sul)

Technik für Möbel

www.hettich.com