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INSIGHT BROADENS<br />

<strong>OUR</strong> <strong>OUTLOOK</strong>


SAYING GOODBYE TO A TOUGH YEAR<br />

– AND LOOKING FORWARD TO BETTER TIMES AHEAD<br />

Take a look at the world around us<br />

Dear reader!<br />

I won’t hesitate in calling 2009 a tough year. As<br />

we look back at the highlights of 2009, we can<br />

safely say that, as feared, it was a year marred by<br />

financial crisis – not only for us, but for many others<br />

as well. The whole sanitation sector suffered<br />

as a result of fluctuations in the construction industry,<br />

causing even well-established HWS companies<br />

to come under severe pressure.<br />

The financial crisis cannot be said to be one of<br />

our making, as in no way does it reflect problems<br />

linked to <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group’s business foundation.<br />

Rather the crisis is rooted in a global meltdown in<br />

which we have no part. This said, it is inevitable<br />

that we have been affected by its repercussions<br />

and have had to act accordingly. As early as the<br />

beginning of 2009, it became clear that our annual<br />

revenue budgets were no longer realistic.<br />

The annual accounts show that <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group’s<br />

turnover for the year amounted to DKK 460.3<br />

million, which is 14% lower than in 2008. Nevertheless<br />

we were able to respond to the situation<br />

quickly and substantially reduce our costs thanks<br />

to an extraordinary effort. Unfortunately this<br />

meant parting company with a number of dear<br />

colleagues, which proved difficult for everyone in<br />

the company.<br />

A black zero on the bottom line<br />

Our annual earnings before interest and taxes<br />

(EBIT) show a modest profit of DKK 1.6 million –<br />

corresponding to a “black zero” on the bottom line.<br />

This must be viewed as a satisfactory result in<br />

light of the current crisis. We have benefited from<br />

tight financial management, which together with<br />

the reduction in stocks has had a positive impact<br />

on our liquidity. The company also has a sizeable<br />

equity ratio, despite the fact that a few years ago<br />

the banks tried to convince us that this was passé.<br />

At a time of intense focus on costs, it is good to<br />

see that throughout 2009 we have been able to<br />

improve productivity in our plastics factory. As<br />

the global economy begins to move from recession<br />

towards recovery, we know we have a sustainable<br />

streamlined company geared to the future. We<br />

have made the right investments that equip us for<br />

global competition – not least our decision to<br />

build a new toilet seat production facility in Thailand<br />

in 2010.<br />

As the global economy<br />

begins to move from recession<br />

towards recovery,<br />

we know we have a sustainable<br />

streamlined company<br />

geared to the future.<br />

Generational shift<br />

In terms of ownership, the company has undergone<br />

a generational shift inasmuch as my brother,<br />

and former COO Erik Boyter, sold his shareholding<br />

in the company in October. My mother, Fay<br />

Boyter, also decided to sell the majority of her<br />

shares in the company at the close of 2009. This<br />

means that Kim Boyter and myself have acquired<br />

their shares and now each own 45% of the A<br />

shares in <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group A/S. Fay Boyter continues<br />

to own the remaining 10% of B shares.<br />

Insight and outlook<br />

The Executive Committee has used the year to<br />

look beyond our own borders. We have visited<br />

nearly all our international distributors – excellent<br />

strategic business partners crucial to our two<br />

core business areas. This has taken us to such<br />

faraway destinations as Japan,<br />

Israel, Spain and Australia. This<br />

annual profile therefore focuses<br />

on our international outlook, but<br />

equally the insight yet another<br />

year of financial hardship has<br />

given us.<br />

Happy reading!<br />

Dan Boyter<br />

Executive Vice President & COO


003#<br />

Welcome to<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group


NEW GROUP STRATEGY<br />

9 INNOVATORS<br />

OUT OF THE IVORY TOWER<br />

A NEW BRIDGEHEAD<br />

THE WORLD IS <strong>OUR</strong><br />

OYSTER<br />

TO ASIA<br />

CARE SOLUTIONS<br />

IN SOUTH AFRICA<br />

AN UPLIFTING<br />

YEAR FOR<br />

CRISIS<br />

CRUNCHER<br />

KEEP LIVING AWARD<br />

IRONMAN ANDERS OLSSON<br />

KEY FIGURES<br />

BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE<br />

In 2009 <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group’s Board of Directors<br />

welcomed a new employee representative to<br />

the board in the shape of Anders Christensen,<br />

who works in <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s fittings department.<br />

Anders replaces Morten Harbo, who changed<br />

jobs in mid-2009.<br />

Following many years’ loyal<br />

service Fay Boyter will relinquish<br />

her place on the board in connection<br />

with the generational<br />

shift within the company.<br />

The Executive Committee of<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group A/S continues to<br />

comprise Kim Boyter (President<br />

& CEO) and Dan Boyter (Vice<br />

President & COO).<br />

001<br />

FAY BOYTER<br />

002<br />

IB CHRISTENSEN<br />

003<br />

DAVID MEYER<br />

004<br />

LARS AAGAARD<br />

005<br />

FLEMMING THØGERSEN<br />

006<br />

ANDERS CHRISTENSEN<br />

007<br />

ALLAN CHRISTIANSEN<br />

008<br />

KIM BOYTER<br />

009<br />

DAN BOYTER


001 002 003<br />

004 005 006<br />

007 008 009<br />

005#<br />

Board of Director<br />

and Executive<br />

Committee


INSIGHT<br />

IS THE ABILITY TO<br />

LOOK <strong>OUR</strong>SELVES<br />

IN THE EYE<br />

AT PRESSALIT GROUP WE ARE NOT<br />

AVERSE TO CRITICALLY ASSESSING<br />

WHO WE ARE, <strong>OUR</strong> WEAKNESSES AND<br />

STRENGTHS, AND WHERE THE COMPANY<br />

IS HEADED. THIS GENERATES SELF-<br />

AWARENESS AND PAVES THE WAY FOR<br />

INNOVATION AND GROWTH. INSIGHT<br />

HELPS TO FORGE CLOSER TIES WITH<br />

CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES ALIKE,<br />

BROADENING <strong>OUR</strong> <strong>OUTLOOK</strong>.


OUT<br />

LOOK<br />

IS THE<br />

ABILITY TO<br />

SEE THE WORLD<br />

AT PRESSALIT GROUP WE LOOK AHEAD<br />

AND AROUND US. WE ARE NOT DETERRED<br />

BY FINANCIAL CRISES OR COMPETITION.<br />

INSTEAD WE MAKE A VIRTUE OUT OF STRIKING<br />

NEW PATHS, BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS AND<br />

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX. <strong>OUTLOOK</strong> GIVES US<br />

SPACE TO EMBRACE THE WORLD, BE AT THE CUTTING<br />

EDGE OF DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGTHEN <strong>OUR</strong> INSIGHT.


NEW<br />

GROUP STRATEGY<br />

At the end of 2009, <strong>Pressalit</strong> the company has also developed a new overall<br />

Group’s Executive Committee mission and vision for the group together with<br />

put forward a new group strat- eight specific focus areas of key importance for<br />

egy, which together with new the entire group. The eight areas are illustrated by<br />

strategies for the <strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S the icons below.<br />

and <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care business areas,<br />

sets the course for future company growth.<br />

Concurrent with the work of strategy formulation,<br />

As part of <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group’s<br />

ongoing policy of social responsibility,<br />

the company developed a<br />

set of ethical guidelines in 2009<br />

– a so-called “Code of Conduct” –<br />

which all employees must be familiar<br />

with and act upon. On 9 November the<br />

company’s Senior Management Team signed the<br />

new guidelines, which focus on five areas:<br />

Diversity, Human Rights, Compliance with Law,<br />

Anti-Corruption and Environmental Care. Our<br />

Code of Conduct sets out the standards to be<br />

observed both by <strong>Pressalit</strong> and our business<br />

partners and which ensure that the company in<br />

all respects behaves in an ethically defensible<br />

way with respect for people, the law and the<br />

environment.<br />

Mission:<br />

To operate business areas that<br />

develop, produce, sell and advise<br />

on design-based quality<br />

concepts for bathrooms<br />

Vision:<br />

A profitable, competitive company<br />

that adds value and is<br />

renowned for quality, innovative<br />

solutions and responsibility, benefiting<br />

customers, employees<br />

and the surrounding community


INNOVATORS<br />

For several years <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group has maintained<br />

an Innovation Board comprising seven top executives<br />

from the company’s two business are as<br />

and staff functions. The board has now been<br />

renamed the Senior Management Team, but its<br />

mission remains unchanged: The team is tasked<br />

with supporting the Executive Committee in generating<br />

ideas that further develop the company,<br />

implementing approved cross-organisational<br />

projects and acting as role models for the desired<br />

group culture.<br />

In recent years the Senior Management Team<br />

has focused on anchoring the EFQM’s Business<br />

Excellence model as a joint management platform<br />

for the company.<br />

Hans Løve Høegh,<br />

Commercial Director, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care<br />

Michael Bruun,<br />

BD & Supply Chain Director, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care<br />

Marianne Kristensen,<br />

Senior Finance & IT Director, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group<br />

Jesper Riis-Antonsen,<br />

Logistic Director, <strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S<br />

Henrik Damborg,<br />

Production Director, <strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S<br />

Niels Norge,<br />

Senior Commercial Director, <strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S<br />

Mette Dyhl,<br />

Senior HRD & Policy Director,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group<br />

009#<br />

Senior<br />

Manage ment<br />

Team


OUT OF<br />

THE IVO


What does globalisation<br />

mean for Danish companies<br />

such as <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group?<br />

How does the world look in<br />

the wake of the financial crisis?<br />

And do women managers<br />

have special skills that<br />

mean we should strive towards greater diversity<br />

in business? These were some of the questions<br />

which Dan Boyter (DB), Vice President & COO,<br />

asked one of Denmark’s leading labour market<br />

researchers, economist and professor Nina<br />

Smith (NS), when they met for a dialogue on<br />

insight and outlook.<br />

Y TOWER<br />

The conversation began with a discussion about<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong>’s decision to build a production facility<br />

in Thailand.<br />

DB As a production company with a strong<br />

brand, we could have chosen to outsource our<br />

entire production facility to Asia. We don’t want to<br />

do this, however. We are firmly established in<br />

Denmark and will continue to be so. But the<br />

move in Thailand was an important step in<br />

strengthening <strong>Pressalit</strong> as a whole because of<br />

the tremendous hidden opportunities for growth<br />

in the region – but also in light of the financial<br />

crisis, which has impacted our business.<br />

NS Once the crisis is over, we will see a new<br />

world order. In a few years, China will be the largest<br />

economy in the world because of its current high<br />

rates of growth. And Danish industrial companies<br />

will be transformed from what they are today.<br />

Then it will no longer matter whether a division is<br />

located in Ry or in Thailand. On<br />

the contrary, in order to secure<br />

jobs in Denmark, it is crucial that<br />

companies employ staff in other<br />

parts of the world. Your decision<br />

therefore admirably reflects<br />

the opportunities that globalisation<br />

provides and demands.<br />

DB I also think that <strong>Pressalit</strong> will<br />

increasingly become a knowledge<br />

company. Our employee<br />

composition in coming years is<br />

based on more staff with longterm<br />

education. But we continue<br />

to stress competency development<br />

for our production staff.<br />

NS Some of the jobs that have<br />

disappeared during the crisis<br />

will not return. We are well<br />

011#<br />

Out of the<br />

Ivory Tower


NINA<br />

SMITH<br />

NINA SMITH (b. 1955) is a professor<br />

at the National Economic<br />

Institute at Aarhus University<br />

and a former economic adviser<br />

to the Danish government.<br />

From 2007-2009 she was also<br />

Vice-Chancellor for Academic<br />

Studies at Aarhus University.<br />

She is the author of several scientific<br />

articles in international<br />

publications and books and is<br />

an active lecturer on economics,<br />

the labour market, equality and<br />

social politics.<br />

Nina Smith served on the Danish<br />

Government’s Social Commission,<br />

the Danish Government’s<br />

Research Commission, the<br />

Danish Government’s Welfare<br />

Commission and the Danish<br />

Globalisation Council. She is<br />

and has been a member of several<br />

Danish boards.<br />

Nina Smith has been honoured<br />

with several distinctions for her<br />

work, including the prize DI’s<br />

Æreshåndværker, the prize Den<br />

Berlingske Fonds Hæderspris<br />

and Knight of the Order of<br />

Dannebrog.<br />

aware that there won’t be many unskilled jobs left<br />

as the jobs of the future will demand specific<br />

skills training. That is why it is so important that<br />

we, as a society, offer people an education. Unless<br />

of course we decide to take on the role of the<br />

people the Chinese outsource jobs to.<br />

DB I actually think that the crisis has made us a<br />

lot sharper. We are a well-consolidated company,<br />

but even well-consolidated companies can find<br />

themselves in trouble in the current situation. We<br />

are fortunate in having a competent team of staff<br />

who has ensured that our stock has been<br />

reduced so we could maintain high liquidity.<br />

NS Liquidity is something that enables a company<br />

to survive. It is important that a company survives<br />

the crisis with a strong business foundation. The<br />

companies with strong liquidity will be able to exploit<br />

their position when the markets recover. And<br />

this is already happening in Asia. China is once<br />

again experiencing growth of 9-10%, so they<br />

probably don’t have the same perception of the<br />

crisis right now as we do in the West.<br />

DB Do Danish companies have a real sense of<br />

how quickly the Chinese economy will explode?<br />

NS Yes, I think we’re relatively good at predicting<br />

trends. When we carry out analyses of globalisation<br />

readiness, we see that Denmark is well placed.<br />

As children we learned in school that Denmark<br />

neither has precious minerals nor other natural<br />

resources, but that we have the ability to think<br />

innovatively. And we have always been good at<br />

adapting relatively quickly. Unfortunately, Denmark<br />

has just experienced ten years with a low increase<br />

in productivity, and our competitiveness has seriously<br />

suffered as a result. This was made very<br />

apparent by the recent crisis, especially in Danish<br />

industry. So the next step is that we increasingly<br />

use globalisation to learn more from others.<br />

DB How?<br />

NS We need to adopt a slightly humbler approach.<br />

We think we have the best labour market,<br />

the best healthcare system, the best school<br />

system etc. Until we find out that isn’t quite<br />

the case.<br />

DB That’s a typical “small country” phenomenon.<br />

We are wrapped in cotton wool and easily lulled<br />

into a false sense of security. But the next generation<br />

will probably have an easier time of it as<br />

they are more global in their outlook than we are.<br />

The young students we take in have a completely<br />

different outlook than the older ones. We also<br />

need to be better in ensuring diversity when we<br />

recruit. It’s healthy for our culture to be challenged<br />

by new perspectives, ideas and competencies.<br />

NS You often hear that we educate<br />

too many human and social<br />

science graduates. But<br />

many of those with untraditional<br />

educations have skills which we<br />

also need to drive development<br />

and momentum. We know from<br />

our research that manufacturing<br />

based on user-driven innovation,<br />

as is the case at <strong>Pressalit</strong>,<br />

requires people who think<br />

differently.<br />

Maintaining a broad outlook<br />

DB I think it’s important to maintain<br />

a broad outlook, also in<br />

times of crises. That companies<br />

continue to take students in and<br />

maintain dialogue with educational<br />

institutions.<br />

NS Right now it isn’t particularly<br />

easy for students to find practical<br />

training. This applies to foreign<br />

students in particular, and<br />

this really is shameful. Being<br />

able to draw on a student with a<br />

different cultural background<br />

who is familiar with the markets<br />

in which the company operates<br />

is a fantastic resource.<br />

DB I’m surprised because we<br />

try to encourage foreign students<br />

to apply for practical job<br />

training at <strong>Pressalit</strong>, and we are<br />

disappointed not to receive more<br />

applications from students with<br />

a non-Danish ethnic background.<br />

But what do you do to<br />

promote dialogue with the business<br />

community?<br />

NS The universities are doing a<br />

lot to reach out to the business<br />

community and make a practical<br />

contribution. The time when<br />

researchers locked themselves<br />

away in ivory towers is long<br />

since gone. Today what really<br />

counts is establishing successful<br />

collaboration with the corporate<br />

sector. This is where I feel<br />

like passing the buck back to<br />

the Danish companies. They<br />

also have to be willing to invest<br />

in collaboration and dialogue<br />

with us and to exploit the universities’<br />

knowledge.<br />

DB Closer collaboration with<br />

the corporate sector would also<br />

result in a clearer focus?


NS Yes, but once again it requires vision. Statistics<br />

from the OECD show that countries around<br />

the world have invested heavily in their education<br />

systems, and this is an area where Denmark has<br />

fallen behind. Because of our tradition in Denmark,<br />

we expect the state to fund research. But if<br />

we want to achieve our ambition of continuing to<br />

be at the forefront, the corporate sector must<br />

play an active role even though this won’t generate<br />

an immediate result on the bottom line. It requires<br />

a new contract regarding the respective<br />

roles of the corporate and public sectors.<br />

We believe in diversity<br />

DB I’m now going to turn my attention from outlook<br />

to insight. I’d really like to hear your view of<br />

diversity in the corporate sector being a woman<br />

with an active career. When we recruit at <strong>Pressalit</strong>,<br />

we believe it is important to seek diversity in candidate<br />

profiles – whether it is a top executive<br />

position or employees on the shop floor. But do<br />

you feel there are skills specific to women – and<br />

what do you think diversity means for companies?<br />

NS Diversity is an important quality to have in the<br />

boardroom and at top executive level – to make<br />

sure that not everyone is a 40-year-old male in a<br />

suit and tie, but that there is a broad spread in<br />

terms of age, gender etc. There is scientific research<br />

to back this up. The decision-making<br />

process may take longer when people are differ-<br />

ent, but the quality of the decisions is often far superior. But obviously<br />

you need to have the right skills as well. Women aren’t simply<br />

competent because they are women. Personally I’m opposed to<br />

quota systems for women in boardrooms like they have in Norway.<br />

DB Do women managers have unique skills?<br />

NS I don’t think women per se have different values than men or<br />

are better people. I believe in diversity and that our genes are different.<br />

But today women are very capable and well-educated so<br />

this, in itself, is a good reason for employing them.<br />

DB There are some things that women managers find easier to talk<br />

about than men. For example, we have certain work environments<br />

that are extremely male dominated where there are issues that<br />

wrongly don’t get taken up. Such issues may be linked to sexual<br />

orientation or a person’s ethnic background. But it’s also about<br />

generations. There were some things that my father couldn’t talk<br />

about, but which are run-of-the-mill for young, well-educated people.<br />

And then again, top management has to lead the way by signalling<br />

that we view diversity as a strength.<br />

NS Yes, top management has a very important role to play there.<br />

Corporate culture and the signals management sends out are extremely<br />

important. The Executive Committee has to establish<br />

guidelines for acceptable behaviour. This not only applies to diversity<br />

but also to the work-life balance. When all is said and done,<br />

it isn’t what you say, but what you do that counts.<br />

013#<br />

Out of the<br />

Ivory Tower


In the late summer of 2009,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group announced<br />

plans to build a new toilet seat<br />

factory in the Far East. President<br />

& CEO Kim Boyter and<br />

Project Manager Jesper Riis-<br />

Antonsen talk about the new production facility,<br />

which will begin production in Thailand at<br />

the end of 2010.<br />

“This is the first time in <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s history that the<br />

company has established a plastic toilet seat<br />

production facility outside Denmark, and naturally<br />

it is an important milestone for us,” begins<br />

Kim Boyter, who goes on to explain:<br />

“The decision was made following a request from<br />

our largest single customer, the German sanitation<br />

giant Villeroy & Boch, which about a year ago<br />

acquired the Thai company Nahm. As <strong>Pressalit</strong> is<br />

the main supplier of toilet seats for Villeroy &<br />

Boch’s products in Europe, it was only natural to<br />

try to expand the strategic partnership by continuing<br />

collaboration in a new market. And if we are<br />

to supply products in the Far East, we need to<br />

establish a local presence to avoid having to pay<br />

import duty and costs linked to shipping our products<br />

from Europe to the Far East.”<br />

Access to new markets<br />

With a new factory in Thailand, <strong>Pressalit</strong> can<br />

increase capacity from its existing production<br />

facility in Denmark and at the same time establish<br />

a strong platform for growth while gaining access<br />

to lucrative markets in Asia.<br />

“For a company like ours, growth is a precursor<br />

for continued development. In Europe we com-<br />

This is the first time in<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong>’s history that<br />

the company has established<br />

a plastic toilet seat<br />

production facility outside<br />

Denmark, and naturally<br />

it is an important milestone<br />

for us.<br />

ANEWBRIDGEHEAD<br />

TO ASIA<br />

pete with strong rivals in well-established markets.<br />

Asia, on the other hand, offers the prospect<br />

of new market shares and new customers. We<br />

are therefore convinced that establishing a production<br />

facility in the Far East will strengthen our<br />

overall business – and also help to lift our activities<br />

in Europe,” says Kim Boyter.<br />

Maintaining <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s values<br />

Before deciding to build the factory in Thailand,<br />

the company considered other possible locations,<br />

including Vietnam:<br />

“We opted for Thailand because of its unique<br />

combination of a well-developed infrastructure, a<br />

suitable level of education and attractive trade<br />

agreements with other countries in the region,”<br />

explains Logistic Director Jesper Riis-Antonsen,<br />

who acts as project manager on the Asia project.<br />

Since the decision was taken, things have moved<br />

ahead quickly, and in November the Thai Board<br />

of Investment approved the plans. <strong>Pressalit</strong> has<br />

now entered into an agreement with the Amata<br />

City Business Park in Rayong province where the<br />

construction of a new factory building in line with<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong>’s requirements is scheduled to get<br />

underway. Production in Thailand will, however,<br />

be somewhat different from that in Denmark:<br />

“Both in terms of staff and number of units, the<br />

factory in Thailand will be far smaller than our Ry<br />

production facility. And because wages are lower<br />

in the Far East, the facility will be far less automated.<br />

But in all other respects, our ambition is<br />

to retain <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s core values vis-à-vis high productivity<br />

and good staff conditions,” says Jesper<br />

Riis-Antonsen.<br />

Not a substitute for Danish<br />

production<br />

Initially, the factory will have a<br />

modest output, but production<br />

is scheduled to expand year for<br />

year, a fact that will undoubtedly<br />

benefit <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s European<br />

customers. However, Kim Boyter<br />

is quick to point out that the<br />

facility in Thailand should be<br />

seen as a capacity expansion<br />

rather than a substitute for the<br />

company’s current Danish production<br />

activities:<br />

“We are continuing our strategy<br />

of looking at new initiatives that<br />

can help to ensure efficient production<br />

in Ry, including new<br />

technology, new production<br />

techniques and competency<br />

development of our skilled Danish<br />

workforce.”


We are convinced that establishing<br />

a production facility in<br />

the Far East will strengthen our<br />

overall business – and also help<br />

to lift our activities in Europe.”<br />

015#<br />

New Production<br />

in Thailand


09ISH<br />

– EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED<br />

What can guests expect<br />

when they visit ISH, the<br />

world’s most important<br />

trade fair for the HWS<br />

industry in Frankfurt? The answer<br />

to that question at the <strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

stand in March 2009 was:<br />

Expect the unexpected.


With a building sector hard hit by the global<br />

recession, one might have expected the 2009<br />

ISH trade fair to be a more modest affair. This<br />

was far from the case, however. Exhibitors at ISH<br />

2009 did their best to ensure that we forgot the<br />

global recession for a while. On a Tuesday morning<br />

in March, the Frankfurt Trade Fair opened its<br />

doors and the nine halls that make up ISH 2009.<br />

Once again, <strong>Pressalit</strong> was located in the central<br />

“Fest hall” together with sanitation giants Hansgrohe<br />

and Villeroy & Boch.<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> agents got off to an early pre-fair start<br />

when they were invited to the company’s kick-off<br />

seminar at Hotel Marriott. Here they were introduced<br />

to <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s two big product innovations<br />

at this year’s trade fair. Naturally, we are referring<br />

to <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s official world premiere of its selfclosing<br />

toilet seat called AutoClose © and the exclusive<br />

wooden seat “Opalion”, which saw the<br />

light of day two years ago in connection with<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong>’s art gallery project.<br />

Expect the unexpected<br />

With the help of the slogan “Expect the unexpected”,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> seeks to illustrate that its products<br />

are surprising and unexpected in such areas<br />

as quality, variation, design, harmony and intelligence.<br />

This year’s trade stand was also slightly<br />

out of the ordinary, as it took the form of a multilayered<br />

shell that opened itself to visitors. At the<br />

outer layer were <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s black boxes or socalled<br />

“DNA” – a number of historical objects<br />

each relating something about the company’s<br />

values and development since 1954. One layer<br />

further in were the all-important toilet seats from<br />

the sales product range, and at the core of the<br />

stand were the new AutoClose © seats. Several<br />

lifters ensured that the toilet seats were continually<br />

opened so that guests could get a sense of the<br />

AutoClose © function in practice.<br />

“Judging by the response, it is safe to say that<br />

visitors were positive about the new toilet seats,<br />

and it was exciting to see their curiosity and interest<br />

in our products,” says Annette Frimand Rasmus-<br />

ISH – A STEP INTO THE FUTURE<br />

For Willem Hendrikse from Wijnbeek<br />

Sanitair BV, <strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S’s<br />

distributor in Holland, ISH 2009<br />

was a great success:<br />

“Despite the difficult economic<br />

circumstances, it was a very exciting week in<br />

which we established an excellent starting point<br />

for meeting future challenges. At the fair, <strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

truly lived up to its theme slogan “Expect the<br />

unexpected”. Customers were clearly surprised<br />

017#<br />

ISH<br />

2009<br />

FACTS ABOUT ISH 2009<br />

The ISH trade fair took place in<br />

Frankfurt, Germany from 10–14<br />

March 2009.<br />

With approximately 220,000<br />

visitors from 114 countries, ISH<br />

is the world’s most important<br />

trade fair for the HWS industry.<br />

Here manufacturers from<br />

around the globe present their<br />

most important new bathroom,<br />

ventilation and heating products.<br />

Together with leading manufacturers<br />

such as Villeroy & Boch<br />

and Hansgrohe, <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s<br />

stand commanded a central<br />

location in the Fest Hall.<br />

sen, Senior Product & Marketing<br />

Manager.<br />

Care is back<br />

In recent years, <strong>Pressalit</strong> has<br />

only presented toilet seats at<br />

ISH. But this year the <strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

Care bathroom was once again<br />

represented at the fair.<br />

“Some of those already familiar<br />

with the <strong>Pressalit</strong> name from<br />

our toilet seats stopped by and<br />

showed a keen interest in the<br />

Care products, and it was clear<br />

that our brand attracted customers<br />

across existing business<br />

areas,” says Nicolai Staflin,<br />

Account Manager at <strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

Care.<br />

and enthusiastic about the new self-closing<br />

AutoClose © toilet seat which was introduced at<br />

the fair and represents an innovation in its own<br />

product category. The same applied to the presentation<br />

of Opalion, the new wooden toilet seat<br />

which sets new standards for craftsmanship and<br />

design,” says Willem Hendrikse, who adds that<br />

for Dutch wholesalers as well, ISH is THE trade<br />

fair for the HWS sector and the place where<br />

novelties and innovations are presented and<br />

received with great interest.


Unexpected<br />

freedom<br />

Did you know <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care offers<br />

flexible solutions for disabled people?


Unexpected<br />

variety<br />

Did you know a <strong>Pressalit</strong> toilet seat<br />

comes in many different colours?


FRANKFURT, GERMANY<br />

In 2009, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group was once again represented at<br />

the world’s biggest HWS trade fair, ISH in Frankfurt. Both<br />

Seats and Care took part and were well received by visitors<br />

and business partners alike.<br />

LONGUEUIL, CANADA<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Care is partnering a major project for a new<br />

nursing home centre in Longueuil and has won a major<br />

order for fitting out the centre interior.<br />

BRNO, THE CZECH REPUBLIC<br />

At the international Medical Trade Fair, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care<br />

welcomed more than 32,000 guests. A total of 26<br />

countries were represented at the fair, which is seen as<br />

the most important of its kind for presenting new technology<br />

for the hospital and healthcare sector.<br />

THE WORLD IS <strong>OUR</strong> OYSTER<br />

DESPITE THE CURRENT RECESSION, PRESSALIT REMAINS A GROWTH COMPANY.<br />

THIS IS REFLECTED BY <strong>OUR</strong> ACTIVITIES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD.<br />

CORINNA TULLE<br />

SALES DIRECTOR EUROPE, PRESSALIT GMBH<br />

“I view the current market situation<br />

as a challenge and an<br />

opportunity. It needs a rethink in<br />

the world of negotiation, rhetoric,<br />

products and figures, as the customers<br />

– people – are more in<br />

focus than ever before.<br />

In relation to sales promotion in 2009, we have<br />

focused on individual concept solutions, strategic<br />

needs analyses, more active and targeted<br />

service and meeting customer-specific demands.<br />

And thanks to a skilful team of committed staff<br />

and closer cooperation with other departments,<br />

we have achieved excellent results in 2009.<br />

In 2010 we must continue to draw on such<br />

strengths as equality, cooperation<br />

and personal values. This<br />

has meant that in Germany we<br />

have won new customers and<br />

succeeded in intensifying,<br />

improving and expanding our<br />

cooperation with existing customers.<br />

For me, continued development<br />

is an excellent foundation for<br />

meeting the challenges of a<br />

complex future.”


MARTIN FOYLE<br />

SENIOR COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, PRESSALIT CARE PLC<br />

“In the wake of the worst recession<br />

to hit the UK since the 1930s, the<br />

devaluation of the English pound<br />

against the Danish krone has<br />

posed a particular challenge for<br />

us. This has made <strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

Care’s products more expensive in the UK market.<br />

Nevertheless, we have secured considerable<br />

growth in the sale of solutions aimed at particular<br />

segments such as schools. A development initiative<br />

by Worcestershire County Council which is<br />

intent on improving accessibility for the disabled,<br />

has, for example, led several schools in the area<br />

to install new specially designed bathrooms featuring<br />

the <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care system.<br />

On the kitchen side, we won our<br />

biggest order to date when the<br />

Indivo lifting units were chosen<br />

as the prize-winning solution for<br />

the Independent Living Project<br />

(ILP) in Leeds. The project aims<br />

to improve the opportunities<br />

for more than 340 disabled<br />

people..<br />

In 2010 we expect to see modest<br />

growth in the UK market, and<br />

we are committed to promoting<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Care awareness<br />

through an active PR, marketing<br />

and trade fair programme.”<br />

OSLO, NORWAY<br />

At the turn of 2008/09, <strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S acquired Biseth,<br />

which for 20 years acted as an agent for <strong>Pressalit</strong> in<br />

Norway. In its place, <strong>Pressalit</strong> established its own subsidiary<br />

in Oslo. The company has high expectations of<br />

both the specialist trade and the growing Norwegian<br />

DIY market.<br />

TOKYO, JAPAN<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Care received considerable praise at the H. C. R.<br />

Expo fair, where the company exhibited its products together<br />

with the local distributor, Abilities Care Net. More<br />

than 100,000 people visited the exhibition, and architects<br />

in particular showed a keen interest in Care’s products.<br />

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES<br />

Abu Dhabi Medical Congress 2009 is one of the most<br />

important rehabilitation and healthcare exhibitions in the<br />

Middle East. The exhibition showcases the latest products<br />

for emergency response, primary healthcare,<br />

patient safety and rehabilitation. <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care was<br />

represented at the exhibition.<br />

RAYONG, THAILAND<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S has begun construction of a new toilet<br />

seat factory in Thailand. The factory will function as a<br />

bridgehead to the Far East markets and is expected to<br />

become fully operational by the end of 2010.<br />

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA<br />

In the past year, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care’s agent in South Africa,<br />

JessenDakile, has completed two projects, namely the<br />

fitting out of a major hospital in the capital and a private<br />

home for an injured doctor.<br />

021#<br />

The World<br />

is our Oyster


Summer 2010 marks the first<br />

time ever a World Cup football<br />

tournament will be held on<br />

African soil. South Africa, the<br />

host nation, is experiencing<br />

explosive growth. This is also<br />

reflected in disabled-friendly bathroom<br />

design, and in association with one of the<br />

project drivers, the local distributor Jessen-<br />

Dakile, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care is gaining a foothold in<br />

this new market.<br />

With its head office in Denmark, <strong>Pressalit</strong> can<br />

seem at the other end of the world from South<br />

Africa. Nevertheless, over the last few years<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Care has succeeded in establishing a<br />

strong working relationship with the local South<br />

African distributor JessenDakile – a collaboration<br />

that has led to <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care solutions being<br />

increasingly used in South African projects.<br />

JessenDakile has specialised in importing best<br />

practice solutions for the disabled from Europe to<br />

South Africa, and the company has thus achieved<br />

pioneer status in a market that previously only<br />

gave people with disabilities limited opportunities<br />

to lead an independent life.<br />

The initial contact between <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care and<br />

JessenDakile came in 2007-2008 in connection<br />

with a pilot project supported by DANIDA (the<br />

Danish International Development Agency)<br />

PRESSALIT<br />

CARE<br />

SOLUTIONS<br />

IN SOUTH AFRICA<br />

whereby the Danish development organisation<br />

and the Danish embassy in Pretoria supplied<br />

Danish hospital and ancillary equipment to Medi-<br />

Clinic Southern Africa, one of the world’s largest<br />

privately owned hospital groups. Medi-Clinic saw<br />

potential in the Danish approach, which used<br />

intelligent design to minimise heavy lifting for<br />

healthcare staff. For this reason, they chose <strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

Care’s solutions for the Muelmed Rehabilitation<br />

Centre in Pretoria, a rehabilitation centre for<br />

spinal cord injury patients, amputees and patients<br />

with consequential damage following<br />

strokes. Widespread satisfaction with the Danish<br />

products subsequently resulted in further acquisitions<br />

and the installation of <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care solutions<br />

on the part of Medi-Clinics, providing a solid<br />

foundation for future collaboration.<br />

The user in focus<br />

JessenDakile recently landed a major project to<br />

modernise and design bathrooms at eight<br />

schools for disabled children in the Gauteng<br />

province. The clinics cater to a wide range of pupils<br />

with physical, mental and intellectual disabilities.<br />

The project came into being in January 2008<br />

when Ronel Jessen, director and co-owner of<br />

JessenDakile, established contact with Dr. Hermanean<br />

Laauwen, Director for Disability and Inclusions<br />

in Gauteng’s new Department of Education. She<br />

invited JessenDakile to visit several of the schools<br />

with a view to providing appropriate solutions.<br />

“Dr. Laauwen believes very<br />

much in the philosophy that the<br />

environment should be adapted<br />

to the needs of the user – and<br />

not vice versa. This is perfectly in<br />

keeping with <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care’s<br />

approach, so together with the<br />

architect we adapted the drawings<br />

for each school – and then<br />

convinced the contractor so we<br />

achieved the best possible result<br />

using <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care’s products,”<br />

explains Ronel Jessen.<br />

Market with growth potential<br />

Several new projects are already<br />

in the pipeline, both for<br />

institutions and private sector<br />

users, and JessenDakile is<br />

committed to spreading awareness<br />

about <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care solutions<br />

to architects, project managers,<br />

hospitals and individual<br />

customers.<br />

“There are about 570 schools<br />

for the disabled and 120 hospital<br />

schools in South Africa, and<br />

many of these will require specially<br />

designed bathrooms. So<br />

there is a huge market potential,”<br />

concludes Ronel Jessen.


AN UPLIFTING<br />

YEAR FOR INDIVO<br />

In 2009 <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care’s Product<br />

Management and Product Development<br />

Teams invested a<br />

great deal of energy and creativity<br />

in new Indivo kitchen solutions.<br />

Solutions that are to expand the<br />

existing Indivo product programme of electrically<br />

powered lifting units designed for the functional<br />

flexible kitchen.<br />

The ambition was partly to develop manually operated<br />

lifting units for height adjustment of worktops<br />

mounted on a wall and partly to expand the<br />

electrically powered range to include stand-alone<br />

kitchen tables. The challenging project was successfully<br />

concluded as planned towards the end<br />

of 2009, and four new solutions are now ready to<br />

be launched and presented in key markets in<br />

spring 2010.<br />

The new range includes two manual lifting units<br />

for worktops and two electrically powered lifting<br />

units for stand-alone kitchen tables. This means<br />

that in future <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care will be able to offer a<br />

complete product programme and expanded<br />

advisory service. <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care now offers solutions<br />

to cater for nearly every imaginable need.<br />

Commercial Director Hans Løve Høegh is particularly<br />

pleased that customers now have many<br />

more solutions to choose from and is quick to<br />

emphasise:<br />

“With the new products, we are well-equipped to<br />

tackle the future kitchen market. We are ready to<br />

expand our cooperation with kitchen manufacturers<br />

regarding the sale of complete kitchen solutions,<br />

and we look forward to explaining the<br />

many benefits of the new products for private<br />

and public sector users.”<br />

023#<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

Care


RESSALIT GROUP EMPLOYS MO<br />

RE ALIKE. DIVERSITY IS ABOUND<br />

ANY NATIONALITIES. TOGETHER<br />

UTWARD. TOGETHER WE CREA


E THAN 400 STAFF. NO TWO CVS<br />

AND THE WORKFORCE INCLUDES<br />

WE TURN <strong>OUR</strong> GAZE INWARD AND<br />

TE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS.


Despite a financial crisis that raged throughout 2009, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group weathered<br />

the storm and remains a well-consolidated company. However, production<br />

capacity has been adapted in line with the decline in orders, and sadly the<br />

company was forced to downsize its skilled, committed workforce. The recession<br />

has also meant that all activities and costs have been carefully reassessed and<br />

that factory management, shop stewards and staff have worked tirelessly to<br />

tackle the crisis through measures aimed at limiting the effects of a decline in orders.<br />

Initially, staff accepted advancing<br />

their floating holidays so the factory<br />

could close for a week in<br />

May. Since then, it was agreed<br />

that staff in salaried positions<br />

and similar in several departments<br />

were to work reduced hours for a fixed<br />

period with time off without pay. And finally, at the<br />

request of shop stewards, 95% of production<br />

staff chose to apply for self-elected course activi-<br />

CRISIS<br />

ties through the Danish Industry Competency<br />

Development Fund (IKUF) so that over the summer<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> achieved the desired reduction in capacity<br />

at virtually no cost to the company. Overall,<br />

the combined measures meant that the company<br />

was able to keep 8-10 jobs in the Ry production.<br />

“Staff showed amazing flexibility, creativity and<br />

willingness in tackling the crisis. It was important<br />

that we quickly activated the extra manpower ca-<br />

pacity we suddenly found ourselves<br />

with in production and at<br />

the same time reduced our<br />

stocks to avoid tying up too<br />

much capital in finished goods.<br />

With their help we succeeded,”<br />

explains President & CEO Kim<br />

Boyter.


FINN<br />

ANDERSEN<br />

SHOP STEWARD, 3F<br />

As early as the negotiations regarding<br />

local wage agreements<br />

in spring 2009, it became clear<br />

that the crisis meant we had to<br />

find new solutions. Through my<br />

work as a shop steward, I knew<br />

that IKUF offers the possibility<br />

of ten days subsidised course<br />

activity per employee. By<br />

means of a joint request, we<br />

succeeded in getting nearly<br />

everyone to sign up for the<br />

course activity programme. Our<br />

cooperation regarding capacity<br />

reduction measures has<br />

demonstrated new ways of<br />

thinking and inspired several<br />

other companies to follow our<br />

example.<br />

MONA<br />

OLESEN<br />

MACHINE OPERATOR,<br />

ASSEMBLY<br />

I hadn’t heard about IKUF before,<br />

but when the opportunity<br />

presented itself, I opted to take<br />

a course in robotics. It’s not<br />

something I use everyday in my<br />

work, but it has given me a better<br />

understanding of <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s<br />

robots. And it has given me an<br />

extra skill to draw on if I have to<br />

seek work elsewhere at some<br />

future date. I am actually planning<br />

to take the second part of<br />

the robotics course later in my<br />

spare time because it is useful<br />

in different work situations.<br />

JOHN<br />

LADEGÅRD<br />

ASSEMBLER,<br />

MOULDING DEPARTMENT<br />

Over the last two years, we have<br />

done everything we can to reduce<br />

the reject rate and ensure<br />

stability in the compression<br />

moulding process – an effort<br />

that has been particularly<br />

important in light of the crisis.<br />

This has resulted in a 30-40%<br />

reduction in the reject rate<br />

achieved through numerous improvements<br />

and better adjustment<br />

possibilities. We have<br />

increased process stability and<br />

identified areas where we can<br />

avoid mistakes before they happen.<br />

We have also established a<br />

common norm for product quality<br />

so that everyone knows the<br />

quality required by customers.<br />

Increased stability coupled with<br />

a lower reject rate helps to boost<br />

our competitiveness and reduces<br />

our environmental impact.<br />

HANNE<br />

NIELSEN<br />

OPERATOR, STORES<br />

027#<br />

Crisis<br />

Cruncher<br />

Staff were willing to go that extra<br />

mile to avoid redundancies and<br />

have understood the need for<br />

preventive measures. I was<br />

okay with reduced working<br />

hours as long as they were for a<br />

limited period spread across<br />

several months. I enjoyed having<br />

some extra time off during the<br />

summer break. The IKUF<br />

courses weren’t particularly relevant<br />

for me, but many of my<br />

colleagues got a lot out of them<br />

– for example, a license to drive<br />

a trailer, which can be useful at<br />

some future point.


NEXT<br />

STOP<br />

LONDON<br />

The top Danish disabled athletes won a total of<br />

nine medals at the 2008 Paralympic Games in<br />

Beijing, thus outdoing their non-disabled counterparts.<br />

This impressive result must be built<br />

upon and if possible improved, and this is where<br />

the sponsorship agreement comes into the picture.<br />

Among other things, the agreement seeks to<br />

ensure optimal preparation for the athletes in the<br />

build-up to the Paralympic Games in London in<br />

2012.<br />

An agreement with possibilities<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group’s Vice President & COO, Dan<br />

Boyter, was himself present at the Paralympic<br />

Games in Beijing to watch the Danish athletes in<br />

action. He is in no doubt that the sponsorship<br />

agreement is necessary to ensure Danish disabled<br />

athletes at world-class level:<br />

“The future trend in disabled sports is undoubtedly<br />

towards an even greater degree of professionalization,<br />

and several other nations already<br />

have comprehensive medal bonus schemes and<br />

grants for their elite disabled athletes. If Denmark<br />

is to be among the top nations, we are going to<br />

need the same kind of professional approach for<br />

our athletes. <strong>Pressalit</strong> is proud to be able to play<br />

a part in this,” he explains.<br />

PRESSALIT GROUP HAS EXTENDED ITS SPONSORSHIP<br />

AGREEMENT WITH THE DANISH SPORTS ORGANISATION<br />

FOR THE DISABLED (DHIF) FOR A PERIOD OF F<strong>OUR</strong> YEARS.<br />

THE NEW SPONSORSHIP DEAL TOTALLING DKK 4 MILLION<br />

UP UNTIL 2012 AIMS TO HELP DANISH DISABLED ATHLETES<br />

JOIN THE RANKS OF THE WORLD ELITE IN TIME FOR THE<br />

LONDON OLYMPICS IN 2012.<br />

Effective training through <strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

Sports Academy<br />

In 2006, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group, the Danish Sports<br />

Organisation for the Disabled and Team Danmark<br />

launched the so-called <strong>Pressalit</strong> Sports Academy<br />

– a training development programme for the<br />

top Danish disabled athletes. A central element<br />

of the extended sponsorship agreement is a further<br />

strengthening of <strong>Pressalit</strong> Sports Academy.<br />

From the outset, the academy has proved to be a<br />

great help for the athletes, especially in the area<br />

of sports psychology.<br />

In future, the academy will widen its focus to include<br />

national coaches and developing promising<br />

new talent, a fact that is greatly appreciated<br />

by DHIF:<br />

“Developing the stars of the future takes time,<br />

and with an extended <strong>Pressalit</strong> Sports Academy<br />

we will be able to plan over the long term so we<br />

can shape the athletes who will take over the<br />

mantle after the Paralympic Games in 2012 – for<br />

example, in the run-up to the 2016 games,” says<br />

Michael Møllgaard Nielsen, Elite and Team Director<br />

at DHIF.<br />

FACTS ABOUT THE<br />

MAIN SPONSOR SHIP<br />

AGREEMENT<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group A/S’ main<br />

sponsorship of the Danish<br />

Sports Organisation for the<br />

Disabled (DHIF) covers the<br />

period from 1 January 2009<br />

to 31 December 2012<br />

<br />

million.<br />

<br />

a specific training programme<br />

under the auspices of <strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

Sports Academy, where Team<br />

Danmark contributes as a third<br />

party providing a range of<br />

service including consultancy<br />

services. <strong>Pressalit</strong> Sports<br />

Academy was first launched<br />

at the beginning of 2006.<br />

<br />

Academy will be divided into<br />

three groups: Training programme<br />

for coaches (PSA<br />

Coach), training programme<br />

for the best elite athletes (PSA<br />

Paralympic) and a training<br />

programme for the group of<br />

athletes just below the top<br />

echelon (PSA Talent).


KEEP LIVING AWARD 2009<br />

Swimmer and multiple medal winner Karina Lauridsen is the 2009<br />

recipient of <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care’s Keep Living Award and the title “Disabled<br />

Athlete of the Year 2009”. Impressive results coupled with her<br />

serious approach to the sport were decisive in her selection.<br />

Karina Lauridsen, who is paralysed in both legs following a parachuting<br />

accident, can add European champion, world champion<br />

and new world record holder to her name following a year in which<br />

she took part in the European Long Distance Swimming Championships<br />

in Iceland and the World Short Distance Swimming Championships<br />

in Rio de Janeiro, where she beat her own world record<br />

in the 150 meter medley with a time of 2:45.73 minutes. Her incredible<br />

season deservedly earned her <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care’s Keep<br />

Living Award for 2009. The award worth DKK 20,000 was presented<br />

by Vice President & COO Dan Boyter:<br />

“All this year’s nominees have set a wonderful example with their<br />

tremendous results, but there is no doubt that Karina Lauridsen’s<br />

performance is in a class of its own. For this reason she is the perfect<br />

recipient of the Keep Living Award for 2009. Karina is the very<br />

epitome of the elite professional athlete. She possesses the necessary<br />

will and determination to train hard every day in the pool.”<br />

Proud award winner<br />

It was an extremely proud award winner who thanked the committee<br />

for its decision:<br />

“I am extremely proud to have received this award. I appreciate <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s<br />

core values of listening, learning and playing at a serious level<br />

– and this is what I do myself. So these are values that I can fully endorse,”<br />

said Karina Lauridsen following the presentation of the award.<br />

IRONMAN<br />

ANDERS OLSSON<br />

The Swedish world-class swimmer is the new Keep Living<br />

ambassador for <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care.<br />

029#<br />

Disabled<br />

Sports<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group has signed a personal sponsorship agreement<br />

with the disabled swimmer and triathlete Anders Olsson, who over<br />

the next two years will act as the company’s so-called Keep Living<br />

ambassador in Sweden.<br />

Despite making a late debut, 43-year-old Anders Olsson’s athletic<br />

credentials are indisputable. He won Paralympic gold medals in<br />

2004 and 2008 and is the holder of nine world records. In addition<br />

to swimming, he is also a keen triathlete and hopes to qualify for an<br />

Ironman in Hawaii. This has also earned him the nickname “ironman”.<br />

A shining example for others<br />

As Keep Living ambassador, Olsson will play an important part in<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Care’s sales and marketing activities.<br />

“Our ambassadors exemplify the philosophy behind <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care’s<br />

products and through their approach to life redefine the meaning<br />

of overcoming the barriers facing the disabled. Anders Olsson is a<br />

superb example of this. We are proud to be able to work with one<br />

of Sweden’s greatest sports names, and we are looking forward to<br />

introducing Anders to our customers in Sweden,” says Senior<br />

Corporate Communications Manager Thomas Mandrup, who is in<br />

charge of <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s sponsorship relations.


A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT<br />

A year at <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group is full of events – big and<br />

small. On the next pages you can read about some<br />

of the internal highlights of the year.<br />

24 | 06 | 2009<br />

VISIT FROM DANIDA<br />

Twenty companies from Bhutan, Egypt, India, Uganda, Vietnam and<br />

Bangladesh paid a guest visit to Denmark in summer 2009. The visit<br />

was part of a Danida initiative and focused on the work of Corporate<br />

Social Responsibility. In this connection, the group of corporate executives<br />

visited <strong>Pressalit</strong>, where they were taken on a conducted tour<br />

of the plastics factory.<br />

25 | 0 6 | 2 0 0 9<br />

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS<br />

The organisation Young Enterprise Denmark was the organiser<br />

behind the “JA-YE Europe Enterprise Challenge 2009” in which<br />

newly started enterprises from all over Europe competed against<br />

each other – a kind of European championship for young entrepreneurs.<br />

As one of the project partners, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group provided the<br />

physical setting for the gala dinner held on Thursday 25 June when<br />

the championship winner was announced. Kristian Jensen (the<br />

Liberal Party of Denmark) the Minister for Taxation, presented the<br />

award to the winning company, entrepreneurs Niso, whose product<br />

“Plastic fantastic” protects stiletto heels from scratches.<br />

2009<br />

17 | 06 | 2009<br />

MEDAL FOR MAHMOUD AL-BAIATI<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong>’s recently qualified apprentice Mahmoud Al-Baiati received<br />

a medal of merit when Dansk Industri og Håndværks Medaljefond<br />

for eastern Jutland together with H. R. H. Prince Joachim awarded<br />

medals to eastern Jutland’s best apprentices.<br />

The particularly talented apprentices, all of whom had obtained top<br />

marks in their apprenticeship test and excellent references from<br />

their employers, were honoured at a festive event held at Aarhus<br />

City Hall on Wednesday 17 June 2009. Here Mahmoud Al-Baiati<br />

and <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group, in the shape of Dan Boyter, received their<br />

diploma for a job well done. In his speech, H. R. H. emphasised<br />

Mahmoud’s apprenticeship, which despite serious language difficulties,<br />

was a great success.<br />

25| 11 | 2009<br />

APPRENTICESHIP OF THE YEAR<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Care was pleasantly<br />

surprised when Sales Director<br />

Claus Albertsen was told that his<br />

department had been selected<br />

as regional apprenticeship of the<br />

year for 2009 in the commercial<br />

and clerical sector. Mette Gordon<br />

Frederiksen, who finished her<br />

traineeship at <strong>Pressalit</strong> in 2009,<br />

nominated the company for the award. She was in no doubt that<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Care deserved the nomination, as throughout her training<br />

she was given excellent professional challenges by colleagues who<br />

believed in her. <strong>Pressalit</strong> Care was honoured with a work of art by<br />

the local artist Helle Bang.


20 | 06 | 2009<br />

FUN ON HIMMELBJERGET<br />

The sun peeped out from a June sky when <strong>Pressalit</strong> staff in Denmark and their<br />

families were invited along on a picnic and day outing to Himmelbjerget. Here the<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> kitchen team saw to it that there were plenty of bulging picnic baskets and<br />

a sumptuous coffee table for all the guests.<br />

The children were particularly impressed by the magician, who captivated their imagination<br />

with magic tricks and colourful balloon animals.<br />

031#<br />

A Retrospective<br />

Look at 2009


22 | 10 | 2009<br />

FRONTRUNNERS PROVIDE<br />

AN INNOVATIVE SPARK<br />

Can young people with piercings<br />

or purple hair and corporate<br />

employees benefit from<br />

one another? Unsure of the<br />

answer, <strong>Pressalit</strong> Group decided<br />

in autumn 2009 to invite<br />

“Frontløberne” (The Frontrunners) for a visit<br />

to address the issue of how best to create a<br />

physical framework for more creative thinking<br />

and innovation.<br />

The Frontrunners is a cultural project in Aarhus,<br />

where young people can see their creative ideas<br />

come to fruition through an alternative project<br />

training programme. In his capacity as chairman<br />

of the Aarhus Group, <strong>Pressalit</strong>s Vice President &<br />

COO, Dan Boyter, paid a visit to the Frontrunners.<br />

Here the idea of holding an innovation event at<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> was born. The Frontrunners threw<br />

themselves headlong into the task, which marked<br />

the start of collaboration with <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s product<br />

development department.<br />

Stimulating creativity<br />

Development Director Morten Rathke and staff<br />

from his department gave the Frontrunners a<br />

specific task to solve: Create a work, product, an<br />

environment or something else that stimulates<br />

the creativity of the user! Prior to coming up with<br />

a solution, the Frontrunners spent a day brainstorming<br />

with one of <strong>Pressalit</strong>’s professional<br />

project managers. The table was thick with postit<br />

notes as the youngsters came up with ideas for<br />

and new ways of tackling creative thinking and<br />

innovation.<br />

Suits and piercings came<br />

together to provide innovative<br />

inspiration for<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong>’s creative work.<br />

The Praise Chair<br />

At the start of December, <strong>Pressalit</strong> staff finally<br />

came face to face with the practical results of the<br />

Frontrunners’ work. The four completed works,<br />

collectively christened “innovation islands”, were<br />

exhibited at <strong>Pressalit</strong>, where they generated<br />

a great deal of positive attention – and have<br />

encouraged staff to reflect and<br />

find moments of inspiration.<br />

Both at Maglehøj reception and<br />

in the canteen at Isagervej, staff<br />

have eagerly taken turns to sit in<br />

“The Praise Chair” with its whispering<br />

voices, lie in the hammock<br />

on “The Deserted Island”,<br />

take a stroll in the “Sensory<br />

Tunnel” and exchange words in<br />

the “Give-and-Take Tree”.<br />

Development Manager Morten<br />

Rathke was extremely impressed<br />

by the young Frontrunners,<br />

who showed tremendous<br />

commitment and enthusiasm<br />

– qualities that undoubtedly<br />

contributed to the project’s<br />

success. In particular, he highlights<br />

the badges which came<br />

with “The Praise Chair” and<br />

which could be seen throughout<br />

the company with statements<br />

such as “Du er for sej”<br />

(You’re too cool) and “You are<br />

so nice”.


18 | 12 | 2009<br />

30 | 11 | 2009<br />

FAREWELL TO THE<br />

NATIONAL NETWORK<br />

Since 2003 Vice President & COO, Dan Boyter,<br />

has been chairman of the National Network of<br />

Corporate Executives – a think tank that advises<br />

the Minister for Employment on issues relating to<br />

corporate social commitment. On Network Day,<br />

30 November 2009, Dan Boyter decided to bid<br />

farewell to the network following his six years as<br />

chairman. The position of chairman was passed<br />

on to Maarten van Engeland, Managing Director<br />

of ISS Facility Services.<br />

In connection with his decision to retire from the<br />

network, Dan Boyter was thanked for his work by<br />

CHRISTMAS FOR<br />

THE HOMELESS<br />

09<br />

calendar in mid-December to serve Christmas<br />

Chef Adrian Clements and ten employees from<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group took a day out of their work<br />

lunch for the homeless and other socially vulnerable<br />

people in Aarhus.<br />

The idea to serve up Christmas lunch was the<br />

brainchild of Vice President & COO, Dan Boyter,<br />

and Laura Hay, alderman for Social Conditions<br />

and Employment in Aarhus, and came into being<br />

when both met by chance at the “Beggar’s Banquet”<br />

event, an annual party for the socially vulnerable.<br />

It was then up to Dan Boyter to find ten <strong>Pressalit</strong><br />

volunteers to help with the Christmas lunch, and<br />

in this connection staff were offered the opportunity<br />

of swapping a normal work day for a day at<br />

“Værestedet”.<br />

“<strong>Pressalit</strong> is a company with a long-standing tradition<br />

of social responsibility, and indeed it permeates<br />

our entire set of core values. But an event<br />

such as this was the perfect opportunity to give<br />

our employees the chance to experience social<br />

responsibility first hand. And it gave everyone a<br />

positive and practical experience<br />

of what Christmas is all<br />

about – namely spreading joy<br />

and happiness to those who<br />

need it most,” he explains.<br />

70 guests<br />

About 70 people turned up on<br />

the day at the well-covered<br />

Christmas table at Værestedet<br />

in Aarhus, where the menu featured<br />

traditional Danish Christmas<br />

lunch, including such delicacies<br />

as herring, brawn,<br />

meatballs and rice pudding with<br />

whipped cream.<br />

“It was obvious that everyone<br />

enjoyed being in good company<br />

and eating good food<br />

away from the snow, wind and<br />

cold. Spirits were high – and<br />

even a dog was spoiled with<br />

a large bowl of meatballs,”<br />

explains chef Adrian Clements.<br />

network protector, H. R. H.<br />

Prince Joachim, and a special<br />

farewell film included greetings<br />

from former network chairman,<br />

Niels Due Jensen, vice chairman<br />

Morten Jørgensen, Claus Hjort<br />

Frederiksen (the Liberal Party of<br />

Denmark), former Minister for<br />

Employment and current Minister<br />

for Finance, and the former<br />

head of the network secretariat,<br />

Trine Aabo Andersen.<br />

033#<br />

A Retrospective<br />

Look at 2009


DKK IN MILLION 09<br />

08<br />

07<br />

06<br />

05<br />

TURNOVER 460.3 537.4 553.5 555.3 540.8<br />

OPERATING PROFIT 1.8 23.2 42.0 45.8 50.0<br />

EBIT 1.6 21.8 42.5 46.5 50.3<br />

PROFIT 0.1 7.4 27.1 29.1 30.8<br />

ASSETS 318.9 360.0 388.7 384.1 387.5<br />

SHARE CAPITAL 8 8 8 8 8<br />

EQUITY CAPITAL 179.9 184.5 214.4 223.3 219.1<br />

INVESTMENTS IN THE YEAR 8 29.5 28.7 29.7 30.4<br />

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 382 450 486 469 470<br />

WORKING ABROAD 70 73 83 78 92<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> universal seats and specialised seats for distribution through the sanitary trade<br />

OEM deliveries for ceramic works<br />

SaniScan toilet seats and accessories for distribution through DIY retailers<br />

Specialised kitchen and bathroom solutions for people with disabilities


PRESSALIT GROUP A/S’<br />

ORGANISATION<br />

BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />

Ib Christensen (chairman), Lars Aagaard, David Meyer, Fay Boyter, Kim Boyter,<br />

Allan Christiansen (employee rep.), Anders Christensen (employee rep.), Flemming Thøgersen (employee rep.)<br />

KIM BOYTER<br />

President & CEO<br />

MARIANNE KRISTENSEN,<br />

Senior Finance & IT Director,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group<br />

METTE DYHL<br />

Senior HRD & Policy Director,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Group<br />

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE<br />

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM<br />

NIELS NORGE<br />

Senior Commercial Director,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S<br />

HENRIK DAMBORG<br />

Production Director,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S<br />

JESPER RIIS-ANTONSEN<br />

Logistic Director,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> A/S<br />

DAN BOYTER<br />

Executive Vice President & COO<br />

MICHAEL BRUUN<br />

BD & Supply Chain Director,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Care<br />

HANS LØVE HØEGH<br />

Commercial Director,<br />

<strong>Pressalit</strong> Care<br />

035#<br />

Key Figures


<strong>Pressalit</strong>vej 1<br />

8680 Ry<br />

Denmark<br />

Tel. +45 8788 8788<br />

Fax +45 8788 8789<br />

mail@pressalitgroup.com<br />

www.pressalitgroup.com<br />

VAT no. 84364517

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