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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