2005 - Putzmeister

InternationalPutzmeister agents have always invested,even during difficult timesPUWIMEX was created in 1991, whenFinland was in the grip of a deep recessionand large companies were trying to closedown unprofitable sectors. The eightemployees from the sales, customer serviceand parts sales departments of EXIM OY,whose major interest had been everythingto do with pumping materials, were alsounder threat at this time. These employeesconfidently developed their own businesstogether, providing a basic potential forspare parts acquisitions for regular customersfrom the paper industry, for example,and taking on a selection of leading manufacturerswith real growth potential. WithPutzmeister, they proceeded to become thepioneers of the Finnish concrete pumpmarket, which was non-existent at that time.In 2004 PUWIMEX achieved a total turnoverof approximately 6.5 million with itseleven employees. On average, this hasbeen distributed evenly through the last fewyears into roughly half in each of the twosectors, namely industrial pumps and concretepumps. If you ask Raimo Jaatinen –managing director from the beginning andresponsible for the industrial pumps business– about his recipe for success, he willshow you a picture in which his partnerKari Setälä is seen grinning in his days asan ice hockey player: ”If you alwaysremain on the defensive, you will neverwin. You have to attack, to score somegoals.“ This is his explanation for whyPUWIMEX has always invested in servicesand marketing, even in difficult times.What he is referring to is the developmentand expansion of skills for all members ofthe company, which even covers attendinglanguage courses abroad.Once the PUWIMEX Express has been loaded, Putzmeister customers all over Finland can once again be suppliedwith wear partsIt includes investing in a magnificentlyequipped workshop and in a vast spareparts warehouse, in pumping seminars,customer training, etc. It also includes newservices such as manufacturer inspectionsand the PUWIMEX Express, which helpedthem to survive during the times when nopumps could be sold.”PUWIMEX Express“ meeting pointThe ”PUWIMEX Express“ is a lorrystocked with all major spare parts andwhich regularly visits concrete pumpcustomers every six weeks, after arranginga suitable time. The arrival of thePUWIMEX Express is normally eagerlyawaited, for the pump operators can dotheir shopping almost at the front door –the stop lasts about 1 hour. Spare parts areimmediately available as a rule, and thereare always opportunities for a professionalexchange of ideas. The PUWIMEXExpress fits neatly into the picture, so thatthe customer can make use of every minuteof the Finnish Putzmeister agent’s time. Or,in the words of Raimo Jaatinen: ”We eitherdo something properly or nothing at all.“The placing boom on this PUMI ® may only reach theheight of the window...363735Long-reach boom pumpsin the tightest of spacesSince January 2005, the Westend Duo hasbeen growing floor by floor in an attractivecity location in Frankfurt/Main. A fewcubic metres of concrete will still be pumpedbefore the twin tower blocks reach theirfinal height of 96 m. These pictures weretaken when the 1.5 m to 2.5 m thick baseplate was being concreted in the 15 m deeppit. They show three Putzmeister largeboom pumps (two 58.16 H with S transfertubes and one 42.16 H with S transfer tube)from BRM Rhein-Main (Lorsch) concretepump services placing approximately2,000 m 3 of concrete for the first section ofthe foundations. In total, roughly 6,000 m 3of concrete was placed by the BRM pumpsfor the base of the Westend Duo.The city, with its busy road traffic, alreadypresents a challenge for construction siteand concrete logistics. The pit, surroundedby buildings and green areas which arevery close to one another, also requires fullconcentration and high driving capabilityfrom the concrete pump machine operatorswhen manoeuvring with only a few centimetresclearance, or when extending theirbooms underneath trees.The Westend Duo will have four storeys atbasement level, including basement garagingand 27 storeys above ground level,occupying an area of 32,700 m 3 after itscompletion in December 2006. The clientfor the new tower block in Frankfurt isHOCHTIEF PROJEKTENTWICKLUNG,and as the main contractor, HOCHTIEFCONSTRUCTION AG is responsible forthe project that is now seeing the ”WestendDuo“ erected on the premises of their oldadministrative headquarters (completed in1968 and demolished in 2004).Germany38Concreting the base plate set 15 m deep into the ground3934The PUWIMEX team with its managing director Raimo Jaatinen and sales manager Kari Setälä(second and third from the left)16PM 3652 GB...but the remaining 80 m can easily be bridged withextension hosesInner city construction sites are a challenge for long-reach boom concrete pumps and their drivers. Top left is a 58.16 H with S transfertube, on the right is a 42.16 H with S transfer tube, both can be safely set up and operated in a very tight space.17PM 3652 GB