PDF, 3.2 MB - Pfleiderer AG

In September 2004, Pfleiderer approved an investment project to optimize processing logistics
in HPL production at its engineered wood site in Arnsberg, Germany. The optimized production
planning and control system should result in considerably shorter delivery times and a significant
reduction in inventories. This will do more than just strengthen the competitive position and
market share of Pfleiderer Engineered Wood as a partner for the furniture industry and specialist
trade by speeding up deliveries. By helping to tighten up product ranges, it will also improve the
site’s cost situation in what it is a difficult domestic market. This must also be seen in the light of
a general reduction in production capacity taking place in this market.
In October 2004, Pfleiderer announced that it would start construction work on a new plant to
produce MDF and HDF board. With this project, Pfleiderer Engineered Wood is expanding its
ranges to include MDF and HDF board for the furniture and flooring industry, a move that takes
into account increasing demand for MDF by furniture manufacturers.
Infrastructure Technology
Investment activity by the Business Center Infrastructure Technology focused in fiscal 2004 on
expanding and modernizing existing plants. Production capacity was expanded at Buzău in
Romania and Lábatlan in Hungary in order to cover for new orders taken. This follows an order
taken from Turkey for more than 680,000 sleepers as part of its modernization plan to improve
the track between Ankara and Istanbul. These sleepers will be produced and supplied by both
the above mentioned plants effectively booking up their total production capacity for the next
15 months.
The existing turnout production plant at Kirchmöser, Brandenburg and the sleeper plant at
Coswig have both been modernized.
Environmental Protection
The Group’s environmental protection strategy for fiscal 2004 was based on modernizing its production
plants to ensure that they are state-of-the-art and comply with the requirements of the
German Clean Air Regulation TA Luft 2002. Approval procedures and authorizations for technical
changes by local authorities were carried out at nearly all sites. This has resulted in new or lower
thresholds being set, as well as the need to introduce a comprehensive emissions monitoring system.
An approval procedure was introduced at the Leutkirch site with the objective of reducing
noise levels in the neighborhood. In order to improve air quality in the immediate environment,
management also decided that dust-emitting goods (e.g. sawdust) would no longer be stored
in the open air. These items are now stored in silos. During the same reporting period, the wet
electro-filter used to purify exhaust air from the chip dryer at this site was completely overhauled
at a cost of around 1.1 million euros, achieving a further reduction in emission levels.
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