Highlights of 75 years - Hettich
Highlights of 75 years - Hettich
Highlights of 75 years - Hettich
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1/2005<br />
A magazine for customers <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> International<br />
1930 to<br />
2005<br />
<strong>Highlights</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>75</strong> <strong>years</strong><br />
By tomorrow, today will be history
Publication data<br />
Publisher:<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Marketing- und Vertriebs<br />
GmbH & Co. KG<br />
P. O. Box 1240<br />
2 D-32269 Kirchlengern<br />
Editors:<br />
Cornelia Hackenbruch M.A.<br />
Wilfried Wadsack<br />
Layout & Production:<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Management<br />
Service GmbH<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 5223 77-1736<br />
Fax: +49 (0) 5223 77-1737<br />
E-mail: info@de.hettich.com<br />
All rights reserved.<br />
Printed in Germany 04/2005
Yesterday, today<br />
and tomorrow<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s <strong>75</strong>th anniversary is just one point on the past-future continuum. The<br />
history <strong>of</strong> our company is far more than a run <strong>of</strong> sales figures or even a collection<br />
<strong>of</strong> events and experiences. It is the story <strong>of</strong> people. People whose ideas and hard work<br />
have made the company what it is today. People who deserve our admiration and<br />
gratitude.<br />
It‘s natural to be fascinated by the future. Newness always has a powerful attraction.<br />
But it also pays to look back. To review the company‘s progress and growth. We‘re<br />
satisfied with what we have achieved. Keep up the good work!<br />
If yesterday is worth a passing thought, tomorrow makes stronger demands on business<br />
judgement. In Germany and worldwide, opportunities and risks are <strong>of</strong>ten only a hair‘s<br />
breadth apart. We need to be aware <strong>of</strong> both and yet to act decisively to shape our<br />
future.<br />
The familiar dimensions are changing. Our future market is not Germany, not Europe,<br />
but the world. A world in a state <strong>of</strong> constant change. Technology is shrinking geographic<br />
distances and bringing people together. Structures are converging. As ever, global<br />
thinking must translate into local action.<br />
This issue <strong>of</strong> in time documents a changing scene. Product systems mature. Service<br />
concepts open up new added-value chains. Process innovations change our corporate<br />
culture. Customers become partners. International production and sales companies<br />
feature more strongly in the company picture.<br />
One principle is as valid today as it has been for <strong>75</strong> <strong>years</strong>: the measure <strong>of</strong> all our<br />
activities is customer satisfaction. It‘s the repeating pattern running through our whole<br />
company history. And it‘s the formula for future success.<br />
Ingo Schubert<br />
President and CEO<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Holding GmbH & Co. oHG<br />
editorial<br />
3
4<br />
current news<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> on tour<br />
Trade shows 2005/2006 6<br />
<strong>Highlights</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>75</strong> <strong>years</strong><br />
By tomorrow, today will be history 7<br />
Winners honoured in the<br />
Architecture Lounge<br />
International Design Award attracts<br />
1,153 entries from 24 countries 12<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Franke<br />
Fit for the future 14<br />
Greve Innenausbau GmbH<br />
Specializing in success 16<br />
innovation<br />
InnoTech drawer system<br />
Seeing the difference 17<br />
Planning for functionality<br />
and ease <strong>of</strong> use<br />
Intelligent Kitchens 18<br />
Enjoying a quiet life<br />
Silent System – sounds great! 20<br />
The future is innovation<br />
Honeycomb core board – new favourite<br />
for the furniture industry 22<br />
InLine for flush-closing sliding doors<br />
Slide by slide 23<br />
Light and shade, form and emotion<br />
Setting the scene with light 24<br />
Page 12<br />
Page 32<br />
Allianz Arena:<br />
spectacular sports<br />
architecture<br />
World class quality<br />
for VIP boxes<br />
Page 29<br />
Page 27<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann’s three-tier<br />
product strategy<br />
ProDecor an international brand 25<br />
Evolution Office<br />
Scenarios for tomorrow’s workplaces 26<br />
service<br />
A different kind <strong>of</strong> headset<br />
Augmented reality adds a new<br />
view <strong>of</strong> the world 27<br />
ProjectBusiness<br />
Facilitators and communicators 28<br />
Allianz Arena: spectacular<br />
sports architecture<br />
World class quality for VIP boxes 29<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack<br />
Gaining momentum 30<br />
Solutions that work for you<br />
eBusiness options for customers 32<br />
news<br />
New managing director for <strong>Hettich</strong> UK<br />
Clive Sparrow retires 33<br />
Office workplaces from Edsbyn<br />
Flexible and functional with excellent<br />
ergonomics 34<br />
30 <strong>years</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> France<br />
A recognized market partner 35
Meubles Délias wins environment award<br />
New organizational structure for<br />
sustained growth 36<br />
La Cuisine Française:<br />
Kitchens in traditional quality 37<br />
OBE <strong>Hettich</strong> and <strong>Hettich</strong> Iberia<br />
New attraction for customers 38<br />
GAPSA<br />
One to watch in international<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice furniture 39<br />
Taking the hard out <strong>of</strong> hardware<br />
New showroom opens in Melbourne 40<br />
Australia and New Zealand<br />
Livings worlds for kitchens<br />
and bathrooms 41<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> DIY Australia<br />
Mitre 10: an ongoing success story 42<br />
Hot, wet or cold<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>… at home in good appliances 43<br />
Successful in India<br />
Strategic development in<br />
a growth market 44<br />
in brief<br />
Kitchen dreams 46<br />
Endowment pr<strong>of</strong>essorship 46<br />
Ukraine 46<br />
Turkey 46<br />
Breaking ground 47<br />
Board <strong>of</strong> Management 47<br />
<strong>Highlights</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>75</strong> <strong>years</strong><br />
Page 6<br />
contents<br />
Enjoying<br />
a quiet life<br />
Silent System –<br />
sounds great!<br />
Page 20<br />
5
Trade shows 2005/2006<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> on tour<br />
2005<br />
May:<br />
INTERZUM, Cologne/Germany<br />
29 April to 3 May 2005<br />
K/BIS, Las Vegas/USA<br />
10 to 12 May 2005<br />
EuroExpoMebel, Moscow/Russia<br />
16 to 20 May 2005<br />
July:<br />
AWFS, Las Vegas/USA<br />
27 to 30 July 2005<br />
September:<br />
BIFE - TIMB, Bucharest/Romania<br />
07 to 11 September 2005<br />
Habitare, Helsinki/Finland<br />
20 to 25 September 2005<br />
October:<br />
AMBIENTA, Zagreb/Croatia<br />
12 to 16 October 2005<br />
WOOD-TEC, Brno/Czech Republic<br />
18 to 21 October 2005<br />
EUROBRICO, Valencia/Spain<br />
19 to 21 October 2005<br />
ZOW, Pordenone/Italy<br />
19 to 22 October 2005<br />
WMS, Toronto/Canada<br />
28 to 30 October 2005<br />
November:<br />
MADERALIA, Valencia/Spain<br />
09 to 12 November 2005<br />
Mebel, Moscow/Russia<br />
15 to 19 November 2005<br />
The Big ´5´ Show, Dubai/UAE<br />
16 to 20 November 2005<br />
Innovatech, Erba/Italy<br />
18 to 20 November 2005<br />
INTERMOB, Istanbul/Turkey<br />
19 to 23 November 2005<br />
2006<br />
February:<br />
ZOW, Bad Salzuflen/Germany<br />
20 to 23 February 2006<br />
bautec, Berlin/Germany<br />
21 to 25 February 2006<br />
March:<br />
DESIGN FAIR<br />
Seoul, Korea<br />
März 2006<br />
HOLZ-HANDWERK,<br />
Nuremberg/Germany<br />
22 to 25 March 2006<br />
April:<br />
ZOW, Moscow/Russia<br />
April 2006<br />
K/BIS, Chicago/USA<br />
21 to 23 April 2006<br />
May:<br />
MEBLE, Poznan/Poland<br />
May 2006<br />
More information:<br />
www.hettich.com
By tomorrow, today will be history<br />
<strong>Highlights</strong><br />
“At home in all good furniture“ for <strong>75</strong> <strong>years</strong>. Technik für<br />
Möbel, fittings for furniture, has been our core business for<br />
more than seven decades. Initially in Germany and now on a<br />
global scale. In this time, we‘ve expanded the way we serve<br />
our customers to include all production and logistics steps<br />
– from product consulting, through design and development<br />
to mass production. And not only for furniture. Today, the<br />
name <strong>Hettich</strong> stands for innovation, quality and dependability<br />
in components for white goods, automotive, and electrical<br />
and electronics.<br />
For <strong>75</strong> <strong>years</strong>, the company has pursued<br />
a systematic policy <strong>of</strong> developing<br />
engineering know-how, product quality<br />
and creativity. And <strong>of</strong> honing its skills<br />
in the sensitive interaction between<br />
customer, market and supplier. We also<br />
welcome this anniversary as an opportunity<br />
to share our vision for the future<br />
with the people and companies that have<br />
contributed to <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s becoming an<br />
internationally recognized supplier and<br />
service provider for the furniture industry.<br />
We want to identify routes for taking<br />
the industry forward, to formulate goals,<br />
to play an active role in shaping the<br />
future. “The deed is everything, the glory<br />
naught“, wrote Johann Wolfgang Goethe.<br />
The future is the challenge. We need the<br />
ability to build on the past, that is already<br />
gathering dust in the files. We want to<br />
learn from the past and to develop new<br />
goals rooted in our experience.<br />
current news<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>75</strong> <strong>years</strong><br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s success is not the result <strong>of</strong><br />
chance. From the start it was based on<br />
prudent policies that have formed the<br />
links in the chain <strong>of</strong> company history.<br />
Like the decision in 1930 to move from<br />
Schramberg in the Black Forest, where<br />
the original company was located and<br />
found Paul <strong>Hettich</strong> GmbH in Herford. It<br />
was a bold decision given the daunting<br />
economic environment <strong>of</strong> the 1930s,<br />
but the brothers Paul, August and Franz<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> recognized the potential <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Ostwestfalen-Lippe region as a growth<br />
centre for the furniture industry. The new<br />
company pr<strong>of</strong>ited from the technology<br />
advantage <strong>of</strong> August <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s invention<br />
in 1928 <strong>of</strong> the first fully automatic<br />
machine for making piano hinges. These<br />
hinges gave <strong>Hettich</strong> a strong start in the<br />
furniture world. The creativity that drove<br />
the company‘s early success continues to<br />
characterize our approach in the present<br />
and the future.<br />
7
Part <strong>of</strong> the story is our ongoing transformation<br />
from a ‘mere‘ components<br />
supplier to a system partner for furniture<br />
manufacturers. We are creating and<br />
building development partnerships with<br />
customers for design, product development<br />
and marketing. As a result, we now<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer system solutions along the whole<br />
value adding chain that enhance usability<br />
for the customer.<br />
In the field <strong>of</strong> innovation, our focus goes<br />
far beyond product characteristics to<br />
developing scenarios for how people will<br />
live in the future. Our study for a kitchen<br />
<strong>of</strong> the future, Concept Kitchen 2010,<br />
aroused strong interest in the industry.<br />
A brief review<strong>of</strong> company history<br />
8<br />
Our International Design Award competition<br />
for design students, in its fifth cycle<br />
this year is another way <strong>of</strong> preempting<br />
the future.<br />
The whole <strong>Hettich</strong> team – 4,800 employees,<br />
1,800 <strong>of</strong> them outside Germany<br />
– lives out the company philosophy. Their<br />
commitment and efforts are a major<br />
factor in securing the company‘s market<br />
position nationally and internationally<br />
and to promote our long-term strategic<br />
expansion. Their expertise, skills and hard<br />
work are essential to our success, equally<br />
so is their certainty that they are working<br />
on future-oriented products and services.<br />
At the end <strong>of</strong> 2004, the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group<br />
made the biggest single capital investment<br />
in the company‘s history. It was<br />
symbolized by the laying <strong>of</strong> the foundation<br />
stone for a new logistics centre.<br />
1930 also began with ambitious plans.<br />
Paul <strong>Hettich</strong> GmbH was founded in<br />
Herford as sister company to an original<br />
company dating back to 1888. In Herford,<br />
a team <strong>of</strong> seven employees made hinges<br />
for the furniture industry. Their products<br />
ranged from heavy, high-quality brass<br />
hinges for pianos and middle quality hinges<br />
for furniture to mini hinges for cigar<br />
boxes. The range was soon expanded to<br />
This <strong>75</strong>th anniversary is also an opportunity<br />
to thank all our partners and<br />
to reiterate our commitment to future<br />
cooperation based on trust, partnership<br />
and productive teamwork.<br />
“As for the future, your task is not to<br />
foresee, but to enable it.“ This quotation<br />
from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry not only<br />
sums up <strong>75</strong> <strong>years</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s development,<br />
but also signposts the way to an<br />
exciting future <strong>of</strong> innovation and growth.<br />
include wood screws, wardrobe rails and<br />
connectors.<br />
1945<br />
A fresh start: production began again<br />
after the war with 25 employees and new<br />
determination to succeed.<br />
1953<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> and Alfred Günter, the long-time<br />
company agent, bought shares in ONI<br />
Metallwarenfabrik, a company making<br />
high-quality hinges from brass and light<br />
alloys.
1955<br />
A core team evolves. 160 employees<br />
celebrate the company‘s 25th anniversary.<br />
1958<br />
Setting up <strong>of</strong> Kunstst<strong>of</strong>f GmbH in<br />
Herford, this company later became<br />
Robbi, a leading supplier <strong>of</strong> fittings to DIY<br />
stores and builders‘ merchants.<br />
1959<br />
Company management in the hands <strong>of</strong><br />
the third generation <strong>of</strong> the family, with<br />
Anton <strong>Hettich</strong> as chairman. Complete<br />
legal separation from the original company<br />
in the Black Forest.<br />
1966<br />
Kirchlengern becomes the new headquarters<br />
<strong>of</strong> Paul <strong>Hettich</strong> GmbH & Co.<br />
KG. Production starts on 8,000 sqm new<br />
production area.<br />
1968<br />
Together with Alfred Günter and his son<br />
Hans-Dieter, <strong>Hettich</strong> buys Franke GmbH<br />
& Co. KG in Weilstetten/Balingen. Franke<br />
with 70 employees produces fittings for<br />
beds, connectors and other structural<br />
fittings.<br />
1969<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> and ONI set up a branch in Berlin<br />
– today <strong>Hettich</strong>-Umformtechnik.<br />
1971<br />
Injection moulding starts in Frankenberg.<br />
1972<br />
Kunstst<strong>of</strong>f GmbH production plant in<br />
Herford completely destroyed by fire.<br />
1974<br />
Logistics and sales centre set up in<br />
Kirchlengern.<br />
1976<br />
First foreign subsidiaries in Switzerland,<br />
Sweden, France and the USA. <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
products exported to over 80 countries.<br />
1977<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> takes over August Strothmann<br />
GmbH & Co. KG in Rietberg, a company<br />
making decorative fittings, including<br />
knobs and handles..<br />
1979<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> buys shares in Richard Heinze in<br />
Herford, later taking the company over<br />
completely. This takeover gives <strong>Hettich</strong> a<br />
share in the Spanish OBE.<br />
1980<br />
50 <strong>years</strong> <strong>of</strong> Technik für Möbel: 1,600<br />
employees and 60,000 sqm <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fices<br />
and production floor. Permanent fittings<br />
showroom opened at company headquarters<br />
in Kirchlengern.<br />
1986<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Beschläge GmbH & Co. founded<br />
with responsibility for sales to pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
fittings users – dealers and artisans.<br />
1987<br />
International presence strengthened by<br />
setting up sales companies in Australia,<br />
Canada, New Zealand, Spain and the UK.<br />
1991<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> International launched as the<br />
umbrella brand for all products worldwide.<br />
Founding <strong>of</strong> a subsidiary in Japan.<br />
current aktuell news<br />
1992<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> concentrates increasingly on core<br />
competences, selling the Heinze injection<br />
moulding operation and Koralle, a company<br />
making shower cabin components<br />
linked to ONI.<br />
1994<br />
Founding <strong>of</strong> Czech subsidiary <strong>Hettich</strong> CR<br />
k.s. and production roll out at the new<br />
Czech plant in Zdár nad Sázavou.<br />
1995<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> restructured as a holding company<br />
with independent, decentralized<br />
subsidiaries. Over 4,000 employees in<br />
15 countries.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Polska founded in Poland and<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Italia in Italy. The subsidiary<br />
today called <strong>Hettich</strong> RUS starts production<br />
in Elektrogorsk. Sales agencies set up<br />
in Singapore and Korea – these became<br />
subsidiaries in 2002 and 2003.<br />
1996<br />
Plastipar Industria, today <strong>Hettich</strong> do Brazil,<br />
in Curitiba becomes part <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Group. A new production plant is set<br />
up in China. A sales <strong>of</strong>fice is opened in<br />
Moscow to support production in Russia.<br />
1998<br />
A new subsidiary <strong>Hettich</strong> SR s.r.o. set up<br />
in Trencin, Slovakia.<br />
9
1999<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Hardware Accessories Co. Ltd. set<br />
up in Shanghai.<br />
2000<br />
70 <strong>years</strong> after the company was first registered,<br />
sales for the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group top a<br />
thousand million Deutschmark. <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
India Ltd. starts as a sales company.<br />
2001<br />
The first teams move into the new<br />
Research and Development Centre.<br />
2003<br />
The two business units, Do-it-Yourself<br />
and Pr<strong>of</strong>essional (previously Robbi and<br />
10<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Beschläge) merge to form <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
FurnTech GmbH & Co. KG with a joint<br />
service and logistics centre in Vlotho.<br />
Opening ceremony for the new Training<br />
Centre in Kirchlengern. New production<br />
building for the InnoTech drawer system<br />
goes into operation.<br />
As the <strong>years</strong> have rolled by, important<br />
events have followed one another in<br />
ever faster succession. The company has<br />
grown bigger and evolved into the global<br />
success story it is today. Driving growth<br />
has been the company‘s ability to develop<br />
and market innovative products that<br />
meet customer needs.<br />
Innovations in<br />
<strong>75</strong> <strong>years</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> – that‘s a <strong>75</strong>-year<br />
tradition <strong>of</strong> the right products and the<br />
right quality. The current product spectrum<br />
is huge – hinges, drawer runners,<br />
drawers, connecting fittings, interior<br />
fittings for cupboards and drawers, and<br />
complex fittings systems, such as bed<br />
fittings, knobs and handles, and lighting<br />
systems. Supporting the company‘s success<br />
is the know-how and commitment <strong>of</strong><br />
4,800 employees worldwide.<br />
It all began in 1930, with production <strong>of</strong><br />
hinges in Herford. In 1934, wood screws<br />
were added to the then very limited product<br />
range. Followed by wardrobe rails and<br />
connecting fittings in thenext two <strong>years</strong>.<br />
The 1950s – strong connections<br />
By 1950, <strong>Hettich</strong> was firmly back in<br />
business after the devastation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
war. From 1950 onwards, the company<br />
produced runners in all variations for<br />
rationalized <strong>of</strong>fice furniture production.<br />
In 1955, connecting fittings were added<br />
to the product range, leading in 1960 to<br />
the patented, visible trapezoid fitting that<br />
set new standards for furniture construction.<br />
This was a dowelless fitting, saving<br />
furniture manufacturers the effort <strong>of</strong><br />
drilling dowel holes.<br />
Logo-history<br />
tune with the times<br />
The 1960s – cup hinges change the<br />
furniture world<br />
In 1960, drilling techniques improved,<br />
enabling the development <strong>of</strong> flush mounted<br />
connecting fittings like the Elite, the<br />
forerunner <strong>of</strong> today‘s Rastex connector.<br />
In 1963, <strong>Hettich</strong> bought the license to<br />
make the first concealed 4-jointed hinge<br />
with a 35 mm cup developed by Heinze.<br />
This hinge revolutionized future hinge<br />
development.<br />
30er Jahre 40er Jahre 50er Jahre 60er Jahre 70er Jahre
In 1968, single pivot and brass hinges<br />
from ONI were seen as the perfect precision<br />
components. With 500 fixing types<br />
and over 10,000 hinge variants the company‘s<br />
range was the biggest in Europe,<br />
and possibly in the world.<br />
The ET 320 marked the birth <strong>of</strong> the spring<br />
hinge and soon the first all-metal hinges<br />
based on this hinge series were launched.<br />
The 1970s – System 32 and the<br />
Quadro revolution<br />
In 1970, <strong>Hettich</strong> started production <strong>of</strong><br />
ballbearing runners – still among the<br />
company‘s best-selling products. A year<br />
later, System 32 a standard hole-spacing<br />
system devised by <strong>Hettich</strong>, and accepted<br />
worldwide revolutionized furniture<br />
assembly and production.<br />
In 19<strong>75</strong>, development work on the<br />
Quadro drawer runner that operates<br />
on the ballbearing principle. The Quadro<br />
principle is now a quality standard<br />
worldwide for kitchen, residential and<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice furniture, in home appliances and<br />
contract furniture.<br />
1979 saw the launch <strong>of</strong> Systema, the<br />
first organizable metal drawer for <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
furniture with Quadro runners. Systema<br />
today has developed into a complex<br />
product family which has become a world<br />
leader in <strong>of</strong>fice systems.<br />
80er Jahre 90er Jahre 2005<br />
The 1980s – trend to sliding and folding<br />
In 1980, <strong>Hettich</strong> completed development<br />
<strong>of</strong> the first three-door sliding door fitting<br />
ready for mass production. In 1985, the<br />
company launched fast-assembly hinges<br />
– the first one was Euromat Top Safe.<br />
Fast assembly hinges have slashed<br />
assembly times and revolutionized furniture<br />
assembly on-site. In 1989, the Wing Line<br />
range <strong>of</strong> folding door fittings became<br />
the trendsetter in a new generation <strong>of</strong><br />
bedroom storage units.<br />
The 1990s – focus on kitchens<br />
In 1991, the launch <strong>of</strong> the first foldable<br />
steel box for kitchen drawers began a<br />
new era for drawer design and assembly<br />
techniques. Just a year later, the Quadro<br />
V6, a full-extension drawer runner<br />
system pioneered a trend that has lead<br />
to full-extension becoming the de facto<br />
standard for kitchen furniture. 1993 saw<br />
production rollout <strong>of</strong> the trailblazing<br />
Intermat fast assembly hinge. In 1994,<br />
QuickTech, the first all-metal drawer for<br />
kitchens and bathrooms, went into production.<br />
The system is still unsurpassed,<br />
not only for its logistic and assembly<br />
advantages, but also for its high usability<br />
for the end user. 1994 was also the year<br />
when Multiflex, the most successful mechanical<br />
bedslat adjusting system, went<br />
into mass production.<br />
1995 saw the market launch <strong>of</strong> the<br />
InnoTech double-walled drawer system.<br />
The Innotech system included a variable<br />
cutlery organizer system made <strong>of</strong> steel,<br />
which marked a great step forward in<br />
letting users organize kitchen drawers as<br />
they chose. The Innotech system has been<br />
expanded with new developments since<br />
its launch, eg, the XL drawer. In 1999,<br />
the ComfortLine drawer system was<br />
introduced. ComfortLine gives end-users<br />
wide scope in combining system components<br />
to suit their workstyle and wishes.<br />
The Concept Kitchen 2010 was a highlight<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Interzum 1999 and attracted<br />
overwhelming press interest in national<br />
and international trade journals. Its design<br />
and functionality took account <strong>of</strong><br />
four key areas: environment, comfort,<br />
ergonomics and changing approaches<br />
to using living space.<br />
current news<br />
On the threshold <strong>of</strong> the 21st century<br />
In 2000, <strong>Hettich</strong> developers perfected<br />
the S<strong>of</strong>tFlow damped drawer runner.<br />
Building on this early system, they went<br />
on to create Silent System – a complete<br />
damping system, not only for drawers<br />
but for hinges and for folding and sliding<br />
door fittings. An important innovation<br />
in 2002 was the hettlock electronic<br />
locking system. This is a versatile and<br />
sophisticated locking system which meets<br />
the special locking needs <strong>of</strong> furniture<br />
in <strong>of</strong>fices and similar applications. As a<br />
digital system, hettlock can be seamlessly<br />
integrated in a building- or facility-wide<br />
locking and organization system.<br />
In 2003, <strong>Hettich</strong> Franke launched mosys,<br />
its first electric system for adjustable<br />
bedslats. The company supplies complete<br />
systems including the motor. With motor<br />
drives attachable at any point, mosys<br />
allows maximum freedom for fine bed<br />
design. This compares favourably with<br />
conventional double drives.<br />
At <strong>75</strong>, the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group has achieved a<br />
successful mix <strong>of</strong> mature know-how and<br />
trailblazing enthusiasm. In the future<br />
too, we‘ll continue to hone our skills in<br />
tracking coming trends and recognizing<br />
developing needs. And we‘ll work with<br />
developers, designers and customers to<br />
generate new solutions and develop them<br />
to the series production stage.<br />
11
12<br />
Winners<br />
honoured in the<br />
Architecture Lounge<br />
International Design Award attracts 1,153 entries from 24 counties
At the Interzum 2005, <strong>Hettich</strong> International will be presenting<br />
the results <strong>of</strong> the most important and exciting student<br />
competition in the world <strong>of</strong> international furniture design.<br />
The <strong>Hettich</strong> International Design Award has become a trend<br />
barometer for designers in training. This year again, a highcalibre<br />
jury has selected the outstanding designs for furniture<br />
and handles. Details on the best work are on display in a<br />
special booth at the Interzum.<br />
This year is the fifth cycle <strong>of</strong> the biennial<br />
Design Award. Directed towards design<br />
students around the world, the competition<br />
invites this up-and-coming designer<br />
generation to turn their imaginative ideas<br />
into concrete designs. The topic for the<br />
2005 competition was storage units<br />
(cupboards, shelves, etc.) and/or furniture<br />
systems for living areas in the home. The<br />
jury looks for creative and forward-looking<br />
designs which pick up on contemporary<br />
consumer requirements.<br />
The huge interest evoked by furniture<br />
knobs and handles in the 2003 competition<br />
led to a decision to again include this<br />
category in the 2005competition.<br />
Participants were told their entries would<br />
be judged on functional and practical<br />
criteria, on the look and feel, on the use<br />
they make <strong>of</strong> materials and on how well<br />
they are oriented to current and future<br />
design trends.<br />
The competition is open to design students<br />
at universities and universities <strong>of</strong> applied<br />
sciences around the world which have<br />
departments <strong>of</strong> furniture design and<br />
development or furniture engineering.<br />
The entries are submitted by the students‘<br />
lead pr<strong>of</strong>essors and lecturers and the<br />
number <strong>of</strong> entries from students <strong>of</strong> any<br />
one lecturer or pr<strong>of</strong>essor is limited to five.<br />
The number <strong>of</strong> entries to the 2005 Design<br />
Award competition far exceeded the<br />
previous record year 2003. The grand<br />
total for 2005 was 1,153 entries from 24<br />
countries. A breakdown by country shows<br />
that the biggest contingent <strong>of</strong> participating<br />
students was from China (260),<br />
followed by Japan with 213 and Germany<br />
with 127 entries. There were 110 French<br />
participants, and 95 each from the Czech<br />
Republic and Slovakia. At the time <strong>of</strong><br />
going to press, <strong>75</strong>4 furniture design entries<br />
had been received and 399 designs for<br />
handles.<br />
International jury<br />
An independent jury, composed <strong>of</strong><br />
designers and development managers<br />
from international furniture manufacturers<br />
and independent lecturers and pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />
from universities and other institutes<br />
<strong>of</strong> higher education. In April, the jury<br />
evaluated all the entries in a marathon<br />
two-day session. Chaired by Michael<br />
Schumacher from the architects Schneider<br />
+ Schumacher in Frankfurt, the jury was<br />
made up <strong>of</strong> Anke Mensing, FH-Darmstadt,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>. Anke Bernotat, University <strong>of</strong> Duisburg-Essen,<br />
Erik Simonsen, Acer Design/<br />
Denmark, Renan Gökyay, Nurus/Turkey and<br />
Sandeep Mukherjee Quetzel Designs India.<br />
The jury faced a stupendously difficult<br />
task, because <strong>of</strong> the high quality <strong>of</strong> the<br />
entries. It reflects the excellence <strong>of</strong> the<br />
education being <strong>of</strong>fered by colleges and<br />
universities around the world. Finally, the<br />
jury sifted out the winners – whose universities<br />
or colleges will share the prize<br />
money <strong>of</strong> Y15,000.<br />
The winners will be announced during the<br />
Interzum in Cologne. The ceremony will<br />
take place on May 2, starting at 15:00 in<br />
the <strong>Hettich</strong> Architecture Lounge in Hall 13.1.<br />
As initiator <strong>of</strong> the international, student<br />
design competition, <strong>Hettich</strong> sharpened its<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ile as a trendsetter continuously generating<br />
and deploying new ideas. Thanks<br />
The Architecture Lounge, the<br />
right venue for celebrating<br />
the winners <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
International Design Award<br />
to the enthusiasm <strong>of</strong> the universities and<br />
colleges, the Interzum 2005 is the richer<br />
for a highlight, that effectively supports<br />
this year‘s show focus.<br />
Architecture Lounge<br />
The striking booth that forms a fitting<br />
ambience for the prize winning<br />
ceremony is also a meeting place for<br />
architects, interior designers and designers<br />
throughout the Interzum. Visitors to the<br />
booth can inspect the prize-winning<br />
entries, which are again indicative <strong>of</strong> the<br />
high calibre <strong>of</strong> design training around the<br />
world. They will also find the booth a<br />
useful forum for the exchange <strong>of</strong> experience<br />
and a source <strong>of</strong> new ideas for their own<br />
projects.<br />
The 40 m long and 10 m wide booth is<br />
dominated by large posters depicting the<br />
competition entries. There are also special<br />
displays on the use <strong>of</strong> light, on decorative<br />
fittings and on electronic closing systems<br />
for buildings and furniture. The Project<br />
Business team from <strong>Hettich</strong> Furntech<br />
will be on hand on the booth to discuss<br />
customer projects.<br />
13
<strong>Hettich</strong> Franke<br />
Fit for<br />
the future<br />
Balingen, home <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> Franke, is<br />
60 km south <strong>of</strong> Stuttgart in Germany‘s<br />
sunniest region. An attractive small town<br />
(population 34,000), Balingen combines<br />
recorded history going back <strong>75</strong>0 <strong>years</strong><br />
with modern flair. People who live and<br />
work there know how lucky they are.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Franke, a company with a long<br />
tradition, has been part <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Group since 1968. Its core competences<br />
are in adjustable fittings and plinth<br />
systems. A restructuring project begun<br />
three <strong>years</strong> ago and substantial forwardlooking<br />
investment are making sure that<br />
the company remains competitive into<br />
the future.<br />
Improved material flows<br />
major reorganization to improve<br />
A assembly flow began in June 2004<br />
– with careful planning to<br />
avoid disrupting production.<br />
Prior to demolishing<br />
a central section <strong>of</strong><br />
the production hall, the<br />
toolmaking operation had<br />
to be moved to the basement.<br />
A new firepro<strong>of</strong> tool<br />
store was also built.<br />
14<br />
The major demolition and remediation<br />
work in the production hall were timed to<br />
coincide with the annual factory vacation<br />
closure. A new flow-through rack was<br />
built between the punch and the assembly<br />
area. This rack is central to improving<br />
material flow on the FIFO (first in – first<br />
out) principle. Production was affected<br />
for only three days after the vacation,<br />
and customers scarcely noticed.<br />
These were essential investments to<br />
optimize cost structures, ensure prompt,<br />
reliable deliveries and optimize product<br />
quality. <strong>Hettich</strong> Franke is now equipped<br />
to meet market demand for reliable, ontime<br />
volume deliveries.<br />
Eco certification<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Franke has set itself ambitious<br />
business targets, but it is determined<br />
to achieve them in a sustainable way<br />
through responsible environmental<br />
protection. In 2004, <strong>Hettich</strong> Franke<br />
implemented an environmental management<br />
system and optimized processes to<br />
achieve eco certification to the EU EMAS<br />
II directive. Validation was completed in<br />
early December 2004.<br />
Product innovations<br />
In 2003, <strong>Hettich</strong> Franke successfully<br />
launched mosys, a completely new<br />
modular solution for electrically adjustable<br />
bedslats. The next goal – for 2005<br />
– was to expand the basic system. The<br />
innovative new modules have been on the<br />
market since early this year, in the form<br />
<strong>of</strong> a kit for synchronized adjustment <strong>of</strong><br />
two single beds using one remote control.<br />
The company has also launched a<br />
massage option for mosys. In line with<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Franke‘s product philosophy, this<br />
is controlled by 24 volt direct current,<br />
giving users the security <strong>of</strong> no mains<br />
voltage or magnetic fields in the bed.<br />
The massage unit consists <strong>of</strong> two easily<br />
installed vibration motors, a control unit
Investment to improve material flows in production processes,<br />
a certified environmental management system and product<br />
innovations focusing on “Wellness in Bed“ are setting new<br />
standards at <strong>Hettich</strong> Franke in Balingen, Germany. A marketdriven<br />
approach, improved productivity and expanded innovation<br />
potential are protecting jobs and making the company fit for<br />
the future.<br />
and a toroidal transformer. All in the<br />
cause <strong>of</strong> Wellness in Bed. The motors<br />
gently vibrate the mattress with a soothing,<br />
relaxing motion to improve circulation<br />
and promote deep refreshing sleep.<br />
Other extra kinematics, for example, an<br />
adjustable back section and a telescopic<br />
neck section are in the pipeline. <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Franke is also preparing to market multimotor<br />
mosys versions. All these innovations<br />
give bed suppliers in the mid-range<br />
and high-end price segments the ability<br />
to <strong>of</strong>fer extra options that will appeal to<br />
health-conscious customers who want a<br />
maximum <strong>of</strong> comfort and convenience.<br />
In the middle ages, Balingen benefited<br />
from its location in an important trade<br />
network, the Schweizerstrasse, which<br />
encouraged the development <strong>of</strong> trade and<br />
industry. Nowadays, for <strong>Hettich</strong> Franke,<br />
a different sort <strong>of</strong> network is promoting<br />
internal restructuring. This is the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Group‘s intracompany network for development,<br />
production, procurement and<br />
logistics. In sales and marketing too, the<br />
company makes the most <strong>of</strong> the opportu-<br />
nities <strong>of</strong>fered by the Group‘s international<br />
divisional structure. At the same time,<br />
it maintains its established key account<br />
business with industry customers. With<br />
the backing <strong>of</strong> the company group and<br />
against the background <strong>of</strong> Balingen‘s<br />
<strong>75</strong>0th jubilee celebrations, <strong>Hettich</strong> Franke<br />
is poised on a springboard for growth.<br />
The company is fit for the future.<br />
Richard Weinzierl,<br />
managing director<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> Franke<br />
15
16<br />
Greve Innenausbau GmbH<br />
Specializing<br />
in success<br />
Today the job might be consulting<br />
rooms for a dentist, tomorrow<br />
fitting out a restaurant or a car<br />
dealer‘s showroom. Greve Innen-<br />
ausbau GmbH, in Grevesmühlen,<br />
Mecklenburg (D), plans and<br />
furnishes any venue. Custom<br />
furniture is one <strong>of</strong> the company‘s<br />
core competences. Its reputation<br />
has travelled beyond the borders<br />
<strong>of</strong> Germany – the interior <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Porsche building in San Francisco<br />
was a major project. Other activ-<br />
ities include concepts for VW and<br />
Audi.<br />
The Greve Group has built up comprehensive<br />
know-how in several specialist<br />
furnishing fields, for example, car dealer<br />
showrooms and workshops. The company<br />
developed furniture ranges for Volkswagen<br />
and recently extended their contract as<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficial Audi supplier. For the Audi dealer<br />
network, Greve developed creative,<br />
modular furniture systems that are as<br />
practical as they are attractive. The units<br />
are purpose-designed for different zones<br />
– from information, vehicle reception and<br />
spare parts to the sales floor and a<br />
waiting zone for customers complete<br />
with refreshment facilities. The meticulously<br />
planned concepts include storage<br />
units, purpose-designed for functionality<br />
and ease <strong>of</strong> use.<br />
Greve has long used <strong>Hettich</strong> fittings,<br />
sourcing them via the normal distribution<br />
channels. For the Audi concept,<br />
the company decided to use <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s<br />
Systema Top fittings for <strong>of</strong>fice furniture.<br />
Especially attractive here was the range<br />
<strong>of</strong> components and organizer elements<br />
that maximize efficient use <strong>of</strong> the space<br />
inside drawers and cupboards.<br />
Org@Tower from the<br />
Systema Top 2000 product range<br />
The company prides itself on its extreme<br />
flexibility and rapid response to market<br />
change. Two subsidiaries each focus on<br />
different customer groups. Hengelhaupt<br />
Objekteinrichtung in Grevesmühlen<br />
designs and fits out hotel and restaurant<br />
interiors, while Greve Dental in Rostock<br />
supplies dentists with individually<br />
planned consulting room furniture and<br />
equipment.<br />
With 53 employees, the Greve Group<br />
generated sales <strong>of</strong> over 4 million euro<br />
in 2004. The company provides training<br />
places for two or three young people<br />
every year and the trainees generally find<br />
a company workplace waiting when they<br />
qualify. Greve also supports employees on<br />
their way to becoming master craftsman.<br />
Six employees have already achieved this<br />
demanding qualification. Greve is well<br />
aware that the ability to respond flexibly<br />
and at competitive prices to customer<br />
requirements depends on two factors.<br />
One is employee competence and training<br />
level, the other is investment in advanced<br />
technology. The company‘s creative potential<br />
and its focus on target customer<br />
groups has put it firmly on course for<br />
business success in Germany and around<br />
the world.
The glass TopSide, one <strong>of</strong> the features that makes<br />
for clear distinctions and a harmonized kitchen<br />
design<br />
Seeing the<br />
difference<br />
Drawers, pan drawers and inside<br />
drawers made <strong>of</strong> different materials<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer fascinating choices. Using different<br />
drawer variants, designers can produce<br />
cohesive designs, harmonizing design<br />
features even behind the front panels.<br />
Wood drawers, for instance, add to the<br />
warm appeal <strong>of</strong> a Mediterranean-style<br />
kitchen. Cool drawer boxes in steel, or<br />
now in stainless steel, are right for the<br />
streamlined, high-tech kitchen.<br />
All variants are completely interchangeable<br />
and all <strong>of</strong>fer the same important<br />
benefits: faster installation and removal,<br />
toolless assembly/disassembly, easy front<br />
panel adjustment, simple assembly <strong>of</strong> pan<br />
drawer rails, and smooth, stable action<br />
with Quadro partial- or full-extension<br />
runners, or full-extension plus Silent<br />
System damping.<br />
InnoTech <strong>of</strong>fers special front panels, ideal<br />
for visible inside drawers in units with no<br />
front panels, or behind glass doors. Then<br />
there are interior organizers made <strong>of</strong><br />
wood or wood paired with stainless steel.<br />
TopSide panels <strong>of</strong>fer yet another layer <strong>of</strong><br />
differentiation. They‘re available in steel,<br />
translucent plastic or glass.<br />
Impressive functionality adds value to<br />
kitchens. Moreover it‘s easy to demonstrate<br />
and communicate. The list includes<br />
anti-tilt protection for standalone or<br />
mobile storage units. Or EasyLock that<br />
gives parents and carers a simple and ef-<br />
The versatile InnoTech drawer system<br />
optimizes storage space, <strong>of</strong>fers extra<br />
safety features and adds value to kitchens.<br />
Since its market launch, InnoTech has<br />
been continuously improved and expanded.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> has added new looks and multiple<br />
functions. These make it easier for furniture<br />
manufacturers to <strong>of</strong>fer more choice and<br />
differentiation options in all product segments<br />
– from kitchen and residential to<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice. Distributors pr<strong>of</strong>it from clear sales<br />
arguments easily communicated to potential<br />
customers.<br />
fective device for keeping children away<br />
from knives and cleaning agents. Or the<br />
under-sink drawer with special connectors<br />
for an extra low back panel. This<br />
makes maximum use <strong>of</strong> the space under<br />
the sink. As do XL pan drawers built into<br />
the plinth making practical use <strong>of</strong> that<br />
space too.<br />
Inside organizer elements are another<br />
feature <strong>of</strong> the InnoTech range that sets<br />
this drawer system <strong>of</strong>f from the general<br />
run <strong>of</strong> kitchen models.<br />
In short, InnoTech gives kitchen manufacturers<br />
golden opportunities for differentiation<br />
through functional and optical<br />
features. The wealth <strong>of</strong> variants means<br />
that manufacturers can <strong>of</strong>fer choices<br />
across their wide product ranges that are<br />
targeted at different price segments. They<br />
give kitchen studios and other retailers<br />
first class sales arguments that are visible<br />
and can be convincingly communicated.<br />
InnoTech drawer system<br />
InnoTech drawers and pan drawers: s<strong>of</strong>t and silent<br />
with Silent System<br />
Wood drawers look great in country-style<br />
kitchens.<br />
Stainless steel for sleek drawer pr<strong>of</strong>iles<br />
17
18<br />
Food storage Food preperation Pots and pans Cleaning agents<br />
and waste<br />
Efficiently planned functional areas with the<br />
right fittings mean optimized work processes<br />
and less fatigue.<br />
Plates and cutlery
Planning<br />
for functionality<br />
and ease <strong>of</strong> use<br />
Intelligent Kitchens is a concept<br />
that bundles a number <strong>of</strong><br />
system solutions to create<br />
a well-planned kitchen that<br />
users will enjoy working in.<br />
Four goals are constants<br />
throughout: good ergonomics,<br />
short distances to cover, a<br />
clear view to find things<br />
quickly and easy access.<br />
Proactive marketing tools help<br />
to communicate benefits at<br />
every stage, and ultimately to<br />
the end user. They also help<br />
kitchen studios with planning<br />
and marketing.<br />
O ne<br />
important ingredient in any<br />
kitchen is adequate storage. A good<br />
way to start planning storage space is<br />
to consider five basic functions that need<br />
to be catered for in any kitchen: storing<br />
food, preparing food, storing cooking<br />
utensils, storing tableware and storing<br />
cleaning materials and refuse. Get the<br />
storage right and the perfect kitchen is a<br />
big step closer.<br />
The Intelligent Kitchens concept <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
ideas for locating the five functional<br />
areas to save time and effort wherever<br />
possible. Furthermore it <strong>of</strong>fers a wealth <strong>of</strong><br />
options for cabinet interior fittings that<br />
make kitchen work as easy and enjoyable<br />
as possible. For the food storage area,<br />
this includes XL pan drawers for bulky<br />
items, pull-outs with made-to-match<br />
organizer elements, base units with<br />
baskets for under the worktop, or tall<br />
larder units with baskets or possibly with<br />
inside drawers. All these help to optimize<br />
storage space where everything is easy to<br />
see and reach. In the food preparation<br />
area, pull-outs with special organizer<br />
systems designed to store small electrical<br />
appliances and dry goods, or special spice<br />
drawers for base units, are just two<br />
examples. Corner carousels provide ample<br />
storage and easy access for pots and pans.<br />
Cleaning materials and waste are best<br />
stored close to the sink where special<br />
pull-outs make best use <strong>of</strong> every centimetre,<br />
while XL drawers are ideal for<br />
sorting and storing waste.<br />
The <strong>Hettich</strong> brochure “Recipes and Ideas<br />
for a Kitchen that Suits your Lifestyle”<br />
stirs all our ideas on effective kitchen<br />
planning and organization into an<br />
attractive mix. It‘s available in 18<br />
languages and, on request, in customerspecific<br />
versions. Or on CD-ROM. Or as a<br />
multimedia version on the Internet. The<br />
brochure is an attractive and effective<br />
communication tool. There‘s also a<br />
planning disk, available in German and<br />
English, that kitchen planners can use<br />
while talking to customers. Twisting the<br />
Recipe book and kitchen<br />
planning disk: marketing<br />
tools developed by <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
to help kitchen studios<br />
communicate benefits to end<br />
users. They explain functional<br />
areas and show fittings<br />
solutions for each <strong>of</strong> them.<br />
R<br />
innovation<br />
XL drawers: ample space for<br />
groceries, but also to keep waste<br />
bins in easy reach, but out <strong>of</strong> sight<br />
disk displays different functional areas<br />
and supplies examples <strong>of</strong> ergonomically<br />
effective fittings for each <strong>of</strong> them.<br />
Completing the list <strong>of</strong> marketing tools are<br />
practical suggestions for implementing<br />
the Intelligent Kitchens concept in<br />
kitchen studio displays.<br />
The Intelligent Kitchens concept gives the<br />
trade some strong tools for communicating<br />
the functional benefits <strong>of</strong> sophisticated<br />
kitchen fittings. The ultimate goal is to<br />
boost consumer awareness <strong>of</strong> the benefits<br />
<strong>of</strong> effective kitchen planning – and<br />
intelligent fittings. It‘s important that<br />
consumers experience and appreciate the<br />
added value. When this happens, it opens<br />
up new opportunities for kitchen manufacturers<br />
and kitchen studios to escape from<br />
the price trap and increase pr<strong>of</strong>it margins.<br />
19<br />
19
Fine design is not enough. Opinion polls put comfort and<br />
functionality right at the top <strong>of</strong> the list <strong>of</strong> end-user priorities.<br />
This is where fittings suppliers like <strong>Hettich</strong> make a real contribution.<br />
For example, with Silent System damping devices that<br />
close hinged, folding and sliding doors, and all types <strong>of</strong> drawers,<br />
in slow motion and s<strong>of</strong>tly. The extra value can be seen, felt and<br />
heard. Silent System makes a clear difference – in any part <strong>of</strong><br />
the home.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> <strong>of</strong>fers efficient damping<br />
systems for furniture doors – hinged,<br />
folding and sliding – and for drawers and<br />
pan drawers, larder and base unit pullouts.<br />
“Damping for a quiet life“ is the<br />
motto. Doors and drawers that shut with<br />
a bang are history.<br />
Silent System brings hinged doors to a<br />
gentle stop and completes the closing<br />
action in slow motion. <strong>Hettich</strong> <strong>of</strong>fers four<br />
variants – clip-on, screw-on, countersunk<br />
or as a hinge cup adaptation. They <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
equal comfort in different hinge applications.<br />
All versions are fitted on the hinge<br />
side, to avoid spoiling the clean lines <strong>of</strong><br />
an opened door.<br />
The clip-on version is pressed onto the<br />
hinge arm <strong>of</strong> an Intermat or Ecomat<br />
hinge – no tools needed. It‘s the same<br />
process for left or right closing doors.<br />
The manufacturing process for the<br />
cabinet is not affected at all. The clip-on<br />
solution is ideal as an option or upgrade.<br />
A setting screw lets end users adjust the<br />
damping effect as they please and steplessly.<br />
Available not only as a standard<br />
plastic adapter, but also nickel vapourcoated<br />
to harmonize with the hinge<br />
surface finish.<br />
20<br />
Enjoying<br />
a quiet<br />
life<br />
Silent System – sounds great!<br />
For top- and flush-mounted doors on<br />
Intermat or Ecomat hinges, the screw-on<br />
damper version is fixed onto the cabinet<br />
top or bottom panel. The extra effort<br />
is minimal and the screw-on version is<br />
also suitable as an upgrade because the<br />
damper can be fitted on-site in a new or<br />
existing kitchen.<br />
When a design calls for concealed fittings,<br />
countersunk dampers are the answer.<br />
They can be fitted almost invisibly in the<br />
cabinet top or bottom panel. Countersunk<br />
dampers are right for top-mounted doors<br />
on Intermat or Ecomat hinges.<br />
The advantage <strong>of</strong> a damping version<br />
mounted on the hinge cup is the extra<br />
flexibility. Damping can be <strong>of</strong>fered as<br />
standard, premounted on the hinge cup,<br />
or as an option that can be added later<br />
with very little effort.<br />
An Interzum innovation that‘s ready for<br />
series production is Silent System for<br />
sliding doors. For example,<br />
with Top Line 22, a sliding<br />
door fitting for door<br />
panels weighing up to<br />
70 kg, Silent System<br />
puts the brakes on over<br />
the last few millimetres,<br />
Slow motion for hinges:<br />
clip-on adapter and countersunk<br />
door damper
independent <strong>of</strong> the load. Then the door<br />
slides s<strong>of</strong>tly and gently into its final<br />
position. The damper is clipped into an<br />
adapter that has to be premounted on<br />
the cabinet top panel. Top Line 110 is a<br />
sliding door fitting for door panels up to<br />
20 kg each and it‘s <strong>of</strong>ten the ideal choice<br />
for living room storage units. Here too<br />
Silent System <strong>of</strong>fers a significant difference<br />
in comfort when the small, compact<br />
damping device is attached to the<br />
cabinet top panel. Silent System is also<br />
available for fittings like Wing Line 780<br />
for space-saving folding doors. And the<br />
comfort bonus is noticeable.<br />
Top Line 110 sliding door fitting with<br />
Silent System takes comfort to a new<br />
level.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> <strong>of</strong>fers Silent System damping for<br />
drawer systems – for InnoTech drawers on<br />
the full extension Quadro V6 and Quadro<br />
V6+ runners, ComfortLine drawers, and<br />
wooden drawers on Quadro full and<br />
partial extension runners. Silent System<br />
slows the closing movement just before<br />
the drawer or pull-out touches the cabinet<br />
– and then completes the movement<br />
gently and quietly. <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s approach is<br />
to integrate the self-closing feature and<br />
the damping in the runner. Silent System<br />
is equally effective for larder units and<br />
base unit pull-outs. Cargo BSF for base<br />
unit pull-outs and Cargo PC for larder<br />
units have a light smooth action and<br />
close with barely a whisper.<br />
innovation<br />
With Silent System available<br />
right across the fittings range,<br />
furniture manufacturers can<br />
now <strong>of</strong>fer the bonus <strong>of</strong> more<br />
peace and quiet in every room<br />
in the house. Silent system gives<br />
every type and style <strong>of</strong> furniture<br />
the extra function that helps<br />
create a welcoming and relaxed<br />
atmosphere in the home.<br />
Adding Silent System to sliding door<br />
fittings, like Top Line 110 and Top Line<br />
22, and to Quadro drawer runners,<br />
produces doors and drawers that<br />
close soundlessly under perfect<br />
control.<br />
21
The great advantage <strong>of</strong> honeycomb core board is its lightness.<br />
Only half the weight <strong>of</strong> chipboard, it reduces logistics effort and<br />
is far easier to handle. The different look sparks new thinking on<br />
design. In close touch with the market, <strong>Hettich</strong> <strong>of</strong>fers the right<br />
fittings solutions.<br />
The furniture industry has been quick to<br />
see the advantages <strong>of</strong> this interesting<br />
new material. Using honeycomb core<br />
board supports the growing trend to more<br />
mobility and flexibility in furniture and<br />
life styles. Far lighter than conventional<br />
chipboard, honeycomb core board opens<br />
up scope for exciting new designs. It<br />
suddenly becomes feasible to think in<br />
terms <strong>of</strong> very large volume work surfaces,<br />
wall elements or shelving that create 3D<br />
structures. New designs, plus the other<br />
benefits <strong>of</strong> lighter weight, have knock-on<br />
effects all along the value adding chain<br />
in furniture manufacture and marketing.<br />
The strong, lightweight boards are already<br />
widely used in flatpack furniture, but<br />
there is still potential in this segment. In<br />
other segments, honeycomb core boards<br />
are being used in storage furniture for all<br />
living areas, including kitchens, and for<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice and contract furniture.<br />
Honeycomb core boards for the furniture<br />
industry are mostly sandwich structures<br />
with a pulp fibre core bonded between<br />
wood outer layers. The board can be<br />
produced at very competitive prices on<br />
highly automated production lines. With<br />
all supply chain partners working to<br />
facilitate its use, honeycomb core board<br />
is the new success story.<br />
The new material has other advantages<br />
too. Because they contain 50 percent less<br />
22<br />
Honeycomb core board – new favourite<br />
for the furniture industry<br />
The future<br />
is innovation<br />
raw material, honeycomb core boards<br />
make fewer demands on resources.<br />
Lighter weight means lower transport<br />
and handling costs. Faster processing also<br />
saves costs. And honeycomb core board<br />
has good soundpro<strong>of</strong>ing properties. End<br />
users, are likely to be enthusiastic at the<br />
prospect <strong>of</strong> lighter furniture, especially<br />
if style and quality are comparable.<br />
Flatpack furniture is an ideal application.<br />
Honeycomb core boards used to be<br />
manufactured with an integrated internal<br />
frame. This construction made it possible<br />
to use conventional connecting fittings.<br />
The new large-area honeycomb core<br />
boards without an integrated frame are<br />
cheaper to manufacture, but for wide<br />
success, it is essential to find new ways<br />
<strong>of</strong> attaching fittings securely. <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
has come up with some innovative<br />
solutions to this problem. Most involve<br />
adding specially designed fasteners<br />
to existing products. At the moment,<br />
furniture manufacturers have a choice <strong>of</strong><br />
three grades <strong>of</strong> honeycomb core board,<br />
differentiated by the thickness <strong>of</strong> the<br />
outer layers: 8 mm, 4 mm and under<br />
2.5 mm. <strong>Hettich</strong> now <strong>of</strong>fers fasteners that<br />
enable a range <strong>of</strong> different fittings to be<br />
used with the two thicker grades.<br />
A lot <strong>of</strong> R&D is currently aimed at<br />
developing reliable fasteners for<br />
frameless honeycomb core board with<br />
outer layers under 2.5 mm. <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
is working intensively with specialist<br />
research institutes on this problem.<br />
Both sides are pr<strong>of</strong>iting from the lively<br />
exchange <strong>of</strong> information. Results from<br />
basic research are being merged with<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> know-how from practical<br />
applications and trials. A typical example<br />
is a joint project with the Institute for<br />
Wood Engineering in Dresden.<br />
The advantages <strong>of</strong> honeycomb<br />
core boards – lightness paired with<br />
rigidity and strength – make them an<br />
attractive alternative to chipboard in<br />
many applications, including furniture<br />
construction. Their market penetration<br />
is boosted by <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s ability to<br />
respond fast to the new trend. <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s<br />
specialized fittings make it easy to<br />
achieve the expected quality and<br />
functionality with honeycomb core board.
Photo: hülsta<br />
Is it storage space or is it a<br />
smooth wall surface? You<br />
might well be puzzled to tell<br />
the two apart, if you‘re look-<br />
ing at a wardrobe fitted with<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s new InLine hardware.<br />
With InLine, door panels slide<br />
past each other to close per-<br />
fectly flush. It‘s a launch pad<br />
for immensely creative front<br />
designs.<br />
InLine for flush-closing sliding doors<br />
Slide by slide<br />
InLine is a technically sophisticated<br />
sliding door system which allows all the<br />
door panels to close flush, ie, in one and<br />
the same plane. Exciting design options<br />
are matched by strong practical benefits.<br />
On a three-panel wardrobe, for instance,<br />
the middle panel, once opened, can be<br />
moved to either side. To close the unit,<br />
either the panel is returned to its initial<br />
centre position or one <strong>of</strong> the other panels<br />
is moved to centre position. All door<br />
panels are fully interchangeable. This<br />
could spark the idea, for instance, <strong>of</strong><br />
using different materials or colours for<br />
each door panel. By simply sliding door<br />
panels into new positions, users can<br />
change the whole look <strong>of</strong> a room.<br />
innovation<br />
The InLine flush sliding door fitting is<br />
designed for door panel weights up<br />
to 50 kg, widths up to 1200 mm and<br />
heights up to 2500 mm. Despite butting<br />
edges, the gaps between the panels are<br />
never bigger than 4 mm. Each sliding<br />
panel requires a separate fitting segment,<br />
so that modular storage can easily<br />
be extended by additional elements. An<br />
interesting design option is to mix door<br />
panels with intermediate elements such<br />
as shelves and drawers. Wider design<br />
freedom also comes from the fact that<br />
door handles need not be placed mid-way<br />
up the panel.<br />
Developed in collaboration with Hülsta,<br />
the fitting went into series production<br />
for the furniture manufacturer‘s PASO<br />
product line. At the Interzum, <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
will be showing this exciting and creative<br />
hardware system for the first time to the<br />
international furniture industry.<br />
23
Many planners still think <strong>of</strong><br />
lighting as simply illumination –<br />
getting rid <strong>of</strong> darkness.<br />
But awareness <strong>of</strong> the power<br />
<strong>of</strong> light and especially artificial<br />
light to affect people‘s moods<br />
is growing. Lighting can create<br />
different moods and even<br />
extemes <strong>of</strong> emotions. It can<br />
create relationships between<br />
areas, shapes and objects. It can<br />
emphasize furniture features.<br />
At the Interzum, <strong>Hettich</strong> and<br />
Halemeier will be showing how<br />
it‘s done.<br />
24<br />
Light and shade, form and emotion<br />
Setting the scene with light<br />
esigning with light“ is the motto.<br />
"DAnd the result is a display <strong>of</strong><br />
kitchen, living room and bedroom furniture<br />
where light is used to evoke a mood<br />
and to enhance the way people react to<br />
furniture. The aim is to generate awareness<br />
<strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the ways in which light<br />
effects can be used. And it‘s all based on<br />
intelligent fittings.<br />
In recent <strong>years</strong>, <strong>Hettich</strong> and Halemeier<br />
have cooperated on joint projects to design<br />
and develop effective, miniaturized<br />
lighting systems with efficient controls.<br />
These systems <strong>of</strong>fer creative opportunities<br />
for furniture designers and interior<br />
designers who want to work more with<br />
light effects. Light and glass, for instance,<br />
make a brilliant team, when light systems<br />
are installed inside glass-fronted cabinets<br />
and drawers. Storage furniture in living<br />
areas and bedrooms can now shine in a<br />
new decorative and mood-setting role.<br />
Very small fluorescent tubes, which<br />
generate a minimum <strong>of</strong> heat, <strong>of</strong>fer endless<br />
possibilities for concealed lighting. Glass<br />
shelves lit from below, for example, seem<br />
to be suspended mysteriously in space.<br />
Integrated in a run <strong>of</strong> storage units or<br />
in kitchen cabinets, such shelves create<br />
luminous lines that can be used for<br />
emphasis, or contrast, and to subtly alter<br />
the whole ambience <strong>of</strong> a room.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> and Halemeier switch to LEDs<br />
when the light choreography really<br />
gets challenging. LEDs have properties<br />
– low heat generation, long service life,<br />
constant light output, toughness and tiny<br />
size – that make completely new applications<br />
possible. Imaginative combinations<br />
<strong>of</strong> blue, red and green LEDs will create<br />
harmonious colours across the whole<br />
spectrum. Colour and intensity together<br />
create emotional light behind transparent<br />
furniture front panels. In kitchens too,<br />
moody lighting can accentuate or delineate<br />
areas like niches creatively.<br />
Sophisticated control systems and intelligent<br />
light management make the new<br />
light fittings easy to use and to set for<br />
any situation. Instead <strong>of</strong> a rigid on-or-<strong>of</strong>f<br />
choice, people can use light flexibly and<br />
dynamically to emphasize a style or catch<br />
a mood.<br />
The light effects at the Interzum are only<br />
a hint <strong>of</strong> the exciting potential. Even<br />
so they illustrate that light is becoming<br />
more and more important in furniture,<br />
and in the whole world <strong>of</strong> interior design.<br />
Light creates atmosphere, highlights<br />
features and <strong>of</strong>fers users an opportunity<br />
for creative play. And it creates good<br />
sales arguments that people can see for<br />
themselves.
Appliqués provide orientation on fashionable kitchen fascias.<br />
ProDecor<br />
an international<br />
brand<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann‘s three-tier product strategy<br />
Strothmann GmbH & Co. KG had been<br />
part <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group since 1977.<br />
In January 2003, the change <strong>of</strong> name to<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann signposted a change<br />
<strong>of</strong> approach. The company has been<br />
systematically integrated into the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Group, pr<strong>of</strong>iting from synergies within<br />
the Group‘s worldwide operations.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann is now a competence<br />
centre for decorative fittings, coordinating<br />
the activities <strong>of</strong> production plants in<br />
Germany and Brazil and making maximum<br />
use <strong>of</strong> the potential <strong>of</strong> the Group‘s<br />
international procurement networks.<br />
Operational integration in the worldwide<br />
sales activities <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group has<br />
placed decisions about product strategy<br />
on a broader footing. In this wider market,<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann has added to its<br />
reputation as market leader for innovative,<br />
high quality handles. Access to international<br />
networks is opening up opportunities<br />
for sourcing cheaper trend items at<br />
competitive prices and in proven quality.<br />
The company has developed a new three<br />
tier product strategy. Tier one is a core<br />
catalogue for industry customers. This<br />
contains a subset – around 200 knobs<br />
and handles – <strong>of</strong> the complete range.<br />
The core range is available ex stock in<br />
relatively large quantities. The complete<br />
product portfolio is naturally also<br />
available to industry customers, but not<br />
necessarily ex stock. This portfolio <strong>of</strong><br />
2,000 models and 8,000 variants has<br />
been expanded, but its underlying structure<br />
and breadth have not changed.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann also works intensively<br />
on product development in cooperation<br />
with major customers, creating exclusive<br />
designs to enhance the customer‘s furniture<br />
products.<br />
Intensive use <strong>of</strong> the ProDecor name as<br />
the lead brand for the handle collection<br />
has its basis in tradition. <strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann<br />
has been using the ProDecor brand<br />
for over ten <strong>years</strong> to sell handles, knobs<br />
and other external decor fittings to distributors<br />
and pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, like cabinet<br />
makers. Today the ProDecor brand is<br />
established throughout the worldwide<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Group. Tier two is <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
FurnTech‘s ProDecor catalogue for distributors<br />
and pr<strong>of</strong>essionals <strong>of</strong>fering the full<br />
product range, with the fittings packaged<br />
in small units to suit requirements.<br />
In other words, ProDecor catalogues <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
product ranges produced in volumes<br />
to suit different customer groups and<br />
available ex stock. The “core“ products for<br />
industry customers are produced in large<br />
volumes, while the wider product portfolio<br />
is produced and packaged in smaller<br />
volumes for pr<strong>of</strong>essional customers and<br />
innovation<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann, a member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Group, has a reputation for manufacturing<br />
excellence, for outstanding surface finishes and<br />
for creative handle ideas. Two <strong>years</strong> after the<br />
name change to <strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann, the<br />
company has perfected a new three-tier product<br />
and brand strategy. It <strong>of</strong>fers a fast-track<br />
ProDecor core range for the furniture industry,<br />
the full ProDecor range for distributors and<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, and <strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann for<br />
exclusive decorative fittings.<br />
dealers. The ProDecor collections are<br />
sold around the world by all the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
sales companies. And <strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann<br />
continues to develop customer-specific<br />
decorative fittings ranges for major<br />
industry customers.<br />
The company‘s design strength and<br />
creativity are also evident in its annual<br />
innovation brochure <strong>of</strong> new products.<br />
Then there‘s the ProDecor configurator at<br />
www.prodecor.com. This unique tool lets<br />
designers display different handles, in the<br />
available surface finishes, against a wide<br />
range <strong>of</strong> furniture surfaces. They can<br />
experiment with all possible variations<br />
on-screen before making their choice.<br />
ProDecor has proved an easier brand to<br />
market worldwide than Strothmann. This<br />
has improved the company‘s ability to<br />
meet its sales targets. Within the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Group, the name <strong>Hettich</strong> Strothmann<br />
stands for a competence centre for all<br />
decorative fittings, responsibility for inhouse<br />
production in Germany and in<br />
Brazil, for bought-in ranges and for any<br />
future production plants. Selling the<br />
ProDecor ranges worldwide through the<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Group has given the company<br />
access to sales activities and markets,<br />
with a positive impact on sales volumes.<br />
It will inevitably take time to communicate<br />
the three-tier sales strategy to all<br />
concerned. Actually it‘s perfectly easy:<br />
the ProDecor core range for industry<br />
customers, the complete ProDecor range<br />
for dealers and pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Strothmann for exclusive decorative<br />
fittings.<br />
25
Offices are changing. Instead<br />
<strong>of</strong> a fixed location hooked in<br />
to an IT infrastructure, the<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice is becoming mobile and<br />
a venue for conversation,<br />
communication, and creation.<br />
The new-style <strong>of</strong>fice needs<br />
innovative ideas for new-style<br />
furniture. <strong>Hettich</strong> is working to<br />
develop innovative scenarios<br />
with students <strong>of</strong> furniture<br />
design in the Wood Engineering<br />
Faculty at the College <strong>of</strong><br />
Applied Technology in Stuttgart.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s Office Division will<br />
put the results on display at<br />
the Interzum.<br />
26<br />
Evolution <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
New ways <strong>of</strong> working, advances in<br />
information and communication<br />
technology and more emphasis on people<br />
as an economic success factor make more<br />
demands on the <strong>of</strong>fice environment. What<br />
is required is <strong>of</strong>fice performance, ie, an<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice environment that will increase<br />
creativity and the “feel-good“ factor in<br />
the interest <strong>of</strong> more productivity.<br />
To contribute to thinking on this topic,<br />
the <strong>Hettich</strong> Office team commissioned a<br />
concept study for new workplaces from<br />
students at the College <strong>of</strong> Applied<br />
Technology in Stuttgart. Aspects to be<br />
considered included functionality,<br />
organization, teamwork, mobility, colours<br />
and surfaces, and the integration <strong>of</strong><br />
modern <strong>of</strong>fice tools and equipment. The<br />
project was formulated so as to allow the<br />
students ample scope for creativity and<br />
innovative ideas.<br />
New workplace concepts generate a lot<br />
<strong>of</strong> new ideas. To promote teamwork, the<br />
new ideas include work surfaces that lend<br />
themselves to flexible use, so that project<br />
teams can work and communicate more<br />
effectively. On the other hand, job-sharing<br />
and temporary work need compact<br />
workplaces with a small footprint that<br />
Scenarios<br />
for tomorrow‘s<br />
workplaces<br />
are capable <strong>of</strong> providing maximum space<br />
for <strong>of</strong>fice equipment. Users need constant<br />
access to data, services and applications.<br />
What the Office team expected from<br />
the project was not specific details, but<br />
instead ideas for the way <strong>of</strong>fices could<br />
evolve. We wanted a starting point<br />
for discussions with customers about<br />
the possibilities for innovation and we<br />
At the Fachschule für Holztechnik<br />
in Stuttgart, student teams are<br />
developing new concepts for future<br />
workplaces.<br />
wanted some outside impulses for our<br />
own development work. This approach<br />
links up with trade show concept studies<br />
from previous <strong>years</strong>.<br />
Cooperative projects with higher education<br />
institutions and especially with the Wood<br />
Engineering faculty in Stuttgart have a<br />
long tradition at <strong>Hettich</strong>. Over the <strong>years</strong>,<br />
the cooperation has produced a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> pioneering studies on different aspects<br />
<strong>of</strong> living and working. The results <strong>of</strong> the<br />
students‘ work and their visions for the<br />
future encourage us to venture on the<br />
journey into new and unfamiliar worlds<br />
<strong>of</strong> work. Innovation will be essential, if<br />
we are going to make a successful transition<br />
to a new kind <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice. <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s<br />
Office Division certainly has a role to play.
A different kind <strong>of</strong> headset<br />
The name may be new to you,<br />
but you‘ve already seen some<br />
<strong>of</strong> the effects. If you saw Star<br />
Wars, back in 1977, you‘ll<br />
have seen Princess Leia as a<br />
hologram on a real stone table.<br />
Or if you watch soccer on the<br />
box, the arrow that shows<br />
the distance from the ball to<br />
the goal for a free kick will<br />
be a familiar sight. All this is<br />
augmented reality – superimposing<br />
computer-generated<br />
graphics onto the real world in<br />
real-time. <strong>Hettich</strong> is engaged<br />
on research into industrial uses<br />
for this new technology.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> has long been interested<br />
in this field and has cooperated<br />
with the Heinz Nixdorf Institute at the<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Paderborn since 2003. With<br />
high-performance servers and high-tech<br />
equipment, researchers are experimenting<br />
with ways <strong>of</strong> using augmented reality to<br />
improve technical and design processes, or<br />
in a sales situation. For example, instead<br />
<strong>of</strong> having to consult an assembly manual,<br />
a person doing an task might have the<br />
assembly instructions inserted into their<br />
field <strong>of</strong> vision as they work. The information<br />
could specify parts and tools required,<br />
and precise dimensions. One stumbling<br />
block in the way <strong>of</strong> widespread use <strong>of</strong><br />
portable augmented reality systems is<br />
that the mobile displays still tend to<br />
be cumbersome.<br />
service<br />
Augmented reality<br />
adds a new view<br />
<strong>of</strong> the world<br />
Carl Zeiss <strong>of</strong>fered a solution to this<br />
problem at a technology press conference<br />
in 2004. Zeiss researchers developed<br />
a head-mounted display (HMD), that<br />
looks something like a pair <strong>of</strong> eyeglasses.<br />
This HMD is capable <strong>of</strong> creating a large<br />
virtual image with outstanding optical<br />
quality which seems to float in front <strong>of</strong><br />
the user. Even very small details are crystal<br />
clear, because the image is as good as the<br />
image on 17“ monitor at the standard<br />
working distance.<br />
The speakers at the press conference<br />
suggested several everyday applications<br />
for head mounted displays and<br />
augmented reality. One example was a<br />
car mechanic who could don the HMD,<br />
peer under the bonnet and see repair<br />
instructions inserted into his field <strong>of</strong> view,<br />
corresponding to the engine parts he is<br />
looking at. Input could be speech controlled<br />
and the mechanic would be able to work<br />
without spending time consulting a<br />
manual. The computer-generated symbols,<br />
texts, graphics or animations would be<br />
superimposed on the mechanic‘s view <strong>of</strong><br />
the engine. Zeiss researchers are still<br />
working to refine individual system<br />
components, not only the headsets, but<br />
also the portable computers and radio<br />
units for data transmission to and from a<br />
wireless network (WLAN, Bluetooth).<br />
Small portable computers still lack the<br />
power to process the huge amounts <strong>of</strong><br />
data at speed, but mass production and<br />
use are getting closer.<br />
The sky‘s the limit if you think about<br />
the uses for augmented reality. In<br />
the furniture industry this could mean<br />
technical instructions and assembly<br />
information, or even planning support for<br />
designers. Think <strong>of</strong> wearing an HMD to<br />
look at a piece <strong>of</strong> furniture and seeing all<br />
the available variants– different colours,<br />
different extras and modifications –<br />
successively superimposed on the unit<br />
you are actually looking at.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> is already moving towards this<br />
future. One example is the ProDecor<br />
Configurator clickable on the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
home page. This tool lets designers position<br />
virtual ProDecor handles on a virtual<br />
piece <strong>of</strong> furniture in a 3D view. They can<br />
experiment endlessly with different handle<br />
styles and surface finishes. It‘s virtual<br />
reality, a precursor <strong>of</strong> augmented reality.<br />
Augmented reality makes it possible<br />
to insert extra context-sensitive<br />
information into a person‘s real view <strong>of</strong><br />
the world. As a way <strong>of</strong> communicating<br />
information it has huge potential. Watch<br />
this space and see how <strong>Hettich</strong> is using<br />
the new technology.<br />
27
T-Mobile building near the Rhine in Bonn<br />
Photo: T-Mobile<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s ProjectBusiness team,<br />
set up in 2002 as a separate<br />
business unit, coordinates<br />
the conception, planning,<br />
management and monitoring<br />
<strong>of</strong> projects in Germany and<br />
worldwide. The team works<br />
closely with architects and<br />
designers, communicating<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s manufacturing<br />
competence and product<br />
bandwidth to planning <strong>of</strong>fices.<br />
Project Business also provides<br />
special support within the<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Group for front line<br />
sales activities to all customers,<br />
whether in the industry, dis-<br />
tributor or pr<strong>of</strong>essional sectors.<br />
“If there‘s an interesting construction<br />
project being planned anywhere in the<br />
world, we want to have <strong>Hettich</strong> fittings<br />
in the interior design specs well before<br />
the foundation stone is laid!“ says Fritz<br />
Prommersberger, head <strong>of</strong> ProjectBusiness.<br />
It‘s clear that he is absolutely determined<br />
to achieve this ambitious goal. But he‘s<br />
also realistic: “It takes a big challenge to<br />
28<br />
ProjectBusiness<br />
Facilitators and<br />
communicators<br />
motivate us powerfully enough to take<br />
small steps methodically.“<br />
The trigger for setting up the Project<br />
Business unit was hettlock. This electronic<br />
locking system for furniture, on<br />
the market for over four <strong>years</strong>, makes it<br />
possible to integrate furniture security<br />
seamlessly in a digital locking and<br />
organization system for a whole building<br />
or facility. <strong>Hettich</strong> was aware that the<br />
security concept for a building like a<br />
bank, administration complex or hotel is<br />
specified very early in the planning<br />
process. If hettlock was going to penetrate<br />
the market, it had to be in the specs<br />
when a project went to tender. As it was,<br />
for example, with the new T-Mobile<br />
building.<br />
Presenting hettlock to international<br />
architects working on a project achieves<br />
some remarkable results. It‘s an opportunity<br />
to fill in some gaps in knowledge<br />
about furniture fittings in general. We<br />
can present <strong>of</strong>ten overworked planners<br />
with convincing arguments on how<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> fittings can improve functionality<br />
and comfort in their current project.<br />
We can back our arguments with a long<br />
list <strong>of</strong> international reference projects.<br />
The new Kanzleramt<br />
building in Berlin<br />
These include the Molson Center in<br />
Montreal, the Sky Dome in Toronto, the<br />
new Kanzleramt in Berlin, the central<br />
station in Frankfurt am Main, the Bank<br />
<strong>of</strong> China in Beijing and the Banco do<br />
Brasil, Canberra‘s parliament building<br />
and Fairline luxury yachts from England.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> hardware has been used in fitting<br />
out the interiors <strong>of</strong> all these buildings<br />
and the yachts.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> ProjectBusiness has bundled the<br />
experience from these and other projects<br />
to produce an information pack for architects.<br />
It‘s available online by clicking on<br />
the Architects/Planners button at<br />
www.hettich.com.<br />
Fritz Prommersberger sees himself and<br />
the ProjectBusiness team as lobbyists<br />
not only on behalf <strong>of</strong> all <strong>Hettich</strong> sales<br />
divisions and international subsidiaries,<br />
but also for furniture manufacturers,<br />
interior fitters and joinery workshops who<br />
work with <strong>Hettich</strong> hardware. Prommersberger:<br />
“We act as facilitators, supplying<br />
information, giving advice, suggesting<br />
contacts and generally providing support<br />
to make sure that everything goes smoothly.“
Top: The brilliant stadium facade<br />
Centre: Fritz Prommersberger,<br />
head <strong>of</strong> ProjectBusiness at <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
International (left) and Christian Mittermaier<br />
enjoying a preview <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the boxes.<br />
Bottom: VIP box<br />
World class quality<br />
for VIP boxes<br />
The Allianz Arena is already attracting<br />
huge attention as an architectural<br />
landmark. Its construction is being funded<br />
as a joint project by two prominent<br />
Munich football clubs, FC Bayern Munich<br />
and TSV 1860 Munich. The competition<br />
to design the new stadium was won by<br />
the acclaimed Swiss architect partnership<br />
Herzog/de Meuron.<br />
The 66,000 capacity arena will be the<br />
venue for sporting events, especially<br />
football, and the new home stadium for<br />
both clubs. The 106 VIP boxes <strong>of</strong>fer seating<br />
and facilities for 1,374 special guests.<br />
The Hans Mittermaier joinery workshops<br />
won the contract to fit out most <strong>of</strong> these<br />
boxes.<br />
The family company, set up in 1957, has<br />
been headed by Christian Mittermaier for<br />
the past ten <strong>years</strong>. Today it employs 25<br />
people and its main business is fitting out<br />
doctors‘ consulting rooms, banks, stores,<br />
restaurants and special projects. Its<br />
reference list includes names like BMW,<br />
Siemens, Coca-Cola and Kraft Foods. Now<br />
it can add another prominent name, the<br />
Allianz Arena, to its list.<br />
Allianz Arena: spectacular<br />
sports architecture<br />
service<br />
The Allianz Arena in Munich, one <strong>of</strong> Europe‘s most spectacular<br />
new stadiums, has 106 boxes, average size 40 sqm, each accommodating<br />
around 12 VIP guests. With yearly rentals ranging from<br />
E90,000 to E240,000, the boxes are fitted out for in top quality<br />
and provide luxurious comfort. One <strong>of</strong> the contractors was the<br />
Hans Mittermaier joinery workshops in Pittenhart in Bavaria.<br />
The box interiors are fitted out in fine<br />
woods. In choosing the hardware for<br />
the furniture, Mittermaier called on the<br />
consulting services <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s Project<br />
Business team. The decision went in<br />
favour <strong>of</strong> intelligent fittings technology<br />
with high functionality: quality InnoTech<br />
drawers, damped Intermat TopExclusive<br />
hinges, and ProDecor handles and knobs.<br />
The quality is right and the project is on<br />
schedule.<br />
The foundation stone for the stadium was<br />
laid on October 28, 2002 and the opening<br />
celebrations are scheduled for May 30/31,<br />
2005. The celebrations will centre on the<br />
kick-<strong>of</strong>f game for the 2005/2006 German<br />
football season between FC Bayern<br />
and TSV 1860. And on June 9, 2006, the<br />
opening ceremony and the prestigious<br />
opening game <strong>of</strong> the world championship<br />
will take place in the Allianz Arena with<br />
all the world watching.<br />
29
Alastair McNulty managing director <strong>of</strong><br />
NOW Group plc<br />
Interpack was launched on the back <strong>of</strong><br />
know-how gained as <strong>Hettich</strong> moved<br />
successfully into the flatpack (RTA) fittings<br />
market. This know-how was then<br />
leveraged to roll out the highly efficient<br />
Interpack services. Today <strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers complete packaging solutions<br />
– from consulting to shipment. We can<br />
analyse customers‘ packaging needs<br />
versus existing systems, discuss ideas and<br />
options, design and develop customerspecific<br />
packaging. Customers come to<br />
us for a complete service, for a packaging<br />
and logistics concept that exactly<br />
matches their needs and for packaging<br />
that harmonizes with and supports their<br />
brand image.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> has developed cost- and resourcesaving<br />
packaging <strong>of</strong> all types – boxes,<br />
bags, tubes and containers – and for even<br />
the most unusual shapes. Pre-assembly<br />
and intelligent picking help our customers<br />
reduce their packing effort and costs still<br />
further.<br />
30<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack<br />
Gaining<br />
momentum<br />
Outsourcing packaging operations is<br />
enjoying surging popularity for some obvious<br />
reasons. Customers cut the amount<br />
<strong>of</strong> capital tied up in inventory. Lower<br />
administrative overheads reduce costs.<br />
Working with a single supplier also saves<br />
the inspection and coordination effort<br />
involved in dealing with multiple suppliers.<br />
The cost <strong>of</strong> in-house order picking, which<br />
tends to be labour-intensive and expensive<br />
also falls away. The benefits quickly add up.<br />
Scandinavia sets the pace<br />
Scandinavia, including Denmark,<br />
Europe‘s third largest furniture market,<br />
is the accepted trendsetter in the flatpack<br />
furniture segment. Major Scandinavian<br />
manufacturers with advanced production<br />
lines supply the world‘s markets.<br />
Tvilum-Scanbirk is the biggest Danish<br />
furniture manufacturer with eight<br />
production plants in Denmark and<br />
international operations. The company is<br />
a European technology leader, with the<br />
fastest production line in Europe. The<br />
line is in operation seven days a week<br />
around the clock producing only flatpack<br />
furniture for retail outlets and DIY stores.<br />
Tvilum-Scanbirk has been using <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Interpack‘s single-vendor services since<br />
2004. Niels Jörgen Rasmussen, purchasing<br />
director for the Tvilum-Scanbirk Group,<br />
sees important benefits accruing to his<br />
company through joint product development<br />
projects and opportunities for<br />
growth for both partners through<br />
synergies in cooperation with <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Interpack.<br />
Growth market Russia<br />
With a population <strong>of</strong> 144 million,<br />
Russia is an attractive growth<br />
market. For the major Russian furniture<br />
manufacturers, the huge distances weight<br />
the balance <strong>of</strong> practicalities in favour <strong>of</strong><br />
RTA. This has made <strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack a<br />
welcome service partner over the past<br />
five <strong>years</strong>, as the Russian furniture<br />
industry has built up production capacity.<br />
One Russian customer is Djadkovo, one <strong>of</strong><br />
the country‘s leading furniture producers,<br />
which sources bagged fittings for its<br />
residential furniture from <strong>Hettich</strong> Russia.<br />
Djadkovo purchasing manager Galitzki<br />
says, “<strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack delivers exactly<br />
the right technical mix <strong>of</strong> components for<br />
the fittings bag. Outsourcing also gives us<br />
a significant benefit by eliminating the<br />
effort and overheads <strong>of</strong> coordinating<br />
delivery schedules for separate articles<br />
from different suppliers.“
The name <strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack stands for a unique<br />
outsourcing service. Launched in early 2000, Interpack<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers the benefits <strong>of</strong> single-source picking, packaging<br />
and logistics for furniture fittings. Today the service is<br />
used by furniture manufacturers in 14 countries. Major<br />
customers are in Germany, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia<br />
and the UK. Markets in the Americas will be supplied<br />
from Brazil.<br />
Another customer for the bagged fittings<br />
is Angstrem, a company founded in 1991<br />
and today employing 500 people to produce<br />
mid-price residential furniture.<br />
Since the beginning <strong>of</strong> 2005, WKDP<br />
has joined the growing circle <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Interpack customers. WKDP, founded in<br />
1952, now employs almost 1,500 people.<br />
The bagged fittings will be combined with<br />
its flatpack living room, bedroom and<br />
teen-room furniture.<br />
Traditional market UK<br />
It‘s hard to picture the British furniture<br />
market without RTA furniture. Roughly<br />
70% <strong>of</strong> all furniture is produced and<br />
shipped as flat pack products. <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Interpack has been in operation in the<br />
UK for five <strong>years</strong> and counts many British<br />
companies among its customers.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the newest is NOW Kitchens, a<br />
customer since April 2004. At the outset<br />
<strong>of</strong> the cooperation, <strong>Hettich</strong> Intepack<br />
carried out an analysis <strong>of</strong> all the customer‘s<br />
fittings sets, which were then reconfigured<br />
for maximum efficiency and<br />
economy. Up to then, NOW Kitchens had<br />
bought in all components and coordinated<br />
packaging with a number <strong>of</strong> smaller<br />
suppliers. The efficiency gains and time<br />
savings achieved through working with<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack were quickly obvious,<br />
especially because NOW Kitchens had<br />
opted for just-in-time deliveries.<br />
Alastair McNulty, managing director <strong>of</strong><br />
the NOW Group Plc., was impressed with<br />
the service and is pretty upbeat about<br />
the future. “<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s enterprise strategy<br />
has fully supported our own growth<br />
plans. The Now Group intends to expand<br />
cooperation with <strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack,<br />
because we benefit enormously, in Europe<br />
and worldwide, from these prepicked and<br />
prepackaged products.“<br />
Furniture manufacturers are not the only<br />
customers for Interpack services. One big<br />
customer is B&Q, a UK chain, part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Kingfisher Group. With over 330 branches<br />
and around 36,000 employees, B&Q is<br />
number 1 among the DIY and garden<br />
centres in the UK and sees itself as number<br />
3 worldwide. <strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack supplies<br />
B&Q stores with flatpacked drawer<br />
systems. The biggest challenge here is the<br />
flexibility required to supply on a justin-time<br />
basis, because consumer buying<br />
patterns are very different from carefully<br />
planned manufacturing schedules.<br />
Newcomer Brazil<br />
Good results in many different markets<br />
were the basis for a decision to<br />
launch <strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack with <strong>Hettich</strong> do<br />
Brasil. In Brazil, with its huge distances,<br />
the concept will rely heavily on Internet<br />
technology. Procurement, organization,<br />
packaging and logistics will all be<br />
handled via the Internet using database<br />
solutions developed by <strong>Hettich</strong> in<br />
Germany. These tried and tested system<br />
solutions ensure transparent and reliable<br />
service<br />
processes. IT systems in Brazil and<br />
Germany will be directly linked, so that<br />
product and development responsibility<br />
for Brazilian <strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack activities<br />
will remain in Germany. Part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
equation will involve making best use <strong>of</strong><br />
the production capacity and countryspecific<br />
output <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s different<br />
international production plants.<br />
Claudemir Facio Perreira, general sales<br />
manager at <strong>Hettich</strong> do Brasil, predicts<br />
enormous market potential in Brazil,<br />
because the competition, with its local<br />
packaging operations, is limited and<br />
generally does not have the option <strong>of</strong><br />
sourcing fittings globally.<br />
Milestones<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Interpack is on a fast track<br />
to growth. The idea <strong>of</strong> outsourcing<br />
packaging activities has caught on worldwide,<br />
and far faster than anyone could<br />
have predicted when the company was<br />
launched in 2000. Interpack services are<br />
marketed via <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s sales companies<br />
worldwide, who can quote five <strong>years</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
growth – in customer base and knowhow<br />
– as a unique and convincing sales<br />
argument. Success in 14 countries is one<br />
milestone along the road.<br />
31
The Internet has become an<br />
indispensable business tool.<br />
Web-based technology creates<br />
communication networks that<br />
can deliver major benefits.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s eBusiness specialists<br />
have developed solutions to<br />
increase our customers‘<br />
competitive edge. Improved<br />
access to information and<br />
online data interchange help<br />
to optimize business processes.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> was quick to see the potential<br />
for streamlining business processes<br />
through electronic data transfer. In the<br />
early days, it was floppy disks with<br />
product data and calculation aids, then<br />
catalogues on CD-ROM. Now we are<br />
exploiting online channels for data communication.<br />
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and<br />
the associated UN-EDIFACT standard are<br />
still being productively applied today.<br />
KIS (Customer Information System) has<br />
speeded up data transfer enormously.<br />
And then there is the E2E Network that<br />
bundles all the functions and options.<br />
E2E makes it possible to switch many<br />
intercompany business processes online –<br />
including price quotations, order processing,<br />
order monitoring, order confirmation,<br />
delivery notification and billing.<br />
32<br />
Solutions that<br />
work for you<br />
eBusiness options for customers<br />
The number <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> business partners<br />
already linked into an online system is<br />
growing fast. They find our approach<br />
attractive because we say: “<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s<br />
starting point is the customer‘s existing<br />
IT system. We take it from there.“ This<br />
approach works thanks to ingenious interface<br />
technology developed in partnership<br />
with ConXpert. On this basis, the E2E<br />
Network can interface effectively with<br />
any <strong>of</strong> the many stock control programs<br />
in use today. Customers need not adapt<br />
their internal processes; the interface<br />
takes the strain.<br />
Our CDs are now far more than simple<br />
electronic catalogues. For example, our<br />
Selection Pr<strong>of</strong>essional 1.0 s<strong>of</strong>tware is an<br />
outstanding planning tool for designers<br />
and other pr<strong>of</strong>essionals. It links product<br />
catalogues with pr<strong>of</strong>essional CAD systems.<br />
Compatibility with imos CAD/CAM<br />
s<strong>of</strong>tware is guaranteed.<br />
Our website at www.hettich.com <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
tremendous possibilities. There‘s our<br />
eCatalog, the worldwide Interpack picking<br />
and packaging service, configurators<br />
to facilitate handle selection and <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
planning options with Org@Tower.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> makes extensive use <strong>of</strong> the Internet<br />
to communicate information.<br />
DIY enthusiasts can download tips for<br />
home improvement projects or print out<br />
a fittings list to make sure <strong>of</strong> getting the<br />
right products at the store.<br />
This issue <strong>of</strong> in time includes a 12-page<br />
eBusiness special. <strong>Hettich</strong> options and<br />
services are described in some detail. The<br />
breadth <strong>of</strong> our <strong>of</strong>fering is some indication<br />
<strong>of</strong> our commitment to supporting our<br />
customers with proven electronic solutions<br />
tailored to their requirements.
Clive Sparrow retires news<br />
New managing<br />
director for<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> UK<br />
After more than 16 <strong>years</strong><br />
at the helm <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> UK,<br />
Clive Sparrow has moved on<br />
to well-earned retirement.<br />
His successor as managing<br />
director is Tim Leedham, who<br />
brings to the job many <strong>years</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> success in the furniture<br />
industry and at <strong>Hettich</strong>. Also<br />
on the management team are<br />
Phil Tipson as general sales<br />
manager and Debbie Rathbone<br />
responsible for finances and<br />
controlling.<br />
Clive Sparrow made the furniture<br />
industry his career for over 40 <strong>years</strong>.<br />
He already had substantial experience at<br />
Wadkin Woodworking Machinery and LB<br />
Plastics when he joined the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group<br />
in January 1989, heading up the newly<br />
founded subsidiary <strong>Hettich</strong> UK, based<br />
in Manchester. He steered the company<br />
through good times and bad. Under<br />
his steady hand, <strong>Hettich</strong> UK achieved<br />
continuous growth, putting the company<br />
today among the UK market leaders.<br />
In addition to his job as managing<br />
director <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> UK, Clive Sparrow<br />
for many <strong>years</strong> also wore another hat<br />
as chairman <strong>of</strong> the ASFI (Association <strong>of</strong><br />
Suppliers to the Furniture Industry). His<br />
hard work in furthering the interests <strong>of</strong><br />
components suppliers and the decisive<br />
role he played in shaping the development<br />
<strong>of</strong> the ASFI won him wide recognition<br />
in the industry.<br />
Tim Leedham, who takes over from<br />
Clive as managing director, has been<br />
part <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong> UK team since 1989<br />
and knows the industry inside out.<br />
Tim Leedham began his furniture industry<br />
career as a designer. He spent two <strong>years</strong><br />
in New York, adding an international<br />
dimension to his know-how. In the 1990s,<br />
he began a course <strong>of</strong> business studies,<br />
finally taking an MBA degree from University<br />
<strong>of</strong> Bradford Management School<br />
in 1996. Ever since then, Tim Leedham<br />
has played a substantial role in the<br />
successful development <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> UK.<br />
The company‘s strategy for the<br />
medium-term is to expand its position<br />
in the pr<strong>of</strong>essional market segment –<br />
meeting the needs <strong>of</strong> cabinet makers and<br />
interior fitters. Tim Leedham explains:<br />
“Growth potential for <strong>Hettich</strong> UK is in the<br />
segment pr<strong>of</strong>essional/trade and the key<br />
to success here is our product range and<br />
the services we can <strong>of</strong>fer. All business<br />
Tim Leedham (left) has taken over<br />
from Clive Sparrow as managing<br />
director <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> UK in Manchester.<br />
with industry customers is handled<br />
directly by the parent company, because<br />
it‘s the only way to compete successfully<br />
in the volume market.“ To reach the goals<br />
it has set itself, the <strong>Hettich</strong> UK team has<br />
been enlarged. Leedham: “We‘re investing<br />
in a well-qualified sales team supported<br />
by an efficient back <strong>of</strong>fice. Close, personal<br />
contact with customers is as important in<br />
generating growth as impeccable service<br />
in online sales.“<br />
The new crew, Tim Leedham, Phil Tipson<br />
and Debbie Rathbone, have their<br />
sights set on new horizons with <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
UK on course for growth. In retirement,<br />
Clive Sparrow will be able to keep a weather<br />
eye on developments from the decks <strong>of</strong><br />
his yacht <strong>of</strong>f the English south coast.<br />
33
34<br />
Flexible and<br />
functional with<br />
excellent ergonomics<br />
Vertical pull-outs with a perfectly planned<br />
organizer system. Photo: Edsbyn<br />
Edsbyn‘s new Duf range combines<br />
desktops and storage space in<br />
compact, streamlined units. The buildingblock<br />
system can be used, for instance,<br />
to create several linked, space-saving<br />
workplaces. In developing the Duf range,<br />
Edsbyn drew on know-how and support<br />
from <strong>Hettich</strong> Skandinaviska. <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
vertical units are one <strong>of</strong> the choices for<br />
workplace dividers that double as storage<br />
space. <strong>Hettich</strong> organizer systems let<br />
people use the space inside the vertical<br />
drawer units effectively. <strong>Hettich</strong> products<br />
have helped to create a range <strong>of</strong> streamlined<br />
and attractive <strong>of</strong>fice furniture where<br />
workplaces can be linked in ways that<br />
save space and meet ergonomic criteria.<br />
The idea <strong>of</strong> using a vertical drawer unit<br />
as a divider between linked workplaces<br />
attracted Edsbyn designers. Vertically<br />
organized drawer interiors with intelligent<br />
organizer elements have several<br />
benefits. Apart from providing space to<br />
store traditional <strong>of</strong>fice equipment and<br />
consumables, the new drawers provide<br />
dedicated storage space for CDs, laptops,<br />
mobile phones and personal planners.<br />
Swedish <strong>of</strong>fice furniture manufacturer Edsbyn has a company<br />
tradition going back to 1899. Today. Edsbyn has annual sales <strong>of</strong><br />
around � 30 million and employs about 240 people. One focus<br />
<strong>of</strong> its product range is compact <strong>of</strong>fice workplaces with efficient<br />
storage space.<br />
Office workplaces from Edsbyn<br />
Well-organized, easy-access storage<br />
makes all the difference to efficient<br />
work. The units are available in different<br />
heights to suit individual requirements.<br />
Edsbyn has been supplying <strong>of</strong>fice furniture<br />
to government institutions in Sweden<br />
and Denmark for 50 <strong>years</strong>. In the private<br />
sector too, the company‘s main markets<br />
are in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The<br />
company shares with its customers a high<br />
level <strong>of</strong> environmental awareness. The<br />
Edsbyverken, in Edsbyn in central Sweden,<br />
operate to exacting environmental guidelines<br />
and three <strong>of</strong> the Edsbyn furniture<br />
ranges carry the prestigious Swedish<br />
Svanen environment label.<br />
The success <strong>of</strong> the close cooperation<br />
between <strong>of</strong>fice furniture manufacturer<br />
Edsbyn and fittings supplier <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Skandinaviska in this development project<br />
is significant. It illustrates the importance<br />
<strong>of</strong> working beyond standardized products<br />
towards creative solutions that meet the<br />
special requirements <strong>of</strong> all concerned.<br />
Workplace plus storage in a compact unit<br />
Photo: Edsbyn
A recognized market partner<br />
30 <strong>years</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> France<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> France, one <strong>of</strong> the first foreign subsidiaries <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Group, this year celebrates the 30th anniversary <strong>of</strong> its founding.<br />
Today our French subsidiary employs more than 20 people. Intensive<br />
customer care is a high priority in the company‘s drive for steady<br />
growth. The customer base includes manufacturers <strong>of</strong> kitchen,<br />
residential and <strong>of</strong>fice furniture, as well as cabinet makers and<br />
fitters. The latter two customer groups can access the complete<br />
range <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> fittings via specialist dealer networks.<br />
Organized to serve the market segments<br />
Residential, Kitchen/Bath, Office and<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essional, the specialized teams at <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
France work closely with colleagues in Germany.<br />
They deploy proven marketing tools<br />
to increase market share in all segments.<br />
Among recent campaigns have been the<br />
successful market launch <strong>of</strong> the InnoTech<br />
drawer system with integrated damping. In<br />
residential furniture, <strong>Hettich</strong> runner systems<br />
and especially Quadro concealed drawer<br />
runners are well-established in the marketplace.<br />
Systema Top 2000 is becoming a<br />
trend-setter in <strong>of</strong>fice furniture projects and<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> France has gained a strong position<br />
in the hinge market. In addition, with the<br />
company‘s know-how and experience, input<br />
from <strong>Hettich</strong> can make an important contribution<br />
to customer product development.<br />
Marketing strength<br />
As part <strong>of</strong> its 2004 marketing campaign,<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> France distributed the new<br />
Fittings and Applications catalogue to over<br />
18,000 French cabinet makers. Putting<br />
comprehensive information in the hands<br />
<strong>of</strong> this customer group, has reinforced<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s image as a leading manufacturer<br />
<strong>of</strong> furniture fittings with customer-friendly,<br />
technical solutions to simplify furniture<br />
making processes.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> France has a focus on cooperative<br />
marketing, <strong>of</strong>fering marketing support<br />
services to specific customer groups. For<br />
industry customers this includes promotional<br />
material with well-presented product<br />
arguments for display in the sales outlets<br />
<strong>of</strong> their dealership chains. For Pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
Division customers – specialist dealers and<br />
DIY outlets – cooperative marketing includes<br />
assistance with preparing catalogues<br />
and promotional material for stores.<br />
New showroom<br />
In summer 2004, <strong>Hettich</strong> France opened<br />
its new showroom. It‘s here that industry<br />
customers, specialist dealers, architects and<br />
cabinet makers can not only inspect the<br />
huge product range, but also experience<br />
products in action in typical applications.<br />
news<br />
Catherine Courcel,<br />
General Manager <strong>Hettich</strong> France<br />
The <strong>Hettich</strong> France team takes an<br />
optimistic view <strong>of</strong> the future.<br />
New services<br />
On top <strong>of</strong> the wide product spectrum,<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> France <strong>of</strong>fers services aimed at<br />
generating optimal added value:<br />
- Training sales teams from our specialist<br />
dealer partners in our own training<br />
centre (225 people in 2004)<br />
- The <strong>Hettich</strong> Group‘s Interpack picking<br />
and bagging service supplies manufacturers<br />
<strong>of</strong> flat pack furniture, for example,<br />
with application-specific bagged fittings.<br />
- Support for industry partners installing<br />
logistics concepts for optimized inventory<br />
control and improved service.<br />
- Once dealers have installed Quick Service,<br />
cabinet makers in all the northern<br />
regions <strong>of</strong> France are assured delivery <strong>of</strong><br />
10,000 products in under 48 hours.<br />
- Order processes are optimized with EDI<br />
and the Internet.<br />
In its 30th anniversary year, <strong>Hettich</strong> France‘s<br />
proactive and customer-specific marketing<br />
is a guarantee <strong>of</strong> success. Trailblazing<br />
products and services, and a dedicated and<br />
enthusiastic marketing team give the<br />
company every reason to face the future<br />
with optimism.<br />
35
The POLLUTEC, an international<br />
trade show for environmental<br />
technology oriented to the<br />
needs <strong>of</strong> industry and local<br />
government, was held in Lyons<br />
in 2004. In a ceremony at the<br />
show, Meubles Délias, placed<br />
third in the category environ-<br />
mental management, received<br />
its award from French environ-<br />
ment minister Serge Lepeltier.<br />
The prize recognizes the company‘s<br />
achievement in reducing and<br />
recycling internal and external<br />
waste, and in drastically reduc-<br />
ing its use <strong>of</strong> hazardous products.<br />
Meubles Délias is the first French furniture<br />
manufacturer to receive this environmental<br />
management award. The company,<br />
which makes storage, bedroom and <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
furniture, is committed to the concept <strong>of</strong><br />
sustainable development. The award emphasizes<br />
the progress that can be achieved<br />
by always giving priority to a multi-faceted<br />
global strategy. Components <strong>of</strong> the strategy<br />
include:<br />
36 36<br />
- Eliminate technologies that require<br />
heavy use <strong>of</strong> chemicals and substance<br />
hazardous to employee health<br />
- Optimize use <strong>of</strong> resources and reduce<br />
waste by giving priority to recycling<br />
- Reorientate company organization and<br />
production methods to reduce inventory,<br />
improve product quality and optimize<br />
response to customer requirements<br />
In just 12 months, Meubles Délias slashed<br />
its inventory from 90,000 packing units to<br />
zero. Order lead time, ie, time span between<br />
receipt <strong>of</strong> an order and shipment, was<br />
reduced to 5 days maximum. Kanban principles<br />
were applied to production. Customer<br />
orders are picked and compiled within two<br />
to five days.<br />
Changes as radical as these could only succeed<br />
with the full support <strong>of</strong> all employees.<br />
Everyone at Meubles Délias took the new<br />
approach fully on board. Far from being an<br />
economic handicap, the revolutionary new<br />
approach quickly turned into a competitive<br />
advantage, not least because it made more<br />
effective use <strong>of</strong> resources.<br />
Awards ceremony at the<br />
POLLUTEC: Meubles Délias<br />
directeur général Jean-<br />
François Délias (2nd from<br />
right) accepts third prize in<br />
the category environmental<br />
management from French<br />
environment minister Serge<br />
Lepeltier (centre).<br />
Meubles Délias<br />
wins environment<br />
award<br />
New organizational structure for sustained growth<br />
Parallel to these changes, in the course <strong>of</strong><br />
the past three <strong>years</strong> Meubles Délias has<br />
renewed 90% <strong>of</strong> its product range. Today<br />
it is company policy to make marketing<br />
and sales aids available for each collection.<br />
These include support with communicating<br />
product benefits right through to point <strong>of</strong><br />
sale. Special product information on each<br />
range is prepared ready for dealers to hand<br />
out to end customers.<br />
A long-term partner <strong>of</strong> Meubles Délias, the<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Group has developed products that<br />
meet the different quality criteria required<br />
by the furniture manufacturer‘s differentiated<br />
quality levels. This includes concealed<br />
hinges, sliding door systems and just-intime<br />
delivery <strong>of</strong> individually picked bagged<br />
fittings. An important aspect <strong>of</strong> environmental<br />
management is product stewardship<br />
– unremitting efforts to ensure that<br />
components have a minimal impact on the<br />
environment, from raw material consumption<br />
to final disposal.<br />
In 2003, Meubles Délias sales <strong>of</strong> E15.5<br />
million were 10% higher than the previous<br />
year‘s figure. In fiscal 2004, the company<br />
again expects double-digit sales growth.
S<strong>of</strong>acem, a company managed<br />
by the Cousin family, has been<br />
designing, manufacturing and<br />
marketing high quality furniture<br />
since 1821. The company brand,<br />
“La Cuisine Française“, is known<br />
for the quality, tradition and<br />
manufacturing excellence <strong>of</strong> its<br />
exclusive kitchens. The kitchens,<br />
in French country-house styles,<br />
are designed as complete entities<br />
and manufactured to very high<br />
standards in the company‘s own<br />
workshops. S<strong>of</strong>acem is proud <strong>of</strong><br />
its pr<strong>of</strong>essional approach and<br />
traditional woodworking skills.<br />
Christophe Cousin: skilled in<br />
merging tradition and innovation<br />
Kitchens in<br />
traditional<br />
quality<br />
The company works mainly in wood, a<br />
material that suits every style and epoch.<br />
Wood is also the ideal substrate for the<br />
finishes that are part <strong>of</strong> the company‘s<br />
reputation. It can successfully take the<br />
“18th century“ patina <strong>of</strong> the “Gascogne“<br />
kitchen, the antiqued patina <strong>of</strong> the oak<br />
used for the “Carrouges“ kitchen, but also<br />
more contemporary finishes like brushed,<br />
matt varnished or waxed wood.<br />
Christophe and Fabienne Cousin are<br />
always on the lookout for new ideas and<br />
the latest developments in interior<br />
design. The Cousins have worked with<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> for many <strong>years</strong>, integrating a<br />
wealth <strong>of</strong> functional details in their<br />
kitchens. These include drawers from<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s InnoTech system with integrated<br />
damping and a choice <strong>of</strong> interior<br />
organizer elements, damped Intermat<br />
La Cuisine Française:<br />
InnoTech drawers<br />
add value inside and out<br />
news<br />
hinges, height-adjustable legs, Cargo<br />
base unit and larder pull-outs and the<br />
wall unit fasteners. By merging traditional<br />
materials and styles with innovative<br />
fittings technology, S<strong>of</strong>acem can <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
its customers mellow elegance combined<br />
with all the ergonomic and efficiency<br />
benefits that go with a 21st century<br />
lifestyle.<br />
The company production plant in<br />
Pré-en-Pail (département Mayenne)<br />
employ around 100 people. The kitchens<br />
are sold through more than 60 partner<br />
outlets in France, Belgium, Luxembourg<br />
and Switzerland. Only recently an<br />
exclusive 150 sqm showroom was<br />
opened in Paris. The prestigious La Cuisine<br />
Française kitchens on show will reinforce<br />
the brand‘s upmarket image in the French<br />
capital.<br />
The Cambridge kitchen,<br />
a traditional country-house style<br />
37
OBE <strong>Hettich</strong> and<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Iberia<br />
The shared OBE <strong>Hettich</strong> and<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Iberia showroom for<br />
Spanish customers has been<br />
given a makeover. The floor<br />
area was doubled to 200 sqm<br />
and the displays have been<br />
updated. The showroom is now<br />
an attractive venue for meeting<br />
customers and suppliers, for<br />
training and for presentations.<br />
38<br />
New attraction<br />
for customers<br />
OBE <strong>Hettich</strong> and <strong>Hettich</strong> Iberia<br />
started planning the showroom<br />
makeover in early 2004. Cooperation<br />
partner was Interfair in Kirchlengern, a<br />
central department that supplies services<br />
to <strong>Hettich</strong> subsidiaries. The Spanish<br />
companies and the Interfair team saw<br />
the project through to a successful<br />
conclusion.<br />
The showroom is designed to accommodate<br />
the needs <strong>of</strong> both our Spanish subsidiaries.<br />
Their common goal is to intensify contacts<br />
and partnership with their customers. For<br />
this reason, the displays communicate<br />
more than technical facts. They also show<br />
applications that underline how the right<br />
fittings enhance quality, functionality and<br />
furniture design. By demonstrating how<br />
ideas can be creatively implemented, the<br />
showroom helps to spark striking new<br />
furniture designs with powerful end-user<br />
benefits.<br />
A new addition is a multimedia room<br />
with ultra-modern communication<br />
technology for training and presentations.<br />
It will now be possible for the Spanish<br />
companies to <strong>of</strong>fer services like training<br />
seminars for customer employees and<br />
other groups.<br />
The showroom makeover was only one<br />
item in a package <strong>of</strong> improvements<br />
and expansions that OBE <strong>Hettich</strong> has<br />
implemented companywide for buildings<br />
and production systems. Extending<br />
loading zones has improved the material<br />
flow for incoming and outgoing goods.<br />
With a new façade and an attractive<br />
entrance and lobby, styled to corporate<br />
identity guidelines, <strong>Hettich</strong> is making a<br />
great impression in Spain.
GAPSA<br />
One to watch in<br />
international <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
furniture<br />
The Spanish GAPSA (Grupo<br />
Armarios Persiana S.A.) Group, is<br />
headquartered within easy<br />
distance <strong>of</strong> Barcelona. GAPSA<br />
specializes in tambour-fronted,<br />
metal cabinets, where it is a<br />
market leader in the European<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice furniture segment. In 2003,<br />
the owner-managed company,<br />
decided to work with OBE <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
on a large development project.<br />
The aim was to develop a new<br />
cabinet as part <strong>of</strong> a new model<br />
range. By September 2004, the<br />
“Master“ <strong>of</strong>fice cabinet range was<br />
ready for marketing.<br />
Tambour-fronted metal<br />
cupboards feature space-saving,<br />
fast-assembly organizer systems.<br />
Photo: Gapsa<br />
It began with a meeting at the biennial<br />
Maderalia in autumn 2003 in Valencia.<br />
GAPSA owner and managing director,<br />
Enrique González Becerra, visited the OBE<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> booth to discuss his plans for the<br />
new range. He was interested in integrating<br />
a <strong>Hettich</strong> organizer system in the new<br />
models, because he liked <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s cohesive<br />
system approach.<br />
The initial meetings defined the specifications:<br />
a metal, tambour-fronted cabinet,<br />
1,200 mm wide, fitted with telescopic<br />
hanging file frames, Stop Control and<br />
self-closing, and a number <strong>of</strong> organizer<br />
elements. The hanging file frames would<br />
be wide enough to accommodate three A 4<br />
files side by side. Installation <strong>of</strong> the organizer<br />
components should be toolless.<br />
In record time, the Office team in Spain,<br />
working closely with the developers in<br />
Germany, came up with an initial proposal<br />
based on steel adapters which would allow<br />
toolless installation <strong>of</strong> the pull-out runners<br />
in the steel cabinet. Using this solution,<br />
GAPSA showed a prototype <strong>of</strong> the new<br />
Master tambour-fronted cabinet at the<br />
biennial OFITEC in Madrid in February 2004.<br />
The very positive response to the new interior<br />
fittings during the prototype presentation<br />
led GAPSA and <strong>Hettich</strong> to re-examine the<br />
project looking at the potential for rationalizing<br />
production. By the end <strong>of</strong> the second<br />
development phase in June 2004, the<br />
partners had a product that was ready for<br />
series production.<br />
The new secret <strong>of</strong> success is a heavy-duty<br />
plastic adapter that is quickly mounted<br />
on the steel side panel. The runners for the<br />
GAPSA building in Castellar del<br />
Vallès. Photo: Gapsa<br />
news<br />
pull-outs are then attached to this adapter<br />
in a toolless assembly process. The adapter<br />
accommodates the Stop Control and selfclosing<br />
mechanisms. And it is also prepared<br />
for an upgrade with a Parallel System for<br />
perfect lateral stability.<br />
Director Enrique González commented<br />
on the joint development: “I‘m very<br />
satisfied with the committed support we<br />
got from the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group and especially<br />
from OBE <strong>Hettich</strong>. This cooperation has<br />
allowed us to benefit from the pr<strong>of</strong>ound<br />
know-how <strong>of</strong> a leading fittings specialist.<br />
The space-saving, easy to assemble, interior<br />
fittings, with the very wide pull-out and<br />
hanging file frames, is helping us to meet<br />
the requirements <strong>of</strong> our customers in Spain<br />
and throughout Europe.“<br />
GAPSA, headquartered in Castellar del<br />
Vallès (Barcelona), was founded in<br />
1996. Today the Group has a daily production<br />
<strong>of</strong> over 500 units. It sells its products in<br />
24 countries, and exports account for 78%<br />
<strong>of</strong> total production. Half <strong>of</strong> this volume<br />
goes to France via the independent subsidiary<br />
GAPSA France. GAPSA also has a 60%<br />
share in GAPSA AMERICA in Caracas.<br />
39
Show the product in a living-<br />
world context. That is the<br />
approach taken by the new<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Australia showroom to<br />
be opened in Melbourne at the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> May 2005. Fittings are<br />
displayed in a themed context,<br />
organized by topic, for example,<br />
rejuvenation, relaxation,<br />
contribution, preparation and<br />
information. The showroom is<br />
a new departure, aiming to<br />
show designers and architects<br />
how highly functional fittings<br />
can be embedded within<br />
attractive worlds for living.<br />
The new showroom at 57 Haig Street in<br />
Southbank, Melbourne, is conveniently<br />
located just 500 m from the Melbourne<br />
Exhibition and Convention Centre and<br />
close to the lively central business district.<br />
Within easy reach <strong>of</strong> public transport and<br />
with ample secure parking behind the<br />
building, the showroom aims to bring<br />
fittings and applications closer to the<br />
orbits <strong>of</strong> Melbourne‘s busy designers and<br />
architects.<br />
Showroom design and implementation<br />
was by renowned Melbourne designer<br />
Martin Reid, who also took on board<br />
feedback from various designer focus<br />
groups. On show are the latest products<br />
from <strong>Hettich</strong> International and Laminex, the<br />
40<br />
Taking the<br />
hard out <strong>of</strong><br />
hardware<br />
leading Australian brand for decorative<br />
laminates, veneers and other surfaces.<br />
The showroom will draw people with its<br />
range <strong>of</strong> hardware products, shown in<br />
attractive real-life contexts. Rejuvenation<br />
is the theme <strong>of</strong> the area showing fittings<br />
for bathroom furniture. Relaxation is the<br />
idea that ties the display <strong>of</strong> bedroom and<br />
living room fittings together. Office and<br />
home <strong>of</strong>fice systems illustrate how<br />
furniture hardware makes a contribution<br />
to more efficiency and a better working<br />
environment. Other themes are preparation<br />
(the kitchen) and information (the<br />
resource library). The beautifully styled<br />
exhibition also <strong>of</strong>fers ideas on how living<br />
areas can combine attractive looks and<br />
functionality.<br />
This new showroom reflects a trend away<br />
from the traditional, technology-focussed<br />
way <strong>of</strong> displaying technical fittings.<br />
Instead <strong>Hettich</strong> Australia is showing how<br />
the fittings function in a design-orientated<br />
living world. This modern way <strong>of</strong> communicating<br />
information simultaneously<br />
communicates competence. <strong>Hettich</strong> and<br />
Laminex planned the showroom as a platform<br />
to encourage learning, to stimulate<br />
new ideas and to communicate. The showroom<br />
will be open during normal business<br />
hours and will be able to accommodate<br />
groups <strong>of</strong> up to 30 people.<br />
New showroom opens in Melbourne<br />
This catalogue is a reference work<br />
Launched at the Awisa 2004 in Sydney,<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s Fittings and Applications catalogue,<br />
adapted for the local market, became a<br />
runaway success. In an 18-month campaign<br />
over 24,000 copies were distributed in Australia<br />
and New Zealand.<br />
Aidan Jury, head <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong>‘s operation in<br />
Australia and New Zealand, is more than<br />
satisfied with the new Fittings and Applications<br />
(F+A) catalogue and with the logistical<br />
marathon it took to distribute the chunky<br />
volume. “I can only quote our customers. They<br />
say that the design and layout are so good that<br />
everyone always finds what they‘re looking for.<br />
They‘re full <strong>of</strong> enthusiasm for the F+A.“
For two decades, <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Australia has been supplying<br />
its customers with product<br />
information via the F+A<br />
catalogue. Now <strong>Hettich</strong> is<br />
appealing to designers and<br />
discerning consumers with its<br />
Living Worlds series. The<br />
publication <strong>of</strong> Kitchens and<br />
Bathrooms, the first volume in<br />
the series, was timed to coincide<br />
with the designEX show<br />
in April this year in Melbourne.<br />
lot <strong>of</strong> customers were delighted that the<br />
A catalogue has got bigger. They liked the<br />
wider choice <strong>of</strong> products in the Kitchen and<br />
Bathroom section, and the additions to<br />
Residential and Office sections. The completely<br />
revised catalogue is 1,080 pages long. It provides<br />
detailed information about almost 3,000<br />
products, 1,100 <strong>of</strong> them new additions in this<br />
issue. All the products in the catalogue are<br />
available ex stock from the central warehouses in<br />
Sydney and Auckland.<br />
The catalogue was reworked for the Australian<br />
and New Zealand markets. The index, for<br />
example, now includes local names for fittings, so<br />
that even non-specialists can find their way<br />
around.<br />
Australia and New Zealand<br />
Living Worlds<br />
for kitchens<br />
and bathrooms<br />
Today we have virtually limitless choice<br />
in the way we furnish our homes. So<br />
what drives our preferences and personal<br />
tastes? Some people want a cosy cocoon,<br />
where comfort is the priority, a degree <strong>of</strong><br />
untidiness is acceptable and everything is<br />
a little bit tatty, like a pair <strong>of</strong> well-worn<br />
jeans. At the other end <strong>of</strong> the continuum<br />
are the people who love pure design,<br />
shades <strong>of</strong> white, uncompromisingly stark<br />
lines, and strictly functional organization.<br />
Probably most <strong>of</strong> us would admit to being<br />
somewhere towards the middle, although<br />
exactly where is an interesting question.<br />
Some design psychologists identify four<br />
categories depending on the home environment<br />
that best suits us: the starkly<br />
modern, the classical ideal <strong>of</strong> perfect<br />
organization and aesthetics, the comfort<br />
<strong>of</strong> familiar surroundings, or the need for<br />
contact with the natural environment.<br />
These four categories can be labelled:<br />
modern, classical, domestic and natural.<br />
An individual might not fit exactly into<br />
one category, there could be overlaps or<br />
mixes, but basically these four categories<br />
can be used to predict choices people will<br />
make about their home environments.<br />
Despite the huge number <strong>of</strong> products, the<br />
catalogue is far more than just a list <strong>of</strong> order<br />
codes. It contains functional diagrams and<br />
detailed construction drawings, complete with<br />
dimensions, to aid selection and installation. The<br />
wealth <strong>of</strong> information makes the F+A catalogue<br />
an essential tool, not only in the field, but also in<br />
training programmes for designers, distributors<br />
and furniture manufacturers. In short, the<br />
catalogue has become a reference work for<br />
furniture design and construction, making it<br />
child‘s play to select the right fitting for every<br />
application.<br />
news<br />
The idea for the Living Worlds series<br />
evolved against this background. Kitchens<br />
and Bathrooms is the first volume in the<br />
series. The publications are intended to<br />
provoke an interesting and ongoing<br />
discussion. And to trigger a creative<br />
dialogue between customers and pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
designers about people‘s preferences,<br />
habits and tastes. At the same<br />
time, they provide ideas for applications<br />
and designs that are only possible<br />
through the use <strong>of</strong> innovative furniture<br />
fittings. Living Worlds is not intended to be<br />
either a design manual or a style guide. Its<br />
primary purpose is to assist in identifying<br />
different styles and in finding out what<br />
moves people to choose particular<br />
furniture and furnishings. Building on<br />
this, the booklets illustrates how consumer<br />
needs can be better matched by using<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> fittings to achieve a design with<br />
still more functionality. As always, the<br />
goal is satisfied customers.<br />
41
The idea for the name “Mitre 10“ is said<br />
to have come from the Mitre Tavern,<br />
a popular pub in what is said to be Melbourne‘s<br />
oldest building. And mitre joints<br />
are familiar to pr<strong>of</strong>essional and amateur<br />
woodworkers alike. The “10“ is supposed<br />
to have been picked by the five founders<br />
in June 1959 as a target number <strong>of</strong> stores<br />
that would make for a viable organization.<br />
And it sounded good. The idea took <strong>of</strong>f<br />
and soon there were Mitre 10 stores<br />
across Australia and New Zealand. Now<br />
the chain has over 900 stores and is still<br />
growing.<br />
Today, Mitre 10 is known the length<br />
and breadth <strong>of</strong> the region as the<br />
perfect one-stop shop where DIY enthusiasts<br />
and local artisans can buy everything<br />
they need for a home or garden<br />
improvement project. <strong>Hettich</strong> Australia<br />
maintained supplier relationships with<br />
individual Mitre 10 stores for many<br />
<strong>years</strong>, but it was only in the late 1990s<br />
that the <strong>Hettich</strong> FurnTech DIY range was<br />
widely introduced. Since then, <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
has become a prime supplier <strong>of</strong> hardware<br />
fittings to the chain. Formulas for success<br />
that attracted Mitre 10 buyers were<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>‘s highly effective POS displays<br />
and packaging concepts, the high recognition<br />
value <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong> brand and the<br />
outstanding support <strong>of</strong> the company‘s<br />
customer service concept.<br />
42<br />
Mitre 10 is a leading chain with<br />
over 900 hardware and home<br />
improvement stores in Australia<br />
and New Zealand. The cooperative<br />
was set up in 1959 in the state <strong>of</strong><br />
Victoria and has also been expanding<br />
in New Zealand since 1974.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> has a long connection with<br />
Mitre 10 stores and the cooperation<br />
has intensified since <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
launched its DIY ranges in the 1990s.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> DIY Australia<br />
Mitre 10: an ongoing<br />
success story<br />
Mitre 10 is alert to pick up on changing<br />
customer needs and preferences<br />
and to supply precisely what customers<br />
want. In February 2004, the first Mitre<br />
10 MEGA store opened in Hasting in New<br />
Zealand. Since then five more MEGA<br />
stores have opened in New Zealand and<br />
four in Australia. Within the next five<br />
<strong>years</strong>, the organization plans to have a<br />
grand total <strong>of</strong> 50 MEGA stores in the two<br />
countries.<br />
Mitre 10 says its MEGA stores <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
customers extra value and services.<br />
These include inspiration and ideas, information<br />
and advice, wider choice and special<br />
sections – plus very attractive prices.<br />
It‘s all this that transforms them from<br />
DO-IT-YOURSELF into DO-IT-WITH-US.<br />
MEGA stores are typical <strong>of</strong> a new<br />
generation <strong>of</strong> businesses where<br />
innovation and customer service set the<br />
tone. In a friendly atmosphere, customers<br />
can find everything from complete kitchens<br />
and bathrooms to garden products. All<br />
backed by friendly, knowledgeable service<br />
and selling at affordable prices. MEGA<br />
stores are a platform for new ideas, a<br />
place where customers can get expert<br />
advice and choose from a wide range<br />
<strong>of</strong> outstanding home improvement and<br />
hardware products. The aim is to be a<br />
21st century retail chain with a world-class<br />
format.
Built-in refrigerator/freezer with drawer<br />
Photo: Sub-Zero<br />
From the tropics to the tundra:<br />
runners and hinges from<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> are designed to with-<br />
stand extreme temperatures in<br />
hot ovens and icy freezers, and<br />
the water and detergents in<br />
dishwashers. The promodul<br />
team at <strong>Hettich</strong> America has<br />
an impressive list <strong>of</strong> reference<br />
applications. A testimony to<br />
the ability <strong>of</strong> durable and<br />
highly functional fittings to<br />
add extra value in kitchen<br />
appliances.<br />
Hot, wet<br />
or cold<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>… at home in<br />
good appliances<br />
Major appliance manufacturers,<br />
including BSH, Dacor, Marvel, Sub-<br />
Zero, U-Line Viking and Whirlpool, set<br />
great store by quality and functionality.<br />
Quadro runners do well on both counts,<br />
performing impeccably, year in year out,<br />
in refrigerators and freezers, ovens and<br />
dishwashers. Full or partial extension<br />
ball-bearing runners are used in many<br />
ovens. They move hot and heavy loads<br />
in fine style and perfect safety. Runners<br />
for baking sheets with stop control help<br />
to prevent accidents with hot dishes.<br />
Runners unclip quickly for cleaning and<br />
can be replaced just as easily.<br />
There are special hinges for refrigerator<br />
doors with an integrated spring<br />
mechanism that ensures the door is<br />
properly closed.<br />
Special height-adjustable, stainless<br />
steel runners for dishwasher racks<br />
make it easier to stack tableware in<br />
the dishwasher. The self-closing option,<br />
with its slow and gentle closing action,<br />
provides extra protection for fragile<br />
glassware and china.<br />
Ball-bearing runners from the Grant<br />
range are heavy-duty fittings designed<br />
to move heavy loads in large freezers.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> America scores highly with the<br />
home appliance industry thanks to many<br />
important details – from ball-bearing<br />
runners for the crushed ice drawer to<br />
concealed hinges for gentle, reliable<br />
closing <strong>of</strong> refrigerator doors.<br />
Built-in refrigerator with hinged<br />
door; below it the freezer unit<br />
with drawer. Photo: Sub-Zero<br />
news<br />
Scaling up the practical benefits<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> America transfers the<br />
technical know-how gained in the<br />
home appliance field to even bigger tasks.<br />
A lot <strong>of</strong> heavy equipment in fire trucks<br />
and ambulances is stored in drawers that<br />
run on ball-bearing slides. <strong>Hettich</strong> has<br />
been supplying the slides for so long that<br />
their type number 3300 has become, like<br />
a lot <strong>of</strong> brandnames, a fixture in these<br />
customers‘ technical vocabulary.<br />
Heavy-duty ball-bearing runners take the load<br />
in ambulances and fire trucks.<br />
43
Anil Goel, Managing Director <strong>Hettich</strong> India<br />
The head <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> the young subsidiary,<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> India Pvt. Ltd., is in Mumbai,<br />
the business and financial hub <strong>of</strong> India.<br />
Three world-class Application Centres<br />
– in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore –<br />
combine training facilities with attractive<br />
showrooms.<br />
Each <strong>of</strong> the Application Centres is managed<br />
by a qualified architect or engineer.<br />
Visitors include furniture manufacturers,<br />
distributors, cabinet makers and carpenters,<br />
architects, interior designers and<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the general public. What all<br />
visitors share is an interest in keeping up<br />
to date with the latest developments in<br />
furniture design and in experiencing the<br />
newest fittings and applications from<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong>.<br />
The company‘s astounding market success<br />
has been largely due to a carefully<br />
planned strategy <strong>of</strong> organic growth,<br />
expanding steadily outwards in concentric<br />
circles from India‘s big commercial<br />
centres. Staged expansion has allowed<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> India to maintain strong relationships<br />
with customers. In just three<br />
<strong>years</strong>, <strong>Hettich</strong> India has built up a team<br />
<strong>of</strong> highly trained and highly motivated<br />
employees, which it regards as its most<br />
important capital.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> India works constantly to enlarge<br />
its customer base, both by extending<br />
marketing efforts to new areas and by<br />
strengthening existing trade channels.<br />
The company also works closely with<br />
trading partners as they add to their<br />
portfolio <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> products. Cooperation<br />
with furniture manufacturers begins<br />
at an early stage <strong>of</strong> their product design<br />
process, so that <strong>Hettich</strong> fittings are<br />
already specified when new designs are<br />
approved for production.<br />
44<br />
Successful<br />
in India<br />
Strategic development in<br />
a growth market<br />
Today, <strong>Hettich</strong> India generally works<br />
directly with furniture manufacturers in<br />
India. It is also represented throughout<br />
the length and breadth <strong>of</strong> the country by<br />
its trade partners.<br />
Training rituals<br />
To develop customer potential in the<br />
small business segment, <strong>Hettich</strong> India<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers regular training courses for carpenters<br />
and cabinet makers. The training<br />
ritual is followed with almost religious<br />
enthusiasm by distributors and artisans.<br />
Participants sharpen their product knowledge<br />
and their skill in the use <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
products in different applications. At the<br />
same time we are building loyalty to the<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> brand.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> India also participates regularly<br />
in furniture industry trade shows, helping<br />
to spread awareness <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong> brand<br />
and functioning as a source <strong>of</strong> new ideas<br />
and new designs with improved functionality<br />
for end users.<br />
Big plans for the future<br />
The next step, planned for 2005, is<br />
entry into the highly price-sensitive<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice furniture market. In its campaign,<br />
which involves taking on some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
big players, <strong>Hettich</strong> India will be <strong>of</strong>fering<br />
competitively-priced steel drawers.<br />
2005 will be a watershed year for <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
India. The company is building a logistics<br />
centre not far from Mumbai in response<br />
to the growing volume <strong>of</strong> business and<br />
the escalating service demands.<br />
The <strong>Hettich</strong> India team is ready to meet<br />
the challenges and risks <strong>of</strong> the coming<br />
<strong>years</strong>, to seize the opportunities as they<br />
arise, and to play a role in the worldwide<br />
growth <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> International.<br />
Indian background<br />
The Indian Republic is an exuberant,<br />
multifaceted country and the impact<br />
<strong>of</strong> its economic activities on the world<br />
economy is rising. The big and growing<br />
market, the rapidly developing infrastructure,<br />
the highly-developed financial sector,<br />
the flexible legislation, stable political<br />
situation and high economic expectations<br />
all combine to make India a magnet for<br />
investment. For many large international<br />
companies, investment in India holds<br />
out the prospect <strong>of</strong> high and sustained<br />
growth.<br />
After the reforms which began in 1991,<br />
India is on the way to becoming a social<br />
market economy, although key economic<br />
sectors are still dominated by poorly<br />
performing public enterprises. In fiscal<br />
2003/2004 (ending March 31, 2004),
Political stability and the<br />
liberalization <strong>of</strong> the country‘s<br />
policy on foreign direct investment<br />
are attracting international<br />
companies to India in<br />
increasing numbers. With the<br />
dawn <strong>of</strong> the new millennium,<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> too began to invest in<br />
India as a strategic market for<br />
international expansion. And<br />
success has been quick in<br />
coming.<br />
Indian GDP rose by 8.2%. This result exceeded<br />
the target <strong>of</strong> 8% annual average<br />
growth I real GDP which had been set<br />
in the tenth five-year plan, in December<br />
2002. The 9.1% increase in agricultural<br />
production was one <strong>of</strong> the main factors<br />
in this outstanding growth. Other<br />
economic sectors also achieved above<br />
average growth. The industrial sector<br />
grew by 6.5% and the service sector by<br />
8.4%. Estimates for 2004/2005 predict<br />
year-on-year growth <strong>of</strong> 6 to 7%.<br />
In India there is a clear shift from primary<br />
industries to the secondary and tertiary<br />
sectors. Agriculture, including forestry<br />
and fishing, now contributes only 24%<br />
to GDP and industry 24.6%, while the<br />
service sector contributes 51%. Although<br />
sections <strong>of</strong> the Indian economy are world<br />
class – such as information technology<br />
and pharmaceuticals, or rocket science<br />
and biotechnology in the research sector<br />
– even the economic growth <strong>of</strong> the past<br />
decade has not yet lifted the country out<br />
<strong>of</strong> the group <strong>of</strong> developing countries.<br />
The flip side<br />
India‘s size (3.3 million square kilometres)<br />
and its population <strong>of</strong> over 1.1 billion<br />
are impressive. But India, a country<br />
<strong>of</strong> extremes, has some <strong>of</strong> the lowest<br />
human development indicators in the<br />
world. Around a quarter <strong>of</strong> the population<br />
lives below the poverty line, existing<br />
on less than one US dollar a day. Almost<br />
80% <strong>of</strong> the population lives on less than<br />
2 US dollars a day. More than a quarter<br />
<strong>of</strong> all Indians are illiterate. Impressive<br />
economic growth has to be set against<br />
rapid population growth, which still adds<br />
around 12 million people to the population<br />
every year.<br />
The centre-left coalition, lead by the<br />
Congress party, and the prime minister,<br />
Dr. Manmohan Singh, in <strong>of</strong>fice since May<br />
2004, is committed to continuing reform<br />
“with a human face“. Important<br />
areas are infrastructure<br />
improvements, especially in<br />
rural areas, and investment<br />
in healthcare and education.<br />
The middle class a force<br />
for growth<br />
Despite the challenges<br />
still facing the country,<br />
the stable democracy in<br />
India seems set for economic<br />
growth. India is a<br />
huge market. The 250 to<br />
300 million people who<br />
count as middle class enjoy<br />
growing economic power. In<br />
recent <strong>years</strong>, this group has<br />
been investing strongly in<br />
news<br />
consumer durables. The organized retail<br />
sector is expanding to keep pace with<br />
the growth in spending power, including<br />
modern forms such as large self-service<br />
stores, which are capturing an increasing<br />
share <strong>of</strong> the market.<br />
Indian membership <strong>of</strong> supraregional<br />
organizations such as the SAARC (South<br />
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)<br />
ensures access to regional and<br />
international markets. Foreign direct investment<br />
is welcome in almost all sectors<br />
except strategic sectors such as defence<br />
and nuclear power. Production capacity in<br />
almost all manufacturing sectors is very<br />
large. One booming sector is information<br />
technology. A lively capital market with<br />
63 stock exchanges and 9,000 registered<br />
companies reflects the country‘s rapid<br />
industrial development.<br />
The banking system includes a network<br />
<strong>of</strong> commercial banks with over 63,000<br />
branches, supported by a number <strong>of</strong><br />
national and state institutions, facilitating<br />
financial transfers even in foreign<br />
currencies.<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> International counts India among<br />
the strategic growth markets in Asia. The<br />
successful start-up <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> India in<br />
2000, the market position achieved to<br />
date and the <strong>Hettich</strong> India team ready for<br />
future growth is grounds for optimism.<br />
45
Sales <strong>of</strong>fice in the Ukraine<br />
In September 2004, the new Ukraine<br />
sales <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> Marketing &<br />
Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG, Kirchlengern,<br />
was <strong>of</strong>ficially opened.<br />
The decision to reinforce our Ukraine<br />
presence with a sales <strong>of</strong>fice was a<br />
response to increasing local demand for<br />
high-quality furniture fittings and the<br />
rapid growth <strong>of</strong> the Ukraine furniture<br />
industry. We will now be able to intensify<br />
sales and customer support provided by<br />
people with local know-how and language<br />
skills. The premises in Kiev include<br />
a showroom with applications for our<br />
fittings spectrum – from connectors and<br />
hinges to sophisticated kitchen fittings<br />
and systems for sliding and folding doors.<br />
At present, the sales <strong>of</strong>fice employs<br />
three people. One <strong>of</strong> our first goals<br />
is to create a marketing structure for<br />
effective coverage <strong>of</strong> the whole Ukraine<br />
market. Close contact with customers<br />
will help communicate the technical<br />
know-how available in the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group.<br />
An <strong>of</strong>fice on the spot will be a channel<br />
for technology transfer and support for<br />
local industry. In the medium and longer<br />
term, we hope that this commitment<br />
will enable <strong>Hettich</strong> to build lasting and<br />
constructive relationships with customers<br />
in the Ukraine<br />
46<br />
Kitchen dreams: past and present<br />
Kitchen Stories, a 2003 film by Norwegian director Bent Hamer, takes a satirical look<br />
at kitchen research in the 1950s. Kitchens were also in the spotlight at the Lippische<br />
Landesmuseum in Detmold from September 2004 to February 2005 where the exhibition<br />
Kitchen Dreams – German Kitchens since 1900 <strong>of</strong>fered some serious and some lighthearted<br />
insights into the interaction <strong>of</strong> kitchen design and social trends over the <strong>years</strong>.<br />
The museum‘s own collection <strong>of</strong> historical kitchen furniture was augmented by loans<br />
from other museums and private individuals, and the exhibition was generously supported<br />
by sponsors including SieMatic, Miele and <strong>Hettich</strong>. One highlight is a complete “Frankfurt<br />
Kitchen“ from 1927, which could be the direct forerunner <strong>of</strong> modern built-in kitchens,<br />
hugely popular since the 1960s. Kitchen Dreams looked at many developments along the<br />
way to today‘s kitchens. Some <strong>of</strong> the latter were on show too, like a SieMatic kitchen<br />
with Miele appliances. A row <strong>of</strong> kitchen units with fittings<br />
by <strong>Hettich</strong> illustrated how suppliers are developing streamlined<br />
solutions that make kitchen work more efficient and<br />
enjoyable.<br />
Endowment pr<strong>of</strong>essorship in timber construction<br />
The Department <strong>of</strong> Wood Engineering<br />
at the University <strong>of</strong> Applied Sciences<br />
Lippe and Höxter has received a generous<br />
endowment from furniture manufacturers<br />
and components suppliers in the industry<br />
cluster East Westphalia and from the<br />
Stiftung Standortsicherung Lippe, a<br />
foundation set up to promote industry in<br />
the Lippe region. The gift will endow a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essorship in Timber Construction at<br />
the university. Funded by around �<br />
P 300,000, donated in equal shares by<br />
the foundation and the furniture industry,<br />
the new endowment pr<strong>of</strong>essor will be<br />
appointed for the summer semester 2005.<br />
The endowment will run for three <strong>years</strong>,<br />
Representative <strong>of</strong>fice in Turkey<br />
after which the pr<strong>of</strong>essorship will be<br />
continued as a regular faculty post.<br />
Part <strong>of</strong> the new pr<strong>of</strong>essor‘s remit will<br />
be to intensify the department‘s<br />
international approach. He or she will<br />
be expected to take an active part in expanding<br />
international degree courses and<br />
promoting cooperation with foreign universities.<br />
The industry donors with their<br />
worldwide operations will <strong>of</strong>fer additional<br />
support, for example, internships that will<br />
help to attract foreign students.<br />
In September 2004, <strong>Hettich</strong> Marketing & Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG also opened an<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice in Istanbul, primarily to advise and support manufacturers in the furniture<br />
industry. Our Turkish channel partner, TEM INSAAT MALZEMELERI, will continue to work<br />
with <strong>Hettich</strong> FurnTech GmbH & Co. KG, Vlotho, providing sales and support for artisans,<br />
architects, designers and planners.<br />
The Istanbul <strong>of</strong>fice also has a showroom where local customers can see <strong>Hettich</strong> fittings<br />
in a range <strong>of</strong> applications and judge quality, functionality and design for themselves.<br />
Intensified activities for <strong>Hettich</strong> Marketing- & Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG in Turkey began<br />
with the Intermob in<br />
Istanbul. The new <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
will initially employ<br />
three people.
A Frankfurt Kitchen<br />
designed by the architect<br />
Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky.<br />
Photo: Lippisches Landesmuseum<br />
Kitchen cupboards with <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
fittings demonstrate how system<br />
solutions make effective and ergonomic<br />
use <strong>of</strong> all the storage spacein<br />
a 21st century kitchen.<br />
Photo: Lippisches Landesmuseum<br />
25 million euro investment for a worldwide delivery service<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> is building a new Logistics<br />
Centre. Directly linked to the Kirchlengern<br />
plant, the site is actually in the<br />
neighbouring district <strong>of</strong> Bünde. When it<br />
goes into operation in 2006, the Logistics<br />
Centre will ship to furniture industry<br />
customers worldwide and keep the warehouses<br />
<strong>of</strong> the company‘s international<br />
subsidiaries stocked up. Including the<br />
cost <strong>of</strong> the site, the total investment will<br />
be around P 25 million.<br />
The built-over area will total 15,000<br />
sqm on the roughly 90,000 sqm site.<br />
The complex will comprise a completely<br />
automated high-bay warehouse and an<br />
adjacent picking and packaging hall,<br />
facilities for employees, an <strong>of</strong>fice building<br />
and space for the technology infrastructure.<br />
When it is finished, the centre will<br />
employ 120 people working two shifts.<br />
When the new centre becomes operational<br />
at the beginning <strong>of</strong> 2006,<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> will also be able to optimize<br />
information management to improve<br />
stock control, cut lead times and step up<br />
logistics reliability still further. A highly<br />
automated and flexible logistics operation<br />
will also enable <strong>Hettich</strong> International<br />
to meet the growing demand for<br />
just-in-time deliveries.<br />
Expanded Board <strong>of</strong> Management<br />
for the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group<br />
With effect from January 1,<br />
2005, Dr. Andreas <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
(35) was appointed by the<br />
Board <strong>of</strong> Trustees <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Group, Kirchlengern,<br />
to the Board <strong>of</strong> Management<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong> Holding GmbH &<br />
Co. oHG. He will be responsible<br />
for IT and logistics in the<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> Group. Dr. Andreas<br />
<strong>Hettich</strong> represents the fourth<br />
generation <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
family in company management,<br />
continuing the tradition <strong>of</strong><br />
this family-owned company.<br />
Dr. Andreas <strong>Hettich</strong> studied<br />
electrical engineering and<br />
technical information science,<br />
taking a PhD summa cum<br />
laude from the RWTH Aachen.<br />
He joined the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group<br />
on July 1, 2000 as assistant to<br />
the management and in early<br />
2001, he was appointed<br />
co-managing director – with<br />
Ingo Schubert – <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hettich</strong><br />
Management Service GmbH.<br />
With the appointment <strong>of</strong> Dr.<br />
Andreas <strong>Hettich</strong>, the Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Trustees <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Hettich</strong> Group<br />
is underlining the company‘s<br />
future-oriented outlook and<br />
the key importance <strong>of</strong><br />
information technology and<br />
logistics for future growth.<br />
Apart from the addition <strong>of</strong><br />
Dr. Andreas <strong>Hettich</strong>, the<br />
composition and responsibilities<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Board <strong>of</strong> Management<br />
remain unchanged: Bernd<br />
Riechers, Ingo Schubert and<br />
Dr. Dieter Wirths.<br />
in brief<br />
Breaking ground for the new <strong>Hettich</strong> Logistics Centre in<br />
September 2004. Scheduled to become operational in<br />
early 2006, the Logistics Centre is directly linked to the<br />
main plant in Kirchlengern, although the site itself is in the<br />
next-door district <strong>of</strong> Bünde. (3D animation: DIL/<strong>Hettich</strong>)<br />
47
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