Roto Inside 24 (EN)

Roto Inside | 6.2013 12 | International brand approval Interplast becomes a “Superbrand” Editor Roto Frank AG Wilhelm-Frank-Platz 1 70771 Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany Editorial board Monique Gnuschke, Udo Pauly Editorial staff Comm´n Sense GmbH Lensbachstraße 10 52159 Roetgen, Germany Telephone: +49 (0)211 1730-114 Telefax: +49 (0)211 1730-123 roto.inside@commn-sense.de Design and production avency GmbH Kiebitzpohl 77 48291 Telgte, Germany Telephone: +49 (0)2504 888-0 Telefax: +49 (0)2504 888-199 info@avency.de Printing house Griebsch & Rochol Druck GmbH & Co. KG Gabelsbergerstraße 1 59069 Hamm, Germany Telephone: +49 (0)2385 931-0 info@grd.de Circulation 12,500 copies ■■ Timber Latvia has much to offer. In the opinion of Edmunds Domkins, however, it’s the “green gold” (as he calls it) that characterises not just the country’s landscape but also its economic strength.The 29 year-old sales director of the Latvian timber window and door manufacturer ARBO ought to know.The company’s products are in great demand all over the world, particularly on the growing passive house markets. ARBO Latvia’s Green Gold Tested by the British BM TRADA Institute and classified as top-class windows in terms of airtightness, ARBO passive house windows attain U values of 0.8 W/m2K (or less). ■■ Event In its last edition, Roto Inside wrote about Ghana’s Interplast group and its successful development. The company’s PVC windows are known throughout West Africa for their high quality.This popularity ensured that the brand Interplast was awarded “Superbrand 2012” in November in Accra/Ghana, Roto Inside has found out. The window and door manufacturer ARBO was founded in 1991 by Jānis Vašuks in the port city of Ventspils in western Latvia. ARBO was founded in 1991 by Jānis Vašuks in the port city of Ventspils, in western Latvia. It is a family company that has always been closely associated with timber as both a raw material and a material to work with. This is a trait shared with the family of Edmunds Domkins, which is probably the reason why he feels almost “at home” here. “My father has worked in the woodwork- ing industry for decades. I don’t want to claim that I was weaned on it from infancy, but even during my studies I was involved in a few of his projects. I love timber, and above all the things that can be shaped and made from it. This is a love that grew even more during an extended stay in Finland. That’s where I actually first appreciated the true value of my country’s most important raw material,” says Edmunds Domkins. From the forest into the window and onward to Japan In the meantime, word has got round about the quality of Latvian timber: “In Japan for example, Latvian pine is a big seller. Besides our windows and doors, we even supply the country with pure timber for further processing.” Today however, there are also loyal ARBO customers in Great Britain, Norway and Sweden, as well as in the Ukraine and Russia – two markets that the company has successfully tapped only in the past two years. “In particular, we are well represented there with our ‘high-end’ products. Across all markets, our timber windows with aluminium profile shells are certainly among our bestsellers.” Growing low-energy and passive house markets In recent years, passive house windows and doors from ARBO have also accounted for significant sales increases. Tested by the British BM TRADA Institute and classified as top-class windows in terms of airtightness, they attain U values of less than 0.8 W/m2 K. “Of course, we knew that with our passive house developments we were banking on a future market. But the actual demand and above all its growth rates still surprised us somewhat. Custom- ers all over the world are demanding energy-efficient windows – which is perhaps an indicator of the extent to which ecologi- cal factors have entered into people’s consciousness in many countries.” “We specialise in non-standard windows” At present, 73 people work at the ARBO site in Ventspils. This facility presently has the capacity to make up to 2,000 units per month. That’s not yet the end of the line for Edmunds Domkins: “In our production, we are already using state-of-the-art timber processing systems from one of Germany’s leading machine manufacturers in this sector. In addition to the quality that we have already achieved and that has also been recognised by our customers, in the years ahead we would also like to grow in terms of quality and tap new sales markets.” At the same time however, this sales professional isn’t thinking about mass production. “Flexibility is certainly one of our greatest assets: We produce every timber window in every desired shape with indi- vidual performance features, not standard products. Sometimes, ARBO is also the property developer and building contractor itself. That means that we know exactly what’s needed in the window development, window manufacture and finally window installa- tion. We don’t want to lose these strengths.” Since 1993, ARBO has depended on Roto hardware, and Edmunds Domkins is particularly taken by the concealed hinge side. “Just ask my colleagues from Development and Production – our windows are simply unimaginable now without the Roto NT Designo. We greatly value this product. Roto also regularly sup- ports us in the development of solutions for special products. Recently for example, we cooperated in planning and realising windows for a large five-star hotel. In addition, in Great Britain our windows and doors must meet very strict security requirements, for example under the ‘Secured by Design’ programme. Here we depend on reliable locking technology from Roto.” This seal of approval for brands is now established in more than 85 countries, and rewards companies who have dem- onstrated exemplary brand management and cultivation. Interplast CEO Arthur L. Huberts is thrilled: “We are very happy that we have managed to obtain the ‘Superbrand’ status the very first time the brand competition has been held in Ghana. We would like to thank the employees of Roto. Amongst other factors, the continuous and collegial support from Leinfelden has contributing to making Interplast the quality supplier and strong brand it is today.” “Quality, natural products, warmth, energy efficiency” – in the opinion of Edmunds Domkins, there are many good reasons for choosing windows and doors made from Latvia’s “green gold”. Imprint

Roto Inside 24 (EN)

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