Roto Inside 25 (EN)

| 11 Roto Inside: Mr. Stangier, you personally did the ground- work for the acquisition of Brazilian hardware manufactur- er Fermax, and you are now supervising the integration of the company into Roto Group. What are you focussing on during the integration process as being of particular impor- tance to Roto? Stangier: First of all, I’d like to point out that Fermax is already extremely successful on the Brazilian market. Customers have faith in the product quality and the excellent delivery service. Against this backdrop, there are basically two main areas of focus. Looking outward, Fermax will primarily be interested in how it can enhance benefits to customers, so as to achieve even better results. Looking inward, the focus will be on helping our new colleagues, who naturally view a takeover as quite an In the hot seat Interview with Michael Stangier, Chief Financial Officer at Roto Frank AG upheaval and a source of uncertainty, and show them that they have a bright future to look forward to at Roto. Roto Inside: Let’s take an inside-out approach. As the old saying goes, nothing is permanent except change. Integra- tion is going to involve change, but the issue for people is how much change. Stangier: That’s quite true and suddenly, something which should actually be an everyday occurence in all companies – change in terms of slight improvements to processes going on all the time – appears as a harbinger of dramatic changes when coupled with a new owner. Yet, there is no need for dramatic change whatsoever. Roto Inside: What should our colleagues in Curitiba expect? Stangier: That those who have been in charge at Fermax for a long time will still be on board making decisions. During our care- fully-conducted integration process, we will be relying a great deal on the Fermax employees who have gathered a great deal of experience over many years at the company. This has been a guiding principle for other Roto acquisitions and has been very successful. Roto Inside: To what extent will Roto know-how be part of the integration? Stangier: Experts from the Roto Group will be providing support during projects for their Brazilian colleagues in production, the IT area or in product integration. We are convinced that the strengths of both companies will complement each other very well, and that Fermax will continue to enjoy excellent growth as part of the Roto Group. Roto Inside: Will there be any noticeable changes for Fermax customers? Stangier: Not in the short term, so customers can rely on con- tinuity in the positive sense. Roto shall be relying on established processes and the Fermax product range, which has already been so successful on the market. Also, without doubt over the medium-term, Fermax will implement ideas as it continues to develop as a company – ideas which will provide valuable customer benefit elsewhere within the Group. This is bound to happen because we promote the exchange of ideas between the management teams in the various companies. However, which ideas are implemented where and when is something that the Fermax management will be in control of. After all, we have every confidence in this management and – what is even more important – this management has earned the full confidence of Brazilian window manufacturers. We have every intention of living up to this, by continuously increasing the benefits our companies generate for customers. The Product Integration Project Team at work Fermax Export ■■ New at Roto As a new member of the Roto Group, Brazilian hardware manufac- turer Fermax will not only benefit from its in-house specialists’ ideas, but from opportu- nities available through Roto Group affiliates all around the world. For example, a team headed by Johanna Vogel in Leinfelden is cur- rently analysing whether products from the Fermax product range – which are tremen- dously successful in Brazil – could also be popular in other countries around the globe. “The Fermax product range is highly diversified, and –because it contains solutions for many applications –Brazilian window manufacturers Fermax hardware solution samples are currently being tested at the ITC in Leinfelden to find out which profiles from around the world they would suit. Shown here are three members of the project team: (from left to right) Johanna Vogel, Claus Peuker and Olga Enns. Exporting Roto Group know-how to Brazil: Pier Vincenzo Marozzi has been appointed General Manager of Fermax. Born in Italy, he grew up in Germany. More than 15 years ago, following his mechanical engineering studies, the German company he was working for sent him to Brazil, where he has lived ever since. Part of the Roto Group since April 2013: the Brazilian hardware manufacturer, Fermax Pier Vincenzo Marozzi, along with the Fermax management team, wants to equip production processes in Colombo-Curitiba for steady growth. New General Manager visits Germany Fermax Management ■■ New at Roto Roto Inside met up with Pier Vincenzo Marozzi, who has been appointed General Manager of Fermax, during his on-the-job training. He went to Brazil more than 15 years ago and his first job was as a mechanical engineer in a plant run by his former German employer. He fell in love with the country and its people, so he decided to stay and start a family; now he is 43. “The German and the Brazilian cultures complement each other very well; after more than 15 years working in Brazilian plants for a German company, I’m absolutely convinced of that,” said Pier Vincenzo Marozzi right at the start of the discussion. “I would even go so far as to claim that this specific combination of German organisational talent and process orientation with Brazilian creativity can lead to great business success.” This is why he feels sure that Fermax can look forward to continued growth as part of the Roto Group. Learning from experience So why did his on-the-job training take place in Germany and not in Brazil? “If you take all the plants and teams into account, Roto has an enormous amount of production competence, something that I naturally want to make the most of when working together with col- leagues from Colombo-Curitiba on expanding the Fermax production operation. This is why I am so pleased that I can have a look around the European Roto plants first. I have already taken the opportunity to discuss some specific ideas I have for Fermax with technicians at the other plants. After all, the plant in Curitiba can benefit from the know-how of the colleagues at the other Roto factories, to become even more successful than it already is.” hold it in high regard. We’re now working to find out which manufacturers in which markets could also be interested in Fermax,” explained Johanna Vogel, before going into greater detail. “Our Spanish colleague, Carlos Lorenzo, has been in Brazil to see the product range for him- self. Now, here in Leinfelden, we are analysing which Fermax product groups could be popular in other countries, for example with manufac- turers of in-line sliding and outward opening windows.” Product testing at the Roto ITC International Technology Center Samples of top-hung and sliding windows have now arrived at Leinfelden, where they will be put through some intensive testing. “It goes without saying that all Fermax products comply fully with the Brazilian standards,” emphasised Johanna Vogel. “However, we are making full use of the facilities at the International Tech- nology Center to perform tests for compliance with directives in other countries. Then we can sound out the potential for Fermax in new markets.” Know your strengths for healthy growth “We will soon be able to tell our colleagues in the Roto Group sales companies around the world, exactly which Fermax products match which common profiles in which countries. Then they can conduct a targeted analysis of which window manufacturers might be inter- ested in Fermax hardware,” said Johanna Vogel adding, “Fermax is already a very successful company on its domestic market and if there are any interesting growth opportunities in the export segment for Fermax, then we will pinpoint them.”

Roto Inside 25 (EN)

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