Quantum leap for FUCHS LUBRITECH: Move into the new company

T h e FUCHS Gro up. News, Views, Post s & Pe o p le
www.fuchs-oil.com
3/ 20 0 9
Quantum leap
for FUCHS LUBRITECH:
Move into the new
company building
Top project:
You can read about the
success of the “Peer Educa­
tors” project for AIDS pre­
vention, which is supported
by FUCHS, on page 7.
Top location:
FUCHS LUBRICANTS remains
on course for further success
in the South-East Asian metro­
polis of Singapore. Our report
begins on page 11.
Top research:
Starting on page 19, you can
find out why cooperation
with universities and techni­
cal colleges is an essential
requirement for the innova­
tive capabilities of FUCHS.
Partner for
2
Content
4 Panorama
4 Sustainable business management in focus
7 Committed to the fight against AIDS
11 Cover story
The “lion city” is keeping up the spirits
15 Travel management
Asia for beginners
16 Focus
A quantum leap for FUCHS LUBRITECH
19 Did you know...
Fruitful symbiosis
20 FUCHS Communication Service
20
20
23
25
Latest company news
FUCHS shows its colors on the engineering days
Triumphing with creativity and FUCHS lubricants
Recognition for top salespeople
29 Trade and promotion activities
30 Numerous contacts made in Brno
31 Personnel
With MOTORSPORT NEWS supplement
Editing:
Ulla Cramer, Hubertus Stärk, Tina Vogel
Design:
Wurth Werbeagentur, Mannheim
Copy deadline:
Please send your contributions for the 1/2010 edition of
“FUCHS Info“ to us by 15 January 2010 at the latest. This
particularly applies to reports not in German. Articles
received later than this cannot be published until the
next edition.
Cover photo:
Lots of suggestions from FUCHS LUBRITECH employees
were incorporated into the architecture and features of
the new building.
Note of the editorship:
To keep all the text within this website simple we often
used the male version. It is natural to us that we do think
in these cases as well of female as of male persons.
Current affairs
Dear Employees,
The “crisis year” of 2009 is drawing to an
end. Thanks to your great commitment
and dedication, and the excellent inter­
national positioning of FUCHS PETRO­
LUB, we have performed well overall.
The profits for the second quarter were
much better than those from the weak
first quarter. The measures which we
took at an early stage are having an effect. However, it is too
early to start celebrating. Volumes remain well below those
from the first half of 2008 and the markets in which we ope­
rate are still volatile.
FUCHS has done its homework and consistently takes advan­
tage of opportunities which present themselves. The growth
markets in Asia-Pacific and Africa now make a considerable
contribution to the Group’s profits. From this point of view,
the investments in Shanghai / China and Mumbai / India were
made at the right time. In Shanghai, the impressive laboratory,
administration and production site was inaugurated in October
2008, and in India the first stage of production will be up and
running at the start of 2010.
In Mannheim, the construction work on the new technology
and distribution centre is in full swing. The distribution centre
will be ready in mid-2010 and the new laboratory building is
set to open in 2011. FUCHS LUBRITECH has almost completed
its new building in Kaiserslautern. The old site in Weilerbach
will be fully cleared at the end of December. We can all be very
proud of the new headquarters of the LUBRITECH Group, which
operates globally. A trip to the Western Palatinate re­gion will
be well worthwhile.
All of these investments are vital for our future. They will safe­
guard our position as a technology pioneer and service partner
to our customers throughout the world. FUCHS is the lubricant
partner of choice for challenging tasks which demand a great
level of service and high quality standards. Safeguarding this
position and looking to expand it must be the top priority for
all of us. We can make use here of our extensive global net­
work and rely on a competent, motivated and loyal FUCHS
team. The Fuchs family has increased its voting share in FUCHS
PETROLUB AG to over 50 per cent, thus safeguarding the com­
pany’s long-term independence.
My grandfather Rudolf Fuchs, who would have celebrated his
100th birthday in September, would have been proud of the
employees who work for the FUCHS Group, which in its 78th
year of existence has performed well despite the global econo­
mic crisis. However, he too would have considered it to be
im­portant to focus our attention now on 2010 and the years
ahead, and prepare ourselves well to meet the new challenges
presented by the international markets.
Yours
FUCHS PETROLUB AG
Public Relations
Friesenheimer Straße 17
68169 Mannheim
Germany
Stefan Fuchs
Chairman of the Executive Board
Mannheim, October 2009
3
An entrepreneur with
courage and visions
Rudolf Fuchs, founder of our com­
pany, was born 100 years ago
One thing you certainly cannot accuse
Rudolf Fuchs of is a lack of courage.
Mann­heim in 1931 was not exactly an
ideal place to venture down the path of
independence. After the Treaty of Ver­
sailles came into force, the land on the
left-hand side of the River Rhine was
once again French territory, and Mann­
heim’s industry was cut off from its most
important trading areas of Alsace-Lor­
The backbone
of the economy
Rudolf Fuchs was the archetypal
entrepreneur of a medium-sized
company, which still forms the
backbone of the German economy
to the present day. Around 60 per
cent of jobs and 80 per cent of all
apprenticeships in Germany are
provided by family-owned com­
panies – they generate around 40
per cent of sales revenues in the
German economy. And it is mainly
family-owned companies that de­­
liver innovations: 75 per cent of all
patents are filed by medium-sized
companies. “Because family-owned
companies prefer an approach that
stretches across the generations,
they are less susceptible to shortterm trends. For them they do not
just focus on the next quarter, not
even the next year, but the next
generational change”, writes Ger­
many’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zei­
tung. FUCHS is listed in 119th place
in the list of the largest familyowned companies published by
the national daily newspaper.
raine and Saarland. The volume of goods
being shipped through the Port of Mann­
heim was declining, and unemployment
figures hit unprecedented levels. The
political climate was also fraught. But
the 21-year-old, who had completed his
commercial apprenticeship at a Mann­
heim trading house and as a fledgling
import trader was put in charge of the
wholesale trade in lubricants, was not
put off by such adverse circumstances.
Al­though Fuchs, who was born in Mann­
heim in September 1909, did not enjoy
favorable patronage or capital, he had a
vision and an unswerving desire to be
successful. He showed great foresight in
recognizing the opportunity presented
by the lubricants business given the in­­
creasing trend towards motorization. He
knew that Mannheim was a key location
for long-distance traffic, and he took the
risky step of becoming an entrepreneur.
The newly founded company RUDOLF
FUCHS was entered in the register of
companies at Mannheim District Court
on 30 May. His guiding principle right
from the outset was to deliver quality. At
his company’s first business premises at
Mannheim’s abattoir, the young busi­
nessman worked together with his wife
Irma, who always supported him in his
endeavors, to fill the leading product,
“Guaranteed Pennsylvania Motor Oil”,
which at the time was unrivalled, into
canisters. He called it “PENNA PURA”,
loaded it onto his bicycle and sold it at
the port to the transport companies
which were based there.
The new company enjoyed great fortune:
Just two years after it was founded, the
economy began to pick up again and
Mannheim developed into the economic
powerhouse of south-west Germany. The
Frankfurt – Darmstadt section was the
first stretch of the new motorway net­
Rudolf Fuchs founded 1931 the company
RUDOLF FUCHS.
work to open in 1935 and it was soon
expanded to Heidelberg and Mannheim.
There were lots of trucks on the road –
and the long-haul truckers who visited
the “town of squares”, as Mannheim
was known, soon realized that the spe­
cial diesel engine oil from the company
FUCHS, known as “PENNA PURA”, exten­
ded the useful service life of their vehic­
les. The company’s good reputation
quick­ly spread.
FUCHS expanded, one move followed
the next and the range of products sold
was also extended. In 1936, the fledgling
company started its own production.
Using standard industry formulations,
grades of summer and winter gearbox
oil were produced. Another move then
followed, when in 1937, Rudolf Fuchs
acquired a site ready for building on
Friesenheimer Insel in the north of Mann­
heim, which is the nucleus of today’s
FUCHS PETROLUB Group. For FUCHS,
1939 ended up being the most difficult
year to date in the company’s history:
the outbreak of war saw a stop on im­­
ports for the oils from the USA. Rudolf
Fuchs decided that he would set up his
own production operation on a large
scale – the opening of the new building
on Friesenheimer Insel, in which by then
over 30 people were employed, provided
Panorama
4
the facilities which justified this decision.
When the company moved over to pro­
ducing lubricants, it was also given a new
name: RUDOLF FUCHS MINERALOEL­
WERK.
Following the war, which the production
facilities in Mannheim had survived more
or less intact, the company concentrated
on supplying products to the industry for
reconstruction, especially given that the
transportation system was devastated
from the ravages of war. But Rudolf
Fuchs was convinced that there was a
great future in the engine oil business
and he managed to pull off a successful
coup. He sponsored the flourishing sport
of motor racing. The FUCHS racing teams
could be found at all the important cir­
cuits. The publicity which this generated,
together with the innovative HD oil for
diesel engines, meant that FUCHS quickly
got back on its feet in the engine oil sec­
tor. FUCHS further achieved a break­
through in the freight-forwarding and
omnibus trade, which really began to
take off after the currency reform. After
1947, a second purchase of land was
made in 1950. The site of the former
Huth factory saw the construction of
what is today Plant II of FUCHS EUROPE
SCHMIERSTOFFE. The company became
involved in foreign trade in 1951, with a
modest volume of 200 tons. However,
following initial orders from Switzerland
and Austria, soon deliveries were being
shipped to the Middle East. In 1953, a
sales office was opened up in Hanover,
which was subsequently expanded into a
branch outlet with its own production
facilities. 1956 saw FUCHS approach its
25th anniversary as a company. In its anni­
versary year, with 300 employees FUCHS
generated sales of DM 23.7 million and a
profit of DM 467,000 with a sales volume
of 18,000 tons. In Mannheim, construc­
tion work continued at a pace, with a
new grease factory, a new tank facility
and a microbiological laboratory being
created. Branch offices in Duisburg,
Hanover, Munich and Nuremberg ensu­
red that products could be delivered
quickly right across Germany. The “FUCHS
spirit” was how Rudolf Fuchs‘ employees
described the working atmosphere
which inspired the growing team of wor­
kers time and time again. Rudolf Fuchs
did not live to see his 50th birthday. He
died completely unexpectedly in Sep­
tember 1959.
“Sustainable company management” was the theme of a podium discussion in which Dr. Alexander
Selent (sitting second from left) took part during the third knowledge transfer day for the Rhine-Neckar
metropolitan region.
Sustainable business
management in focus
Dr. Alexander Selent took part in a podium
discussion about sustainable company
manage­ment at the University of Mannheim
“The importance of sustainable compa­
ny management will increase. More and
more companies realize that their repu­
tation and their business model can be
damaged if they fail to meet social or
ecological standards.” Dr. Alexander
Selent, vice chairman and finance direc­
tor of FUCHS PETROLUB, made his posi­
tion clear at the third knowledge trans­
fer day for the Rhine-Neckar metropoli­
tan region held on 18 September in the
auditorium of the University of Mann­
heim. “Success factors for sustainable
com­pany management” was the theme
of a podium discussion during which Dr.
Selent along with Joachim Goldbeck,
managing director of Goldbeck Solar
GmbH, Hans Michael Hölz, managing
di­rector of Deutsche Bank and Florian
Nehm from Axel Springer AG highlight­
ed the growing importance of corporate
social responsibility in German in­­dustry.
And he went on to say: “Custo­mers and
investors are also increasingly reward­ing
companies which offer cli­mate-friendly
products and services. Integrating pro­
fessional sustainability and responsibility
management into the way that a compa­
ny does business en­­hances the value of
the brand and the attractiveness of the
company to em­ploy­ees, customers and
business partners.”
In his remarks, the FUCHS finance direc­
tor made no bones about the fact that a
commitment to such an approach is also
very much in companies’ own interests;
after all, climate change, a shortage of
energy resources and social problems in
various countries are very much regar­
5
ded as representing significant risks to
corporate success. “New technologies
and new raw materials which might pro­
vide a remedy here open up opportuni­
ties and potential for growth, but they
need to make economic sense“, stressed
Dr. Selent, and he pleaded for avoiding
excessive regulatory standards and en­­
sur­ing continuity in the general frame­
work conditions and global harmoniza­
tion of them.
However, Dr. Selent also made it clear
that the money which a company uses to
make a contribution to society first has
to be earned. “The overriding aim is and
remains generating sustainable profits“,
he said in outlining the basic prerequi­
site for supporting and maintaining so­­
cial and cultural facilities and activities to
the assembled audience of professors,
students and business representatives.
Dr. Selent further steered the focus to an
advanced and traditional understanding
of the concept of “sustainability”: the
long-term survival of a company. This is
where FUCHS can score with all the ad­­
van­tages of a family company: “Thinking
in terms of generations and continuity in
the management team and the share­
holder structure create the calm stability
within the company which is needed to
be able to cultivate the mature and
emerg­ing markets around the world in
a targeted and sustained way.”
Good marks for investor
relations work
FUCHS in 7th place in MDAX in Capital magazine’s
IR ranking
In this year’s investor relations (IR) prize
presented by the business magazine
Capital, MDAX newcomer FUCHS PETRO­
LUB came seventh in the ranking list of
stock companies which are represented
in the MDAX. With 361.5 points (previ­
ous year: 353.9), the IR work delivered by
FUCHS was rated as good – a points score
which would have put FUCHS in first
place in the SDAX ranking. But even
compared with the rival companies
which are listed on the Euro Stoxx, DAX
and TecDAX, FUCHS is extremely well
positioned: Only 15 companies achieved
a higher points score there, which means
that in the overall ranking of all indices
the company achieved a respectable 16th
place. The future prospects for FUCHS
are also rated highly: Along with the
optician Fielmann and the construction
company Hochtief, FUCHS PETROLUB is
one of the three “Capital favorites” in
the MDAX.
Votes were cast by around 400 analysts
and fund managers. The rating is based
on the “principles for effective financial
communication” which were devised by
the German Association of Financial Ana­
lysis and Asset Management (DVFA). The
focus here is on target group orientation
(information for all capital market share­
holders), transparency (relevant informa­
tion in a comprehensible form), the track
record (continuity of reports and in­crease
in the quality of forecasts) and the qua­
lity of the extra-financial reporting (re­­
porting beyond the financial domain).
Primarily companies earning a high IR
mark did so despite the crisis – a business policy which not all companies pur­
sue, as DVFA director Ralf Frank ex­­
plained: “Many companies are currently
far less open than they used to be in pre­
vious years, they are reluctant to make
any forecasts and they are rather unge­
nerous in engaging in individual discus­
sions.” The star of those groups which
have adopted a professional approach
to the crisis is brighter than ever, accord­
ing to Capital.
FUCHS analyst meeting at Bitzer in Rottenburg
During the tenth financial market conference in Rottenburg am Neckar to which FUCHS PETROLUB had invited
its analysts, the participants had the opportunity to see
for themselves at Bitzer Kühlmaschinenbau, how FUCHS
refrigeration oils are actually used. Before the visit to
the company, the analysts were given more details
about refrigeration oils by Wolfgang Bock, international product manager for industrial oils. Bitzer has evolved over its 75-year history to become an independent
family company which operates globally. Today, Bitzer
SE, which is based in Sin­delfingen near Stuttgart, has
32 subsidiaries and in 2008 its 2,700 employees generated sales of 5 480 million. The company is a key customer for FUCHS in the field of refrigeration oils. In our
picture you can see the group of analysts – together
with the participants from FUCHS – gathered at the
Bitzer factory in Rottenburg in front of a tool machine
on which the screw compressor rotors are machined.
6
Panorama
FUCHS takes over FUCHS remains a
Dylon Industries leading familyowned company
At the start of August, FUCHS PETROLUB acquired the lubri­
cants business of Dylon Industries through its US American sub­
sidiary FUCHS LUBRICANTS CO. The company, which is based in
Cleveland, Ohio, has been a leading global manufacturer of
forging additives and specialty greases for over 40 years and in
2008 it generated sales of nine million US dollars (seven million
euros). The takeover enhances the range of products FUCHS is
able to offer in the specialty sector and further strengthens the
company’s position in the market for lubricants for the metalworking industry. “Our customers will benefit from the merger
of Fuchs and Dylon because now we can offer an even broader
product portfolio of forging additives both at national and
global level”, says Steve Puffpaff, President and COO of FUCHS
LUBRICANTS CO. “We are pleased to have this opportunity to
improve our service. The joint research and development
efforts will allow us to offer a more comprehensive support to
our customers.”
The focus is very much on family-owned companies. Particularly
during times of crisis they represent responsibility, good sense
and identity – and they account for around 60 per cent of all
jobs in Germany.
For the third time now, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
has published the list of the largest German family-owned
companies and FUCHS PETROLUB is ranked in 119th place on
this list. The top three places are occupied by the Metro Group,
followed by the Schwarz Group (Lidl, Kaufland) and BMW. In
terms of stock market capitalization, FUCHS was ranked in 90th
place with a stock market value of 3 1.8 billion (at the time the
data was collected). The leading companies here were Volks­
wagen, E.ON and Siemens.
Finance minister Stächele visits FUCHS
An important visitor was welcomed by Stefan Fuchs
(second from left) and Dr. Alexander Selent (right) on 4
June. Accompanied by Mannheim councilor Steffen Ratzel
(left), the finance minister of the German state of Baden-
Württemberg, Willi Stächele, visited FUCHS in order to
learn more about the company. He followed the presentation with great interest and took part in a visit to the
factory.
7
Committed to AIDS prevention: (left to right) Jakob Jost, Chiara Kral, Tobias Schreiber, Lisa Gohlke, Florian Beining and teacher Birgit Zachert.
Committed to the fight against AIDS
Work of the “Peer Educators” successful / FUCHS supports project
An unusual picture presents itself in the eighth grade at Graf young people how they can communicate their knowledge
von Oberndorff High School in Neckarhausen: Instead of the and pass it on to their fellow students by holding workshops.
teacher, today six students are standing in front of their class­
mates asking them to pay attention. Lisa, Vanessa, Chiara, The team from Graf von Oberndorff High School has managed
Tobias, Florian and Jakob pass a scrabble bag around from to achieve this goal. They have already successfully delivered
which everybody is allowed to take something. The items in­­ four workshops. They provided information to their own class­
clude a pillbox, a small baby doll and a toothbrush. A young mates on three occasions, and for a fourth workshop the ninth
boy appears somewhat perplexed as he looks at the tooth­ grade from Erich Kästner High School in Ladenburg made the
brush he is holding in his hand. But Lisa does not give him trip to Neckarhausen. Lisa is very happy with the result of the
much time to think about what this means: “Do you think you workshops: “Everybody listened attentively and was very inte­
can become infected with AIDS if you use the same toothbrush rested to hear what we had to say.”
as somebody who is infected with this disease?” she fires off
her first question straight away. The boy to whom the question Angelika Staudt was particularly pleased with the way her
is addressed feels slightly uneasy and is not really sure what “Peer Educators” developed during the project. “They became
the answer is, and nor are his fellow students. Roughly half a lot more self-confident.” This view is shared by Birgit Zachert,
of them think the answer is yes, and the other half think it is a teacher at Graf von Oberndorff High School who oversees
un­­likely. Lisa, on the other hand, knows exactly what the the project at the school. “It is particularly impressive to see
how this self-confidence was also
answer is. ”AIDS cannot be transmitted
“It is incredible how he manages to remain
reflected in the workshops which we
through saliva”, is her clear answer.
happy and cheerful and not to lose heart.”
held.” And she empha­sizes the point:
The 14-year-old and her fellow stu­
dents are “Peer Educators” in AIDS prevention, teenage experts
who pass on their knowledge to their peers. “Nowadays, best
friends or the crowd that people hang around with have long
since taken over from parents as the most important source of
information when it comes to sex education“, says Angelika
Staudt, who was the brainchild behind the project which is
supported by the Mannheim-Ludwigshafen AIDS support
foundation. “This is where my idea comes in.” The drama
teacher and communication trainer visited Graf von Obern­
dorff High School, which had signed up to this project, intro­
duced herself and presented her idea, and from those young
people who expressed an interest she selected six teenage boys
and girls. The training took place over three afternoons and a
weekend. When it comes to medical questions, Staudt receives
support from medical specialist Dr. Bernd Buchholz from the
university children’s hospital who informs the young people
about the infection routes and explains how you can protect
yourself. The opportunity to meet a man who is HIV positive
left a particular impression on Lisa. “I thought it was incredible
how he manages to remain happy and cheerful and not to lose
heart.” Another important part of the training is to teach the
“It seems very important from my
point of view that in particular our young people from the
school, some of whom come from difficult backgrounds, gain
some knowledge of this subject area. I am absolutely convinced
that this educational training will have a positive long-term
impact on the teenagers’ direct environment, circle of friends
and their own lives.” The fact that communication of know­
ledge by teenagers’ own peers works particularly well is also
demonstrated by scientific studies conducted by the
Department of Psycho­logy II at the University of Mannheim.
The “Peer Educators in AIDS Prevention” project has now been
successfully implemented at six schools, including Konrad
Duden School in Mannheim-Rheinau and Wilhelm Wundt
School in Mannheim-Neckarau. This was possible thanks to the
presentation of the sponsorship award by FUCHS PETROLUB in
October 2008, an occasion which Angelika Staudt looks back
on with fond memories. “I found it very touching that repre­
sentatives from the projects which received support, were invi­
ted and their commitment and dedication was acknowledged
in a celebratory setting. Never before have I experienced any­
thing like this.”
8
Panorama
Kick-off in Mannheim
New youth support centre opened at SV Waldhof Mannheim football
club – FUCHS is a dedicated sponsor
The focus at the new youth support centre at SV Waldhof is not just on developing sporting skills; the trainers also supervise the boys and girls as they progress through school and embark on their future career.
“A gift for the whole of Mannheim” – this
is how Mayor Dr. Peter Kurz de­scribed
the new youth support centre at SV
Wald­hof football club, which was offi­
cially opened on 11 June. Spread over an
area of more than 780 square meters,
three new artificial turf pitches and a
multifunctional building with training,
The young sportspeople can relax in the leisure room.
leisure and fitness rooms point the way
to a bright future. 15 youth teams com­
prising around 230 young footballers en­­
joy optimum training facilities here. With
a donation of over three million euros, it
was funded by the Dietmar Hopp Foun­
dation with which FUCHS also enjoys a
working relationship. FUCHS PETROLUB
currently supports two youth teams at
the traditional Mannheim club with a
sponsorship arrangement. FUCHS fo­cuses
here, together with the “Anpfiff ins Le­­
ben” (Kick-Off in Life) association, on a
holistic approach to providing support.
“Only one per cent of talented young
footballers secure a professional con­
tract”, says Anton Nagl, director of the
association. “If the dream of being a pro­
fessional footballer is not realized, the
young people need to fall into a safety
net which is put in place well beforehand
– in the form of excellent schooling and
vocational education combined with so­­
cial skills.” The maxim is therefore to en­­
sure that the young people are well
coached to equip them for the rest of
their lives. The intention is that courses,
homework supervision and learning
camps at the support centre which is
housed within the highly traditional
Seppl Herberger sports complex on
Alsenweg in the Mannheim district of
Waldhof, will ensure that the young
sports­people at SV Waldhof can also
achieve success away from the football
ground.
9
Over 60 FUCHS employees participated in the BASF Company Cup this time.
BASF Company Cup:
Strong FUCHS team at the start
Over 60 employees present at the Hockenheimring
Perfect weather with temperatures of over 20 °C provided
ideal conditions: And the seventh BASF Company Cup again
saw around 15,000 competitors from over 750 companies come
together at the Hockenheimring to complete the 4.8 km Grand
Prix circuit as runners, inline skaters or walkers. The FUCHS
team was represented in the company contest with an impres­
sive line-up. Over 60 employees from FUCHS PETROLUB, FUCHS
EUROPE SCHMIERSTOFFE and FUCHS LUBRITECH were present
when the starting gun was fired on the evening of 24 June –
expertly looked after by “Captain” Christine Beck, who provi­
ded the athletes with drinks, pretzels and bananas.
This year FUCHS was again a sponsor of this major sporting
event, and it presented itself along with other companies at
the exhibitor area in front of the pit lane. At the exhibition
stand, FUCHS trainees Rouven Acquaviva, Josef Apfel, Katja
Gold, Sandra Keller, Nicolas Pfeifer, Andreas Szewczyk and
Ninja Trauner demonstrated a great talent for sales and distri­
buted the Anticorit Synth spray to attendees in return for a
donation in support of the association “Kinder am Rande der
Stadt” (Children on the Fringe of the City).
The FUCHS logo was also present on the boards along the cir­
cuit, on flyers and posters as well as on the finisher’s shirt which
each of the more than 15,000 participants received at the end
of the event.
This year, too the fastest FUCHS employees were honored at an
internal ceremony at which additional prizes were to be won.
These are the winners:
• In the “Running“ category, among the women the winner
was Melanie Doll, FUCHS EUROPE SCHMIERSTOFFE, and
among the men, just like last year, the winner was Uwe
Niederelz, FUCHS LUBRITECH.
• In the “Inline Skating” category, first place was shared, with
exactly the same time, by Cassandra Hofmann and Sabrina
Zubiller, both FUCHS LUBRITECH. The leading man was
Dr. Meinhard Grodde, FUCHS PETROLUB.
• In the “Walking / Nordic Walking” category, Gisela Balk hausen, FUCHS EUROPE SCHMIERSTOFFE, came top in the
internal ranking.
10
Panorama
Seminar program
Focus on
safety
Technical seminars and
sales training
Further measures
aimed at reducing
accidents at work
Offered by the FUCHS ACADEMY
All FUCHS specialist
fields are covered
Everything that FUCHS PETROLUB offers
in terms of further training and educa­
tion for its employees is brought together
at the FUCHS ACADEMY. The range of
subjects offered extends from the correct
use and application of lubricants right
through to marketing and sales.
The maximum number of participants
per seminar is ten people. Only written
applications made through the Group’s
human resources department will be
considered. The seminar costs will be
paid by FUCHS PETROLUB. Travel costs
and expenses must be paid by the parti­
cular company that sends an employee.
All seminars can also be offered in Eng­
lish if necessary and if there are a suffi­
cient number of participants.
In the overview you will see the FUCHS
ACADEMY seminars are scheduled to
take place from October to December. In
addition, you can put your name down
for further seminars. These reservations
will dictate which seminars will be offe­
red in the next six months. If you wish to
re­­gister for a seminar, require additional
information or have any further ques­
tions, you can contact Christine Beck,
phone: 0621 3802-167, email: christine.
beck@fuchs-oil.de, and Bianca Blatz,
phone: 0621 3802-163, email: bianca.
blatz@fuchs-oil.de in the Group’s human
resources department.
Seminar dates
The dates of the following seminars
are already fixed. You can register for
them now.
“S.E.T. Sales Excellence Training®”
Level 2 / Advanced course
Eugen Erni
13. + 14. October 2009
“Cooling lubricants and lubricants for
metalworking”
Dr. D. Hörner, Dr. W. Dresel, Dr. J. Schulz
21. + 22. October 2009
“Lubricants – basics”
Dr. W. Dresel, Dr. C. Seyfert
4. + 5. November 2009
“Cooling lubricants and lubricants for
metalworking”
Dr. D. Hörner, Dr. W. Dresel, Dr. J. Schulz
(already fully booked)
17. + 18. November
“Lubricants as design elements”
R. Luther, Dr. C. Seyfert, T. Kraft
2. + 3. December 2009
The issue of safety is right at the
top of the FUCHS list of priorities.
This is why the Group’s Executive
Committee has taken further
measures to minimize the num­
ber of accidents at work. The in­­
tention is that the occupational
health and safety (OHS) officer
should play an important role in
this context. This measure aims
at smaller distribution companies
in which an OHS officer was not
previously appointed and res­
ponsibility rested directly with
the managing director. The OHS
officer shall define, implement
and monitor measures which en­­
sure compliance with the Occu­
pational Health and Safety
Guidelines which were stipulated
in 2007. They will form the basis
for further advanced measures
designed to enhance the efforts
made by FUCHS in this area. As
well as being responsible for
general occupational health and
safety matters, one important
area of responsibility for the OHS
officer is educating and training
employees on issues of safety.
The health and safety plans of
the local companies are subject
to monitoring by the regional
management team and they are
also evaluated as part of the in­­
ternal audit processes. In order
to improve people’s appreciation
of the importance of health and
safety within the company, the
FUCHS Group human resources
department will set up a system
for reporting accidents at work
on the intranet.
Cover story
11
The FUCHS LUBRICANTS team in Singapore: (from left to right) Cathy Brice, Regional Product Manager, Michelle Lee, Rose Li, production planning, Nikki Har,
accounting, Lucy Toh, logistics, Ng Lay See, Personal Assistant, Gibson Ee, Sales Manager Automotive and Managing Director Trevor Gawne.
The “lion city” is keeping up
the spirits
Singapore is a city of superlatives. In the booming Asian metropolis,
FUCHS LUBRICANTS as the central point of South East Asia continues
the road to success
It is only a legend but every native of
Singapore likes to tell it. Around 600
years ago, as the legend goes, a prince
fled from the Indonesian Sumatra to
their island where, deep in the jungle,
he encountered a lion. An experience
that impressed the young lord so deeply
that he named the island “Singapore”,
which translates to “lion city.” It is rather
unlikely that lions ever lived in the Asian
jungle but the name suits the young city
state quite well. In its 44 years of exis­
tence, Singapore has always strived to be
no. 1, and has found success in doing so!
Singapore is the wealthiest country in
South East Asia and the hub of interna­
tional economy, benefiting from the
ideal business environment of this “role
model island”. An environment that is
reflected in the World Bank Ranking that
rates Singapore in first place as the most
business-friendly country-leaving 181
other competing countries behind.
It is this environment that Trevor Gawne,
Managing Director of FUCHS LUBRI­
CANTS appreciates. “Singapore is a Wes­
tern country with Asian flair”, says the
Australian listing the fortes of the island
state: a stable political situation, a pro­
fessional government providing excel­
lent infrastructure and public safety and
tackling corruption with a firm hand.
Where bribery is concerned, the city
ranks among the five “cleanest“ coun­
tries worldwide. “In addition, Singapore
has a well-functioning legal system,
which protects business agreements,
trademarks and the proprietary knowhow of companies.”
Singapore –
Facts and Figures:
•Area: 710 km2
•Population: 4.8 million
•GNP: 257.4 billion Singapore
dollars (5 129 billion)
•GNP per capita: 53,192 Singapore
dollars (5 26,600)
•Inflation: 0.5 per cent
(forecast 2009)
•Unemployment rate: 2.3 per cent
•Business languages:
English, Chinese, Malayan
•Most important import countries:
Malaysia, U.S.A., PR of China
•Most important export countries:
Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong
12
Cover story
Trevor Gawne is the Managing Director at FUCHS LUBRICANTS in Singapore.
Nikki Har is in charge of accounting.
only 5 million inhabitants, is an essential reason for the
success of FUCHS LUBRICANTS. “For us not only the busi­
ness done in Singapore is important but, above all, the
business controlled from Singapore“, as he puts it in a nuts­
hell. “Even if a company only has one administrative office
or a technical support center, it is here, where decisions are
made for the subsidiaries in the neighboring ASEAN coun­
tries like Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand or
Vietnam and quite often, Singapore also serves as the logis­
tic hub.”
Gibson Ee has many years’ experience as a Sales Manager in the Automotive
sector.
All these provisions and the favorable strategic geographic
location enticed many international companies to base
their regional headquarters in Singapore. Laborers from
western countries feel comfortable in the city state, and
they are welcome. “It is not a problem to get a visa”, says
Gawne. With a birth rate even below Germany, Singapore
needs qualified immigrants. “Another essential benefit for
foreign companies is that English is the official language,
which facilitates communication significantly”.
Hub for doing business with ASEAN states
For Managing Director Gawne, this concentration of eco­
nomic power in a rather small country with a population of
FUCHS can benefit from Singapore’s positioning, for
example in the Automotive sector. “To neighboring coun­
tries our lubricants are delivered in a package with the
spare parts.” This is one reason why this segment will grow
this year despite the economic crisis. Apart from European
manufacturers, FUCHS has gained a foothold in Japanese
companies in Singapore, and not only in the automotive
segment but also with manufacturers of electronic pro­
ducts. It was not easy, because Japan focuses strongly on
their own Japanese suppliers. “Here”, says Gawne, “the cri­
sis definitely served as a door opener. Last year, when eve­
rything was running smoothly and production was at full
capacity, nobody had time to see to the application of new
lubricants and initiate the tests necessary. You would not
even get an appointment.” Today, it is a completely differ­
ent story. The companies are interested in discussing poten­
tial costs savings through new products and are open to
alternative options and local supply.
The core business for FUCHS Singapore is metal working, a
segment which, according to Gawne, will show stable figu­
res throughout this year, mostly due to the strategically
important markets of offshore engineering and aviation.
“The government of Singapore is very pro business and
proactive in attract­i ng numerous aviation and aerospace
companies”, says Gawne, “and it also bears enormous busi­
ness potential for us.” These customers are an excellent
13
FUCHS in Singapore has 13 employees.
reference and offer a high reputa­tion. “Only top-class sup­
pliers are listed in these industries.“ Benefits that really
count in a tough environment where it is not always easy
to stand your ground against the competition of low-price
products.
Good prospects for the years to come
Gawne is optimistic, even though Singapore, which is so
closely linked to the finance and trade markets of the
world, is avidly fighting the crisis. Hope is growing that the
end of the reces­sion also in South East Asia is near. After a
significant recovery in the second quarter, the government
revised their 2009 forecast and projects that the economy
will only shrink by four to six per cent, and will subsequent­
ly grow by three to four per cent next year.
According to Gawne, FUCHS has ambitious plans up the
sleeve. Singapore shall be a strategic logistic and technical
hub for the South East Asian business of the region. From
here deliveries will be funneled to all adjacent ASEAN
countries and technical support will also be available cen­
trally from Singapore.
Laboratory assistant Vincent Ang is responsible for quality checks.
Asia will leave the crisis quickly behind
The Member of the Group´s Executive Committee Frans de
Manielle, who has been with the company for 23 years,
firmly believes that Asia will leave the crisis faster behind
than the rest of the world. “Where growth is concerned,
the future of the FUCHS Group lies in Asia”, says the South
African. For six years he has been Executive Vice President
South East Asia & Australasia with headquarters in the
joint office with FUCHS LUBRICANTS at Tuas Techpark in
Singapore. Apart from FUCHS LUBRICANTS, the subsidiari­
es in Australia (including New Zealand), Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand are centrally mana­
ged from Singapore. Vietnam has just recently been estab­
Employee Zainal is responsible for the warehouse.
14
Cover story
lished as a new market. “All of our subsidiaries are grow­
ing faster than expected”, he reports. Despite a decrease in
volume due to the difficult economic situation, we have
managed to achieve stable sales figures. “Particularly
indus­trial lubricants are under pressure whereas automo­
tive and mining and the private label business have not
encountered a downturn.”
The nearby Food Court with its vast range of Chinese specialties is a location
where people to go for lunch: (from right to left) Cathy Brice, Ng Lay See
and Trevor Gawne.
FUCHS Singapore counts a staff of 13 employees, most of
which are Chinese, who occasionally draw from rather unu­
sual sources for their economic forecasts. The Chinese
calendar features the year of the buffalo, a rather lethar­
gic animal, suggesting that where economic dynamics are
concerned, great leaps are not to be expected. Next year,
though, will be the year of the tiger: his energy and
strength, the Chinese are absolutely convinced about it,
will boost the economy.
From secretary to key account manager
secretary with mostly administrative tasks, she is now involved
in sales activities and respon­sible for two automotive key
accounts of FUCHS LUBRICANTS in Singapore. “I love my job”,
says the young woman. “I enjoy communicating with people
and I can be very patient.” A character trait that pays off when
acquiring new customers for FUCHS products. “You simply can­
not expect success in immediate return.” With many customers
the mother of two young girls has been in contact for many
years. “We know each other well and can talk just about every­
thing, even if business is not going as expected.” Language
skills naturally help, apart from English she is perfect in Chinese.
Like most Chinese in Singapore, her ancestors immigrated from
the Hokkien Province to the city state.
Breaking into the sales business was not always a piece of cake,
Lay See remembers. “At first, I was not really familiar with
technical matters.” She took the challenge. “With a staff of 13
employees, we are a small team, which is closely networked.
Therefore, it was never a problem to approach colleagues,
who could help me.” Today, she has overcome all these hurdles
and can discuss even technical problems on a par with her cus­
tomers. “This is very important for me.“ And she is a little
proud of her accomplishments. “I would always go for poten­
tial promotion opportunities in a company, even if it means
having to familiarize yourself with new job tasks“, she affirms.
Ng Lay See began her career at FUCHS as a secretary, today she is respon­
sible for several important customers.
She is very communicative, smart, full of energy and a real sales
talent: since 1998, Ng Lay See has been working for the FUCHS
Group, and her career is a success story. Originally hired as a
Her first assignment with the FUCHS Group was with Klaus
Heinlein, Manag­ing Director of FUCHS LUBRITECH GMBH, who
personally hired her. At the time, FUCHS LUBRITECH had its
office in the German Centre of the International Business Park.
She had worked there several years, before the various FUCHS
activities in the Asian metropolis were merged at the offices in
Tuas Tech Park, 33 kilometers from the city’s downtown area.
Did this move present a problem to her? “Singapore is not
really a mega-city and has an excellent infrastructure”, she
explains. “Actually, you can reach any location in the city within
30 minutes.”
Travel management
15
Asia for beginners
FUCHS is a globally operating group with
customers all around the world. Expert
know-how alone is not sufficient if you
want to be successful in the business. Just
as important are having an interest in, and
an understanding of foreign cultures. Today,
we are going on a journey to Singa­pore,
the metropolis on the southern-most tip
of Malaysia: business and financial center,
cultural melting pot and hub for business
with ASEAN countries – another region
where FUCHS is showing colors.
find time for a good meal. There is nothing more important
than good food and there is hardly any other country that
has such a diverse cuisine. It ranges from the most different
dishes from various Chinese provinces, supplemented by
culinary delights from Malaysia and India, the home of the
most significant ethnic minority in Singapore. Most popular
is the cuisine from the Hokkien Province, from where the
majority of the Chinese population in Singapore originated.
It is also the cradle of Singapore’s national dish: Hokkien
Fried Mee, fried noodles with vegetables, pork or shrimp,
garlic and bean sprouts. For the people of Singapore, it is
the quality of the food that is most important and not so
much the ambiance. This is a point to be considered when
inviting business partners.
Eating at the restaurant is never expensive. At the busy food
courts with numerous food stands all lined up on the base­
ment level of the chic shopping malls on Orchard Street you
can eat a tasty meal for one to two Euros. It is even afford­
able to have cocktail at the famous Raffles Hotel where
Queen Elizabeth II and Michael Jackson have spent the
night. Very popular for business dinners is Holland Village or
East Coast Park, where you can enjoy all kinds of seafood
directly at the waterfront.
Trevor Gawne, Managing Director of FUCHS LUBRICANTS is
a competent contact when finding out about the etiquette
for business-related encounters in Singapore. “Rule no. 1 in
a business meeting in Singapore: business cards are to be
treated with respect”, he advises. “They should not be ran­
domly distributed, but handed over to the business partner Public transportation is also inexpensive. Singapore has one
holding them with both hands. It is considered impolite to of the most modern and efficient subway systems world­
wide and plenty of taxis. The drive
just tuck them away. You express
„Nin che guo le ma?“ –
from Changi Airport, awarded best
your respect by laying them on the
airport of the world several times, to
meeting table. The business card is
“Have you eaten already?”
the downtown area takes about 20
like the face of your business part­
ner”, says Gawne, which you must not lose at any rate. It is minutes and costs around 10 Euros. For the 30 minutes from
an iron rule of confucian ideals, which still characterizes the the city to Tuas Tech Park, where FUCHS is based, you pay
about 13 Euros. By the way, English may be the official lan­
business life in Singapore.
guage, but not everyone speaks it well, not even cab drivers.
For European and American business people is actually easy “Singlish” is the regional variant, that owes to Chinese,
to make inroads in Singapore, according to Gawne. Business Malayan and Indian heritage. Rental cars are rather expen­
negotiations follow western patterns: the business lan­guage sive and not worthwhile. In certain parts of downtown you
is usually English, in this hectic metropolis, punctuality is have to pay additional tolls. Another problem: the former
highly appreciated, meetings are scheduled in short inter­ British colony drives on the left and the police are quick to
vals – therefore, one should not hesitate to get to the point. give you a ticket. Tips are frowned upon, neither to the cab
But despite the Anglo-Saxon casualness: conservative busi­ driver nor in the restaurant. The reason for that are the very
ness attire is essential, utmost politeness a must and certain stringent anti-corruption laws. Therefore, you should be
influences of traditional Chinese business ethics must be very careful with gifts you may want to offer your business
observed. No new business premises are inaugurated with­ partner.
out prior consultation of a Feng-Shui master, supposed to
create an environment of wealth and harmony. Many of­fices It is never a problem to find suitable topics for small talk
feature small altars with little sacrificial offering to appease during business meetings. German premium cars, which are
quite frequent on Singapore streets, despite their horren­
gods and ancestors.
dous prices are just as avidly discussed as sport events. Every
“Nin che guo le ma?” Have you eaten already? This is the one is well informed about European football teams and
Chinese opener to address people, comparable to our “how knows Oliver Kahn and Michael Ballack. Most people in
are you?” and not an invitation to eat at a restaurant. It is a Singapore regret that Michael Schumacher’s comeback did
greeting that reflects the importance of good food in not turn out. They would have loved to cheer him in
Chinese day-to-day life. Despite the hectic lifestyle – the September at the Grand Prix of Singapore, the only Formula
Chinese, and people in Singapore in particular, will always 1 night race leading through the city centre of Singapore.
16
Focus
Lots of suggestions from FUCHS LUBRITECH employees were incorporated into the architecture and features of the new building.
A quantum leap for
FUCHS LUBRITECH
At the end of June the company moved into the new company
building in Kaiserslautern
It is the biggest single investment in the history of the FUCHS PETROLUB Group:
Over 20 million euros were invested in the new company building of the specialty
subsidiary FUCHS LUBRITECH. Just eleven months after construction work began
on 6 August 2008, at the end of June the company moved into the new building in
the Industriegebiet Nord in Kaiserslautern – 4.6 kilometers away from the previous
site in Weilerbach.
“The investment made by our parent
company FUCHS PETROLUB in this new
site represents a real commitment to
FUCHS LUBRITECH and to the future of
the specialty business within the compa­
ny”, emphasizes Markus Heck, member
of the FUCHS LUBRITECH management
team. “I was very pleased to see that,
despite the current economic crisis, this
project was pursued without any cut­
backs being made.” The employees have
now moved into the new company build­
ing, it is flooded with light and spacious,
innovative and functional – and it is al­­
ready geared up for expansion today.
“Our company has been growing for a
number of years. This was why we had to
move from our site in Weilerbach. This is
also why we opted for a new site at
which we can continue to ‘expand’.”
FUCHS LUBRITECH acquired 56,000
square meters of space in two stages,
and an option to acquire a third plot
with an additional 25,000 square meters
of space has been secured.
sion. “Over the years, residential deve­
lopment had crept closer and closer to
our plant.” Logistics and warehousing
became more and more unmanageable
at a site on which there were also a large
number of small buildings spread around.
“It was virtually impossible to welcome
customers in a suitable setting or to hold
events on site”, says Heck.
“The situation in Weilerbach was simply
no longer workable”, recalls head of
production Matthias Pemsel. The site,
which had been occupied by FUCHS
LUBRITECH since the middle of the 1960s,
did not offer any more scope for expan­
In the search for a suitable alternative,
the Industriegebiet Nord in Kaisers­lau­
tern proved to be the premier choice.
“The city really did welcome us with
open arms”, says Markus Heck. Some
parts of production and about 60 em­­
17
ploy­ees made the move back in 2002.
“We first moved the areas which require
special handling such as the facilities for
filling aerosol cans or divisions with par­
ticularly strong growth rates such as the
production of CEPLATTYN®”, reports
Pemsel. In addition, a first high-bay
warehouse was constructed. Even back
then there were initial plans to expand
the size of the plant. The full project was
presented to the Executive Board and
the Supervisory Board of FUCHS PETRO­
LUB at the end of 2007.
Joint planning with the employees
“It was very important for us to plan and
design the new building jointly with our
employees”, stresses Heck. “We set up a
ten-person project group with represen­
tatives from all divisions of the company
and this group communicated our wishes
FUCHS LUBRITECH manufactures specialty lubricants and release agents.
Markus Heck, member of the FUCHS LUBRITECH management team (right), and head of production
Matthias Pemsel are delighted with the modern new company building in the Industriegebiet Nord
in Kaiserslautern.
to the architects.” Better communication
facilities, short channels, a low level of
noise and prestigious rooms for seminars
and meetings with customers were just
some of the points laid down in the
“requirement specification” for the ar­­
chitects of the general contractor Vollack
from Karlsruhe. “And time and time
again we worked on the basis of this
‘golden thread’.” Today the FUCHS
LUBRITECH team works in open offices
without doors. Sound absorbers ensure
a quiet working environment. An airconditioning system was not installed
though; instead, so-called concrete core
activation, a kind of huge floor and ceil­
ing heating system, regulates the tempe­
rature by supplying cold or hot water –
this represents an ecological and econo­
mic solution. And in addition to numer­
ous meeting rooms, the “Shanghai”
seminar room is now also available,
where field staff meetings and training
courses for employees can take place. It
also offers enough room for fairly largescale customer events such as the popu­
lar ZKG seminar for representatives from
the cement industry, an important con­
sumer of FUCHS LUBRITECH products.
In production, the decision was taken to
set up modules which are each 1,000
square meters in size and are divided up
according to the different production
processes. “At the moment we have
seven such modules”, says production
manager Pemsel. Then there is also the
workshop and a high-bay warehouse of
which Markus Heck and Matthias Pemsel are particularly proud. “It is a real
pilot project which will serve as a true
role model.” At FUCHS LUBRITECH the
original plan was to set up a largely
automated warehouse system, however,
this is an investment which only really
makes sense over very large areas. Leg­
islation on storing chemical products
together has recently been revised. “For
safety reasons, the authorities stipulated
that we had to built several stores which
are separate from one another.” How­
ever, this meant that the original auto­
mation plans were no longer viable. But
Heck and Pemsel did not give up and set
about finding an alternative solution –
and found one. “We decided to opt for a
warehouse with a reduced level of oxy­
gen in which we are able to reduce the
oxygen level from 21 to 13.5 per cent by
feeding in nitrogen.” This created a fireprevention facility instead of the ex­­
pected need to fight fires by installing
sprinklers. A few final objections by the
relevant authorities were overcome by
installing a CO2 fire-extinguishing sys­
tem. And the new building also passed
the necessary leakproof testing for the
walls without any problems. “The air in
our warehouse is the same quality as you
would find at an altitude of 4,500 meters
on the Matterhorn”, states Markus Heck.
18
Focus
FUCHS LUBRITECH GmbH
in figures
Location: Kaiserslautern
Year of foundation: 1996
(through a merger of REINER
Chemische Fabrik GmbH,
Gleitmolybdan Schmierstoffe GmbH,
Eching, and Graphitprodukte GmbH,
Dohna)
Employees: 240, 185 of them in
Kaiserslautern
Sales: 3 74 million (2008)
Products: Specialty lubricants and
release agents
The site covering a total area of 56,000 square meters still offers plenty of room for further expansion.
“When employees enter the warehouse,
oxygen apparatus is available for safety.
But this is a fairly rare occurrence.” The
warehouse can accommodate 10,000
euro-pallets, there are three automatic
rack storage and retrieval machines, and
an automatic order picking area.
Still plenty of room for expansion
All along the route connecting the ad­­
ministrative building and production
there are extensive green areas which
provide plenty of room for expansion.
“An additional high-bay warehouse and
five further modules for production
could be accommodated here without
any problems whatsoever”, reckons Pem­
sel. But there are no current plans for
such facilities to be built. This means that
the 180 employees can enjoy their small
parkland grounds. They have installed
benches by an idyllic fish pond – the ideal
place to enjoy a spot of lunch. One alter­
native is the roof terrace next to the staff
room for workers in production. Here
you can also enjoy a great view of lush
vegetation and of FUCHS LUBRITECH’s
neighboring companies in the industrial
park with which the company maintains
excellent contacts. “For example, our
preferred haulage company is based very
close by”, says Pemsel, “and so is one of
our packaging suppliers.” One local com­
pany supplies the work clothing, and
another supplies the labels. And even
The laboratory is now also housed in spacious new premises.
the coffee machine comes from the In­­
dustriegebiet Nord. There is close coope­
ration which is in fact even the subject of
a research project entitled “Zero Emis­
sion”. The scientists are investigating
how examples can be set on how to pre­
serve the environment by having close
relationships between suppliers in such
areas – for instance by reducing CO 2
emissions. Incidentally, the closest neigh­
bor to FUCHS LUBRITECH is the sewing
machine manufacturer Pfaff – the pre­
sent-day industrial park was originally
envisaged as a new location for this
highly traditional company.
“We do of course also supply our pro­
ducts to the local companies in our vici­
nity”, says Heck. The use of the company’s
own lubricants was of course also com­
pulsory during the project to construct
the company’s new building. “We stipu­
lated this contractually”, he makes clear.
“Our products were used in every crane
and every digger which was deployed
here – and we also made sure this was
the case with the prefabricated concrete
units which were not made on site.”
The only question remaining is what is
going to happen to the old site in Wei­
lerbach. “The buildings will be complete­
ly torn down next year”, reports Heck.
Part of the site will benefit the local com­
munity as an expansion and enhance­
ment of the village square and fair­
ground site. And apartments are going
to be built on another part of the site.
Did you know...
19
Fruitful symbiosis
Notable FUCHS donation for the construction of a new experimental
facility at the Institute for Machine Elements and Machine Design at
RWTH Aachen University
There is a great tradition at FUCHS of collaborating closely
with colleges and universities. After all, the collaboration
in research of scientists and the company is a fundamental
requirement and basis for the innovative strength of FUCHS.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a new
experimental facility at the Institute for Machine Elements and
Machine Design (IME) at RWTH (Rheinisch-Westfälische
Technische Hochschule) Aachen on 23 June was almost symbo­
lic in nature. In addition to University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr.Ing. Ernst Schmachtenberg and the Director of the Institute
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georg Jacobs, Dr. Lutz Lindemann, Member of
the Executive Board of FUCHS PETROLUB, also added his
weight to the proceedings. FUCHS has also done its bit to shore
up the financial foundations of the seven-million-euro project
with a notable donation. The construction work is progressing
at a rapid pace – it is hoped that the first experiments will be­­
gin by the end of this year.
A heavy drive train centre (HDTC) for studying heavy drive
trains will be constructed in the experimental facility. The test
stand installed there will be able to examine new types of
transmissions and drive train concepts in commercial vehicles
as well as agricultural machinery and construction equipment
to determine energy efficiency. With a power output of one
megawatt, the test stand is in fact capable of examining the
efficiency of small-scale wind turbines. The test stand, which is
mounted on a 750 ton swinging base, also features a modular
structure so that single-axis, double-axis and inline test set-ups
can be implemented very flexibly and thus both heavy trucks
and construction equipment or wind-power transmissions can
be tested.
The new facility also presents possibilities that also benefit
WINLUB II, a collaborative project which is promoted by the
German Agency for Renewable Resources (Fachagentur Nach­
wachsende Rohstoffe) in which the IME, FUCHS, a gearbox
manufacturer and rolling bearing producer work together.
“The focus of WINLUB II is on the demanding requirements
placed on offshore wind turbines”, says Prof. Jacobs. “The
main aspects which are examined are how components behave
at low temperatures and in a sea water environment.” FUCHS
wants to get a foothold in this sector in the future and at the
start of the year it brought together all of the expertise within
the Group in the “Windpower Division”. The research results
from Aachen are of course all the more significant: “The future
of wind turbines clearly lies in the offshore sector”, says FUCHS
executive board member Dr. Lutz Lindemann. “We are com­
mitted to this sector and we need lubricants which are up to
the task despite the difficult environment.” For him, the im­­
provement in the level of efficiency through the use of FUCHS
products is one of the key development aspects that will make
a substantial contribution to the success of the company in the
future. Against this background, he views the cooperation
At the ground-breaking ceremony for the new experimental facility: (left to right) Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ernst Schmachtenberg, Vice Chancellor of RWTH Aachen, Prof.
Dr.-Ing. Georg Jacobs, Director of the Institute for Machine Elements and Machine Design, Harald K. Lange, Aachen branch director of Bau- und Liegenschafts­
betrieb NRW, qualified engineer Gabriele Golubowitsch, lecturer in construction and engineering operations and maintenance at RWTH Aachen and Dr. Lutz
Lindemann, Member of the Executive Board of FUCHS PETROLUB.
20
Did you know...
with colleges and universities such as
RWTH Aachen as absolutely essential.
“The basic scientific research and the
application-oriented research in industry
are mutually beneficial here.” The work­
ing relationship with RWTH Aachen
plays a particularly important role at
FUCHS. “I know of no other college or
university in Germany where in a rela­
tively confined area you have access to
the expertise of so many different sub­
jects, starting with physics and chemistry
right through to mechanical engineer­
ing”, says Dr. Lindemann. The list of joint
research projects is long. Many of the
results ended up in patents.
The cooperation between the university
and FUCHS takes place on three levels, as
Prof. Jacobs explains. Basic research takes
place in the form of projects undertaken
by the drive technology research associa­
tion. “Lots of companies work together
here, and the results are generally acces­
sible.” On a second level there are pub­
licly funded collaborative projects such
as WINLUB II or a planned research pro­
ject together with a company which is
active in the field of control engineering
for optimizing plain bearings. In addi­
tion, FUCHS regularly awards smaller
direct assignments on clearly defined
topics – a third level of cooperation. Dr.
Lindemann very much appreciates the
benefits of this collaboration: “The ex­­
tremely successful collaborative research,
where universities and industry combine
their expertise, is the basis for the inno­
vative strength of the German economy
– and it really should be extended.”
Incidentally, the close contacts between
Aachen and Mannheim, as a result of
which two years ago Dr. Manfred Fuchs
was presented with the title of honorary
citizen by RWTH Aachen, do not only
involve research but also extend to
teaching. For instance, this has already
enabled the former engineering direc­
tors, Prof. Dr. Theo Mang and Dr. Georg
Lingg, in their role as visiting lecturers at
RWTH Aachen, to secure a number of
talented junior employees for FUCHS, as
Prof. Jacobs recalls. “The lectures of the
main course, which tend to attract only a
small number of students but in return
for this attract students who are very in­­
terested and talented, provide a perfect
opportunity to engage students in con­
versation and establish contacts.”
Communication Service
Revised
photo gallery
on the
homepage
This year, the photo gallery
on the homepage of FUCHS
PETROLUB AG was revised
and redesigned. The photos
can be downloaded at any
time for presentations, bro­
chures, etc. The photo gal­
lery also includes various
logos, pictograms and up-todate photos of the Group’s
Executive Commit­t ee. In
light of this expanded photo
gallery, the FUCHS TOOLS CD
will no longer be produced
in future.
The link to the photo gallery:
http://www.fuchs-oil.de/
photogallery0.html
Special promotion for attractive Christmas
presents
At the start of November
this year, you will be of­fered,
as part of a special promo­
tion, a number of attractive
Christmas presents for your
long-stand­i ng customers,
commercial partners and
suppliers at favorable prices.
These Christmas presents
can be ordered at the given
point in time via the intra­
net (www.fpint.com) or by
email.
Latest company news
FUCHS shows
its colors on
the engineer­ing
days
Isn’t engineering just a dry subject
and aren’t the natural sciences all
just dull theory? The State Museum
of Engineering and Labor in Mann­
heim (in future to be called the
Tech­noseum) did everything it could
on the engineering days held on 26
and 27 June to put such prejudices
to bed. “Hands-on engineering”
was on offer and schoolchildren of
all ages were delighted to take up
this invitation. They were allowed
to program Lego robots, build
bridges or design fischertechnik
machines. Companies which are
geared towards engineering and
the natural sciences presented
them­selves with information stands
designed to arouse the visitors’
interest in engineering, and to in­­
troduce them to career prospects
in these disciplines. FUCHS was also
there in its capacity as a long-stand­
ing sponsor of the State Museum.
Bianca Blatz, human resources of­­
ficer at FUCHS PETROLUB, and Nina
Schiml, from the human resources
department at FUCHS EUROPE
SCHMIERSTOFFE, outlined the
train­ing and study courses which
are offered by FUCHS. The engi­
neering days held for the first time
by the State Museum of Engineer­
ing and Labor proved to be a com­
plete success and they are set to be
repeated next year.
Supporting the new trainees as they made their
first steps in their working life: Christian Klein,
Vice President Human Resources (second row,
left), Bianca Blatz, Manager Human Resources at
FUCHS PETROLUB (second row, second from left),
Nina Schiml, Human Resources department at
FUCHS EUROPE SCHMIERSTOFFE (third row, left),
Simone Grunert, Manager Human Resources at
FUCHS EUROPE SCHMIERSTOFFE (second row,
third from left), Dr. Ralph Rheinboldt, Member of
the Executive Board and CEO at FUCHS EUROPE
SCHMIER­STOFFE (first row, second from left) and
Bruno Knöpfel, technical trainer (back row, centre).
21
Successful start to working life
16 new trainees at FUCHS
The 16 new trainees at FUCHS enjoyed a
successful start to their working lives. 15
young people began their vocational
training or integrated degree program
at FUCHS EUROPE SCHMIERSTOFFE on 1
September and 1 October respectively;
one of the integrated degree students
commenced her integrated degree pro­
gram at FUCHS PETROLUB. As is the case
every year, the trainers and managing
directors welcomed the new trainees
during the introductory week from 1 to
4 September. The new starters not only
got to know one another but also met
their colleagues from the years above.
The group of new trainees is made up
of two office administrators, two indus­
trial business management assistants,
two students studying for a bachelor’s
degree in project engineering and three
students studying for a bachelor’s de­­
gree in industry. In the chemical-engi­
neering sector, three chemical workers
and three chemical laboratory assistants
started their vocational training at
FUCHS in Mannheim. For the first time
this year, a trainee was taken on for the
job of chemical worker at the Fettfabrik
in Kiel who also attended the introduc­
tory week in Mannheim and will spend
the first two months of his training at
the Mannheim site. He will also be em­­
ployed on a regular basis in Mannheim
over the course of the next few years.
The introductory week provided a fun way for the trainees to get to know one another.
During the introductory week, the com­
pany was presented in a comprehensive
way with group tasks and a guided tour
of the business premises. The young
trainees’ representative organization
(JAV) and the works council also intro­
duced themselves to the young people.
The week concluded with a questionand-answer session with the managing
directors of FUCHS EUROPE SCHMIER­
STOFFE Kay-Peter Wagner and Stefan
Knapp, who answered all of the ques­
tions the trainees asked. A three-day IT
course for the young employees then
followed at the end of September.
The annual excursion for trainees on 3
September also formed part of the int­
roductory week. On this occasion, all of
the apprentices from FUCHS were able
to test themselves to their limits on the
indoor climbing wall in Bensheim. One
particular item on the agenda was the
team building training. Their ability to
work in a team was tested by tasks plac­
ing high demands on coordination and
cooperation within the group. The high­
light of the day was the seven-meterhigh climbing tree from which you had
to jump off backwards once you had
suc­c essfully climbed it. The trainees
were also keen on trying out a high
rope course, indoor and outdoor climb­
ing walls and the slackline (a tightened
rubber band for balancing). The day
con­­cluded with the joint barbecue
which was expertly managed by our
chef Gero Gärtner. And so a successful
day came to an end.
22
Latest company news
“Lending a helping hand” with the bottling of an engine oil or gearbox oil: This was an opportunity that FUCHS employees from administration enjoyed on
29 August.
Ever tried bottling oil yourself?
Eleven FUCHS employees from the administration division helped out in production
“Ever tried bottling oil yourself?” Eleven
employees from various administrative
departments and the laboratories can
now proudly answer “Yes” to this ques­
tion. They accepted the invitation exten­
ded by Kay-Peter Wagner, Managing
Director of FUCHS EUROPE SCHMIER­
STOFFE, and at 7am on Saturday, 29 Au­­
gust they turned up at the small contai­
ner bottling facility – among them
Group’s Executive Committee Member
Reiner Schmidt. Wagner quickly made
clear in his introduction what was ex­­
pected: This was not an occasion just to
stand by and watch, but everybody
instead needed to get stuck in and work
hard. And so under the stewardship and
supervision of ex­­perienced production
workers the em­­ployees quickly got on
with the task in hand. Working in groups
of two and three, various containers
were filled on several production lines –
each team had a specific task to fulfill.
The challenge was accepted with great
drive and determination – and by 3pm
everybody had achieved what they set
Under the supervision of experienced production workers, the novices tried their hand at filling small
containers.
out to. Wagner was very happy with the
performance of his “temporary staff”
from purchasing, production planning,
accounts, public relations and from the
laboratories, and at the end of the work­
ing day the hard work was rewarded
with a joint barbecue. Following this
successful kick-off to proceedings, one
thing is clear: A “re­­match” is already
being planned for next year.
23
Triumphing
with creativity
and FUCHS
lubricants
Autodienst Hoppegarten revels
in third-place prize in the “Service
Award”
Congratulations for the proud team from Autodienst Hoppegarten: FUCHS
Innovative service ideas, clear business processes and outstand­
ing customer service: These are the criteria for the presenta­
tion of the “Service Award” which the leading trade magazine
in the German car dealership and garage business, “kfz-be­
trieb”, presents along with its industry partners FUCHS EUROPE
SCHMIERSTOFFE and the tire manufacturer Pirelli. FUCHS has
sponsored the award since 2007 and it has been presented
since 1996 to acknowledge the work of independent as well as
brand-name companies in the automotive trade.
The venue for this year’s award ceremony on 17 September
was once again the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frank­
furt. A creditable third-place prize went to the team from
Autodienst Hoppegarten GmbH in Dahlwitz-Hoppegarten. A
prize the company, which services commercial vehicles of the
head of sales Dietmar Neubauer (third from right), Dr. Pedro Navarro Both,
head of Pirelli’s car dealership business (second from right) and Wolfgang
Michel, editor-in-chief of “kfz-betrieb” (right).
brands Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Schmitz Cargobull, HUM­
BAUR and Krone, also attributed to its decision to use FUCHS
lubricants, which enable the company to achieve an excellent
performance in the service sector.
“Many of the companies presented manage their service busi­
ness with superbly structured processes, creative ideas and also
earn money from sales”, said Wolfgang Michel, editor-in-chief
of the trade magazine “kfz-betrieb”. And he went on to say:
“The top returns on sales are over six percent, and with straight
service companies the figures can even exceed ten per cent.”
ALHAMRANI-FUCHS
PETROLEUM SAUDI
ARABIA celebrates
20th birthday
It was back in July 1989 that the ALHAMRANI Group and
FUCHS PETROLUB penned their signatures under a contract
which formed the basis for a joint venture between the two
companies. The beginnings of the young company with a
small grease and specialty factory in Yanbu were modest. But
the ALHAMRANI Group’s expansion into the oil business in
1996 was another milestone in the company’s remarkable
development. Today, at the company’s 20th anniversary,
AL­HAMRANI-FUCHS PETROLEUM SAUDI ARABIA is not only
the leading lubricants manufacturer in the region, but is also
a key member of the FUCHS Group. In the last few years in
particular, the joint venture delivered a series of record
re­sults.
This occasion should not pass without expressing particular
thanks to the present and previous members of the team.
Special thanks also go to Mumtaz Ahmed Jamil, who ar­­
ranged initial contact between the Alhamrani and Fuchs
families after meeting Dr. Manfred Fuchs at a lubricants conference in the USA in 1988.
24
Latest company news
Focus on current trends and technical issues
Over 40 guests attended seminar in Saudi Arabia
Over 40 guests from all over Saudi Arabia and the Middle East
travelled to the Radisson SAS Hotel in Yanbu in January 2009
to spend two days focusing on the subject of lubricants. The
seminar was kicked off by ALHAMRANI-FUCHS PETROLEUM
SAUDI ARABIA (AFPSA), which is the leading company for
lubricants technology in the region.
The very latest trends in the lubricants industry were the sub­
ject of the first day of the seminar, which was organized by
an important manufacturer of additives. The speaker had
trav­elled from Great Britain to Saudi Arabia.
The second part of the seminar was organized by ALHAMRANIFUCHS PETROLEUM SAUDI ARABIA. Industrial Oils Product
Manager Wolfgang Bock and Markus Garb, head of Product
Management Automotive (Americas, Asia and Africa) at
FUCHS PETROLUB, outlined various technical aspects of lubri­
cants for use in the industrial and automotive sectors.
The people attending the seminar included Alf Untersteller,
member of the Group’s Executive Committee with responsibi­
lity for the region, Mezahem Basrawi, President of AFPSA and
FUCHS OIL MIDDLE EAST, Zafar Talpur, Vice President Sales
and Marketing AFPSA, and Mohammed Hanif Sattar, General
Manager Operations & Technical AFPSA.
Mezahem Basrawi and Alf Untersteller welcomed the guests
and in opening the seminar they emphasized the FUCHS
team’s great commitment to the further development and
advancement of lubricants in a marketplace characterized by
great competition. They called on the participants to make
use of the knowledge they picked up in the seminar so that
they could respond in a professional way to meet the future
needs of FUCHS customers.
Delighted with the great interest in their seminar in Yanbu: Wolfgang Bock (first row, third from left), Markus Garb (first row, fourth from left), Mezahem
Basrawi (first row, fifth from left), Alf Untersteller (first row, sixth from left), Zafar Talpur (first row, fifth from right), Mohammed Hanif Sattar (first row,
fourth from right) and Didier Vidal, Managing Director of FUCHS OIL MIDDLE EAST (third row, third from right).
Markus Garb, head of Product Management Automotive (Americas, Asia and Africa) and Wolfgang Bock, Industrial Oils Product Manager (first row, tenth and
eleventh from left) lectured on technical issues in the lubricants business.
25
Recognition for top salespeople
Trader conference of FUCHS LUBRICANTS (CHINA)
117 distributors from all over the country
came to the distributor conference of
FUCHS LUBRICANTS (CHINA) in Guiyang
to which the company had invited them
in May 2009. They were welcomed to the
event by Klaus Hartig, member of the
Group’s Executive Committee and Exe­
cutive Vice President Far East as well as
CEO FUCHS CHINA, and by Yu Zhihe,
Sales Vice President Automotive.
During the gathering, Hartig and Yu
Zhihe discussed with the distributors, the
future strategy for automotive products
in the end consumer market. They em­­
phasized how important it is to launch
the FUCHS products on the market at a
high level, and they stressed the need to
improve the distributors’ comprehensive
expertise. One important item on the
agenda was also the honoring of the dis­
Klaus Hartig (left) and Yu Zhihe (right) share the award-winners’ delight at their success: (left to right)
tributors with the best sales figures.
Shuai Liming, managing director of
Jiangxi Jiabang, received the “Extant dis­
tributor growth award” for outstanding
sales achieved in the retail and OEM sec­
tor. Ren Gaojun, sales manager for Ning­
bo Jinzhen, was awarded the title of
“sales champion” (end consumers), fol­
lowed by Liu Wenxiang, marketing man­
ager for Harbin Dakailong. Gao Rui, sales
manager for Yunnan Kunghong, was
delighted to be acknowledged as “AFW
Pioneer 2008” and Liu Shuwen, manag­
ing director of Beijing Zhongchengrun­
da, was honored for his outstanding a­­­
chievements as a new distributor. In just
his first year working for FUCHS, he de­­
livered remarkable sales figures.
In keeping with the desire to launch
high-end products on the market, pro­
duct managers from the automotive sec­
tor offered training courses on these
products. The automotive sales team
organized an exemplary promotion de­­
signed to boost sales. The evening was
an occasion for celebration: The FUCHS
team with representatives from the
automotive sales department, the mar­
keting department, automotive project
management and all distributors con­
vened at a dinner party and enjoyed a
very pleasant ending to the conference.
Shuai Liming, Ren Gaojun, Gao Rui, Liu Wenxiang and Liu Shuwen.
Shared commitment to success in the Chinese market: The FUCHS team and the more than 100 distributors on the spot.
26
Latest company news
Success story in the Ukraine
Visit from Germany to FUCHS MASTYLA
A warm welcome was extended to Stefan Fuchs (seventh from left), Dr. Ralph Rheinboldt (fifth from left) and Christian Ohligmacher (seventh from right) by
FUCHS MASTYLA managing director Serguei Lobozinskii (sixth from left) and his team.
It is a real success story: The development
of FUCHS MASTYLA UKRAINE, which will
celebrate its 15th anniversary at the end
of the year. After many years in which
sales stagnated at a low level, things
have really started to pick up since 2005
– with high double-digit growth rates
each year. Reason enough for Stefan
Fuchs, executive board member Dr. Ralph
Rheinboldt and Christian Ohligmacher,
head of the Central Europe and Eastern
Europe region, to travel to the Ukraine
in May 2009 to pay a visit to the com­
pany’s headquarters in Lviv. Their aim
was to meet the employees and see the
office and warehouse facilities for them­
selves and to gain a detailed impression
of the business of FUCHS MASTYLA.
Managing director Serguei Lobozinskii
outlined the activities and developments
in the various market segments and ex­­
plained how the FUCHS subsidiary has
been able to remain on course and keep
the business on an even keel despite the
economic crisis, which has also hit the
Ukraine hard. FUCHS has an excellent
presence in the country in particular in
mining but also in various other sectors
of industry and in the automotive busi­
ness. With several branch offices and
regional warehouses, FUCHS has a pre­
sence in all the key regions in this exten­
sive country, which has 46 million inhabi­
tants and stretches for over 1,200 kilo­
meters from west to east. The trip con­
cluded with a visit to the historic centre
of Lviv, which as a UNESCO World Heri­
tage Site boasts lots of lovingly restored
buildings, including some from the impe­
rial and royal period. The city in the west
of the Ukraine has a population of around
735,000 people and is over 750 years old.
Grease laboratory opened in Australia
Production facilities already under construction
The new grease laboratory is intended to support the grease production facility which is already under
construction.
For Wayne Hoiles, Managing Director of
FUCHS LUBRICANTS (AUSTRALASIA), and
his team, 7 May 2009 was a very special
day. With a symbolic cut of the red tape,
he opened the new grease laboratory
at the headquarters of the Australian
FUCHS subsidiary in Melbourne. “The
grease laboratory is an important miles­
tone on the path to a new grease factory
on the site in Melbourne which is alrea­
dy under construction”, said Hoiles. Once
this factory starts operating, it will pro­
duce lithium greases and lithium com­
plex greases. The new facilities will also
27
be capable of producing calcium greases
and calcium complex greases.
The planning, construction and com­
missioning of the grease laboratory
were overseen by Roman Müller and his
know-how transfer team from Mann­
heim. Some of the laboratory equipment
was procured from Germany.
Laboratory director Luke McGregor and
Steve Rebbechi, production engineer,
spent a week preparing for their new
roles at the grease laboratory in Mann­
heim and another week in the grease
factory in Kiel. The grease laboratory
represents a substantial investment in
the area of research and development
and it will shape the grease production
activities in Melbourne in the future.
Managing director Wayne Hoiles (left) opens the new grease laboratory.
Running
for Zoe
Employees from
FUCHS LUBRICANTS
(UK) raise money in
memory of a little girl
Pink was Zoe’s favorite color and so the
T-shirts worn by “Team Zoe” were also
pink – in memory of a happy little girl
who died far too young at the age of
just eight. “Zoe Keeling was the niece
of our colleague Lynn Wilkes from the
purchasing department, and so it went
without saying that we would support
the family in this difficult situation”,
says Phillip Taylor, head of the purchas­
ing department at FUCHS LUBRICANTS
(UK). Therefore “Team Zoe” was formed,
in which employees of the company
got together to raise money in Zoe’s
memory for a new library at Sandford
Hill Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent,
which Zoe attended. With this in mind,
eleven runners from “Team Zoe” took
part on 14 June in the fifth “Potters
Half-Marathon”, a traditional 13.1 mile
race all around Stoke-on-Trent in which
Employees from FUCHS LUBRICANTS (UK) do their best for Team Zoe: (left to right) Darren Bourne, Phil
Taylor and Tracy Hargreaves.
runners from companies and private
individuals are sponsored to raise
money for a good cause. “We have al­­
ready been able to raise over 3 5,000
(3 5,430) for the new library”, says
Phillip Taylor. “It is set to be called
‘Butterfly Library’ in memory of Zoe.”
28
Latest company news
Adrenaline rush for Polish customers
Meeting with the FUCHS Star Moto Racing Team was a big hit
The customers of FUCHS OIL (PL) were able to breathe the real atmosphere of the pit lane: The visit to the race track in Poznan was a real success.
Fancy doing a few laps on a race track
in a Ferrari – who hasn’t dreamt of
this? For 60 customers of FUCHS OIL
(PL), this dream has now come true. At
the end of August, they were able to
spend two days visiting the race track
in Poznan, watching a professional
racing team at work and breathing the
atmosphere of the pit lane – the most
courageous guests even had the op­­
portunity to try out the circuit for
themselves as a passenger with Maciej
Stañco from the FUCHS Star Moto Team
in his Ferrari 430 GT3. “That was a real
adrenaline rush for our customers”,
said Piotr Krawiec, Managing Director
of FUCHS OIL (PL). The guests also had
the opportunity to admire the Porsche
997 which was driven last year during
the Polish Grand Prix and the Porsche
Carrera Cup. Maciej Stañco is the driver
of the FUCHS Star Moto Racing Team.
He won the Polish championships be­­
tween 2000 and 2008. At the moment
he is leading the Polish Grand Prix and
he is in third place in the Central Euro­
pean championships.
Trade and promotion activities
Successful appearance
at drinktec trade fair
in Munich
BREMER & LEGUIL is the only
notable supplier of lubricants
to the food industry
BREMER & LEGUIL was more than
happy with the way drinktec went in
Munich this year. With the high num­
ber of trade visitors, the exceptional
quality of special­i st discussions that
were held, and the number of wellinformed inquiries that were made,
expectations were well ex­­ceeded. The
constant commitment and dedication
in the form of regular visits to other
food and drink industry trade fairs
really did pay off.
drinktec 2009, a global trade fair for
beverages and liquid food technology is
the most important event in the indus­
try. This year’s event brought together
the top decision-makers in Munich from
14 to 19 September, and gave a real
boost to the industry. Manufacturers and
suppliers from all over the world, includ­
ing companies that operate on the inter­
national stage as well as medium-sized
enterprises, met with the major produc­
ers and distributors of beverages and
BREMER & LEGUIL was delighted to make contact with many customers at drinktec 2009.
29
liquid food. The food and beverages
industry has not been hit by the global
economic crisis and it is therefore look­
ing to the future with plenty of optimism.
BREMER & LEGUIL positioned itself
among the exhibitors as the only nota­
ble manufacturer of specialty lubricants
able to offer an extensive range of pro­
ducts to the food industry. The presenta­
tion of the NSF-H1 products from the FL
range was persuasive and received a
great response.
Around 60,000 trade visitors from 170
countries came to drinktec in Munich,
with 55 per cent of them coming from
abroad. There was a particular rise in the
number of guests from China, India, the
USA, from South America and the United
Arab Emirates. BREMER & LEGUIL also
benefited from this trend. The high num­
ber of export contacts made highlighted
outstanding opportunities for the global
positioning of the NSF-H1 registered
Rivolta® products, which are already very
successful under the brand name Gera­
lyn®, through expert consultancy.
30
Trade and promotion activities
Numerous contacts made in Brno
FUCHS OIL (CZ) enjoys success at International Mechanical
Engineering Fair
Meeting of managing directors at the Mechanical Engineering Fair in Brno: (left to right) Jan Cholensky,
Miroslav Kolenčik, Manfred Reitinger, Krisztián Rada and OEM Sales Manager Lars Eggers.
Managing director Piotr Krawiec (second from
right) was also represented in the group of ex­­
hibitors in Brno.
It is the leading industrial trade fair in
Central Europe: the International Me­­
chanical Engineering Fair held in Brno
in the Czech Republic. It was able to
maintain this position even in the cur­
rent difficult economic climate, with
1,507 exhibitors from 29 countries
gathering for the event from 14 to 18
September. In 2009 the partner country
was Slovakia. Metal-processing and me­­
tal-forming machines were in the focus
on this fair, which FUCHS OIL (CZ) has
been attend­ing as an exhibitor since as
far back as 1996. This 51st International
Mechanical Engineering Fair again saw
lots of important customers visit the
FUCHS OIL (CZ) stand; some of them are
regular guests who enjoy close contacts
with the special­ists from the company.
On 16 Sep­t ember, FUCHS invited its
most significant customers to attend a
meeting and a seminar in the congress
centre. The Managing Directors of the
FUCHS companies from the neighboring
countries, Piotr Krawiec, FUCHS OIL (PL),
Miroslav Kolenčik, FUCHS OIL (SK),
Manfred Reitinger, FUCHS AUSTRIA,
Krisztián Rada, FUCHS OIL HUNGÁRIA
and OEM Sales Manager Lars Eggers
also accepted the invitation extended
by Jan Cho­lensky, Managing Director of
FUCHS OIL (CZ).