THE GREAT KNOWLEDGE QUIZ - Duropal

THE RICHTER MöBElWERkSTäTTEN IN FÜRSTENAU
Maximum quality claims
with, by and for Duropal.
The Richter Möbelwerkstätten have long maintained close cooperation with Duropal, and in a dual sense. Because
in the company building in Fürstenau they not only work with Duropal, but also for Duropal. As an exhibition
constructor, the Richter Möbelwerkstätten have been working with the Arnsberg company since the early
1980s. In the interview, Reinhard Richter talked about the beginnings, the present and the future of their
successful partnership.
Mr. Richter, since when exactly have you been
working together with Duropal?
We have been working with Duropal as a material since
the company first went into business in the year 1976.
Our cooperation with Duropal as a customer dates back
almost as far. Since about 1981.
How did this cooperation come about?
A designer who we already knew from other projects
was in contact with the Duropal founder Paul Wrede in
person. The matter in question was the construction of
an exhibition stand.
Can you still remember any special features?
Exhibition stands at the time were so constructed as to
allow visitors such as designers, architects and builders
to find out more about the material, but also to convey
more strongly what the material is suitable for, and
what can ultimately be constructed with it, if it is worked
professionally. We were quickly able to get this quality
over to the people concerned, and thereby won the
initial confidence of Duropal, and also some orders.
Can you give us another example?
In about 1983, Duropal established a branch works,
whose task was to produce and market special elements
with an angled shape. Our company was also heavily
involved here in the presentation of these products at
exhibitions such as Interzum or Euroshop. We even
presented at Euroshop a cantilever table with a span of
4 metres, which had been made by us using a PU core
covered with Duropal HPL laminate.
16 _ HPL World
So this initial confidence continued to grow with
time. Are there also things from these early times
which you miss today?
Yes. Years ago, we used to sit down together at the
beginning of every new calendar year and discuss which
exhibitions we wanted to attend, and what special features
we wanted to concentrate on in the marketing
field. The necessary capacities were then taken into
account and planned accordingly. Today one only learns
about developments with very, very short notice, which
leads to stress situations.
So the market has changed. But your company is
also no longer the same as it used to be, you too
have also greatly extended your range of services?
Today we do everything from building-, shop- and
exhibition-fitting, to interior furnishings, series production
furniture and banks, and on to partition wall
systems and interior fittings for ships. This has been
developed over the course of time so as not to overstrain
our capacity utilisation.
And how did things continue regarding the
cooperation with Duropal?
Duropal, and the whole company group, continued to
place their confidence in us, and give us orders.
And how do you in turn assess the cooperation as a
user of Duropal materials?
The cooperation and the service are absolutely excellent.
Due to the various cooperative efforts, the people in
the different departments know each other very well at