THEME: THE TENCATE VALUE PROPOSITION

2012 | number 1 | spring 

THEME: THE TENCATE VALUE PROPOSITION

txtures 1 - 

spring 2012 

The company 

Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) is a multinational company 

which combines textile technology with chemical 

processes in the development and production of 

functional materials. Cost-effective applications 

(product-market-technology combinations) which focus 

on growth markets have been or will be created around 

this technological base. 

TenCate materials are used mainly for personal safety 

and for the protection of the living and working 

environment; modernization of equipment used by the 

armed forces, firefighters and police; space and 

aerospace (lower fuel costs due to lighter materials); 

water management, infrastructure and care for the 

environment; and industrial applications. 

txtures 1 

This 48-page spring edition of txtures includes 

articles about: 

Composites and aerospace 5 

Active protection against IEDs 9 

TenCate Geosynthetics 

showed strong performance 12 

TenCate Field Monitoring System 18 

Dike monitoring system Yellow River 20 

Armour for aerospace 22 

Revitalization of Kai Tak 32 

Innovation and the role of education 34 

GreenFields, a green supplier of synthetic turf 36 

Protective fabrics for ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe 42 

Photo on front cover: production of synthetic turf yarn 

at TenCate Grass in Dubai 

2 txtures | number 1 | spring 

Value chain management 

TENCATE bUSINESS MOdEL GUIdING PRINCIPLE FOR VALUE CREATION 

The TenCate 

value 

proposition 

TenCate operates a value chain management business model. This business model 

determines how the company, based on its position in the chain, creates value, secures 

value in products and services and adds value to customized system solutions. 

The end-user plays a central role in this. Cost leadership is and will remain 

the guiding principle. 

In order to secure a strong and sustainable 

competitive position in the value chain, it is 

essential to offer end-users recognizable added 

value: the value proposition. This value 

proposition is made up of a number of 

‘promises’ that the company has to fulfil in 

order to solve a problem raised by a customer 

or group of customers. The added value of a 

product or system is often based on the 

changing needs of end-users that result from 

laws and/or regulations. The end-user 

translates the value proposition into concrete 

benefits, such as price-performance ratio, 

reliability of delivery and the ability to respond 

to individual needs. 

Added value 

The core markets in which TenCate operates 

are comprised mainly of public sector-related 

players who have a guiding role or act as 

facilitators in the protection of people and their 

environment, the building of infrastructure- and 

sports-related projects and water management. 

TenCate maintains a close relationship with 

public sector services, specifiers, material 

experts and designers. In contacts with end

In the synthetic turf market there is increasing integration within the value chain to speed up developments and enhance the quality 

of the synthetic turf system 

markets it must always be clear what the value 

proposition entails, and for TenCate this added 

value is to be found in six specific aspects: 

1 TenCate develops and produces materials as 

end products or as part of a system that meet 

the core need of a customer or group of 

customers in terms of characteristics; 

2 The end result for the user is that extra costs 

or undesirable side effects are avoided in 

achieving a solution; 

3 TenCate helps partners in the value chain to 

meet market needs or to comply with laws, 

regulations, standards, etc.; 

4 TenCate products and systems satisfy the 

growing need for energy conservation, 

reductions in CO2 emissions and stricter 

standards for the safety and protection of 

people and their environment; 

5 The core values of the TenCate brand are 

trust, security and quality. These aspects are 

essential in order to be able to offer 

sustainable functional solutions; 

6 As an innovative partner, TenCate, together 

with other market players, is open to the 

development (co-creation) of materials that 

meet specific customer needs. 

From product to solution 

The provision of solutions fits in with the value 

proposition concept. Through specific channels 

in business-to-business and specialist media, 

TenCate communicates principally about 

solutions that are achieved using TenCate 

materials. In order to create multifunctional 

systems, the company constantly seeks to link 

up with other technologies. The TenCate 

solutions-oriented approach has also resulted 

in a gradually changing sales organization, 

which collaborates with market players and 

specialists who offer various solutions and 

Continued on page 4 

3

Value chain management 

TENCATE bUSINESS MOdEL GUIdING PRINCIPLE FOR VALUE CREATION 

Continued from page 3 

part-solutions and players who offer specific 

access to international markets. 

The most far-reaching form of cooperation is 

taking place in the synthetic turf market, where 

there is increasing integration within the value 

chain to speed up developments and enhance 

the quality of the overall end product (the 

synthetic turf system). The TenCate 

Geosynthetics market group is also involved in 

cooperation with for example engineering firms, 


installers and specialist companies, particularly 

those in the field of monitoring and detection, 

and environmental and water management. 

Automotive industry 

An important development in the automotive 

industry is the increasing demand for weight 

saving and environmental awareness. 

Materials (composites) and the technology 

position of TenCate contribute to the required 

In the automotive industry there is an increasing demand 

for weight saving and environmental awareness 

solution. In the use of new materials the 

production processes too will undergo changes. 

By working together with players in the value 

chain TenCate as a materials producer can 

support and facilitate the development and 

sustainability desired. 

www.tencate.com 

royal@tencate.com

Sustainability / Environment 

TENCATE AEROSPACE COMPOSITES REALIzES SOLId GROwTH IN SALES 

Composites for 

aviation 

are the future 

The TenCate Aerospace Composites production plant in Nijverdal 

is the leader in thermoplastics 

TenCate Aerospace Composites can 

look back on a good 2011 and the 

prospects for 2012 are promising too: the 

trend towards lightweight composite 

materials in the space and aerospace 

industry continues unabated. Through 

investing in product development and 

concluding cooperative alliances for 

open innovation, TenCate is strengthening 

its position and thereby supporting the 

growth of the composites industry. 

In 2011 the market group TenCate Aerospace 

Composites realized a solid growth in sales of 

35%. This growth was largely due to increased 

production for the Airbus A380 and A350 and 

the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The growth had 

a positive effect on capacity utilization, with 

machinery capacity more effectively utilized at 

the Dutch production plant in particular. 

Composite materials from TenCate Aerospace 

Composites for aerospace purposes are applied 

in interior and structural parts, while in the 

aircraft industry the group is active in civil and 

military aviation and in business jets. 


5


TENCATE AEROSPACE COMPOSITES REALIzES SOLId GROwTH IN SALES 

Commercial aviation embraces regional and business jets, general 

aviation and the large commercial segment, including Boeing 

6 txtures | number 1 | spring


The production plant in Nijverdal is the largest 

thermoplastics factory worldwide, and TenCate 

Cetex ® has already consistently proved itself in 

numerous aircraft programmes. 

The aerospace sector 

According to Frank Meurs (group director 

TenCate Advanced Composites Europe), the term 

‘aerospace’ is broad and requires clarification. 

The sector can be subdivided into Space, 

Defence & Communications and Commercial. 

For example, satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles 

(UAVs) and radar domes (radomes) fall under 

Space, Defence & Communications. In the 

United States, TenCate Space Composites leads 

the field in composite materials for satellite 

programmes. UAVs for military applications 

and the satellite industry remain an important 

growth market for TenCate. The orders are often 

defence-related, produced in small series, and 

involve thermoset prepregs. These are made 

by the TenCate plants in Fairfield and Morgan 

Hill. Commercial aviation embraces the large 

commercial segment (Airbus, Boeing), regional 

jets (Bombardier, Embraer) and business 

jets, and general aviation (Cirrus, Dassault, 

Falcon, Gulfstream). ‘When it comes to the big 

commercial and regional jets in particular, we 

have a comprehensive thermoplastics strategy, 

such as TenCate Cetex ® . We project a distinctive 

image in regard to thermoplastics.’ 

Innovation and technology 

As Frank Meurs explains, innovation is extremely 

important in differentiating quality. He mentions 

the acquisition of Phoenixx (USA) in 2007 

as an example. Phoenixx is market leader 

in unidirectional (UD) tape technology. The 

company develops applications for the space and 

aerospace sector and for oil and gas extraction. 

The UD technology complements the technology 

behind TenCate Cetex ® and now has the same 

brand name. With this technology, materials and 

processing technology can be further developed 

in order to devise new applications. While the 

first generation of TenCate Cetex ® is ensuring 

sales and growth, operational excellence is 

important for a stable production. With UD tape 

comes a second batch of thermoplastics, with 

the potential for application in primary structures. 

‘As yet there is no mature industry for 

thermoplastics, and this is something you run 

up against even in the automotive market. 

In Europe there are about ten companies that 

know the ins and outs of thermoplastics. For the 

large-scale application of thermoplastics, the 

value chain must be of sufficient dimension, 

and that’s why we want to involve many more 

companies, institutes and other parties in the 

value chain. Moreover you have to develop the 

whole environment, so that we can steer the 

technology to maturity.’ 

Vision of the future 

In the vision of the future ‘From Good to Top 

(Sector)’, the Dutch aerospace industry sets 

out its ambitions for the coming ten years 

(within the context of the top sector High Tech 

Systems & Materials). These ambitions must 

lead to such advances as a decrease in the 

environmental pressure and noise pollution 

caused by aircraft and the creation of high-grade 

jobs for highly-trained employees. Five themes 

are listed: investing in innovation (knowledge, 

innovation and research), investing in the ability 

to excel (clustering expertise in the region), 

investing in worldwide competitive ability 

(supporting trade missions, etc.), learning to 

excel (training and job market), and ‘What we 

do is green’ (sustainability). TenCate endorses 

the five themes and puts them into practice. 

TenCate invests in R&D and participates in 

development consortia and open-innovation 

networks. Furthermore TenCate, together with 

Philips, Thales and others, took part in the state 

visit to Oman and the United Arab Emirates. 

Composites stand for sustainability, and their 

application makes aeroplanes cleaner, quieter, 

lighter and stronger – and therefore safer, 

more economical and more cost-effective. 

TenCate Cetex ® is recyclable. The proportion of 

solvents in the manufacturing process is being 

systematically reduced. By using thermoplastic 

composites, it is possible to produce large 

volumes in series. TenCate is also working with 

education institutes on training and educational 

programmes that are relevant for quality and 

promote links to the job market. 

Positive 

The trend in structural demand for lightweight 

composite materials from TenCate in the civil 

aviation industry also remains positive. This is 

partly due to the qualifications at the company’s 

disposal. Although TenCate Aerospace 

Composites does not have a vast number 

of patents, it is certified for many aircraft 

programmes and has many ‘culinary secrets’. 

It is expected that TenCate will continue to 

profit from the long-term contracts with major 

international aircraft manufacturers in 2012 

too. Furthermore expectations remain positive 

regarding the military aviation market and 

satellite programmes. 

• TenCate seeks, together with companies, 

institutes and other parties, to increase 

the dimension of the value chain in order 

to steer the thermoplastics technology to 

maturity 

• TenCate invests in innovation, the 

clustering of expertise and more 

sustainable production processes, 

participates in trade missions, and works 

with education institutes on focused 

educational programmes 

• The trend in structural demand for 

TenCate composite materials in the civil 

and military aviation industry and 

satellite programmes remains positive 

www.tencateadvancedcomposites.com 

advancedcomposites.europe@tencate.com 

advancedcomposites.americas@tencate.com 

7


TENCATE AEROSPACE COMPOSITES PARTNER IN dEVELOPMENT CONSORTIA 

The trend in applying lightweight composite materials in the aviation industry will remain positive even in 

the longer term. TenCate is responding to this through its active role in collaboration in thermoplastics, such 

as the ThermoPlastic Composite Research Center (TPRC) with such parties as boeing, and the Airbus-related 

Thermoplastic Affordable Primary Aircraft Structure (TAPAS) consortium. 

development of composites 

These collaborative alliances in thermoplastics 

underline the importance of the 

joint endeavour to grow the composite 

share in the aviation sector. 

TPRC 

The development consortium TPRC aims at 

developing lighter thermoplastic products 

and a broader range of applications for 

thermoplastics. ‘TPRC really exists for the 

senior engineers of Boeing,’ says Frank Meurs 

(group director TenCate Advanced Composites 

In the TPRC laboratory 


Europe). TenCate Aerospace Composites USA 

also produces composite fasteners for the 

fuel and hydraulic pipes of the Boeing 787. 

TAPAS 

Unlike TPRC, which has a broad scope, 

TAPAS is concerned with closed innovation. 

Within the TAPAS consortium, companies 

and institutes that are active in the Dutch 

aviation industry work together with Airbus on 

materials, production and bonding technology. 

Further development of this technology 

is specifically targeted at future Airbus 

applications, including primary structures 

such as the fuselage and the wings. TAPAS 

currently has nine collaborative partners. 

EAdS 

TenCate supplies TenCate Cetex ® carbon 

laminates for application as clips in the 

reinforcement structure of the airframe of the 

Airbus A350 XWB and other applications of 

EADS. This is a major application for TenCate. 

‘One aircraft requires thousands of clips of 

many different kinds. The demands made 

on a clip are high and the inspection of each 

small bit now takes twenty minutes. Many 

people do not realize how new all this is.’ 

More widely disseminated 

TenCate is now qualified for Embraer. ‘We want 

to disseminate more widely what we have in 

house and consequently work for other parties 

besides Airbus. When Eurocopter approached 

us, we could benefit from our knowledge 

of the way of working in aerospace, and so 

helicopters became a spin-off for us. Armour is 

being increasingly incorporated in helicopters, 

so this niche is beginning to expand.’ 

www.tprc.nl 

www.tapasproject.nl

Safety/ Protection 

TEN CATE ACTIVE PROTECTION APS STRENTHENS LEAdING POSITION OF TENCATE 

TenCate, in collaboration with the danish company AbdS ApS, has developed an active defence system against improvised 

explosive devices (IEds), such as roadside bombs. The TenCate AbdS active blast countermeasure system effectively mitigates 

the devastating effects of IEds on army vehicle, crew and vehicle structure. This eliminates the need to replace or carry out major 

repairs to vehicles that have been hit; repair work can be carried out quickly. The market potential is considerable. The danish 

company is now fully owned by TenCate and, as Ten Cate Active Protection ApS, is now being integrated into TenCate Advanced 

Armour, thus strengthening the leading position of this market group in protection systems. 

Protection against 

roadside bombs 

In crisis areas such as Afghanistan, roadside 

bombs currently represent the primary 

threat to both people and materiel. This 

threat is increasing partly due to the lack 

of infrastructure. Iraq on the other hand, 

has a reasonably good road network. The 

IEDs deployed here were usually ‘road-side 

bombs’ as the predominant angle of attack 

was horizontal. In Afghanistan, however, 

these explosions occur mainly in the road 

itself. As vehicles are most vulnerable to 

the underbelly, there is a demonstrable 

need for better protection, combined 

with increased mobility of army vehicles. 

Jørgen Svane, a former Danish army officer, 

recognized the potential for a solution. 

Concept development 

Jørgen Svane, who has a degree (MSc) in 

weapons and vehicle systems, is an expert 

in the field of electronics and mechatronics. 

He was also a member of the NATO STANAG 

group and received extensive officer training in 

the Danish Army. Together with three others, 

including Peter Bertelsen (managing director, 

TenCate Advanced Armour Denmark and 

programme manager), he formed a team that 

embarked on the development of the concept 

in 2010. It was also agreed that TenCate 

would be given the right to acquire a majority 

interest in a company that would be set up to 

market the concept. TenCate Advanced Armour 

specializes in vehicle armouring systems 

based on lightweight composite materials. 

Performance 

The performance of the concept was shown 

using a self-built demonstrator. Then followed 

numerous tests and simulations, with the 

Jørgen Svane (left) and Peter Bertelsen 


9

Safety/ Protection 

TEN CATE ACTIVE PROTECTION APS STRENTHENS LEAdING POSITION OF TENCATE 

The TenCate ABDS active blast countermeasure system ‘feels’ the exploding IED and in a fraction of a second produces a reaction 



Defence Acquisition & Logistics Organization 

of the Danish Ministry of Defence providing 

the facilities and test equipment required. 

One of the tests on IEDs was carried out on 

the underbelly (which is located just above 

the road surface) of an M113 APC, a 15-ton 

armoured vehicle into which the system was 

incorporated. Vehicle specific tests are an 

essential part of the ultimate implementation 

of the system. The vehicle remained intact 

and was easy to repair. Various contractors 

of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and 

government agencies, based in North America 

and Europe were involved in the fourth and 

final test phase at system level. The proof 

of concept was successfully completed in 

September 2011, thereby establishing the 

feasibility and reliability of the system. The 

implementation of the TenCate ABDS active 

blast countermeasure system will take place 

during the course of 2012-2013. The team has 

simultaneously been working on the design 

of innovative integration concepts for a 

series of combat and tactical army vehicles. 

Active defence 

TenCate composite materials can be built into 

new vehicles and incorporated in existing 

vehicles as add-on armour. Whereas the 

materials from TenCate Advanced Armour 

provide passive protection, the TenCate 

ABDS active blast countermeasure system 

involves an ingenious active system. ‘The 

system detects and calculates a threat and 

reacts to it within a mere thousandth of a 

second.’ The sensors see and ‘feel’ the IED, 

a computer calculates the incoming signal 

and immediately produces a structural 

biomechanical reaction. This reaction 

is in conformity with STANAG 4569, a 

standardization agreement covering the 

protection levels for the occupants of light 

armoured vehicles. The TenCate ABDS 

active blast countermeasure system will 

enable TenCate Advanced Armour to expand 

its capacities relating to advanced protection 

systems and to meet the need for enhanced 

protection and increased vehicle mobility. 

Synergy 

The Danish Ministry of Justice has approved 

the acquisition. Ten Cate Active Protection 

ApS is now being integrated into the TenCate 

Advanced Armour market group. TenCate 

has deliberately opted for full ownership and 

not for a partnership or joint venture, Peter 

Bertelsen and Jørgen Svane (director Advanced 

Sensors & Effectors, TenCate Advanced 

Armour) explain. ‘Not only does it demand a 

sizeable investment, but we also wanted to 

be able to act as rapidly and as effectively as 

possible and to have the freedom to act as 

we see fit. It will also speed up the market 

launch. This is unanimously believed to be the 

best solution.’ There is a great deal of synergy 

between Ten Cate Active Protection ApS and 

TenCate Advanced Armour. ‘The outside of the 

vehicle will ever more frequently be made of 

composite, which will protect our invention. 

We are talking not only about a 50% saving 

in weight in the ultimate vehicle, but its 

production will also require fewer processes. 

Vehicles that have been hit will not need to be 

replaced or to undergo major repairs. This can 

be done at the base and reduce the need for 

spare parts to be flown in.’ Marketing efforts 

too will be combined. Existing customers will 

be of interest to both the company and the 

market group. TenCate Advanced Armour has 

already opened doors in the United States. 

Our market share has increased and our 

leading technological position strengthened. 

‘We are now moving into a larger arena.’ 

Partners and customers 

All the tests have been successfully completed 

and all the specifications drawn up. It has 

now become clear that the markets are 

showing serious interest in a number of 

vehicle programmes. TenCate Advanced 

Armour will now select partners for the 

delivery of components, and a list of potential 

customers has been compiled. These include 

companies, countries (principally NATO 

member states), defence organizations and 

vehicle manufacturers. They must have 

security clearance: authorization allowing 

access to classified information. The system 

can be retrofitted into military vehicles. 

The TenCate ABDS active blast 

countermeasure system will set a new 

standard.. Existing specifications are now 

expected to be rewritten by MODs, because 

they now know that a higher level of protection 

is possible. In five years’ time there will be 

new vehicle platforms and the system can 

be tailored to meet exact needs. This will 

be the new NATO standard. To date there is 

still no system that meets this standard.’ 

11


TENCATE GEOSYNTHETICS CLOSES 2011 wITH STRONG GROwTH IN SALES 

Problem-solver 

with geosynthetics 

TenCate Geosynthetics realized a strong organic growth in sales worldwide in 2011. This robust performance 

is the result of the introduction of new products in markets for infrastructure (soil stabilization and soil 

reinforcement), as well as a growing demand for sustainable environmental concepts, and water management 

and marine solutions. The market share has grown worldwide. TenCate Geosynthetics is now going to focus 

even more on the water & environmental management segment, and the group wishes to present itself more 

explicitly as a full product solution provider. 



The production of geosynthetics at TenCate Cornelia, Georgia (US) 

13


TENCATE GEOSYNTHETICS CLOSES 2011 wITH STRONG GROwTH IN SALES 


Production of TenCate Geotube ® at TenCate Geosynthetics in Commerce, Georgia (US). Globally, 

the importance of water and environmental management is increasing, to which TenCate is responding 

with TenCate Geotube ® 


The strategy of the Geosynthetics group is 

focused, among other things, on product 

development and a solutions-driven market 

approach. This means better engineering 

solutions that result in lower end-user total 

costs and a one-stop shop for quality products, 

support and services for customers. 

Value proposition 

The value proposition of TenCate Geosynthetics 

lies in its extensive technological knowledge; 

the environmental friendliness and sustainability 

of the solutions offered; the short 

response time to orders, thanks to an international 

network of companies and sales offices; 

and its proven reliability as a project partner. 

According to Global Group Director Wally 

Moore, the targeted end-user marketing by the 

group has reinforced the focus in the United 

States on product differentiation (making 

existing products suitable for new applications). 

‘We satisfy market needs with a differentiated 

product portfolio as well as extensive 

application knowledge and experience. Product 

differentiation is a continuous process and one 

that we’re going to further develop within the 

whole group.’ 

water & environmental management 

From the global perspective, the importance 

of water & environmental management is 

increasing. End-users worldwide are showing 

ever greater interest in CO2-friendly 

sustainable environmental solutions and 

detection systems for leakage, erosion, and the 

deformation control of dikes and embankments. 

With systems based on geotextiles such as 

TenCate Geotube ® and TenCate GeoDetect, 

TenCate can respond proactively to this 

growing demand. Through the formation of a 

Water & Environment business unit, alliances 

with parties in the value chain (such as 

technological companies) and spec selling, 

TenCate Geosynthetics seeks to present itself 

more explicitly as a full product solution

provider. ‘We’re looking at new markets, such 

as water & environment, energy and mining, 

and in terms of market approach more into 

solutions, not just products.’ This may involve 

soil stabilization for the construction of access 

roads to oil and gas extraction installations or 

wind farms, the dewatering of industrial 

sludge, the cleaning of lakes, coastal protection 

and land reclamation. One example is TenCate 

Mirafi ® RS580i − already a success story in the 

United States − which is a woven geotextile for 

strengthening and stabilizing the base course 

for roads, railways and airports. 

Strong market demand 

The strong market demand in the United 

States, South America and Asia and the 

logistic, efficiency and cost measures 

implemented in previous years in the US and 

Europe have also been factors contributing to 

this growth. TenCate Geosynthetics is a flexible 

organization, which has quickly responded to 

the opportunities that came along in 2011. To 

improve profitability in the United States, Lee 

Bryan (director TenCate Geosynthetics North 

America) has launched the Profit Improvement 

Programme – a holistic plan that captures and 

measures all projects such as cost reduction, 

product development, market development, and 

the hiring of sales people for focused market 

penetration. Paul Firrell (group director Europe) 

has initiated an inventory reduction programme 

and spread margin management for cost 

leadership, while Fred Chuck (director 

Reinforcement Markets) directly targets the 

owners and engineering and construction 

companies that are developing wind energy. 

Private sector 

‘Our focus is moving more towards 

opportunities funded by the private sector, 

such as energy and mining, where we are 

not reliant on government-funded projects. 

We need to be proactive in securing a higher 

market share through innovative products 

and an adjusted solutions-driven approach, 

and through a greater emphasis on nongovernment-funded 

markets. This requires 

the strengthening of the corporate sales effort 

at regional level.’ Accordingly the group 

will enter into partnerships where necessary, 

while in Europe participation in trade 

shows will be increased for the purpose of 

demonstrating solutions. 

Exchange 

Another important element of the strategy is 

the exchange of products and system solutions 

between the different geographical regions. 

‘In this context we’re working as a global 

strategic team,’ explains Wally Moore. ‘This 

team is made up of the key leaders of the 

regional businesses and the central staff of 

TenCate Geosynthetics. We come together 

physically three times a year to discuss sharing 

and applying best practices in terms of market 

approach per application, product development 

initiatives, purchasing and production metrics. 

Depending on local supply and demand 

balances or imbalances, we also tactically 

supply products from one region to another.’ 

Asia 

With the acquisition of Emas Kiara Industries 

in March 2011, TenCate Geosynthetics has 

strengthened its position in Asia and increased 

its market share. Emas Kiara is an important 

producer of a wide range of geosynthetic 

products and solutions. Activities are 

increasing in the large infrastructure project 

market (civil engineering) and the 

environmental market. The market in China 

is more complex, and here TenCate still has 

a modest position. TenCate Industrial Zhuhai 

is now fully operational, thus laying the basis 

for further development of the Chinese market. 

Production in Zhuhai is destined for the local 

market. In China TenCate is opting for 

high-grade applications, and less for the 

volume market. 

Again new initiatives have been taken to 

further develop the market in South America, 

and here TenCate Geotube ® technology has 

been mainly applied to date. There are also 

opportunities for fabrics and non-wovens, 

especially in infrastructure projects. 

• Value proposition of TenCate 

Geosynthetics lies in extensive 

technological knowledge, the 

environmental friendliness and 

sustainability of the solutions, the 

short response time to orders and 

proven reliability in projects 

• TenCate can proactively respond to the 

growing need of end-users for CO2friendly 

sustainable environmental 

solutions and detection systems 

• The strong market demand and the 

logistic, efficiency and cost measures 

previously implemented in the US and 

Europe have contributed to the growth 

www.tencategeosynthetics.com 

geosynthetics.europe@tencate.com 

geosynthetics.americas@tencate.com 

geosynthetics.asia@tencate.com 

15


TENCATE GEOSYNTHETICS PARTNER IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS 

distinctive in material 

and performance 

The activities of the market group TenCate Geosynthetics can be divided into the business units infrastructure, 

water & environment, and industrial fabrics. The group develops and produces fabrics, non-wovens and geogrids 

for the first two segments, and the materials from TenCate Geosynthetics regularly achieve distinction, especially 

in the areas of infrastructure (retaining walls, road building) and the environment. 

The group is involved in several large-scale environmental projects by virtue of its TenCate Geotube ® technology. 

Materials from TenCate make a difference. 

In October 2011 TenCate Geosynthetics USA 

collected two IFAI Awards from the Industrial 

Fabrics Association International (IFAI). The 

Innovation Award went to TenCate Mirafi ® 

H2Ri. This fabric has been developed to 

reinforce and stabilize base courses where 

uneven settlement results from heaving in 

subgrade soils. The patented geosynthetic 

material has already been applied in various 

Reinforced retaining wall based on TenCate Mirafi ® in Gansu (China) 


roads in Alaska and North Canada, where 

it handles the draining of the underlying 

marshy subsoil. 

A project at a coal-processing plant in Gansu 

(China) with a reinforced retaining wall based 

on TenCate Mirafi ® fabric received the Award 

of Excellence. A retaining wall reinforced with 

TenCate Mirafi ® PET geotextile has 

demonstrated its ability to withstand erosion 

and landslide forces. Because locally available 

material such as sand is used, considerable 

savings can be made in material, transport 

and energy costs. 

Large-scale environmental projects 

Now TenCate Geosynthetics is applying its 

TenCate Geotube ® technology in several 

large-scale environmental projects: in Hong 

Kong, the state of New York (US), Tabasco 

(Mexico) and Nizhnevartovsk (Siberia, Russia). 

In the middle of December 2011 a start was 

made on removing and cleaning up 

contaminated sludge at the former Kai Tak 

International Airport of Hong Kong (see page 

32). TenCate is supplying a large number of 

TenCate Geotube ® containers for this work, and 

the project will be finished by the end of June 

2012. The environmental project at Onondaga 

Lake in the state of New York is the biggest 

dredging project with geotextile containers 

in the US and North America. Sand-coloured 

TenCate Geotube ® containers are being used in 

restoring and protecting the coastline between 

the Gulf of Mexico and Laguna El Carmen. This 

is the Sanchez Magallanes Shoreline Protection 

Project in the state of Tabasco in South Mexico. 

More than 100 TenCate Geotube ® containers 

have been used in cleaning Lake Komsomolskoe 

(300,000 m 2 ) in the centre of Nizhnevartovsk, 

a town in Siberia (see page 38). 



geosynthetics.americas@tencate.com 

geosynthetics.asia@tencate.com

Investor relations 

TENCATE PUbLISHES ANNUAL REPORT FOR LAST FINANCIAL YEAR 

2011 annual report 

It is now available in printed form and digitally on the website: the 152-page Royal Ten 

Cate annual report. The 2011 activities and results are presented and explained in text, 

figures and tables. The annual report is enlivened with both smaller and full-page photos 

which show the uses of TenCate materials. The theme of the annual report this year is 

‘Connected by the value proposition’. 

A printed copy of the annual report will be sent 

to you on request (+ 31 546 544 911); for the 

digital version you can visit our website 

www.tencate.com. Both the printed and the 

Corporate communication 

TENCATE STAKEHOLdERS’ MAGAzINE NOw ALSO AS APP 

txtures on your tablet 

txtures, the TenCate magazine for stakeholders, 

has also been available for a couple of months 

now as an app. 

The quarterly magazine can now be read on 

a smart phone or a tablet. The articles are 

arranged by edition, market group, theme and 

solution. The txtures app presents the articles 

in an abridged form. Unlike the paper version, 

there are more photos and links to videos and 

websites with background information. 

The TenCate txtures app is the first of a number 

of new TenCate apps. The HR and later the IR 

apps will shortly be available. 

www.tencate.com/txturesapp 

www.apple.com/nl/mac/app-store 

electronic versions are available in Dutch and 

English. As always, we greatly value your 

comments on the annual report, which you may 

send to investorrelations@tencate.com. 

17

Environment / Sustainability 

TENCATE FIELd MONITORING SYSTEM FOR SPORTS PITCHES 

Insight into use 

and maintenance 

TenCate Grass introduces the TenCate Field Monitoring System, an intelligent camera 

system for synthetic turf sports pitches. The TenCate Field Monitoring System registers 

the number of playing hours and the maintenance that has been carried out on the pitch. 

The data provide a reliable insight into the use of the pitch and whether it is being 

maintained in accordance with the regulations. The system was developed in collaboration 

with the Hillson Group, a company that specializes in intelligent cameras for monitoring 

and security systems. 

Sports pitches based on synthetic turf require 

a considerable investment, but offer a number 

of advantages over natural grass. Synthetic 

turf pitches can be played on more often and 

more intensively, they ensure constant playing 

characteristics and will last for many years. 

The service life of the pitch depends greatly 

on correct maintenance and use. Together 

with Hillson, TenCate has developed a 

monitoring system that gives a detailed 

insight into the use and maintenance of a 

particular pitch. Intelligent cameras register 

every movement on the pitch and record these 

with a time indication. The system analyses all 

the activities and converts the data into a 

reliable activity report. 


The monitoring system also records all the 

maintenance work done and when and with 

what equipment this was carried out. 

The system can be operated and monitored 

remotely and has the option to be expanded 

to include a monitoring system (CCTV) for 

security purposes. 

TenCate Performance warranty 

The data that the TenCate Field Monitoring 

System generates now also make it possible 

for the ‘insured’ Performance Warranty (in 

accordance with for example the FIFA 1- or 

2-Star standard) to satisfy the registration of 

use and maintenance requirements laid down 

by the insurer. 

As leader in the international synthetic turf 

industry, the TenCate Performance Warranty 

from TenCate Grass provides a guarantee and 

insurance on the performance and 

sustainability of synthetic turf pitches that are 

made using TenCate components. 

The TenCate Field Monitoring System has 

now been installed at FC Breukelen and Flevo 

Boys football club (NL). Both pitches are FIFA 

2-Star certified. 

www.tencategrass.com 

grass.europe@tencate.com


TENCATE GEOdETECT ® FOR dIKE MONITORING ALONG YELLOw RIVER 

System solution 

TenCate is a partner with AGT International in a pilot programme in China for the 

installation of a system for the management of dikes along the Yellow River. TenCate is 

supplying the geotextile and the sensors for the system and the installation. 

TenCate Geosynthetics and AGT have signed a 

letter of intent for collaboration on the installation 

of TenCate GeoDetect ® in a dike body at 

the Yellow River in Dayulan (Zhengzhou) in Henan 

province. TenCate GeoDetect ® is a monitoring 

system based on geotextile with interwoven fibre 

optics, which registers changes in embankments 

and dikes. The system will be used in the AGT 

Flood Early Warning System (FEWS). Work began 

in October 2011 and will be of one year’s duration. 

The commissioning authority is the Yellow River 

Conservancy Commission (YRCC). This authority 

is responsible for the management of the 5,464 

km-long Yellow River. 

Joint venture 

For this project AGT International and TenCate 

Geosynthetics Netherlands entered into a joint 

venture. AGT International, global supplier of 

monitoring and security solutions for the public 

space, is carrying out the project together with 

TNO. FEWS will be used to collect and analyse 

data on the stability and deformations in the dike 

and on the possible threat of flooding. These will 

provide the basis for taking measures to prevent 

subsidence or leaks and a possible dike breach 

as quickly as possible. The Yellow River is well 

known for among other things its turbulence. 

This system will provide the manager with 

information on the condition and maintenance of 

the dike. A flooding prognosis can also be issued, 

based on which it will be possible to ensure that 


the local population can be evacuated in good 

time. Using a simulation application, the 

authorities can prepare for a possible calamity. 

System solutions 

‘The future of TenCate lies less in products and 

more in offering solutions to geotechnical 

challenges through open innovation’, said Wally 

Moore (global group director TenCate 

Geosynthetics). ‘The combination of our 

geosynthetics and sensor technology with 

partners such as AGT International gives us an 

innovative and differentiated approach to tracing 

possible defects in dikes within our water & 

environmental activities.’ 

‘By bringing Dutch know-how in water we are 

uniquely positioned with our partners to 

implement this ground-breaking system,’ said 

Pieter-Christian van Oranje-Nassau, CEO of AGT 

International in the Netherlands. ‘Another key 

element for the full realization and success of the 

project is our commitment to turning key project 

findings into shared learning opportunities.’ 

Once the project has been successfully 

completed, the YRCC and AGT International will 

promote this solution with water and dike 

managers in China. 

www.geosynthetics.asia.com 

geosynthetics.asia@tencate.com 

www.agtinternational.com

TenCate GeoDetect ® is installed in a dyke body at the Yellow River 

at Dayulan (Zhengzhou) in Henan province 

21


TENCATE AdVANCEd ARMOUR PARTNER IN AEROSPACE PROJECTS 

Aircraft armour 

TenCate occupies a strong position worldwide in armour composites and in space and 

aerospace composites. In recent years more and more aircraft and helicopters have been 

fitted with armour. TenCate has the processes, materials, certification and know-how to 

respond to this trend and does so in collaboration and partnerships with customers 

such as Airbus, Eurocopter and Agustawestland and a tier 1 supplier of aircraft interiors. 

This contribution is a good example of the synergy between TenCate 

companies in advanced composites. 

TenCate ranks among the leading companies 

in ballistic protection systems for people 

and vehicles (armour composites) and space 

and aerospace composites. TenCate has a 

worldwide presence, it own local design and 

production facilities and a broad, innovative 

product portfolio. For aerospace in particular 

these are important preconditions. In 

recent years more and more aircraft and 

helicopters have been fitted with armour, 

which is often delivered in the form of kits, 

consisting of various customized panels. 

Customer relations 

In the context of the partnership with 

Eurocopter, TenCate is participating in a 

number of armour projects. A good customer 

relationship has also been established in the 

past couple of years with two other companies 

in the field of aerospace: these are a tier 1 

supplier of aircraft interiors and a helicopter 

manufacturer, AgustaWestland (UK/Italy). 

The tier 1 supplier designs and manufactures 

interior and other parts for the military and 

commercial aviation industry, such as Airbus. 


AgustaWestland is involved in ballistic 

protection of helicopters in the military 

segment. Contacts were made with both 

companies at TenCate Advanced Armour 

in Vissenbjerg (Denmark) and Primarette 

(France). TenCate Denmark is the place 

where the panels are pressed and cut for 

AgustaWestland. The finishing 

of the panels is carried 

out in Primarette, 

with the French being 

responsible for the quality 

of the product. The facility 

in Primarette has since last 

summer been fully equipped 

for the development and 

production of composite materials 

both for industrial applications 

(vehicle and personal protection) 

and for helicopters and aircraft. 

Tier 1 supplier 

A number of parts, which will not be 

further specified, for the interior of 500 

Airbus aircraft of the type A350 will be fitted 

In recent years more and more helicopters too have been fitted with armour. In the context of the partnership 

with Eurocopter, TenCate is participating in a number of armour projects

with ballistic protection over the next seven 

years. These parts must be fully bulletproof 

and TenCate will be supplying the kits for 

this. A number of prototypes will be made, 

some with materials from TenCate Advanced 

Armour in France, where the bulletproof 

part was also developed. The panels will 

be made and parts of the structure tested 

in Primarette to ensure they are bulletproof 

The entire interior part will be tested by the 

tier 1 supplier to ensure it is bulletproof and 

is resistant to break-in (non-intrusion). In 

conformity with the agreement, the first kit 

will be delivered in July 2012, when tests will 

be carried out on mechanical, environmental 

and other aspects, after which certification 

will take place. TenCate Advanced Armour 

will supply the panels and materials for the 

protection. TenCate has signed a long-term 

agreement for this seven-year programme. 

‘This is important for future business.’ 

Follow-up orders will be filled on demand. 

Agustawestland 

AgustaWestland is one 

of the ‘big six’ helicopter 

manufacturers in the world. 

The facility in Vissenbjerg is 

supplying ballistic protection 

for the AgustaWestland 

AW101 helicopter. An order for 

twelve helicopters and one set 

of spare parts has been placed. 

Only the lightest of material qualifies 

for helicopter armour. ‘The use of metal 

as armour in helicopters is thus out of 

the question. The net payload in a small 

helicopter is just 250 kilos, which means 

that there’s only room for four people.’ 

Collaboration with TenCate 

The decision to opt for cooperation with 

TenCate Advanced Armour was governed by 

three factors: the company must be certified 

in conformity with EN9100. This standard 

includes the quality system requirements in 

conformity with ISO 9001:2008 and additional 

requirements which apply specifically to 

the space and aerospace industry and to 

defence. The TenCate facility in Primarette 

complies with this. It is also important that 

the company behind the manufacturer is a 

large one. Many contracts include a parent 

company guarantee: a guarantee from the 

parent company, signed by the executive 

board. What is important is the global 

presence of the TenCate Advanced Armour 

Group, giving TenCate a worldwide network 

of armour companies, which must all be able 

to deliver for one and the same aircraft. 

• TenCate Advanced Armour is the 

supplier of kits for the ballistic 

protection of interior parts of Airbus 

aircraft 

• For AgustaWestland TenCate supplies 

ballistic protection for helicopters in 

the military segment 

• Important factors for the collaboration 

are that certification is in accordance 

with EN9100 and the company’s global 

presence 

www.tencateadvancedarmour.com 

advancedarmour@tencate.com 

23

2011 full-year figures 

TENCATE PUbLISHES RESULTS FOR 2011 FINANCIAL YEAR 


Loek de Vries, President and CEO Royal Ten Cate 

Looking ba 

‘TenCate established new records in 2011. Net profit 

rose by 28% and the increase in the dividend was in 

line with this. Our level of ambition, however, will 

continue to be high, with the aim of achieving 

further growth, both organic and through 

acquisitions (buy & build strategy). This will 

become possible in part through the long-term 

trends that form the basis of the company’s 

developments.’ 

• ‘Sales and profit have again risen sharply 

and reached record levels 

• TenCate Advanced Textiles & Composites 

sector put in very strong performance 

• Geosynthetics & Grass sector recorded a 12% 

rise in sales, although the trend in results was 

disappointing 

• As a result of the economic conditions TenCate 

will refine its strategy in respect of synthetic 

turf activities 

• Developments that accelerate growth 

relate to TenCate AbdS active blast 

countermeasure system, 3d weaving 

technology and inkjet technology’

ck with satisfaction on 2011 

Market trends 

‘These trends were also visible in the past 

year. Tightening up safety standards and 

environmental requirements and a reduction 

in CO2 emissions gave TenCate a certain 

amount of “tail wind”. The climate sustaining 

these trends is expected to continue in the 

coming years. 

In the BRIC countries in particular there is 

growing environmental awareness, with an 

increasing focus on “performance materials”. 

New technological developments 

The development of TenCate into a “solutions 

provider” has also resulted in a further 

improvement in its technological base. 

The activities in the synthetic turf market are 

the furthest advanced when it comes to 

efforts to think in terms of system solutions 

and to present a profile of TenCate as a 

full-service solutions provider. Recently 

camera monitoring was added, to assist clubs 

in registering and planning maintenance work 

and, linked to this, warranty concepts can be 

offered, which give clubs greater certainty 

about the service life and playability of their 

sports pitches. 

Significant progress was made in 2011 in the 

field of weaving technology for synthetic turf 

pitches. This enables TenCate to control the 

entire production process: from the PP/PE 

granules right through to the end product, or 

in other words, the sports pitch. TenCate also 

includes the characteristics of the substructure 

in the overall concept. This has resulted in 

considerable environmental benefits (less 

transport of building material, recycling) 

and cost benefits for the user. The first “new 

generation” of sports pitches were installed 

in 2011. 

Good progress was also recorded on the sensor 

technology in TenCate GeoDetect ® , which was 

developed several years ago. Contacts have 

been made with new partners to start 

marketing this solution, in part through 

engineering consultancy firms. In a world in 

which the digitalization of information is 

becoming ever more important, people want to 

know (and measure) what is happening under 

the ground. 

Other technological developments that are still 

at an early stage relate to the TenCate ABDS 

active blast countermeasure system and inkjet 

technology. The marketing of these 

technologies offers considerable potential. 

Mixed picture 

TenCate Geosynthetics showed a mixed 

picture. While TenCate Geosynthetics 

translated the positive market trends 

mentioned above into strong sales growth, the 

results of the financial crisis and the tight 

budgetary conditions in the public sector 

related to it were clearly visible within the 

Grass group. Although synthetic turf has been 

around for more than thirty years, the market is 

still not mature. The same applies to the quality 

criteria. In a somewhat less favourable 

economic climate, price pressure quickly builds 

up, as a result of which quality aspects, 

sustainability, etc. are pushed to the 

background. 

There was also strategic reorganization of the 

distribution partners, which led to an initial 

decline in sales. 

The Grass group will take further organizational 

measures to achieve an improvement in the 

results in the short term. In the first place, 

attention will be focused on entering into 

relationships with new distributors (the 

marketing and installation of sports pitches), 

cost reduction and the development of 

distinctive system concepts. 

The year 2012 

Expectations for 2012 are mainly positive. 

While sales of TenCate Defender M are 

expected to decline, resulting from the gradual 

withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, 

TenCate has a differentiated portfolio of 

growing activities. 

By means of a different breakdown of sales and 

result over the year, the first half of 2012 will 

not be comparable with that of 2011. In the first 

six months of 2011 there was substantial 

catch-up demand from the US Army. 

Barring unexpected circumstances, a result is 

expected in 2012 that will be at least as high as 

that of 2011.’ 

25

Safety / Protection 

TENCATE PROTECTIVE FAbRICS wINS ORdER IN UNITEd KINGdOM 

1200 

fire fighting suits 

for Shropshire 

TenCate Protective Fabrics has won an 

important order for the delivery of 

inherently heat- and flame-resistant 

materials for the structural fire fighter 

clothing for Shropshire Fire & Rescue 

Service. This relates to a new lightweight 

system, TenCate Tecasystem Millenia 

450, for application in over 1200 fire service 

outfits. The first 300 outfits are expected to 

be delivered in June. 


To improve the current personal protection 

systems, the fire brigade in Shropshire (West 

Midlands, UK) had been looking for ‘a durable 

fire fighting suit with less maintenance and 

better protection against the risk of heat 

stress’. Heat stress is caused by the body’s inability 

to maintain its average core temperature 

in arduous and stressful situations, and a fire 

fighter can lose consciousness or even suffer 

a heart attack. FlamePro UK Ltd has developed 

a new Flamepro ® fire fighting suit based on 

TenCate materials. TenCate Tecasystem 

Millenia 450 is the lightest protection system on 

the market that meets the strict requirements 

of the European norm for fire fighting clothing. 

It consists of an outer fabric in combination with 

a thermal and moisture regulating intermediate 

layer and a thermal liner. Each layer has been 

developed with its own functionalities. 

As an integrated system, the layers are fully 

compatible with one another. And so the fire 

fighter from Shropshire will benefit from a 

light and comfortable fire fighting suit yet 

still be optimally protected in the extreme 

conditions experienced in a raging inferno. 

MARKET – fire and emergency services 

PROdUCT – TenCate Tecasystem Millenia 

450 based on three qualities of TenCate 

Tecashield ® (outer fabric, thermal and moisture 

regulating barrier and thermal liner); complies 

with European Norm EN 469/AC: 2005 level 

2 TECHNOLOGY – fibre, fabric and coating 

technology PROCESS – integrated system is 

processed by clothing manufacturer 

Multifunctional clothing 

Fire fighters frequently have to turn out to 

road accidents, situations involving hazardous 

substances and terrorist incidents. ‘All these 

situations require multifunctional clothing 

that is lightweight, comfortable, strong and 

protective,’ explains Kevan Whitehead (end-use 

market manager of TenCate Protective Fabrics). 

The new fire suit has a unique design 

that means any damaged parts – such as 

the fluorescent visibility stripes – can be 

easily replaced. It has been subjected to 

wearability and washing tests, among other 

checks. The outcome of the extensive test 

programme was that, compared with existing 

uniforms, the new suit required 25% less 

body energy and offered good protection 

against the danger of heat, as well as greater 

comfort and freedom of movement. 

www.tencateprotectivefabrics.europe.com 

protectivefabrics.europe@tencate.com 

For the animation, scan the QR code 

Still from the clip about 

TenCate Tecasystem - Millenia 450 

produced by C4Real 

27


TENCATE GEOdETECT ® FOR SAFE STORAGE OF MINING wASTE 

Storage of mining 

waste assured 

The retaining wall around a basin containing mining waste (tailings) at the Compañía Minera 

Antamina in Peru will be fitted with TenCate Geodetect ® . This system monitors the condition of 

embankments and dikes and registers every change, thus making it possible to prevent a dike 

breach and to ensure that the storage is safe. 

Compañía Minera Antamina is one of the ten 

largest mining companies in the world. And 

here zinc, molybdenum, silver, lead and other 

minerals are mined. This is said to be the 

highest tailings basin in the world (3600 metres 

above sea level) and its collection capacity is 

550 million tons of mining waste, which may 

under no circumstances seep out and end up in 

the environment. For this reason a wide dam 

has been built around the basin, in which 

TenCate GeoDetect ® has been fitted. The dam 

is at least 250 metres in height, making it one 

of the highest retaining walls in the world. 

So far a two-kilometre length of TenCate 

GeoDetect ® S-BR has been installed. In total 

more than six kilometres of dam will be fitted 

with TenCate GeoDetect ® at this location. 

Advantages 

The installation is being carried out by the 

engineering firm of Golder Associates. Olivier 

Artières, global technology manager at TenCate 

Geosynthetics, was on site to supervise the 

installation. ‘This is the largest project using 

TenCate GeoDetect ® in 2011’, he tells us. 


‘This solution offers a numbers of advantages. 

We can monitor the pressure and the 

temperature in the structure, and do so over 

large distances. After each metre a measuring 

point (sensor) is installed and that’s really a lot. 

No other system has that.’ 

Civil engineering is still only making modest 

use of monitoring systems in earthworks. 

Demand and interest are, however, growing: 

‘Even if you use the best materials, you can 

never have complete certainty. For tunnels, 

dams and buildings it is already very common 

to work with sensors.’ This monitoring system 

can also be used in regions that are prone 

to earthquakes. 

Product development, however, does not 

stand still. The TenCate GeoDetect ® system 

is being further improved and the level of 

protection increased, for example through 

the use of new fibre optics. 


geosynthetics.europe@tencate.com

MARKET – Civil engineering PROdUCT 

– Geotextile with interwoven sensors 

TECHNOLOGY – Extrusion and weaving 

technology, coating and sensor technology 

PROCESS – Fibre optics are interwoven 

in geotextiles and connected up to measuring 

equipment 

TenCate GeoDetect ® is rolled out 

29

Technological innovation 

TENCATE ANd THE ROLE OF NLR IN dUTCH AVIATION 

Composite 

- a material on the rise 

The dutch aviation industry enjoys a good reputation abroad. Two of the players in this industry are TenCate and the National Aerospace 

Laboratory. This knowledge organization is only too willing to make its expertise and facilities available to ‘the composite-loving 

Netherlands. Composite is a material on the rise, with the number of application possibilities increasing dramatically.’ 

Michel Peters, general director of the 

National Aerospace Laboratory 


Composite materials are being used in aircraft 

building to a growing extent and now account 

for approximately half the materials used in 

new generations of aircraft. TenCate Cetex ® 

has already acquired a strong position in this 

branch. Although the demand for air traffic will 

only increase, this must not lead to increased 

air pollution, noise pollution or space 

occupation, and therefore technological 

innovation and sustainability in aircraft building 

are required. The developments in composite 

materials and the demand for these lightweight 

materials are good examples in this respect. 

High-grade and innovative 

Almost 100 companies in the Netherlands are 

active in developing, producing and supplying 

high-grade innovative products and services to 

aircraft builders such as Airbus, Boeing, 

Bombardier, Embraer and Gulfstream. TenCate 

is one of these players. The Dutch aviation 

industry enjoys a good reputation abroad. 

‘We’re acknowledged to be innovative and are 

the fifth aviation country in Europe,’ says 

Michel Peters, general director of National 

Aerospace Laboratory (NLR). There are two 

reasons for this: ‘Thanks to the history of 

Fokker, we have a creative aircraft industry 

with integrated aircraft knowledge. With the 

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of Delft 

University of Technology, NLR, MKB, companies 

such as TenCate and spin-off enterprises such 

as Airborne, we have a good infrastructure in 

aviation knowledge at our disposal.’ Michel 

Peters has been confirmed in this view during 

various trade missions. ‘Russia, China and 

Brazil are happy to work with Dutch industries. 

And within Europe itself the European 

Commission is also extremely active in the field 

of aeronautics. As NLR we fully participate in 

European framework programmes. If you bring 

your knowledge and know-how, you’ll find a 

good seat at the table.’ 

Innovation cluster 

Aircraft building falls under the top sector High 

Tech Systems & Materials. This is one of the 

five innovation clusters within the innovation 

policy in the Netherlands. TenCate and NLR 

take part in this too. When it comes to space 

and aerospace in the Netherlands, NLR is the 

central knowledge organization. NLR carries 

out applied research for the sector, working on 

the strategic accumulation of knowledge and 

developing with the business community 

concepts for use in making innovative,

Continue to invest in knowledge, technology and networks with direct connections between industry, knowledge organizations and government 

competitive products. NLR has such facilities as 

wind tunnels (for testing aircraft), simulators 

(for studying the safety of new flight 

procedures) and laboratory aircraft. The aim is 

to make flying safer, more sustainable and more 

efficient. TenCate has materials research 

carried out here. NLR is also involved in the 

development consortia TAPAS and TPRC. 

Resources 

‘In the Netherlands we need innovative 

products that the customer is willing to pay 

more for. I hope that the Dutch government will 

continue to make sufficient financial resources 

available for innovative research. I’m not 

entirely confident of this. Many good things 

stemmed from the Strategic Research 

Programme Aircraft Development but this was 

terminated in 2011. My plea is for a sound 

alternative. The Rutte Cabinet seems to go for 

fiscal regulations, such as the deduction of 

corporation tax. These regulations do not apply 

to not-for-profit-based knowledge organizations 

such as NLR, and you have to be aware of this.’ 

Composites cluster 

In December 2011 NLR was one of the initiators 

of CompoWorld, a ‘composites cluster’ in 

Flevoland. Research, government bodies and 

the specialized MKB are linked in this golden 

triangle to make knowledge of composites 

accessible to the business community and 

develop composites technology further and 

make it applicable for innovative products. NLR 

supports CompoWorld with knowledge, 

technology and facilities, and therefore 

high-grade employment opportunities can be 

created. ‘Composite is a material on the rise. 

Newer solutions are continually being 

discovered and growth in the number of 

applications is increasing significantly.’ 

Clean Sky 

The sound reputation of the Dutch companies 

and knowledge institutes in the area of 

innovative processes and light clean materials 

and systems is evident from their role within 

the Clean Sky programme of the European 

Union. The aim is to make air traffic more 

environmentally friendly, for example by 

reducing CO2 emissions and noise pollution by 

50%. ‘The aviation sector in the Netherlands is 

constantly concerned with sustainability,’ 

explains Michel Peters. ‘And this certainly 

applies to the operators too. KLM has been 

ranked first in the Dow Jones Sustainability 

Index for the sixth successive time. This offers 

an economic advantage and confers a higher 

market value. Sustainability is in the DNA of 

our designers and operators.’ 

• Abroad the Dutch aviation industry 

is acknowledged to be innovative 

• The aim of knowledge building, 

research and investigation by NLR is 

to make flying safer, more sustainable 

and more efficient 

• Investments in knowledge, technology 

and networks with industry, knowledge 

organizations and government are 

helpful in strengthening the position 

of the Netherlands in aerospace 

www.nlr.nl 

31

Sustainability / Environmenta 

TENCATE GEOTUbE ® TECHNOLOGY IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT IN HONG KONG 

Kai Tak International Airport, the former international airport of Hong Kong, is undergoing 

a radical clean-up and revitalization operation. TenCate Geosynthetics is closely involved, 


Revitalization 

of Kai Tak 

as the TenCate Geotube ® technology turned out to be the most cost-effective, most 

professional and, from the environmental perspective, most attractive solution. 

Kai Tak was the international airport of Hong 

Kong from 1925 to 1998. The former airport is 

located in the business and residential district 

Kowloon City. This location and the approach 

route of the aeroplanes made Kai Tak 

International Airport one of the most dangerous 

airports in the world. Over time the soil, the 

approach channel and the Kwun Tong Typhoon 

Shelter have become contaminated. The 

government wants to redevelop this area (320 

ha) and plans a mix of housing and shops. So it is 

a matter of cleaning up in an environmentally 

responsible way the contaminated sludge that 

has accumulated over the years. Moreover 

provision is made for improving the banks of the 

associated waterways and constructing a piled 

deck for the Metro Park. 

A total of 140,000 m 3 of contaminated sludge 

must be removed, dewatered and stored − which 

corresponds to 7,000 truckloads! The contamina- 

ted sediments will be stored in TenCate 

Geotube ® containers and shipped to the 

westerly situated East Sha Chau for disposal 

in the confined contaminated mud pits located 

offshore of the new Chek Lap Kok Airport. 

The Geotube ® containers have to survive free 

fall through over 30 m of water and impact with 

the seabed, and a total of 800 TenCate 

Geotube ® containers will be used for storage 

and dewatering. 

Land disposal is very expensive in Hong Kong 

but with TenCate Geotube ® the sludge can be 

removed in an economically and environmentally 

responsible way. Furthermore, the customer was 

highly impressed with the professional approach 

of TenCate Geosynthetics.

MARKET – Environment and infrastructure 

(hydraulic engineering applications) PROdUCT 

– TenCate Geotube ® GT950 TECHNOLOGY 

– Extrusion, weaving and coating technology 

in combination with polymer technology 

PROCESS – Storage and dewatering of (contaminated) 

sludge and sand 

TenCate Geotube ® container ready for the removal and dewatering of contaminated sludge 

33

Innovation and education 

TENCATE INVOLVEd IN EdUCATION ANd RESEARCH IN THE REGION 

Innovation and the role 

of education 

There is an important role to be played in innovation by employers (business community), government, education and research. 

Occupation-oriented universities of applied sciences must offer educational programmes that meet the needs of the business 

Saxion is one of the largest universities of 

applied sciences in our country. Saxion has 

developed into a knowledge institute with 

occupation-oriented education and research. 

These institutes and the business community 

and government form the vertices of what is 

sometimes called the ‘golden triangle’. And 

here the contribution of the field of work 

(undertakings, small and medium enterprises 

(SMEs) and institutes) must be as intensive 

as possible. ‘We exist by the grace of the job 

market,’ says Wim Boomkamp, chairman of 

the Executive Board. ‘We want to educate 

students in a way that achieves maximum 

synchronization with the wishes of the 

organization.’ This can be an international 

undertaking such as TenCate or an SME. 

New educational programmes 

He gives two examples to illustrate this. Ten 

years ago the higher textile training course 

(dating back 150 years, it was the oldest training 

course bar one in the Netherlands) was in dire 

straits. The curriculum was rewritten, new 


community, and participate in the networks of institutes and companies such as TenCate. Saxion University of Applied 

Sciences is effectively carving the way in this respect, and TenCate and Saxion can gain from each other. 

materials were introduced, and new instructors 

shaped by occupational practice arrived. The 

gulf between education and the business world 

has now been completely closed. The intake of 

students is large − and international. In addition, 

the educational programme Art & Technology 

has been initiated, where students are taught to 

combine creativity with the latest technological 

developments. ‘It deals with devising technical 

solutions for smart applications. Children today 

are growing up in a world of creativity and new 

materials. You have to introduce technology 

into the life of young people right from the 

beginning. A company like TenCate must feature 

much more prominently in education in order 

to hammer home once more the identification 

with the innovative manufacturing industry.’ 

Intensify and innovate 

Saxion is devoting this academic year to 

intensifying the relationship with the field of 

work. Innovation of products, services and 

processes is becoming increasingly important 

as a source of prosperity for the Netherlands. 

According to Wim Boomkamp, the expansion 

and strengthening of practice-oriented research 

at universities of applied sciences make a 

necessary and substantial contribution in this 

respect. This innovation must take place in the 

networks (‘small workplaces’) of companies and 

institutes. In this, Saxion can generate, share 

and disseminate practice-oriented knowledge. 

‘TenCate is an important partner 

for us. Company, region and Saxion can utilize 

one another’s potential to an even greater 

extent as far as high-grade innovation is 

concerned.’ The opportunities to ‘capitalize’ 

on knowledge and technology must therefore 

be more closely scrutinized. The knowledge 

institute also expects to contribute to new 

employment, for example in the form of 

spin-offs. In this respect, Saxion has an 

excellent service record − like that of the 

University of Twente (UT) − with a considerable 

number of successful spin-offs. Former 

students of Saxion currently head companies 

of their own in fields such as ICT, facility 

services, and the health and food sectors.

Materials Valley 

Saxion endorses initiatives in open innovation 

such as the Open Innovation Center Advanced 

Materials (OICAM) and the presentation of 

Twente as Materials Valley. TenCate has been 

involved as a partner in OICAM from the very 

beginning. Materials and techniques are the 

roots of the Twente region. The joint marketing 

of Twente as an innovative high tech region can 

give an additional boost to attracting qualitative 

personnel. Technical companies in the region will 

become increasingly interesting to knowledge 

workers from other countries and districts. In 

the words of Wim Boomkamp: ‘The contacts 

must be such that with the input from TenCate 

we can devise an educational programme. We 

call this co-creation: that is, building jointly with 

companies such as TenCate an educational 

programme and an occupation, and coupling 

this with research. We want to elevate High 

Tech Systems & Materials into a spearhead.’ 

Arguments 

There are four arguments in favour of this 

policy option: ‘We have the most technical 

educational programmes in house. High tech 

systems and materials are characteristic of our 

region and, when it comes to innovation, the 

manufacturing industry is the most important 

“chimney” of this region. Moreover The Hague 

has challenged us as Saxion to be distinctive 

− to be a centre of excellence. If you can be 

distinctive, then you also erect a small chimney 

on this university of applied sciences, so to 

speak. We are the only university of applied 

sciences that, in cooperation with companies 

and Mesa+, the NanoLab of the UT, has entered 

the field of nanotechnology – and this creates 

a new dynamic. If we can also show this in 

Brussels, we can attract more money and 

projects. If we want to remain up to date and 

continue to educate people, then the interflow 

of contributions and contacts with the business 

community will become increasingly important.’ 

Interactive 

The chairman has a clear picture of how 

to give substance to the intensification of 

relations with the field of work: ‘It begins with 

the instructor that we appoint. That may be 

someone who works or has worked at TenCate 

and who is willing to look at us interactively. 

The lectureship Smart Functional Materials of 

the textile training programme falls under the 

knowledge centre Design and Technology of 

Saxion. Furthermore the director of education 

must see what the developments are at a 

company and how we can respond to them. 

Wim Boomkamp, Chairman of the Executive Board of Saxion 

There is considerable willingness at TenCate 

to join us in shaping this cooperation. Together 

we will look at which innovation projects can 

offer places to students. And that applies to 

the question of replacement too.’ The business 

community must make sufficient places 

available for work experience − and utilize them. 

Incidentally Wim Boomkamp prefers to speak 

of learning arrangements, or even better: a 

period of project-based practice in the form of 

co-creation. ‘Many young people have grown up 

with new materials and technologies. A student 

represents talent. Set him or her to work on a 

project and utilize their potential and creativity.’ 

35


GREENFIELdS wORKS wITH NETwORK OF SALES PARTNERS ANd ALLIANCES 

A green 

supplier of 

synthetic turf 

GreenFields installed a large number of fields for football and other sports in 2011, including 

several dual-use fields suitable for twin purposes. Outside Europe, the Middle East and Asia, 

Greenfields works with partners that sell, produce and install under licence. It has opted 

for an international network of sales partners and alliances. Together with TenCate Grass, 

GreenFields has developed recyclable products for customers that want to realize environment- 

friendly projects. ‘Green is in our name.’ 

GreenFields is a top player worldwide in the 

synthetic turf sector and specializes in the 

development, production, supply, installation 

and maintenance of synthetic turf systems. 

GreenFields is part of the TenCate Grass group. 

TenCate and GreenFields complement each 

other in the value chain. Both pursue system 

solutions, and work closely together to bring 

products and systems onto the market that 

meet the wishes of end-users. In 2011 the company 

installed a large number of fields based 

on synthetic turf for football and other sports in 

several notable locations: Kabul (Afghanistan), 

Beijing (China) and Mumbai (India). 

dual use 

GreenFields leads the way in dual-use 

technology: fields on which rugby and hockey 

as well as football can be played without 

compromising the playing experience at all. The 

prestigious Western Academy of Beijing chose 


GreenFields for the installation of the first 

FIFA- and IRB-certified dual-use field in China. 

It is suitable for both football and rugby, and 

will also be used for a range of other sports. 

The system utilizes TenCate yarns based on 

TenCate XQ TM -technology. Compared with 

conventional synthetic fibres, these yarns 

have exceptional tear resistance. 

A dual-use field from Greenfields for football 

and hockey has been installed at the Father 

Agnel School in Mumbai (India). This field 

facilitates more intensive use and the All 

India Football Federation (AIFF) and FIFA have 

proclaimed it to be the basis for one of the first 

national football academies in India. 

Strategy 

GreenFields pursues the strategy of ‘differentiator’. 

The distinguishing characteristics of the 

company are innovation (partly through being a 

division of TenCate), quality and sustainability. 

GreenFields holds various patents worldwide 

and has considerable expertise in development 

capacity, certification processes, production 

and infrastructure engineering. GreenFields 

has a team of people that mesh well together. 

The company brand radiates charisma in 

the market that customers associate with 

high quality. GreenFields is a FIFA Preferred 

Supplier, which represents an excellent 

guarantee of quality. 

Customer segments 

Outside Europe, the Middle East and Asia, 

Greenfields works with partners that sell, 

produce and install under licence. It has 

opted for an international network of sales 

partners and alliances. The distributors, 

who are usually the contractors of projects, 

know the local market better than a supplier 

such as GreenFields. They are familiar with 

the area, know the culture and speak the

language, and therefore have a good sense 

of which solution meets a customer’s needs. 

They are equipped with knowledge of 

climatological conditions and local legal 

regulations, and know better how to participate 

in tenders at national scale. Regular tuning 

with the distributors / contractors ensures 

synchronization between what the market 

needs and what GreenFields develops and 

produces. They take on projects which 

incorporate the GreenFields synthetic turf 

carpets. 

Based on this approach, the company 

has a collaborative alliance in China with 

TorchGrass, also a major yarn customer of 

TenCate. Together with production partner 

Standard Carpets in the United Arab Emirates, 

GreenFields has set up GreenFields India 

to realize projects in India. The production 

therefore takes place close to the market. 

Value proposition 

GreenFields wants to be more than just the 

supplier of a product. It tries to add value to 

the product and in this way strengthen the 

ties with the customer. GreenFields has a 

range of products that continuously outstrip 

the competition. With extremely innovative 

products, GreenFields serves the high segment 

of the market, without losing sight of the lower 

end. Examples of innovative products include 

the woven matrix constructions and XtraGrass. 

The matrix products, which are patented, 

provide the field with characteristics that 

bring synthetic turf a step closer to the feel 

of natural grass. XtraGrass is a product that 

supports natural grass, leading to fields that 

are playable during the winter months without 

incurring bald patches. The product is highly 

suitable for those who want the playability 

of synthetic turf while retaining the feel 

of natural grass. 

Synthetic turf from GreenFields in Stanley Park (Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK) 

• GreenFields specializes in the 

development, production, supply, 

installation and maintenance of 

synthetic turf systems 

• GreenFields leads the way in dual-use 

technology: fields where rugby and 

hockey as well as football can be played 

• The company works with an 

international network of sales partners 

and alliances that are familiar with the 

local market 

http://www.greenfields.eu 

info@greenfields.eu 

37


TENCATE GEOTUbE ® TECHNOLOGY HELPS CLEAN LAKE KOMSOMOLSKY 

Geosynthetics 

in Siberia 

Lake Komsomolsky in Nizhnevartovsk. TenCate Geotube ® technology was used in cleaning up the water 


MARKET – Environment and infrastructure 

(hydraulic engineering applications) PROdUCT – 

TenCate Geotube ® TECHNOLOGY – Extrusion, 

weaving and coating technology in combination 

with polymer technology PROCESS – Storage 

and dewatering of (contaminated) sludge and sand 

Over 100 TenCate Geotube ® containers were used in cleaning up Lake Komsomolsky in the 

centre of Nizhnevartovsk, a town in Siberia, and woven and non-woven TenCate Polyfelt ® 

was applied for soil reinforcement purposes during the work. In barely six months 350,000 

m 3 of sediment were efficiently dewatered without noise or smell nuisance to visitors or 

the residents of this recreation area. 

Nizhnevartovsk is located on the right bank of 

the River Ob and has over 250,000 inhabitants. 

Lake Komsomolsky is a popular recreation area 

in the town. The lake has a surface area of 

300,000 m 2 (approximately the size of sixty 

football pitches) and acts as a storage basin for 

rainwater and water from bordering areas. 

Many local residents and visitors come here to 

jog, swim and relax. Their pleasure was being 

increasingly spoilt by contamination of the 

water, which went hand in hand with an 

unsavoury smell. Admir EurAsia, distributor and 

contractor for TenCate Geotube ® systems in 

Russia, was asked by the government to come 

up with a solution for cleaning the lake. Only 

limited time was available for this in the 

summer; furthermore the work was to cause no 

noise or smell nuisance to holiday-makers or 

local residents. 

The solution lay in dredging and dewatering 

350,000 m 3 (17,000 truckloads) of sediment 

with the aid of TenCate Geotube ® technology. 

The efficient noiseless operation process and 

the competitive price differentiate this 

technology from mechanical systems. Since the 

dewatering process had to be carried out on 

marshy subsoil, this was reinforced and 

stabilized with TenCate Polyfelt ® . These 

materials are frequently used in retaining walls, 

for bank protection and in systems for sheet 

piling, drainage and filtration purposes. 

The project has been wrapped up so successfully 

that it serves as a reference project for 

this region, where a number of lakes still have 

to be cleaned. 



39


TENCATE GRASS MIddLE EAST INTROdUCES SOLAR ENERGY ANd SAVES ENVIRONMENT 

Energy conservation dubai 

The TenCate Grass plant in dubai has embarked on a number of ‘green initiatives’ to make more use of natural energy 

sources and save electrical power and further limit the impact on the environment. 

Energy management and protection of the 

environment are attracting increasing attention 

in the Middle East too, and particularly in 

the United Arab Emirates. It is obvious that 

the current capacity in regard to energy and 

water production is insufficient to meet future 

demands, especially in Dubai. In view of this, 

various green initiatives have been launched 

within the TenCate Grass plant in this emirate, 

involving an overall focus on the cost side of 

the production. 

The sun as energy source 

With more than 350 days of sun per year, it 

makes sense to look into possible ways of ex- 


ploiting this natural source of energy. Hot water 

is used continuously in the production process 

in Dubai and until now this has been heated 

solely by electrical power. The installation of a 

hot water solar panel system for preheating the 

water consumed in production has introduced a 

free, green and very reliable source of energy. 

The system consists of forty panels installed 

on the roof of the factory, where water is 

circulated throughout the day. In turn this water 

heats up a buffer of 6000 litres to a temperature 

between 80 and 90 degrees Celsius. The 

buffer makes it possible to have sufficient hot 

water available for night-time consumption 

and ensures that all the water produced can be 

Solar panels on the roof of TenCate Grass in Dubai. At that time of day (08:30 a.m.) the outside 

temperature is 260C, while the water returning from the panels is around 550C. used efficiently. The system is designed with 

a capacity of 1000 KWh per day, which equals 

a saving of more than US$ 150,000 a year. In 

addition there is a saving in emissions of approximately 

150,000 kg of CO2. If the demand 

for hot water in the production increases in 

the future, the capacity of the system can be 

increased simply by adding more panels to the 

current installation. 

Using less energy 

A voltage optimization installation is currently 

being tested in the Dubai plant. According 

to the supplier, this system guarantees a 

reduction of between 5 and 10% in the total

energy bill – a saving that has still to be verified 

by the test installation. If the system proves 

efficient, it can be rolled out in the complete 

electrical installation in the Dubai plant. This 

will result in a minimum saving of 5%, which 

translates into a decrease in CO2 emission of 

roughly 800,000 kg a year and a significant cost 

saving for the plant. 

Light is energy 

In a 24/7 production environment such as the 

Dubai operation, the need for artificial light is 

substantial. The lighting in the plant is handled 

by 470 traditional metal halide lamps, each 

with a consumption of 460 watts. By replacing 

the existing lamps with high-efficiency 

fluorescent lamps, the quality of the light 

improves and each unit uses only 118 watts. 

In addition to the lower direct consumption, 

the new lamps give off less heat, which saves 

on the air conditioning as well. The plan is to 

complete the installation of the new lamps 

in the first half of 2012, resulting in a positive 

effect on the power cost as well as a further 

decrease in the CO2 footprint of the factory of 

350,000 kg a year. 

www.tencategrass.asia.com 

grass.europe@tencate.com 

41


TENCATE TECAPRO ® FAbRICS FOR THYSSENKRUPP STEEL EUROPE 

Meik Sill and Uwe Winkler of ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, 

wearing protective work clothing based on TenCate Tecapro ® fabrics 


Several thousand employees working at the German steel company ThyssenKrupp Steel 

Europe are now wearing protective work clothing based on TenCate Tecapro ® fabrics. 

Employees in the Kaltbandwerk 2 (cold strip mill) tell us enthusiastically why they are 

so pleased with this work clothing. 

MARKET – industrial safety PROdUCT – 

TenCate Tecapro ® TECHNOLOGY – fibre, 

fabric and flame-resistant finishing technology 

PROCESS – material is turned into clothing by 

the garment maker 

Steel giant 

in multisafe 

work clothing 

Dietmar Rohrbach from TenCate Protective 

Fabrics is responsible for among other things 

end-user marketing in Germany, Austria, 

Denmark and Switzerland. During a recent 

visit to the steel giant in Duisburg he was 

able to learn first-hand how the people at 

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe feel about their 

new work clothing after eighteen months. 

Continuous product development based on 

intensive contact with end-users is one of the 

core elements of the success of TenCate. 

Top quality 

Safety in relation to the specific working 

conditions and the workplace is of prime 

importance at ThyssenKrupp. With 180,000 

employees and a turnover of €50 billion the 

raw materials and technology company is 

one of the largest industrial conglomerates 

in Germany. The business area ThyssenKrupp 

Steel Europe, which principally manufactures 

high-quality raw materials in Duisburg for 

companies such as car manufacturers like 


43


TENCATE TECAPRO ® FAbRICS FOR THYSSENKRUPP STEEL EUROPE 



Toyota, BMW and Daimler, seeks suppliers 

who also consider top quality to be paramount. 

According to safety expert Christine Durek, 

TenCate Tecapro ® offers the right solution for 

the employees, who face several risks and 

are set to work in several workplaces. ‘Using 

TenCate Tecapro ® fabric we offer employees 

multifunctional work clothing that provides 

protection against for example welding 

splashes, sparks and chemicals. The work 

clothing is also antistatic.’ 

High level of acceptance 

This work clothing is not only suitable for 

many different departments and workplaces, 

adds Uwe Winkler (coordinator conventional 

production team). ‘The wearing comfort of our 

clothing too has greatly improved thanks to 

TenCate Tecapro ® fabric. This has made the 

level of acceptance to wear this clothing still 

higher. It shrinks less in the wash, so that even 

after a longer garment life it still fits perfectly. 

The work clothing is less likely to develop holes 

or become torn, which has improved it service 

life compared with the previous material.’ 

A high level of acceptance is essential. 

Employees at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe in 

Duisburg need three or four sets of work 

clothing each. So this involves large numbers 

and substantial amounts of money having to be 

invested. ‘And then it all has to be of the very 

best quality too,’ says Volker Böttcher of Safety 

& Services. 

Before ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe decided 

to purchase the protective clothing based on 

TenCate Tecapro ® , a number of wearer trials 

and tests were conducted. ‘In all cases TenCate 

Tecapro ® satisfied the requirements. This has 

led to the protective work clothing being used 

not only in Duisburg, but also in Dortmund and 

other locations of the steel company’, Christine 

Durek tells us. 

Excellent relationship 

The work clothing that is based on TenCate 

Tecapro ® is produced by Wolfgang Mauser 

Schutzbekleidung GmbH. This garment maker 

has been working for ThyssenKrupp for many 

years and has thus built up an excellent 

relationship. Together with TenCate they will 

now examine where this work clothing can be 

further improved. 

In the view of Dietmar Rohrbach it is of great 

importance when there is further development 

that there continues to be a good balance 

between the technical possibilities and 

the costs. ‘From a technical point of view 

we can actually make everything that the 

customer requires through a mix of different 

fibres, materials and systems. Every solution, 

however, has a different price tag. You try to 

find the perfect one so that the customer or end 

customer is satisfied with the specifications, 

and so that TenCate as a supplier retains a 

competitive position and the end product is 

also attractive to the customer in terms of 

price. These are the factors that help you 

secure tenders.’ In Duisburg Dietmar Rohrbach 

gave a clear explanation of the many solutions 

that TenCate offers. 

• TenCate Tecapro ® fabric is being used 

throughout the company at ThyssenKrupp 

Steel Europe and is both a high quality 

and an efficient solution 

• ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe appreciates 

the direct and open relationship, focused 

on the further optimization of the 

protective work clothing 

• Continuous product development based 

on intensive contact with end-users is 

one of the core elements of the success 

of TenCate 

www.tencateprotectivefabrics.com 

protectivefabrics.europe@tencate.com 

d.rohrbach@tencate.com

Social commitment 

EdEL GRASS ANd ORANJEwOUd PART-SPONSORS OF SPIEREN VOOR SPIEREN PITCH 

Sports promotion 

on synthetic turf 

On wednesday 21 december 2011 the first 

Spieren voor Spieren (Muscles for Muscles) 

pitch in the Netherlands was opened in 

Nieuw Vennep. The concept focuses on 

promoting sports in residential areas and 

making a contribution to the foundation of 

the same name, which works for children 

with a muscular system disease. The pitch, 

based on synthetic turf fibres from TenCate 

Grass, was built by the project partners 

Oranjewoud Sport, Edel Grass and w&H 

Under the motto ‘healthy muscles at work for 

diseased muscles’ the Stichting Spieren voor 

Spieren (Muscles for Muscles Foundation) 

focuses on improving the quality of life of 

children with muscular system diseases through 

rapid diagnosis and scientific research. The 

objectives of the foundation are understandably 

supported by numerous present and former top 

athletes. The initiator W&H Sports, in 

collaboration with project partners Oranjewoud 

Sport and Edel Grass (50% TenCate subsidiary), 

has built the first Spieren voor Spieren pitch in 

the Netherlands. 

Multi-sports pitch 

The Spieren voor Spieren pitch is a public 

multi-sports pitch. It must therefore be made of 

strong, sustainable and maintenancefriendly 

material. As the pitch is in a residential 

area, noise levels have also been taken into 

account. Fund-raising activities will also be 

organized on and around the pitch. For these 

reasons it was decided to opt for the Edel Elite 

LSR 24 mm synthetic turf system, a wearresistant 

sand-filled, system with fibrillated 

TenCate Tapeslide XT yarns. Specifications 

were drawn up by Oranjewoud Sport, which 

developed the concept together with W&H 

Sports and Edel Grass. All the parties involved 

are employing their expertise in this project. 

Commitment 

Like TenCate, both Oranjewoud Sport and Edel 

Grass receive many requests for social and 

other sponsoring. ‘We would like to show our 

social commitment, but of course we can’t 

respond to every request’, Ivo Toxopeus 

(marketing & communications manager, 

MARKET – sports and recreation PROdUCT 

– TenCate Tapeslide XT grass fibre and backing 

TECHNOLOGY – extrusion technology 

PROCESS – synthetic turf fibres are tufted into 

backing and installed as part of the synthetic 

turf system 

Sports. The pitch is opened. From left to right Joost Wijnhoud (Director, Spieren voor Spieren), Louis van Gaal, 

William van Diemen (W&H Sports) and Ivo Toxopeus (Oranjewoud Sport). 

Oranjewoud Sport) tells us. ‘That’s why we’ve 

opted for parties that fit in with our field of 

activity and our products. We are for example 

involved with the Cruyff Foundation, but Spieren 

voor Spieren is also a foundation that fits in with 

our policy. The interesting thing about the 

Spieren voor Spieren pitch is that we’re not only 

making a financial contribution, but we can also 

use our expertise here.’ 

In the street 

The first Spieren voor Spieren pitch in the 

Netherlands was opened by ambassador Louis 

van Gaal. He too played in the street when he 

was young - on the pavement and between 

cars, he told us. In the view of the football 

coach, today’s facilities are much better: 

‘The Spieren voor Spieren pitch is a perfect 

example of this. 

45

TenCate in Asia 

TENCATE GEOSYNTHETICS MALAYSIA CELEbRATES CHINESE NEw YEAR 

Lion dance 

In the Netherlands carnival wouldn’t be carnival 

without the birdie dance, but at TenCate in Kuala 

Lumpur they go a step further – with lions! 

When it comes to seeing in the New Year 

without upsetting others, TenCate Geosynthetics 

in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) certainly knows 

a thing or two. For several years now, the 

hundred-strong workforce of the company have 

celebrated the Chinese New Year, and 

a traditional part of this is Wu Shi: the lion 

dance − bringer of prosperity and good fortune 

in the new year. 


For the Chinese, the Chinese New Year – also 

known as the spring festival – is the most 

important festival of all. It is celebrated from the 

first to the fifteenth day of the first month of the 

Chinese calendar. TenCate Geosynthetics Asia 

usually invites customers and business partners 

to the celebrations. On New Year’s Day itself 

the lion dance is performed on company grounds 

and then a communal lunch is enjoyed. And so 

it was on 1 February 2012 – the first day of the 

year 4709 according to the Chinese calendar. The 

Chinese New Year period ends with a lantern 

festival on the fifteenth day of the new year. 

The performance of the lion dance is a spectacular 

acrobatic display– something to leave to the 

professionals and enjoy from a suitable distance. 

www.tencategeosynthetics.com/asia 

geosynthetics.asia@tencate.com

txtures in 2012 

OUTLOOK TxTURES 2 / SUMMER 2012 

In the summer edition of txtures 2012 you can look forward to articles including the following. 

The shareholders’ meeting 

Results of 

the first quarter 

of 2012 

On 27 April TenCate will publish 

the results for the first quarter of 

2012. In this edition the background 

to the results achieved. 

The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders 

offers an excellent platform for a substantive 

dialogue with many investors and 

stakeholders, including the VEB and VBDO. 

TenCate will hold its annual general meeting 

of shareholders in the afternoon of Thursday, 

19 April. The venue will once again be the 

business area of the Polman Stadium. txtures 

will be there reporting on the proceedings and 

talking to a number of those present. 

Alliances for product innovation 

During the development of integrated system 

solutions the emphasis is on technological 

renewal and open innovation. With its 

partners TenCate is seeking revolutionary 

solutions. In txtures you will find examples 

and results of these forms of cooperation and 

co-creation. 

Composites for Space Telescope 

The James Webb space telescope will, 

according to plan, replace the Hubble space 

telescope in 2018. The telescope will be 

built and maintained by NASA with the aid 

of the ESA and CSA. TenCate Advanced 

Composites is a material supplier. 

Volume 47 - number 1 - spring 2012 txtures is the corporate review of Royal Ten Cate for its employees and external stakeholders. The magazine is 

published four times a year in a Dutch and English version. Reproduction of articles or parts of articles is authorized, 

providing the source is acknowledged and that passages and quotations are not placed in a different context. 

Editor’s address Translations design Printing 

Royal Ten Cate 

Coen Heldeweg (chief editor) 

phone +31 546 544 305 

c.heldeweg@tencate.com 

Gay Howells 

Janice Collins 

DeNK•creatieve vrijdenkers 

Almelo 

LulofDruktechniek 

Almelo 

47

THEME: THE TENCATE VALUE PROPOSITION

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