Value added.

Windows and Doors Division
Market leadership extended
The Windows and Doors Division with its EgoKiefer brand is Switzerland’s leading provider of windows and doors. Ego-
Kiefer develops, manufactures, markets and fits a wide variety of doors and windows made of synthetics, synthetics/alu-
minum, and wood and wood/aluminum, plus doors for interior and exterior use. The division has two production facilities,
in Altstätten (Canton St. Gallen) and Villeneuve (Canton Vaud). EgoKiefer windows and doors are innovative, modular
system solutions that can be tailored to cover all customer requirements. EgoKiefer strives to built long-term partnerships
with its customers and suppliers.
In 2005, the Windows and Doors Division generated sales of CHF 220.6 million with around
870 staff. This is a year-on-year increase of 5.5 % on a full-year comparison basis, and a new
record in the history of the company. During the year under review, EgoKiefer AG once again
grew market share in all sales regions, and extended its leadership in the Swiss windows and
doors market. Operating profit (EBIT) came to CHF 20.5 million, resulting in a virtually unchanged
EBIT margin of 9.3 %.
In the year under review, EgoKiefer’s production facilities in Altstätten (Canton St.
Gallen) and Villeneuve (Canton Vaud) manufactured more than 600,000 square meters of
windows and more than 17,000 doors – year-on-year growth of 4 % for windows and 19 %
for doors. This is the highest production figure in the history of EgoKiefer. Particularly notable
was powerful growth in synthetic/aluminum windows (+75 %). But sales of HA3 wood/aluminum
windows (+9 %), lift and slide doors (+30 %), and doors (+19 %) also developed very
well indeed. During the year under review the Swiss windows and doors market benefited
from strong construction activity. The volume of the windows and doors business grew only
marginally, by around 2 to 3 %, versus 2004. Demand from new residential construction and
renovation grew so positively that it more than made up for a decline in demand from the
non-residential sector. EgoKiefer managed to tap into the healthy development of the economy
to extend its leadership in the Swiss market.
Expertise along the entire process chain
The company was able to further reduce throughput and delivery times thanks to lean and
automated production processes optimised on an ongoing basis. The implementation of a
highly flexible estimate and order management system at branch offices, linked online to
Ego-Kiefer headquarters in Altstätten (Canton St. Gallen), proved to be extraordinarily effective.
Thanks to smart, just-in-time handling of production processes, EgoKiefer is able to
manage and coordinate the production of 1,300 window units, the loading of more than 50
trucks, and the delivery of 150 orders throughout Switzerland and its neighboring countries
every day.