GEANOVA 5 EN

GEALAN
REINVENTED
ISSUE
#05/2023/2024
EVERY CAREER
IS UNIQUE
Philipp Benker’s career from design engineer
to 3D printing specialist: careers at
GEALAN are unique and provide plenty
of opportunities for development.

The façade of the Simmel
Centre at Dresden Central
Station is composed of
multicoloured matt and
glossy aluminium panels
coated in all colours of the
spectrum that shimmer in all
the shades of the rainbow
depending on how the
light falls. The aluminium
look is also matched by the
building’s window profiles:
the 880 window elements of
the GEALAN S 9000 system
feature in GEALAN-acrylcolor ®
White Aluminium.

| CONTENTS |
6
The perfect journey
People who travel
see things from a
different perspective.
Eva Schröder is
a guide on the
customer journey.
10
MKÖ – three
dimensions
GEALAN’s creative
team for design,
communication
and events
12
‘Transformation
starts in your mind!’
With Prof. Wengler,
external expertise
becomes explosive.
15/49
GEANEWS
Design innovation,
recycling power,
excellence in
toolmaking:
GEALAN news
at a glance
16
Millions for the
Mega Cuboid
Tanna’s new skyline:
GEALAN opens
a 26 m tall hightech
warehouse.
26
SAP? Is up and
running!
Susana Santos is an
expert and pioneer
of mighty IT.
30
Career paths –
change as a constant
‘You have reached
your destination.’
GEALAN offers many
route options.
40
Good fortune is
not accidental
GEALAN France
has grown up and
is tinkering with a
new profile system.
46
La Gourmande
et le Géant
Sweet and spicy
and a new employer
full of surprises
50
Constructive
paths
Career focus
on design:
a profile of two
specialists
54
Imprint
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 3

Ivica Maurović, Spokesperson
of the Management
Board, Managing Director
Sales, Marketing and System
Development
Tino Albert,
Managing Director
Technology and Finance
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 4

| EDITORIAL |
Dear readers,
In the previous issue of GEANOVA, we pointed
out changes that the window manufacturing
industry is facing. In 2023, we can only confirm
that the negative economic trend of our industry
has continued. The geopolitical situation, impacted
by the war in Ukraine, whose end is not in
sight, remains tense. The European Central Bank
has raised interest rates several times in its fight
against inflation, which has made construction
financing more expensive. Coupled with already
high construction costs, this has caused a clear
decline in building permits for new residential
construction. At the same time, hopes for renovation
of the housing market remain unfulfilled.
Since 2020 and the outbreak of the COVID-19
pandemic, each year has been marked by enormous
challenges. The summer of 2023 showed
Europe once again how climatic changes can
affect our quality of life. These upheavals in our
environment mean that we need to act prudentially
and put some of our business activities to
the test.
GEALAN has been working vigorously on its
corporate strategy in 2023. We have finalised the
strategy process initiated last year with an international
management team. The three pillars of
our strategy are high-quality products with focus
on our surface technology GEALAN-acrylcolor
® , excellent service along the entire value
chain and efficiency. They are based on the skills
and motivation of our employees, on innovative
strength, digitalisation and automation, as well as on the sustainability of our
products and processes. The satisfaction of our customers is – and always
will be – the common thread of our actions. In the coming years, we will
allocate our resources judiciously to ensure that this strategy is implemented
and our vision is realised. The new strategy is based on the insights and
successes of the past years, on the competencies we need to secure in the
company for the future, on our adapted organisational configuration and
on the cultural change that puts the spotlight on our values.
We have decided that we want to continue the success we have had with
GEALAN-acrylcolor ® for 43 years. Consequently, surface technology will
be available for all products in the future. We have adapted our structures
so that we can offer our customers and their customers real added value
along the value chain – unique service is essential. Our new high-bay
warehouse enables us to work even more efficiently. New digital solutions
will make it even easier for our customers to navigate the complex world
of products and requirements. Last but not least, sustainability has moved
even more into focus. With that in mind, it is important for us to remember
that, among many other measures, we have already been using 100
per cent electricity from renewable sources since 2020 and are one of the
first companies in our industry to be EMAS-certified. Now we are focusing
even more on the circular economy. We are investing in our internal recycling
capacities and our tools are being redesigned to incorporate an
even higher proportion of high-quality recycled material. We are forging
strategic partnerships on the issue of bio-circular raw materials with a
reduced carbon footprint. The necessary ISCC-Plus certification and the
first customers who want to use the material are pushing the sustainability
of our systems.
In this issue of GEANOVA, you can read more about how GEALAN is driving
new things forward – logistics, customer journey and SAP are the main topics.
You will also take a trip to GEALAN France – we hope you enjoy reading
our newest edition!
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 5

| CUSTOMER JOURNEY |
The perfect journey
Eva Schröder likes to be on the
move – on foot and in her mind.
She hikes, climbs deep
gorges, bikes through forests,
swims under sparkling waterfalls,
preferably far off the beaten
track. For GEALAN she works
on the perfect journey:
a customer journey
with a wow effect.
After abseiling down steep cliffs, she finally breathes a sigh of relief
in the grotto behind the waterfall. The walls are covered in moss and
the light shines diagonally through the gushing water. On her arms:
goosebumps. In her head: one big WOW. These are the moments Eva
Schröder loves when she travels – completely new perspectives.
There have been several perspective changes in Eva Schröder’s (40) life,
and each one has left its mark on her. From Ranspach, a village with 300
residents in the Vogtland region of Saxony, where she was praised as a
pupil for her excellent essays and played football with the neighbourhood
boys, she went to the Technical University of Ilmenau. After she
graduated from secondary school (Abitur) in Plauen, she studied media
business. She hated accounting and taxes in her studies but loved media
production and marketing. And she takes every opportunity to get out
and travel as far away as possible to see exotic places. She completed
an internship in Sri Lanka, where she organised events for an NGO
(non-governmental organisation). She also spent a semester abroad in
the Philippines and accepted a scholarship programme in Indonesia,
where she organised sports projects. After learning languages at school
and university – English, French, Latin and Spanish – she learned Indonesian,
good enough to converse with locals and not get ripped off by taxi
drivers thousands of kilometres away from home.
Eva Schröder’s prospects also changed in her professional career. After
she graduated from university, she started working in recruiting and
personnel marketing at Siemens in Erlangen. However, she quickly became
frustrated by endless reporting and steep hierarchies and being
forced to always wear a blouse and pumps. She moved to Stuttgart, became
an academic assistant at the Media University where, for a change,
she had complete freedom so that she could realise her ideas all on
her own. She designed the internal and external communication of the
degree programme and organised excursions for the students to media
companies and agencies in Scotland and Turkey. After a while, she
wanted to leave the university world and return to real life. She switched
to the sporting goods giant Decathlon, which was still a small company
in Germany at the time. She ended up in a work environment that felt
like a start-up, first as a product manager, then as an online marketing
manager. ‘It was really exciting to work with a super young team. I also
made friends and we often went out together. My enthusiasm for sports
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 6

GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 7
With GEANOVA,
Eva Schröder visited one
of the most beautiful spots in
the Franconian Forest:
the Höllental valley. If she
had infinite time and a limitles
budget, she would take a
trip around the world.
Sulawesi with its rainforests,
coral reefs, caves and
volcanoes would be at
the top of her list.

was well received – and the growth was insane.’
Eva Schröder was rebuilding product data and
affiliate marketing, when the next change in
perspective came along: She moved back to
her old home, looked for an interesting job
and found it at GEALAN. In 2017, she joined as
Online Marketing Manager – the topic of online
marketing was still new to GEALAN at that time.
‘Everyone was happy that it was finally being
approached in a modern way. I had creative
freedom, but also excellent support from all
co-workers.’ Facebook was becoming an important
tool for employer branding; Instagram
was becoming an inspiration channel, LinkedIn
was becoming GEALAN’s business and recruiting
network – and Eva Schröder was advancing
her career. In 2020, she became Head of
Marketing, and when MKÖ became its own division,
she took over its management in 2023.
Like all division heads, she was thus part of the
extended management team that decided on
GEALAN’s strategic direction.
Eva Schröder has experienced how perspectives
change. It is fitting that she is working on
a major perspective change for GEALAN. The
company wants to know how its customers
think. Why? GEALAN is convinced that only a
company that can see things from the customer’s
point of view works well, sells well, inspires
and has a future. Of course, the fact that
customer needs are important is old news in
marketing. What is new is the intensity with
which the perspective change is approached.
GEALAN wants to precisely understand its customers’
journey from the first point of contact
with the company to purchase and use. To
accomplish this task, the company goes on a
journey itself: deep into the world of its customers’
thoughts. After all, a customer journey
doesn’t just begin when someone buys something,
but long before that – with an impulse,
an idea, a problem. The potential customer
researches, gathers information, develops a
preference, and only then goes through with
the purchase. After that, it’s about loyalty, for
example, by subscribing to a newsletter. Then
the customer uses the product, makes experiences
with it and perhaps recommends it to
others. At GEALAN, this journey doesn’t happen
just once, but four times – because the target
groups of window manufacturers, architects,
retailers and end customers each embark
on a very different journey. ‘But the following
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 8

applies to all of them: every contact with GEALAN is a touchpoint, and
every touchpoint can become a pain point if something goes wrong. We
work hard to ensure that every contact is as perfect as possible, so the
customers get exactly the right information and the service they need
at every stage of their journey. We really put ourselves in our customers’
shoes. That’s what the customer journey analysis is all about.’
GEALAN doesn’t make vague assumptions about what customers might
be thinking, but asks them directly, specifically and on a large scale: ‘We
surveyed hundreds of our customers and partners, in Germany and
abroad, and then conducted in-depth interviews to find out what they
really think, what they want, where they have difficulties and what they
expect from us?’ Some of the results are surprising. Window manufacturers
obviously want great digital solutions. However, they also want equally
convincing showroom concepts. Experiencing, seeing and touching
still play a huge role in a world of digitalisation. Architects want more
direct access to the information prepared especially for them on the
GEALAN website and the Planersoftware 3.0. End customers are not tired
of the topic of thermal insulation. In fact, they want to know even more
about it. Retailers are far less price-driven than they are sometimes assumed
to be. Instead, they care very much about partnership, personal
contact and advice.
On a day off in Indonesia, Eva Schröder spontaneously accepted the
invitation of a local. She sat on his moped and he took her to a small
lake in the middle of the lush green rainforest, where they were surrounded
by palm trees, bananas and bamboo. The children of the village
bathed, splashed in the water and played exuberantly. At first Eva
Schröder had no idea where the trip was going – until she stumbled
upon this beautiful place. A really great trip is full of surprises.
This also applies to the customer journey at GEALAN. ‘We don’t want
our customers’ journey to be mediocre’, says Eva Schröder. ‘Instead, we
want to inspire our customers by creating wow effects!’ For example, this
is the case when a home builder hears friends rave about their beautiful
GEALAN windows, because the window company was able to answer every
question, they had about thermal insulation and design, and because
they were able to leisurely look at all the colours and coatings in the chic
showroom. Other examples include customers who rejoice at the fact
that the offer was understandable, that the fitters worked super cleanly
and that they were friendly and punctual. Wow effects like these are retold
and trigger the next customer journey.
from that, there are also projects that benefit
all target groups, for example, new showrooms
with a uniform GEALAN look.
Deep in the Alps, a balmy summer evening at
the campsite. The wind blows the music of a
festival over. Like Eva Schröder, the people on
the campsite are in a good mood. They cook
and eat together. People sit together and talk
until the stars light up the sky. A perfect journey
creates connection.
The same can be accomplished with a customer
journey when it works really well. Customers
who not only feel well served, but truly
understood, as they do at GEALAN, tend to be
loyal. They develop a close relationship. Eva
Schröder is convinced that this plays a particularly
pivotal role in the business-to-business
sector. Window manufacturers need a system
provider who empowers them, supports them,
helps them evolve, and does so for decades.
Architects need tools to help them plan more
efficiently and someone who understands exactly
what support they need in which planning
phase. With the customer journey, GEALAN has
embarked on a journey that has only just begun.
Eva Schröder packs her backpack. She is going
to the Cyclades in Greece. Nothing more
than the flight has been booked. What awaits
her? Let’s see. Maybe another goosebump
moment, maybe surprises, maybe another
perfect trip.
Turning the customer journey into the perfect journey is an ambitious goal
that sales, customer service, architectural consulting and marketing in particular
want to realise. GEALAN brings in experts from outside (interview
with Prof. Wengler, page 12) and develops numerous individual projects.
GEALAN wants to achieve improvements for each customer group: ‘For
manufacturers, we want to create a customer cockpit – a platform where
the customers log in and see all important information they need, like orders
and open invoices, in a simple and clear format.’ What used to be bureaucratic
is to become simple. ‘We will tailor the content on our website
to our customers: architects need the technical specifications of a product,
but for an end customer that would be too much information.’ Apart
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 9

What does GEALAN look like?
How does GEALAN communicate
and advertise? What are
GEALAN events like? Designing
that is the job of the Marketing
Communications and Public
Relations department.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 10

| FOCUS |
MKÖ – three dimensions
MKÖ is the German abbreviation
for Marketing Communication
and Public Relations.
MKÖ’s central task is to increase
awareness of GEALAN, to
strengthen the company’s
image regionally, nationally and
internationally, and to support
sales. Since 2023, MKÖ has been
a separate division with Eva
Schröder at the helm.
MKÖ comprises three groups: Media and Web Design, where graphic designers
create websites, print ads, brochures, screen designs and renderings,
product packaging and sales materials, design trade fair appearances
and livestreams, develop colours and logos – as the creative department,
they are the guardians of corporate design. The Communication and PR
group decides which topics need to be communicated externally. The
group also decides when and how. To do this, it relies on input from the
specialist departments. It plans and creates content for all communication
channels – print, web and social media. It coordinates and launches
advertising content internationally – from print advertisements in
the trade journal to social advertising. It also analyses the success of the
strategies comprehensively and optimises them as needed. Moreover,
the group identifies new forms of advertising, for example GEALAN advertising
in podcasts or free apps. The third group is responsible for event
and advertising management. It organises trade fairs, customer events
and seminars. On top of that, it takes care of advertising materials such as
pattern angles and foil fans, merchandising and work clothes. Apart from
that, the group also develops showroom concepts.
MKÖ has a total of 16 employees. Teamwork between the three groups
is very important. Every new product, every trade fair, and every press
conference is supported in all three dimensions: Design – Communication
– Event and Advertising Material. The design team decides what the
GEALAN trade fair booth at Fensterbau Frontale will look like. The communications
team determines how the invitations for the trade fair will be sent
and what will be reported via social media. The event and advertising materials
team decides where the guests will stay and which brochures will
be available on site. All of this is only possible through strong teamwork.
The latest marketing successes speak for themselves: Social media activities
are flourishing – website visits are multiplying; in Italy, for example,
the number of GEALAN fans on Facebook has skyrocketed from zero to
thousands. MKÖ has upgraded the International Future Forum to a central
event for GEALAN partners. The merchandising range was completely
rebuilt. A collaboration with an architecture influencer has catapulted the
access figures for Planersoftware 3.0 to new heights.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 11

Prof. Stefan Wengler (48) knows theory and
practice. With his consulting company, Science
Venture GmbH, he works as a strategy and
management consultant, source of inspiration,
coach and speaker for internationally operating
business enterprises, including GEALAN. But he is
also a professor of marketing and sales at Hof
University of Applied Sciences. Born in Schweinfurt
and raised near Hamburg, he studied business
administration and economics in Berlin,
Austin (Texas) and Würzburg. He earned his
doctorate in Berlin on the topic of ‘the Economic
Value of Key Account Management’ and has
been teaching at Hof University of Applied Sciences
since 2009, where he also heads the ‘Empirical
Research and User Experience’ research
group. Wengler’s research includes digital transformation
in sales and customer acceptance of
autonomous driving. He describes himself as a
‘sales excellence evangelist’.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 12

| INTERVIEW |
‘Transformation
starts in your mind!’
‘Everyone talks about sales
excellence and the customer
journey, but very few have
a clue what that means’, says
Prof. Stefan Wengler.
In an interview with GEANOVA,
the marketing expert explains
why companies today have to sell
differently than in the past and
why a good product alone is
no longer enough.
Prof. Wengler, you helped initiate the ‘Sales Excellence’ process at
GEALAN. What is ‘Sales Excellence’ all about?
It’s about selling better, making sales more customer-oriented, and
being particularly good in your industry. More specifically, this is implemented
through added value concepts. In other words, GEALAN
does not simply offer its customers window profiles, but much more:
improving their production, polishing their external image, upgrading
marketing materials, improving the expertise of their employees
through training – all this boosts the customers’ business, and thus indirectly
that of GEALAN as well.
Why do you need added value? Is a very good product not enough?
No, it is not enough. In times of modern thermal insulation, windows
have become highly complex constructs, and people need to understand
what that means. If you just told your hairdresser to cut your hair
somehow, he wouldn’t know what to do. The same applies when you
buy new software and think: What kind of crap is this? I can’t even use
it properly. But the product is top-notch – it just needs to be explained.
And you have to provide this explanation. Otherwise, no matter how
good the product is, no one will understand it.
What does that mean for GEALAN?
GEALAN has known for quite some time that products have to be explained.
Even the customer, the window manufacturer, understands
that his people need training, that windows work differently than before
and have to be sold differently. I have dealt a lot with lifelong
learning – and that is exactly what it is all about: We start learning
processes at all ends. If GEALAN were still selling the way it did fifteen
years ago, the company would only be a fraction of what it is
today. Most companies also know that they must change. Digitalisation
and artificial intelligence may not yet affect the majority of
people, but they certainly affect companies. The digital transformation
is underway! At some point there will be a downturn, and if
you haven’t changed by then, it will be too late. GEALAN recognised
very early on that processes had to be improved and tackled it right
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 13

away. Sales excellence was the beginning, and the customer journey
was the next step. Everyone is talking about the term, but it is often
misunderstood.
What do you mean?
Most companies don’t apply it at all or approach it far too superficially.
A proper customer journey analysis is time-consuming. It costs
time and money. What GEALAN has started – and what I have supported
and moderated as a coach – is indeed very unusual and even
avant-garde from an entrepreneurial perspective. The team did not
think about what GEALAN does and how, but rather looked at each
individual customer group, their processes and problems; and they
did it very intensively, very profoundly and in hundreds of interviews.
With what result?
I’ll give you an example based on the target group architects: We
looked at what tasks an architect has, how he thinks, what exactly he
actually needs from GEALAN at which point within his journey. Next,
we figured out how we can proactively provide him with the right
information at each stage – through software, factsheets, advice, etc.
Then we worked through this in detail for four major customer groups.
The large-scale customer survey at the beginning is the key. The
projects on what could be changed were figured out afterwards.
When a company really puts itself in the shoes of its customers, a lot
changes.
Absolutely! Thinking from the customer’s point of view, creating new
touchpoints and designing each touchpoint so that customers get
what they need – this change of perspective is crucial. Transformation
starts in the mind! Here is an example: We had just started talking
about customer journey with a new client group. A few days after the
workshop, a sales representative approached me. He had landed a
big customer the day before and could hardly believe his luck – and
only because he truly understood how the customer really ticks! So he
was able to make him the right offer at the right moment and clearly
set himself apart from the competition.
You like to advise business-to-business companies – why?
Because it’s more exciting than business-to-customer, much more
complex. It’s also more predictable from my point of view, because
customers make more rational decisions. Especially big purchasing
decisions have to be very well justified. Consequently, I can also
achieve a lot with clever arguments. And there are many more players
on the market – for GEALAN: the window manufacturers, retailers,
architects, installers, hardware and glass companies, etc. That’s
a thousand times more exciting than going to the supermarket and
buying a chocolate bar.
You are not only a consultant but also a professor
– what are the benefits of collaboration
between companies and universities?
I think it’s all about give and take. We get an
incredible amount of insight into the economy
through projects with companies, but
also through our students who complete internships
or dual study programmes. When
I talk about what we do with companies
at a scientific conference, people’s eyes get
really big! It’s not about patting ourselves
on the back, but rather about really immersing
ourselves and understanding the
companies to help them advance. GEALAN
is one hundred per cent willing to do this.
Others are still hesitant to get input from
the universities. With greater willingness to
act and invest, we could implement many
more and much cooler projects.
And vice versa, does the university also benefit
when professors understand the practical aspects?
You’d have to ask my students about that.
But of course this practical knowledge flows
back into the university. I am convinced
that the quality of teaching increases enormously
when there is practical relevance.
You see yourself as a source of inspiration.
What happens when a workshop series is over
and you are no longer in the company – does
the inspiration stop?
No, my work is basically empowerment.
We provide companies with new scientific
findings and methods. There are smart
people in the companies, who internalise
the input and initiate projects on their
own. At GEALAN, the customer journey
is going extremely well. Working more
closely with the customer is essential. The
turnover developments are already phenomenal.
And I predict that in the next
year or two, GEALAN will blow up big
time!
And more complex! Everyone needs to understand the customer journey.
Ideally, yes. Ultimately, it’s not about fixation on sales. We can create
the best value-added concepts and launch the best activities, but that
alone is not enough. We also need excellent production, superb logistics,
outstanding customer service and brilliant product development. You
can forget about sales excellence if there is no company excellence.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 14

| GEANEWS |
Emissions down, sustainability up!
Although GEALAN is growing, key environmental
indicators such as water consumption, energy
consumption and CO 2 emissions (each per tonne
of raw material) have dropped significantly in
recent years at the German sites in Tanna and
Oberkotzau. This is attributable to GEALAN’s
consistent path towards resource conservation
and environmental protection. Since 2020, both
sites have been drawing their electricity exclusively
from carbon-neutral sources. New silos for
recyclate storage were added to the existing recycling
plant. New granulators shred production
waste. GEALAN is forging ahead with the automation
of the recycling process, and the proportion
of recycled material in profiles is increasing.
Starting in 2024, the new high-bay warehouse
in Tanna will save 10,000 forklift operating
hours. GEALAN’s environmental management
is comprehensively documented in an annual
environmental report – and has once again been
EMAS-certified.
Unisono dark
Elegantly deep dark: GEALAN-acrylcolor ® is now
also available in a dark profile. The unique PMMA
surface merges with the grey base body. The
result is a perfectly dark profile – seamless from
every angle. The RAL trend colours anthracite
grey, jet black and DB 703 on the outside can be
combined with six different dark decorative foils
on the inside. There are many new design options
in the dark colour spectrum – from anthracite
to black, and from smooth to matt or grained.
The dark profile is material-optimised so that it is
even highly stable in sunlight. A high proportion
of recycled material in the profile core ensures
sustainability. The new, magnificent darkness will
be available for all systems.
Spectacular trade fair comeback
GEALAN is looking forward to ‘Fensterbau Frontale’ after a long
pandemic break. The leading trade fair for windows, doors and
façades will take place in Nuremberg from 19 to 22 March 2024.
GEALAN is raising its trade fair presence to a new level: the
GEALAN booth will be considerably larger and it will follow a
completely new concept that will unveil the GEALAN product
worlds to target groups. There will also be an event component.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 15

GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 16

No one can get in here.
The GEANOVA photographer was one of the last to see the inside of the new
GEALAN high-bay warehouse, shortly before the first profile containers were
stored. In the future, two mighty blue storage and retrieval machines will roll
on rails through the area protected by light barriers. Fully automated, they
remove containers with profile bars from the shelves and transport them to
the picking stations. Once the order picker has removed the required goods,
the operating device clears the container again.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 17

| LOGISTICS |
Millions for the
Mega Cuboid
In Tanna, Thuringia, GEALAN produces
PVC profiles for windows and doors.
At first glance, the actual production
process, extrusion, seems to have nothing
to do with logistics. But the logistics
department acts as a control centre that
merges many processes. If something
goes wrong in logistics, nothing works in
production or with customers. The logistics
tasks are diverse and highly sensitive,
and logistics faces many big challenges:
lack of personnel, shortage of raw materials,
supply bottlenecks, time and cost
pressure, disposal, digitalisation.
In 2024, GEALAN will put an impressive
high-bay warehouse with an adjoining
order-picking hall into operation in
Tanna and invest around 15 million
euros in it. The complex will offer a lot
of space, but it will also make logistics
work easier and faster and
conserve resources.
If sepia-brown window profiles are pushed out of an extrusion line, it was
initiated by the logistics department. If a road train delivers 20 tonnes of
steel rods for window bracing, logistics registers the process. From the receipt
of raw materials and supplies to the dispatch of goods, Logistics is
involved in every step of the process. ‘Without logistics, production would
run, but it would run disorderly’, explains GEALAN Logistics specialist Michael
Steiniger. ‘We write machine orders and distribute them to 40 extrusion
lines and 11 laminating systems. We plan production quantities, bundle
and track orders, and monitor production status. We deliver profile
bars to the laminating department, where our colleagues finish them with
decorative foils. Then we take them back.’ In addition to work preparation,
production planning and production control, traditional warehouse logistics
complete the field of competence with transfer of customer orders to
the warehouse, order picking, packaging, loading and shipping. ‘We plan
so that we can deliver on time. Sometimes we ship goods in the morning
that were produced at night. The right quantity in perfect quality at the
right time – that’s how we handle logistics.’
150 women and men work in logistics in Tanna. 85 per cent of them pick
or transport goods. 15 per cent have commercial jobs. The Strategic Logistics
division determines when how much of what is produced and stored.
About one third of the 34,000 profile variants offered by GEALAN are available
for immediate delivery. Two thirds are extruded to order and finished
with foil if the customer wishes. In a nutshell: standard items are kept in
stock, but special requests are made to order. From its central logistics
location, GEALAN delivers to 40 countries, as far away as Japan, Paraguay
and New Zealand. The route of the goods to the customer leads through
a logistical bottleneck: loading space is in demand, drivers are scarce, the
roads are full and every kilometre costs more and more money. According
to Steiniger, the transport market has gone crazy, and the situation is
getting worse. GEALAN and more than 50 freight forwarders have established
a partnership network. They meet on equal footing and solve problems
together. ‘Freight forwarders should enjoy working with GEALAN; we
expect guaranteed transport capacities in return. It is clear to us that a
lorry is only profitable when it is running. That’s why we keep downtimes
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 18

GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 19
Michael Steiniger (49)
• 1992 Apprenticeship as
industrial clerk at GEALAN
• then sales, then shipping
• Clerk in strategic logistics
• Application consultant
for the GEALAN warehouse
management
system (LFS)

short. A lorry should be loaded or unloaded on
our premises in less than two hours and the
drivers should feel comfortable with us.’ In dialogue
with customers and the GEALAN sales
department, GEALAN logistics examines and
questions customary delivery routines – to reduce
costs, but also to improve sustainability:
Does the freight forwarder really have to drive
to an address three times a week? Would regional
warehouses make sense? Do deliveries
have to reach the customer in 24 hours or are
48 hours enough? ‘With a little more delivery
time, we can plan better, combine deliveries,
make better use of loading spaces and avoid
redundant trips.’
then cheese, then fruit – GEALAN customers cannot have their deliveries
packed quite as individually as when they’re shopping in the supermarket
– at least not yet. However, ‘upon request, we place main profiles and
accessory profiles separately or put together containers object by object.
The requests are becoming more and more complex, and we will soon
be able to fulfil even more. However, we also pay attention to optimal
utilisation of containers and lorries.’ For window manufacturers, the priority
is the production of windows, not logistics. But GEALAN is thinking
about providing them with logistical advice as well – on site or from Tanna.
Furthermore, customers will receive delivery status updates in the future,
comparable to the tracking of parcel services. ‘If you know when your delivery
will arrive, you don’t waste your time waiting.’
Time is a key factor in logistics. Stacking a particular container from the
middle of a mixed block of containers takes time. Travelling from shelf
Flexibility is a must in logistics. Customers expect
it. Customers love it. Michael Steiniger: ‘As
long as there’s a lorry in our yard, we load profile
containers – even at the last minute. That’s
not as obvious as one would think.’ First bottles,
Logistics location Tanna
Order items
approx. 760,000
per year
Logistics centre
and high-bay
warehouse
approx.
28,000 m 2
Logistics
including
traffic areas
approx.
90,000 m 2
Container sites
approx. 32,000
24-hour shift
operation
350 days
per year
Outdoor
storage area
approx. 29,000 m 2
Delivery orders
approx. 35,000
per year
Kg
Tonnage turnover
approx.
550 t per day
Warehouse
movements
approx. 100,000
per month
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 20

GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 21
Stephan Siniawa (62)
• Civil engineer (FH)
• former employee and
entrepreneur in the
construction industry
• with GEALAN since 2004
• responsible for facility
management

to shelf during picking takes time. In GEALAN’s
new high-bay warehouse, the technology accesses
each individual container directly. And
the containers go to the pickers, no longer the
other way around. ‘We gain space and efficiency’,
explains Stephan Siniawa from GEALAN’s
Facility Management division. ‘Until now, we had
to handle goods several times before they were
sold. Now it has a fixed storage location and is
only moved once – for shipping.’
In 2019, GEALAN conducted a feasibility study
for a high-bay warehouse – with the goal of increasing
storage capacity. In December 2021,
the concept was ready, and construction began
in spring 2022. The managing director and
division manager entrusted the project to a
four-person agile Scrum team with a clear distribution
of roles. Michael Steiniger: ‘Our discussions
were intense – within the team and with
external partners. We did not stick rigidly to a
predefined goal. Instead, we reacted repeatedly
to new requirements and changing conditions, to price increases or
delays, etc. Every once in a while things got a little heated, but we learned
that agility strengthens our team and advances the project and the company
in a really powerful way.’
After eighteen months of construction, the high-bay warehouse was
ready: a huge cube that towers over the other buildings in the Kapelle-Nord
industrial park and can be seen from afar. The steel rack does
not stand inside the building – it actually forms the supporting structure.
The roof and walls are bolted directly to the racking structure. The
advantage of this silo design is that GEALAN can use almost the entire
net content of the building as storage space because no space is lost
for concrete supports or roof trusses. No people work in the high-bay
racking itself. Two imposing stacker cranes travel at high speed on rails
through the racking aisle. They retrieve profile containers from the shelving
compartments and transport them to four order-picking stations.
Once the order picker has removed the profiles, the operating devices
put the containers back into storage. Empty containers are removed
from the high bay by a third, smaller storage and retrieval machine (RBG
light). The prefabricated reinforced concrete skeleton of the order-picking
hall spans over twenty metres – otherwise, the RBG light could not
operate here.
High-bay warehouse with order-picking hall
Building:
125 m long, 44
m wide, max.
26.5 m high
Floor space
approx. 5,500 m 2
Container sites
High-bay
warehouse
5,000
Container
storage spaces
Picking hall
500
Container
exchange in
high bay
max. 80 per
hour
Buffer spaces
as intermediate
storage
100
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 22

Shipping and transport
Side loader
18
Lorry dispatch
max. 70
per day
Lorry tours
approx. 13,000
per year
Lorry kilometres
approx. 8
million
per year
The walls of both buildings are clad with sheet steel cartridges and heavily
insulated. The roof has a vapour barrier. Thus, the new GEALAN building
in Tanna meets the KfW 40 low-energy standard. A pellet heating system
ensures a constant temperature in the high-bay warehouse. In the
order-picking hall, underfloor heating creates a pleasant, draught-free indoor
climate for the employees. Like all new GEALAN buildings, the building
is prepared for the installation and operation of a photovoltaic system.
Cleaning the areas for order picking will be done by a robot that empties
itself after wiping.
According to Stephan Siniawa, the new high-bay warehouse and the new
order picking area are also very important for the personnel development.
He explains: ‘So far, order pickers had to climb onto the shelves to
remove goods. They had to assume awkward postures and carry profile
bars overhead. For the new picking stations, planners and warehouse staff
determined the best working height and aligned the stations accordingly.
The workstations with large window areas offer a lot of freedom of movement
and are equipped with anti-fatigue mats that make standing on
the industrial floor for longer periods easier.’ In the new complex, order
pickers work stationary. They no longer drive order picking tractors that
rumble awkwardly over floor joints. They no longer have to constantly
climb up and down and are no longer exposed to draughts while driving.
Without traffic, there are no traffic accidents. ‘Ergonomic, stationary workstations
take the strain off order pickers. With increased automation, less
and less needs to be done by hand and we can continue to grow with the
staff we have available.’
GEALAN now has much more storage volume in Tanna and can close an
external warehouse and eliminate lorry shuttle trips. The number of forklift
movements on the company premises is decreasing. GEALAN is currently
checking whether forklifts with electric drives can take over container
transport. To avoid foil waste, GEALAN is looking into container covers that
can be used several times. As a member of EPPA (European PVC Window
Profiles and related Building Products Association), GEALAN is participating
in a returnable transport system that recycles profile containers – and
already passed the audit for it. Michael Steiniger:
‘If metal containers come back to us quickly, we
can avoid using wooden boxes. Wooden boxes
are an expensive one-way means of transport,
while containers last at least ten years.’ Container
management should become more transparent
and digital overall. GEALAN is currently
developing a container app that customers can
use to manage their inventory and register container
returns easily with just a few clicks.
Unmanned forklifts will probably soon be rolling
through the warehouse in Tanna, either automatically
or controlled remotely by tele-operators.
It is conceivable that the operator will
log on to forklifts in Croatia, Lithuania, Poland
or Romania in between. The roadscape will
change: lorries will be on the road as electronically
linked convoys with the help of platooning,
driving will become autonomous, lorries
will be powered by overhead wires – all this is
already in the trial phase. And the traditional
freight forwarder model is likely to be discontinued.
Freight platforms will bundle data and
flows of goods online more globally and avoid
empty runs even more selectively. Logistics will
remain an area of tension. In Tanna, logistics is
very well positioned, and not only because of
the successfully completed multi-million highbay
warehouse project.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 23

GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 24

Countdown to a new logistics age
The calm before the trial run: in the bright, spacious picking area, there is still
some fine-tuning to be done by assemblers, IT administrators and logistics
specialists. From December 2023, the order pickers will be trained at their
new workstations. In spring 2024, the starting signal will be given for regular
operation. The focus is on the third, smaller storage and retrieval machine
(RBG light). It transfers containers with new goods into the high bay and
empty containers out of the storage system.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 25

‘For me, a really good work
day is one in which we finish
an issue, solve a problem or
have a satisfied user in front
of us. Unfinished business annoys
me. Getting things done, ticking
them off: that gives me joy.
And that only works with
a really good team.’
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 26

| DIGITAL |
SAP? Is up and running!
Susana Santos likes to bring
order to chaos and loves
clear structures. As head of
IT application consulting, she
oversaw implementing SAP at
GEALAN. A mammoth project that
needs movers and shakers. It’s
good that Susana Santos likes to
shake things up.
Susana Santos (43) is an early riser and very active in the morning. Her first
to-do is to write a to-do list, just for that day. Susana Santos loves to-do lists.
She is very good at getting things done and ticking them off. ‘It makes me
feel good.’
IT people are often said to be nerds. Susana Santos is the exact opposite:
open, communicative, endearing. The daughter of Portuguese immigrant
workers had an affinity for IT at a young age. As a secondary school student,
she found typing and shorthand boring and instead chose computer science,
which was still an unusual subject at the beginning of the nineties. In
Hof she was one of only eight seventh graders and the only girl. At sixteen,
she bought her first computer, ‘with a floppy disk drive and a huge screen.
I read the instructions, installed everything myself and taught myself Word
and Excel.’ While other kids played Pac-Man and Tetris, Susana Santos started
typing up all her exercise books, saving the contents to floppy disk and
sorting them. ‘I did it just for fun.’
Susana Santos knew what she wanted to do after school. She wanted to
study after graduating, but first she urgently wanted to work in the field. ‘After
twelve years of school, I really wanted to work.’ She applied to all the
big companies in the Hof region, but GEALAN was the quickest to accept
her. Susana Santos became an industrial clerk and worked her way through
all the departments, as is usual for trainees. ‘I still benefit from that today: I
know exactly what my colleagues do, and I appreciate the personal contact.’
For Susana Santos, it was just as clear as her desire to work after school
that she still wanted to study. GEALAN offered her the perfect opportunity
with the dual study programme, which at that time was still called ‘study
with in-depth practice’. After her apprenticeship, she studied business administration
at the Hof University of Applied Sciences from 2001 onwards,
working at GEALAN during the semester breaks and both practical semesters.
‘That way I always earned money and could finance my studies myself.’
Susana Santos likes to think outside the box. Although she was studying
business administration with a focus on marketing and controlling, she
spontaneously said ‘Yes!’ when she was asked at GEALAN if she would like
to try her hand at IT. ‘It wasn’t just a matter of setting up a computer, but of
finding creative solutions. When co-workers have a problem in their workflow,
we had to figure out how to solve it as cleverly as possible with the
help of IT. I found that exciting.’ A scheduling system for customer orders,
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 27

a feedback system for production that reports
quantities, rejects, times, an upgrade for the LFS
warehouse management system – Susana Santos
was getting deeper and deeper into IT and
never strayed from it ever since. ‘The fact that I
didn’t study computer science is not a disadvantage:
I see a lot of things from the business
and marketing side. It helps me see the bigger
picture, not just IT topics in themselves. And
there are experts in the team for programming.’
Susana Santos is already writing her diploma
thesis on a topic that will determine her professional
future: SAP.
In 2005, with her business administration diploma
in her pocket, Susana Santos joined GEALAN
as assistant to the IT division manager. In 2007,
GEALAN started working with SAP solutions –
initially in the commercial area and materials
management. The broad introduction of SAP at
GEALAN took several years and involved an investment
of about 10 million euros. The largest
IT project GEALAN has ever implemented
became Susana Santos’ speciality. Preparations
began at the headquarters in Oberkotzau in
2016. The objective of introducing SAP was to
replace the ageing ERP (Enterprise Resource
Planning) software and turn it into the central
software for GEALAN to manage, control and
plan almost all business processes and information
flows in its supply chain. There is a suitable
SAP module for each area from orders to
delivery and invoicing. If a customer places an
order with GEALAN, an order is created in SAP. If
the goods are produced from scratch instead of
being delivered from stock, the production order
is created in SAP and the delivery is scheduled.
When the goods are en route to the customer,
SAP reports that the invoice can be created. The
system also registers incoming and outgoing
payments. ‘The only break in the system is picking.
We wanted to continue to rely on our warehouse
management system, which works very
well and is tailored to us.’
Susana Santos is an optimist. ‘I always had the
advantages SAP offers us in mind: a modern user
interface that is much nicer to work with than
old-fashioned green screens, as well as the intuitive
menu navigation, the better availability of
data and easier work. I no longer have to click
and scroll through segment numbers. I finally
see all information, like all orders of a customer,
immediately.’ SAP is an integrated system, which
means that every change at the beginning of the chain immediately results
in changes further down the chain. A new sales order directly triggers a
planned order in production. Of course, SAP also enables true automation.
A term that makes some people think of rationalisation and fear for their
jobs. ‘That’s why it was incredibly important for us to involve all employees
right from the start, to explain to everyone that they will of course continue
to be needed.’ Like many important GEALAN projects, the SAP implementation
does not run top-down. The project staff, called key users, come from
all departments and undergo further training on SAP. They incorporate expertise
from their department into SAP. In other words, they stipulate what
should be included and how. They also act as multipliers in their department
by explaining to their colleagues how to use the SAP software and by
answering questions. ‘Such change management is important’, says Susana
Santos. ‘We shape change together.’
There are people who wait for things to come to them, but not Susana Santos.
She is a consummate planner. When she travels, which she loves to do
with her family, she starts by doing a lot of research on what everyone in the
family wants to experience. Then she meticulously plans out every day of
the holiday – in Excel, of course: arrival in Antwerp at 9 a.m., city centre, city
hall, cathedral, lunch at the Wafflehouse, 2 p.m. departure for Calais, ferry
to Dover, then White Cliffs, etc. This way, every day of the holiday is used
perfectly. A great holiday trip consists of a list of successive actions. Susana
Santos approached SAP in a very similar manner. At the beginning there was
a comprehensive analysis; then the large-scale project of introducing SAP
was broken down into smaller actions that were processed step by step.
‘You can’t forget anything in this phase. All departments have to do their
part. The colleagues have a lot of information in their heads, in Excel tables,
in Word documents. We had to extract all that information (how do you
work? What are your processes like?) and then integrate it into the software
so that it ultimately does what we want.’
Next was the blueprint phase. The SAP project team wrote a concept for
each SAP module, tested everything extensively and trained employees.
Only after making absolutely sure that everything was right was data transferred
from the old to the new system. Then the employees were activated
as users and items were transferred from the old system. Then came the big
moment: the go-live in Oberkotzau on 1 January 2019. ‘I arrived very early;
a bit nervous of course. We had a precise cutover plan, when which action
would be transferred from the old system to SAP, and of course a fallback
plan that would have brought our old system back up and running, just in
case things went wrong.’ The first customer order is in progress. The first delivery
is on its way. ‘Step by step we moved forward. Such a changeover is
no small matter. The project team spent weeks looking over the shoulders
of colleagues, solving problems.’ Good preparation and close support paid
off! The changeover to SAP worked and became a huge success – and Susana
Santos was promoted to group leader in IT application consulting in
2019.
GEALAN is also rolling out SAP in its international affiliates, starting with Croatia
in 2020, followed by France, Poland and Romania in annual increments;
GEALAN BALTIC will follow in 2025. Since 2021, Susana Santos has overseen
the SAP implementation project. It is important to her that the rollout always
takes place on equal footing. ‘Sure, we standardise our IT processes so that
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 28

we all speak the same IT language, but that’s not a one-way street. We also
get input from our foreign colleagues: Poland was much further ahead than
we are in terms of digitalisation. Their order entry was almost completely
electronic. Of course, we learn from that.’
According to Susana Santos, the introduction of SAP is not just about ones
and zeros, but about the people who work with it. For 2024, she is planning
a meeting with all key users from all GEALAN locations. ‘My goal is for us to
really grow together as a team, to get to know each other and to exchange
ideas. IT projects can also be managed internationally, so I see great new
opportunities.’ Susana Santos is convinced that SAP accelerates business
processes, and speed allows GEALAN to grow even faster. ‘Of course, SAP
is never finished’, she says. ‘We are constantly improving software and processes,
for example, on a large scale, with a cloud solution for our customer
relationship management and a new SAP module
for toolmaking, on a smaller scale, with improved
container management and electronic
package information. These are just four of
many examples.’ In 2024, GEALAN will switch to
S4/HANA, the next SAP technology with more
storage space, an even more modern interface
and new functions: Traditional transactions will
become apps. For example, analysing data for
sales will then work via app, even mobile.
SAP? Runs smoothly at GEALAN. Every last SAP
hook is in place and more will follow. Everything
on Susana Santos’ To-Do list becomes reality.
‘Even as a schoolgirl, I had an
affinity for maths and logical
thinking, which is very useful
in IT. Breaking something
big down into small items,
into individual steps that
logically build on each other,
without losing sight of the
overall picture.’
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 29

People grow with their tasks.
In more than two decades
at GEALAN, Alexander Jahn
has taken on more and
more responsibility. He has
experienced a few times how
GEALAN was turned inside
out, and he has seen investors
come and go. Although he is
fascinated by numbers, he is
glad that GEALAN is not only
focused on numbers.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 30

| CAREER |
Career paths –
change as
a constant
Alexander Jahn was born in Marktredwitz
in 1975. He grew up in the Fichtel Mountains
and spent a lot of time in his parents’ butcher’s
shop in Wunsiedel as a child. His path to
become a master butcher and business owner
seems preordained. He even completed an
apprenticeship in his parents’ business.
‘I’m a trained butcher, but please don’t ask me
for a recipe for German meat loaf today.’
After the apprenticeship, he quit what he
called a solid but exhausting job – not an easy
decision, given his family’s expectations. He
gravitated towards a more industrial career,
which is why he studied business administration
in Regensburg. Alexander Jahn took a sharp
turn on his career path. He experienced
firsthand that change can set the path to
your own future. Nowadays, there is hardly a
fixed template for the professional
career path anymore. That’s why it is part of
GEALAN’s corporate culture not to block
new paths, but to embrace them openly.
Alexander Jahn started his first job at GEALAN in controlling in 2001.
Soon, the company experienced serious changes, and so did he: in
2002, financial investors bought the PVC profile manufacturer. ‘The period
after the takeover challenged and shaped me. I had to deal with
new shareholders, with banks and consultants. Of course, the relationship
with them was very different from the previous one with the owner
family. Suddenly it was all about numbers.’ Jahn was appointed Senior
Investor Relations. He stuck with the numbers game. In 2008, he became
head of controlling, and in 2010 he also became head of Finance. ‘Many
people find numbers boring. Compiling statistics may not be thrilling,
but looking behind the figures is very exciting because it reveals what
makes the company tick. GEALAN was sold more than once, so I always
had to explain to new investors, bankers and consultants what was going
on. You can only do that if you deal with numbers.’ Legal affairs, including
auditing and credit management, as well as human resources were
added to Jahn’s scope of duties in 2011. In the same year, he was granted
power of attorney (Prokura). His email signature now lists him as ‘Commercial
Manager’.
2014 marked the end of the era of financial investors at GEALAN. With the
sale to VEKA, the company returned to private ownership. New framework
conditions, new contacts, new opportunities – Alexander Jahn was
also instrumental during this change of direction: ‘I found the new beginning
with the VEKA group to be a relief for GEALAN, because we were
no longer just talking about finances. We were able to concentrate on
the operations, and we invested in Germany and the international locations.
When training courses are offered again, when canteens open, and
when it’s about people again – people notice that, of course.’
Today, 55 employees work in the commercial division at GEALAN. They
take care of people and numbers, says division manager Alexander
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 31

Jahn. He spends most of his time on personnel
issues, which he coordinates closely with
his team. The first major project he is responsible
for in human resources will usher in a new
era: In 2012, GEALAN introduced an innovative
shift model at its production site in Tanna – a
35-hour week based on an average of three
and a half workdays. ‘The idea came from the
employees, as it was new territory for me. After
some discussions, we made the courageous
decision to just give it a try. Of course, not everyone
was equally enthusiastic at first, but everyone
went along with it. The shift model has
caught on and is very well accepted.’
The opinion of the GEALAN team is important to
Alexander Jahn. It is the foundation for changes
from within. That’s why GEALAN regularly conducts
employee surveys. ‘The evaluations become
really exciting when we present them to
our colleagues. They draw their own conclusions
and suggest improvements from their individual
point of view. GEALAN benefits from it.’ Five values
are the foundation of our corporate culture:
Professionalism, team spirit, trust, appreciation
and open communication. This GEALAN quintet
of values was jointly developed by about twenty
employees. The word of the users also carries
weight in the conversion and design of the new
office space in Oberkotzau.
GEALAN is changing from the inside but must
also respond to changes from the outside. The
work environment is changing as fundamentally
and rapidly as society as a whole. Applicants
lining up in response to a newspaper ad is an
image from days long gone. Today, employers
advertise for employees on the labour market.
GEALAN is represented on online platforms
such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn,
but also in schools and universities as well as at
vocational training fairs. Location and personnel
marketing have become really important. Anyone
looking for a job, says Alexander Jahn, must
have GEALAN in mind. In job interviews, it’s not
so much about money. GEALAN is a flexible and
open employer and responds to wishes and
goals: ‘We offer part-time and mobile working,
support with training and Chamber of Industry
and Commerce (IHK) courses. We have also
developed our own qualification programme,
and we provide opportunities to attend technician
and master craftsman schools. All specialist
departments have competent supervisors
for training and further education. The opportunities for development at
GEALAN are excellent – professionally and personally, even up to management
level.’
Even at GEALAN, the typical career path is a thing of the past. It’s true
that many loyal employees have been with the company for a long time
and every now and then a 40th anniversary is celebrated. But careers are
very personalised – a trend Jahn considers to be positive. ‘Trainees climb
the ladder. Lateral entrants become experts. Colleagues move through
the divisions or work internationally. The start of a GEALAN career can
be an internship, an apprenticeship, a trainee position or a dual study
programme. People take diverse paths to reach their professional goal.
Some take the straight path, while others take detours, but one thing is
for sure: at GEALAN you can develop and evolve.’
Jahn and his team are working on many future-oriented projects in parallel.
They want to standardise agile working methods, advance digitalisation
and increase occupational safety. Women are expected to take on
even more responsibility at GEALAN, part-time if they prefer. The focus is
on collective solidarity, also interculturally. Impulses and advice for future
projects are given by those whose work they change: ‘We foster a lively
feedback culture with open communication. Every employee should
enjoy working at GEALAN. My goal is to fill people with enthusiasm for
GEALAN.’
22 years of Alexander Jahn at GEALAN – always new configurations and
new tasks, always change. It was never boring, he says. From butcher to
authorised signatory in the industrial sector – does he see parallels between
his fundamentally different jobs? ‘In the butcher’s shop I learned
to value food and not to waste anything. GEALAN also uses raw materials
consciously and recycles them. This type of entrepreneurial thinking was
just as important in the butcher’s shop as it is for the commercial management
at GEALAN.’
Team
discussions
Open office
concept
Expansion of
the intranet
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 32

Employee survey 2021/2022
Brainstorming
Round table and discussion
Development of questions
Online survey
940
international
participants
Evaluation of the survey
Presentation of results
Action plan
Implementation
40
Moderated
workshops
Frequent
product info
updates
More storage
capacity
Communication
Production
Human resources
Qualification
levels
Age-related
leisure time
Subsidies for
team events
Outdoor
break areas
Vegetarian
food in
canteens
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 33

Thirst for knowledge
Florian Feulner (27), Toolmaking
After my apprenticeship as a
toolmaker at GEALAN, I wanted to
broaden my knowledge of plastics
processing. I attended a technical school,
then returned to GEALAN as a process
technician, became a Senior Area
Manager and now work as a group
leader in toolmaking. The expansion
of our tooling systems always presents
us with new challenges, but that’s what
I enjoy. As a young employee, I was able
to develop steadily at GEALAN and move
up quickly – probably not possible
at other companies. GEALAN
challenges and encourages
young people.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 34

Determined
Tanja Schöttner (47), Accounting
I enjoy working with numbers.
I realised this during my training as an
industrial clerk at GEALAN. In order to
further my career, I completed various
training courses (e.g. to become a certified
IHK accountant) and a part-time study to
become an IT business economist (VWA).
I have been the department head since 2018.
30 years at GEALAN – the company has
grown, and the team has become bigger.
Nevertheless, my supervisor always
takes the time to listen to me. GEALAN
offers a lot of opportunities and the
path at GEALAN can lead far.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 35

On the move
Steffen Graf (45), Controlling
After finishing secondary school,
I completed my apprenticeship as
an industrial clerk at GEALAN.
Then I worked in accounting, controlling,
the marketing back office, toolmaking
– and since 2010 I’ve been back in
controlling. At the same time, I completed
a business administration degree (VWA)
and a diploma in business administration
at the PFH Göttingen. GEALAN paid
the tuition fees. I like professional
variety and continuous development.
And I like how GEALAN keeps up with
the times: new canteens, new offices,
variable working hours and locations.
The corporate culture makes it easy for
me to say: this is the right place for me.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 36

Seizing the opportunity
Khaldoun Rajab (25), Logistics
Four years ago, I started as a warehouse
assistant. Now I’m a team leader.
I work in order picking and drive a forklift.
GEALAN paid for my forklift licence.
In the coming months, I will attend
another training session to reach my
goal: I want to become a shift leader.
My supervisors supported me from the
beginning, explained procedures to
me and helped me solve problems.
The whole company works as a team.
To me, GEALAN feels like a big family.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 37

Never quite gone
Sindy Wolf (42), Controlling
I completed my industrial clerk
apprenticeship at GEALAN and then
studied business administration. During
my studies I did internships and holiday
jobs at the company, and I wrote my thesis
on currency management at GEALAN.
In one way or another, it was always clear
that I would return permanently.
Even after my two parental leaves, it was
easy for me to return because I could
work part-time and still get ahead. I have
been a group leader of a great team
since 2020. I hope to continue to support
the development and cultural change
of the past few years in the future.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 38

Over generations
Mathias Kühnlenz (41), Extrusion
I have always been interested in machines and
plastics. I trained as a process mechanic for
extrusion at GEALAN and worked as a machine
operator. Today, as a shift supervisor, I am rarely
at the machine, but I still enjoy it. When you’re
really good at something, you usually enjoy it.
My main task is personnel management,
for which GEALAN has qualified me with
external courses. I decided to work for
GEALAN 25 years ago – for a secure job in a
future-oriented company. I have always felt
that my superiors have confidence in me.
In the meantime, my daughter (materials
tester) and my son (warehouse specialist) are
completing their apprenticeships at GEALAN.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 39

GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 40

Window to the vineyard
Dijon, in the east of France, is the capital of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
region and the Côte-d’Or department, with a population of around 160,000.
Some of the most renowned and expensive wines in the world thrive
here on golden slopes. Twelve kilometres south of Dijon is the municipality
of Gevrey-Chambertin. It has eight Grands Crus vineyards (the highest
vineyard classification for winegrowing in Burgundy) and 26 Premier Cru
vineyards. The Champ de Bertin, which grows here and whose top vineyard
is included in the town’s name, is said to have been the favourite wine
of Emperor Napoleon. Gevrey-Chambertin is home to GEALAN France.
A 6-litre Methusalem Burgundy wine bottle, framed by a window made
of burgundy-red GEALAN-acrylcolor ® profile (RAL 3004), is emblematic of
GEALAN’s French location.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 41

Stopover on the way to the
office: Patrick Martinez places
his hand on the Owl of Dijon,
but does not want to rely on
the purported lucky ritual.
When it comes to the success
and future of GEALAN France,
he prefers to rely on customer
service and innovation.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 42

| GEALAN FRANCE |
Good fortune is
not accidental
When Patrick Martinez moved to
Dijon 15 years ago, people told him
to go see the famous Owl of Dijon.
He went to the Rue de la Chouette
on the north side of Notre-Dame
de Dijon, a Gothic church from the
13th century. The owl sculpture has
been sitting there on a buttress for
over 500 years, worn down from
all the stroking and restored after
vandalism in 2001. The landmark
of Dijon is said to grant wishes if
you touch it with your left hand,
the hand close to your heart.
Locals and tourists make a pilgrimage
to Owl Lane and Patrick
Martinez also touched the owl and
made a wish. He does not reveal
his wish, but he confesses: It did
not come true.
Patrick Martinez (49), born in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, a suburb of Lyon, attended
the CPE Lyon, one of France’s elite universities, after graduating
from high school and spending two years as a chemical technician. He
completed two practical semesters in a company that extrudes polyamide.
Towards the end of his studies, he specialised in PVC formulations. For
nine years, the chemical engineer worked for a PVC profile manufacturer
in Occitania. In 2008, he became Technical Manager of GEALAN France,
responsible for customer service, testing, complaints and the development
of new products. Since 2016, he has been managing the operations
of GEALAN’s French subsidiary.
The founding of GEALAN S.A.R.L. on 1 July 2005 was preceded by a market
analysis for positioning in Western Europe. ‘GEALAN France could also
have been called GEALAN United Kingdom. However, a complete relaunch
would have been necessary in Great Britain. For the French market
GEALAN could adapt proven profiles’, explains Patrick Martinez. While other
system providers had established themselves near the German-French
border, GEALAN adopted a distinct French identity. Dijon is well connected
and is only a three-hour drive from Paris. It can be reached in one day
by lorry from GEALAN’s production facility in Tanna.
After a few weeks in a start-up centre, GEALAN France moved into its own
offices (250 m 2 ) and a warehouse (3,000 m 2 ) in Chevigny-Saint-Sauveur.
But the brand was still unknown and the product did not quite meet the
taste of the French: ‘We offered S 3000, a system with an angular design.
But the market demanded something more rounded at that time. With
S 8000 it became easier and we grew.’ In the summer of 2010, GEALAN
moved into a 6,500 m 2 warehouse in Gevrey-Chambertin.
To gain a stronger foothold in France, GEALAN invested in a technology
centre – the only one in the group besides the one at the headquarters
in Oberkotzau. This is because an Avis Technique (ATec = French technical
certification), a certificate issued by the Science and Technology Centre
for Construction (CSTB), is obligatory for the sale of window and door profiles
in France. With the ATec, a specialist group assesses the suitability for
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 43

use of innovative construction methods. GEALAN France carries out safety
and stability tests in its own technology centre and builds test elements
that are submitted to the CSTB for certification. Patrick Martinez: ‘French
regulations for window bracing differ from those in other European
countries.’ GEALAN France is also well positioned for prototyping thanks
to its in-house technology centre. If a red frame is needed spontaneously
for the GEANOVA photo shoot in the vineyard, it can be welded quickly.
‘85 per cent of the profiles we sell are French profiles’, says Martinez. They
are extruded in Germany but feature a distinct French character. This is
particularly noticeable in the frame profiles. They have a pronounced stop
that covers the building’s interior insulation, which is widespread in France.
When buildings are renovated in France, new PVC windows are usually
mounted on existing timber frames. For this particular scenario, frame profiles
are available in many different construction depths, some of which
are considerably higher than in Germany. The design of the S 8000 FR system,
which was introduced in 2011, thus corresponds entirely to the national
specifications of window construction and installation in France: ‘It is based
on S 8000, but we were able to adopt only a few profiles one-to-one that
are compatible with the installation requirements in France, for example for
front doors and mullions.’
GEALAN is planning a milestone for 2026: The plan is to present an independent
profile system that was designed in France from the ground up
and prepared for series production in coordination with the GEALAN designers
in Germany. ‘It’s still too early to talk about details. This innovation
was initially only intended for France but has already aroused interest in
other countries.’ Patrick Martinez let customers and interested parties in on
his system strategy – much to the surprise of a window manufacturer who
wanted to switch his production to GEALAN profiles and also process the
announced system. ‘He laughed a bit and I asked why. He couldn’t believe
that we were including him in our considerations so early. He explained
that his current supplier couldn’t care less about his opinion.’
With an open ear and foresight, GEALAN France analyses which measures
help their customer grow. If the customer grows, GEALAN grows. Martinez
has made customer satisfaction his maxim and feels validated when a customer
with occasional orders has become a regular customer with an annual
turnover of 1.2 million euros. Or when a customer writes to him: ‘It feels
good to be supported. I chose GEALAN because of the service and I was
not wrong.’ If a window manufacturer converts his production to GEALAN
profiles, GEALAN supports him on the way to the start of production. The
IT experts at GEALAN speak the languages of four window manufacturing
software programs. ‘We’re on site to plan and organise the transition with
the customer and his machine suppliers. We ensure that tools are installed
correctly, and that the equipment is configured properly. The customer
benefits from our experience with certifications and our CE marking. We
know how to move things along during the changeover.’
Customer service is not a one-man show.
GEALAN France has also reinforced its sales
team in anticipation of the planned introduction
of the new profile system. ‘We’ll invest 4
million euros. Of course, we feel the pressure.
We’re going to have to attract new customers
and sell more. But I trust our team of four
customer advisors, which we will reinforce with
advisors for architects and retailers.’ Innovation
as growth engine: The new product is expected
to bring in 10 to 12 million euros in annual sales
and raise the total turnover above the 30 million
euro mark. Around 30 people work at GEALAN
in Gevrey-Chambertin, and since autumn 2023
the office and warehouse space has doubled
again. So, the company is also growing in terms
of space. ‘We were able to close the external
warehouse and now have space for more items
in the range – shutter boxes, sliding windows
and new GEALAN-acrylcolor ® colours.’
Patrick Martinez has lived in Dijon for almost
16 years. The city’s landmark may have denied
him his wish, but somehow the owl has brought
him luck: ‘I feel comfortable here, in my personal
life, with my colleagues at our location,
and in the GEALAN Group. I love technology
and our profiles are fascinating technology.
I’m an emotional person. My heart beats for
GEALAN.’
The owl as a lucky charm for GEALAN? Martinez
doesn’t want to go that far: ‘We have difficult
years and hard work behind us. And we
had to invest a lot, for example in new tools for
the extrusion of the S 8000 FR profiles. A French
proverb says: Les étoiles sont alignées – the
stars are aligned. We are on the right track now
– I can feel it. Our growth is based on strong
arguments for our customers and on trust between
Germany and France. If I had relied on
that owl, I probably wouldn’t still be here.’ But
just to be safe, he stroked it one more time. It
can’t do any harm.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 44

On the trail of the owl
The owl, la Chouette, is the mascot of the city of Dijon.
It is a symbol and signpost on a one-hour tour through the historic
centre: le Parcours de la Chouette. Bronze plates in the pavement lead
to 22 tourist attractions – of course, the lucky owl near Notre-Dame
is one stop on the ‘parcours’.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 45

Hiba Lamane in front of a
wall with illuminated
historical mustard pots:
the mustard producer Fallot
has set up a mustard museum
next to its modern production
facility in Beaune.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 46

| GEALAN FRANCE |
La Gourmande
et le Géant
Dijon considers itself to be a city of culinary
excellence. In 2022, the Cité Internationale de
la Gastronomie et du Vin de Dijon was opened,
which is part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural
heritage. The 65,000 m 2 area features a cooking
and a wine school, a wine cellar, delicatessens,
restaurants, a hotel, a cinema and flats. However,
the market hall from 1875 in the old town has
more charm and authenticity. Under its 13-metre-high
metal construction with arches, columns
and four pavilions, there is space for 246
sales stalls. Freshness and variety in the market
hall ambience delight locals and tourists alike,
regardless of whether they came to shop or for a
spontaneous tasting. Dijon’s restaurant density
is impressive. Menus include ‘oeufs en meurette’
(poached eggs in red wine sauce), bœuf bourguignon
(braised beef with red wine) and escargots.
Cheese classics of the region are Époisses,
Comté and Brillat-Savarin. A typical in Dijon is
pain d’épices, a kind of gingerbread with honey,
cinnamon, ginger, star anise, coriander and
cloves. Crème de Cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur
created in Dijon in the 19th century, is mixed with
white wine to make Kir. The legendary aperitif
is named after Félix Kir. As mayor of Dijon, he
had the Blanc-Cassis, popular with winegrowers,
served at receptions in the town hall.
Dijon mustard is world-famous and inseparable from Dijon. ‘I use it to
season and spice up my dishes, says Hiba Lamane (29). She has been
working as an order picker and forklift driver in logistics, the largest department
at GEALAN France, since autumn 2022. Hiba Lamane loves food
– especially sushi, Korean and Indian cuisine, as well as traditional dishes
from Morocco, such as couscous and tagine. She thinks that the French
term ‘gourmande’ describes her perfectly: someone who likes to eat a
lot of good things and who enjoys food. ‘It fills you up. Seriously, eating
puts me in a good mood. I also cook and often bring something for my
colleagues at GEALAN. They like it.’ Hiba Lamane has been given a nickname
by the team: l’Épicière, the corner shop grocer. ‘Everyone knows
that I always carry a little something with me. The first day at GEALAN, I
didn’t dare, but now I always have sweets in my bag. I love sharing them
with others. It enhances the mood.’ Hiba Lamane has a professional past
in gastronomy. She has completed training as an Agent Polyvalent de
Restauration. This hospitality specialist takes on a variety of tasks in the
kitchen, service, organisation and hygiene. However, Hiba Lamane found
that the work hours and patterns in the hospitality industry were not the
best choice in the long run.
A Tuesday morning in the summer of 2023 on the premises of GEALAN
France: Hiba Lamane is using a side loader to unload the trailer of a haulage
company that has just delivered window profiles from Germany. The
lorry driver, a burly man with 45 years of professional experience, praises
her by acknowledging that she’s doing a great job. He had already experienced
many men who could not cope with this technology at all. Born in
Morocco, she has learned to assert herself. Before she came to GEALAN,
she worked as a security guard for nine years. ‘That was clearly a man’s
job. I like working with men. I want to prove that women can do the same
jobs. With my GEALAN colleagues I am absolutely on equal terms. There is
no discrimination. Women just have to dare to do something. Girl Power!’
At GEALAN, picking means much more than putting goods into a shipping
container. Hiba Lamane and her colleagues put together deliveries individually.
If a window manufacturer has one processing centre for frames
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 47

Mustard please! Dijon mustard is not a
protected designation of origin. It can be
made anywhere. Only the ingredients are
prescribed: brown or black mustard seeds,
vinegar, water, mixed with wine or verjus,
the juice of unripe grapes. Once there were
forty mustard mills in Dijon. Today no mustard
is produced in the city at all.
The well-known brands Amora and Maille
have belonged to the Unilever group since
1999, which closed the last mustard factory
in Dijon in 2009 and now only operates a
development laboratory there. The mustard
seeds for industrially produced Dijon
mustard are usually imported from Canada.
The Moutarderie Edmond Fallot in Beaune,
45 kilometres southwest of Dijon, is proud
to process mustard seeds exclusively from
Burgundy. Fallot spearheaded an initiative
that succeeded in registering Moutarde de
Bourgogne as a protected geographical
indication (PGI) in 2009. Burgundy mustard
includes seeds grown in Burgundy and AOC
Burgundy wine.
and one for sashes, he also receives profiles for
frames and sashes in separate containers. This
costs GEALAN time, but the extra effort saves
the customer time, who surely appreciates the
added value. Smart order picking requires the
right attitude: ‘When I walk into a shop as a customer,
I expect my wishes to be fulfilled. It’s the
same here. We cater to the customer’s wishes
so that they can process our deliveries easily
and quickly. The customer is king.’ PVC profiles
were new territory for Hiba Lamane. In a training
course, she learned about the GEALAN brand
and the products. She talked a lot with her superiors,
asked questions and learned quickly. ‘I
asked to be allowed to work independently because
that’s the best way for me to get things
done. I have a good visual memory and was
able to quickly memorise hundreds of profile
variants and accessory items.’
Further development sets the course for the future: ‘I’m very inquisitive,
want to train people myself one day and take on more responsibility’,
says Hiba Lamane. Her goal is to be versatile and useful in various positions,
including in administration. ‘Previously, I didn’t know GEALAN at all.
I thought it was a small company from Gevrey-Chambertin. Only after
I started working here did I realise that GEALAN is a German company,
with subsidiaries all over Europe, and that we supply customers all over
France. I didn’t realise the size of the group before. GEALAN, that reads
like géant to me, the French word for giant. GEALAN est géant!’
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 48

| GEANEWS |
Excellent toolmaking
GEALAN toolmaking is among the best in the
entire German-speaking region. In the highly
competitive ‘EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION’ competition,
which RWTH AACHEN [University of Technology
in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia] and
the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology
hold every year, GEALAN beat hundreds of competitors
and made it into the top 3 in its category.
In addition to technological and organisational
excellence, sustainability and future viability factored
into the competition for the title of ‘Toolmaker
of the Year’. A jury from industry, politics,
associations and science subjected the applicants
to a detailed audit and certified the best ones,
from whom others can learn. For GEALAN, this is
the second award after it was recognised in 2017
- proof of the continuity of excellence. Norbert
Gruner, Head of Toolmaking, sees the future in
even better simulation: ‘Where we can simulate
digitally and use artificial intelligence, we will be
able to design and build tools even more efficiently
and quickly.’
GEALAN ACADEMY international
GEALAN’s own training centre, the GEALAN
ACADEMY, is going international: The successful
series of seminars is gradually being set up
and expanded in other European countries. The
GEALAN ACADEMY provides extensive practical
information about window installation as well as
building law, accessibility, digital window planning,
smart home features and sustainability. The
online or face-to-face seminars always involve
experts as speakers and strong practical applications.
The seminar programme in each country
is geared to the content GEALAN partners really
need on site in order to successfully help shape
the future of windows.
GEALAN-KONTUR ® with premium surface
GEALAN continues to expand its new GEALAN-KON-
TUR ® profile system. Launched at the beginning of 2023,
and available in an aluminium variant since spring 2023,
GEALAN-KONTUR ® will include even more surface options
in 2024 – with the unique GEALAN-acrylcolor ® surface. The
PMMA technology improves the profile, with refined light
resistance, weather resistance and durability – and combines
all these features with beauty. The range covers over
sixty colours. From various shades of classic grey to new
warm trend colours such as umber grey and the GEALAN
speciality of glittering metallic shades in bronze and gold,
GEALAN-KONTUR ® will shine in acrylic splendour.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 49

| PROFILES |
Constructive paths
People working in GEALAN
construction do more than just
drawing. Philipp Benker and
Kay Sommermann are designers
with unexpected specialties.
Two career paths that show that
GEALAN doesn’t just offer jobs,
but career development
opportunities.
In cross-section, a GEALAN window profile looks quite complex, like a small
maze with webs and cavities. Why is it like that? Philipp Benker and Kay
Sommermann have to laugh at the question. For the two designers, profile
geometry is the most obvious thing in the world: ‘There used to be two
hollow chambers – a narrow one on the outside and an inner one for the
steel, in other words, the reinforcement’, says Philipp Benker (33). ‘Over time,
more chambers were added – three, four, and today there are five or six.
They improve thermal insulation. The chambers are air-filled, and each layer
of stagnant, non-circulating air is insulated.’ The nineties gave rise to a
real chamber rally, adds Kay Sommermann (30). ‘But it has been shown that
eight or more chambers do not produce better thermal insulation, while
five or six generate excellent values.’ The outer chambers are exposed to
heat from the sun and therefore need ventilation. The largest chamber is
reinforced with steel, which makes the window a stable structural element.
‘There are many practical constraints’, says Kay Sommermann. ‘A profile
with six chambers, as it is today, is the result of years of evolution. It meets
all requirements.’ The two designers are convinced that the basic geometry
will not change any time soon.
Finding the one solution that meets all requirements is the permanent
task of the design department, which employs seven designers. When
GEALAN develops a new profile system, the designers fiddle around with
finely tuned geometric units, the exact position of the chambers and the
thickness of the webs. But dozens of properties are determined from the
outset, including functions, performance values and design. More specifically,
this also means construction depth, face widths, statics, angles and
radii, suitability for wet bonding, burglary protection, suitability for passive
house compatibility, proportion of recycled material and so on. ‘Processability
is another major aspect’, says Kay Sommermann. ‘Drilling axes
must be placed properly, so that nothing needs to be converted in our
customers’ processing centres. Also, the rollover heights of the frame and
sash should be the same; otherwise, our customers would need different
welding systems. Ease of processing is really crucial.’ The designers sketch
what the new profile will look like, first on paper, then in CAD programmes,
initially in 2D, then in 3D – and that for more than twenty different geometries
per system. After all, a turn and tilt window needs a completely different
profile than a lift-slide door. ‘With our software, we can perfectly model
and calculate in advance how good the thermal insulation of a new
system will be. Sound is a little more complicated – but at GEALAN, we
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 50

GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 51
Kay Sommermann tries to break
into a window with full force. The
burglary protection test is one of
many that a GEALAN window
element must successfully pass.
The Senior Testing Centre is not
really satisfied until all the top
ratings have been achieved.

have decades of experience, regardless of what
the issue is. We know what works best, which is
a huge advantage for every new development.’
Once the profile is designed, the tool shop starts
to build the matching tools – and the designers
move on to the accessories. Every end cap, every
threshold bracket, every mullion connector
is carefully considered, sketched and digitally
drawn.
However, the design department not only
constructs products, but also career paths.
After his secondary school leaving certificate,
Philipp Benker began an apprenticeship as a
construction mechanic at the age of 15. In order
to advance in his career, he attended a technical school in Dresden,
specialising in mechanical engineering. Then he worked for a metal construction
company for almost two years. When that company ran into
difficulties, he started looking for a new job. In 2015, at the age of 25, he
joined GEALAN as a design engineer. ‘For me, it was a really exciting task
area. A designer needs technical understanding and spatial imagination.
He has to be creative and get things done quickly and well.’ After being
with the company for just one year, Philipp Benker was faced with a new
challenge: 3D printing. ‘With the 3D printer, we can print out every profile
and every accessory, which I found interesting right away.’ The 3D printer
melts ABS plastic and builds it semi-fluidly into the desired three-dimensional
object, layer by layer. A second 3D printer hardens synthetic resin
with a laser and makes it possible to print completely different materials,
from flexible to high-temperature resistant. ‘Both can be done overnight
– and in the morning we already have the prototype in our hands. With it,
Think, draw, print, produce:
designers like Philipp Benker
turn ideas into products.
GEALAN’s 3D printers are
an important station in the
development of profiles
and parts. But they are also
capable of quickly creating
a three-dimensional
GEALAN logo.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 52

we can judge much better than with a drawing
whether the profile meets our expectations. It
also helps us assess whether each of the forty
accessories fits exactly, how the processing
works, and whether the plug connections fit together
well. The haptics are extremely helpful.
We can still easily optimise something at this
stage; and our customers can also already get
an idea. 3D printing speeds up the entire profile
development.’ Philipp Benker says he grew
into 3D printing, and as his speciality grows, so
does his career. Today, he is a Senior in the design
department.
The course for Kay Sommermann’s career was
set at a vocational training fair in Hof. With his
secondary school leaving certificate fresh in
his pocket, he noticed GEALAN at this fair and
asked for an internship in the design department.
‘The whole work atmosphere impressed
me. The colleagues were totally open and welcoming,
and I felt at home right from the start.’
While others were still pursuing traditional technical
draughtsman training, GEALAN already
focused in 2010 on the technical product designer,
who would work with CAD programmes
earlier and more intensively. ‘So I thought to
myself: cool, they are future-oriented!’ After the
apprenticeship, Kay Sommermann was hired,
but first he continued his training as a mechanical
engineering technician in Hof. ‘I was still here
during the summer holidays. The contact with
GEALAN never broke off and in 2016 I returned
to the design department.’ However, he was assigned
to a new task area. He now increasingly
deals with testing.
Every GEALAN profile has to successfully complete
a testing marathon before it is launched
on the market. As soon as the first window element
is made from a new profile, it has to withstand
hurricane-force air blasts in a test stand.
It is massively ‘rained on’ – sometimes with 40
litres of water per minute. The window must remain
tight, stable and functional. ‘We simulate
storms of the century’, says Kay Sommermann.
‘In real life, such a storm would mean that I
probably wouldn’t worry about the tightness
of my windows, but rather about whether my
house was still standing. Nevertheless, in the
test environment, not a single drop of water
can enter the room.’ Then we test the burglary
protection: ‘We do the preliminary test internally,
which means I slip into the role of the
burglar and try to open the window element – with a screwdriver, then
with a crowbar. The longer the window withstands, the higher the burglary
protection. Official testing is then carried out by external testing
institutes.’ The thermal insulation test also takes place externally. For this
test, the element is placed in a hot box to prove that it transmits as little
heat as possible. In a sound laboratory, the element is then subjected to
a load of pink noise – a sound mixture across all frequency ranges – and
it only achieves top ratings if it insulates the sound very well. Then the
window undergoes a long-term function test in which years of use are
simulated. Additionally, the Research & Development department carries
out further material tests, for example, on colour fastness and gloss
level. How a profile behaves in fire is also tested. And in order to receive
a RAL quality mark, it must pass coupled tests, for example, to assess
how stable and tight a window still is after ten heat/cold cycles. The inspectors
then disassemble the element and examine it for the smallest
cracks in the bonding. The RAL mark is only awarded if all standards are
met.
Kay Sommermann has been Senior Testing Centre since 2019. You can
sense his fascination when he talks about testing: ‘When something completely
new is put to the test and something doesn’t work quite the way
we imagined – thinking about it, finding out what we have to improve,
finding the solution – that’s the most exciting thing for me.’ Even if he himself
is no longer at the drawing board, his suggestions for improvement
naturally affect the design, which further improves the profiles with the
help of his ideas.
If there are so many fixed specifications when a new profile is designed –
does design still have anything to do with creativity? Philipp Benker says:
‘Yes! When we’re working on a completely new system, there’s definitely
freedom of design, allowing us to reconfigure the entire design. Whenever
I design an accessory that is then sold and installed in masses internationally,
that is a really good feeling!’ Finding the smartest solution within the
many specifications and narrow limits – that is precisely the art, explains
Kay Sommermann. ‘And we also have to be flexible. A single great idea
and insisting on it is not feasible. Maybe the idea is quite good for one
case, but the next customer needs something else – and then we have to
think of new ways.’
Philipp Benker and Kay Sommermann both started out in the design department
and discovered their specialties there. They continue to develop
profile geometries and profiles, but also themselves. Kay Sommermann
has long since completed his training as a window technician. Philipp Benker
is striving to become a specialised technician. The career paths in the
GEALAN design department remain under construction – and constructive.
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 53

| IMPRINT |
GEANOVA’s publisher:
GEALAN Fenster-Systeme GmbH
Hofer Strasse 80
95145 Oberkotzau
www.gealan.de
info@gealan.de
Telephone: 09286 77-0
Management Board:
Ivica Maurović, Tino Albert
Commercial Register: District Court of Hof, HRB 702
Authors:
Maria Brömel
Götz Gemeinhardt
Photographs:
Paula Bartels
Peter Eichler
GEALAN Fenster-Systeme GmbH
Götz Gemeinhardt
Martin Lauterbach
Studio Muslia 1980
We give our thanks to:
BtX energy GmbH: Andy Gradel
Château de Marsannay: Robin Jayet
Institut für Informationssysteme der
Hochschule Hof (iisys)
La Moutarderie Edmond Fallot:
Marc Désarménien, Sophie Chapuis
Netzwerk – Digitales Gründerzentrum GmbH
PM Industry: Emmanuel Chevasson
Printer:
Druckerei Schmidt & Buchta GmbH & Co. KG
100 per cent recycling: The paper used for
GEANOVA printing was made exclusively
from recycled paper.
Circulation:
18,500 copies
Idea, layout and direction:
Götz Gemeinhardt
Reprint and use – including excerpts – only with written
permission from GEALAN Fenster-Systeme GmbH
Assistance:
Cédric Bullier
Mehdi Djema
Erik Drescher
Christiane Junghans
Roch Mathié
Mathilde Montanari
Fernando Redondo Galán
Eva Schröder
Alexander Wils
GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 54

The backdrop of the
‘Enchanted Mountains’
in Albania is so
breathtaking that the
architects of this holiday
villa mirrored it. The A-shape
of the building reflects the
pointed peaks of the twothousand-metre
summits
surrounding Shkodra.
The GEALAN S 9000 system
plays a starring role with
triangle- and trapezoid-shape
window elements. Even in
these formats, the profiles
with decorative foil in
anthracite grey combine
static stability with an
elegantly slender design.