Geanova #3 Magazine [EN]

GEALAN

REINVENTED

ISSUE

#03/

2021/2022

SWITCH

SUPERVISOR!

Holger Thoß understands the power

that drives GEALAN. He drives down

the energy consumption and increases

production reliability.

235 flats, close to nature

and Bydgoszcz’s old town

(Poland): the developer of

Perłowa Dolina (English:

Pearl Valley) valued exciting

architecture and high material

quality. They opted for

windows from the GEALAN S

9000 system in anthracite.

| CONTENTS |

6

Cover story

Switch supervisor!

Less consumption,

more stability:

Holger Thoß

switches to

sustainability.

9/31

GEANEWS

Innovations,

investments,

sponsoring and

a top position:

GEALAN news

at a glance

10

For a leaner

footprint

Interview with

sustainability

researcher

Marleen Krysl

14

A small country with

a great hunger

From west to east,

from Lithuania to the

world: GEALAN Baltic

has been building

bridges for 25 years.

18

GEALAN Bal(l)tic:

everyone gets involved!

Lithuania loves

basketball. GEALAN

is the namesake of

the country’s largest

amateur league.

22

The savvy

shopper

Anyone can

go shopping.

But not like

Rebecca

Fichtelmann.

26

Golden times for

GEALAN-acrylcolor ®

GEALAN surface

technology isn’t

getting older, but

better instead.

32

Work on values

When relationships

are based on

values, everyone

wins. GEANOVA

profiles people who

stand for values.

42

A pioneer in the

fast lane

After a deep crisis,

GEALAN Romania

has worked its way

back to the top.

48

A clear head at

work, dream castles

for relaxing

Myths, marketing,

monarchs

52

Hasta la vista,

coloured pencil!

Successful digitalisation

project and

millions of euros invested

in toolmaking

58

Imprint

GEANOVA. GEALAN REINVENTED | 3

Single-line head

Ivica Maurović,

Spokesperson of the

Management Board

Managing Director –

Sales, Marketing and

System Development

Tino Albert, Managing

Director – Technology and

Finance


| EDITORIAL |

Dear readers,

In previous issues of our magazine GEANOVA,

we started reporting on changes at GEALAN –

regarding our strategy, our vision and our mission.

In GEANOVA 2020, we deliberately avoided

major coverage of COVID-19, and we are taking

the same approach in this issue. We want to tell

exciting stories – about GEALAN, our journey,

our team and our business partners. In this issue

– halfway through the pandemic’s second

year – we make it clear that it’s our employees

who have made the greatest contribution to

overcoming the crisis. They’ve internalised what

we stand for as a company: satisfied customers,

excellent product and service quality and innovative

strength.

Together, the GEALAN team has done everything

it can to ensure our customers get their

goods on time – even during this year, which

has been marked by an extreme shortage of

raw materials. That certainly hasn’t been an

easy job, also owing to the strong growth in

volume and turnover that GEALAN has been

experiencing: in 2021, GEALAN achieved record

sales of over 300 million euros and a growth in

volumes of around 20 percent.

First and foremost, our aim was – and is – to help our customers hold their

own in a tough competitive environment and further strengthen their position.

To meet the growing demand, we had to work hard to procure raw

materials that were in short supply in the marketplace. Our employees

had to go the extra mile to do this. They’ve worked overtime and extra

shifts to produce additional quantities and get them on their way to our

customers. In situations where we had no choice but to pass on some of

our additional costs, we always took care to do so in a way that was fair to

both sides.

In parallel to these latest challenges, we’ve developed new products, digitalised

processes, created new business models, automated production

and toolmaking and made our product portfolio even more attractive for

market requirements. And we’ve continued to invest in growth and efficiency.

It was only by working together as the GEALAN Group that we

managed this complex task. That’s why we would like to take this opportunity

to express our special thanks to all of our employees – for their

outstanding performance. We would also like to express our gratitude to

our customers for the excellent relationships we enjoy with them, always

based on partnership and trust.

We hope you enjoy reading these new GEANOVA stories!


Holger Thoß (51)

• at GEALAN since 2008

• electrical engineering studies

specialising in industrial electronics

• as a start-up engineer for printing presses,

he has set up and monitored installations

worldwide


| COVER STORY |

Switch supervisor!

Industry needs power. Lots of power.

GEALAN’s window profile production at

its Tanna site consumes as much electricity

in one day as an average four-person household

does in 25 years. Even at GEALAN,

this electricity comes from a socket. However,

energy-intensive companies have a special

responsibility to use all forms of energy in a

sensible way. A system referred to as ‘load management’

determines when and how

much electricity flows from the grid into

GEALAN’s machinery and lines. It monitors

and controls energy consumption.

Holger Thoß is the brain behind this load

management system. He manages the

Technical Services and is GEALAN’s Energy

Officer. His work is guided by three principles:

sustainability – conservation of resources and

infrastructure – cost-effectiveness.

“We operate in a grid-friendly fashion”, says Holger Thoß, “because we try

to buy electricity as consistently as possible”. Trying is an understatement

– GEALAN is committed to this and, in the course of its digitalisation, has installed

a system that compensates for fluctuations and warns of impending

peaks. “Electricity consumption is documented on a quarter-hourly basis.

If it becomes clear that we will exceed a defined consumption limit within

a quarter of an hour, the load management system responds”. It doesn’t

suddenly go quiet and dark in Tanna – interventions are well-considered

and don’t affect production. For example, we can switch off a material mixing

line for a few minutes or delay the start-up of an extruder after a setup

break. Thoß depends on help from the departments because every

measure must be coordinated. The specified quarter-hour limit does not

apply on a random or average basis – it applies to all 35,040 quarter hours

in a year. If the energy supplier detects excessive consumption in just one

of these quarter-hour periods, GEALAN loses several hundred thousand

euros in grid fee bonuses.

Planning and flexibility must complement one another: “It’s difficult in January

to accurately forecast consumption for the whole year. In years like

2020, you can be way off. But we’ve gained experience in this regard. Software-based

planning tools help us to estimate power consumption very

accurately. In seven years of load management, we’ve only once failed to

meet the bonus criteria when we deliberately waived a refund because we

had an extremely large number of orders”. Through clever load management,

GEALAN compensates for a locational disadvantage: in Germany, a

kilowatt hour of electricity costs two to three times as much as in France or

Poland. “With an annual consumption of 30 million kilowatt hours, we rely

on our grid fee bonus. The grid operator rewards the fact that our consumption

is a predictable quantity”.

Energy is GEALAN’s fourth largest cost item, after materials and natural resources

costs, staff costs and logistics costs. Electricity is the main form

of energy – universally usable, readily available, easy to transport, though

expensive. So using as little of it as possible is in the company’s interest.

“GEALAN has been certified according to ISO 50001 since 2013. This standard

defines criteria for systematic energy management. Annual audits are

conducted check our measures and evaluate our results”. Fifteen years ago,

GEALAN used almost 60 percent more electricity to extrude one tonne of

PVC than it does today, although power-intensive start-up processes have


become more frequent – as there are more product variants and orders

are divided into smaller sections. Holger Thoß: “We’ve invested a lot in the

power-saving generation of compressed air and refrigeration, and halved

our consumption. We’ve changed our lighting over to LED, equipped extruders

with more efficient drives and controls, insulated pipelines and

made greater use of waste heat: a recovery system converts extrusion heat

into heating energy for Logistics. We’ve taken major steps to save power –

now we’re taking care of the smaller stuff as well.

Up to now, GEALAN hasn’t produced any power itself, although this seems

so obvious. It is certainly being considered, though the technical and bureaucratic

hurdles are high, says Thoß: “Our calculation for a small wind

turbine, for example, showed that it wouldn’t be economical for us. A larger

wind turbine would have a more favourable cost-benefit ratio, but the

land area we would need for it has already been allocated. The planning

and approval procedures for wind turbines are lengthy and the locals have

reservations. The current building regulations specify roof loads for photovoltaic

constructions for which our roofs are not designed”. Nevertheless,

GEALAN is clearly committed to the energy transition: “We only purchase

electricity from renewable energy sources”.

When Holger Thoß joined GEALAN in 2008, there wasn’t even a permanent

electrician to ponder all of the energy and technology issues that

were becoming ever more pressing. “It was a nice challenge to create new

structures – using my creativity and initiative. My goal was to modernise,

to automate the electrical engineering, the operating and plant technology”.

Today, GEALAN employs its own electricians and service providers.

If a malfunction occurs, an early warning radar set up by Thoß sends an

alarm to the technicians’ mobile phones so that problems can be rectified

before they cause any damage. “The system monitors and visualises the

status of all critical lines. It has become a very important tool for us because

it initiates maintenance in time and because it

captures valuable data. We’re learning how to

control systems even more intelligently”.

In the past, failures of the internal water or refrigeration

supply have repeatedly had a serious

impact on production. For some years now, however,

these breakdowns have been practically

non-existent because the building management

system always keeps an eye on even inaccessible

system components. If the BMS reports

a serious malfunction, Thoß switches to a redundant

system – for years now, doubly installing

functionally relevant components for backup

purposes has been included in all investments.

“Stable production requires less energy, causes

less waste and is simply more economical. And

ultimately, we can supply our customers with

top-quality goods more quickly”.

GEALAN produces around the clock in Tanna,

from the beginning of January to mid-December.

This leaves little opportunity for maintenance.

Thoß has to make the best possible use

of the narrow time window around Christmas; to

plan precisely, he accesses data provided by the

building control system.

“Even if something new doesn’t immediately

work the way we thought it would: we continue

to work on automation, on energy saving, on the

stability of our systems. And on making a contribution

to good working conditions. Modernisation

cuts down on noise and dust and creates

comfortable temperatures. That goes down

well with our colleagues in production – a significant

aspect”. Holger Thoß manages 40 lines

with 100 large drives and 16 different machine

control systems. Not every idea he develops can

be realised overnight, but “GEALAN has set the

right course. Energy efficiency and digitalisation

remain big issues that keep me entertained. I

look forward to the tasks that the future has in

store for me. We haven’t reached our goal yet,

but what we have achieved is something to be

proud of”.

Every quarter of an hour counts! Every 15 minutes,

a new time period begins in which the load

management system monitors GEALAN’s electricity

consumption and warns when consumption

approaches a defined limit.


| GEANEWS |

A clear edge

Clear-cut, angular and decidedly modern:

GEALAN-LINEAR ® is GEALAN’s latest profile system.

Thanks to its super-slim elevations, it fits perfectly

with current architectural trends and allows the

maximum amount of daylight into rooms.

GEALAN-LINEAR ® isn’t just in a class of its own in

terms of design, but also technically: its five-chamber

construction including high-performance central

seal achieves top values in thermal insulation.

Its installation depth of 74 mm is suitable for new

buildings and renovations. Matching front door,

patio door and sliding solutions complete the

range. GEALAN-LINEAR ® doesn’t have its name for

nothing: it transforms the straight line into a design

principle.

And the winner is…

GEALAN is the best profile system supplier in the

industry, according to FLG GmbH: the window joint

venture awarded GEALAN its 2020 Supplier “Oscar”

at a coronavirus-delayed gala in November 2021.

The award is significant because it is awarded by

the window and facade manufacturers themselves.

The 21 partner companies of FLG rated their suppliers

in a number of different categories – including

for product quality, flexibility, service, delivery

reliability and innovation. GEALAN got the most

points. “This is a terrific accolade for us because

these ratings come from the people and partners

we work with every day”, says GEALAN’s Managing

Director Ivica Maurović. “It shows how dependable

and aligned our partnerships are and how well we

already fulfil our own ambition

to inspire and excite

others”.

Sports enthusiasts

Extending for kilometres over stones, up and down steep

inclines, through water and mud. The ROCKMAN RUN is an offroad

run as hard as the Fichtel Mountains’ granite over which

part of the course runs. There are over thirty obstacles along the

way, many of which can only be overcome as a team. Being

creative, acting as a team – this philosophy fits perfectly with

GEALAN, the ROCKMAN RUN’s main sponsor since summer 2021.

The company also promotes team spirit with #GEALANTeam-

Support: every year, GEALAN awards 1,000 euros to three clubs –

for jerseys, balls, goals and renovations. Any club from GEALAN’s

region may apply. GEALAN has a close relationship with SV 04

Plauen-Oberlosa and is the chief sponsor of this third-division

handball team. GEALAN is happy to be a partner wherever hard

work turns into joy and individual athletes become a real team.


| INTERVIEW |

For a leaner footprint

Marleen Krysl is 24 and comes from

Beilstein in the Heilbronn district.

Since autumn 2021, she’s been studying

for a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

at the Friedrich-Alexander University

of Erlangen-Nuremberg. After completing

her studies, she would like to concentrate

on the renewable energy sector – she’s

interested in the development of turbines for

hydroelectric power plants. From 2017 to 2021,

Marleen Krysl studied International Mechanical

Engineering at Hof University of Applied

Sciences. The focus of a practical thesis and her

bachelor’s thesis was on the CO2 footprint of

GEALAN’s window profile production.

How did this issue of sustainability fit into your mechanical engineering

studies?

Admittedly, it mightn’t seem particularly obvious at first. Sustainability

and the environment interest me in general, which is why I took

a course in greenhouse gas offsetting during my semester abroad

in Finland. With the prior knowledge I acquired from that, I laid the

foundation for my work, so to speak.

Can you illustrate how greenhouse gases can be offset?

It is based on a DIN standard for determining and reporting greenhouse

gas emissions. Direct greenhouse gases produced by combustion,

and indirect greenhouse gases – caused for instance by employees

travelling to their workplace – are recorded. This approach

takes account of the greenhouse potential of emitted substances,

which are standardised and set in relation to CO2: for example, one

kilogram of methane is equivalent to 30 kilograms of CO2.

How did you come into contact with GEALAN?

Professor Jens Beck from the Hof University of Applied Sciences assigned

the topic to me and set up the connection. I had three direct

contacts who explained the production process to me and discussed

where greenhouse gases are created at GEALAN. Together

with experts from the company’s departments, I examined passenger

transport, infrastructure and logistics, the production chain of

window profiles and tools, and recycling.

How did GEALAN respond to your project?

With great interest. All my contacts were really helpful. This issue is

also becoming more and more relevant. GEALAN welcomed this

opportunity to get an overview of its greenhouse gas emissions. I

undertook an analysis and classification of the current state of affairs

in my practical work, while my bachelor’s thesis showed potential

savings that could be made.

Please give us an insight into the results of your study!

The DIN standard differentiates between imported energy, transport,

goods used and usage of manufactured products. Imported energy

accounted for ten percent of CO2 emissions at GEALAN – electricity

and heating. Transport accounted for about five percent of the green-


house gases emitted – due to raw material

deliveries, employee travel to work,

delivery of products, business trips, and so

on. A total of 85 percent of emissions were

caused by the procured goods, i.e. raw materials,

mainly PVC. It was surprising that this

raw material percentage was so high.

What recommendations did your bachelor’s

thesis make to GEALAN, and were they implemented?

A lot has actually been done. GEALAN has

completely switched over to green electricity

and is saving over 90 percent of its

emissions in this area. The remaining 10

percent comes from the construction of

wind turbines, for instance. My theses provided

the impetus for the development

of a sustainability strategy. GEALAN has

tripled the recycled content of its material

mix. A newly acquired colour-sorting line optimises the quality of

the recycled material produced in-house, which means more of it

can be used. Employees are encouraged to come to work in a more

environmentally friendly fashion, and energy awareness is being

raised in the workplace; after all, even a computer screen in sleep

mode makes a small contribution. Of course, it’s difficult to tackle

raw materials because their suppliers haven’t yet carried out any

CO2 analyses. But GEALAN is in talks with alternative manufacturers

and trying to exert a positive influence on established suppliers.

Can the savings potential that you’ve worked out for GEALAN be quantified

in concrete terms?

I’ve made an extrapolation, but it isn’t entirely realistic because it’s

based on a theoretically possible ideal: if every measure I’ve recommended

was implemented perfectly, 60 percent of the greenhouse

gases that GEALAN produces itself could be avoided, excluding

goods procured. Another interesting aspect: GEALAN products contribute

to a reduction in greenhouse gases: innovative windows are

able to insulate buildings better, which naturally means that much

less heating or cooling is required.


Sustainability is

environmental protection.

Sustainability is cost-effectiveness.

Sustainability is solidarity with our region.

Sustainability is responsibility

for our employees.

GEALAN is sustainable

by design.

GEALAN conserves

resources. Our production

and administration are

exclusively supplied with

electricity from renewable

sources. Well thought-out

logistics save fuel and

kilometres.


Social, societal and

environmental aspects

are taken into account

in every economic

decision GEALAN

makes.

GEALAN had its

environmental management

EMAS-certified 25 years

ago – one of the first

companies in the PVC

industry to

do so.

Thanks to their

impressive thermal

insulation values, windows

made from GEALAN profiles

save energy. PVC windows

using GEALAN-acrycolor

® are particularly

durable.

GEALAN is committed to

the circular economy in the interests

of environmental protection.

Even our product designers aim

to produce window profiles that contain

a high proportion of recycled material.

Around one third of the material used in our

manufacturing is recycled, and this trend

is rising. GEALAN uses the latest recycling

technologies and recycles

all its production waste.


| GEALAN BALTIC |

A small country

with a great hunger

For 25 years, GEALAN Baltic has been building

bridges between Western Europe and the

Baltic states – and from there onwards to other

continents. Bridges for the flow of goods, and

bridges via which new products and services

can reach customers directly and without delay.

Rytis Šmerauskas and Inga Valainytė know what

is important in this bridge building process,

because they manage GEALAN Baltic’s commercial

operations. Both have spent their entire

professional lives in the PVC window industry.

In 1991, Lithuania became independent after almost half a century as the

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, and its citizens started a new life, says

Inga Valainytė, GEALAN Baltic’s deputy director. “The world was now open

to us. We were hungry for freedom and hungry for everything this freedom

could offer us – new contacts, new opportunities, new products”.

The PVC window was one of these new products, initially only available in

white, and costing about a month’s salary. “Expensive, yes, but Lithuanians

love innovation and thought it was great to be able to buy these windows,

which didn’t exist in the Soviet Union”.

Lithuania is the largest window producer in the Baltic states and GEALAN

is the only manufacturer of PVC profiles. “The Lithuanian window makers,

experienced in working with wood, first had to learn how to make PVC

windows. They tried out a lot of different things, improvised and modified

machinery”, says GEALAN Baltic director Rytis Šmerauskas, who was himself

a worker in window construction during his mechanical engineering

studies in Vilnius; at 22 he became a shift manager, at 24 a production

manager. “I built everything that wasn’t standard and that others weren’t

building – triangular windows, round windows, lift-and-slide doors”. After

work and on weekends, Šmerauskas installed the windows he had built. He

repaired and sold window construction machinery before joining GEALAN

Baltic’s sales department in 2009. The 43-year-old has been running the

company since 2021. “We Lithuanians are talented; we’re fast and we’re still

hungry. Maybe not as hungry as 30 years ago, but hunger is part of our

mentality”.

Inga Valainytė (51) studied German and English, “at a teacher training college,

but I never wanted to be a teacher, I only tried teaching once during

a field placement”. Her language skills opened up career prospects for

her. At MEGRAME, one of the first and now the largest PVC window manufacturer

in Lithuania, she was employed in 1994 as a sales clerk and her

tasks included maintaining contact with its profile supplier in Germany:

GEALAN. This bridge between these two partners has existed since 1992

and it’s still intact today. “I prepared and helped set up a joint venture

between MEGRANE and GEALAN, an extremely exciting project. Then,



Rytis Šmerauskas in the new

Vilnius: where the Žalgiris football

stadium stood until 2016, realestate

developer HANNER

has invested around 200 million

euros in properties that include

flats fitted with windows made

out of GEALAN profiles.

Inga Valainytė in the old

Vilnius: Senamiestis, the

medieval city centre, is

characterised by Gothic,

Renaissance, Baroque

and Classicism. The historic

centre of Vilnius has

been a UNESCO World

Heritage Site since 1994.


when GEALAN Baltic was founded in early 1997, I

moved to the new company. I was again a clerk

in the sales department, then I managed the

internal sales department and since 2010 I’ve

been deputy to the director. Interacting with my

German GEALAN colleagues has been one of

my most important jobs in all my positions. My

studies certainly paved the way to my career – I

couldn’t make windows or manufacture profiles,

but I could make connections using my foreign

languages. I learnt a lot about window technology

through work. I’m still fascinated by the industry

and I think it’s really innovative”.

Until 2009, GEALAN Baltic was based in the heart

of Vilnius. Then, in the middle of the financial

crisis, production, logistics and administration

moved into a new building 23 kilometres southwest

of the capital. “No one wanted or was able

to invest during this difficult time – we did”, says

Rytis Šmerauskas. “The move had been planned

for several years – and we stuck to our plan. At

the height of the crisis, we put one million euros

into a new mixing line for raw material. When

the market picked up again, we were well prepared”.

GEALAN Baltic has grown year after year

since then, without outside capital. In 2021, turnover

jumped from 27 to 36 million euros. “We’re

investing half of our profit and we’re growing

faster and faster”.

Their workforce is also set to grow – from 155

to 170 employees. In the beginning, GEALAN

Baltic extruded using three lines and five tools.

Today, we use 24 extruders and 360 tools. Our

annual production is 10,000 tonnes of profiles,

about half of which are delivered within the

GEALAN Group to Germany, Poland and Russia.

Inga Valainytė: “Anyone operating an extrusion

plant in Lithuania cannot make a living

from the small Baltic states market. Our focus

is on Scandinavia, Kaliningrad, Ukraine and Belarus.

And if opportunities open up beyond

that, we’ll seize them before others do”.

In 2015, we started deliveries of S 9000

GEALAN-acylcolor ® profiles to South Korea,

where the innovative GEALAN-SMOOVIO ® sliding

system for optimising use of scarce living

space are also extremely popular. Šmerauskas

explained the advantages of thermal insulation

to them and hit a nerve with black profiles. New

bridges to Cambodia, Azerbaijan and Georgia

are currently being established.

After three years of intense preparation work,

GEALAN Baltic successfully concluded a cooperation

agreement with INTUS WINDOWS.

Its owners emigrated from Lithuania to the USA

twenty years ago; they now build windows in

their old homeland, exclusively for export to

North America. Rytis Šmerauskas: “This project

was a big challenge for GEALAN; there was

scepticism and doubt. But I believed in its success

and put everything into it. In the end, we

beat out our competitors and won the contract.

INTUS is processing our S 8000 system – an extremely

high-tech product in the United States,

a market with great potential”.

25 years of GEALAN Baltic. Those first pillars

driven home in Germany and Lithuania during

the early nineties now support a stable bridge

that benefits the partners at both ends. It was

and is the basis for a network of other bridges,

over which the Lithuanians carry the GEALAN

brand and its innovations from a small country

into the big wide world.

In 2013, Rytis Šmerauskas met an Uzbek who

wanted to manufacture PVC windows in Tashkent

– using a German brand’s quality profiles

that his wealthy customers would insist on.

GEALAN supplied him with its S 9000 system,

equipped with a special coloured foil for high

outside temperatures. “Our premium products

are used there to create fascinating designs,

such as large-dimensioned lift-slide doors”.



| GEALAN BALTIC |

GEALAN Bal(l)tic:

everyone gets involved!

When Lithuanians talk about basketball,

the word ‘religion’ comes up quickly –

and often. A century or so ago,

Lithuanian emigrants to the USA started

to return home, bringing the game

with them. Before the Second World

War, Lithuania was twice European champion.

In the Soviet Union, victories against Moscow

teams were a great boost to Lithuanian spirits.

Since its independence in 1991, Lithuania has

won nine medals at the Olympic Games, World

and European Championships. With a population

of less than three million, it’s a basketball

superpower that is firmly established in the top

10 of the FIBA world rankings.

GEALAN Baltic fields its own basketball team in the GEALAN SKL (Sostinės

Krepšinio Lyga) and has been the chief and name sponsor of the league

since 2016, in which 120 amateur teams from Vilnius and the surrounding

areas compete for championships in three categories. GEALAN Baltic’s

team, comprising employees and friends, has finished third in the SKL

three times, was second once and won the title in 2016 and 2018. GEANO-

VA met three basketball fans.

Aleksandras Kučinskis (37), Head of Marketing and Product Management

at GEALAN Baltic

Basketball is very important to us. Basketball reaches a lot of people

and many of them will probably know GEALAN not only as a window

profile manufacturer, but primarily as a supporter of basketball

in Vilnius. With 1,500 basketball players, the GEALAN SKL is the largest

amateur league in Lithuania. It promotes sporting activity and brings

people together to strive for goals and celebrate success together.

The GEALAN SKL offers good promotional opportunities for the

GEALAN brand. Initially we supported the GEALAN team, then the

league and its organisation. In the meantime, we’re involved in children’s

teams, school sports, summer tournaments for the benefit of

sick children and the development of the still young 3-on-3 basketball.

GEALAN Baltic is committed to Lithuania’s “secular religion” and

takes responsibility for Vilnius, where the company is based.

I draw parallels between GEALAN Baltic’s workforce and our successful

basketball team: both teams have been together for a long time;

you know everyone else’s strengths, you know that they will give their

best, just like you do. With team spirit and effective collaboration, you

can achieve something – and it’s fun to achieve something.


Mindaugas Jonušas (40), Production Manager

at GEALAN Baltic, former player in GEALAN’s

basketball team and now its manager and

co-trainer

Everyone in Vilnius knows our GEALAN

basketball team. It’s been basically the

same guys on the court since 2011, which

means we work together very well as a

team – that’s our strength. Although the

GEALAN SKL is an amateur competition,

we don’t play just for fun – a good team is

ambitious and wants to win.

This league is open to everyone. You pay

an entry fee, you need twelve players, jerseys

and a playing venue that you can

rent in a school, for instance – that’s all. There’s also a tournament

for purely company teams, and there was even once a Lithuanian

league just for the window industry.

It’s exciting to play against talented juniors from basketball academies.

At 16, they’re in the GEALAN SKL – and a few years later maybe

in the NBA. Jonas Valančiūnas and Deividas Sirvydis made it – nowadays,

they’re playing for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Detroit Pistons,

respectively. We also meet former national players; as a matter

of fact, every professional from Vilnius plays in our league after his

career.

Dainius Novickas (43), member of the Excellence Commission of the

Lithuanian Basketball Federation, active in the GEALAN basketball team

After my basketball team disbanded, I switched to the GEALAN

team and through basketball I came to GEALAN Baltic, where I’ve

On the ball together:

Aleksandras Kučinskis,

Dainius Novickas and

Mindaugas Jonušas

(from left)


worked in logistics for three and a half years. In my spare time, I got involved

in the 3-on-3 basketball movement, which was still in its infancy in

Lithuania. GEALAN believed in this new sport, sponsored jerseys and gave

me time off for tournaments.

When the Lithuanian Basketball Federation made me an offer to take

responsibility for 3-on-3 game operations, I had a difficult decision to

make. I love this sport, but its future was uncertain. In contrast, I had a

secure job at GEALAN. My employer and colleagues encouraged me to

accept the offer. Nowadays, 3-on-3 basketball has a high status in the

national federation and is on a par with traditional basketball. I coach

and manage the men’s and women’s teams and the junior teams for

boys and girls. 3-against-3 has a bright future and was an Olympic

discipline for the first time this year. In the Olympic qualifiers, we unfortunately

lost to our neighbours from Latvia, who then went on to win

the gold medal in Tokyo. Now we want to go to the Olympic Games

in Paris.

GEALAN Baltic supports this fledgling version of

basketball and many of my former colleagues

are following its journey, naturally because

they also know the coach personally. I feel

their support and I know that I can drop by

GEALAN at any time. And of course, I continue

playing in the SKL with the GEALAN logo on my

chest.

In a winning mood:

in 2018, Team GEALAN

won SKL gold for

the second time.


Not all shoppers are the same. Rebecca

Fichtelmann’s shopping list for GEALAN

includes PVC, steel and titanium dioxide.

Her team juggles big budgets, manages

payment terms, calculates delivery

times, braves chaos in the markets,

chases raw material volumes and feeds

GEALAN’s growth.


| FOCUS |

The savvy shopper

When Rebecca Fichtelmann goes shopping,

she’s not looking for bread, yoghurt and fruit.

Rebecca Fichtelmann buys PVC and steel

in bulk. As head of GEALAN’s purchasing

department, she’s responsible for

keeping replenishments rolling

in every day. It’s no easy task.

“When everything is going well in our purchasing department, no one

actually notices that we exist. But when there’s a problem, our phones

very quickly start ringing”, says Rebecca Fichtelmann and laughs. She

and her seven-person materials management team work every day to

provide GEALAN with everything the company needs to run successfully

and smoothly. The goods receiving department in Oberkotzau with two

further employees is also part of Fichtelmann’s department. Purchases

are made in three different areas: raw materials, commodities and

consumables. “We buy our main raw material PVC, but also all additives:

modifiers and titanium dioxide, for instance, but also sealing material.

Commodities include steel profiles, for example. Consumables include

everything we need internally – from safety shoes and screws to disposable

towels for the toilets. In addition, we look after travel management”.

GEALAN’s shopping list is very specific. In normal times, the challenge is

to get every item in maximum quality at the best price – a task Rebecca

Fichtelmann relishes: “Every day in the purchasing department is exciting.

When we have lengthy discussions and then achieve the optimum

result for GEALAN – that makes me really happy”. Since 2020, however, it

has become more complicated to source raw materials: “The company

is experiencing enormous growth, which is of course great – our turnover

in the first half of 2021 was up 35 percent year on year! On the other hand,

the materials we need have been in very short supply since the end of

2020”, Fichtelmann says. “I spoke to a colleague who has known the PVC

market for 25 years and asked: What’s going on? I just don’t believe it.

He said: There’ve been supply problems before, but never to this extent”.

Being a buyer for GEALAN is a job that requires professionalism and certain

amount of nerve.

The coronavirus pandemic is sweeping through every market like a hurricane

and shaking up supply chains; but that isn’t the only challenge, according

to Fichtelmann’s analysis: “In the steel sector, blast furnaces were

shut down and our steel suppliers experienced bottlenecks. In the PVC

sector, we had force majeure notifications from our PVC manufacturer

and there were major outages. In some cases, maintenance work was

going on at the PVC manufacturers and production was at a standstill.

Volumes produced in advance had already been allocated – demand

is simply off the charts”. In the US, frosts set in, storms raged, and entire

PVC plants broke down, putting even more pressure on plants in Europe.


At the same time, the pandemic paralysed logistics:

“Delivery dates were delayed, haulage

companies suddenly had problems with coronavirus

controls at the borders. Trucks were

held up because their drivers tested positive”.

These are unpredictable global events that

impact European markets and affect the way

GEALAN does its shopping. Keeping an eye on

the bigger picture in all of this and planning realistically:

that is the real art of purchasing.

“We experienced enormous price increases.

With suppliers, this culminated in a take it or

leave it attitude – prices were no longer even

negotiated. Even today, our focus is less and

less on prices and more and more on generating

security of supply”. Despite this situation,

GEALAN’s demand for each and every one of

its raw materials does not diminish for a second:

they are preferably sourced from Germany, and

the quality is permanently tested by the company’s

in-house research & development department.

Long-standing partnerships with raw

material suppliers are more important than ever

in order to jointly drive material innovations and

are cultivated accordingly. “Of course we discuss

all the specifications with the specialist departments.

After all, they are the experts, but prices,

payment terms and delivery times are negotiated

by the purchasing department. We interact

a lot with our affiliated companies abroad,

send materials back and forth, and make use of

our network. As a result, we’ve grown closer together

and operate more internationally”.

In times of the pandemic, travel management

is almost non-existent, and if things weren’t so

crazy, this might be seen as a positive development

– a relief for the purchasing department,

which would otherwise be responsible

for every flight and hotel booking. While the

raw materials market worldwide is in turmoil, in

Tanna and Oberkotzau the devil is sometimes

in the detail: “For example, we ran out of adhesive

tape. We can’t pack our containers without

adhesive tape, then the foil blows off the containers

in Tanna. What we needed was a quick

solution: our adhesive tape must be transparent,

UV-stable and highly adhesive. This forces

us to deal with product specifications quickly

and in a targeted manner”.

When it comes to raw materials shortages, the

challenge for the purchasing department lies

in the word “nevertheless”: raw materials must be available nevertheless,

the silos for the mixing plant must be full, the extruders have to run. “Raw

materials are the number one priority for us. Everything else comes after

but must also be considered. And sometimes, we have to bring the

chaos under control”.

Rebecca Fichtelmann’s strategy is called: coordination. A word that the

Head of Purchasing uses sixteen times in our GEANOVA interview – internal

coordination to jointly order raw materials – with the production

and R & D departments. “The more we are bombarded by new dispatches

and breaking news from the markets, the more we strengthen our

coordination meetings”.

Rebecca Fichtelmann someone who refers to problems as challenges.

She has a talent for organisation, also in her private life. When it comes

to her circle of friends deciding where to go on holiday or where to go

on an outing, or what event to attend, she’s the one who takes care of

everything. Although she would dispute that there is such a thing as a

natural talent for purchasing, it is a fact that her father was also the purchasing

manager in a medium-sized company. Rebecca Fichtelmann is

an early bird who doesn’t procrastinate, and she sees what she has started

through to the end. Her professional career proves that: After secondary

school and technical college, she wrote a single application – for

an apprenticeship as an industrial clerk at GEALAN, on the off-chance.

She had a good feeling as soon as she entered the company through

the glass tower. During the interview, she sensed that the chemistry was

right, and was promptly hired. In 2007, she began her training in the purchasing

department, to which she remained loyal apart from a brief stint

in sales. She was subsequently taken on. “I found the work in the purchasing

department interesting and challenging from the outset. I liked the

contacts internally and externally and could work independently – no

two days were the same. But the thought of studying never left me”. So,

in addition to her full-time job, Rebecca Fichtelmann first completed a

distance learning course to become a business administrator. She then

began studying business administration at Hof University of Applied Sciences

in the evening: “It was important to me to study, but not to leave

GEALAN in order to do so. My boss and the whole department stood

behind me and supported me, otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible”.

For four years, she motivated herself after a full working day and on

weekends to study a demanding course and successfully completed

it – thus Rebecca Fichtelmann’s bachelor’s degree documents not only

her expertise, but also her determination and talent for keeping many

balls in the air at the same time.

At GEALAN, she managed the SAP implementation in materials management

and monitored the project with her bachelor’s thesis. “We were

a young team; we were given a lot of trust”. To start with SAP, the purchasing

department recorded all actual processes and developed a target

concept. Processes became leaner and more purposeful. All materials

management tasks were digitalised and became almost paperless, an

archiving system for delivery notes and order confirmations was installed

that everyone could access, a contract database and procurement controlling

followed once the interfaces to the other departments were

functioning. “That was the nice thing, that we worked across the board,


everyone developed and tested together. The

go-live was on 1 January 2019 – that was a really

exciting day for all of us”. SAP is Rebecca

Fichtelmann’s first major project, and it went

well. She became a group leader and, in January

2021, at the age of 33, department head for

materials management. The glass ceiling that

women often come up against when forging a

career is not something she has encountered

at GEALAN.

Rebecca Fichtelmann is new in her management

position, but has spent many years in

the purchasing team, of which she expressly

sees herself as a part. This team, she firmly believes,

is the reason why it not only manages to

weather stormy times, but also enjoys its work.

“We’ve grown together immensely during this

time of crisis. Despite the distance we had to

maintain, the feelings of closeness and team

spirit are stronger than ever. Everyone understands

the other, everyone speaks their mind,

and we are firmly convinced: together we can

do anything”.

Rebecca Fichtelmann spends her holidays in

the mountains and by the sea, in South Tyrol,

Austria, Italy or Norway. On weekends, she relaxes

in warm thermal water, climbs the peaks

of the nearby Fichtel Mountains, meets friends,

goes out to eat and, just for a change, goes

‘everyday’ shopping. This is how she clears her

head so that she can give one hundred percent

again at work. On occasion, she looks at

her mobile phone after work: checking whether

there are urgent emails, new breaking news

reports, important raw material information

from the world of plastics. “We all feel that way

in the purchasing department. When it’s important,

we’re there”.

“

As a purchasing team, we’re

always consulting coordinating

with Production and Research &

Development to find out what

product properties we need.

We’re never isolated and

form a really pivotal point

within the company”.


Clear-cut architecture with

a glamour factor: window

profiles in GEALAN-acrylcolor ®

Gold characterise the look of SOPHIE

in Frankfurt-Bockenheim – this

WOHNKOMPANIE Rhein-Main property

comprises 124 owner-occupied flats.

The GEALAN System S 9000 was

installed by Helmuth Meeth GmbH & Co. KG

from Wittlich.


| ACRYLCOLOR |

Golden times for

GEALAN-acrylcolor®

In the river sand: a gold nugget!

In the rock: a vein of gold!

A company can feel like a lucky gold

prospector when it has a really good

product idea. GEALAN-acrylcolor ®

is such a golden idea. GEALAN came

across the process in 1980 and developed

it into the pot of gold it is today.

And the future? It glitters!

GEALAN-acrylcolor ® has a descriptive name: “acryl” stands for its special

surface, “color” for its special colour. PVC profiles are refined with a generous

layer of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), better known as acrylic

glass. This is done by coextrusion: the white PVC strand is met by the coloured

acrylic glass strand in the extrusion tool, and the two combine to

form acrylcolor. Subsequent sanding gives GEALAN-acrylcolor ® its silky

matt sheen. In the same way as gold-plated jewellery, a combination of

elegant surface and brilliant colour is created – with incomparable properties.

GEALAN-acrylcolor ® is simply an ingenious product”, says Robert Tänzel,

head of GEALAN Sales Area I, which includes GEALAN’s most important

market, Germany, as well as Austria, Switzerland, Benelux and Slovenia. The

co-extrusion process is ingenious because it’s basically simple: with PVC and

acrylic glass, only two components come together – matching them perfectly

is more advantageous than building up several layers using primers

and adhesives. GEALAN succeeds in fusing the two materials together with

maximum accuracy, making them inseparable. PMMA is one of the hardest

extrudable materials – and hardness means resistance. The acrylic glass

layer is so solid that scratches can be polished out. On the one hand, this is

useful for installation – on building sites people don’t work with kid gloves –

and on the other, it’s good for the end customer, who can simply brush out

small areas of damage. The GEALAN-acrylcolor ® surface is homogeneous

and smooth, even under a microscope. Like everything smooth – reflective

car paints, high-gloss interior surfaces, flawless iPhone screens – it feels

beautiful. Above all, however, smoothness brings physical advantages: dust,

pollen and dirt particles slide off; thus creating an easy-care surface – “a

persuasive argument for properties such as student residences or schools”,

says Tänzel, “GEALAN-acrylcolor ® stays beautiful for years, even decades”.

Peter Schouren is impressed by this surface. As the Managing Director of

HÖNING GmbH, a major GEALAN partner based in Jesewitz, Saxony, which

has been producing GEALAN-acrylcolor ® windows in large quantities for

over twenty years and has purchased profiles worth over 55 million euros

from GEALAN over this time, he puts it in a nutshell: “GEALAN-acrylcolor ®


is simply a top-notch material for window exteriors that are fully exposed

to weathering and need to be protected. We’ve been working with it for so

long now and, unlike other products, we’ve only had positive experiences”.

“If you look at an old VW Beetle in the scrap yard, it’s completely rusted and

faded”, says Robert Tänzel. “But the lenses of its rear lights still have almost

the same red colour as before, that’s what acrylic glass can do: the colour is

indestructible”. Acrylic glass has no colour of its own, it is transparent – and

thus forms the white canvas on which GEALAN creates colours. The palette

comprises over sixty colours, including white aluminium, purple, fir green

and sepia brown. Only colour pigments from European suppliers are used;

anthracite, grey tones and deep black are in vogue. The development of

a new colour takes between one and four years, and sometimes one becomes

a hit: “RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey has taken a very positive development”,

says Peter Schouren, but so has DB 703, a colour called Iron Mica at

HÖNING. “I can well imagine experimenting with other colour nuances from

there. If we had another success like we had with DB 703 – that would give

us another clear USP in the marketplace”.

A USP is an important aspect for architects as well: “Their goal is to build

big, to be artists, to create something beautiful”, says Robert Tänzel, “and

for that they have to set themselves apart from others – with a special

colour scheme, artists can express themselves even better and emphasise

features”. That’s why architects want GEALAN-acrylcolor ® , its silky matt

look, its extraordinary colour. But the acrylic glass layer can do even more

than hardness and colour: just as high-carat gold jewellery offers space to

incorporate diamonds, it offers space for effects. “We introduce metallic

pigments, they look amazing”, says Robert Tänzel, “it’s not easy though –

we’re the only ones who can do it”.

Each individual colour will shine for countless years to come because

GEALAN accurately simulates weather influences: GEALAN-acrylcolor ®

profiles are artificially weathered in a kind of washing machine and exposed

to many years of sunlight in xenon tests. In Bandol in the south

of France, the profiles lie in the intense sun of the Côte d’Azur; they’re

also repeatedly examined under outdoor weathering in Florida, Arizona

and Australia. Dr Michel Sieffert is head of Research & Development at

GEALAN: “We select the colourants used so that they have the highest

colour fastness and weather resistance – they ensure the long-term stability

of the colours”. In this way, the colour brilliance of even brand-new

colours is guaranteed for decades. “At the same time, we’re pushing developments

to reduce the temperature at which the paint heats up when

exposed to sunlight”, says Dr Sieffert. A high proportion of reflective pigments

in the acrylic layer reduces heating, as with a white T-shirt or a white

car paint. Less heating means more window stability.

GEALAN has over 40 years of ongoing experience using acrylcolor. This

doesn’t just mean that they’ve been doing it for a long time. Experience

means that the technology is improved, and product perfected each and

every year. “Our technology has been refined”, says Robert Tänzel, “our extrusion

equipment, our special tools, which we manufacture ourselves in

our state-of-the-art toolmaking department – that alone has increased

the surface quality enormously”. At the same time, the material composition

has been optimised in every detail. Dr Sieffert: “For example, we adjust

the PMMA with the aid of additives to ensure

optimum profile processing for window manufacturers.

We formulate and mix the material

ourselves and constantly optimise our formulations

for their intended use”. “No one else has

this uninterrupted experience”, Robert Tänzel

emphasises, “Only GEALAN has worked so intensively

on acrylcolor. It’s our DNA, our brand

recognition, our USP”.

He says that having a product that only GEALAN

has in this system and colour variety and being

the market leader is an absolute clincher for sales.

GEALAN-acrylcolor ® now plays an important

role primarily in the German market, but also in

the country systems for the Netherlands, France

and Italy. Tänzel also sees the product depth

as a unique selling point – GEALAN has always

built new profiles in acrylcolor, with accessories

in complex geometries. The surface is also available

for front doors and lift-slide doors, and even

for roller shutter and ventilation systems. “Over

forty years, many millions of GEALAN-acrylcolor

® window systems have arrived on the market

– anyone can look at the properties and see that

it works”.

The fact that it does is also due to partners like

HÖNING GmbH. “Our customers are idea generators

for us”, says Robert Tänzel. Peter Schouren

cites narrow sashes in the S 9000 system

and decorative profiles for high-class renovation

as examples. “It’s all about ensuring that everything

fits together – that I can offer our customers

an honest product. Of course, not every

idea can be implemented straightaway, but we

inspire GEALAN and GEALAN us – and sometimes

we develop a product idea together that

impresses us all visually”.

A specialty is GEALAN-KUBUS ® : This system allows

for particularly large glass surfaces, and its

seamless contours stand for clean, clear-cut

architecture. “The look inspires everyone”, says

Robert Tänzel. HÖNING is the biggest KUBUS

processor. “For me, such a high-quality product

definitely needs the high-quality surface as

well”, says Peter Schouren, “It’s logical that KUBUS

is only available with acrylcolor”. For Schouren,

GEALAN-acrylcolor ® is also the answer to an

important question: “If I were to line up all the

system houses in Germany and ask why I should

take this or that – they might say something

like: We offer quality. But they all say that. With



Robert Tänzel and

Peter Schouren (right)

understand each other when

it comes to ideas, innovations

and partnerships: keeping in

close touch with partners is

the spark for GEALAN’s

innovation engine.

GEALAN, the question of why is answered perfectly: acrylcolor! When you

have such a strong argument, you just have to keep building on it”.

An important factor for the future is the sustainability of GEALAN-acrylcolor

® , its recyclability. On the one hand, the refined profiles can be completely

recycled, on the other, GEALAN has further developed coextrusion into

triextrusion: a third strand of recycled material forms the inner chambers in

more and more profiles – the grey material stands for an impressive environmental

record, for resource conservation. Fresh material is used around

the recycled core, so that a finished window with a recycled interior is

physically and colour-wise indistinguishable from a completely new one.

“Certainly in the future we’ll look even more closely at how much material

we use for certain products. The days of battles over materials are coming

to an end”, Peter Schouren predicts, “I could imagine a base body made

entirely of recyclate”.

Robert Tänzel sees GEALAN-acrylcolor ® facing a golden future: “We will further

improve its sustainability, develop new colours, make even greater use

of metallic colours. We will push technology and colour stability even further.

We will manufacture our premium systems

entirely in GEALAN-acrylcolor ® “. The market potential

is far from exhausted.

In 2022, in its 43rd year, GEALAN-acrylcolor ® will

appear in a colour that fits perfectly like no other

and gives windows glamour and the radiance

of a winner's medal. In addition to iron mica,

bronze and silver, there is finally gold!

In 2020, GEALAN supplied

over 5.4 million metres of

GEALAN-acrylcolor ® profiles.

As the crow flies, this would

stretch from Oberkotzau to

Canada, to the equator, to

Mongolia.


| GEANEWS |

Click – Clip – Check!

How is GEALAN-SENSE ® installed? How are windows

made using STV ® ? How do I work as an

architect with the GEALAN Planersoftware 2.0 and

the BIM plug-in? Some things are relatively difficult

to explain in words but quite easy to show – in a

well-made explanatory video. GEALAN has now

collected all its videos in a new media library and

arranged them thematically. This way, planners

and manufacturers can quickly find the content

they need. These videos save time because they

answer technical questions quickly, precisely and

clearly. Company videos and event recordings are

also available for the press and media. Click, watch,

understand – that’s the GEALAN media library at

gealan.de

Crisis? Invest!

In good times, investing is relatively easy.

GEALAN succeeds even in times of crisis. The chaos

of the pandemic, complicated market conditions, a

shortage of raw materials – the GEALAN sales curve

started to dip at first in spring 2020. Nevertheless, 2020

and 2021 have become important growth years in

the end. GEALAN has invested 10 million euros at its

Tanna and Oberkotzau sites in 2020 alone: in new

storage areas and workshops, office space, recycling

solutions; in the digitalisation of toolmaking, software,

parking spaces and new canteens. Toolmaking and

sustainability remain investment priorities for the

16-million-euro investment programme that GEALAN

is kick-starting in 2021: among other things, a new

research laboratory and a new high-bay warehouse

are planned. This attests not only to its stability, but

also how loyal GEALAN is to its locations.

Sliding more beautifully

Systemic innovation – GEALAN’s credo means never standing still.

A good example is GEALAN-SMOOVIO ® . This sliding system stands

for space-saving comfort and maximum impermeability; now it is

becoming even more flexible, because GEALAN has expanded its

hardware configurations. With HAUTAU Move, a second hardware

solution is now available in addition to Roto Patio Inowa, which not

only guarantees a high level of impermeability with its circumferential

locking technology but is also particularly easy to install. Both

hardware systems bring about a smooth, comfortable opening and

closing movement for sliding doors and windows. GEALAN expands

GEALAN-SMOOVIO ® and GEALAN-SMOOVIO ® open up spaces.


Michael Grüner, born in Hof in 1979, embarked on

an officer’s career in the German Army after his A

levels, studied there and retired with the rank of

captain after twelve years. “I learned my management

skills in the army” – this sentence is almost

always met with prejudice, Grüner says and

laughs. “Naturally, the army relies on ‘command

and obey’ principles in critical situations. However,

it also uses what is called the mission tactic,

which sets a clear goal that can be achieved in

different ways. Both strategies are also needed in

companies”. Grüner is completing a course in mediation,

which is of great use to him in the human

resources area: “It’s about dialogue, about facilitation

techniques, about how to guide people to

independent solutions, that’s also how I see the

role of the HR professional”. After working in various

industrial companies – as a personnel officer,

in payroll accounting and personnel administration,

and as a HR manager with global responsibilities

– Michael Grüner joined GEALAN as HR

manager in 2018. His department comprises 19

employees.


| TEAMWORK |

Work on values

GEALAN has adopted its own code

of values and wants to strive and

live by values. Why? Because a

good working atmosphere is no

coincidence, but hard work. Because

values are navigation systems

that provide orientation. And

because everyone in the company

benefits from them.

A somewhat nervous applicant faces a GEALAN team that wants to get

to know him or her better: every year, Michael Grüner (41) experiences

dozens of job interviews, each one not only exciting for the potential

new employee, but also an important matter for GEALAN’s HR manager.

“Unlike the past, applicants today ask more questions: what about

working hours, work-life balance, how modern is the technology I will

be working with? We then show them specifically what benefits GEALAN

offers”. These include its innovative shift system in production, opportunities

for mobile working, flexitime, team event bonuses, summer parties,

JobRad (bike leasing) and so on. “But the issue of our corporate culture is

also becoming increasingly important for applicants”, Grüner emphasises,

“How do we actually treat one another?” GEALAN works not only on

products, but also on values: value-based work, in both senses.

“Demographic factors have a strong impact on us, because the proportion

of working age is falling at our locations in Upper Franconia as well as

in Thuringia. We also traditionally face strong competition for staff in the

industry – this is precisely where our corporate culture can be the decisive

factor that makes people choose us”. Regardless of whether a position

needs to be filled on the production line or at management level –

which Michael Grüner describes as very different but sometimes almost

equally difficult challenges – GEALAN looks for a very specific character

trait in all applicants: “We need team players who can get along well

with and appreciate others. The world is becoming more complex, even

a technical expert can no longer manage alone, everyone is dependent

on cooperation. We want people who don’t think they know everything

and can do it all on their own, but can also take a step back sometimes,

listen to other opinions. Ability to work in a team: we need that in administration,

in the commercial sector, everywhere”.

GEALAN has the greatest need for staff in production, logistics and lamination.

Skilled workers are scarce and in demand, and turnover is high, as

is typical in the industry. According to Michael Grüner, this won’t change

any time soon. For the commercial sector, on the other hand, he predicts

fewer bottlenecks because processes are becoming leaner and intelligent

software solutions mean fewer staff are needed. On the other hand,

new job opportunities are more likely to open up in the software sector,

especially for customer-oriented applications.


No matter where in the company: values count. GEALAN has thought

carefully about which values are important enough to be included in its

own code of conduct, ultimately selecting five out of 32 potential ones:

PROFESSIONALISM, TEAM SPIRIT, TRUST, APPRECIATION, OPEN COMMU-

NICATION. All five are equally important. “We developed our values topdown

and bottom-up, that is, in management committees and from

within the staff”, explains Michael Grüner. A good twenty employees

accompanied this process as value ambassadors for their departments.

To ensure theory was turned into practice, they translated these values

into specific directives, such as: we stand by decisions made together.

Talking to each other in person is even better than writing emails. We

value our counterparts, regardless of their position in our company. In

this form, values really can be put into effect in

everyday life.

“One department might have the right team

spirit, but the professionalism needs to improve

while in another, the opposite applies. That’s why

the teams have set their own priorities to work

on”. The GEALAN team sees its values as a tool:

you have to use them and possibly adapt them

to make a difference. “Of course, the work on our

values never ends”, says Grüner, “But that doesn’t

mean there’s no progress”.

Laminating

approx.

140

employees

Logistics

approx.

140

employees

Extrusion

approx.

105

employees

biggest

departments

Employees

Tanna

538

Average age

approx.

41

apprentices

5 Warehouse specialists

1 Industrial electrician

2 Industrial mechanics

1 Clerk for forwarding

services

4 Warehouse logistics

clerks

3 Machine and

plant operators

2 Process mechanics

+1 Trainee

+1 Master’s student

7 Industrial clerks

9 Tool mechanics

2 Product designers

2 IT officers

apprentices

Employees

Oberkotzau

316

Average age

approx.

43

+2 Students

(study with in-depth practice)

+1 Master’s student

biggest department

Toolmaking

approx.

70

employees

Updated: October 2021


GEALAN stands for a culture of openness, of

approachability. The company doesn’t believe

in traditional hierarchical levels, closed doors

and superiors who you’re not allowed to bother,

he adds. “We want approachable managers.

The fact that we cultivate a positive welcoming

culture and good teamwork, that we have

a certain harmony here, is noticed by many of

our visitors”.

GEALAN’s values are a pillar of its corporate culture.

Michael Grüner concedes that is not always

possible to implement them fully. Unrealistic

ideals and a “love, peace and harmony” mentality

would ultimately be the opposite of a healthy climate.

“If conflicts arise, we try to get both parties

to the table. That’s where we HR managers see

ourselves in a mediator role. Many people already

find it very helpful when they see that their

concerns aren’t being ignored but taken seriously.

Sometimes you’re surprised to discover that

you can understand the ‘other side’ quite well

and that you just misunderstood one another. In

those cases, conflicts can be easily resolved”. Part

of GEALAN’s value set is not to sweep unpleasant

things under the carpet, but to remain self-critical

and willing to initiate improvements.

To find out where improvements are needed,

GEALAN listens carefully – for example in regular

anonymous employee surveys, which are

not only conducted in Oberkotzau and Tanna,

but at all locations in Europe, and are evaluated

externally. Sometimes little things come out in

these surveys, Grüner reports. In the tool maintenance

workshop, something is in the way,

and you have to move it around. Or the light at

someone’s workplace is too bright – “of course

these are small things that we can sort out in no

time at all. Things become more difficult when

communications aren’t ideal somewhere. “Then

we try to find out whether we are communicating

too little, too slowly or in the wrong place.”

Communication between people is never perfect

– it can always be worked on. “We deliberately

coach our leaders. They need to reflect on

questions such as: how do my colleagues see

things? Am I a good listener to them? Do I give

enough scope for feedback? As someone who

leads and is dominant, you sometimes have to

slow down a bit to hear what’s important to the

staff – everyone can benefit from that”. At the

same time, there are also staff workshops that

promote dialogue, show how you can find solutions

together, contribute to respectful cooperation. “That works, people

enjoy taking part”.

For each individual, work on values occurs in small steps. According to

Grüner, work hacks – small tricks on how to work better – can be a good

inspiration: for example, resolving to answer every email within a week or to

set time limits for meetings. That’s concrete and actionable, “if that works, we

move on to the next communication issue”.

Grüner goes on to explain that it sometimes takes a little persuasion to get

all staff to understand that their opinions are important. “For instance, we’re

tinkering with our new office concept. If I just ask in general terms, there

aren’t a whole lot of suggestions. But if I approach someone directly from

each area and ask them one-on-one: how would you design that room?

Then I get lots of great ideas. The more specifically we ask, the more specific

the answers are. Communication is a joint learning process”.

What values are really worth is most likely to become apparent in a crisis.

The coronavirus pandemic is also affecting the GEALAN workforce: mandatory

mask-wearing in the production units, absences due to infection and

quarantine, borders closed to the Czech Republic. Our employees have

pressing questions: I feel sick, what should I do? Do I have to wear an FFP2

mask? How can we change shifts to minimise contacts? What are the entry

requirements? – “There were a thousand questions and hardly any official

answers – often we just didn’t have the legal basis yet”, Grüner recalls. This

made the work in the prevention team complicated – professionalism and

openness were key in this confusing phase. However, team spirit proved to

be the overriding value in this crisis. Coping with breakdowns in the departments,

having an open ear for the concerns of others, spontaneously organising

accommodation for our Czech colleagues – “Looking back, I reckon

we solved those challenges together pretty well – it was only possible

because everybody pulled together”.

Meanwhile, we were forced to adapt quickly to completely new circumstances:

with the help of video conferencing, new office use concepts and

tablet/sensor-based solutions in the production and home office environments,

a new working world has emerged at GEALAN. Michael Grüner can

well imagine that some aspects will be retained once the pandemic is over.

“Our working environment will have to allow for concentrated home office

work and teamwork in the workplace in equal measure. Our office concept

will become more hybrid so that several participants can take part in video

conferences undisturbed, and others can connect externally. The technology

for all this is in place, we just need suitable right spaces and concepts”.

What remains in all this upheaval are GEALAN’s values. To perpetuate them,

they are passed on to every new colleague. The interview is over. If the applicant

is accepted, they are not only starting a new job, but also embracing

GEALAN’s set of values. They themselves become an important part of this

value work.


Professionalism

Edhem Demirhan (23),

Toolmaking

“

Professionalism was an important part

of my training. We were prepared

really well for our exams. If we had

any questions, our training manager

answered them, helped us and was

there for us. For me, professionalism

also means that I can work independently

and solve problems. As skilled workers,

we carry responsibility; superiors must be

able to rely on us to work conscientiously.

When modifying tools, it’s a matter of

hundredths of a millimetre, our finish

has to fit. Getting things more or less

right – that’s simply not an option here

and that's also my attitude: if you’re go

ing to do something, then do it right!


Team spirit

Annette Hassfürther (52),

Raw materials purchasing / Fleet management, materials management

“For me, team spirit starts small, in the

groups and departments, but it runs

through the entire company – the

management, every location, and

affiliated companies. I know that I can

rely on other people, that I can ask

questions. Others are there for me

and helps me. What would purchasing

be without sales, product management

without purchasing – we need one

another. I think that working well

together across teams or departments

leads to the best results and moves

GEALAN forward as a whole. The company

run is a good symbol: everyone does

their best, and that gets us to the

finish line – as a successful team.


Trust

Željko Vrdoljak (48),

Mixing / Material preparation

“

If I have something on my mind –

something personal, something critical,

something that’s bothering me – I can

go to my supervisor. He’ll try to help me

and will also keep what I say to himself.

Trust doesn’t develop overnight; it has

to grow. Not only towards superiors,

but also towards colleagues. Of course

you don’t tell each other your whole life

right away, you get to know each

other over time. I’ve been at GEALAN for

a few years and over time I’ve noticed:

someone doesn’t just talk, they mean it

as well, so I can rely on them and they

can rely on me – that’s important for all

work processes, but also personally.


Appreciation

Mira Popp (30),

Logistics

“I was only with GEALAN for five

months when I was allowed to

study for a forklift licence, and

then I took a course to become

a safety officer – for me personally,

both are signs of appreciation: if I

show commitment as an employee

and really want to achieve, then

that is also recognised and

rewarded. We all treat each other

with respect on my shift, and I

think that’s great: we also give

each other praise.


Open communication

Peter Wolf (59),

North/East sales team

“

I think it’s important to live the values

we’ve worked out together in our daily

work. I particularly like one formulation:

we live an open communication culture.

In sales, I deal with architects and

planners, builders, property developers,

project managers, housing associations,

general contractors and, of course,

our GEALAN partner companies –

in other words, with very different

people and characters. I respond

to each of them candidly, as a

networker.Speaking respectfully and

honestly with one another – that’s

part of the philosophy in our team.


The path to values

Stefan Rießbeck (57),

Work safety

“In my view, the development of corporate

values is a milestone in GEALAN’s history.

Each value is formulated clearly and

understandably. In our daily work together,

our values encourage me – they provide

security and at the same time open up

room for manoeuvre. I think it’s important

and good that they were developed and

then adopted by the staff themselves.

This makes an excellent foundation

to build on.


Nicu Crăciun (42)

• studies in Materials Science

at the Polytechnic University in Iași

• sales work, including National Sales Manager

at VELUX Romania

• Managing Director BMI Romania

• since 2018: Sales & Marketing Director

GEALAN Romania

• since 2019: Managing Director GEALAN Romania


| GEALAN ROMANIA |

A pioneer

in the fast lane

Nicu Crăciun sits in his car.

Sometimes the traffic moves, often not.

In Bucharest, that’s everyday life.

1.8 million inhabitants, 1.4 million cars –

about eight times more than calculated in the

road planning . Crăciun’s route leads from the

western outskirts of Bucharest, where the

headquarters of GEALAN Romania are located,

to the east of the metropolis, to the

HILS PALLADY APARTMENTS construction

site. Route: around 20 kilometres,

travel time: 90 minutes.

At 134 hours, the traffic data service INRIX shows Bucharest as the city

with the most time lost in traffic jams worldwide in 2020 – ahead of Bogota,

New York City and Moscow. Congested cities tend to be old or

expanding rapidly. According to Romania’s National Institute of Statistics,

around 90,000 new flats were built in Bucharest between 1990 and 2020,

an average of 3,000 per year. In the first nine months of 2020 alone, there

were 9,500, plus about as many more in the capital’s Ilfov district. Bucharest

is booming, you can see, hear and feel it. Congested streets, cranes,

concrete mixers, trucks, rush hour: traffic noise and construction noise

merge into an exhausting cacophony. It is precisely because so much

is moving forward here that nothing can physically move forward. This

restlessness is agitating and engrossing – and begs the question: where

is Bucharest trying to go? The city is spreading a spirit of optimism. It also

under pressure to meet pent-up demand and satisfy its hunger for the

future. The building boom seems to be purely market-driven rather than

being based on urban planning considerations. Construction is taking

place where there’s space, and while villas with old charm in the city

centre eke out a dreary existence as renovation cases or vacant targets

for property speculators, gigantic apartment blocks and entire new city

districts are shooting up on greenfield sites and former wastelands.

The HILS PALLADY APARTMENTS are or will be the largest residential complex

in Bucharest’s Sector 3: a total of 1,908 flats, green spaces, shops, offices,

parking garage, gym and wellness club. There are supermarkets,

furniture stores, sports and DIY stores and a metro station within walking

distance. Construction work began in autumn 2019, and window systems

made from GEALAN profiles have been installed since summer 2020.

Some of the twelve blocks are still shells, in others the modern flats are

already occupied. “For this large-scale project, profiles with six thermal insulation

chambers are being used, anthracite on the outside, white on the

inside”, says Nicu Crăciun, Managing Director of GEALAN Romania. “When

completed, HILS will have about 12,000 square metres of window area”.

When GEALAN Romania officially started business in 1997, PVC windows

were considered a luxury item in Romania. And GEALAN was considered


synonymous with PVC windows, far ahead of

other manufacturers and the first to be able

to produce and supply large quantities locally.

With its own profiles and as a dealer in window

construction equipment and fittings, GEALAN

dominated the growing Romanian market, but

the competition was also making its presence

felt. “Obviously, GEALAN Romania found everything

just fine as it was at that time and wasn’t

ready to face competitors who were voracious,

eager and agile”, says Crăciun. “No one would

have expected that things could go downhill,

but they did go downhill, brutally so”. Profile

sales plummeted and business with accessories

and machinery shifted directly to their

manufacturers. GEALAN Romania’s turnover

halved from EUR 72 million to EUR 35 million

between 2008 and 2010 – and again to EUR 18

million by 2017.

Nicu Crăciun has set himself the goal of regaining

GEALAN’s top position among profile

suppliers in Romania. “By working very hard, we

were able to reposition ourselves with new faces

in sales, and new products – we had to build

trust and argue our case”. Increasingly, window

systems from GEALAN in Romania are no longer

perceived as average, but as innovative. for

the first time ever, GEALAN is now recognised

as a premium German brand. “We’ve included

new profile lines in our production and focused

our marketing on them – with success. The S

9000 system is a premium product. In 2018, its

share was three percent – now it’s 20. We’ve

succeeded in convincing our customers that

it’s worth investing in technically advanced

windows, with the latest thermal and sound insulation”.

In 2021, seven major profile processors have

become GEALAN Romania customers, and its

sales forecast is 30 million euros. After 9,000

tonnes of extruded profiles in the previous

year, the 10,000 tonne mark is expected to fall.

“We’re the only German system provider that

laminates profiles in Romania and offers them

in country-specific colours. We have the most

flexible and fastest package. With a fourth line

in lamination and a seventh extruder, we will be

even more efficient in 2022”. From the beginning,

Bucharest was conceived as a production

site, and as a logistics hub from which Bulgaria,

Greece and Moldova could be supplied. Crăciun

sees potential for other countries because

their geographical location is favourable, and transport is economical

and efficient.

As a pioneer that became the market leader before falling into a severe

turnover crisis and then making a comeback in the wake of a reorientation:

GEALAN Romania can look back on an eventful quarter of a century.

Many of its employees have been with the company for years and

have lived through these ups and downs. “I’d like to say that a new spirit

has emerged, the ambition is back. I am a comparatively new to the

company and haven’t tried to change people. There’s a team and I see

myself as one member of that team”. The relationship between staff and

management, he says, is one of mutual trust. “Romanians are constant. If

treated well, they remain loyal to their employer for a long time and their

experience is valuable”.

Passing on experience is essential, and this is how GEALAN Romania develops

new staff – a strategy that is demanding and long. “Our production

lines runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Young people find it

hard to give up their weekends and nightlife to work in a factory, no matter

how well it pays. But we’ve managed to fill all relevant positions. We

give the young ones good career prospects: our tool manager started

at the bottom, on the production line; today he’s an engineer and a key

player in our team”. GEALAN Romania employs 130 people, and a further

150 are expected to join in the coming years.

GEALAN has moved back up to second place in the Romanian market.

“We’re not yet where we want to be”, says Nicu Crăciun, “but we’re moving

in the right direction. In Romania and at GEALAN in Romania, things

are moving very rapidly, and I like that. I can develop well at this accelerated

pace”. Only the drive back to the office will take 90 minutes for 20

kilometres – again...



By mid-2021, five of the

twelve HILS PALLADY

APARTMENTS blocks were

fitted with windows made

of GEALAN profiles.

Each of the buildings has

twelve floors; there are

studios, two and three-bedroom

flats and maisonettes.

The town of Piatra Neamț is located in north-eastern Romania,

on the edge of the Eastern Carpathians. It is the birthplace

of artist Laurențiu Dimișcă and home to GEALAN’s long-time

partner Izotec, a major window and door manufacturer. On

Izotec’s initiative, in 2003 Laurențiu Dimișcă designed around

80 square metres of wall space at GEALAN Romania’s headquarters.

In 2011, Izotec donated two more Dimișcă paintings

to GEALAN (pictured: The Window Man, acrylic secco painting).

Laurențiu Dimișcă was born in 1977. After training at the Victor

Brauner Fine Arts High School in Piatra Neamț, he studied


Decorative and Fine Arts at the University of Art and Design

in Cluj-Napoca and received his doctorate in 2011. The narrative

painter, textile artist and sculptor’s works are striking for

their intense, structured colourfulness; as a representative of

Free Figuration, Dimișcă interprets mythologies and fairy tales

from his homeland and works through childhood memories.

He is a founding member of the Outsider Art Foundation and

a UNESCO Ambassador for Integration through Art.


In her profession, facts count:

Adela Chiru is the communicator

of product information, technical

data and company news at GEALAN

Romania. She develops strategies and

evaluates analyses. Besides marketing,

she’s fascinated by the supernatural:

mystical places like Peleș Castle attract

and inspire her.


| GEALAN ROMANIA |

A clear head at work,

dream castles

for relaxing

Iulia Haşdeu, born in Bucharest in 1869, was

a child prodigy. At the age of two she recited

poetry, at four she wrote her own, at eight

she spoke fluent French, German and English,

played the piano and enjoyed classical vocal

training. At 16, she was the first Romanian to

study at the Sorbonne in Paris. But she died

of tuberculosis at the age of 18. Her father,

the writer and ethnologist Bogdan Petriceicu

Haşdeu, had the Castelul Iulia Haşdeu built in

Câmpina after her death – in memory of his

daughter and in order to make contact with her

in this little castle. He believed that Iulia had

sent him plans from the afterlife on how to build

their house, where they would meet again.

Iulia Haşdeu Castle becomes a kind of

castle temple, but also serves as a residence.

Its centre is the so-called cathedral, in which

Iulia’s piano stands in a niche.

It is said that piano notes ring out

here at midnight.

The story of Iulia Haşdeu is Adela Chiru’s favourite legend: “In one room of

the fort, there’s a small hole and they say that Iulia’s soul lives in it. You can

see the hole, everything else you have to believe and feel, and you can’t

ask for proof”. Romania cultivates a longing for myths and legends, and its

castles and fortresses are truly legendary settings for this. Over half a million

people make a pilgrimage every year to Bran Castle in Brașov County,

where Vlad III Drăculea is said to have lived. Whether he was ever really

there is unclear – and above all unimportant. “There you feel transported to

times long past, connected with historical personalities. I have a good life, a

great family, I love my job, but from time to time I need a break. I find energy

in places that mean something to me, that have an effect on me”.

There is nothing psychic about Adela’s professional passion: marketing. She

has experience in telemarketing, has worked in the insurance industry and

was a marketing manager for a large Romanian parcel service. She studied

Marketing and International Business and furthered her education online

at Oxford College. Since autumn 2020, she’s been responsible for GEALAN

Romania’s marketing. The 35-year-old provides support to partners and retailers,

organises seminars and training courses, and looks after the website

and social media channels, where she’s placed an emphasis on brand

awareness. She places special emphasis on in-house communication: “Fully-informed

employees is the foundation of a positive self-image and for a

good image externally. Only those who know their employer can represent

it well”.

Myth comes into marketing when Adela Chiru promotes a royal title that

GEALAN carries: Official Supplier to the Romanian Royal Family. “An honour

and a privilege”. GEALAN’s S 9000 system was chosen for renovations on the

grounds of Săvârșin Castle in Arad County: in 2015, the guest house, which

was set up in the former stable of the royal steeds, got new windows, and in

2019 the stewards’ house. The seal that GEALAN is allowed to use on docu-


ments is emblazoned on contracts and invoices. It recognises high product

standards, consistency, integrity and professionalism. “There are rules when

dealing with royalty that have to be followed. When the windows were installed,

GEALAN organised a small opening ceremony with the press and

representatives of the royal house”.

In 1943, King Mihai I of Romania acquired Săvârșin Castle. He first ascended

the throne as a child of five, and his two terms lasted from 1927 to 1930 and

from 1940 to 1947 before he abdicated under pressure from the communist

regime. In exile in Switzerland, Mihai worked as a poultry farmer, test pilot

and stockbroker. He only regained Romanian citizenship in 1997. Romania’s

last king died in Switzerland in 2017. Although the Romanian monarchy has

not existed for over seventy years, Romanians still revere their royal house.

If only because of the legend. “Our parents and grandparents tell us about

the king’s services to our country”, says Adela Chiru. Mihai, for example, is

said to have been involved in Romania’s accession to the European Union

in 2007. “We know that the monarchy is over, we appreciate our free life in a

democracy. And yet many young Romanians also dream themselves back

to the time of the kings; we love the nostalgia”.

Unlike her daughter, Adela doesn’t want to be

a princess. But if she had a time machine, she’d

want to find out what life was really like in the royal

court, take part in it and not stand in front of

Peleș Castle in a photo 100 years later. For now,

she’s sticking with marketing – for GEALAN and

for her homeland: “I am a proud Romanian. My

country has mountains and sea, it’s full of history

and wondrous places, and our kings are still present.

Everyone should visit here at least once in

their life”.


Săvârșin Castle – above, the royal family’s guest

house on the edge of the six-and-a-half-hectare

castle park with lake – was built by a Hungarian

noble family in the late 17th century and largely

destroyed during an uprising in 1784, its lord

kidnapped. It has essentially looked the same

since 1870. It became royal property when Mihai

I of Romania took over the majority of shares in

the company that owned Săvârșin Castle. After

its nationalisation, the castle served Nicolae

Ceaușescu as a hunting lodge. It was returned to

the royal family in 2001.

Left page: Peleș Castle near Sinaia in Prahova County was built between

1873 and 1883 as the summer residence of King Carol I of Romania, but its

distinctive main tower was not added until decades later.

From the beginning, it had hot running water, a telephone connection and

electric lighting. The palace has two lifts, a central vacuum cleaning system,

central heating, a theatre and murals by Gustav Klimt. After the abolition of

the monarchy, the communist regime confiscated the royal castles; only in

2008 was Peleș Castle returned to King Mihai I. It has served as a film set –

among others, Roger Moore filmed “A Princess for Christmas” here.


| TOOLMAKING |

Hasta la vista,

coloured pencil!

EXCELLENCE stands for superlative

achievement, for top performance.

EXCELLENCE IN PRODUC-

TION honours top performances:

every year, this competition selects

the best toolmaker in the

German-speaking region. Over

300 participants compete for the

award. When GEALAN Toolmaking

made it to the finals of EXCEL-

LENCE IN PRODUCTION in 2017,

it was a great success. Cause to

celebrate, rejoice, be proud – yes.

Cause to rest on these laurels – no.

After all, the jury confirmed the

excellence of GEALAN Toolmaking

during their visit to Oberkotzau,

but still saw room for improvement

in digitalisation compared

to the rest of the industry.

Spurred on by this criticism, GEALAN launched an ambitious project to

not only take steps towards digitalisation, but to make a real leap. Kevin

Schmelzer led the digitalisation project: “Our top priority was end-to-end

data flow – a prerequisite for being able to manufacture and duplicate

tools faster, cheaper and better”.

The processes in GEALAN’s toolmaking department are clearly defined,

but complex. The ordering party is the design department, which orders

a tool with which a specific window profile is to be produced. The Work

Preparation department records incoming orders, orders material and

forwards the profile drawings to the tool designers, who use CAD (Computer-Aided

Design) to design tools and plan the necessary work. In the

CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) departments, complex tool contours

are cut, milled and ground from metal blocks: cones, cylinders,

sockets, chambers, channels, etc. In CAM, GEALAN uses fully automated

machinery; they are programmed by the tool mechanics and loaded

and unloaded by robots. Before assembly, the tool components are polished

and ground, partly by machines and partly by hand. For the test

run, GEALAN uses its own run-in centre with seven extrusion lines, so

that production doesn’t have to be interrupted. Experienced operators

determine deviations in profile dimensions, profile geometry and profile

surface and determine what needs to be improved on the tool. Only after

a test run with no complaints and with the approval of Profile Design

and Quality Assurance may a tool be used for the production of an initial

quantity. Afterwards, it is disassembled into its individual components in

the toolmaking department. A special service provider coats the components

with chromium nitride to extend the life of the tool.

“Almost all tools for GEALAN profiles are made in Oberkotzau”, says Kevin

Schmelzer. “Internal toolmaking makes for flexibility; new or modified

products can be manufactured and delivered quickly”. 70 people work in

this GEALAN department: tool mechanics, commercial clerks, mechanical

engineering technicians, plastics and rubber technicians. Three to four positions

are filled per training year.


Kevin Schmelzer (30)


• training as a toolmaker

• further training to become a state-certified

Mechanical Engineering Technician

• further training as a Certified Technical

Business Economist (IHK)

• since 2018: Project Manager for Digitalisation

in Toolmaking

• since 2021: Group leader for Work Preparation

and Tool Design


Max Hager (26)


• training as a toolmaker

• further training to

become a state-certified

Mechanical Engineering

Technician


High-tech machinery, design in 3D, software that

simulates the flow of material in the tool – there

were many pieces of the puzzle for a digital toolmaking

future, but they didn’t mesh. Schmelzer

remembers “three different CAD programmes,

interface problems, data loss. When the EXCEL-

LENCE IN PRODUCTION jury told us in no uncertain

terms that we needed to address our digitalisation

deficit in order to get better, we wasted

no time”. This comprehensive solution is based

on the 3D CAD programme SolidWorks because

it addresses the concerns of all departments,

because it is CAM-compatible, and because

it allows data to flow where it is needed. “From

receipt of the order to handover of the finished

tool, our Production Data Management (PDM)

seamlessly documents every step. We can track

every phase of the project in detail and refer

back to every optimisation point”. In summer

2019, the decision was made to rely on Solid-

Works, and in autumn servers were installed and

configured and administrators trained. At the

beginning of 2020, first the Design department,

then the Manufacturing department introduced

the PDM, and the digitalisation project was completed

at the end of 2020.

Max Hager helped set up the new system for

CAM milling, recreated data records for existing

tools and structured and cleaned up data material:

“The basic framework was there, but it was

empty. We loaded the first components and

found out during milling tests that lots of adjustments

were necessary. The programs were

available, but the machines couldn’t read them

without errors”. The rearrangements initially led

to delays and tested colleagues’ patience. “We

spent a week writing a program for a tooling

plate, which today runs after half an hour. Despite

the initial difficulties, everyone was behind

the project. Sure, it was annoying to test the

same process over and over again, but everyone

was understanding when something went

wrong and helped each other out”.

PDM has changed everyday life in toolmaking.

Experienced programmers had to get used to

new software and different ways of working, familiar

tricks no longer worked, newcomers and

old hands were on an equal footing after one

training session. Instead of drawing paper, they

had a tablet in their hands with everything needed

for work. “Some of our colleagues surprised

us in a positive way”, Kevin Schmelzer says. “They

were really keen on digitalisation, recognised its

advantages and got the hang of it really well.

Others we had to take by the hand and explain

the benefits to them. Now the mood’s good

because the PDM works”. Production data management

maps every process that takes place

in Toolmaking. Access rights and authorisation

levels define who receives which information

when and how it must be processed. Everyone

is always up to date – automatically. Max Hager:

“In the past, there was a folder with drawings

and there was a photocopier. Changes were

incorporated into the original drawing, but

there might be outdated photocopies on the

workbenches. Now everything is organised in

PDM and only the latest project status can be

viewed”.

Print out work plans? Looking for lost documents?

Coffee stains on DIN A0 drawings? Five

different-coloured markings on top of each

other? The days of bits of paper flying around

everywhere are over! The mouse has replaced

the coloured pencil. Clear 3D visualisation prevents

mistakes and sharpens the eye for the essentials.

Anything that irritates or doesn’t interest

the user is simply hidden. However, toolmaking

cannot be planned and organised down to the

smallest detail. Experience, craftsmanship and

attention to detail remain indispensable.

“Our goal is the digital twin”, says Kevin Schmelzer.

“Such a tool clone is based on uniform 3D

data, which we’ve lacked up until now. The PDM

merges data from Work Preparation, Design,

Production, Assembly and the Run-In Technical

Centre into a 3D image into which manual

adjustments too can be entered and taken into

account for subsequent tools from the outset”.

The first real twins will be duplicates of tools that

GEALAN has fully programmed using the new

software. “Then we will be able to reap the full

benefits of our digitalisation project and save

about a third of our toolmaking costs. Until then,

we want to stabilise and optimise all processes

and get the best performance out of them.

And we also want to be competitive again and

have EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION confirm that

we’ve made good progress digitally, perhaps

even that we’ve succeeded in making a huge

leap”.


| THINGS WORTH KNOWING ABOUT TOOLMAKING |

Rubber seals are

extruded onto the

profile in downstream

tools.

Large metal blocks with

tubes attached – that’s what

extrusion tools look like that

give window profile strands their

shape. Their insides are complicated

and fascinating.

Milling, wire eroding

and grinding are the machining

processes used in

GEALAN toolmaking.

The accuracy of milling is in the

hundredths of a millimetre, of wire

cutting in the thousandths of a millimetre

range. A human hair

is about seven hundredths

of a millimetre thick.

In coextrusion, white PVC

virgin material and a colouring

layer of acrylic glass (PMMA)

are brought together in the tool.

If the tool also introduces

recycled PVC, it is called

triextrusion.

Plastic attacks ferrous metal.

GEALAN applies a chromium

nitride protective coating to its tools.

This coating increases the usage

cycle of a tool thirtyfold from 50,000

to 1.5 million profile metres. It is then

reprocessed and recoated, for the

extrusion of a further 1.5 million

metres.


In 2017, GEALAN Toolmaking was a

finalist in the EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION

competition, in which the Technical University

of Aachen and the Fraunhofer Institute

award prizes to tool and mould

making companies – in the category

“Tool making over 50

employees”.

GEALAN builds its tools

from high-alloy tool steel

that is acid-resistant

and rustproof.

A main tool consists of a nozzle and

calibration. The nozzle is connected to the

extruder and the extruder screw conveys raw

material into the nozzle, where it is plasticised at approx.

190 °C. The material is pressed through plates whose

openings become finer and finer; when it leaves the

nozzle, the profile has its complex geometry. Calibration

stabilises the profile shape through vacuum and

cooling effects. In the first calibration block,

cooling is most intensive; between the blocks,

the profile strand passes through water baths.

The price of a main tool is in the

six-figure euro range.

Setting the

course and

a milestone

Innovation is the driving force behind

GEALAN’s dynamic growth. New profile

systems and geometries require

the development and construction of

numerous new tools. In addition, toolmaking

must regularly supply replacement

tools for established successful

products. To ensure that this key area

can keep pace with the growth of the

company as a whole, GEALAN adopted

a package of measures in mid-2021

that will increase the manufacturing

capacity of its toolmaking department

in Oberkotzau by 50 percent: instead

of 40 to 50 tools per year, depending

on complexity, the annual output is to

reach up to 75 tools.

GEALAN is investing around two million

euros in its machine tool park,

adding more grinding machines, fully

automatic systems for wire EDM,

die-sinking EDM and a laser welding

system, all embedded in a new

hardware and software architecture.

This higher performance goes hand

in hand with the changeover to highly

efficient production technologies,

which GEALAN can only optimally

exploit, however, if new positions for

skilled workers are also created and

expertly filled. Fifteen positions have

been newly advertised in the toolmaking

department – for machining,

industrial or tool mechanics.


| 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:

Sandu Butnaru

Saulius Čirba

Dr Olaf Dziallas

GEALAN Fenster-Systeme GmbH

Götz Gemeinhardt

HILS Pallady Apartments

Martin Lauterbach

Przemysław Turlej

We give our thanks to:

DIE WOHNKOMPANIE Rhein-Main GmbH

E center Egert Selb, Alexander Egert

Einstein1 Digitales Gründerzentrum Hof

FACTORIA Selb, Andreas Steidl

HILS Pallady Apartments, Bucharest

The Institute for Information Systems (iisys) of the Hof

University of Applied Sciences

Kleiber Italian Lifestyle, Regnitzlosau

Shakespeare Boutique Hotel, Vilnius

Printer:

Druckerei Schmidt & Buchta GmbH & Co. KG

The pulp for the GEANOVA paper comes from

sustainable forestry.

Circulation:

19,000 copies

Concept, layout and direction:

Götz Gemeinhardt

Reprint and use – including excerpts – only with written

permission from GEALAN Fenster-Systeme GmbH

Assistance:

Bogdan Dîrzu

Norbert Gruner

Christiane Junghans

Thomas Lagemann

Linda Muck

Isabella Najuch

Michael Nolting

Eva-Maria Schröder

Alexander Wils



www.gealan.de

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Geanova #3 Magazine [EN]

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