Current information
Editor: Nancy Aamodt
No. 1 - 2011
Protan Group Internal News
www.protan.com
Front page photo: Welding in the
Protan Elmark site
Spring, expectations,…and changes!
is setting new sales records again
so far this year.
We are, again, in the market of
employing additional workforce to
our factories and roof contracting
businesses.
2
Dear all colleagues in the
Protan Group!
You are now reading my last
article for this magazine, as
I am now stepping down as
President and Group CEO,
and leaving Protan at the end
of April. It has been nine wonderful years in this unique
Group.
Springtime is, for most of us, a
time full of expectations for lighter
and warmer days and nights; winter seems far away at the moment.
And, right now, Easter is coming up with some well deserved
days off, hopefully with family and
friends.
Another very good – and very important - feeling is, that Protan’s
sales the first three and a half
months of the year is far beyond
the same period last year.
The European construction industry has speeded up a lot in most
markets, and Protan’s products,
systems, solutions and services
are demanded on a substantially
higher level than a year ago.
Ventiflex have continued its impressive trend from last year and
Infobrev 1/2011
Altogether, there are many pleasant signals from a market in good
growth. It is, however, of main importance to be aware of the fact
that price levels for our main products were changed dramatically
during the credit crunch. It will take
some time to get the prices back to
where they were before 2008. Another piece of imperative information, is that raw material costs for
many of our main ingredients has
risen a lot lately, and more than we
have been able to get back via increased sales prices so far.
We will not reach our goals with
the current margins, and thus
have to increase our sales prices
all over, in every country; for all
products and services.
It is, in addition, very important
that the fine work that has been
performed under the umbrella of
our VIP-programme continues.
The efforts focusing on increased
Productivity on all levels and in all
processes is still very important in
order to be competitive in an ever
changing marketplace.
After two years with weak results,
it is imperative that Protan and
other companies in this business
obtain good profitability levels
again soon.
The Protan Group of today is a
solid construction of products,
systems, solutions and processes. But, most of all, consisting of
skilful, loyal and highly motivated
employees. The people inside the
company, together with our partners, are really what distinct this
fantastic Group from the competitors. We are indeed offering the
market an added value, and must
still be outstanding in building net-
Erik Oyno appointed new President & CEO
works and good relations.
It means a lot to present and future
customers that they understand
that Protan is a long term thinking
Group, with skilful people they can
thrust.
I am sure that this solid construction will lead Protan into many
more profitable and good years,
and that the employees in Protan will continue to be happy and
proud of what they do.
If you read the articles in this
newsletter, you will learn more
about what is going on in projects
and other activities. And you will
see presentations of new, highly
skilled people joining the Group.
I am certainly proud of my nine
years in Protan, and happy that I
could have the chance to spend
this time with you. The years ran
fast; and were interesting, exciting, demanding - and wonderful
We have achieved a lot together.
Good luck, I will miss you and Protan!
Best regards
The new President & CEO of
Protan is 46 years old and
lives in Asker (near Oslo) with
wife and three children. Erik
has an MBA and his previous
positions include CEO of Byggmakker (Norway’s largest
DIY retail chain) for five years
and, most recently, CEO of
publicly listed Aktiv Kapital.
He has been a member of the
Board of Directors of Protan
for about three years.
- Protan is a very exciting company that I look forward to getting to
know better. This means learning
to know the individuals within Protan and gain a better understanding of the value-creating processes.
- Management for me is all about
giving trust, delegating responsibility and facilitating for change.
Empowering individuals also imply
that individuals are expected to
meet obligations and prove themselves trustworthy; in other words,
meeting expectations,” he adds.
- It is important to be clear about
expectations. At the same time,
leadership requires a continuous
follow-up of colleagues.
- There are numerous competent
individuals in Protan and I look forward to working with each one of
them,” continues Erik. It is however challenging that the Protan
Group was not profitable in neither
2009 nor 2010. I believe that any
business should earn money, also
in difficult markets. After all, that’s
the main goal of running a business,” adds Erik. - “Profitability in
every section of the organisation
is a prerequisite for our future success. This requires that we implement change to gain greater profitability. I am certain that we will
succeed in re-creating profitability.
We need to create an environment that facilitates for development and embraces change. As
Two new members of the New CFO
Top Management Group .
I have not yet started in my new
position, I would prefer to wait with
presenting any policy statement,”
concludes Erik.
3
New Vice President PIR
CFO:
Torbjørn B Torgersen. 42 years old.
Vice President PIR:
Jørn Helle. 39 years old.
Infobrev 1/2011
A presentation of:
”find out more on
www.protan-elmark.pl ”
Piotr Bąkowski is director of
Protan Elmark and is proud of
his factory and the people who
work there. He explains that a
number of changes have been
made since he took over as the
head and that he is continuously on the lookout for ways
to improve profitability and productivity.
A major contributor to this is the em-
Protan UK, which resulted in signing
an agreement on cooperation within
the scope of supply of our native products, i.e. tent halls and PVC materials customising services to the British
market.
The Director and the Chairman:
Piotr Bakowski and Bjørn Sorteberg
Knowledge: The employees in Protan Elmark is very professional. This
is Wojciech Tabaka
development. We’re changing that.
2010 and is equipped with high-tech
Obviously, it feels a little abnormal
machinery for the high-frequency
and challenging at first, but now that
welding of textiles, among other appli-
we have started establishing systems
cations. The building itself is 1200m²
and methods for improvements, the
in size and contributes to Protan El-
results are starting to materialise,
mark’s competitive advantage in the
slowly but surely,” he adds. ”It is moti-
market as a flexible supplier that can
vating for us to achieve results while,
offer excellent production capacity.
at the same time, save both time and
”We have lots of exciting things in the
money”, continues Piotr. ”This ena-
works, including a prototype we have
bles us to contribute to financing the
developed for a new flood control
purchase of new technology and, in
product. The “Protan Flood Protection
this way, build a factory for the future.”
System” (FPS) has already been in-
ployees themselves, who have come
up with numerous good and constructive ideas for how the factory can develop to become more competitive.
“It is not normally customary to ask
production employees for their ideas
on new ways to produce products.
These individuals are experts when it
comes to the machinery they operate,
4
and some have even been involved in
constructing parts of the machinery,”
explains the factory director.
”Many of the employees have unique
expertise in materials, textiles and
production
methods.
People
who
have been working here for nearly 20
years demonstrate considerable competency and professionalism when
it comes to their work. All the same,
few have traditionally been asked to
contribute to innovative thinking and
stalled at a customer’s here in Poland
Piotr makes his way from the one pro-
and the feedback we’ve received has
duction hall to the other. At the further-
been positive. The need for flood pro-
most end of the factory area, he points
tection is great across large parts of
out a huge and modern production
the world and we see huge potential
hall. This new hall was completed in
in this concept,” concludes Piotr, who
was personally involved in the design
and construction of the first model of
this product. Read more about Protan
FPS elsewhere in the Info Letter.
Motivation: Maciej Napierała,
Szłapka Marek, and Przemysław
Purol
Left image: Piotr can play very well
on his accordion
Infobrev 1/2011
We have many orders. It gives us
great satisfaction, because we all remember how difficult it was to get orders during the time of crisis. Special
attention should be paid to the fact
that we increased production for supplies to Protan AS, and our portfolio
of customers increased due to new
international contracts (Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, France and
Romania).
In March we had a fruitful meeting with
We are currently working on extending our activity on the Russian market
– thanks to Frank Tore Johansen’s initiative. That is why our team prepares
new structural solutions to meet the
requirements of the eastern markets.
Our colleague, Dawid Przewozny, has
been taking Russian language courses to ensure high customer service
level.
We are all happy there is a lot of work,
because it creates new possibilities
for the company’s growth and gives
our team an opportunity to achieve
both professional and personal goals.
2006 was a breakthrough year for
me – in November I met the owner
of Elmark Hale, who made me an offer to cooperate. Two weeks later he
took me for my first trip to Nesbyen in
Norway, where I became acquainted
with the scope of cooperation between Elmark Hale and Protan. It was
a completely new
experience, as
before that I did
not even realize
how many things
could be made
with PVC material. Inspired
by possibilities
of development
and a fascinating atmosphere
of cooperation,
I started a new
stage of my life
on 1 December
2006.
My first job was in the sales department. Another challenge was production, with special consideration of
cooperation with Protan AS. In October 2007, Ryszard Zieliński gave me
a lifetime opportunity together with a
great deal of trust and entrusted me
with a position of acompany Director.
Ryszard Zieliński is someone special
– starting in 1989 he built a company
Facts
• Protan Elmark of Poland
(Elmark Hale at the time) joined
the Protan Group in August
2008
• Elmark Hale was established
in 1989 and serves markets not
only in Poland but also across
the world, such as Norway,
Sweden and GB
• The factory has 63
employees
• The nearest city is Poznan
and the factory itself is located
in a small-scale industrial area
surrounded by farming communities
• Protan currently owes 100% of
Protan Elmark
from a scratch without any help. For
21 years he has been investing in himself and in company’s development at
the expense of his health and with
many sacrifices. Without a shadow of
a doubt I may say he is a man who
achieved a success and did not forget
about others – frequently those who
needed help. During the five years
of my cooperation with Mr. Zieliński I
have always been able to count on his
support and kind words.
I can say I owe him a great deal because he was the one who opened
the doors to a new world for me,
and shared his knowledge with me. I
promise I will do everything not to let
him down. Thank you Ryszard.
Facts
• Protan Elmark is a complete
garment factory which offers
tailor made solutions
• The factory produces large
quantities for stores/warehouses
and all types of event venues
and halls, as well as roofing
solutions for sports events
• The factory has its own laboratory, where it develops optimal
solutions for material construction and in keeping with customer requirements
• Protan Elmark increase the
production of Technical Textiles
to Norway, Sweden and Great
Britain
experience. We are very grateful for
that.
At this point I must also mention the
President of Protan Elmark Management Board – Bjorn Sorteberg, who
has been deeply involved in the development of the company from the
beginning of our cooperation, and has
been actively participating in its daily
life.
As a Protan Elmark Director I believe
that I am very fortunate and have
many reasons to be satisfied that I
create history with good people who
have a passion.
I would like to say that Protan Elmark
is a company created by exceptional
people in an exceptional place, an
over 100 year old manor farm.
In every team, as in our life, we face
difficult moments, but it is important
that we want to build our future together, and be consistent in what we do.
Every day in Dębienko at Czereśniowa
1 we create a new stage of our common history.
It is also a role of Michał Miąsek – Protan Polska Director, who has always
supported me and my team over the
last 4 years with his knowledge and
Unique: Czerniejewicz Waldemar has
worked in Protan Elmark for many
years and is experienced.
Infobrev 1/2011
5
Flood Protection System (FPS)
Manufacturing of the Protan
ProFence FPS is going to be at
Protan Elmark in Poland.
Two possible configurations: Simple and double
Protan ProFence Flood
Protection System (FPS)
- a Mobil Dam.
6
The weather world wide is
getting worse. A complete
new product from Protan has
been born - a Mobile Dam
has been created by Director Piotr Bakowski at the
Protan Elmark site in Polen.The
system is already sold to customers in Poland, and the interest is increasing both in GB and
Norway.
- It only takes 25 minutes to fill
a 10m long Module, says Sales
Manager Geir Strandenes. The
Modules can easily be connected and connections can
be delivered together with the
system, he replies.
The system is very suitable
because it can be used over
and over again and is easy to
storage. The Mobile Dam is
manufactured in a self cleaning material and the length can
be defined for customer needs,
says Geir.
Infobrev 1/2011
Questions about Protan FPS?
Contact Sales Manager Geir
Strandenes.
7
Technical facts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Water lifting height: up to
0.7 m
Length: 10 m (module)
Capacity: 9400 l
Empty dam weight:
65 KG
Filling time : 20 minutes
(depending on
water pressure)
Storage in warehouse:
0.7 m3/10 m dam
PVC material 900 g/m2
Preparedness: They work at Protan Elmark and here is how the FPS
product looks like when it is ready for storage or transport. People from left:
Zenon Bożek , Hanna Bożek and Ziółkowski Zbigniew.
Infobrev 1/2011
Ventiflex in the flow
NorLense new customer
In the last Info Letter, I
praised the Ventiflex organisation for its outstanding
efforts and strong focus in
2010. In 2009 and 2010, we
jointly developed a plan for
the years 2010-2014, one that
we are actually following.
Facts about
NorLense
Text: Andreas Engebretsen
8
Most important has been to prioritise the sequence of measures
taken in relation to the expected
output and use of resources. The
organisation has been bogged
down of late after Mattias Markusson moved to Sweden and since
Rolf Halvorsen is on long-term sick
leave after a demanding operation.
Fortunately, Rolf’s operation was a
success, but it is not yet clear how
much time he will need to recover.
To remedy this situation, the forever young Gøran Hansson has
been assigned more tasks, the undersigned is working operationally,
and both Kjell Thoen and Marit
Myre are putting in more hours.
At the time of writing, sales are
up 50% this year compared to the
same time last year, so the situation is anything but critical.
New markets
Protan has started supplying several new markets. As I mentioned
earlier, our loyal customers travel
around the world opening up new
markets for us. As a result, countries on the lower rung of the development ladder are starting to
use our products. I wish to point
out here the establishment of
South Africa as a priority area. It
had been a large and untouched
market for us until 2010, when we
entered into a collaborative relationship with Nordic Industries. The
start-up phase has been very successful and created a solid production base for Nesbyen. However, it
is no secret that this is administratively and logistically challenging. Thanks go out to the Logistics
Infobrev 1/2011
Department, Customer Centre and
Marit for making it all happen.
New concepts
Ventiflex is undeniably a reputable high-cost product. But, in a
number of countries, because of
high tariff rates on imported products, we need to take a different
approach to accessing the market.
This has prompted us to consider
the possibility of selling semi-finished products and/or components
(IKEA concept). This will ensure
lower tariff rates and labour costs
for customers. Of course, this is
only relevant to those markets that
cannot be accessed otherwise.
What is interesting here is that
everyone seems to want our fabrics and connectors. They clearly
see the added value!!
New product
We have had an antistatic product for quite some time now, but,
unfortunately, it has not been adequately competitive. Together with
Håkon Nyberg, a new production
recipe has been developed for Machine 10, with promising results.
The product has already been
approved by a testing institute in
South Africa, which will constitute
a large market for Ventiflex 7111
FRAS. We will be launching the
product gradually in all markets.
Expertise
When it comes to installations, we
are often asked to help ensure
the proper installation of the products. Experienced operators from
Nesbyen travel to our customers
to make sure the products deliver
what we promise. Of course, there
is something to be said about getting paid to check that products
are installed correctly. This is a
service we plan to develop further
and, in some cases, to include in
the offer. A special thanks to the
Nesbyen employees who take
on assignments in Chile, Hong
Kong, Spain and elsewhere
without grumbling. On more
than one occasion, they have
rescued us from ugly claims
and/or made sure claims could
be avoided.
Wishing all of you a Happy
Easter!
Andreas
NorLense offshore booms
are made to meet rough
weather conditions on
open sea. Our oil booms
are preferred by leading
players within the offshore
preparedness’ market and
constitutes as a part of the
NOFO standard on Norwegian shelf. Rapid mobilization and recovery with a
minimum of personnel allows you to operate under
conditions that can change
in minutes.
One person can depoly
400m of the worlds largest
offshore oilboom within 20
minutes. The original self
inflatable oil containment
boom with automatic inflation, ensure safe working conditions for your
personnel.
The construction of the
boom with no longitudinal
stiff elements give extreme
wave conformity and the
best results possible when
it comes to stopping and
holding spilled oil.
Six workers from the Technical Textiles team in Protan has been hired by
NorLense to bring in capacity and knowledge into
the manufacturing process of the oil booms (three
persons from the Nesbyen site and three persons
from Protan Elmark site in
Poland)
- In week 15. this hire help will
come to an end as Protan need the
work capacity for its own manufacturing of Technical Textiles, says
Sales Manager Geir Strandenes.
The production site at Nesbyen
started the manufacturing of the oil
booms for NorLense in week 13.
Primarily it will be manufactured
seven oil booms, which in total will
require about 5400 work hours.
The first deivery will take place on
the 28th of April, and the last delivery will be on the 22th of June.
- Probably it will be additional production and deliveries after summer, replies Geir
Documentation from the
NOFO Oil-On-Water tests
in the last five years shows
that over 90% of the spilled
oil was recovered
Infobrev 1/2011
9
Marinovate goes for Protan Technical Textiles
Achieving longevity with Protan in the Czech Republic
Protan recently delivered 20
boat bags to Marinovate, to
be used at Furuholmen boat
harbour in Stavanger, among
other places. We are currently developing a new prototype to be placed on the
market sometime this spring.
The production forecasts for
this product are 50-100 boat
bags in 2011, to be produced
at Protan Elmark in Poland.
Text: Geir Strandenes
10
Growth and high activity level
The overall market for Protan’s
technical textiles shows positive
growth. Much of this growth is due
to hall and tent products, and their
production and delivery to customers of Protan Elmark. Other growth
areas are bilge production as well
as a number of special products
produced in Nesbyen.
The signals from the market are
positive and we expect high production levels both at Protan Elmark in Poland and the Nesbyen
factory in the future.
Garage for your boat, made in
nylon: The garage in nylon protect
the boat against wind and weather
and make sure the algae don`t
grow on it.
At the harbour: Yamarin 59DC Marinovator Z-800
Infobrev 1/2011
About Marinovate
Marinovate produces patented
solutions for the storage of boats
while docked at sea. For thousands of years, people have been
utilising the aerodynamic properties of air. By combining these experiences with modern materials
and technology, Marinovate has
developed a revolutionary product that protects boats. The
Marinovator is a floating boat
house based on a patented
combination technology involving canvas materials
and air as the supporting
medium. The product
consists of a strong waterproof and lightweight
canvas shaped like
a bag that envelops
the entire boat both
above and below
the waterline. The
boat floats on the water inside the bag, which in turn
is filled with water. The weight of
the water in the bag is counterbalanced by the water in which it lies.
There is no need to anchor the Marinovator using anything other than
the boat’s normal mooring lines,
which are threaded through sturdy,
flexible feed-throughs in the canvas. The Marinovator is completely
sealed on one end and can be easily opened and closed on the other.
Vilem Kundlak, who will be
celebrating his 88th birthday this year, can be compared to Protan’s products in
a number of ways. Both, for
example, are dependable and
have the potential of a very
long lifetime. Vilem works
at the ALVA 92 roofing construction firm in Prague in the
Czech Republic.
Text: Martin Jandik & Daniel Urvalek
He first became acquainted with
Protan 15 years ago, when he began working at this company. Today, he mostly works in the company’s warehouse in Prague, but
still enjoys the occasional opportunity to get up on a rooftop.
This lively man, who still has a
distinctly upright gait, shares his
secret to staying young at heart:
“When I wake up in the morning,
I look forward to going to work. It
gives me strength and uplifts me.
I could not have reached such a
happy old age without my friends
and family. I believe it is fundamental in life to keep occupied
with something that interests you,”
claims Vilem.
Life has not always been easy for
Vilem. After relocating to Prague
in 1949, he considered fleeing to
Austria after the rise of the Communist regime. This plan never
materialised and he began working in the sales department of the
state-run company Strojimport. In
August 1951, Vilem, like tens of
thousands of other Czechs, had to
abandon his administrative position and switch to manual labour.
He began as a lathe apprentice
at Walter Motors in Prague, a traditional company that had been
manufacturing private cars since
1913. Automobile production was
coming to an end at the time and
Vilem received a certificate of apprenticeship in the production of
aircraft engines. “I had never even
seen a lathe before,” Vilem reminisces.
11
Father to two daughters and an enthusiastic skier and tennis player in
his youth, Vilem now enjoys taking
a sauna, which he does regularly.
He has a very high opinion of Protan’s anti-slip surface: “You don’t
have to worry about slipping off the
roof! This was a big problem for
me with other PVC brands,” says
Vilem.
Infobrev 1/2011
Protan Roofing Sweden - a reference
Protan Roofing Denmark - environmental references
Tagdækning behøver ikke være ensartet og sort. Førende arkiteketer har gennem tiderne tænkt spændende
løsninger ind i taget. Tagfolie giver dig mulighed for at vælge form, farve og miljørigtige løsninger og samtidig
tilvælge kvalitet. Kontakt os gerne til en snak om dine idéer.
12
Protan Roofing Sweden has made a success story for the building: National Arena in Stockholm.
Bølgen, Vejle
Henning Larsen
DR-Byen, 2+4
Dissing-Weitling, Jean Nouvel
Egå Gymnasium
CUBO
Kolding Slotssøbad
Nøhr & Sigsgaard
Louisiana
Wohlert
Middelfart Sparekasse
3XN
HEART, Kunstens Hus
Steven Holl
Tjørring Skole
Friis & Moltke
Parken
C.F. Møller
13
Omega Profiles - looking good after 15 years!
A good reference:
This roof was welded over 15 years
ago and it still looks very good.
Infobrev 1/2011
Niels Bohrs Vej 36, 8660 Skanderborg · Tlf.: +45 4659 0106 · Fax.: +45 4659 0115
www.protan.dk
Protan tagfolie installeres kun af autoriserede tagentreprenører
hvilket sikrer dig betryggende montage, kvalitet og styring.
Du finder vores netværk af tagentreprenører på www.protan.dk
Infobrev 1/2011
Certifying the roof
Partner meeting Protan International Roofing (PIR)
Finally we have started
a pilot project called
”certifying the roof”.
professional and technical input +
visiting the sports arena was on
the agenda. Everyone enjoyed
the stay and had a good time,
even if the gold medal was taken
by one of the other participants.
- We call it an external control of
the roof before we deliver it to the
constructor, says Project Manager
Oyvind Olsen. This is a pilot project
and we have started in the Oslo
and Drammen area. The roofers
belive in it and are positive because
it ensures good quality of the roof.
- During the welding period and
installation time I am present on all
the roofs to guide and give good advice to my colleagues, Oyvind says.
Partners from Finland, Russia,
Poland and Czech Republic attended this event.
A partner meeting was arranged in Norway at the time
when SKI World Championship was held in Oslo.
The meeting took place in Oslo
and continued for two days. Both
14
Certifying the roof: Project manager Oyvind Olsen helds the roof membrane unit he uses. This is installed on the
roof before the delivery. Another unit is welded on top of it to protect the certificate and make it last longer.
Infobrev 1/2011
15
Protan cake: The tool consist of marsipan! The cake is made in the Czech Republic by a building
constructor called IKAREAL . They wanted to say “thank you” to Izolprotan for their good collaboration.
Infobrev 1/2011
Velcome to Protan
16
Espen Fausko-Johansen:
Finance/Economy dept.
Stig-André Rosseland:
IT dept.
Merete Steine:
Reception
Igor Kozlov Sjøstrand:
TS (Technical Service) dept
Hakon Dversnes:
Team Manager Protan roofing,
Kristiansand (south of Norway)
Rune Kristian Kalland:
Project leader Protan roofing,
Trondheim (mid Norway)
Infobrev 1/2011