April 2013

Volume 3 - Issue 4

The Stone Gate by Defence

Space-saving folding gate by Libero AOS-Stahl celebrates 10th anniversary

fobs.eu

column the publishers

Confusion all round

and what we can all do about it together
Leo Grapendaal leo@fobs.eu Rembrandt Happ el rembrandt@fobs.e u

orrosion protection for fencing keeps being a source of confusion and discussion. On the one hand maybe thats understandable. A fair amount of combina-

sed according to EN 1461 or thermally galvanised and coated in such and such a colour. The first half of that sentence is unambiguous: galvanised according to a standard. But the second thermally galvanised, why isnt the EN-standard mentioned there anymore? Because thermally galvanised in itself can mean thermally galvanising one piece at a time afterwards (EN 1461), but it can also mean the continuous Sendzimir process in which the wire out of which the panel is made, was already galvanised in the wire factory. The words thermally galvanised in themselves are therefore

tions of corrosion protection methods are available, they often

seem to be the same but still differ considerably in their final effects. Many of them have something to do with applying zinc. But the way how and - just as important - the moment when this is done make a lot of difference. The terms used in this context are not always the same, which only adds to the confusion. Industry associations and some of the companies meanwhile have taken the position that it doesnt matter exactly which corrosion protection process was used, as long as the end result complies with clear standards. Whether theres gold, zinc or chocolate on the panel, as long as its known that this particular panel can survive at least so many years under certain circumstances, whats the big deal? This could also eliminate the problems surrounding the inaccurate designations that are used, because they wouldnt matter anymore. However: competing on proven durabilty instead of the process is fictional for now. A scan of the websites of the majority of the larger panel suppliers and manufacturers shows us that virtually no concrete durability data are provided. A considerable amount of salt spray testing has probably been done by the different panel suppliers, but those data are kept well hidden. Because even though there are no clear durability standards yet, the results of a salt spray test are better than nothing. As a panel buyer, in that area you mostly are in the dark now. The initiatives to standardise durability have only just risen, so this situation might improve in the future. Until then, it would help if the designations surrounding the corrosion protection that was used would be clear. But theres quite a bit lacking in that department. Our research of the websites showed us that a lot of confusion is created. For instance, on multiple websites we came across something along these lines: Available thermally galvani-

useless. Yet we see them a lot. Another term we encountered (in German), dip galvanising, also seems quite clear, but in fact isnt. Because in that case they are saying that the product was dipped in a bath one at a time and galvanised there. This doesnt however necessarily mean that it was done thermally, although the supplier is implying that, because electrolytical galvanising can also be done piece by piece in a bath. Again: confusion. We also encountered things like according to ISO 1461/DIN 50976. That DIN-standard was last edited in 1989, became invalid in 1999 and differs from ISO 1461 in areas that matter. And yet this relic is still dragged in. We could go on and on like this, the industry is far from clear on this matter. Thats why weve made another attempt at clarifying the terms elsewhere in this issue. Furthermore, it would be wise if everyone would start using the same unambiguous designations and always state the corresponding standard. Even if everyone would do that, it would still remain a difficult subject, but as it is today, its no wonder hardly any customer understands it.

fobs.eu

contents

imprint

Circulation:
FOBS Magazine is published monthly in Dutch, English, French and German by Fobs GbR Weeze. Our 5400 recipients are all fencing contractors, distributors and producers all over Europe.

Coverstory - 34 The Stone Gate by Defence Headlines

Editors:
Astrid van den Brink Caecil Kersten Leo Grapendaal Rembrandt Happel

4 TKA moves to new location

14 Space saving folding gate by Libero

Reproduction is only allowed after written approval by the publisher. Opinions in editorial and advertorial content are not necessarily the opinions of the editorial staff or the publisher.

24 Privacon builds new office

37 AOS-Stahl celebrates 10th anniversary

Contact
FOBS GbR 47652 Weeze Germany

And also:
4 8 10 11 12 17 18 20 21 22 28 33 Normaclo introduces universal mould for their own gates Starmin extends post cap range PPG presents two new paparazzi fencing types Peripro goes France The hunt for the signs Column Stephan Stephani Infographic: Galvanising in a nutshell Van Merksteijn opens distribution centre Van der Voort gets a second beginning Photo of the Month Profile: Fencing Contractors Association Privacon extends gate range

Phone: +49 2837 6631005 E-mail the editors: news@fobs.eu Want to (un)subscribe? abo@fobs.eu Like to advertise? sales@fobs.eu www.fobs.eu

fobs.eu

Normaclo introduces universal mould for their own gates

Quicker and easier fitting with reusable mould

1 - Base plate fficient, universal

2 - Sliding rail and

3 - Wire tie

4 - Fixing material

Emily Sionnire of Normaclo, established in And, northwest of Paris, doesnt claim that this is a revolutionairy invention at all. She admits that a similar mould for situating fastening anchors accurately in advance already existed. The innovations of this mould are mainly the simplicity, the universal character and the possibility of re-use. The mould is suitable for all of the about 30 Normaclo gates and can be delivered within two days. 6 - Distance rail 5 - Plate for carrying wheels

reusable. Those words make up the added value of their

new, self developed mould for fitting Normaclo. Inside the mould, multiple holes were applied in such a way that for every Normaclo sliding gate or can-

gates, according to French company

tilever gate, both operated by hand and automated, the fastening anchors and the points for possible wiring are already exactly in the right place in the foundation before pouring the concrete. The mould can then be reused for fitting another gate.

The mould can be adjusted both vertically and horizontally, so the fastening anchors and the tubes for the electrical wiring are in the right place for the gate to be fitted. Straight after pouring the concrete, the mould is taken out of the foundation and can be re-used. For fitting cantilever gates a second, smaller mould is necessary to also anchor the end of the gate. This smaller mould can not be re-used.

FLEXIBLE and RELIABLE

Precisely
A Normaclo for over team has worked on developing the new mould six months. A close collaboration between fitters and developers was instrumental in that. Normaclo also made a detailed manual and some technical drawings for using the mould. Sionnire: In there, we explain clearly and precisely how the mould should be used and which holes are to be used for which gates. Once youve worked with it, it will be clear that fitting gates will become easier and quicker. We expect an amount of time saved of about twenty percent.

Single Leaf Gates

Industrial Gates

(Automated) Cantilever Sliding Gates

Railing Systems
Normaclo high has

Rigid Mesh Systems

Privacon Baltics SIA Druvas Iela 8 LV - 5001 Ogre T: +371 65067710 F: +371 65067711 E: info@privacon.lv

expectations

of this new product, which was introduced to the European market recently and can be delivered within two days. Sionnire: We expect the gain in time and the possibility of re-use to be very appealing. It simply saves money, which is important, especially in this day and age.

Privacon Hekwerken BV Meulenveld 10-12 NL - 5451 HV Mill T: +31 485 442398 F: +31 485 470184 E: info@privacon.nl

Privacon Poland Sp. z o.o. Zawie Maa 60A PL - 87134 Zawie Wielka T: +48 56 637 6355 F: +48 56 637 6305 E: info@privacon.pl

www.privacon.nl

fobs.eu

TKA moves to new location

erman fencing manufacturer TKA, which stands for Tillmann & Kckmann

Zaunsysteme in Arnsberg, inaugurated their new business premises last January. In the industrial area Gut Nierhof, near Autobahn 445, the company now has a plot of 20,000 m (5 acres) at its disposal, on which over

5,000 m (1.25 acres) of production and office spaces were built. Furthermore, on one side of the building, a large area was roofed over for expedition purposes. The old production spaces were no longer expandable and therefore not efficient in use, says CEO and co-owner Markus Tillmann. It was an assembly of rented warehouses, making it impossible for us to realise a decent materials and production stream. His business associate Frank Kckmann adds: Efficient production with tight movement of materials and a modern machine park was becoming inevitable. We just had to.

 Laser pipe cutting machine After a few months of planning with a young, local architect, the build was completed in a record time of six months. The production was moved over the Christmas break, so they could pick up where they left off as of January of this year. From a large-scale profile storage warehouse a modern laser pipe cutting machine is permanently fed materials from a remote controlled gantry crane. The machine can process posts and profiles of 15 to 220 mm across, at lengths of up to 8,5 metres (28 ft). This way TKA can process both the very long posts and the efficiently divided short posts and profiles. With this versatile machine, the company also becomes an interesting supplier for other applications, although the manufacturing of gates and fencing posts will remain the core activity.

LetsW make better fences together LE

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TRICONE: DESIGN LED LIGHTING

Fast, easy installation with Quick-Fix Aluminum housing Lifetime: 50.000 hours IP54 protection RAL 9005 or ZILV

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Aluminum

Modern engineering
Tillmann and Kckmann also took the opportunity to re-do the EN 1090 certified welding department. We wanted to get it right the first time, says Kckmann. For example, now we have state of the art welding equipment, exhaust systems and air filters. And the supply of gas is done through underground pipelines, so theres no need for dragging bottles anymore. We have also considered the environment: we recycle welding heat by using it to heat the building, we have installed solar panels on our roof and we have a geothermal system.

Quick-Fix

3 High Flux LEDs 140 beam angle

More info! QUICK-FIX

Patented mounting system. The Quick-Fix guarantees a fast and strong mounting. Tensile strength: 1.000 kg.

Future
The location in Arnsberg was chosen considering the future. Next to the new plot theres another 10,000 m (2.5 acres) plot available for possible future extension. With a qualified team and the great possibilities we have with these new accommodations, we see a bright future, say both owners.

More info!
Locinox
Te l . + 3 2 ( 0 ) 5 6 7 7 2 7 6 6 locinox@locinox.com w w w. l o c i n o x . c o m

fobs.eu

Starmin extends post cap range

The Starmin post cap is a sandwich of (coated) aluminum, a gasket, acrylic glass, another gasket and another layer of (coated) aluminium.

ts knocking at an open door, although in our industry its probably better to speak of an open gate. But listening to what the customer wants, should be the basis for everything they do, for every company.

Economically priced
Customers also contact Starmin with other wishes. An example is the eco variant of the rectangular post cap 60x40 thats been in the product range for a year and a half now. Eco in this case means economical, favourably priced, in other words. The caps are manufactured from high-quality ASA plastic, whereas we normally make them from aluminium, says Hempel. We assemble them ourselves, with parts which are made by a local factory. We believe in high-quality, locally made products. I could also have those parts made in China, at a much lower price, but then the lamp would stop functioning after a year. Our eco caps are durable, they dont wear and they dont tarnish. Hempel cant say yet if Starmin will be offering round versions of the eco post cap any time soon as well. But if the customer wants it, it will be there.

German company Starmin has understood this well. Square and rectangular post caps with LED lighting in different sizes and styles have been a part of the product range of Starmin in Neuenrade in the German Sauerland, not far south of Dortmund, for some time now. an addition to the product range proves to be necessary, says Armin Hempel, CEO and inventor of the LED post cap. In Austria and the Netherlands you see much more round posts than in Germany. Our contacts there told us they would like to offer round post caps. So we started working with that. Based on drawings of posts which the Austrian and Dutch companies sent him, Hempel developed a prototype of a round post cap with LED lighting. I dont need to know the Sauerlanders are anything more than the diameter and wall thickness of the post, says Hempel. Every size is possible.

Thats logical, because domestic customers provide the lions share of Starmins turnover and German posts simply are square or rectangular.

Any size
But as spreading their wings towards the Austrian and Dutch markets,

Innovative gate hinge and closer all-in-one!

SUREClose

Precision-engineered for greater strength and smoothness. Patented design conceals hydraulics inside the post for a smaller footprint and stylish nish. Dual thrust-bearings give capacity to handle gate loads of up to 680kg. Made from high-grade aluminium housings and stainless steel components. Flush Mount and Centre Mount options available to suit steel or aluminium gates (screw-on or welded). Models with: Adjustable gate-closing speed, nal snap-close (to overcome electric or coded locks), hold-open feature, and plain, pivoting style.

Click to view/download brochure (English) Animation: Click for Flush Mount model Animation: Click for Centre Mount model
Adjustment nozzles (Tool supplied)

S nozzle denotes nal snap-close action V nozzle denotes gate-closing speed

GATE OPEN AT 90

Tel: +31 (0)30 291 9847. Mobile +353 87 2860889 Fax: +31 (0)30 291 9998 Website: www.ddtechglobal.com E-mail: sales@ddtech.nl

10

fobs.eu

Perimeter Protection Group expands paparazzi product range

he

Perimeter

Protec-

tion Group expanded its paparazzi product range with

two types of plastic strips: a smaller

one and a printed one. The first type consists of small strips of 95 mm in height. They are suitable for braiding a panel opaque by using two strips per mesh, so you can design more patterns than with the existing 190 mm high strips. The second type is a 190 mm high strip, on which a gabion motif was printed through using a special printing technique. This way a fence with the looks of a gabion is created, while only one row of panels needs to be put up. Swing gates and sliding gates can also easily be provided with a gabion look using these strips. Both paparazzi strips are made out of PVC. They are robust, weather proof and can be braided into both new and existing mesh panels easily. The smaller strips are available in green and anthracite, the printed ones are available with one motif, for the time being. But if theres enough demand, more motives will follow.

KRAUS

SLIDING GATES

Peripro Fencing goes France

ALUETTE - Cantilevered fully automatic sliding gate

n the Dutch town of Mill (near Nijmegen) Peripro Fencing was founded in

December 2012. The new

company is a partnership of CEO Tony Vanhauten with Dutch company Privacon and Austrian company B-Alu. Tony Vanhauten Peripro is profiling itself as a one-stop supplier for French fencing installers. It carries a wide range of chain-link panels, mesh panels and railing systems combined with a large assortment of swing gates and sliding gates out of steel and aluminium.
TERMINUS - Cantilevered automatic sliding gate

Preparation
Over the past three months the young team has been very busy with the preparations. Vanhauten, who was active for Heras in France and Belgium for 11 years, is assisted by former Dirickx top executive Alain Maunie and office managers Gerti van der Ven and Willem van Veghel. We started from scratch, says Vanhauten. A new logo, website, catalogue, compiling the product range, setting up the computer software, we didnt have anything. Fortunately all four of us came from the fencing industry, so we were able to extract the best from all of our experiences to immediately get it right this time. Once spring finally gets here, well be ready.
TRACKED SLIDING GATES - Jumbo

Independent company
We are backed by two strong businesses, but we are an independently operating company, which is constantly looking out for the French fencing installers interests, says Vanhauten. Our complete range is focused on the French market, from the bar distance to the standard colours. Even the accessories are selected to the French fencing installers preference. It helps that all four of us have a lot of experience on the French market. We speak French, we think in French and we dream in French. We are just not based in France, but apart from that were a French company.

KRAUS

SWING GATES

SWING GATE - Alzebra

Golden combination
Peripro wants to distinguish itself from the big French competition by specialising in service and flexibility. We can call in orders from a warehouse with large stock so we can supply very quickly, says Vanhauten. But were also good at project preparation, which we are happy to take over from our customers. With us, you dont need to calculate the materials yourself. Customers can just send us a sketch with the dimensions of the fence they sold. We then calculate exactly how much materials are needed for that. This way we offer a golden combination: Dutch flexibility, quality and service at a French price.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATIONS - PLEASE CONTACT US

K. Kraus Zaunsysteme GmbH Schuhmacherstrae 7 D-51789 Lindlar Telephone: +49 (0) 2266 4752-0 Fax: +49 (0) 2266 4752-52 E-Mail: info@kkraus.de www.kkraus.de

12

fobs.eu

The hunt for the signs

n our March issue we launched the hunt for the signs. For this hunt we attached the purple FOBS sign, which Metavo made for us, to a fence in Venlo, at the beginning

of March. John van Megen from ABC Fencing South-East found that sign, even before the previous issue came out. He attached the sign, together with his own ABC-sign, to a fence in Linne, a small town near Roermond. That photo was in our previous issue. Horst Pricken, CEO of Hermetec from Krefeld (Germany), was able to find the signs. In the meantime, he attached them to a fence elsewhere, adding his own sign of course. The first sign

1 2 3

John van Megen ABC Hekwerk Zuid-Oost

Horst Pricken Hermetec

didnt come along by mistake, but it will be re-added later on. Do you recognize the location on the photo? Pricken is giving a small hint: The signs are no longer in the Netherlands and they have travelled quite some distance to get to the new location. As soon as you find the signs, please let us know immediately via phone: +49 2837 6631005 or e-mail: sign@fobs.eu. We will then announce on our website that the signs were found so other people wont go looking for them in vain. Whoever wants to join the hunt, can stay informed on the latest news on fobs.eu/sign.

...

We continuously try to give the hunt for the signs an international character. Thats why we initially hung the sign at a junction of international motorways. The location John van Megen chose also had an international character: the Rabobank in the background evolved out of a fusion between the Dutch branch of the German Raiffeisenbank and the Dutch Boerenleenbank (agricultural loan-bank) in 1972.

Location Start - Leiden (NL) 1 - Venlo (NL) 2 - Roermond (NL)

Distance travelled 0 183 km (114 miles) 35 km (21 miles)

Total 0 183 (114) 218 (135)

fobs.eu

13

Location 3
The signs are now on a fence of a branch of a large D.I.Y. shop chain. Do you know where this is? Cut the signs down from the fence, attach your own sign underneath them and hang the chain of signs at a new location. Because this chain has a lot of branches, we also have a photo of a neighbouring building. Please let us know when you remove the signs, we will then make an announcement on our website, so others wont go looking for them in vain.

Found the signs? E-mail to sign@fobs.eu or call +49 2837 6631005

Rules of the game Be a good sport

Everyone who works for a fencing company, can participate. All you need are pincers, binding wire or tie wraps and of course a sign from the company you work for. Put the chain in a place where lots of people pass by, so the chances of being found are greater. For example along a main road or near an access road. Dont hide the chain on a fence in the woods, or deep in a residential area. Dont hang the chain in a city centre, near a football stadium or any other place where chances of vandalism are high. Hang the chain at least 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) away from the location where you found it, otherwise it will take forever to go around Europe. Try to put the chain up again on the day you found it or the next day. Preferably put the chain on a public fence, owned by the municipality or the State. If you want to put the chain on a privately owned fence, check with the owner of the fence first. Make sure the chain is accessible to the finder, without them having to violate the law or jump a two metre wide ditch. Dont endanger traffic. Respect other peoples signs. Keep up the appearance of the chain and signs, repair them if they get damaged along the way. Everyone can participate, but when you find the chain, if your own sign is already on it, its a sign of good sportsmanship to wait another week before taking down the chain yourself again. For those of you who would like to add a bonus: you could stick a candy bar or some other small token for the next finder to the back of your sign.

Step-by-step plan for the finder:

1 Take a photo of the signs at the location where you found them. 2 Cut the chain off the fence. 3 Attach your own sign at the bottom of the chain. 4 Put up the chain at another fence. 5 Take a picture of the chain at its new location (try to include a land mark in your photograph, so the new location can be recognised). 6 Send the photos and the address (or GPS coordinates) of the new location to sign@fobs.eu

14

fobs.eu

Space-saving folding gate from Libero

esidential driveways often lack the space for a sliding gate or swing gate. Austrian

company Libero Torbau has a clever

solution for those situations. Customers who would like to secure their residence with a gate, often encounter problems. Bacause of lack of space theres no room for a sliding gate and a swing gate with one or two leaves is also impossible due to its orbit and because the required space is used for parking. Libero Torbau from Klagenfurt - the capitol of the southern Austrian state of Carinthia, near the Slovenian border offers a solution for those situations: an automated folding gate with half the orbit of a swing gate. As far as I know we are currently the only gate manufacturer with a product like this in their product range for the consumer market, says marketing manager Birgit Rulofs, who runs the 50-yearold family business together with her brothers Walter and Alfred Erdetschnig.

Safety
The folding gate is available with two or four leaves and in different widths up to five meters. The safety edge on the end registers if the gate touches anything, after which it stalls. But what if for instance a car is parked inside the gate and

LETS FENCE TOGETHER!

PVC FENCES

TOOLS WITH FIBERGLASS HANDLES

FOLDING GATES

TURNSTILES

THE SYSTEM SUPPLIER FOR FENCING CONTRACTORS

www.globalfence.com

fobs.eu

15

somebody activates the sensor for opening the gate from the outside? To prevent that, we install a photo cell on the inside, for example on a post or the wall, says Rulofs. He adds that you also cant get your fingers stuck between the moving leaves, because the space between the leaves is too big for that to happen.

Drive
The folding gate can be installed on slopes of up to five degrees. Whats extraordinary is that the gate functions without ground guidance. How the electro-hydraulic drive is fitted to the first leaf is visible on the inside. With a reverse mechanism out of stainless steel fitted to it, the second leaf is folded out or in. Both folded in and folded out, the drive is blocked, so the leaves cant move anymore and an electronic lock is obsolete. That can only be done with folding gates of up to five meters wide, says Rulofs.

Design
The motor drive, which is invisible from the outside, contributes to the quality of the design, which is well taken care of anyway with the nicely shaped aluminium hinges, among other things. The leaves are available with different fillings. Rulofs, concluding: We dont work industrially: everything is handmade. This makes us flexible and able to fulfill just about every customer wish.

Economic Designed Fences

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Siderurgica Ferro Bulloni

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SFBs quality provides reliability throughout time. Use our high quality products to avoid premature replacement of the fence.

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Via Calvenzana, 1 - 23849 ROGENO (LC) Tel.031 - 865212 - Fax. 031 - 865749 www.sfb.it Email sfb@sfb.it

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z.i. 364 Chemin de Grand Fontaine 38490 CHIMILIN Tel.04 76.31.64.35 - Tlcopieur 04 76.31.64.19 www.ferro-bulloni.fr - email: info@ferro-bulloni.fr

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fobs.eu

17

column

Stephani

Panels versus posts

Where can Sendzimir galvanised materials be used?
Sales Manager Germ any Perimeter Protecti on Group

Stephan Stephani

n a regular basis there are discussions about the differences in corrosion pro-

The discussion is all the more surprising, because the quality of the galvanising method is apparently widely acceptable for posts out of Sendzimir galvanised material, while its questionable for panels. The production methods and the surface treatment have to be adapted to the basic material of course. This goes for both panels and posts. For posts, this process apparently is tried and accepted. But how can you explain that the same basic material produces a good quality in one case and is considered to be of lesser quality in the other case?

Furthermore it could become tragic, if the terms elecrolytic galvanising and hot dip galvanising are confused. A customer can then be convinced he is getting a panel thats been hot dip galvanised according to DIN 1461, when in fact hes getting an electrolytic galvanised panel. What remains is that its desirable for all customers to be sufficiently informed about the different methods of galvanising, so these kinds of mix-ups dont happen.

tection between electrolytic galvanised panels and panels which are welded from Sendzimir galvanised wire. Surprisingly, two production methods are

compared instead of the amount of protection against corrosion. Comparing corrosion resistance can be done with a salt spraying test for example. These and other comparison values are recommended by EPPA, as could be read in the Fencing Observer of April 2012.

18

fobs.eu

FOBS

Infographic

Galvanising in a nutshell
Hot dip galvanising
ISO 1461

Sendzimir galvanising
EN 10142

~ ~
(piece by piece)

~ ~

Dipping into a molten zinc bath Alternative designation:

Feeding through molten zinc bath Alternative designation:

Hot dipped galvanising

Pre-galvanising

Layer thickness: 50 - 150 m Forming alloy with steel: Yes When: After final production Inside hollow sections covered: Yes Additional surface treatment necessary: No Surface: Relatively rough

Layer thickness: 10 - 25 m Forming alloy with steel: Yes When: Before final production Inside hollow sections covered: except welding seam Additional surface treatment necessary: Yes Surface: Relatively smooth

Electrolytic galvanising (discontinuous)

DIN 50979

Thermal zinc spraying

ISO 2063

~ ~

Dipping into a watery zinc solution

(piece by piece)

Spraying with molten zinc Alternative designation:

Alternative designation:

Electroplating, electro-galvanising

Metallising

Layer thickness: 5 - 25 m Forming alloy with steel: No When: After final production Inside hollow sections covered: Yes Additional surface treatment necessary: Yes Surface: Very smooth

Layer thickness: 80 - 150 m Forming alloy with steel: No When: After final production Inside hollow sections covered:No Additional surface treatment necessary: No Surface: Relatively smooth

fobs.eu

19

Red rust = corroding steel White rust = corroding zinc, forming on (new) zinc under certain circumstances. White rust can be removed with

Red & White

white vinegar

SO2

- Time Of Wetness (TOW) - Chlorides (seasalt, for example) - Sulfer dioxid (used to be a lot more common, in acidic rain)

factors in zinc corrosion:

5%
Synergy

5% of red rust is the threshold indicating maintenance or replacement. It also indicates the moment a salt spray test is usually stopped.

Stagnant water greatly increases the TOW, shortening the lifespan of the zinc layer. Stagnant water should be prevented in the design phase of the product.

1+1=3
under-rusting of the organic layer.

10cm2
is the

maximum

allowed

surface area of an imperfect or ungalvanised spot, according to the ISO 1461. These spots will have to be repaired though.

Small damage such as scratches or drilling

The layers of a duplex coating reinforce each other. The organic layer stops the chlorides from reaching the metal layers. The zinc layer prevents

Cathodic Protection
and corrodes instead of the steel.

holes will not rust quickly thanks to the offered by zinc. The zinc sacrifies itselfas it were,

Alloys
During hot dip galvanising steel and zinc mix, forming several alloy layers. Some of those layers are harder than the steel underneath.

Metallic coatings
are the coatings using metals, such as galvanising or chrome plating.

Organic coatings
Are the non-metal coatings, such as powder coatings or paints.

Duplex coating
Is an organic coating on top of a metallic coating

Hot dip galvanised coatings are slightly thicker at

corners and edges

Sendzimir Galvanising pre-galvanising 70 - 175 gr/m2 10 - 25 m Hot dip galvanising 350 - 1050 gr/m2 50 - 150 m

Thermal zinc spraying metallising 1.050+ gr/m2 150 + m

Electrolytic galvanising electro-plating 35 - 140 gr/m2 5 - 20 m

Layer thickness of galvanising methods

20

fobs.eu

Van Merksteijn opens distribution centre

utch moved

panel its

manufacturer distribution

lers on the Dutch home market, sales will keep taking place from Almelo. With the expansion to Hengelo, the company is aiming to further upgrade and professionalise the customer service level. The location in Hengelo was chosen because of lack of space in Almelo. In Almelo, the production division, Van Merksteijn Fences, extended production this winter with their own galvanizing department for wire, in order to focus on the further development of the French, British and East-European and South-European

markets. At the same time a powdercoating department went into operation. The company is also in the process of concentrating its construction steel activities in Almelo. The new distribution centre is part of the trade devision of the company, Van Merksteijn Fencing Systems. This division already has branches in Bulgaria, Germany (Blser Zaunsysteme), France, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Czechia.

Van Merksteijn, from Almelo,

activities for the Dutch market to Hengelo, about 20 kilometers away. The company already owned the building, where the motorsports department is also housed. Both inside and outside large quantities of panels, posts and chain-link were

stockpiled over the past few months. Van Merksteijn says in a statement that the Hengelo location will be used as a substation for the distributors and instal-

www.sommer.eu
the speed (max. 285mm/s) and further parameters are adjusted automatically to the size and weight of the gate integrated electric lock ensures a high security connection for a radio based safety edge and a battery pack already built-in many applications possible due to multiple connections on the control board
aluminium blank RAL 9006 white aluminium DB 703 iron mica

The powerful sliding gate operator concealed in the post for gates up to 8 m run and 400 kg weight.

Tip: The operator module S 900 is also available separately and suitable for your posts!

robust operator for optimal gate performance and durability

fast installation with easy electrical connection

different colors and heights of the post are available

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Van der Voort gets a second beginning

were also supplied with climate control equipment for their greenhouses by them. Van der Voort had not been doing well for a while, the number of employees dropped from around 50 to about 30 over the last few years. Still, a new warehouse was built on the premises less than four years ago. Steel tubular profiles from their own catalogue were used when constructing that warehouse. The stagnation in particularly greenhouse construction killed off Van der Voort. The company in fact originally started out as a greenhouse constructor in 1945. The companys domicile of Kwintsheul is not ubes wholesaler Adr. van der Voort from Kwintsheul is getting a second chance at life. The company was declared bankrupt by the court in The Hague on 1 March, but less than a month later, curator LL.M. Van Vlijmen tells FOBS by chance in the middle of the Westland area, which as a greenhouse cultivating area is still by far the largest fruit and vegetable garden of the Netherlands. Van der Voort played a significant role According to the curator Van der Voort requested their own bankruptcy, after their principal bank cancelled their credits. Presumably debt rose too high as a consequence of deteriorating turnovers due to the economic malaise. The wholesaler in primarily steel tubes was an important player on the Dutch fencing market. Apart from galvanised tubes, the company also supplied untreated tubes and thermally galvanised tubes as well as welded mesh panels. Horticultural companies (greenhouses), construction companies and steel construction companies were among its customers. Greenhouse cultivators in Kwintsheuls populations social life. In the 1970s the company made sure the local sports clubs had a sports hall at their disposal. Two years ago, Van der Voort gave the handball club notice to look for another main sponsor. That was one of the first clues things werent that bright at the wholesaler.

Magazine that a second beginning is coming. The insolvent estate was bought by a yet undisclosed party.

Draht Mayr
Fences | Mesh | Gates
www.draht-mayr.de

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Ook Photo een of the mooie Month foto van een hek gemaakt?

The photo of the month is titled Kiwi-Fence and was sent in by Zaunteam Oberschwaben, from the southern part of Germany. Andreas Schmuker: the Locinox construction radio is coming your way.

Would you also like to win a radio?

Send your photos to photo@fobs.eu.

April 2013 Mail naar foto@fobs.eu!

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Privacon builds new offices and second warehouse

n Mill (near Nijmegen) theyre busy constructing the second building for the new distribution center of Dutch fencing supplier Privacon Fencing. When the new building is completed this May, the company will have 9,000 m (97,000 ft) of space the building however consists of storage space for gates, which Privacon manufactures in its Polish branch. customers. The expedition department also has its offices there. The second building consists of three floors of offices, where the approximately fourty colleagues have their working spaces. The majority of This expansion means space for a stock of 5,000 gates, guaranteeing quick delivery. for assembly and storage.

The first building on the new business premises, which was completed in the Summer of 2011, consists of a large assembly hall where the gates and fences are prepared for shipment to the

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Everyone under one roof again The current location on the Meulenveldt, in the same industrial area, is taken over by a sister company in pigsty equipment. All of the departments will come together again in the new office building. Commercial director Koen Thomassen says: Practically and financially the new location is of course superior. But the fact that different departments have been at different locations for a while also brought us a lot of good. It forced us to communicate efficiently and work according to procedures, because shouting or asking something down the hall was not an option: you often had to go to another building. Well be taking this improved structure with us to the new location. There we can profit from other advantages: its better for the team spirit and we have a lot more facilities. Well have an in-house showroom at our disposal as well as a beautiful conference room with a large roof garden terrace. And despite the fact that we like to be modest, its nice that the new building has more charisma of course.

gate plete l use m o c stria and ism nd indu n a h ial a mec Roll resident

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Carriages for aluminium and steel sliding gates up to 10 meters width. Smooth rolling thanks to shifted roll positioning, high stability.

LIBERO Torbau Erdetschnig GmbH 9020 Klagenfurt, Austria www.libero-torbau.com

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Buffer By increasing the storage capacity and expanding the existing distribution center, its now also possible to further expand the production capacity in Poland. Thomassen: In our factory in Poland we have 120 employees in three shifts. Because demand for our products is still increasing, its necessary to increase our production capacity in Poland as well. Through the extension in Mill, efficiency can be improved and productivity raised. Especially in the spring, we see an increase in demand for stock products. Customers would like to be supplied to quickly and we as Privacon need to respond to that. This makes it necessary to manufacture these stock products over the winter period. The expansion of our distribution center and storage space in Mill enables us to meet the customers wishes even better. Another advantage is that we can offer continuity to our production staff in Poland during the winter period. This way we achieve not having to train new people all the time and keeping the staff motivated, which is good for both productivity and quality. So its a real win-win situation.

Crane truck
Besides from the production and assembly space, Privacon is also expanding its fleet of vehicles this spring. Since the beginning of April the company has had disposal of a new DAF truck with built-on crane, to make it easier to unload fencing (particularly sliding gates) on site, for the Dutch market. Thomassen: We noticed that the market is changing. Fencing installers want to keep less and less stock themselves, but at the same time they have to be able to respond to their customers demands quicker and quicker. We are therefore establishing ourselves in such a way that we can supply on demand quickly. The crane truck is also a part of that. Customers sometimes had to go to a lot of trouble to organise a fork-lift truck or crane, thats all in the past now. Owner Eric Jans Commercial Director Koen Thomassen

Westflische Drahtindustrie GmbH

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Mesh made out of aluminium wire, raw wire, plastic coated wire, heavy galvanised wire and zinc-aluminium coated wire. Implementation: residential and industrial, from landscape preservation to fencing for prisons, air and seaports as security fencing. Mesh width from 10 to 80 mm. Heights from 600 to 5,000 mm. Wire thickness from 1.6 to 5.5 mm. Tension and binding wires of all types of surface treatment Barbed wire out of heavy galvanised, zinc-aluminium and plastic coated wire Rigid mesh panels in different versions Knotted mesh Hexagon mesh and spot welded mesh panels Mobile fencing with accessories Posts, struts, gates, Z-profiled posts and a full range of fencing accessories Sliding gates

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Profile

Fencing Contractors Association

T
industry.

he Fencing Contractors Association (FCA) is a trade association with a long history, representing the UK fencing

Standards
In the 1960s, the FCA was instrumental in the formation of BS 201, the British Standards committee responsible for managing Fencing Standards BS1722. The FCA has remained at the forefront of this committee ever since. Furthermore, the FCS was involved in the development of National Highways Sector Scheme documents. These describe standards for general fencing, electric security fencing, vehicle safety fencing (crash barriers), environmental noise barriers and parapets, in accordance with ISO 9001 and mapped, where applicable, to the British Standards.

The Association was started after Governmental request in 1942, during the Second World War. The UK Parliament recognized the great demand for raw materials and wanted to be in a position to allocate scarce resources through associations within the industries and have partners in dialogue within those industries by the end of the war. Since then, it has been the largest fencing industry association within the UK.

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The board
Job in FCA: Acting FCA General Secretary, Chair of National Highways Sector Scheme 2A/2C Committee, Chair of Fencing Industry Skills Scheme/Construction, Skills Certification Scheme (FISS/CSCS joint scheme). Age: 59 Age: 57 Name: Hugh Kennedy Company: JB Corrie & Co Job in FCA: FCA National Chair Training Until the early 1990s, training for fencing operatives was part of the responsibility of the construction industry in the UK. The Building and Construction Training Council collected levies based on the companies turnovers and provided expensive training not focused on the fencing industry. At this time the Fencing Contractors Association took over the responsibility for managing training in the fencing industry, thus removing a significant financial burden from its members and providing fencing-oriented training at the same time. Through its involvement with Lantra, the land based Sector Skills Council, the FCA is still carrying out this service to its members. The training is focused on health and safety, installation, supervision and management of fencing businesses. Only trained personnel are allowed access onto construction and other related sites. Married: Yes Children: 2 Hobbies: Sailing Name: Wendy Baker Company: Online Services (Monmouth) Ltd Married: Yes Children: 3 Hobbies: Travel and Entertaining

Support
Hugh Kennedy, Chairman of the FCA: We really want to be there for our members. We provide fencing expert advice, a legal helpline, quality assurance advice, but also health and safety advice. The FCAs keeps its members informed about changes in legislation, working practices, new challenges, technological changes and new solutions. We also offer arbitration services and, of course, training. The

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FCA also provides assistance to members with master documentation for employment contracts and quality assurance policies (ISO 9001) and negotiates advantageous rates for its members with professional service providers. We also have a database for fencing companies looking for subcontractors. Also, the FCA Certified Contractors Scheme was launched at our AGM on the 21st February 2013. This is a recognised quality assurance scheme. Future meetings will allow our members to engage in Continued Professional Development (CPD) by way of presentations to aid them to work smarter. Name: John Simm Company: Simtec Solutions Job in FCA: FCA Council Member and Chair of Electric Security Fencing Federation (ESFF) Age: 57 Married: Yes Children: 3 and 2 Grandchildren Hobbies: Fishing and Running Name: Ian Ripley Company: McArthur Group Job in FCA: FCA Council Member, representative on British Standards Committee B201 and EPPA liaison. Age: 62 Married: Yes Children: 2 Hobbies: Sport (watching not playing, these days), Music Name: John Smith Company: Pass & Co Barrier Systems Job in FCA: FCA National Vice Chair, Chair of Association of Safety Fencing Contractors (ASFC) Age: 69 Married: Yes Hobbies: Motorcycling, Caravanning, Classic Car Restoration

Representation of interests and the social aspect.

Ian Ripley, Council Member responsible for liaison with other European Associations, We will continue to try and enhance the image of our industry even more. A key factor in this is stimulating the professionalism of the industry. We represent the interests of the industry wherever we can, like with new or adapted legislation and standards. We also recognise the differences in emphasis that European member states place on security and its likely effect and challenges with regards to specification and working across borders. As a consequence we are keen to keep up a dialogue with organisations similar to ours throughout Europe by supporting initiatives such as that recently started by the EPPA. Of course, we dont lose sight of the social aspect in all this and we

provide opportunities to network with other fencing contractors through our annual and general meetings, plus we have our own annual charity golf tournament which has raised over 100,000 for charities nominated by our members. This years event will be held on Friday 28 June 2013 at the De Vere Belton Woods Hotel , Golf and Country Club, Grantham, Lincolnshire. The event is open to all involved in the fencing industry and not just restricted to FCA Members. For the further information please contact: Wendy Baker, Acting General Secretary by telephone on 01923 79702 or by email: wendybaker@fencingcontractors.org

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Name: Alan Cunningham Company: Warefence Job in FCA: FCA Council Member Age: 41 Married: Yes Children: 1 Hobbies: Sport and Motorcycling Name: Ian Frost Company: Newton & Frost Job in FCA: FCA Council Member Age: 57 Married: Yes Children: 3 Hobbies: Motorcycling Name: Alastair Henman Company: Zaun Job in FCA: FCA Council Member Age: 43 Married: Yes Children: 3 Hobbies: Motorcycling

Name: Mark Copeland Company: Metalwood Fencing Job in FCA: FCA Council Member and Chair of Gate Automation and Access Barrier Association (GAABA). Age: 42 Hobbies: Equestrian Name: Adam Binns Company: Binns Fencing Job in FCA: FCA Council Member Age: 38 Married: Yes Children: 2 Hobbies: Rugby Name: Brett Perrodow Company: Allen Fencing Job in FCA: FCA Council Member Age: 33 Married: yes Children: 3 Hobbies: Motorcycling

The future Kennedy: We are developing a number of new initiatives to promote the business of our members and will be announcing these over the coming months. The fencing industry is facing a difficult and uncertain economic future, throughout Europe. National boundaries continue to become blurred for the manufacturers serving our industry. It seems likely that installation businesses will also begin to operate across national boundaries too. This will enhance the need for National Associations to be outward looking and work together for the benefit of the European fencing industry as a whole.

greenwalls privacy slats heather fence artificial hedge refillable fence sightscreen nets acoustic barriers

sightscreen net to weave into welded mesh panels easy fixation with quickfit clips

www.effenso.com

info@effenso.com

Product warranty
February 2013
As manufacturers and suppliers of systems for perimeter security and access control, we exclusively supply double wire panels that are galvanised piece by piece (hot dipped or electrolytical galvanised) after the panels are welded.

This applies to Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

We voluntarily abstain from supplying fencing panels made from sendzimir galvanised wires, as this does not meet the high expectations of our customers in terms of long lasting corrosion protection.

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D
gate.

Privacon adds to gate range

utch Fences company from Privacon Mill (near

Quality
Because the gates are developed for the part of the market with a smaller budget, doesnt mean that the company is making any concessions to the quality. Thomassen: Even the small gate in the back of the yard, which the end user only uses six times a year, should still close properly after some years and look presentable as well. Thats why we use the aluminium reinforced cap hinges from Locinox and all of the steel parts are hot dip galvanized after welding and polished before powder coating. For the Mini-VDS the same thing applies: we make that out of lighter profiles, but we dont economize on the quality of the wheel chassis, the motor drive or the surface treatment.

Mini-VDS
The new sliding gate is available with welded mesh or railing system filling in widths of 3 to 5 meters. Those who also order the motor drive with the gate, get a plug-and-play gate which is fitted within an hour, once the foundation is poured. The hand-operated sliding gates are equipped with a Locinox lock.

Nijmegen) extended its range

of gates for the consumer market. The company for example started manufacturing garden gates and marketed a simplified version of their cantilever sliding

Both in the swing gate and the sliding gate product ranges, we were lacking products for the cost sensitive market segment, says marketing director Koen Thomassen. Our customers also come in places where the available budget for fencing is a bit smaller, or where a simple gate more than suffices. The Liga garden gate and the Mini-VDS sliding gate enable our customers to offer a fitting solution for this market segment better.

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The Stone Gate by Defence

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erman company Defence from Borken (near Oberhausen) marketed a sliding gate which can be filled with stones, so it complements gabion fencing, which is increasing in popularity in Germany. saw our cantilever Solid Gate during one of our first conversations on our premises, he was fascinated by the idea of building a cantilever gate filled with stones. So our engineer and production leader received the assignment of developing a good solution.

of extra heavy-duty profiles was built. Besides, we have been looking for the right carrying and guiding wheels and the proper settings of those, says production leader Holger Tielemann. What doesnt stand out with a normal gate, but with this extremely heavy gate does, is a clearly visable tumbling moment as soon as the leafs weight shifts from one side of the carrying chassis to the other and the wheels are not adjusted at millimeter accuracy. We consulted with all of the manufacturers and suppliers, then calculated and drew with our professionals for a long time and finally found the right parts, with which we were able to transform the idea to reality.

The idea for this design came up when a partner, actually a friend of the company, had to enclose his end customers premises with gabions. The customer asked if there was any way of closing off the driveway in the same style, which led to the idea of building a sliding gate with stone filling. We then gathered all of the parties involved to branch out the idea, says Defence founder and sales manager Peter Hls. It started with the plan of building a sliding gate on a rail, without the upper beam. This way a moving gabion would arise, which wouldnt optically diverge from the gabion fence next to it. But when the end customer

Development
When designing the 3,000 kilo (6,600 pounds) gate, the developing team encountered some challenges. The leaf and the construction that carries the chassis, had to be made very rigid, thats why the idea of leaving out the top beam was quickly abandoned and a frame out

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Cooperation
eration of all of the parties involved, says Hls.

Safety
Just like every other Defence sliding gate, the gate was fitted with all of the necessary safety options. In this area we, especially Holger, dont settle for less, says Hls. No gate thats not absolutely safe leaves these premises, he confirms. The Stone Gate is fitted with overcurrent protection, infrared photo cells, an emergency stop switch and safety edges on the front and at the back end of the leaf as well as four more safety edges on the guide portal. Especially the safety measures presented a big challenge, because all of the built-on parts endure enourmous forces when one of the safety sensors orders an emergency stop. Especially the drives transmission gets beat up by a 3 ton leaf at full speed.

The Stone Gate is the result of a very close coopWe were fortunate that both our customer and his end customer were able to think along very creatively with us. When new problems arose, everyone was immediately thinking along in a goal-driven way. But the motor drive manufacturer and the chassis manufacturer also thought along and co-developed well with us. If you had to do something like this with bureaucrats it would be difficult, a little bit of innovativeness comes with the territory.

The filling
Weve made the entire construction in-house and pre-fitted all of the electrical parts, says Tielemann, but the end customer was very eager to fill the leaf with stones himself. We created made to measure panels for that on the inside. He wanted a smaller grain size and put all of the stones in their proper place one by one, by hand, because he wanted the end result to be absolutely opaque. This process took him some time.

Pilot
This first Stone Gate has a width of four meters and is two meters high. We havent calculated what would be the maximum width of the current design yet, says Tielemann. We dont really have any comparison, because we have never seen a gate like this anywhere. Of course we have already shown many photos to other customers and they all responded enthusiastically. The first orders are in as well. If the number of orders were to grow, we might develop a standard range.

Deci Wand Systems is specialised in panels, tubes and gates.

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Our complete range consists of: mesh panel fencing, chain-link fencing, tubes, railings, swing and sliding gates, noise fences, gabions, high security fencing, Lace Fence, custom-made solutions and all sorts of fixings and supplies.

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AOS-Stahl celebrates 10th anniversary

From one-man business to trendsetter

erman company AOS Stahl, parent company of Deutsche Zauntechnik, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this

AOS founder Oliver Schake was sales manager with a large manufacturer of scaffolding materials, Rux in Hagen, when that company - just like the other large German manufacturer Plettac - went bankrupt in 2003. The big building boom in the East-Germany of after the Revolution abruptly came to an end when the States funds for rebuilding dried up. Many small scaffolding companies, which had bought scaffolding on credit, keeled over, pulling the rest of the industry with them. Schake, who had worked for Rux for 14 years, suddenly was out of a job.

year. On 11 March 2003 Oliver Schake started his

one-man business B7 Zaundiscount in Gevelsberg, a village near Hagen, on the south side of the Ruhr area. The name B7 originated from the main road of the same name, alongside which the company was situated. Now, ten years and three moves later, the company, employing 85 people, resides on a 27,000 m (6.7 acres) plot in Wetter an der Ruhr, alongside the Autobahn 1, where it has its own production facilities and large storage warehouses.

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How it started Schake says: My brothers company had a spare piece of land. I was able to rent it at a small price. It was only 300 m (3,200 ft) and paved with gravel, there was nothing there. I put a log cabin for an office on the lot and went on to sell fencing there, directly to end users. I had a website and a catalogue made and advertised a bit, locally. With a small lorry, also borrowed from my brother, I delivered materials to my customers during the day and went to get new supplies from wholesalers at night.

The growth
It began to get a head of steam, Schake tells proudly. I couldnt get a hold of panels quickly enough, I got so much demand. After only a week I needed to employ somebody to prepare the orders. After six months we moved to Wetter, to an industrial area near here. We had a warehouse of 800 m (8,600 ft), but had to move again at the end of 2004, to a 3,800 m (40,900 ft) site. We built a 1,000 m (10,800 ft) warehouse on it in 2005. By that time I already had four employees and bought the first machine that could drill 13 holes at a time in a single post. In 2006 we bought an additional site of 1,700 m (18,300 ft), but before we could even begin to use it, it had already become too small. In 2007 we moved to a 7,000 m (75,000 ft) site. On New Years Eve of 2008, while the western world was in crisis, my wife and I made the first sketches for our current accommodation. In August 2009 the first shovel entered the premises and we, together with 35 employees, moved here at Easter 2010, with the intention of being comfortable here for a while. However, we already had to expand in November, when we started building the third warehouse. It went into operation in April 2011. But that wasnt it yet. In 2012 we founded three branches, of which two are completely owned by us, land included.

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fobs.eu

39

Small orders B7 Zaundiscount started out as a cash & carry company, a kind of D.I.Y. shop for fencing materials. Consumers could pick out their fence there, pay at the register and take it home with them. Or they could pick it out on the website and have it delivered. The name B7 was changed into A1 Zaundiscount right at the first move. That branch of the company still exists, but only constitutes a third of the turnover nowadays. Schake: Our structure was built in such a way that we could get small orders ready very efficiently. This quickly proved to be interesting for fencing installers as well. This way, they are no longer required to keep stock of panels and posts. Thats why we renamed the company AOS-Stahl in 2007 and established a seperate trademark for fencing installers: Deutsche Zauntechnik. Once we got the help from the fencing installers, we were really able to expand our market share quickly.

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Wide range and innovativeness Deutsche Zauntechniks success however doesnt only emanate from efficient order picking. We constantly make sure that our range is as wide as possible, says Schake. We have lots of different types of fencing, so fencing installers can offer a very complete range, theres always something to the end users liking. But were also constantly looking for ways to make life easier for the fencing installer. Through offering a very wide range of accessories for example, so every type of fencing can be fitted easily and fast. But also through deposit and return pallets on which the panels can stand up straight. Or through the Panel Boy, a clever cart for distributing materials on site.

Custom-made
Besides from the wide range of standard products, Deutsche Zauntechnik also has its own manufacturing department. It is led by Marian Koza, who has 20 years of experience in fencing manufacturing and has a custom-made solution for every special project. Schake: Marian completes our supply. Thanks to his team we never have to say no to a customer, because he can make anything and everything.

Trendsetter
After ten years of hard work AOS cant only measure itself against the market leaders, but is also in the forefront in the area of innovation. Schake: We are checking what the consumer wants all the time and then we offer that. We were the first to offer gabions and privacy fencing on a large scale, the whole market profits from that. During the past year, we brought in the importership of Smoes vertical gates and Tschoepp design gates. But were also still looking for things we can do ourselves. Especially in the winter, when the number of orders declines slightly, a whole team of us are brainstorming about how to serve the market even better in the coming year. There are 30 smaller and bigger innovations in the pipeline for the near future. Inge & Oliver Schake

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fobs.eu

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Team Without my wife Inge I wouldnt have been able to do it, says Schake. She also works in the company full time and helps me with all of the difficult decisions. And we have a fantastic team of hard workers and professionals, who pull the cart. Although its difficult, we still try to give as much responsibility to the teamleaders of all of the departments as possible. They, in turn, give everyone the tasks they can do well. I want the employees to go to work happy and to experience an enjoyable team spirit. Everything you see around you here is an achievement of that team. If I had had to do everything myself, I would have never succeeded.

Future
In terms of space, we are done growing for the moment. I have never had the ambition of being the biggest anyway. Being big also brings problems along. Perhaps there will be some foreign branches some day, but in Germany we would like to focus on our fencing installers network first. Through expanding the number of customers a little bit more on the one hand, but especially also through helping fencing installers sell more. With an even wider product range, establishing show gardens, extended flyers and table samples.

Design Gates Harry Boley Powered by Gelmo.

www.gelmo.nl

Rijksweg 14 | 6584 AB Mook | The Netherlands | T +31 (0)24 358 07 77 | F +31 (0)24 358 02 37 | E info@gelmo.nl

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