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Contents: 2 apt Hiller Group: 40 years in the fast forward mode 4 Essential parts. Essential partners. PREAMBLE. 6 ALUMINIUM A Fascinating Material 8 History and Stories: A conversation with Werner Hiller 16 apt Solutions: Extrusion 18 apt Solutions: Anodizing and powder coating 20 apt Solutions: Fabrication 22 Present and Future: A conversation with Frans Kurvers 28 apt Hiller Group 2012 in figures 32 apt is everywhere 34 Sustainability: Aluminium is green. 36 We are apt. 38 APT LIFE: Society, Culture, Art. 40 Education: Helping apt make progress. 42 Tomorrow: The future of apt. 44 APT HILLER GMBH: WE ARE APT apt Hiller GmbH Daimlerstraße 10, 40789 Monheim am Rhein, Germany T 0049 (0) 2173 962 0 F 0049 (0) 2173 962 359 E info@apt-alu-products.com W www.apt-alu-products.com Werner Hiller, Partner and Member of the Advisory Board Frans Kurvers, Managing Partner Thomas Boddenberg, Managing Director
apt Hiller Group: 40 years in the fast forward mode 2012 1894 1980 Demand exceeds capacity: commissioning of a second extrusion press with 20 MN extrusion load. December 1994/95 Improvement of logistics: automation of whole process from sawing through to shipping. 2004 800 employees in four plants Turnover: 240m in 2011 Annual extrusion capacity: 80,000 t Annual surface finishing capacity: 7.0m m² Annual fabrication capacity: 15,000 t A. Dick builds a horizontal hydraulic press for the extrusion of copper, marking the beginning of modern extrusion. 1984 1995 apt becomes an international player: expansion of extrusion capacity of the apt Hiller Group via takeover of Alcoa Roermond Extrusion in the Netherlands now called apt Kurvers B.V. An early contribution to sustainability: Extension of service portfolio: installation incorporation of a remelting unit to and commissioning of RhenAL anodization recycle in-house scrap. plant (now called Werk II) 1972 2006 Hiller + Maldaner GmbH is founded in Langenfeld. Expansion of processing capacity via an additional production facility at Skalná/Czech March 1973 1989 The need for expansion arises yet again: installation and commissioning of a third extrusion press with 31.5 MN extrusion load together with run-out and automated transport system. January 2000 Werner Hiller hands over management to Frans Kurvers. 230 employees are producing 2,700 t per month. Republic now called apt Products s.r.o. JUNE 2009 Start of production in Langenfeld with 20 employees and an 8 MN extruder. The monthly capacity amounts to Relocation from Skalná and commissioning of new apt Products s.r.o. plant at Cheb, Czech Republic. 60 tonnes (t). July 1978 December 1990 Replacement of the 8 MN extrusion press by a more efficient 12.5 MN press. 2003 Takeover of Oehme Metallbearbeitung GmbH & Co. KG metal processing plant in Eckental now called apt Products GmbH SEPTEMBER 2009 Running out of space: Relocation to Monheim. Replacement of the P31.5 press by a more efficient 35 MN extrusion press.
Essential parts. Essential partners. A quick glance out of the window is all it takes. The car in the car park sports a retractable roof with apt profiles. The lorry in the street has a trailer with superstructures and components supplied by apt. The coach at the crossroads has apt lightweight panels. The door, windows and façade of the building across the street are part of an architectural system based on aluminium profiles, made, of course, by apt. The sectional door of the hall next door, the frame construction of the machine inside and you name it, it has been made by apt. Extruded aluminium profiles from apt are everywhere. Sometimes they are visible, sometimes they are not, but whether it be for the function, design or looks of the respective product, they are always indispensable. That s what we are proud of at apt and have been for 40 years. For four decades, apt Hiller has been constantly changing: it has grown with the development of the technology, has never shied away from challenges and risks, and has dared to make the leap from a small-scale German enterprise to an international group. Despite these changes, some things have remained the same: competence, speed, service and the highest standards in everything we do. This book to mark the company s jubilee provides an insight into apt s 40 year history, reviewing the beginnings, offering insights into a modern-day business and venturing to take a look into what apt wants to achieve in the future. We hope you enjoy leafing through the pages and reading and we are looking forward to being able to also shape this special year with you. Monheim, October 2012 4 5
ALUMINIUM A Fascinating Material. Embellished, Tempered, Protected. All-purpose metal, discovered late. Anodization is an electrolytic process in which aluminium is oxidized. The object to be anodized acts as the anode and is immersed in an electrolyte solution consisting of a dilute sulphuric acid. Applying a voltage results in formation of hydrogen at the cathode (lead or aluminium) and the anode becoming covered with an oxide layer. This layer is extremely thick, robust and offers good protection from corrosion. The Danish physicist and chemist Hans Christian Oersted (1777-1851) was the first to extract aluminium in 1825. In 1827, in a continuation of Oersted s work, the German chemist Friedrich Woehler (1800-1882) obtained aluminium by reducing aluminium chloride using potassium. It was as late as 1854 that the Parisian chemist Henri Sainte-Claire Deville (1818-1881) used sodium as the reducing agent instead of the more expensive potassium. In 1859, he described the possible electrolytic extraction of aluminium from molten cryolite but in the absence of a suitably large power supply the technique was only suitable for extraction on a laboratory scale. 1886 saw the simultaneous discovery by Paul Louis Héroult in France and Charles M. Hall in the USA of the electrolysis process that is now used for the industrial production of aluminium. Today, aluminium and its alloys are among the most important raw materials the possible uses are virtually unlimited. Versatile and beautiful. Durable and robust. Aluminium offers a far better resistance than iron when it comes to the effects of air humidity and oxygen. This is due to the formation of a thin oxide layer within a matter of seconds once aluminium has been scratched that protects the underlying aluminium from further corrosion. Pure aluminium has a silver-grey sheen. It is so soft you can scratch it with a knife, but aluminium alloys are as strong as construction steel and can easily be shaped into sheet, foil and, of course, profiles. Its manifold properties low melting point, excellent electrical conductivity, low density, decorative appearance make aluminium and aluminium alloys the perfect material in countless areas of application: building and construction, the automotive industry, architecture, the electrical industry and many more. 6 7
ap t: His tory and Stories A conversation with Werner Hiller. Even after withdrawing from the day-to-day-running of the business, apt founder Werner Hiller has been closely connected with the company as an associate and advisor. He is a vivid, quick-witted storyteller, who, after leading the company for 40 years, has a lot to tell. A candid conversation with Werner Hiller about the origins of the company, the early years, the challenges and the successes. Mr Hiller, why did you decide to found a company producing aluminium profiles in the first place? Quite simple: I was selling extrusion plants for Lindemann worldwide and I saw that there was a future in aluminium profiles. I didn t have a clue about the extrusion process though. And because there wasn t anybody to teach me, I had to work everything out for myself. I gave up a lot at Lindemann. I had an exciting job and was travelling around all the time. But after 11 years I had had enough. I wanted to be my own boss. And then you bought an extrusion press just like that? (Laughs) Basically that s exactly what happened! I had already acquired an order for Lindemann for two light alloy presses in 1971. Calculating the order, I suddenly had an idea: instead of having two extrusion presses built, what about ordering a third one? Two for the customer and the third one for me! Suddenly I was the proud owner of a light alloy press, and one that I had acquired at the base price, at that. It was a good deal, but also a good deal of money for an employee. 8 13
A single extrusion press doesn t make a company though That s true, but I wasn t handling things all on my own. I planned the new branch of business with Hubert Maldaner, an engineer with whom I had already founded a company specializing in the sealing of castings. We got along well and shouldered the financial risk together. In December 1972, our press arrived at Langenfeld, but I didn t have any workers to operate it. I would drive to the employment centre in the mornings and pick up unskilled labourers. Nobody knew how to do the work. Then I had an idea: I phoned Alcan (now called Hydro) at Raeren in Belgium and offered to produce on a sub-contract basis the many small profiles that were difficult to extrude and not lucrative for them. But only on the condition that Alcan supplied the personnel. And it was with that team and our non-skilled workforce that we started out. What were the greatest difficulties? Nowadays it seems impossible to imagine those early years. I leapt into the dark, as it were, and there were many nights when I didn t sleep well. There would often be calls at night reporting that the free dummy block in the extruder had got stuck. You needed a special tool called a Lukas to free it again. This cost about 12,000 to 15,000 deutschmarks. And I could not afford that. So at night I would go to the Lindemann gatemen, who didn t know that I wasn t working for Lindemann anymore, and they would let me into the factory unsuspectingly and let me borrow the tools. Of course, they had to be returned by the following morning. To be quite honest, I felt I was being very clever and did not regard this as being in the least illegal (laughs heartily). How did your method of operation, and thus your company, differ from your competitors? One of my first customers was Mr Handke, with whom I still have a very cordial relationship. Thanks to him we became Alcon s first and only supplier. He came to us because he had heard someone say, Hiller produces everything. It was the truth because our factory manager at that time did not pay any heed to productivity, metal yield or costs. When it came to aluminium extrusion, he didn t shy away from any risk. You couldn t work that way nowadays. But that s what made our reputation: What nobody else can do apt will get it done. We are still profiting from that even today. If you start a business in a market where there is strong competition, customers will only place the worst orders with you at first. Those were costly years of apprenticeship. But it helped us develop a range of profiles that nobody could easily take away from us. And we gradually built on that, so that our volumes increased steadily. In addition, I was always open towards other market participants. We always pursued an open door policy. Whoever wanted to pay a visit to our site was welcome to do so. Only many years later did I learn that the sector eyed my endeavours with suspicion and that bets were even made on whether I would make it. Nevertheless, do you have any fond memories of those early years? Well, of course! It s unbelievable how much I learned and how many things I was able to try out. I wanted to know as much as I possibly could about aluminium extrusion so I had intensive talks with our suppliers. And, of course, I had a look at other extrusion companies. Meeting Raoul Deville, who was the head of Pechiney in Germany at that time, turned out to be an extraordinary stroke of luck. He became a mentor and paternal friend from whom I learned immensely. He shared some truths with me that I still find apply to this day. You need top-class technicians. I found those after a while in Herbert Becker (factory manager), Arwed Rüter (head of process and systems engineering) and Werner Küppers (head of production technology). They have all retired now. If you spot a chance, act on it. What makes us at apt special is the speed with which we implement things. Whenever we realized that something made sense, we were quick to turn it into reality. Seeing things through to completion has helped us achieve our leading position. Avoid illusions. In other words, a smart mixture of extrusion presses is essential. Our set-up with 8 MN, 12.5 MN, 20 MN and 35 MN allows us to achieve an ideal profile mix using the capabilities and capacities of our presses in the most efficient way. You need to make certain investments to establish an extrusion company. And then you develop the company, taking a hundred small steps a year, three or four mediumsized steps and one big step every few years. The small steps are changes in extrusion speeds, tools and alloys. The medium steps are improvements like the fixed dummy block developed by Horst Heydasch (who was plant manager in Monheim at the time) which meant production downtimes became a thing of the past. A big step might be the installation of a new extrusion press. The beauty of it is that if you re an entrepreneur and you don t know something, you don t have any reservations about possibly asking stupid questions. Because I wasn t afraid to make a fool of myself. As an employee, you are always more guarded. Talking about big steps: how did things go from there? Our enterprise was slowly gathering speed and we needed a second press. We could not expand at the Langenfeld site, but after looking around a little we found what we needed in Monheim. I bought the first plot of land in 1977 and built a factory with a small administration building. The construction was stressful: the new building was threatening to turn into a fiasco. However, Mr Malzkorn, our architect, took over the unfinished building and he completed the project in such an exemplary manner that we were able to relocate by mid-1978. That was necessary since the new extrusion press was due to arrive in July 1978. Then on a Saturday in July 1978 we operated the last shift on the P8 in Langenfeld. And by the following Saturday, we were operating the first shift in Monheim. At first, Mr Maldaner and I managed both companies as a team, but later on we 8 13
agreed that each of us should concentrate on his favourite field of business: I managed the extrusion company, Maldaner the company for metal sealings. Was the anodizing company an add-on? Exactly; we arrived at that decision in 1995. Until then we had cooperated with an excellent contract anodizer but unfortunately it had gone out of business. One of our customers suggested we build our own facility. At first, the local authority in Monheim refused to provide us with a suitable site but I was able to convince them that this was indispensable if the company as a whole was to remain in Monheim. As a result, Europe s largest anodizing company was established at the Monheim site. Initially, the anodizing plant was a self-contained operation, RhenAl GmbH. The basic idea was that at the time the capacity far exceeded our own needs, allowing us to offer anodizing to other extrusion companies on a sub-contract basis. After a short time, we needed the complete capacity to satisfy our own needs and in 2005 RhenAl (now called Werk 2) was integrated into apt Hiller GmbH. How did the partnership with Mr Kurvers come about? That came about in 1998. I was experiencing difficulties with the anodizing factory at the time. This was an excellent test for Mr Kurvers. The aim of our cooperation was clearly defined: he was the designated managing director and managing partner. But first he was to be freed from any other obligations and just take care of the anodizing factory. My conviction has always been that it takes a cadet to work closer with employees. There s a much greater distance between an employee and a managing director. Working undercover as it were, Mr Kurvers was better able to form an opinion. The concept worked well, and only a few were surprised when just a few months later I introduced Mr Kurvers as the new managing director and managing partner. I retired from the active day-to-day-business then but have been closely associated with the company as associate and advisor ever since. A few last words summarizing 40 years of apt? Looking back, I can say that while the early days of the company were no picnic, I had a lot of fun. I became self-employed because I wanted to build something with other people. That s why I always maintained a close relationship with the company s employees. The economy is supported by two pillars: employees and customers. It takes contented employees to make customers content. In medium-sized enterprises, it makes all the difference between winning and losing battles. Background photo: Sawing extrusion profiles at apt Hiller GmbH, Monheim 8 13
Mutual trust is the basis for the partnership between apt Hiller and Hörmann, which has spanned decades. Construction: Hörmann Strong points are speed, flexibility, reliability and quality. apt understands the aluminium market. apt has a good strategic base from which it also can operate internationally. In addition, apt has the best vertical range of manufacture. Automotive: Webasto Solar: Heckert Utility vehicles: TSE 14 15
apt Solutions: Extrusion. Results: precise and productive. We strive to achieve the highest standards of precision using CNC machining of our dies,. State-of-the-art technologies like flying saws and isothermal presses ensure maximum productivity. Technology: state of the art Using innovative, fully automated process technology, we process aluminium alloys into high quality profiles. Even complex profiles can be produced reliably and accurately. Extrusion with apt: benefits Capacity: high. Using seven high-tech extrusion presses, apt offers an annual extrusion capacity of 80.000 tonnes. 8 MN, 12,5 MN, 20 MN, 21 MN, 25 MN, 27 MN, 35 MN - Virtually unlimited range of profile geometries - Customised solutions - Process reliability - High productivity 16 17
apt Solutions: Anodizing and powder coating. Anodizing: protective and versatile Anodizing protects aluminium from corrosion and abrasion. There are about 100 different anodising treatments available. The thickness, colour, gloss level and sealing of the anodized layer can be customized in accordance with the client s specific requirements. Processes: sustainable and forward-looking. The use of chemicals is reduced to a minimum thanks to continual analysis in our in-house laboratories and fully automated process engineering. Spent process water is subjected to suitable treatment. Residual products are reused without exception. This way we are using synergies. Intelligently and in an eco-friendly manner. Powder coating: finest quality surface finishes Capacity: high. With our three anodizing facilities in Monheim, Roermond and Eckental we have an annual production capacity of some seven million square metres. apt powder coating meets the most stringent demands with regard to optical properties, further processing and protection from corrosion. Processes: optimized and eco-friendly Thanks to the high degree of automation of the modern facility, which was only commissioned in 2008, we can guarantee both optimal coating results and the best possible environmental sustainability. Different treatment programmes are available for individual finishing in accordance with the customer s requirements. Capacity: high. apt s high-tech facility for powder coating in Eckental offers an annual capacity of more than 1.5 million square metres. Measuring the anodized layer thickness. 18 19
apt Solutions: Fabrication Capabilities: manifold. - Forming/shaping (2D/3D) - Sawing/cutting - CNC turning and milling (high speed 3-axis/4-axis/5-axis) - Punching/nibbling (high speed technology) - Embossing technology/deep drawing - Welding (MIG/MAG) - Joining and bonding Fabrication: integrated portfolio When it comes to the further processing of aluminium profiles and sheet apt offers everything from product development and processing through to finishing and assembly. Using intelligent production concepts, we produce prototypes, individual components, small batches and large-scale production. Finely coordinated process steps and innovative technologies guarantee the highest possible production efficiency. The result: maximum quality at minimum cost. Output: Innovative and Productive. Each year 15,000 tonnes of aluminium are converted into innovative, inspiring products. Among those are extensively finished aluminium extrusion profiles as well as complete light weight construction concepts. Fabricated aluminium extrusion profile for car sliding roofs and encasing frames 20 21
apt: Present and Future A conversation with Frans Kurvers Frans Kurvers has been managing director of the apt Hiller Group since 1999. We talked to him about joining a well-established set-up, about successes and challenges, and the future of the group. You joined the company in 1998. What do you remember best about those days? Sometimes you embark on an adventure and fortune favours the bold. But the start at apt Hiller was a great change for me. I had come from a US corporate group culture where anything that would cause costs was unacceptable. The magic word was payback. Then all of a sudden you find yourself in a medium-sized enterprise, and the owner only buys the best. He s not interested in a new yacht and would rather install a new extrusion press. For me that meant I had to forget 23 years of my professional education. Werner Hiller succeeded in instilling his affection for the company in me very quickly. So you were the new kid in a well-established team. Did you find that position difficult? Although Werner Hiller personally chose me as his successor, he also sought the advice of his right-hand woman, Edeltraud Krings. Her verdict: You re not an ordinary Dutchman. Whatever she may have meant by that I took it as a compliment, and ultimately her opinion contributed to my becoming Werner Hiller s successor. When Werner Hiller and I got together, he insisted on a policy of no due diligence, in other words we had to avoid conducting a systematic assessment of the company in the open in order to avoid concern among the employees. Although my CV showed that I had held top positions in corporate groups, Werner Hiller said, But in the end that is by no means a guarantee that you will handle my people properly. However, I felt extremely happy at apt right from the start because I have always had the feeling that people regard me as a fellow human being. Of course I had to make business decisions that some people would have judged differently, but although I joined 22 27
apt Hiller as a foreigner, I feel very much at home. No doubt it helps that I am from Limburg. There are many parallels with the Rhineland and the Rhinelanders. You got along well with Mr Hiller right from the start? Yes, absolutely. Werner Hiller is a man with style. The following incident is living proof of that. He had decided he would retire on 31/12/1999. In 1999 we would manage the business together, but as of 01/01/2000 I was supposed to take over all responsibility. However, even after just one quarter we had discovered that we are both very much made of the same metal and that each of us could lead a company on his own. Two captains on the same bridge that calls for a decision, said Werner Hiller. Then on a day in April 1999 he came into my office, closed the door behind him, put the key on my desk and said: You can do this better than me. I appreciate to this very day that he never interfered in any of my business decisions, although at the beginning he must certainly have wondered: Why is that tall fellow from the Netherlands doing that? And what exactly did that tall fellow from the Netherlands do? Surely there must be quite a few nice anecdotes worth telling. (Laughs) More than a few! For example, I wanted to add colour to the facility. However, since I m not an expert, I consulted a psychologist who specialises in colour therapy, and she advised me to paint the steel pillars orange. When the painter applied the undercoat, he used a rather unusual colour. Shortly afterwards, an agitated Werner Hiller came into my office and said to me: If you repaint the factory, that s your decision and I don t mind at all. But do the columns really have to be pastel pink? I reassured him that the colour was just the undercoat. But even the chosen colour led to remarks like: If you put your company in the hands of a Dutchman, that s your decision. But we all think painting the whole factory orange takes things just a little too far! What were your goals at and for apt back then and now? For me personally, developing the group further has played an important role from the beginning, not just at the Monheim site. If there s anything I m proud of, it s internationalization. I took it as a personal challenge to transform a typical medium-sized German company into an international group. That was my first aim. The second aim was to not only offer extrusion but to market engineering Made in Germany. As one would say today, I wanted a unique selling position for apt. We have succeeded in achieving that, for instance with the bus panel that we produce in Eckental and which we have patented. It s marvellous to see that the two market leaders in the bus sector, Evobus and MAN, are both our customers. The company has been steadily geared towards the future during the last decade, then? Exactly nowadays you simply have to make the enormous speed of developments part of your plans. It s incredible to see how Microsoft managed to become one of the world s most important companies within the space of ten years. Or witness how Steve Jobs doubled the market value of a flagging enterprise within just two years thanks to the iphone. The economic swings are becoming ever more pronounced while the intervals between them are getting shorter and shorter. Extreme growth comes with a certain risk, though. Werner Hiller and I agree as to our fundamental values. We are both entrepreneurs, so we are taking risks, but we don t want these extreme jumps, but would rather focus on a solid medium-sized corporate group. The fact that we produced a positive result even in the critical years 2008 and 2009 goes to prove that this basic view has stood the test of time. Doesn t internationalization come with a lot of other challenges? It certainly does. With increasing globalization, political decisions will have an even greater impact on the economy. That s something that hasn t existed in this form before. And with regard to the effects of globalization, we re still only at the beginning. Who would have thought we might require Indian experts to keep our computers functioning? Or that we would need East Europeans to harvest the asparagus in our fields? Everything has grown in size, including the problems Do you feel that in a way globalization has made business less personal? Yes, I do. Growth, and with it a growing number of employees, means direct contact suffers to a certain extent. I still have a lot of discussions, but the type of people I talk with has changed. There s no time anymore to walk through the works, something I often did in the past, and talk to employees directly. I miss that very much. Playing the role of mother to the company isn t always easy for Mr Hiller and me. It s just like in a real family: as long as children are well-behaved and good at school, it s fun being a parent. But even when they don t bring home good marks, you still have to lovingly take care of them and put them on the right track. That s something that I regard as my job: despite globalization we have turned the company into a small family in the last 13 years. What do you feel is apt s greatest strength? All areas of the apt Hiller Group have developed further: we have excellent specialists in the areas of production, logistics and technology. apt has also made progress with regard to its function as the parent company. It is not self-evident that we have such expertise in the company. The employees skills are the nuts and bolts of the company. Not only does working with and leading a group like this make me proud, it s deeply satisfying to see that our employees also enjoy the respect of other companies in many areas. When visiting companies like Daimler, Bosch, Siemens and Schmitz CargoBull, who are market leaders in their respective branches of industry, I feel privileged to represent a company with a multitude of good employees. 22 27
Finally, do you have an especially nice recollection from your years with apt? After very difficult negotiations with Evobus and thanks to the persuasive powers of Tobias Schwalb, managing director of apt Products GmbH at the time, we finally acquired an order for bus chassis hatches an order worth 50 million euros after all and I whistled all the way back from Mannheim to Monheim. Imagine acquiring such an order from a global player! Whenever daily business gets difficult, I think back to situations like these. Such memories help you get over a difficult five minutes. Looking back, one always remembers the good things, and looking back on my time at apt Hiller there have been a good many beautiful moments that I remember fondly with pride and gratitude. Background photo: Welding robot for production of bus panels at apt Products GmbH, Eckental 22 27
apt Hiller Group 2012 in figures 22 7.000.000 square metres of aluminium are surface finished annually at apt enough, for instance, to cover the whole town of Salzburg. 800 employees are currently working at apt. For comparison: in 1972 the company employed a mere 20 people. nationalities are working side by side at apt: Germans, Dutchmen, Czechs, Turks, Greeks, Englishmen, Frenchmen, Poles, Moroccans, Vietnamese, South Africans and many more. International understanding at work. On a daily basis. 80.000 tonnes is the production capacity of our extrusion lines more than the combined weight of 175 fully laden Boeing 747 planes. 15.000 is the average number of years a typical employee of apt stays with the company. Proof of the 12,5 sustainability of apt s personnel policy the German average is a mere seven years. tonnes of aluminium are further processed annually. If every tree in Hamburg were to lose all its leaves at the same time, the combined weight would still be less than this. packages are shipped by apt Hiller GmbH annually. Laid side by side on the ground, they would cover a distance of almost 1.200 kilometres the distance between Berchtesgaden and Hamburg. The amount of square metres covered by the production areas of all apt Hiller Group companies - about the same size as Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. 84.545 120.000 28 29
One strong point is the high degree of flexibility in production. This is very important in markets that are becoming ever more volatile. Bus: MAN Whenever we call, people at apt can immediately tell us about the status of our order. No one else can do it that way. apt Products is unrivalled as far as we are concerned. The company has been our strategic partner since 2005. Very strong technically. Roof systems for passenger cars: Inalfa Bus: Daimler/EvoBus Competent contacts. Solar shading: Schmitz Werke Construction: Dural 30 31
apt is everywhere Essential parts. Essential partners. That is the motto of the apt Hiller Group. Or to put it bluntly: apt is as indispensable as the articles it produces. Wherever you look an apt product is guaranteed to be there already. The apt Hiller Group supplies the market leaders of numerous branches of industry with innovative, high quality aluminium products und sophisticated solutions. We focus on the automotive, construction and industrial sectors. Automotive Aluminium lightens the burden of mobility. It reduces the weight of cars, coaches and commercial vehicles and thus helps save energy. This reduces environmental impact resulting in less noise and less exhaust fumes. Aluminium products from the apt Hiller Group contribute to mobility in many ways: - Components and superstructures of commercial vehicles - Bus panels and doors - Car body parts - Sliding/panoramic roofs and convertible systems for passenger cars - Border frames - Safety systems for luggage and freight - Support elements for signage systems - Bridge components Industry Construction Aluminium as a building material. Its freedom of shape is virtually unlimited, thus permitting bold, intelligent façade solutions. In addition, apt aluminium products offer sophisticated solutions for bathrooms and kitchens, furniture, lighting and hi-fi systems. You can find aluminium products made by the apt Hiller Group in applications like: - Windows, doors and gates - Fittings - Safety features and equipment - Interior design and shopfitting - Solar and photovoltaic systems Aluminium: endlessly versatile, endlessly transformable. Thanks to its material properties it is of value almost everywhere. You can find aluminium products made by the apt Hiller Group, among other things, in cooling elements, motor housings, high precision parts, air conditioning elements and sports equipment. Further areas of application of aluminium products made by the apt Hiller Group are - Measurement and control technology - Electrical engineering - Mechanical engineering - Household - Garden - Sport - Leisure activities 32 33
Sustainability Aluminium is green. Aluminium is one of the most recycled materials: 75 per cent of the aluminium that has been produced worldwide since 1888 is still part of the metal loop today. Handling resources in a responsible manner is a part of the daily routine at apt Hiller, too: 100 per cent of the aluminium scrap that accrues inside the apt Hiller Group is recycled in the remelting plant at Monheim, enabling us to produce up 20,000 t of aluminium billets annually, which in turn can be used in the production of profiles. Joint efforts aimed at sustainability Sustainability is not a topic that only concerns production: it is a subject for the whole group as well as for each individual employee. A special CIP team for energy is continually working on protecting resources, developing energy-saving concepts for the group and raising employee awareness. Recycling uses only five per cent of the energy that is needed for the production of new billets starting with the extraction of aluminium from the ore. And in the same quality, since recycled material is in no way inferior to primary aluminium. apt billets made from scrap aluminium carry the industry s official recycling logo. In this way we are also demonstrating to those outside the company that apt is adopting a responsible approach to the environment and resources. Conservation meets efficiency At apt Hiller, even residual products like the dross from remelting or the residues that result from the water treatment in the anodising plant are recycled. We thus combine environmental awareness with maximum efficiency a closed material loop at apt Hiller avoids bottlenecks in supply and thus waiting times for our customers. 34 35
People: We are apt. A multitude of characters one team. The people at apt are the company s most important asset, and many of them have had a lasting impact on the apt Hiller Group s history. The following are but a few voices from a corporate culture that goes back 40 years. We re not special because we are active in special markets, but because we have a special philosophy: we re doing what has to be done. Customers and company always come first. Work schedules and the position of employees take a back seat. We re working as a team in order to be successful as a team. That s the key. Michael Boche, Plant Manager at apt Hiller GmbH, 23 years with apt Enthusiasm and passion are our driving force. This employee commitment can be seen in every company of the apt Hiller Group. Since taking over the former Alcoa facility in Roermond, we have expanded our profile internationally, too. In my 12 years at apt, the diversity has never failed to amaze me. My personal motto has always been and will always be: speed and flexibility. That s what sets us apart. Astrid Kurvers, Sales Manager apt Kurvers B.V., 12 years with apt I met my wife at apt. It goes without saying that this has also changed my private life considerably! Jörg Pfordt, Anodizing Facility Manager, 16 years with apt When being interviewed by the press, Mr Hiller once said: My main asset is not what s standing here. My main asset are my employees. In all the years we ve worked together, I ve never seen Mr Hiller get angry. Even with all the fooling around that went on after all, we were young and real jokers. But Mr Hiller, who exuded calmness and poise, always understood how to get us working. He has always had the right touch, on the one hand getting the right people for the job and on the other developing the existing employees. I started work at apt as a stretcher and after that became a forklift driver. Later still I was promoted to shift foreman and was able to hone my skills for the position inside quality management that I have today. Here I can hand down the company s philosophy to young people: dealing with customers quickly when there s a problem is as valid today as it has always been. Customer satisfaction pays. Andreas Gutsch, Quality Management, 34 years with apt Mr Hiller had a briefcase that looked as if it had survived several world wars, all that was missing were the bullet holes. But everybody knew that wherever that briefcase turned up, the boss was not far away. One had to be alert then. More often than not that briefcase would be lying outside the office of an employee he was sitting with, even before 7 a.m. Peter Wanjek, Works Council Chairman until 2010, retired now I can very well remember the year 2001, when Mr Kurvers used an event in the anodizing facility to present his vision. Where did he see the company in 2005? He named three parameters: five sites, 200 million euros turnover, 1000 employees. That was the starting point for the expansion into the apt Hiller Group. Of course, the group s growth also had wide-reaching consequences for accounting and finance at the parent company, apt Hiller in Monheim. We implemented a reporting and controlling system and transferred our formalities to our affiliates. The process of cultural integration was important, too. Looking back, the takeovers were extremely stressful, with long working days and short nights the rule. But at the end of the day I enjoyed everything very much. Thomas Boddenberg, Managing Director apt Hiller GmbH, 12 years at apt At apt, we have always been fond of celebrating, for example around Carnival time. On the Thursday, so-called Weiberfastnacht, we would prepare food for everyone and at eleven minutes past eleven in the morning, when the celebrations began, we would have doughnuts and tell funny stories. We also had a tennis club with so many rookies, but Mr Hiller who was anything but a rookie, of course joined too. We would also go bowling and rafting on the river Wupper. Despite the hard work we did, there were good times, and not always deadly serious. Marlene Beunings, Accounts Receivable Accountant, 36 years with apt What I like about apt is how expertise is built up, starting with the apt Academy and going through to working together on new projects. Being the youngest member of the group and still on our way to autonomy, we in Cheb are continually learning new things and profiting most from the influences. Bohumil Čejka, Managing Director apt Products Eckental and Cheb, three years at apt 36 37
APT LIFE: Society, Culture, Art. Multicultural at apt this is a principle that was in every day use long before the word had been coined. Not only working together but also spending leisure time together something that is self-evident for employees at apt. Regardless of nation, location or different cultural background, apt promotes the arts, celebrates, plays soccer and is socially committed. Art with aluminium Aluminium is a pleasant, aesthetic material to work with for artists, too. British artist Ross Lovegrove is one of the many who appreciate aluminium as a working material and who, every once in a while, even incorporate apt profiles and other semi-finished products in their works. All over the apt site employees and visitors will find original works of art that have been created using aluminium. The so-called Hiller Monument in front of the company building in Monheim is an original work of art specially commissioned by apt and one which still makes artist Helga A. Sandhöfer enthuse over the material. Moreover, art has traditionally played an important role in apt s communication with the outside world one cannot dismiss the comparison between apt employees and artists who create small, precise works of art. Social commitment The apt Hiller Group is committed to a multitude of social projects - and each employee makes an active contribution. In Monheim, for example, apt supports a streetball pitch for young people that combines sports activities and integration. apt Kurvers has been supporting a comprehensive aid project in Burkina-Faso for years and all revenues from the company s parties and raffles are committed to childcare facilities like Kinderhilfe. Cultural exchange Whether it be a soccer tournament with teams from all the companies associated with the group or an exchange of knowledge between Germany, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic the apt Hiller Group is continually merging together. But there is frequent contact with other nations and cultures, too: for example, the 20 managers from China who underwent training at apt in Monheim and Roermond. 38 39
Education: Helping apt make progress. Further development is the key to success in any enterprise. And it s the reason why the apt Hiller Group invests not only in new technologies and equipment but first and foremost in the development of its employees. And in no way are our endeavours restricted to young talent regardless of his or her position, each employee has the opportunity to participate in further education and be promoted. Improvement. We are continually striving to get better. This involves perfect products, clearly defined processes, adherence to delivery dates, comprehensive customer service, efficient production, environmental awareness, tight controlling and state-ofthe-art means of communication and these form an integral part of our corporate philosophy. We are continually striving to achieve improvement via numerous project and CIP (continuous improvement process) teams. For example: apt Academy. While our products and our company are developing, so too are our employees for example by attending our in-house apt Academy whose training courses are also open to customers. In these courses we communicate detailed, easily applicable knowledge for a multitude of areas: materials, extrusion dies, extrusion, anodizing and many more. - A process management/sycat project, which aims to expand our ERP system - An apt innovation project for the development and marketing of new solutions - CIP team for energy - CIP team for waste - CIP team for packaging Promotion of young talent: Steffen Schreiber. Student and trainee programme. Our tutor programmes and the close cooperation with schools providing generaleducation or vocational training create opportunities for young people to get acquainted with our skilled jobs that require training, thus offer them guidance in choosing an occupation. Today, 26 year old Steffen Schreiber is in charge of die management at apt Hiller GmbH. He acquired the knowledge necessary for his current position step by step: Having finished my apprenticeship, I had the choice to work at apt either as a machine operator or in the die shop. I decided in favour of the die shop because working in toolmaking is more varied, and I enjoy doing different things. Students who are interested can undertake work placement at apt or cooperate with apt when writing a dissertation for their degree. We closely cooperate with RWTH Aachen, TU Dortmund, FAU Erlangen, the Dutch TUs of Delft and Eindhoven and the Czech universities J.E. Purkyně, Ustí nad Labem and Západočeská Universita, Plzeň. What he likes most about apt Hiller: there are unlimited opportunities for him. I can work independently and better myself, and I get all the support from my superior that I need. I have now obtained an instructor s certificate myself so that I can hand down everything I have learned to others. His advice to young people who have finished school and have not yet decided what career they wish to pursue: I would attend a vocational school for two years and get a vocational diploma. That gives a person time to think about what career he or she would like to pursue. Then I would apply for practical training. Speaking of that, at apt we offer students work experience in the areas of remelting, extrusion and toolmaking. 40 41
Tomorrow: The future of apt. Strategy Our strategy for constant growth focuses on the three big Cs: customer focus, competence and cost leadership Aim We aim to become the market leader in aluminium profile technology. Not the biggest, but the best. Customer focus We always keep a close watch on our customer s demands. We team up with them to transform brilliant ideas into successful products products that inspire both them and us. Competence The expertise of our employees is our potential. Therefore we consistently invest in their development in our in-house apt Academy and external training courses. Our customers benefit from our know-how, too, by participating in our in-house training courses. Cost leadership We produce the best possible product at the most attractive price. This is because as a group we can offer products and services from a single source and can thus design processes that are particularly efficient. Customer focus and experience as well as state-of-the-art equipment and sophisticated logistics are also essential. 42 43
APT HILLER GMBH: WE ARE APT Hatice Agac Bedri Celik Hans Hees Dirk Lamprecht Waldemar Raut Evrim Üsenmez Resit Ahmet Mehmet Cetin Berthold Heimes Reiner Lange Aydin Reis Henrik Vieth Mustafa Ak Elhoucine Chikare Helmut Henk Ingo Langer Detlef Richter Norbert von der Heydt Merve Ak Salvatore Chindamo Valeri Herzen Carmen Lauer Vitali Ricksen Roland Vorbeck Aytekin Akyol Klaus Christoph Werner Hiller Andreas Leboch Reinhard Rieger Viktor Wagner Elena Alvanos-Flad Ömer Ciftci Dimitri Hodussow Peter Lehnard Leon Riksen Michael Wagner Frank Andrejewski Jörg Clasen Jürgen Hoffmanns Johann Leibel Ralf Rings Oliver Wellenberg Bernd Andres Oliver Cramer Phillip Hohmann Tan Li Tina Röling Oliver Werthschulte Nico Anhalt Abidin Cuna Michael Holzapfel Andreas Litschko Erik Röling Michael Wiese Salah Arrabhi Wolfgang Dahmen Ehrenfried Hommes Uwe Lustig Pavel Rybak Bernhard Wilk Abdullah Arsin Jamal Darri Daniel Honrath Jörg Lüttikhuis Antnan Sali Thomas Willems Binyamin Arslan Yusuf Deger Hans-Joachim Hopf Igor Maas Durmus Sari Alexander Witenbek Alp Arslan Sedat Demirel Gerhard Huppertz Damian Maciejewski Maria Sass Roman Witos Wolfgang Aust Heinz Dickerboom Klaus Ibert Campo Khaled Mallal Thomas Schäfer Michael Wodtke Özcan Aydemir Heribert Dickmann Faruk Ibranovic Thilo Mannaße Stefan Schäfers Benjamin Wolf Halil Aydin Dimitrij Dieser Holger Iffland Stefan Masuch Joachim Scheer Necati Yavuzyasar Erhan Aydin Kai Dippel Aintemir Ismailoglou Sergej Meder Petra Schettina Kani Yildiz Ismail Aydogan Boguslaw Dlugosz Klaus Jäckel Annegret Meier Hubertus Schieck Veysel Yilmaz Thomas Bach Mustafa Dogan Fred Jacobs Stefan Meier Peter Schlappa Recai Yilmaz Hans-Peter Bach Ismail Dogan Stojan Janson Manfred Melchior Thomas Schluch Hasan Yilmaztürk Rusan Bairam Remigio Doria Carsten Jarosch Mustafa Mert Oliver Schmidt Osman Yorganci Frank Barfels Rudolf Dumler Bronislawa Jaskula Andreas Merten Alexander Schmidt Gazmend Zeciraj-Rajnhofer Marian Bartek Ugur Durak Marian Jaskula Andrea Meybom Viktor Schmidt Lech Zukowski Thomas Bartenbach Kamil Durak Monika Jirovec Jörg Meyer Axel Schmitz Vahit Belcioglou Uwe Egerding Bernd-Peter Jürgens Vitali Michel Stefan Schneider Michael Bernardy Sandra Eichenauer Gani Jusufi Christina Mihály Dominik Schneider Frank Bernhardt Jörg Eichler Bernd Kalthoff Said Mohya Hubertus Schomacher Peter Bernhardt Turgut Eker Emilia Kanzler Mark Moos Steffen Schreiber Marlene Beunings Khalid El Mokaddam Mustafa Karaoglan Norbert Mosler Rainer Schumacher Michael Boche Dietmar Empacher Wolfgang Karge Viktor Müller Michael Schuster Thomas Boddenberg Wolfgang Enderlein Rolf-Werner Karge Walid Muqbel Patrick Seifert Rolf Böelke Margrit Engelhard Roswitha Karge Peter Naber Alexander Senk Valeri Bojarinov Bayram Erdogan Stephan Kastner Angelika Nagelschmidt Monika Siekmeyer Ergin Bozkurt Viktor Fomin Yasar Kazak Yvonne Nowak Jürgen Sinner Wolfgang Breuer Andre Fusilli Jürgen Kerner Ergin Okan Sergey Soldat Michael Breuer Marius Gattner Ibrahim Kilic Ahmad-Ali Okkashe Friedrich Sonnenfeld Thomas Brieden Rene Gieseking Ali Kiran Güven Okur Jakob Sonnenfeld Thomas Brockmann Vitalij Gorbatschew Zafer Kircan Susanne Otten Sergej Sonnenfeld Bernd Bruckmann Jochem Grefen Turgay Kocer Sevinc Özen Friedrich Sonnenfeld Andreas Buchta Evangelos Grigorakis Adam Kociuba Dede Özkanli Bernd Stockmann Leo Buchta Nizam Gümüs Michael Könen Fatih Özkanli Alexander Stoll Kay Buchwald Mehmet Günay Regina Konietzke Turgut Özten Frank Sülzner Frank Bückner Andreas Gutsch Richard Kopetsch Konstantinos Papathanasiou Gabriel Tanasescu André Bückner Ralf Gutsch Ertzan Kotzia-Chasan Claudia Pfordt Petra Thelen Mathias Burg Michaela Haase Fahrudin Kulic Jörg Pfordt Ahmet Tuna Daniela Busch Joachim Hanke Johann Kurpiela Peter Piecha Ismail Tuncel Stephan Büttner Kirill Hartmann Christian Kurpiela Carsten Pilchowski Necati Tuncer Franz-Alfred Bystry Michael Hass Frans TH. H. Kurvers Zbigniew Pinkowicz Adnan Turan Birol Cakar Theodor Hatlapa Heike Lakat-Dickerboom Andreas Pleß Detlef Ueberbach Fulvio Carbone Tetyana Hecht Oliver Lammers Stefan Pützer Jörg Ueberbach 44 45
Photo sources: Pages 32, 33: Schüco International, Hörmann KG, Evobus, MAN, Siemens. Pages 33, 35: fotolia. All further pictures: apt Hiller GmbH. Photographer: Stephan Brendgen. Design: Bernd A. Hartwig