Bridging the gap

cpp: Roman Seliger (RS) has already established a good name in the market as a supplier of hose and couplings technology. What are the company’s next goals?

Reppenhagen: Our situation as a me-dium-sized company based near Hamburg and active worldwide puts us in a good position to become international class leader. One way of expressing this could be to say that we would like to make our mark at the high end of the market by becoming such a seamless part of our customers‘ process that, paradoxically, our products are hardly noticed. On a more serious note, we want our name and our company to be a provider of service and support that is seen as a real partner when it comes to couplings technology.

cpp: What qualifies Roman Seliger to be a leader?

Tietjen: Leadership can only be accomplished with an absolute focus on innovation, first class engineering and top on-site service, and we are in a great position to achieve this. Ours is a medium sized company – big enough to have the neces-sary resources and a short reaction time but not so big as to lose focus – and we have a 100-year tradition of continuity with a proven record of adapting to changes. Quality and innovation are the foundations of Roman Seliger, so that having once reached a certain standard of performance we are determined to improve it. Our rigorous quality system, based on ISO 9001, and our certification by TUV and German Lloyds as an approved manufacturer of hoses and couplings bear witness to the reputation of our products.

cpp: How dedicated are you to innovation?

Tietjen: Our new product developments regularly redefine the state of the art. Most RS products not only comply with international norms, they help to define them. Many of the current standards were created with the contribution of RS engineers, who for many years have been members of national and international committees. These experts in their field are playing a leading role not just in these technical committees but also inside customers‘ process plants and in our own research and development workshop, where their challenge is to respond to our customers‘ needs more quickly and effectively than our competitors. RS has a record of innovation which we can be proud of, and we are constantly working to develop new applications and improve old ones as part of a product range which presently comprises about 14,500 different items.

cpp: What other factors contribute to Roman Seliger’s competitive advantage?

Reppenhagen: Especially valuable to our customers is the close contact between development and production. RS has always made the most of the classical virtues of a medium sized company, not least of which is a reputation for the high quality which people expect from a product made in Germany. Our commitment to our location in Norderstedt, just north of Hamburg, is at the same time an indication of, and a contribution to, our flexibility. All products which are developed in our engineering department or requested by customers are manufactured in-house. In combination with our computer-assisted production, using the latest electronically controlled machine tools, and our own fully equipped foundry for brass and aluminium casting we have all the necessary resources and capabilities to offer flexible solutions and high quality products to our customers, regardless of whether they need large quantities or a single custom-made item. Our design and engineering facilities are supported by a modern, efficient stockroom with the latest computer control and delivery systems for the many thousands of different articles we keep in stock, thus enabling the fastest possible deliveries and supporting customers‘ just-in-time inventory management. Indeed, this is a key part of the RS brand commitment which is embodied in our company slogan.

cpp: The company’s new strategic direction is summarised in the new slogan. What can customers expect from this commitment?

Reppenhagen: The new slogan “RS – A Strong Brand in Your System” symbolises a new beginning. “RS – a strong brand” makes a clear promise of performance. “In your system” indicates that we do not just deliver a coupling to be connected to the end of a hose, but that the complete hose and coupling system incorporating our high-value couplings combine to create a whole system which is greater than the sum of its individual parts. This provides a new solution to problems by offering a higher level of security and performance. However, the product “system” is only one part of the RS brand commitment, and it is part of a strategically oriented total process which adds value to our customers‘ business. Our system comprises service, research, development, production, logistics and communication with our partners and customers: multi-facetted, but all cast from one mould. Our challenge to ourselves is to provide higher innovation, higher safety, a higher regard for the environment and higher utility for the user, and this is what we give our customers, with a focus on those in the chemical industry.

cpp: How do you put these ideals into practice?

Reppenhagen: The RS partners comprise an essential part of our business. One clear advantage of our location in Germany is the central position in Europe; another is our network of competent and trusted suppliers and sales partners. The part they play in our business goes far beyond the simple functions of stockholding, distribution and logistics: they are essential elements of our whole service concept. Our customer contact is made by effective teams which combine the competencies of our technical trade partners and RS prod-uct specialists, and they are in permanent dialogue with key people in supply and production processes and the chemical industry. This is a critical aspect when it comes to supplying professional advice which encompasses not only the technical aspects of a hose connection, such as hygiene and safety at the workplace, but also the legal aspects related to environmental health and safety, the necessary test and approval procedures and the regulations for pressurised containers. This last point illustrates that a brand is much more than an abstract market concept or slogan: it is intimately linked with the people who fulfil our promise to the market.

cpp: Which of your “strong brands“ will be on show at Achema 2006 in Frankfurt?

Tietjen: Among the completely new prod-ucts we will be showing is the TP dry coupling, which is manufactured from stainless steel and developed for hygienic applications It extends the existing coupling range with compliance with DIN 11864, 11887 and 32676. It can be used in all branches of industry but is specially designed for sterile applications in food and pharmaceutical processing, and conforms to the EHEDG clean-in-place (CIP) requirements. Another new product is the breakaway coupling with cable release. This provides a completely safe hose connection when liquids are being loaded or unloaded from a rail, road or seagoing tanker by automatically breaking this connection and sealing the open ends if the distance between the loading and unloading vessels exceeds a predetermined safe limit. This not only protects the hose itself from damage but also guards against contamination of the environment by spilt product.

We will also be showing the RS ball joint coupling, which protects hoses from damage by torsion or kinking. The freedom of movement – about 50° – removes many of the sources of damage which can occur when a hose is bent through a tight angle. The flow characteristics are optimised, with no narrowing or sharp corners, so the coupling does not impede the flow of liquid through it. We hope you will be able to see for yourself, and look forward to welcoming you at our stand.

Hall 8.0, Booth A13

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„Living up to our company’s good name: our product quality is ensured by a rigorous QA system certified to ISO 9001.“

Directly to the manufacturer

Trainig

Achema 2006