5 minute read
Opening doors to major business success in Asia
Hendrik Schwartz
The world would not have evolved into what it is today without the architectural visions of daring pioneers. Hörmann intensifies collaboration with architects, and the company has a department for architecture consultation. Asia is the promised continent for global cutting-edge architecture. Unabated economic growth over decades has resulted in non-stop construction, revealing demanding architecture as an important feature of marketing competition between metropolises.
In this interesting interview Hendrik Schwartz, Sales Director of Hörmann APAC provides a detailed insight into the particularities of business relationships in Thailand and Asia.
HÖRMANN ARCHITECTS' PROGRAMME
In ASEAN and Thailand, architects and planners play a role as service partners. They adapt to the Asian tastes and market to be successful here.
To meet current customer requirements, architects and planners must always stay on top of state-of-art technology and have profound product knowledge. Constant innovations, further developments, changing legal frameworks and wide product ranges can unnerve architects. They combine several roles into one. On the one hand, they are idea providers for Hörmann, thanks to their practical experience; on the other hand, they are the professional, cost-conscious and creative heads. This is why it is important for Hörmann to contact them as early as possible in a project and support them with our technical and production expertise.
CAN ASEAN BUILDING OWNERS BE COMPARED TO EUROPEAN ONES?
The Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand are planning, developing and building projects on a large scale – all in record time. This involves hundreds of hectares of urban planning, extensive residential construction, infrastructure and tourism projects, public buildings...a true paradise for architects.
In ASEAN countries everything is faster, larger. However, little value is attached to sustainability and durability. Buildingowner investors plan with maximum payback periods of three to five years. As a door supplier, you have to make fast decisions, in addition to being flexible. Signing a contract does not necessarily mean that it will be fulfilled – instead, this is seen as the basis for business down the road. Very often, external influences come into play.
HOW ARE WARRANTIES REGULATED IN ASEAN?
Each country has its own legal system and own warranty law. In many Asian countries, there is only a minimal understanding for warranties, and claims are generally low. By contrast, Japanese warranty law and understanding for quality are much more prominent than in Germany. We learn from our Japanese customers, and Hörmann strives to give the best product that will last for a very long time.
WHAT DIFFERENCES ARE THERE IN STANDARDS, FOR EXAMPLE THOSE RELATED TO FIRE PROTECTION?
In Asia there are not really uniform standards for fire protection. There are countries without their own standards and the “British standards” apply. On the other hand, China has a very progressive fire protection standard. All fire-rated doors are fitted with microchips that contain details of all related technical data, the manufacturer and the installation location. The true challenge lies in universal application of standards and the monitoring of compliance.
WHAT IS ONE AREA IN ASIA WHERE YOU SEE GOOD DEVELOPMENTS?
Hörmann is Germany's leading garage door producer. We have produced and sold 10 million up-and-over garage doors and more than 3 million sectional garage doors. With growing wealth levels in Asia, this has become one of our focus areas. Our clients have unique cars that need custom-made garage doors. We can cater up to 11-metrewide garage doors.
ABOUT HÖRMANN
The Hörmann Group is Europe’s leading door supplier. More than 6,000 employees in 38 factories in Europe, North America and Asia develop and produce high-quality doors, frames, industrial doors, high-speed doors, operators, loading systems, perimeter protection and storage space systems for private and commercial use.
The Hörmann Group headquarters are located in Steinhagen, near Bielefeld, Germany. The business is still fourth generation family-run and records an annual turnover of more than 1 billion euros. Today, the variety of doors as well as matching operators, is still a crucial pillar in its product range. In this sector, Hörmann additionally produces highquality entrance and side doors, residential internal doors made of timber and glass as well as sheet steel doors and door frames. With tool sheds and firewood racks made of metal, durable storage space systems are offered for outdoor use.
Hörmann also plans and installs fire protection and multi-function door systems for construction projects. Industrial door systems are a further sector, including sectional doors and rolling shutters as well as high-speed and fire-rated doors – all controlled manually or via an operator and control system. Further, Hörmann supplies complete loading technology solutions comprising dock shelters, seals, dock levellers and loading houses. The product range has also been expanded to include perimeter protection systems that include highsecurity bollards and barriers to protect against unauthorized access to public and private areas.
Hörmann products protect people and assets. The brand stands for appealing design, maximum functionality and durability; it links German quality with innovation and the best service. Hörmann is present with 14 regional sales offices in Germany and more than 100 individual sales locations in more than 40 countries, and is represented by sales partners in more than 50 other countries.
Contact details: Hendrik Schwartz Sales Director Asia/Pacific Hormann (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. +66 2 118 2502 info@hormann.co.th hoermann.com
