Würth Insight Magazine

INSIGHT 2011 Würth’s Annual Magazine

EdITorIal The energy and drive to tackle new things. Let’s go!

Dear Readers, I am sure you know that feeling when you can’t wait to get out there and do something, when you are raring to go. Why should you wait? Why not start out right away?

aN ENTErPrISING SPIrIT Up into the mountains and to some of the world’s most remote places: we go to wherever our customers are. Würth is present on all five continents. But does that necessarily mean “one Würth for all”? Each market involves different challenges. Our customers include large industrial companies and small businesses alike, all of whom have specific wishes and requirements.

Interview: Business development Page 2

Our response is to offer the flexibility and drive to tackle new things. More than 30,000 sales representatives are at our customers’ service every day. They are specialists in their fields and therefore able to provide the advice needed. Direct sales via the sales force is one of our strengths and has made the Würth Group what it is today. The successful history of our company is based on a very special corporate philosophy, which guides our actions every day and spurs on our more than 62,000

employees. It is our enterprising spirit: actively accepting challenges, looking at things from a different angle, thinking outside the box, and giving our all to make the project a success.

In a way, every employee is their own boss in their area of responsibility, putting their creative ideas into practice – always with the goal of acting as a partner for our customers by relieving their daily workload and helping them to move forward.

The Würth Group

Würth commitment

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That is the enterprising spirit that has made Würth what it is. We celebrated this and the company’s 65 years in business in 2010, together with the 75th birthday of my father Reinhold Würth, who built up the Würth Group and has given it this special spirit.

Putting ideas into practice pays off, of that we are sure. Our business development in 2010 is evidence of this, too. The global economic crisis had put us back like most other companies, yet we did not lose mo­ mentum entirely. On the contrary, we contin­ ued to invest in our key success factor, the sales organization, regaining dynamism at just the right time, and we intend to continue in this way in 2011.

This enterprising spirit is present in all areas of the Würth Group. We encourage our employees to take responsibility as if they were their own boss, and to develop new ideas and implement them. This is vital for us to keep our customers satisfied and con­ tinue inspiring them with new services.

This issue of InSight shows you what we can achieve when we put our minds to it and gives you a taste of the new projects ahead.

Enjoy your reading – and keep the enter­ prising spirit alive!

Sincerely,

Bettina Würth Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of the Würth Group

Würth Group Business development

GroWTH IS THE BEST MEdICINE Interview with Robert Friedmann, Chairman of the Central Managing Board of the Würth Group

How do you plan to achieve that despite all the uncertainty surrounding economic developments? › We need to reset our benchmarks. We need to return to the mindset before the crisis.

We can only achieve future success together

Mr. Friedmann, how did the Würth Group perform in 2010? › From March 2010, the dynamics of our busi­ ness did justice to our internal motto BACk TO GROWTh. The development in Germany in particular was much more positive than we had expected at the beginning of 2010. Outside Germany, not all the companies were able to keep pace on the same scale. Some of our markets have not yet settled down again after the global economic crisis. Overall, however, we reported double­digit growth.

thus offering our customers a reliable delivery service and advice.

What does that mean? › In 2009, we were racking our brains about where we could make cuts but not about new projects. We needed to stop the negative spiral.

We are fortunate that we operate in a huge market in which even we, as global market leader, only have a small share. The potential for growth is therefore also huge. We must bear this in mind at all times and set our sights high. Add to that creativity, perseverance and customer centricity and we will be successful. The enterprising spirit that pervades the Würth Group will help us.

At first glance, an enterprising spirit is a rather intangible concept. What does it actually mean? › What sets the Würth Group apart is that we enjoy trying out new things, we are interested in innovation and we want to be successful. Our employees put this into practice in their everyday work. And because we have the backing of the owner in these pursuits, it works. Reinhold Würth is not interested first and foremost in optimizing earnings, which is perhaps what the owner of a private equity company would do. he wants the company to grow. Growth is the best medicine for a number of “diseases” that may spread through a company. It demands creativity, ideas, motivation and – at the end of the day – the commitment of every single member of staff. We can only achieve future success together.

The enterprising spirit that per­ vades the company will help us

for our customers

What will be the Central Managing Board’s main focus of attention in 2011? › The year 2011 will not be a sure-fire success. We cannot forecast how the economies in the various countries will perform. The markets are in a transitional phase, one way or the other. Our main task will therefore be to respond to these different situations with the requisite flexibility. Our decentralized organization is certainly an advantage in that respect.

What led to the recovery? › We focused all our energy on the sales function.

That was the key success factor in 2009 and 2010.

For example, we further enlarged the sales force,

What is the sales target for 2011? › We are definitely planning double-digit growth again and we aim to grow faster than the compe­ tition.

Reliable delivery and advice

dEVEloPMENT oF THE WÜrTH GroUP IN FIGUrES Sales in millions of EUR 7,748

8,000 6,203 6,000

6,914

8,489

8,816

Employees

in millions of EUR

as of 31 December

7,522

5,277 5,360 5,453

640 600 400

2,000

270

281

330

395

455

515

60,000

545 385 235

200

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

INSIGHT 2011

thereof ■ sales staff

8,633

4,000

2

Pre­tax operating result

45,000 37,407 39,809

46,973 41,952

50,767

63,699 62,811 62,433 57,882 54,906

30,000 15,000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Würth Group Company profile

WE arE a FaMIlY BUSINESS Würth started small. Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG was founded

market and an eye for our customers’ needs. Ambitious, enthu­

in 1945 as the first company of the Würth Group. Today, the

siastic and addicted to success. At the same time, we remain a

Group is the global market leader in its core business of selling

family business with regional roots and branches reaching out

assembly and fastening materials. How did we manage it?

all over the world.

By progressing step by step – and always with an ear to the

our customers, but also inspiring them and relieving the workload in their daily business. here, we demand creativity of every one of our employees, and give them the freedom to implement their ideas.

Our guidelines include being proactive, working together to find new solutions, and pursuing goals with commitment. And there is one particularly important quality in all this which motivates the employees: an enterprising spirit.

Reinhold Würth celebrated his 75th birthday: “I would like to take the oppor­ tunity today to thank everyone around me. First and foremost, the employees of the Würth Group for their enthusiastic involvement and loyalty, the three million customers worldwide who rely on Würth as their supplier of choice and, of course, the manufacturers and suppliers with whom we enjoy such a trusting relationship.”

This special philosophy has characterized the family business from its very beginnings. It has been shaped

by Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group’s Family Trusts. he took over the business at the age of 19, following the death of his father Adolf Würth, and the two­man business as it was back then developed into a trading group with operations worldwide.

“You cannot put together a corporate culture like a mathematical system. It would be ridiculous to try to create this based on theory alone. Our corporate culture is something that has evolved over time. The interest of the company revolves around people,” says Reinhold Würth.

One example of this was seen in April 2010. Adolf Würth Gmbh & Co. kG, the founding company of the Group, looked back at its 65­year history, and the entrepreneur Reinhold Würth celebrated his 75th birth­ day. These two milestones gave rise to examine the development of the company and the life of Reinhold Würth at various events held at Adolf Würth Gmbh & Co. kG in künzelsau in southern Germany.

On the occasion of these anniversaries, the logos of the international Würth Group entities, which oper­ ate under the Würth brand, and of the Würth Group as a whole were modernized after 20 years.

Keeping our enterprising spirit The Würth Group generated sales of EUR 8.6 billion in its anniversary year 2010. however, this success is not a reason for us to rest on our laurels. We are constantly moving forward, committed to developing our products and services to support our customers as best we can. Because supporting customers in their business success long­term is born of an enterprising spirit, the ability to think outside the box and to look at things from a different angle.

The Würth Group operates in 84 countries with over 62,000 employees worldwide, of whom more than 30,000 are permanently employed sales repre­ sentatives. In its core business, the Würth Line, the product range for the trades and industry offers more than 100,000 products: from screws, screw accessories, dowels and fittings to tools and chemicaltechnical products as well as industrial safety. The Allied Companies, which operate either in business areas adjacent to the core business, or in diversified business areas, round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical in­ stallations, electronic components, as well as solar modules and financial services.

Pursuing goals together, celebrating success together More than three million customers worldwide place their trust in Würth. At Würth, we carry out our everyday activities with the aim of not only satisfying

2010 Spring Festival in künzelsau: Adolf Würth Gmbh & Co. kG celebrated 65 years in business and the 75th birthday of Reinhold Würth with a festival for its employees and the entire region.

INSIGHT 2011

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Würth Group Responsibility

WÜrTH CoMMITMENT

Entrepreneurship and assuming responsibility are inseparable. That is why we are involved in many aspects of society: to help, to assist, to make things happen. We look left and right, beyond our core business, and we see much that is beautiful and inspiring through our initiatives.

“You don’t need art to survive. But it adds a little quality of life.”

Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group’s Family Trusts

“I always felt a fundamental need to share my good fortune. Making sure that nobody is excluded is an essential part of my attitude to life.”

Carmen Würth, initiator of the Hotel Restaurant Anne-Sophie and Vice President of the Executive Board of Special Olympics Deutschland

In order to bundle the company’s social commit­ ment, Reinhold and Carmen Würth founded the Charitable Würth Trust in 1987. It promotes projects in the fields of art and culture, research and science, as well as education. In addition, individual companies of the Würth Group in over

80 countries worldwide are involved in a wide variety of local social projects.

Supporting people with disabilities has emerged as one of the focal points of our corporate citizenship in the past few years. For instance, we are involved

in the largest sports organization for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities, the Special Olympics. As part of the Würth Group, the hotel Restaurant Anne­Sophie integrates people with intellectual disabilities into working life. This concept originated from an initiative of Carmen Würth.

Focusing on children’s desire to learn motivated Bettina Würth to establish Freie Schule Anne­ Sophie. The private day school for all kinds of educational paths, from elementary to high school, is based on its own educational concept. The aim is to create an atmosphere in which children can freely pursue their innate instinct to learn. The learning attendants (teachers) accompany each child on his or her individual learning journey.

Born out of an initiative by Reinhold Würth, 14 museums and associated galleries at locations of the Group throughout Europe have been set up. The entrepreneur has been collecting works of art since the 1960s. The museums and associated galleries do more than simply present the Würth Collection, they invite the public to meet the company and its employees. It is an ideal opportunity to gain insights into and fuel a passion for art through dialog. Supplementary to the exhibitions, visitors can avail themselves to educational and infor­ mation opportunities. Visitors can both broaden their minds and explore the concept of a museum as an experience.

“Learning should be fun, it should be about discovering something new every day and having lots of questions answered. It should prepare our children for life and give them the opportunity to discover their strengths and balance out their weaknesses.”

Bettina Würth, Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of the Würth Group and founder of Freie Schule Anne­Sophie

Imprint Published by Würth Industrie Service Gmbh & Co. kG headquarters: Industriepark Würth 97980 Bad Mergentheim Germany

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INSIGHT 2011

Contact details Press and Public Relations Phone +49 7931 91­1153 Fax +49 7931 91-51153 presse@wuerth­industrie.com

Graphics design, typesetting and lithography Scanner Gmbh künzelsau

Content responsibility Martin Jauss/ MW

Printed by Firmengruppe APPL, echter druck, Würzburg

Editorial responsibility and coordination Stephanie kozany/MW

© Würth Industrie Service, Bad Mergentheim

Edited by Lorie Burns, Ina Christov

Photo credits Sven Paustian (p. 1) Scanner Gmbh künzelsau (p. 1, 3, 4) Andi Schmid (p. 1, 2, 3) Würth Industrie Service (p. 5, 6, 7, 8) Toro Company (p. 7) Würth’s Annual Magazine “InSight 2011” is also available on the internet at www.wuerth­industrie.com

Printed in Germany. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced, in part or in whole, without prior consent.

1GFP­SC­APPL­2,5’­05/11

Würth Industrial Network Development

WINWORK Würth Industrial Network, WINWORK, is the global network of Würth Industry companies, strategically coordinated to meet the demands of our worldwide industrial customers. This integrated approach to customer management results in the fast transmission of information and the seamless integration of CPS® C-Parts Solutions. By partnering with a truly global company, you can rest assured that you will receive the highest level of dedication and support.

DevelOpmeNT

After a difficult year in 2009, the employees of the Würth Industrial Network have used 2010 to plant the seeds for a profitable future and a return to consistent growth.

THe Key TO GlObal CONSISTeNCy? WINWORK. WINWORK® At the moment, WINWORK consists of 45 companies in 35 countries. With this international presence, we can meet the individual and cultural needs of customers in any country. This global network simplifies and increases international communication which makes it easier to integrate C-Parts management solutions to all customers.

Our CPS® modules offer consistent systems and services with the highest level of quality to all of our global partnerships. The focus is on providing customers with the maximum amount of process transparency and supply security.

In the past year, we have invested in our sales structure in order to establish a platform for international growth. Since 2010, new divisions in the Ukraine and Poland are strengthening WINWORK and companies such as Viterie Venete are increasing their presence within the network as well.

Furthermore, established companies in Malaysia and India have experienced rapid growth and shown positive development trends. With these new companies and divisions, the flow of information has never been easier and guarantees efficient and unrestrained project implementation, regardless of customers' locations. Employees of

WINWORK are better equipped to have a strong local presence and serve customers. WINWORK has a unique competitive advantage by providing standardized products and processes on a global scale.

Each company within WINWORK can profit from sharing information, working together and exploring possible synergies. As we experience individual growth and development, it is important to be aware of overall group progression. This awareness and blending of strengths enables individual companies to provide customers with consistent quality service.

OffICIal fIGuReS Of THe INDuSTRy DIvISION Of THe WüRTH GROup Total Sales

Total Employees

Share of Total Sales

in mil. EUR

as of December, 31st

Industry Division

800 600

677

738 577 533

555

600 463

540

450

400

300

200

150

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

592 526

424

7.8 %

Even in the beginning of 2010, WINWORK had already shown indications of a successful recovery. These trends developed into a major growth phase for companies in Europe, Asia and South America.

Furthermore optimism is high in Scandinavia and North America where companies are showing signs of positive development in comparison with industry competition.

Following our 2010 motto "Back to Growth", the division industry has achieved an annual growth rate of 25.4 % which increases our total sales to 677 million Euros.

The success of the past year was a result of the confidence and trust of our customers and business partners. We offer our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of the customers who made 2010 a successful year. Our goal throughout WINWORK is to inspire our customers daily with our innovative systems and quality services.

This inspiration is only made possible through our sales representatives and the incredible results they have achieved in coming together and working as a team.

As we proceed with 2011 we are working towards a year of reaching new milestones.

With a successful first quarter, it is clear that our talented sales team is living and breathing the 2011 “Break Your Limits” motto. This motto encompasses an individual and a group desire to reach further than what seems possible. When we all give a little more and exhaust all possibilities, we can reach new milestones and celebrate successes during a challenging time.

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

INSIGHT 2011

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Würth Industrial Network C-Parts Solutions

We STRIve TO INSpIRe DaIly C-paRTS SOluTIONS - pROvIDING SeCuRITy How can we inspire our industrial customers every day in a new way?

How can we provide our customers with the maximum amount of process security and transparency, while requiring a minimum amount of capital committment?

How do you manage to inspire your customers every day in a new way?

Continuous improvement and innovation are an important part of our corporate culture. Our employees question processes and procedures every day and come up with creative ideas to solve our customers’ problems, always with the end in mind to provide outstanding customer service. We give our employees a lot of freedom in their decisionmaking processes and encourage entrepreneurial thinking. Our close relationship with our customers is another key to continuous inspiration. The fact that we have the largest permanently employed sales force is proof of this and allows our sales people to work individually with our customers to support their needs. (Arno Barten, Inside Sales Manager of Würth Industrie France) How do you provide customers with maximum process control and transparency while reducing the amount of capital tied up in inventory?

We offer our customers a wide range of C-Parts with more than 420,000 line items available.

Our product range consists of small parts and assembly materials for industrial production, both standard and per print, as well as a large variety of prorprietary products covering fields like MRO, personal protection equipment as well as technicalchemical products. Under our service brand “CPS® – C-Parts Solutions” we offer a modular system of customized supply solutions for assembly material and consumable products. Each customer can build their own solution and subsequently only pays for

the modules required. CPS® solutions are demanddriven and are reviewed on a regular basis to provide maximum security with minimum capital investment. While we focus on the management of our customers’ C-Parts they can focus on their A-business. (Ralf Lagerbauer, General Management at Würth Industrie Service) Do you feel that you are successful with your new approach with CPS® in North America?

CPS® has been very successful for us so far.

Customers who manage their inventory through Würth’s CPS®KANBAN, the core of the CPS® offering, appreciate having a close and long-term relationship with their supplier. To ensure these successful partnerships, we guarantee our customers the highest standards of process and product quality while also understanding the need for constant communication. Our regular business reviews help us to understand the needs of our customers better and to become partners in success! (John Kovatch, Sales Manager of Würth Snider) CPS® C-Parts Solutions In 1997, Würth Industrie Service GmbH & Co. KG launched the service brand CPS® in Germany under the motto “Peanuts or Potential”. Starting in 2004 with the integration of the logistics of Würth Industrie France, the service brand was rolled out in Europe and became an important part of the service offering of the newly founded companies in the Würth Industrial Network. In 2010, CPS® was also launched in North America, providing customers with

"Innovative services and high product quality secure successful partnerships." the objective to provide customers a consistent and modular service offering.

CPS®KANBAN The KANBAN system originated in Japan and is a rolling container system. Kanban uses the rate of demand to control the rate of supply. Würth's Kanban system is based on barcodes and allows hassle-free supply of goods and unmatched process reliability. All articles are available where they are

needed; inventories and warehouse technology are optimized regularly and statistics are updated. With proprietary software, every container movement is recorded and documented, allowing the customer to view and change orders, locate bins and track trends in their C-Parts usage.

Würth offers a complete implementation to ensure the CPS®KANBAN program is introduced smoothly and effectively.

WüRTH IS QualITy WITHOuT COmpROmISe When it comes to quality, Würth does not compromise.

Prof. Dr. h.c. mult. Reinhold Würth has built the Würth Brand on the foundation of quality and innovation.

Increasing competition and globalization demand innovation, flexibility, speed and efficiency. These are the factors that make a C-Parts supplier a successful partner. „For us, quality also means avoiding potential stockout situations at a customer's location“, stresses Ralf Lagerbauer, General Management at Würth Industrie Service. „The two-bin CPS®KANBAN program offers a distinct advantage with the unique bin ID which allows you to track the location and the movement of each individual bin on the program and as a consequence ensures maximum availability of the right product in the right quantity and quality at the right time and the required point of use!“

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INSIGHT 2011

For the WINWORK companies, quality is not only important when it comes to product and process quality, but also when it comes to customer contact.

Sales people, engineers and technical staff are constantly exchanging ideas with customers with the objective to develop and offer practical solutions.

The customer is always the focus. The mission is to become the number 1 sales team in the eyes of the customers through quick and competent support.

Our team is prepared to go the extra mile to inspire our customers.

"Quality right from the start" is one of the principles of the group. When implementing a new CPS® program, Würth collects samples, completes a part per print review and discusses quality requirements with the customer to ensure that products are sourced correctly. Initial sample reports, PPAPs and other

advanced quality documents can be provided upon request. The quality of the supply base is another important piece of the puzzle and, as a consequence, regular supplier evaluations and audits are a vital part of Würth’s quality management program.

To offer consistent quality standards all around the world, no matter where the products are sourced, the Würth Group has quality laboratories and research and development units. We employ supplier quality engineers around the world, for example in Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia, Brazil, China and in the US. A large variety of measuring and testing equipment allow for a variety of tests to be performed when it comes to plating, materials and components. The quality lab in Shanghai tests and approves samples before suppliers from the Pacific Rim can ship product to ensure they meet Würth’s high quality standards.

Würth Industrial Network The Toro Company

paRTNeRS IN SuCCeSS THe TORO COmpaNy Würth Industrial Network supplies customers with modular C-Parts Solutions.

Customized. Reliable. International.

The Toro Company is a leading worldwide provider of turf maintenance equipment and precision irrigation systems. Since 1914, Toro has built its reputation on superior customer care and constant innovation.

The story of the successful partnership between Toro and Würth Industry of North America (WINA) began in 2009 when the Toro team indicated that their current inventory program no longer provided the service needed to keep up with industry demands and engineering changes. Toro realized that there were opportunities for improvement in their supply operations and saw sizeable benefits in partnering with Würth.

January 1st, 2010 Toro entered into a partnership with Würth Adams, a member of WINA, that would eventually change the way “Vendor Managed Inventory” (VMI) was viewed by Toro’s management and production teams. After being awarded the

business, the implementation only took 120 days from start to finish. Würth was able to customize the modular components of CPS® and match the individual needs of each Toro facility.

Toro expressed important requirements for Würth to provide country of origin tracking, lot tracking and certification of suppliers. Würth worked on these requirements and quickly implemented systems to certify suppliers through PPAP’s and established a defined system for lot and country of origin tracking.

As part of CPS® TECH, a dedicated Würth engineer has worked from the beginning of the program to help Toro reduce their fastener costs. Würth works closely with Toro to streamline and update standards to ensure the use of the most current fastener standards in an effort to minimize costly specials and long lead times. To improve communciation, a Würth engineer spends several hours every week in Toro’s engineering department in Bloomington.

Both Toro and Würth meet on a regular basis to analyze information pertaining to racers, sleepers, and excess and obsolete inventory. More importantly, they meet to discuss the next steps to further improve the partnership. These regular continuous improvement reviews provide a platform for constant communication, and enables quality improvements to be implemented in a timely manner.

The cooperation and dedication of the individuals involved in all facets of development, implementation and support have been the foundation for success of the program.

Through WINWORK, several of Toro’s contractors as well as a facilities in the United Kingdom, including Hayter, are serviced by Würth. The merits of the CPS® KANBAN program and the partnership between Toro and Würth have been instrumental in the approach of a new era and revolutionizing VMI.

aWaRD fOR lONG-TeRm CuSTOmeR-SupplIeRRelaTIONSHIp

INveSTING IN OuR fuTuRe Growing to better serve our customers

On October 18th, 2010, Würth Industrie Service broke ground in Bad Mergentheim on the expansion of the new, state-of-the-art European Logistics Center.

Würth Industrie Service has invested around 26.5 million Euros in the construction of these new logistical buildings, including a fully automated warehouse.

The ultimate goal is to have one of the most modern logistical centers in Europe with sophisticated, cutting-edge technology.

New incoming and outgoing goods facilities, a second high rack warehouse, and an internal shuttle system are the main components of the expansion.

The first stage of the expansion will create 64,000 new positions in the shuttle system and 24,000 in the high rack warehouse. And this is only the first step.

Looking forward, each new building has been carefully designed to allow for further expansion in future years. When the need arises for more storage space, we have put ourselves in a position to expand quickly and efficiently.

It is with great gratitude that Würth welcomes the opportunity to be an integral part of Toro.

In 2001, Würth Industrie Service and the Liebherr Group were awarded the Win-Win Cup of the year 2001 for their solution to reduce procurement costs of C-Parts.

In 2011, the Jury of VDI (Association of German Engineers) has again appreciated the cooperation across four continents and appointed this successful connection to be the winner of the "VDI Win-Win Cup of the Decade".

Liebherr is not only one of the world’s leading manufacturers of construction machinery but is also an acknowledged supplier of technically innovative user-oriented products and services in numerous other fields.

Award of the VDI "The Best of the Best." 10 years of outstanding WIN-WIN-Relationship of Liebherr and Würth Industrie Service

INSIGHT 2011

7

Würth Industrial Network Innovations

JOIN THe WüRTH Team Our employees make Würth Industrial Network such a successful global presence in the distribution industry. Innovation, continuous improvement and a solid corporate culture allow WINWORK to continue to become stronger and inspire customers on a daily basis!

What drives and motivates the employees in the Würth Industrial Network each and every day?

WINWORK has been supporting the needs of manufacturers for years and continues to grow as a global distributor.

Our talented and motivated employees are the foundation of Würth’s growth and continued success.

Employee development is part of a life-cycle process.

Martina Heger, HR manager at Würth Industrie Service, has developed a model to support our employees throughout their Würth careers. Our experienced HR team has helped recruit, train and develop hundreds of employees and given them specific growth paths within the organization. Many of our employees joined the company as an intern or trainee, learned our company culture and then chose to continue employment.

Due to the high success rate and the continued investment in our sales force, the sales trainee program is now being rolled out to other countries.

In 2010 Würth Service Supply started with the first class of sales trainees. John Fuerst, Managing Director at Würth Service Supply explains: “Our philosophy is that a sales representative is only as good as the knowledge and training he/she has been given. That is why we have developed an

extensive training program, designed to fully prepare our representatives to go into the field with the product knowledge, prospect hunting, relationship building skills and the confidence necessary to succeed. The training program is mutually beneficial since giving new sales representatives the tools for success leads to better results for us all”.

Würth’s training program consists of classroom product training, ride-alongs with experienced sales representatives, visits to fastener manufacturers and Würth customers. Sales trainees will also spend time with experienced employees from all departments in order to develop a good overview of our business processes and learn how each department affects the others and contributes to the overall success of the company.

“When I was looking for a job, I wanted to get in a training program, so I wasn’t just thrown to the lions after a week of product training; Würth was able to provide this. We were able to practice selling to some start-up customers, which was an amazing experience. Everyone involved in the training program is knowledgeable with years of experience and continues to provide support to us in the field. This was a great program that prepared me for the territory I am in today.” - Blair Luscombe, Sales Representative (Trainee, June 2010)

a RevOluTION IN KaNbaN lOGISTICS Innovation is an important part of Würth’s business. Developing solutions that simplify our customers’ processes and increase efficiencies are important for long-term relationships. Innovation requires the right corporate culture, or “VIBRANT CURIOSITY” as defined previously as one of the annual mottos of the Würth Group.

Ergonomics combined with flexibility, this is what the new W-KLT® bin has to offer.

Containers of this type are the preferred choice for industrial Kanban systems. Production facilities that require a wide range of products also require appropriate storage amenities. Frequently, production halls are overfilled with racks and storage space that is not used efficiently. Disruptions in the process flow are not uncommon. W-KLT, Würth‘s small-load carrier, is the right tool for the job. Until now, containers used with the Kanban system have posed problems for transport, accessibility and warehouse space utilization. The W-KLT design takes care of these problems. Würth’s W-KLT bins were designed in coordination with CPS®KANBAN, which makes managing C-Parts inventory as simple as scanning a barcode.

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Würth also offers proprietary CPS® Space Saver Racks in conjunction with the W-KLT bins that can be adjusted to plant layouts. The lightweight, strong shelving units are designed to specifically fit the W-KLT bins, and come in varying sizes to suit the specific needs of each customer. „Our innovative W-KLT helps customers to optimize their C-Parts management and improve the process quality. The many advantages guarantee a high degree of efficiency and ensure that you have chosen the right system and the right innovative partner,“ says Stefan Reuss, logistics manager at Würth Industrie Service.

Customers will save time and money with our streamlined logistics process and pro-active inventory support team. Our customizable program ensures you are getting the best program for your processes.

frees up to 50% of your storage space! up to 50% less shelf space required! products are kept up to 80% cleaner!