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The information magazine about White Cement | 2013 – 1
Excellence in White
Changes in organization Creating a value Customer´s profiles Excellence inWhite
8–13
Changes in organization
4–7 14–25 26–29
Whiteboard
Editorial
Content
Dear customers,
This year is the first year following our 100 years celebration, but has already
brought several changes.
At the beginning of this year, Holcim restructured its regional organization by
creating Holcim Central Eastern Europe. A new CEO and management were
appointed.
We have opened the second C³ Atelier, this time in Budapest. Our big thanks
go to all of you who were involved in creating such a unique interior, full of
specific applications using our white cement.
The opinion of you, our customers, is very important to us as it gives us the
right feedback to improve and develop ourselves and to reach your expecta-
tions. Most of you had the chance to evaluate us and I would like to thank you
for your honest responses. You will find the current data in a report about our
Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey we completed last year.
You can be sure that we’re taking these results very seriously and we’ve
already implemented a number of measures in order to outperform our past
years’ results.
On the following pages you can also find a number of nice examples of our
motto Excellence in White: On one hand, we’re presenting a selection of our
customers from all over Europe. You can read about their successful and inter-
esting projects and get inspired by their views of innovation, differentiation,
or production processes.
On the other hand we’re providing you with a vision of designers and artists
who transformed our white cement into stylish objects and aesthetic sculp-
tures.
And last but not least: I’m proud to inform you that we ranked 2nd in a
prestigious Slovak PR competition “Corporate Media of the Year” with our last
Whiteboard 2012 issue. It shows me that our reports are well prepared and
this magazine provides content that our readers want to read.
I wish you happy reading,
a successful year 2013, and thank you
very much for staying with us!
Changes in organization 4 – 7
New cluster Holcim Central Eastern Europe (HCEE)
Patrick Stapfer, new CEO Holcim Central Eastern Europe
Creating a value 8 – 13
NPS/ Net promoter score results
C3
atelier powered by Holcim now in Budapest
Custmer´s profiles 14 – 25
Concrete design with a soul / IVANKA
Feelgood White Cement Stones / Weissenböck
Industrial flooring and surfaces of exceptional quality / Densit s.r.o.
Höfe am Brühl / HFB Engineering GmbH
Terazzo- style floors in Lomma / Starka
Polycon glass fibre reinforced concrete / klocement plus s.r.o.
Excellence in White 26 – 29
We help create awe-inspiring works
Our success in the competition „Corporate medium of the Year“
Contacts 30 – 31
ContentJosef Nowak
Sales Manager
White Cement CEE
Holcim Whiteboard 20132 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 3
Changesinorganization
Changesinorganization
Ingrid Višňovská
Senior Marketing
& Communication
Coordinator
Holcim (Slovensko) a.s. has become a part of a new and
expanded regional structure in Holcim Central Eastern
Europe along with Holcim companies in the Czech Repub-
lic, Austria, Hungary and Poland. This transformation
within Holcim took effect on 1 January 2013, the same
date on which the merger of Holcim Slovensko and VSH
took effect.
All of these changes have brought our customers a range
of benefits, all of which are generated thanks to coopera-
tion with a strong and stable partner. Nothing at Holcim
in terms of continuity with its long-term strategy of a
pro-customer company has changed. The top priority and
primary goal in the coming period is clear differentiation
in the segment by creating added value for you, our cus-
tomers, with emphasis on providing complete solutions.
One advantage of the fusion of selected Holcim compa-
nies into the Holcim Central Eastern Europe cluster is the
clearly improved sharing and development of the know-
how in the individual countries that can be leveraged to
continuously improve the range of products and services
we offer.
Last but not least the new and streamlined management
structure creates an opportunity to optimize processes
and to strengthen our customer focus thanks to better
coordination in cross-border regions.
The new Holcim Central Eastern Europe (HCEE) region has
been led by Patrick Stapfer since 1.1.2013.
The formation of Holcim Central Eastern Europe in 2013 is one of
the most important events for the European area of Holcim Group.
The white cement managment & sales and marketing team, as
an integral part of Holcim Slovakia, has become a part of this new
HCEE cluster, too.
Holcim Slovensko is now a part of
Holcim Central Eastern Europe
Holcim Whiteboard 20134 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 5
Patrick Stapfer, previously the CEO of Holcim Czech Republic, has ac-
cepted the role of CEO for the newly-created Holcim Central Eastern
Europe cluster. Patrick began working in Holcim in 2004 as a consultant
for portfolio management at HGRS. In 2007 he moved on to accept a
position as assistance EXCO member and was selected in 2008 to be the
CEO of Sharr Cement in Kosovo. In 2010 Patrick was named the CEO of
Holcim Czech Republic. Patrick received his engineering degree in In-
dustrial Management and Production from the Swiss Federal Technical
Institute in Zürich.
I'm pleased when peo-
ple approach me with
potential solutions and
ideas to resolve an issue,
rather than just the issue
or problem itself.
Patrick Stapfer, new CEO of Holcim
Central Eastern Europe (HCEE)
Patrick, can you tell us a little
bit more about yourself?
I've been working for Holcim for
nearly nine years. I began as a
consultant in the business services
department and was responsible for
a portfolio of products. My consul-
tation work involved a huge number
of companies from around the
world and then I worked in Zürich
as an assistant member of the ex-
ecutive committee responsible for
Europe. In 2008 I became the CEO of
Sharr Cement in Kosovo. At the time
I accepted the position of CEO of
the newly created cluster I had been
the head of Holcim Czech Republic
for more than three years. I'm mar-
ried to my wonderful wife Jennifer
and in July 2011 I became the proud
father of my beautiful daughter Elin
Melija, who was born in Prague. I'm
a big fan of winter sports, running
and travelling. Whenever snow
falls, I guarantee that you'll find
me somewhere on my skis as I'm
looking for fresh powder. In my free
time I try and spend as much time
as possible with my family and
friends over a good cup of tea.
What were the reasons for cre-
ating the CEE regional cluster?
Given the complex and demanding
market conditions, it became neces-
sary to consolidate production,
sales and management processes.
As a result, the markets in Hungary,
Austria and Poland will primarily be
supplied by our plants in Rohožník,
Turna and Prachovice. In Hungary,
Holcim will be transformed into
more or less a sales organization to
secure sales for Rohožník and Alesd.
The sales organizations will remain
local in order to best focus on the
individual markets. Our objective is
to effectively organize support proc-
ess functions. We have to ensure
that all of the countries receive
the same standard of support with
respect to financing and human
resources for instance. As opposed
to the former North Danube cluster
structure, this time we are going to
try and build out an organization
without a specific headquarters to
be more flexible and responsive in
market coordination.
Where do you see the HCEE
cluster in 3 to 5 years? What's your
strategy?
We want to create a unified team of
individuals across borders who are
proud to be a part of the CEE cluster
while ensuring the cluster is active-
ly engaged in pushing forward in
the development of a pro-customer
approach and employees and the
creation of the best prices.
If people have the drive and are not
afraid to take an untraditional ap-
proach or go against common practic-
es, I give them the space and freedom
they need to develop their idea.
Our strategy is based on a continuous search for ways to increase the values that we
create for our customers by focusing on the following aspects:
The central standing of the customer as the driving force
behind an organization: After years of achieving excellent
satisfaction results with our customers, we staked out an
even higher goal: satisfaction is not enough; we want to
create loyal customers. Thanks to the introduction of NPS
(Net Promoter Score) we can now individually assess feed-
back from customers, which helps us to better understand
why they choose us, what their specific needs are and
the issues that are critical to each customer. Our ultimate
goal is to develop our services to become an organization
that is primarily focused on customer satisfaction. Truly
valuable feedback obtained from the first round in the
NPS program for cement motivated us to roll out the NPS
program for other business segments including aggre-
gates and transport concrete.
Holcim as a premium brand: Our goal is to become the
most attractive and best known brand in our segment.
Our partners expect a brand that is a guarantee of high
performance and reliability.
We are a leader in the field of innovation and activities
focused on sustainable development. Thanks to the fact
that our TCC (technical competency centre) employs elite
professionals, we are able to offer a wide spectrum of
services including cement application consulting, concrete
technology consulting and lab services. Holcim is expand-
ing the range of guides we published for the application of
our individual products while also expanding cooperation
with universities.
Enriching our services thanks to the C3
Atelier concept:
We created a specific space to present concrete and
cement along with traditional and innovative solutions
using these specific materials. C3
Atelier creates a platform
for learning about the best from the entire industrial
branch and puts our latest and modern innovations within
reach. In addition, we also present the latest trends and
news from sustainable construction. Partners of the
C3
Atelier and individual entities playing a key role in this
segment can present their products and services as well,
making C3
Atelier a place where they can also reinforce
and build their business relationships.
We create value for customers: Our partners can profit
from our innovative products, which include permeable
concrete and embossed concrete. We are constantly devel-
oping new services that help us to remain in front of the
rest of the market.
Last but not least we remain committed to rooting out
and combating corruption. With respect to this very issue,
we have joined a partnership with Transparency Interna-
tional, a leading global non-governmental organization
focused on the fight against corruption, in the Czech
Republic.
Changesinorganization
Changesinorganization
Holcim Whiteboard 20136 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 7
Assessing the research
We began the research in October
of the previous year among custom-
ers who purchased white cement
and related services from our
Rohožník facility.
A term of 21 days was provided
to complete the questionnaires.
Thanks to you, we managed to
achieve a rate of return on the
questionnaires of 54% and we then
analysed the questionnaires we
received together with the heads
of the departments responsible for
the individual areas covered. We
prepared solutions for those areas
you highlighted as problematic and
some have already been rolled out
with the remainder soon to come in
the near future.
Primary findings
Important information was
obtained from the research and
represents a major source of sug-
gestions for directing more than
just our supporting activities to
you, our customers. We did receive
a good deal of positive feedback in
many of your answers. The quality
of our products, speed at which we
completed orders and our profes-
sional approach were all evaluated
in a very positive manner and we
will continue efforts to extend this
growing trend. We also received
suggestions for improvements,
which we carefully assessed in
order to provide you with new and
more effective solutions.
Up to 71% of customers asked
would recommend Holcim to an
acquaintance
Up to 75% of customers were very
satisfied with products and
services provided by Holcim
Implementation of the findings into
practice
This research, of course, is about
much more than numbers. It varies
from other forms of research in
that we are able to resolve each
individual piece of feedback indi-
vidually on a case by case basis. We
are able to respond to some issues
promptly, within 42 hours from
when the questionnaire is returned,
while other issues require solutions
that must be implemented over a
longer time frame. Based on your
answers, we were able to identify
and implement a number of pos-
sible improvements.
In terms of marketing support dur-
ing sales support, we prepared a
number of new materials this year
that we are planning to roll out in
local language versions as well.
This activity will include a profile
brochure for white cement along
with an overview of the most inter-
esting recent reference projects, a
product brochure for white cement
and updates to technical sheets in a
practical and stylish solution known
as White Binder. More up-to-date
information will also be provided in
more regular issues of the White-
board* magazine, which provides
an overview of the most interesting
projects and latest news twice a
year.
Steps moving forward
Based on the positive experience
from surveying customers, we are
planning to conduct customer satis-
faction research again in September
2013. If you are interested in provid-
ing us with feedback about our
products and services, you can get
involved by completing the on-line
form provided to you via email at
any time during the year. Customer
satisfaction research provides you
with a direct way to be heard and to
send comments about our products
and services, write your opinions,
provide suggestions or make a
complaint.
Thank you in advance for any feed-
back you provide as you will help us
continue to improve our products
and services.
Reasons to participate in our
customer satisfaction survey – NPS
Linda Tomková
Marketing Coordi-
nator
At the end of October 2012 we successfully launched our Net Promoting Score (NPS)
initiative in the white cement segment to gather feedback from customers in vari-
ous areas of our work activities including production, sales, marketing, logistics and
customer services. Thanks to the valuable information you provided, we can con-
tinue to work on making the improvements you want.
We completed the first round of customer satisfaction surveys over the past year
using an on-line questionnaire in 6 countries: Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany,
Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. We asked you about your satisfaction with the level
of quality we provide in our products and services. In this issue we'll present the
initial findings and an overview of new solutions that we have implemented thanks
to your feedback.
*The last issue of
Whiteboard in 2012
received a prestigi-
ous award in the
Corporate Medium
2012 competition
(2nd place for exter-
nal communication)
Creatingavalue
Creatingavalue
Holcim Whiteboard 20138 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 9
After the first C³ Atelier in Vienna, which opened two
years ago, we are continuing to develop and innovate the
Atelier concept under the "C³ Atelier" brand. The brand
expresses 2 fundamental aspects, a different and creative
approach to mutual communication ("Atelier") and our
focus on cement, concrete and the importance of critical
know-how and competencies. ("Cement, Concrete and
Competence")
The importance of opening the C³ Atelier in Budapest
was underlined by the participation of 13 companies
considered leaders in the construction industry in Hun-
gary as well as the management of Holcim and the Swiss
Ambassador to Hungary, Mr Jean-François Paroz, who
came to highlight the need for innovation in the cement
and concrete industry.
"At the C³ Atelier, visitors can get to know the latest
methods for using cement and concrete," said Ottó
Magera, CEO of Holcim Magyarország Kft.
The C³ Atelier concept has been initiated and coordinated
by Holcim: on the one hand this step opens up new op-
portunities for professionals in the construction industry
to cooperate with the goal of enhancing their business
and to make their brand more visible while it also serves
to make an active contribution towards sharing the
know-how and information available within the Holcim
Group worldwide.
Members of C³ Atelier have the opportunity to present
their products, services and innovative ideas through
exhibitions, conferences, workshops, round tables
and other interesting events. At the same time, atelier
partners can also become an integral part of the interior
design used in C³ Atelier premises thanks to the incorpo-
ration of their products and applications into the interior
design itself. Of course, there are further opportunities
to be seen and present thanks to selected exhibits in
the Atelier's showroom. This opportunity is available at
any time and is subject to an agreement between both
parties.
On 13 February 2013 Holcim Mag-
yarország Kft opened the new C³ Atelier,
which offers space as a neutral platform
for sharing information, experience and
the latest technological processes and
innovations for all entities active in the
construction industry.
C³ Atelier powered by Holcim
now in Budapest
Ingrid Višňovská
Senior Marketing
& Communication
Coordinator
At the C³ Atelier, visitors can get to
know the latest methods for using
cement and concrete
Ottó Magera
Creatingavalue
Creatingavalue
Holcim Whiteboard 201310 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 11
A more detailed look at C³ Atelier in
Budapest
A total of 12 companies were
involved in finishing the interior and
furnishing the C3
Atelier in Buda-
pest. Some of the more interesting
aspects from this work are shared
below. The idea was to make every
single possible installation from
exposed concrete as our goal is to
present the expedience and the
beauty of concrete in everyday appli-
cations. This meant that every part
of the Atelier had to be made from
concrete.
Polished platinum concrete floor in
cooperation with:
Holcim = special recipe + concrete +
pumping (3rd floor!) | Avers = high
grade polymer fiber | Verbau = instal-
lation/work in | Epotrend = platinum
polishing with the Swedish HTC
technology + monthly floor mainte-
nance using an ecological technol-
ogy (no chemicals, only water +
diamond disc)
Curiosity: 12-cm-thick concrete was
laid on the 3rd floor (pumping),
without a reinforcing grid (in order
to maintain load-bearing capacity
we used high grade polymer fiber
from Avers). Verbau laid this first
class industrial floor.
Concrete walls in cooperation with:
IVANKA: 80 x 80 cm different colours
and textures | Fabrostone from
Holcim cement | imitation wood by
Csikós design
Statue Wall / Show Wall / Display
Structure / Ikon Wall /
Csikós design | Entity manufacturing
by Fabrostone | Artistic placement of
all Holcim cement types by Csikós
Curiosity: The original aim was
to present all of types of Holcim
cement (Hungary, Romania, and
Slovakia).
Glass-concrete chandelier
Industrial art design by Török Sára | Shutter by Doka | Concrete made by Hol-
cim | Hand made glass by Török Sára.
Reception
IVANKA walls | IVANKA concrete sofa | Losonczi Litracon lighting reception |
Concrete lamps
Large conference room
IVANKA concrete tables | Concrete curtains by IVANKA
We are planning to have many more platinum mem-
bers in the future to whom we intend to offer the
opportunity to have a permanent installation in the ex-
hibition hall. That's why a simple coat of grey paint has
been applied to the walls, columns, ceiling and window
sills in the space reserved for future platinum members
and their installations. There is also additional space in
the reception area where Csikós & Fabro are currently
working on their joint and innovative 3D concrete wall
with lighting effects.
Creatingavalue
Creatingavalue
Holcim Whiteboard 201312 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 13
IVANKA was founded in 2002 by hus-
band & wife duo Andras and Katalin
Ivanka and it’s one of the world’s
leading designer concrete manufac-
turers. It seeks to create desire by
envisaging distinctive designs and
executing these designs with the
background of an organized techno-
logical drive. Their work is based on
the versatile nature of CONCRETE,
the primary material chosen for
creative expression by discovering
unexplored attributes. Through their
creations with concrete, their affin-
ity for the material and a constant
search for new technological solu-
tions, their work speaks volumes
about their country of origin, and
also about their approach to design.
Since its inception IVANKA has made
a name for itself by adding a design
perspective to what is otherwise
widely viewed as an industrial mate-
rial. They have taken concrete and
created products that defy normal
concrete capacities and rock our
conventional image of this material
today. IVANKA is best known for its
unique wall panels, flaster tiles, its
special technology applied in solid
exposed staircases, the concrete
sound audiophile loudspeakers and
small decorative objects.
By joining forces with a pair of
young Hungarian fashion designers,
Katalin Ivanka invented a new textile
based on the aesthetic qualities of
concrete, and created a second seg-
ment of the first FASHION ’GENESIS’
Collection of Concrete wearables and
accessories where real high perform-
ance concrete meets soft leather and
textiles.
In September 2012 IVANKA's
‘concrete house of fashion’ debuted
at Paris Fashion Week as the latest
addition to the ever-growing IVANKA
portfolio. IVANKA is a constant ex-
hibitor at Milan and London Design
Weeks and regularly appears in in-
ternational titles such as ELLE Decor,
Living Etc. and Homes & Gardens
and can boast prestigious clientele
from as far away as Hong Kong and
Australia.
IVANKA is more one of Holcim's
white cement customers. It was also
the first Hungarian member of the
C3
Atelier in Vienna and became a
significant founder member of the
C3
Atelier in Budapest.
Why did you decide to use Hol-
cim White Cement in your produc-
tion activities & finished products?
Holcim is way more than a cement
supplier offering premium quality
cement. We have built up a strategic
partnership. IVANKA has member-
ship in the C3
Atelier in Vienna and
platinum membership in the
C3
Atelier in Budapest. We are Hol-
cim customers, and Holcim is our
client as well; at the moment we
are designing summer gifts for the
company, and previously our studio
had the honour of creating a celebra-
tion collection for the “100 years
of Holcim” representing strength,
power and performance.
What makes Holcim White Ce-
ment the best choice for you and for
some of your specific applications?
What does this cement enable you
to achieve?
White cement for us is like a blank
canvas for an artist, that’s where you
start from! IVANKA shapes, colours
and textures all of its products.
Regarding our palette, even the rest
of our shades of grey are mixed from
white!
What specific type of the cement
type (within the Holcim white ce-
ment portfolio) do you use in your
applications? What are the key
characteristics of this cement that
are the most valuable/ important
for you?
CEM I 52.5 White (Portland cement)
What sorts of applications or
installations made using our white
cement are parts of your product
portfolio? Are you ready to launch or
are you designing brand new prod-
ucts for the upcoming season?
Flaster tiles are one of our top-sell-
ing products and we ship worldwide,
therefore, spurred by a growing
demand at the moment, our studio
department is working on new
designs of the ‘Flaster family’. We
are also working on a basic furniture
collection based on the aesthetics of
thin concrete slabs with rebar struc-
tures, and a new washbasin, which
you'll be able to see first at Solinfo
Café by Tom Dixon, in Budapest.
What are some of the most in-
teresting projects you've completed
over the last couple of years using
our white cement?
Andaz Hyatt Amsterdam by Marcel
Wanders - Amsterdam | Driving
Camp – Zsámbék | Solinfo café by
Tom Dixon – Budapest | ANS III.
Hungarocontrol – Budapest | MGM
(Metro Goldwyn Mayer) Skybox – Las
Vegas | YSL (Saint Laurent Paris) –
Istanbul | Liberty London – London |
G-Star – Berlin, Maastricht, Istanbul |
Concrete Genezis (the first ready-to-
wear collection by IVANKA) | Seeyou,
an international-award-winning,
contemporary gravestone design
How are you/ or your final cus-
tomers satisfied with your finished
products and installations based on
our white cement?
The premium and luxury segment
of the market IVANKA works for
demands the best available quality
we can provide. Our visually sensi-
tive international clientele is only
satisfied with the highest standards
but also understands the natural
character of concrete, the perfect
imperfection. We have received very
good feedback. Our aim is perfection
from the point of performance, with
results that don’t look ‘overdone’.
Do you find our technologi-
cal consultancy & guidance? Does
it bring you some added value or
benefits? Could you describe some
of these benefits?
We learn something every day
from working with concrete today
in such different fields like we do.
This has drawn our attention to the
importance of continuous research
and development for the new ap-
plications, Holcim as a huge global
company delivers added value in
terms of sharing and the transfer of
the technological knowledge that
exceeds our own scale, profile and
reach here at IVANKA.
We interviewed Mrs Katalin Ivanka (Founder, Co-owner and AD of IVANKA) to find out more about the basis of our
cooperation and current relationship:
White cement for us is like a blank canvas for
an artist, that’s where you start from!
"GLAMOUR Women of the Year 2012"
Katalin Ivanka (Founder, Co-owner and AD of IVANKA)
has been nominated "Fashion Designer of the Year" 2012
by GLAMOUR Magazine
"Év Ékszere 2012-Jewel of the Year 2012 - Hungary"
The jury has chosen nine awarded artists, and there has
been a people’s choice award for the tenth. IVANKA stu-
dio / Szabó Anna ORGEN JEWELRY collection was named
an award-winning entry by the jury.
"Best Stand in Show Award at Tent London 2011"
”The IVANKA stand at Tent London captured the very es-
sence of what makes for a great stand; beautifully made
products presented in an inspiring open format. The bold
stand design using very bright Tent blue allowed for com-
pete interaction with visitors who were invited to create
their own pieces in order to gain an understanding of
the core material on display, concrete. IVANKA-selected
products on display demonstrated the versatility of the
material and included tableware, jewellery, fashion items
and surface materials for interior projects. The IVANKA
team also went to great lengths to promote their partici-
pation and in so doing ensured they had a very success-
ful event”, Jimmy MacDonald, Director, Tent London &
Superbrands London.
"HG.hu Design Awards 2011"
Award winner finalist in ‘Product’ category on HG Design
Award 2011 for FLASTER Tiles More information: www.ivanka.hu
Concrete design with a soul
IVANKA
Katalin Ivanka
Creative director
AWARDS and RECOGNITION within the last 2 years:
Custmer´sprofiles
Custmer´sprofiles
Holcim Whiteboard 201314 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 15
Weissenböck company profile
Founded in 1946, the company Weis-
senböck Baustoffwerk Ges.m.b.H.
quickly established itself as a reliable
business partner with groundbreak-
ing innovations and sound business
management. Production of pre-
fabricated steel reinforced concrete
garages commenced in Lower Austria
as early as 1968. By 1978, in a time
when paving stones were being used
predominantly for surface stabilisa-
tion, Weissenböck had taken the
decision to manufacture stones for
design paving in the forms of circles
and fan paving. Several paving
systems, and subsequently also slab
systems have since been introduced,
with Tegula and Rialta paving
stones and Carma antique slabs
now counting amongst the leading
products in their respective market
sectors. Plantable retaining walls
comprising of stone plant troughs
were introduced in Austria in1980.
Weissenböck is now one of Europe's
market leaders for facing masonry in
the garden.
The company has also been the recip-
ient of numerous inventor awards: In
October, 2012, it was acknowledged
as the first manufacturer of all-round
gritting salt-resistant paving stones
within the scope of the NÖ Innova-
tion Award. As a member of the
Austrian Forum of Quality Paving,
the company is also active in the re-
search and development for further
optimisation of structural designs.
Close association between Weis-
senböck and Holcim quality white
cement
Holcim white cement lends 4 of the
5 Weissenböck paving stones their
brilliant colouration. The potential
for warm and friendly colours was
realised at an extremely early stage
and was quickly introduced into the
range. As a result, the now legen-
dary Muschelkalk (shell limestone)
colour introduced by Weissenböck
in 2002 is currently available in
several different shades. One factor,
however, combines all shades of
white cement building materials: the
light-intensified colour reflection.
Even on gloomy days or in shaded
areas, best sellers such as melange,
java brown or savanna from Weissen-
böck radiate joyous emotionalities
which endure. This is achieved with
special techniques mixing pigment,
water and sand to integrate colours
permanently in the pristine white
and immaculately colourable white
cement lime. Robust colours require
considerably higher qualities than
would be required by the standard,
for example. With its many-varied
contrasts, the Austrian weather is a
„merciless and torturous climate“
for concrete blocks, reducing many
of the concrete blocks to a look of
„washed out concrete“ once their col-
our has faded. Additional colouring
procedures of particular importance
include adherence to „purity require-
ments“ throughout the entire white
cement logistics, from raw material
to the mixers. Only then can such
brilliant colours be reliably attained
over duller colours.
White cement stones and the envi-
ronment
Stone suppliers carry a tremen-
dous responsibility with regard to
the manipulation of colouring. An
abundance of natural colour changes
are often to be found in immediate
proximity to paving stones, one only
has to consider multicoloured plants
or the colour of leaves in autumn.
Fundamental research and develop-
ment involves the harmonious inte-
gration of stone colour combinations
with nature's colours and regional
colour traditions. For expansive open
designs, compatibility with other
stone colours or the configuration
of appropriate stone sets is also of
utmost importance. After all, the „all-
embracing outdoor art form“ should
still be admired and appreciated in
another 20 years time. High-quality
paving designs have been viewed as
a symbol of „advanced civilisations“
and cultural heritage preservation
in many countries around the world
since Roman times. These days, the
aesthetic effect of paving joints is
enhanced with modern LED lighting
concepts.
White cement stones also play a sig-
nificant role with regard to sunlight,
however: Direct exposure to the sun's
rays will cause the stones to become
comfortably warm, but never too hot.
This is especially important in the
event of direct skin contact or when
walking across the stones with bare
feet, as well as under terrace awnings
etc.: Nobody wants to sit down to
dinner in a stifling hot air furnace.
Formulating and comparing ideas:
The Weissenböck feelgood gardens
and the range of paved areas
A new type of advisory centre was
opened in 2001 in Gerasdorf close
to Vienna: The feelgood garden.
Further feelgood gardens will follow
in Neunkirchen and Hörsching near
to Linz and the next site will open in
Seiersberg near Graz in June, 2013.
„Formulating and comparing ideas“
can be experienced live in these advi-
sory centres, whereby an assortment
of goods can be accessed in every
sense of the word. With the amounts
invested in gardens today, it is es-
sential that the stones can be viewed
practically prior to purchase.
Weissenböck have been offering
their own range of paving designs
as a downloadable freeware from
their web portal www.Steine.at since
2008. The main advantage of this
program: A realistic visualisation of
Feelgood White Cement
Stones from Weissenböck
Custmer´sprofiles
Custmer´sprofiles
Stefan Weissenböck
Owner
Weissenböck Baus-
toff werk Ges.m.b.H.
Close collaboration between the experts
at the C3
Atelier of the Holcim white
cement group and the engineers at the
Weissenböck offices is demonstrating
enormous new potential for the future
of white cement stones.
Holcim Whiteboard 201316 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 17
possibilities for your private driveway
at home with numerous variants of
stone is immediately impressive.
Outlook
Close collaboration between the
experts at the C3
Atelier of the
Holcim white cement group and the
engineers at the Weissenböck offices
is demonstrating enormous new
potential for the future of white ce-
ment stones. Architects and special-
ist customers such as plasterers and
garden designers apply precisely the
same definition of form and colour
specific to new mixes of materials
with wood and natural stone, thus
facilitating the actual research and
development. The success story of
„open space design“ with consistent
growth rates will continue through
this customer dialogue. This has
ensured a steady offset of revenue
for dynamic development of these
products in practically every country
in the world over the last thirty
years, even during the commercial
construction crisis years.
For more information, please visit our
site at: www.steine.at
Custmer´sprofiles
Custmer´sprofiles
Holcim Whiteboard 201318 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 19
Densit® is a high quality material
based on natural materials and min-
erals with no synthetic substances
or solvents. The unique properties of
Densit have made it a favourite solu-
tion in a number of industries. The
logical progression of the project was
the creation of a range of products
for applications in the industrial
flooring segment where customers
expect exceptional quality from the
finished floor product. Given these
high expectations for final product
quality, incredible importance is
placed on the quality of the raw
materials used in the product, in
particular cement in our case.
In selecting a cement supplier, there
was a clear choice for us, Holcim
(Slovensko) a.s., the leader on the
market for construction materials
and our partner since 2000. We use
Holcim CEM I 52.5N white cement
for our production needs.
Why CEM I 52.5N
Stylish floor top layers with strength
ratings of up to 50 MPa for both in-
terior and exterior environments and
for industry, where there are higher
wear demands, are created thanks
to the high strength of this cement,
its colour permanency and easy-to-
colour properties using powder and
liquid pigments.
Homogeneity during processing and
the stable Portland quality of CEM I
52.5N cement have a decisive impact
on the final quality of the floor top
layer.
Densit SK uses special equipment to
wash the concrete resulting in styl-
ish flat, vertical and curved flooring
surfaces where the final effect is the
direct result of the skilled tradesmen
and the colour, shape and type of ag-
gregates used as well as the bonder,
i.e. the cement, with respect to a
long-term guarantee of quality. Our
company went through a multi-year
process of selecting and testing and
is very satisfied with our selection of
CEM I 52.5N white cement.
Our company also uses the white
cement for special screeds that are
sanded and polished up to seven
times, resulting in a glossy finish, and
CEM I 52.5N has also proven to be a
success in these products.
References
Our references include a number of
industrial floors installed for custom-
ers and in facilities across Slovakia
and abroad (see Photo 1).
One of our largest orders in the re-
cent past was an access road finished
with washed concrete with a total
surface area of 1700 m2, which used
a total of 50 tonnes of white cement
(see Photo 2). This truly successful
project was relatively demanding as
the top layer of white cement had
to be installed on an existing rough
base layer using the special Densit
Primer product as the connector. The
washed concrete surface had to be
sealed and the expansion joints were
meticulously finished by hand-fitting
stones into a flexible bed.
Technical consulting
Densit regularly consults on techni-
cal issues related to the production
of special concrete mixtures with
professionals from Holcim and is cur-
rently considering making use of the
services offered by Holcim's Technical
and Competency Centre in Bratislava.
Industrial flooring and surfaces
of exceptional quality
Densit SK, s.r.o. was established in 1992 and specializes in the production of indus-
trial Densit flooring. Flooring in industrial buildings plays an important role in the
functionality of the entire building. Many industrial buildings have floors that are
finished with bare concrete, which is sufficient for a number of industrial segments.
Other industries place much higher requirements on flooring, which drives the need
to add a protective top coat layer above the bare concrete.
Ronald Valentíny
Product Manager
Densit SK, s.r.o.
The unique properties
of Densit have made
it a favourite solution
in a number of indus-
tries.
Custmer´sprofiles
Custmer´sprofiles
Holcim Whiteboard 201320 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 21
Höfe am Brühl is a shopping complex in Leipzig de-
signed by the Grüntuch Ernst Architects Office in Berlin.
During its conception, the planners aspired to represent
the buildings and the courtyards of Leipzig's city centre
and incorporate the historical surroundings in the de-
sign of the façade. They therefore opted for an interac-
tion of various materials and structures.
Reminiscing on the history of the city
In one section of the façade for example, they in-
tegrated original curved aluminium elements as a
representation of the so-called „tin can“. This refers
to the appearance of Leipzig's erstwhile „consumer“
department store from the 1960's, pulled down to make
way for the Höfe am Brühl. History of the site is also
depicted in the design of other elements of the façade.
For example, the planners pay homage to composer
Richard Wagner who was born in the city. One side of
the façade is decked out with concrete lamellas which
portray musical notes on their surface relief as you step
away from the building.
Glass fibre reinforced concrete the material of choice
Initially, the authorities responsible wanted to use
travertine. Proving considerably cheaper, they instead
opted for coloured glass fibre reinforced concrete. HFB
Engineering GmbH from Leipzig was contracted for
construction of the lamellas. Established in 1991, this
company specialises in the production of structural
elements made of glass fibre reinforced concrete and
deliver to customers throughout Germany, the Neth-
erlands and all German-speaking countries. The Höfe
am Brühl would prove to be an immense challenge in
such a short delivery period. Employees of the company
had to produce 19 000 lamellas of a specific shade in
only 10 months. To reach this target, the management
introduced Holcim white cement (slow) CEM I 52,5N
and mixed in the respective pigments. Polyurethane
form liners fixed within the shuttering provided the
relief of the musical notes. Moreover, the lamellas from
HFB Engineering allowed the cladding to be reduced to
only 15 to 20 mm due to the skilful adoption of glass
fibres. As a result, the lamellas are approx. 50 % lighter
than those made from regular concrete. The Höfe am
Brühl now stands as a momentous reference object for
HFB Engineering. Architects and planners continue to
request prefabricated concrete elements and award
contracts with similar requirements. A company could
hardly be bestowed a greater accolade.
Höfe am Brühl
One side of the façade is
decked out with concrete la-
mellas which portray musical
notes on their surface relief
as you step away from the
building.
Showcasing history with glass fibre reinforced concrete
School floors must be capable
of withstanding the effect of
thousands of footsteps on a daily
basis. Additionally, they should be
aesthetic and easy to clean, char-
acteristics which the terrazzo-style
concrete floors in the primary school
in Lomma, Sweden, pass with flying
colours. The floor was prepared with
white cement from the Holcim com-
pany together with local aggregates
and subsequently smoothed.
The Swedish city of Lomma is situ-
ated roughly 20 km north-west of
Malmö and is one of the fastest
growing communities in the country.
As more residents usually means
an increased number of children,
it was therefore necessary to build
a new primary school. Undergoing
construction between 2010 and
2012, the school was designed with
such an attractive architecture that
both teachers and pupils feel at
perfect ease within the building.
Situated near to the city centre, the
new construction is characterised
by its idyllic setting on a piece of
land reminiscent of a local park and
its immediate proximity to water. A
4.500 m2 floor space accommodates
a maximum 420 pupils and approxi-
mately 55 staff.
Small-scale design
The building features an L-shaped
layout comprising twelve class-
rooms, as well as a dining hall for
the pupils and the school's admin-
istrative offices. With the majority
of Lomma's population traditionally
living in single-family houses, the
architects opted to also reflect this
small-scale design in the façade. To
achieve this effect, they selected
bright, aesthetic prefabricated
concrete slabs decentralised with
novel contraction joints. To avoid a
monolithic appearance, they pro-
vided these faced concrete façades
with wooden panelled elements,
or with brightly coloured painted
wall panels. An added advantage of
this playful colouring is to provide
the building with a high recogni-
tion factor, allowing an optimum
orientation aid to even the smallest
of the children. The cheerful design
is also implemented inside the
building. Large windows combined
with bright materials create a pleas-
ant room ambience which rouses a
sense of comfort and safety in the
attendees.
Bright, aesthetic, easy to clean
Even the corridors evoke a sense of
homeliness, rather than just existing
as part of the infrastructure of the
building. This is enhanced by a floor
which is not only aesthetic, but is at
the same time extremely resistant.
The floors are made up of a terrazzo-
style layer of facing concrete 80
Terrazzo-style floors
in a school
Aesthetically
pleasing, easy to
clean
Claudia El Ahwany
Round-about-you
agency
Claudia El Ahwany
Round-about-you
agency
Custmer´sprofiles
Custmer´sprofiles
Holcim Whiteboard 201322 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 23
mm thick, in which the stones have
been exposed by way of sanding. To
achieve the bright appearance which
was key to the architects' design,
the project leaders opted for a white
cement from the Holcim company
(Slovakia), a product marketed under
the name Holcim White Cement
(slow) CEM I 52,5N. Produced from
a limestone extremely low in iron
and applying a complex technique,
this Portland cement maintains
the same technical properties as
its grey counterpart. In compari-
son, however, it offers numerous
aesthetic advantages: If the concrete
is coloured - with the addition of pig-
ments, for example -, the brilliance
of the colours is considerably more
striking when using Holcim White
Cement as opposed to regular grey
cement. In the event, however, the
planners refrained from using colour
pigments in the school in Lomma.
All floors attained their attractive
appearance from colourful additives
which were then exposed mechani-
cally. The concrete was produced
and delivered by the company Starka
Betongindustrier from Kristianstad,
Sweden, and subsequently laid by
Bygg-mästaren, Skäne.
Working as a team the key to suc-
cess
From day one, it was immediately
clear to the employees of Starka
Betongindustrier that the techni-
cal knowledge of all those involved
would be best combined. A concrete
team was thus established com-
prising of architects, the respective
contractors and the cement supplier,
as well as the manufacturers of the
additive being used in the concrete
and the surface protection product.
Anders Olsson, onsite throughout
the project to offer technological
concrete expertise on behalf of the
concrete supplier explains: „It was
extremely important for us that all
persons involved worked in close
collaboration with one another at all
times. This was essential if flawless
results for the facing concrete were
to be guaranteed. The experience
of the Holcim representative in
particular proved invaluable on
the building site. „He possessed an
extremely broad knowledge which
extended beyond his own specialist
area, and is very well connected with
other companies in the concrete
sector.“ As a result, problems such
as cracks in the floor or the wrong
shades - factors at the root of
disputes on so many building sites
- were non-existent on the building
site in Lomma. On the contrary, the
architects specified most explicitly
the required consistency of the floor,
and pointed out another building in
the neighbourhood which the public
could view quite freely as a reference
- the reception area of the hospital in
Malmö. Equipped with these specifi-
cations, the parties involved created
a sample recipe using the white
cement from Holcim, regional addi-
tives and various concrete chemicals
which would subsequently be used
to produce a sample plate onsite.
This would then be reviewed to-
gether with the architects and would
provide an orientation aid, as well as
an onsite reference object through-
out the laying process. The results
are evident, the floor emphasises the
pleasant appearance of the school
and, as confirmed personally by the
respective facility management, is
extremely easy to clean.
SKLOCEMENT PLUS s.r.o. was established in 2000 on a
foundation of many years of experience in the construc-
tion industry and in construction materials research.
Since the very beginning the company has focused on and
specialized in the production and development of a glass
fibre reinforced concrete composite with applications in
modern architecture and in particular in the design and
construction of building cladding systems.
The Polycon composite material formula is composed of
a base of cement, fine aggregates, water, a solution of
resistant glass fibres and a mixture of other chemicals. In
this form the Polycon preserves its unique physical and
chemical properties, which ensures the highest quality of
the final product in terms of both aesthetics and function.
The added fibres increase tensile and compression resist-
ance and the resulting material can be used to produce
strong yet light weight components.
CEM I 52.5 N quick white cement from Holcim (Sloven-
sko) a.s. is used as the cement base, which enables quick
forming, and form removal, and more cost effective use of
sophisticated forms.
Polycon (glass fibre reinforced concrete) can easily be used
in the design and production of building components for
exterior use and with applications in interior design as
well. A huge variety of surface designs for panel cladding
materials and panels and for shaping more complex archi-
tectural elements, shaped and three-dimensional pieces
and stand-alone design elements are all possible thanks
to the wide range of applications for imprint texture
moulds. Products made from Polycon are in no way size
restricted, thereby completely resolving the issues of cut-
offs and excess material, which are an excessive source of
costs that drive project costs above and beyond usual cost
calculations.
Applications include use in façades, lining panels, mould-
ings, chambranles, landscape architecture, public outdoor
furniture, large-volume planters, utility conduits (cables,
etc.), balcony panels and more.
The company has been successful in winning and com-
pleting an ever expanding number of projects thanks to
technical developments, its focus on quality yet atypical
construction components in terms of both form and finish
and finally its orientation towards maximum service and
customer satisfaction, evidence of which is its strong posi-
tion on the construction markets in the Czech Republic
and abroad in Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, the Benelux countries, France, Scandinavia, Great
Britain, Canada and countries in the Middle East.
POLYCON glass fibre reinforced
concrete and modern architecture
The unique properties of Polycon (glass fibre reinforced concrete) have
expanded the ability to meet technical requirements when resolving
complex structures, allow for aesthetics to be considered as a funda-
mental aspect and, last but not least, have made a major contribution
towards cost savings efforts in the construction industry.
Custmer´sprofiles
Custmer´sprofiles
Bc. Lubomír Šťáva
Owner
Sklocement Plus
s.r.o.
Holcim Whiteboard 201324 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 25
ExcellenceinWhite
ExcellenceinWhite
White cement in the hands of young
designers
Holcim White cement has become
the inspiration and the primary
material for creating stylish design
works on the theme of "Innovation"
within the Holcim Creative Work-
shop at the Department of Sculpture
at the Academy of Fine Arts and
Design Bratislava.
Holcim White cement, as the basic
material used to produce cast con-
crete items has also proven to be
an excellent material, thanks to its
excellent properties, for sculpters
and designers looking for a high
strength, resistant, aesthetic and
malleable material that can be used
to produce untraditional cast shapes
and that can be used for the softest
and finest of detail and structures in
a work of art or a design installation.
A total of 10 students from the
Department of Sculpture at the
Academy of Fine Arts and Design
Bratislava were able to try out these
properties using their own hands
at the workshop, which they saw
as a challenge to master the actual
casting process and to achieve the
desired level of quality in the final
product. The Holcim workshop over
the course of a single semester
became an optional supplement
to course materials, providing the
young sculpters the technical know-
how they needed in cooperation
with the AFAD casting shop and the
Holcim Bratislava Technical Compe-
tency Centre. Students led by the
Department of Sculpture faculty
were only limited in one aspect - the
final work had to be a 40 cm x 40 cm
relief.
The authors created a number of
perspectives on the theme of inno-
vation and also presented a diverse
range of working with concrete.
The uniqueness of the authors' ap-
proaches and the artistic treatment
of the selected theme was directly
connected to the vision and mission
of Holcim White - to offer creative
and original solutions, to support
quality finished products and to find
a way to be different.
The completed works were exhibited
at the Art Design Gallery in Bratis-
lava and then became a permanent
part of the C3
Atelier's collection.
We help create
awe-inspiring works
Ingrid Višňovská
Senior Marketing
& Communication
Coordinator
Student work out of white cement: Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava
Art and design as
the substantiation
of inspiration and a
platform for intangible
experiences and new
forms of cooperation
Holcim Whiteboard 201326 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 27
We saw the "Corporate Medium of
the Year" competition as an oppor-
tunity to gauge the quality of our
redesigned corporate medium, the
Whiteboard magazine, in competi-
tion with other participants from
across Slovakia. It is with great
pleasure that we can announce that
the Whiteboard magazine in the
face of stiff competition from inter-
national companies in the Corporate
Magazine – External Communica-
tion category took home 2nd place.
Category "Corporate Magazine –
External Communication"
1 Mercedes - Benz Slovakia s.r.o.
Hviezdy ciest
2 Holcim Slovensko a.s.
Whiteboard
3 Allianz - Slovenská poisťovňa
ASPartner
Based on recent research conducted
by the Slovak Syndicate of Journal-
ists, top management at companies
is often insufficiently aware of the
importance of corporate media.
They need to comprehend the pow-
er of words and images, regardless
of if media is intended for internal
consumption inside the company or
is focused externally.
It is also important to realize that
such external mediums represent
the company, help support exports,
influence potential customers,
increase demand and drive interest
in products and services.
Internally-focused communication
media help to shape employees,
give them more information about
the company and upcoming goals
while building loyalty to the em-
ployer, thereby making a significant
contribution towards lowering fluc-
tuation, and building the employee's
relationship with the company that
employs them.
We are convinced that participat-
ing in the competition has made a
contribution towards increasing the
level of corporate communication
and the quality of corporate media
in a country where we need to help
support cultivate business and
social relationships.
We believe that our success and
the increased visibility of the
Whiteboard magazine are proof
that quality corporate media, such
as magazines, flyers, websites and
even an ordinary calendar can help
bring about positive exposure and
help build the brands of the compa-
nies that produce such materials.
Holcim
Excellence in white
On 03 May 2013, the Corporate Media Club and Slovak Syndicate of
Journalists announced the results of the 10th annual corporate media
communication competition Corporate Medium of the Year for 2012. The
tenth year of this competition was the source of our inspiration to sign up
our customer magazine for the very first time at Holcim Slovensko.
Whiteboard 2012
succeeds in the pres-
tigious "Corporate
Medium of the Year"
competition
Excellence in white
Bet-OM project
Holcim joined forces with top designers, including Patrik
Illo in Slovakia, to create the limited edition bet-OM
project, a pilot project to potentially support creative
design and to spark cooperation with the best designers
in the EMEA region. We want to open space for experi-
mental, progressive and original implementations of
design concepts utilizing and discovering a wide range of
different applications for concrete and its combinations
with other materials.
In cooperation with the Art Design Gallery, the project
resulted in the creation of a series of objects combin-
ing glass with concrete. Patrik Illo, the author of these
works, is a major figure in Slovak glass design and the
visual arts. He let the adventure of experimentation flow
in his vase designs for bet-OM, where he employed and
worked with concrete in addition to his more familiar
glass. The series of functional objects were designed as
an intersection of two geometric bodies, more specifi-
cally cylinders. Concrete and glass come into immedi-
ate contact with one another with the roughness and
corporality of the concrete (and more than just sym-
bolically) supports and complements the transparency,
smoothness, openness and etherial nature of glass. The
collection of vases with the strong visual atmosphere
created by their shapes reflect both modern architecture
and design.
The limited edition bet-OM collection was exhibited at
the Art Design Festival of Křehký Mikulov, which for the
first time included a collector's market for design arts
from across the Central European region, intended just
for collectors of exceptional works of design, for the very
first time.
Student works out of white cement: Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava
Illustration photo
ExcellenceinWhite
ExcellenceinWhite
Holcim Whiteboard 201328 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 29
Contacts
Contacts
Management
Our White Team Technical Sales Center
Application Consultants
Sales Coordination Marketing
Patrick Stapfer
Chief Executive Officer
Holcim Central Eastern Europe
Phone +421 34 77 65 111
(reception)
patrick.stapfer@holcim.com
Josef Nowak
Sales Manager White Cement
Switzerland, Lithuania
Phone: +43 1 889 03 03
Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 30
Mobile: +43 676 654 24 20
josef.nowak@holcim.com
Beata Karpati
Application Consultant
Hungary
Phone: +36 46 561 616
Fax: +36 46 561 608
Mobile: +36 30 257 64 66
beata.karpati@holcim.com
Stanislav Belanec
Application Consultant
Slovakia, Czech Republic,
Ukraine
Phone: +421 34 77 65 135
Fax: +421 34 77 65 526
Mobile: +421 903 554 616
stanislav.belanec@holcim.com
Adam Staruch
Country Sales Manager
Poland
Phone: +48 22 548 00 82
Fax: +48 22 548 01 85
Mobile: +48 695 88 99 12
adam.staruch@holcim.com
Ingrid Višňovská
Senior marketing &
communication coordinator
Phone: + 421 34 77 65 250
Fax: + 421 34 77 65 101
Mobile: + 421 911 960 789
ingrid.visnovska@holcim.com
Zora Vajdová
Sales Coordinator CEE
Phone: +421 34 77 65 189
Fax: +421 34 77 65 526
Mobile: +421 903 401 398
zora.vajdova@holcim.com
Jürgen Oecknick
Head of Technical Sales Center
Phone: +41 58 850 61
Fax: +41 58 850 61 60
Mobile: +41 79 770 62 06
juergen.oecknick@holcim.com
Josef Nowak
Sales Manager White Cement
Central & Eastern Europe
Phone: +43 1 889 03 03
Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 30
Mobile: +43 676 654 24 20
josef.nowak@holcim.com
Marco Haberhauer
TCC for CEE
Phone: +43 1 889 03 03
Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 30
Mobile: +43 676 654 24 21
marco.haberhauer@holcim.com
Sven Thorenz
Application Consultant
&Technical Marketing
Germany, Sweden
Mobile: +49 173 7132 095
sven.thorenz@holcim.com
Agata Borowiec-Potępa
Sales Coordinator Poland
Phone: +48 71 333 60 26
Fax: +48 71 337 30 01
Mobile: +48 695 88 99 95
agata.borowiec@holcim.com
Whiteboard is a dialogue-oriented customer information magazine published by Holcim (Slovensko) a.s. It focuses on providing open and helpful
information about white cement and the activities of HCEE/Holcim (Slovensko) a.s. within Central and Eastern Europe. Whiteboard is published
twice a year and is available in German and English.
Responsibility: Ingrid Višňovská, senior marketing & communication coordinator
Phone +421 34 7765 250, Fax +421 34 7765 149, ingrid.visnovska@holcim.com
Holcim White Europe
SE
LV
PL
SK
HU
RO
AT
CH
DEBE
NL
SI HR
BA RS
CZ
UA
BLR
EE
Sonja Mlinar
Sales Coordinator for Balkan and
Assistant to Sales Manager
Phone/Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 14
sonja.mlinar@holcim.com
Martin Karasek
Application Consultant
& Technical Marketing
Austria, Romania
Phone: +43 1 889 03 03
Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 30
Mobile: +43 676 654 24 29
martin.karasek@holcim.com
Holcim Whiteboard 201330 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 31
Holcim Central Eastern Europe
Holcim (Slovensko) a.s.
SK- 906 38 Rohožník
Slovakia
www.holcim-white.sk
© 2013 Holcim Central Eastern Europe
Holcim (Slovensko) a.s.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
can be reproduced or used in any form without
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holcim whiteboard 2013_ENG

  • 1. The information magazine about White Cement | 2013 – 1 Excellence in White Changes in organization Creating a value Customer´s profiles Excellence inWhite 8–13 Changes in organization 4–7 14–25 26–29 Whiteboard
  • 2. Editorial Content Dear customers, This year is the first year following our 100 years celebration, but has already brought several changes. At the beginning of this year, Holcim restructured its regional organization by creating Holcim Central Eastern Europe. A new CEO and management were appointed. We have opened the second C³ Atelier, this time in Budapest. Our big thanks go to all of you who were involved in creating such a unique interior, full of specific applications using our white cement. The opinion of you, our customers, is very important to us as it gives us the right feedback to improve and develop ourselves and to reach your expecta- tions. Most of you had the chance to evaluate us and I would like to thank you for your honest responses. You will find the current data in a report about our Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey we completed last year. You can be sure that we’re taking these results very seriously and we’ve already implemented a number of measures in order to outperform our past years’ results. On the following pages you can also find a number of nice examples of our motto Excellence in White: On one hand, we’re presenting a selection of our customers from all over Europe. You can read about their successful and inter- esting projects and get inspired by their views of innovation, differentiation, or production processes. On the other hand we’re providing you with a vision of designers and artists who transformed our white cement into stylish objects and aesthetic sculp- tures. And last but not least: I’m proud to inform you that we ranked 2nd in a prestigious Slovak PR competition “Corporate Media of the Year” with our last Whiteboard 2012 issue. It shows me that our reports are well prepared and this magazine provides content that our readers want to read. I wish you happy reading, a successful year 2013, and thank you very much for staying with us! Changes in organization 4 – 7 New cluster Holcim Central Eastern Europe (HCEE) Patrick Stapfer, new CEO Holcim Central Eastern Europe Creating a value 8 – 13 NPS/ Net promoter score results C3 atelier powered by Holcim now in Budapest Custmer´s profiles 14 – 25 Concrete design with a soul / IVANKA Feelgood White Cement Stones / Weissenböck Industrial flooring and surfaces of exceptional quality / Densit s.r.o. Höfe am Brühl / HFB Engineering GmbH Terazzo- style floors in Lomma / Starka Polycon glass fibre reinforced concrete / klocement plus s.r.o. Excellence in White 26 – 29 We help create awe-inspiring works Our success in the competition „Corporate medium of the Year“ Contacts 30 – 31 ContentJosef Nowak Sales Manager White Cement CEE Holcim Whiteboard 20132 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 3
  • 3. Changesinorganization Changesinorganization Ingrid Višňovská Senior Marketing & Communication Coordinator Holcim (Slovensko) a.s. has become a part of a new and expanded regional structure in Holcim Central Eastern Europe along with Holcim companies in the Czech Repub- lic, Austria, Hungary and Poland. This transformation within Holcim took effect on 1 January 2013, the same date on which the merger of Holcim Slovensko and VSH took effect. All of these changes have brought our customers a range of benefits, all of which are generated thanks to coopera- tion with a strong and stable partner. Nothing at Holcim in terms of continuity with its long-term strategy of a pro-customer company has changed. The top priority and primary goal in the coming period is clear differentiation in the segment by creating added value for you, our cus- tomers, with emphasis on providing complete solutions. One advantage of the fusion of selected Holcim compa- nies into the Holcim Central Eastern Europe cluster is the clearly improved sharing and development of the know- how in the individual countries that can be leveraged to continuously improve the range of products and services we offer. Last but not least the new and streamlined management structure creates an opportunity to optimize processes and to strengthen our customer focus thanks to better coordination in cross-border regions. The new Holcim Central Eastern Europe (HCEE) region has been led by Patrick Stapfer since 1.1.2013. The formation of Holcim Central Eastern Europe in 2013 is one of the most important events for the European area of Holcim Group. The white cement managment & sales and marketing team, as an integral part of Holcim Slovakia, has become a part of this new HCEE cluster, too. Holcim Slovensko is now a part of Holcim Central Eastern Europe Holcim Whiteboard 20134 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 5
  • 4. Patrick Stapfer, previously the CEO of Holcim Czech Republic, has ac- cepted the role of CEO for the newly-created Holcim Central Eastern Europe cluster. Patrick began working in Holcim in 2004 as a consultant for portfolio management at HGRS. In 2007 he moved on to accept a position as assistance EXCO member and was selected in 2008 to be the CEO of Sharr Cement in Kosovo. In 2010 Patrick was named the CEO of Holcim Czech Republic. Patrick received his engineering degree in In- dustrial Management and Production from the Swiss Federal Technical Institute in Zürich. I'm pleased when peo- ple approach me with potential solutions and ideas to resolve an issue, rather than just the issue or problem itself. Patrick Stapfer, new CEO of Holcim Central Eastern Europe (HCEE) Patrick, can you tell us a little bit more about yourself? I've been working for Holcim for nearly nine years. I began as a consultant in the business services department and was responsible for a portfolio of products. My consul- tation work involved a huge number of companies from around the world and then I worked in Zürich as an assistant member of the ex- ecutive committee responsible for Europe. In 2008 I became the CEO of Sharr Cement in Kosovo. At the time I accepted the position of CEO of the newly created cluster I had been the head of Holcim Czech Republic for more than three years. I'm mar- ried to my wonderful wife Jennifer and in July 2011 I became the proud father of my beautiful daughter Elin Melija, who was born in Prague. I'm a big fan of winter sports, running and travelling. Whenever snow falls, I guarantee that you'll find me somewhere on my skis as I'm looking for fresh powder. In my free time I try and spend as much time as possible with my family and friends over a good cup of tea. What were the reasons for cre- ating the CEE regional cluster? Given the complex and demanding market conditions, it became neces- sary to consolidate production, sales and management processes. As a result, the markets in Hungary, Austria and Poland will primarily be supplied by our plants in Rohožník, Turna and Prachovice. In Hungary, Holcim will be transformed into more or less a sales organization to secure sales for Rohožník and Alesd. The sales organizations will remain local in order to best focus on the individual markets. Our objective is to effectively organize support proc- ess functions. We have to ensure that all of the countries receive the same standard of support with respect to financing and human resources for instance. As opposed to the former North Danube cluster structure, this time we are going to try and build out an organization without a specific headquarters to be more flexible and responsive in market coordination. Where do you see the HCEE cluster in 3 to 5 years? What's your strategy? We want to create a unified team of individuals across borders who are proud to be a part of the CEE cluster while ensuring the cluster is active- ly engaged in pushing forward in the development of a pro-customer approach and employees and the creation of the best prices. If people have the drive and are not afraid to take an untraditional ap- proach or go against common practic- es, I give them the space and freedom they need to develop their idea. Our strategy is based on a continuous search for ways to increase the values that we create for our customers by focusing on the following aspects: The central standing of the customer as the driving force behind an organization: After years of achieving excellent satisfaction results with our customers, we staked out an even higher goal: satisfaction is not enough; we want to create loyal customers. Thanks to the introduction of NPS (Net Promoter Score) we can now individually assess feed- back from customers, which helps us to better understand why they choose us, what their specific needs are and the issues that are critical to each customer. Our ultimate goal is to develop our services to become an organization that is primarily focused on customer satisfaction. Truly valuable feedback obtained from the first round in the NPS program for cement motivated us to roll out the NPS program for other business segments including aggre- gates and transport concrete. Holcim as a premium brand: Our goal is to become the most attractive and best known brand in our segment. Our partners expect a brand that is a guarantee of high performance and reliability. We are a leader in the field of innovation and activities focused on sustainable development. Thanks to the fact that our TCC (technical competency centre) employs elite professionals, we are able to offer a wide spectrum of services including cement application consulting, concrete technology consulting and lab services. Holcim is expand- ing the range of guides we published for the application of our individual products while also expanding cooperation with universities. Enriching our services thanks to the C3 Atelier concept: We created a specific space to present concrete and cement along with traditional and innovative solutions using these specific materials. C3 Atelier creates a platform for learning about the best from the entire industrial branch and puts our latest and modern innovations within reach. In addition, we also present the latest trends and news from sustainable construction. Partners of the C3 Atelier and individual entities playing a key role in this segment can present their products and services as well, making C3 Atelier a place where they can also reinforce and build their business relationships. We create value for customers: Our partners can profit from our innovative products, which include permeable concrete and embossed concrete. We are constantly devel- oping new services that help us to remain in front of the rest of the market. Last but not least we remain committed to rooting out and combating corruption. With respect to this very issue, we have joined a partnership with Transparency Interna- tional, a leading global non-governmental organization focused on the fight against corruption, in the Czech Republic. Changesinorganization Changesinorganization Holcim Whiteboard 20136 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 7
  • 5. Assessing the research We began the research in October of the previous year among custom- ers who purchased white cement and related services from our Rohožník facility. A term of 21 days was provided to complete the questionnaires. Thanks to you, we managed to achieve a rate of return on the questionnaires of 54% and we then analysed the questionnaires we received together with the heads of the departments responsible for the individual areas covered. We prepared solutions for those areas you highlighted as problematic and some have already been rolled out with the remainder soon to come in the near future. Primary findings Important information was obtained from the research and represents a major source of sug- gestions for directing more than just our supporting activities to you, our customers. We did receive a good deal of positive feedback in many of your answers. The quality of our products, speed at which we completed orders and our profes- sional approach were all evaluated in a very positive manner and we will continue efforts to extend this growing trend. We also received suggestions for improvements, which we carefully assessed in order to provide you with new and more effective solutions. Up to 71% of customers asked would recommend Holcim to an acquaintance Up to 75% of customers were very satisfied with products and services provided by Holcim Implementation of the findings into practice This research, of course, is about much more than numbers. It varies from other forms of research in that we are able to resolve each individual piece of feedback indi- vidually on a case by case basis. We are able to respond to some issues promptly, within 42 hours from when the questionnaire is returned, while other issues require solutions that must be implemented over a longer time frame. Based on your answers, we were able to identify and implement a number of pos- sible improvements. In terms of marketing support dur- ing sales support, we prepared a number of new materials this year that we are planning to roll out in local language versions as well. This activity will include a profile brochure for white cement along with an overview of the most inter- esting recent reference projects, a product brochure for white cement and updates to technical sheets in a practical and stylish solution known as White Binder. More up-to-date information will also be provided in more regular issues of the White- board* magazine, which provides an overview of the most interesting projects and latest news twice a year. Steps moving forward Based on the positive experience from surveying customers, we are planning to conduct customer satis- faction research again in September 2013. If you are interested in provid- ing us with feedback about our products and services, you can get involved by completing the on-line form provided to you via email at any time during the year. Customer satisfaction research provides you with a direct way to be heard and to send comments about our products and services, write your opinions, provide suggestions or make a complaint. Thank you in advance for any feed- back you provide as you will help us continue to improve our products and services. Reasons to participate in our customer satisfaction survey – NPS Linda Tomková Marketing Coordi- nator At the end of October 2012 we successfully launched our Net Promoting Score (NPS) initiative in the white cement segment to gather feedback from customers in vari- ous areas of our work activities including production, sales, marketing, logistics and customer services. Thanks to the valuable information you provided, we can con- tinue to work on making the improvements you want. We completed the first round of customer satisfaction surveys over the past year using an on-line questionnaire in 6 countries: Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. We asked you about your satisfaction with the level of quality we provide in our products and services. In this issue we'll present the initial findings and an overview of new solutions that we have implemented thanks to your feedback. *The last issue of Whiteboard in 2012 received a prestigi- ous award in the Corporate Medium 2012 competition (2nd place for exter- nal communication) Creatingavalue Creatingavalue Holcim Whiteboard 20138 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 9
  • 6. After the first C³ Atelier in Vienna, which opened two years ago, we are continuing to develop and innovate the Atelier concept under the "C³ Atelier" brand. The brand expresses 2 fundamental aspects, a different and creative approach to mutual communication ("Atelier") and our focus on cement, concrete and the importance of critical know-how and competencies. ("Cement, Concrete and Competence") The importance of opening the C³ Atelier in Budapest was underlined by the participation of 13 companies considered leaders in the construction industry in Hun- gary as well as the management of Holcim and the Swiss Ambassador to Hungary, Mr Jean-François Paroz, who came to highlight the need for innovation in the cement and concrete industry. "At the C³ Atelier, visitors can get to know the latest methods for using cement and concrete," said Ottó Magera, CEO of Holcim Magyarország Kft. The C³ Atelier concept has been initiated and coordinated by Holcim: on the one hand this step opens up new op- portunities for professionals in the construction industry to cooperate with the goal of enhancing their business and to make their brand more visible while it also serves to make an active contribution towards sharing the know-how and information available within the Holcim Group worldwide. Members of C³ Atelier have the opportunity to present their products, services and innovative ideas through exhibitions, conferences, workshops, round tables and other interesting events. At the same time, atelier partners can also become an integral part of the interior design used in C³ Atelier premises thanks to the incorpo- ration of their products and applications into the interior design itself. Of course, there are further opportunities to be seen and present thanks to selected exhibits in the Atelier's showroom. This opportunity is available at any time and is subject to an agreement between both parties. On 13 February 2013 Holcim Mag- yarország Kft opened the new C³ Atelier, which offers space as a neutral platform for sharing information, experience and the latest technological processes and innovations for all entities active in the construction industry. C³ Atelier powered by Holcim now in Budapest Ingrid Višňovská Senior Marketing & Communication Coordinator At the C³ Atelier, visitors can get to know the latest methods for using cement and concrete Ottó Magera Creatingavalue Creatingavalue Holcim Whiteboard 201310 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 11
  • 7. A more detailed look at C³ Atelier in Budapest A total of 12 companies were involved in finishing the interior and furnishing the C3 Atelier in Buda- pest. Some of the more interesting aspects from this work are shared below. The idea was to make every single possible installation from exposed concrete as our goal is to present the expedience and the beauty of concrete in everyday appli- cations. This meant that every part of the Atelier had to be made from concrete. Polished platinum concrete floor in cooperation with: Holcim = special recipe + concrete + pumping (3rd floor!) | Avers = high grade polymer fiber | Verbau = instal- lation/work in | Epotrend = platinum polishing with the Swedish HTC technology + monthly floor mainte- nance using an ecological technol- ogy (no chemicals, only water + diamond disc) Curiosity: 12-cm-thick concrete was laid on the 3rd floor (pumping), without a reinforcing grid (in order to maintain load-bearing capacity we used high grade polymer fiber from Avers). Verbau laid this first class industrial floor. Concrete walls in cooperation with: IVANKA: 80 x 80 cm different colours and textures | Fabrostone from Holcim cement | imitation wood by Csikós design Statue Wall / Show Wall / Display Structure / Ikon Wall / Csikós design | Entity manufacturing by Fabrostone | Artistic placement of all Holcim cement types by Csikós Curiosity: The original aim was to present all of types of Holcim cement (Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia). Glass-concrete chandelier Industrial art design by Török Sára | Shutter by Doka | Concrete made by Hol- cim | Hand made glass by Török Sára. Reception IVANKA walls | IVANKA concrete sofa | Losonczi Litracon lighting reception | Concrete lamps Large conference room IVANKA concrete tables | Concrete curtains by IVANKA We are planning to have many more platinum mem- bers in the future to whom we intend to offer the opportunity to have a permanent installation in the ex- hibition hall. That's why a simple coat of grey paint has been applied to the walls, columns, ceiling and window sills in the space reserved for future platinum members and their installations. There is also additional space in the reception area where Csikós & Fabro are currently working on their joint and innovative 3D concrete wall with lighting effects. Creatingavalue Creatingavalue Holcim Whiteboard 201312 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 13
  • 8. IVANKA was founded in 2002 by hus- band & wife duo Andras and Katalin Ivanka and it’s one of the world’s leading designer concrete manufac- turers. It seeks to create desire by envisaging distinctive designs and executing these designs with the background of an organized techno- logical drive. Their work is based on the versatile nature of CONCRETE, the primary material chosen for creative expression by discovering unexplored attributes. Through their creations with concrete, their affin- ity for the material and a constant search for new technological solu- tions, their work speaks volumes about their country of origin, and also about their approach to design. Since its inception IVANKA has made a name for itself by adding a design perspective to what is otherwise widely viewed as an industrial mate- rial. They have taken concrete and created products that defy normal concrete capacities and rock our conventional image of this material today. IVANKA is best known for its unique wall panels, flaster tiles, its special technology applied in solid exposed staircases, the concrete sound audiophile loudspeakers and small decorative objects. By joining forces with a pair of young Hungarian fashion designers, Katalin Ivanka invented a new textile based on the aesthetic qualities of concrete, and created a second seg- ment of the first FASHION ’GENESIS’ Collection of Concrete wearables and accessories where real high perform- ance concrete meets soft leather and textiles. In September 2012 IVANKA's ‘concrete house of fashion’ debuted at Paris Fashion Week as the latest addition to the ever-growing IVANKA portfolio. IVANKA is a constant ex- hibitor at Milan and London Design Weeks and regularly appears in in- ternational titles such as ELLE Decor, Living Etc. and Homes & Gardens and can boast prestigious clientele from as far away as Hong Kong and Australia. IVANKA is more one of Holcim's white cement customers. It was also the first Hungarian member of the C3 Atelier in Vienna and became a significant founder member of the C3 Atelier in Budapest. Why did you decide to use Hol- cim White Cement in your produc- tion activities & finished products? Holcim is way more than a cement supplier offering premium quality cement. We have built up a strategic partnership. IVANKA has member- ship in the C3 Atelier in Vienna and platinum membership in the C3 Atelier in Budapest. We are Hol- cim customers, and Holcim is our client as well; at the moment we are designing summer gifts for the company, and previously our studio had the honour of creating a celebra- tion collection for the “100 years of Holcim” representing strength, power and performance. What makes Holcim White Ce- ment the best choice for you and for some of your specific applications? What does this cement enable you to achieve? White cement for us is like a blank canvas for an artist, that’s where you start from! IVANKA shapes, colours and textures all of its products. Regarding our palette, even the rest of our shades of grey are mixed from white! What specific type of the cement type (within the Holcim white ce- ment portfolio) do you use in your applications? What are the key characteristics of this cement that are the most valuable/ important for you? CEM I 52.5 White (Portland cement) What sorts of applications or installations made using our white cement are parts of your product portfolio? Are you ready to launch or are you designing brand new prod- ucts for the upcoming season? Flaster tiles are one of our top-sell- ing products and we ship worldwide, therefore, spurred by a growing demand at the moment, our studio department is working on new designs of the ‘Flaster family’. We are also working on a basic furniture collection based on the aesthetics of thin concrete slabs with rebar struc- tures, and a new washbasin, which you'll be able to see first at Solinfo Café by Tom Dixon, in Budapest. What are some of the most in- teresting projects you've completed over the last couple of years using our white cement? Andaz Hyatt Amsterdam by Marcel Wanders - Amsterdam | Driving Camp – Zsámbék | Solinfo café by Tom Dixon – Budapest | ANS III. Hungarocontrol – Budapest | MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) Skybox – Las Vegas | YSL (Saint Laurent Paris) – Istanbul | Liberty London – London | G-Star – Berlin, Maastricht, Istanbul | Concrete Genezis (the first ready-to- wear collection by IVANKA) | Seeyou, an international-award-winning, contemporary gravestone design How are you/ or your final cus- tomers satisfied with your finished products and installations based on our white cement? The premium and luxury segment of the market IVANKA works for demands the best available quality we can provide. Our visually sensi- tive international clientele is only satisfied with the highest standards but also understands the natural character of concrete, the perfect imperfection. We have received very good feedback. Our aim is perfection from the point of performance, with results that don’t look ‘overdone’. Do you find our technologi- cal consultancy & guidance? Does it bring you some added value or benefits? Could you describe some of these benefits? We learn something every day from working with concrete today in such different fields like we do. This has drawn our attention to the importance of continuous research and development for the new ap- plications, Holcim as a huge global company delivers added value in terms of sharing and the transfer of the technological knowledge that exceeds our own scale, profile and reach here at IVANKA. We interviewed Mrs Katalin Ivanka (Founder, Co-owner and AD of IVANKA) to find out more about the basis of our cooperation and current relationship: White cement for us is like a blank canvas for an artist, that’s where you start from! "GLAMOUR Women of the Year 2012" Katalin Ivanka (Founder, Co-owner and AD of IVANKA) has been nominated "Fashion Designer of the Year" 2012 by GLAMOUR Magazine "Év Ékszere 2012-Jewel of the Year 2012 - Hungary" The jury has chosen nine awarded artists, and there has been a people’s choice award for the tenth. IVANKA stu- dio / Szabó Anna ORGEN JEWELRY collection was named an award-winning entry by the jury. "Best Stand in Show Award at Tent London 2011" ”The IVANKA stand at Tent London captured the very es- sence of what makes for a great stand; beautifully made products presented in an inspiring open format. The bold stand design using very bright Tent blue allowed for com- pete interaction with visitors who were invited to create their own pieces in order to gain an understanding of the core material on display, concrete. IVANKA-selected products on display demonstrated the versatility of the material and included tableware, jewellery, fashion items and surface materials for interior projects. The IVANKA team also went to great lengths to promote their partici- pation and in so doing ensured they had a very success- ful event”, Jimmy MacDonald, Director, Tent London & Superbrands London. "HG.hu Design Awards 2011" Award winner finalist in ‘Product’ category on HG Design Award 2011 for FLASTER Tiles More information: www.ivanka.hu Concrete design with a soul IVANKA Katalin Ivanka Creative director AWARDS and RECOGNITION within the last 2 years: Custmer´sprofiles Custmer´sprofiles Holcim Whiteboard 201314 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 15
  • 9. Weissenböck company profile Founded in 1946, the company Weis- senböck Baustoffwerk Ges.m.b.H. quickly established itself as a reliable business partner with groundbreak- ing innovations and sound business management. Production of pre- fabricated steel reinforced concrete garages commenced in Lower Austria as early as 1968. By 1978, in a time when paving stones were being used predominantly for surface stabilisa- tion, Weissenböck had taken the decision to manufacture stones for design paving in the forms of circles and fan paving. Several paving systems, and subsequently also slab systems have since been introduced, with Tegula and Rialta paving stones and Carma antique slabs now counting amongst the leading products in their respective market sectors. Plantable retaining walls comprising of stone plant troughs were introduced in Austria in1980. Weissenböck is now one of Europe's market leaders for facing masonry in the garden. The company has also been the recip- ient of numerous inventor awards: In October, 2012, it was acknowledged as the first manufacturer of all-round gritting salt-resistant paving stones within the scope of the NÖ Innova- tion Award. As a member of the Austrian Forum of Quality Paving, the company is also active in the re- search and development for further optimisation of structural designs. Close association between Weis- senböck and Holcim quality white cement Holcim white cement lends 4 of the 5 Weissenböck paving stones their brilliant colouration. The potential for warm and friendly colours was realised at an extremely early stage and was quickly introduced into the range. As a result, the now legen- dary Muschelkalk (shell limestone) colour introduced by Weissenböck in 2002 is currently available in several different shades. One factor, however, combines all shades of white cement building materials: the light-intensified colour reflection. Even on gloomy days or in shaded areas, best sellers such as melange, java brown or savanna from Weissen- böck radiate joyous emotionalities which endure. This is achieved with special techniques mixing pigment, water and sand to integrate colours permanently in the pristine white and immaculately colourable white cement lime. Robust colours require considerably higher qualities than would be required by the standard, for example. With its many-varied contrasts, the Austrian weather is a „merciless and torturous climate“ for concrete blocks, reducing many of the concrete blocks to a look of „washed out concrete“ once their col- our has faded. Additional colouring procedures of particular importance include adherence to „purity require- ments“ throughout the entire white cement logistics, from raw material to the mixers. Only then can such brilliant colours be reliably attained over duller colours. White cement stones and the envi- ronment Stone suppliers carry a tremen- dous responsibility with regard to the manipulation of colouring. An abundance of natural colour changes are often to be found in immediate proximity to paving stones, one only has to consider multicoloured plants or the colour of leaves in autumn. Fundamental research and develop- ment involves the harmonious inte- gration of stone colour combinations with nature's colours and regional colour traditions. For expansive open designs, compatibility with other stone colours or the configuration of appropriate stone sets is also of utmost importance. After all, the „all- embracing outdoor art form“ should still be admired and appreciated in another 20 years time. High-quality paving designs have been viewed as a symbol of „advanced civilisations“ and cultural heritage preservation in many countries around the world since Roman times. These days, the aesthetic effect of paving joints is enhanced with modern LED lighting concepts. White cement stones also play a sig- nificant role with regard to sunlight, however: Direct exposure to the sun's rays will cause the stones to become comfortably warm, but never too hot. This is especially important in the event of direct skin contact or when walking across the stones with bare feet, as well as under terrace awnings etc.: Nobody wants to sit down to dinner in a stifling hot air furnace. Formulating and comparing ideas: The Weissenböck feelgood gardens and the range of paved areas A new type of advisory centre was opened in 2001 in Gerasdorf close to Vienna: The feelgood garden. Further feelgood gardens will follow in Neunkirchen and Hörsching near to Linz and the next site will open in Seiersberg near Graz in June, 2013. „Formulating and comparing ideas“ can be experienced live in these advi- sory centres, whereby an assortment of goods can be accessed in every sense of the word. With the amounts invested in gardens today, it is es- sential that the stones can be viewed practically prior to purchase. Weissenböck have been offering their own range of paving designs as a downloadable freeware from their web portal www.Steine.at since 2008. The main advantage of this program: A realistic visualisation of Feelgood White Cement Stones from Weissenböck Custmer´sprofiles Custmer´sprofiles Stefan Weissenböck Owner Weissenböck Baus- toff werk Ges.m.b.H. Close collaboration between the experts at the C3 Atelier of the Holcim white cement group and the engineers at the Weissenböck offices is demonstrating enormous new potential for the future of white cement stones. Holcim Whiteboard 201316 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 17
  • 10. possibilities for your private driveway at home with numerous variants of stone is immediately impressive. Outlook Close collaboration between the experts at the C3 Atelier of the Holcim white cement group and the engineers at the Weissenböck offices is demonstrating enormous new potential for the future of white ce- ment stones. Architects and special- ist customers such as plasterers and garden designers apply precisely the same definition of form and colour specific to new mixes of materials with wood and natural stone, thus facilitating the actual research and development. The success story of „open space design“ with consistent growth rates will continue through this customer dialogue. This has ensured a steady offset of revenue for dynamic development of these products in practically every country in the world over the last thirty years, even during the commercial construction crisis years. For more information, please visit our site at: www.steine.at Custmer´sprofiles Custmer´sprofiles Holcim Whiteboard 201318 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 19
  • 11. Densit® is a high quality material based on natural materials and min- erals with no synthetic substances or solvents. The unique properties of Densit have made it a favourite solu- tion in a number of industries. The logical progression of the project was the creation of a range of products for applications in the industrial flooring segment where customers expect exceptional quality from the finished floor product. Given these high expectations for final product quality, incredible importance is placed on the quality of the raw materials used in the product, in particular cement in our case. In selecting a cement supplier, there was a clear choice for us, Holcim (Slovensko) a.s., the leader on the market for construction materials and our partner since 2000. We use Holcim CEM I 52.5N white cement for our production needs. Why CEM I 52.5N Stylish floor top layers with strength ratings of up to 50 MPa for both in- terior and exterior environments and for industry, where there are higher wear demands, are created thanks to the high strength of this cement, its colour permanency and easy-to- colour properties using powder and liquid pigments. Homogeneity during processing and the stable Portland quality of CEM I 52.5N cement have a decisive impact on the final quality of the floor top layer. Densit SK uses special equipment to wash the concrete resulting in styl- ish flat, vertical and curved flooring surfaces where the final effect is the direct result of the skilled tradesmen and the colour, shape and type of ag- gregates used as well as the bonder, i.e. the cement, with respect to a long-term guarantee of quality. Our company went through a multi-year process of selecting and testing and is very satisfied with our selection of CEM I 52.5N white cement. Our company also uses the white cement for special screeds that are sanded and polished up to seven times, resulting in a glossy finish, and CEM I 52.5N has also proven to be a success in these products. References Our references include a number of industrial floors installed for custom- ers and in facilities across Slovakia and abroad (see Photo 1). One of our largest orders in the re- cent past was an access road finished with washed concrete with a total surface area of 1700 m2, which used a total of 50 tonnes of white cement (see Photo 2). This truly successful project was relatively demanding as the top layer of white cement had to be installed on an existing rough base layer using the special Densit Primer product as the connector. The washed concrete surface had to be sealed and the expansion joints were meticulously finished by hand-fitting stones into a flexible bed. Technical consulting Densit regularly consults on techni- cal issues related to the production of special concrete mixtures with professionals from Holcim and is cur- rently considering making use of the services offered by Holcim's Technical and Competency Centre in Bratislava. Industrial flooring and surfaces of exceptional quality Densit SK, s.r.o. was established in 1992 and specializes in the production of indus- trial Densit flooring. Flooring in industrial buildings plays an important role in the functionality of the entire building. Many industrial buildings have floors that are finished with bare concrete, which is sufficient for a number of industrial segments. Other industries place much higher requirements on flooring, which drives the need to add a protective top coat layer above the bare concrete. Ronald Valentíny Product Manager Densit SK, s.r.o. The unique properties of Densit have made it a favourite solution in a number of indus- tries. Custmer´sprofiles Custmer´sprofiles Holcim Whiteboard 201320 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 21
  • 12. Höfe am Brühl is a shopping complex in Leipzig de- signed by the Grüntuch Ernst Architects Office in Berlin. During its conception, the planners aspired to represent the buildings and the courtyards of Leipzig's city centre and incorporate the historical surroundings in the de- sign of the façade. They therefore opted for an interac- tion of various materials and structures. Reminiscing on the history of the city In one section of the façade for example, they in- tegrated original curved aluminium elements as a representation of the so-called „tin can“. This refers to the appearance of Leipzig's erstwhile „consumer“ department store from the 1960's, pulled down to make way for the Höfe am Brühl. History of the site is also depicted in the design of other elements of the façade. For example, the planners pay homage to composer Richard Wagner who was born in the city. One side of the façade is decked out with concrete lamellas which portray musical notes on their surface relief as you step away from the building. Glass fibre reinforced concrete the material of choice Initially, the authorities responsible wanted to use travertine. Proving considerably cheaper, they instead opted for coloured glass fibre reinforced concrete. HFB Engineering GmbH from Leipzig was contracted for construction of the lamellas. Established in 1991, this company specialises in the production of structural elements made of glass fibre reinforced concrete and deliver to customers throughout Germany, the Neth- erlands and all German-speaking countries. The Höfe am Brühl would prove to be an immense challenge in such a short delivery period. Employees of the company had to produce 19 000 lamellas of a specific shade in only 10 months. To reach this target, the management introduced Holcim white cement (slow) CEM I 52,5N and mixed in the respective pigments. Polyurethane form liners fixed within the shuttering provided the relief of the musical notes. Moreover, the lamellas from HFB Engineering allowed the cladding to be reduced to only 15 to 20 mm due to the skilful adoption of glass fibres. As a result, the lamellas are approx. 50 % lighter than those made from regular concrete. The Höfe am Brühl now stands as a momentous reference object for HFB Engineering. Architects and planners continue to request prefabricated concrete elements and award contracts with similar requirements. A company could hardly be bestowed a greater accolade. Höfe am Brühl One side of the façade is decked out with concrete la- mellas which portray musical notes on their surface relief as you step away from the building. Showcasing history with glass fibre reinforced concrete School floors must be capable of withstanding the effect of thousands of footsteps on a daily basis. Additionally, they should be aesthetic and easy to clean, char- acteristics which the terrazzo-style concrete floors in the primary school in Lomma, Sweden, pass with flying colours. The floor was prepared with white cement from the Holcim com- pany together with local aggregates and subsequently smoothed. The Swedish city of Lomma is situ- ated roughly 20 km north-west of Malmö and is one of the fastest growing communities in the country. As more residents usually means an increased number of children, it was therefore necessary to build a new primary school. Undergoing construction between 2010 and 2012, the school was designed with such an attractive architecture that both teachers and pupils feel at perfect ease within the building. Situated near to the city centre, the new construction is characterised by its idyllic setting on a piece of land reminiscent of a local park and its immediate proximity to water. A 4.500 m2 floor space accommodates a maximum 420 pupils and approxi- mately 55 staff. Small-scale design The building features an L-shaped layout comprising twelve class- rooms, as well as a dining hall for the pupils and the school's admin- istrative offices. With the majority of Lomma's population traditionally living in single-family houses, the architects opted to also reflect this small-scale design in the façade. To achieve this effect, they selected bright, aesthetic prefabricated concrete slabs decentralised with novel contraction joints. To avoid a monolithic appearance, they pro- vided these faced concrete façades with wooden panelled elements, or with brightly coloured painted wall panels. An added advantage of this playful colouring is to provide the building with a high recogni- tion factor, allowing an optimum orientation aid to even the smallest of the children. The cheerful design is also implemented inside the building. Large windows combined with bright materials create a pleas- ant room ambience which rouses a sense of comfort and safety in the attendees. Bright, aesthetic, easy to clean Even the corridors evoke a sense of homeliness, rather than just existing as part of the infrastructure of the building. This is enhanced by a floor which is not only aesthetic, but is at the same time extremely resistant. The floors are made up of a terrazzo- style layer of facing concrete 80 Terrazzo-style floors in a school Aesthetically pleasing, easy to clean Claudia El Ahwany Round-about-you agency Claudia El Ahwany Round-about-you agency Custmer´sprofiles Custmer´sprofiles Holcim Whiteboard 201322 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 23
  • 13. mm thick, in which the stones have been exposed by way of sanding. To achieve the bright appearance which was key to the architects' design, the project leaders opted for a white cement from the Holcim company (Slovakia), a product marketed under the name Holcim White Cement (slow) CEM I 52,5N. Produced from a limestone extremely low in iron and applying a complex technique, this Portland cement maintains the same technical properties as its grey counterpart. In compari- son, however, it offers numerous aesthetic advantages: If the concrete is coloured - with the addition of pig- ments, for example -, the brilliance of the colours is considerably more striking when using Holcim White Cement as opposed to regular grey cement. In the event, however, the planners refrained from using colour pigments in the school in Lomma. All floors attained their attractive appearance from colourful additives which were then exposed mechani- cally. The concrete was produced and delivered by the company Starka Betongindustrier from Kristianstad, Sweden, and subsequently laid by Bygg-mästaren, Skäne. Working as a team the key to suc- cess From day one, it was immediately clear to the employees of Starka Betongindustrier that the techni- cal knowledge of all those involved would be best combined. A concrete team was thus established com- prising of architects, the respective contractors and the cement supplier, as well as the manufacturers of the additive being used in the concrete and the surface protection product. Anders Olsson, onsite throughout the project to offer technological concrete expertise on behalf of the concrete supplier explains: „It was extremely important for us that all persons involved worked in close collaboration with one another at all times. This was essential if flawless results for the facing concrete were to be guaranteed. The experience of the Holcim representative in particular proved invaluable on the building site. „He possessed an extremely broad knowledge which extended beyond his own specialist area, and is very well connected with other companies in the concrete sector.“ As a result, problems such as cracks in the floor or the wrong shades - factors at the root of disputes on so many building sites - were non-existent on the building site in Lomma. On the contrary, the architects specified most explicitly the required consistency of the floor, and pointed out another building in the neighbourhood which the public could view quite freely as a reference - the reception area of the hospital in Malmö. Equipped with these specifi- cations, the parties involved created a sample recipe using the white cement from Holcim, regional addi- tives and various concrete chemicals which would subsequently be used to produce a sample plate onsite. This would then be reviewed to- gether with the architects and would provide an orientation aid, as well as an onsite reference object through- out the laying process. The results are evident, the floor emphasises the pleasant appearance of the school and, as confirmed personally by the respective facility management, is extremely easy to clean. SKLOCEMENT PLUS s.r.o. was established in 2000 on a foundation of many years of experience in the construc- tion industry and in construction materials research. Since the very beginning the company has focused on and specialized in the production and development of a glass fibre reinforced concrete composite with applications in modern architecture and in particular in the design and construction of building cladding systems. The Polycon composite material formula is composed of a base of cement, fine aggregates, water, a solution of resistant glass fibres and a mixture of other chemicals. In this form the Polycon preserves its unique physical and chemical properties, which ensures the highest quality of the final product in terms of both aesthetics and function. The added fibres increase tensile and compression resist- ance and the resulting material can be used to produce strong yet light weight components. CEM I 52.5 N quick white cement from Holcim (Sloven- sko) a.s. is used as the cement base, which enables quick forming, and form removal, and more cost effective use of sophisticated forms. Polycon (glass fibre reinforced concrete) can easily be used in the design and production of building components for exterior use and with applications in interior design as well. A huge variety of surface designs for panel cladding materials and panels and for shaping more complex archi- tectural elements, shaped and three-dimensional pieces and stand-alone design elements are all possible thanks to the wide range of applications for imprint texture moulds. Products made from Polycon are in no way size restricted, thereby completely resolving the issues of cut- offs and excess material, which are an excessive source of costs that drive project costs above and beyond usual cost calculations. Applications include use in façades, lining panels, mould- ings, chambranles, landscape architecture, public outdoor furniture, large-volume planters, utility conduits (cables, etc.), balcony panels and more. The company has been successful in winning and com- pleting an ever expanding number of projects thanks to technical developments, its focus on quality yet atypical construction components in terms of both form and finish and finally its orientation towards maximum service and customer satisfaction, evidence of which is its strong posi- tion on the construction markets in the Czech Republic and abroad in Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Benelux countries, France, Scandinavia, Great Britain, Canada and countries in the Middle East. POLYCON glass fibre reinforced concrete and modern architecture The unique properties of Polycon (glass fibre reinforced concrete) have expanded the ability to meet technical requirements when resolving complex structures, allow for aesthetics to be considered as a funda- mental aspect and, last but not least, have made a major contribution towards cost savings efforts in the construction industry. Custmer´sprofiles Custmer´sprofiles Bc. Lubomír Šťáva Owner Sklocement Plus s.r.o. Holcim Whiteboard 201324 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 25
  • 14. ExcellenceinWhite ExcellenceinWhite White cement in the hands of young designers Holcim White cement has become the inspiration and the primary material for creating stylish design works on the theme of "Innovation" within the Holcim Creative Work- shop at the Department of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design Bratislava. Holcim White cement, as the basic material used to produce cast con- crete items has also proven to be an excellent material, thanks to its excellent properties, for sculpters and designers looking for a high strength, resistant, aesthetic and malleable material that can be used to produce untraditional cast shapes and that can be used for the softest and finest of detail and structures in a work of art or a design installation. A total of 10 students from the Department of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design Bratislava were able to try out these properties using their own hands at the workshop, which they saw as a challenge to master the actual casting process and to achieve the desired level of quality in the final product. The Holcim workshop over the course of a single semester became an optional supplement to course materials, providing the young sculpters the technical know- how they needed in cooperation with the AFAD casting shop and the Holcim Bratislava Technical Compe- tency Centre. Students led by the Department of Sculpture faculty were only limited in one aspect - the final work had to be a 40 cm x 40 cm relief. The authors created a number of perspectives on the theme of inno- vation and also presented a diverse range of working with concrete. The uniqueness of the authors' ap- proaches and the artistic treatment of the selected theme was directly connected to the vision and mission of Holcim White - to offer creative and original solutions, to support quality finished products and to find a way to be different. The completed works were exhibited at the Art Design Gallery in Bratis- lava and then became a permanent part of the C3 Atelier's collection. We help create awe-inspiring works Ingrid Višňovská Senior Marketing & Communication Coordinator Student work out of white cement: Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava Art and design as the substantiation of inspiration and a platform for intangible experiences and new forms of cooperation Holcim Whiteboard 201326 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 27
  • 15. We saw the "Corporate Medium of the Year" competition as an oppor- tunity to gauge the quality of our redesigned corporate medium, the Whiteboard magazine, in competi- tion with other participants from across Slovakia. It is with great pleasure that we can announce that the Whiteboard magazine in the face of stiff competition from inter- national companies in the Corporate Magazine – External Communica- tion category took home 2nd place. Category "Corporate Magazine – External Communication" 1 Mercedes - Benz Slovakia s.r.o. Hviezdy ciest 2 Holcim Slovensko a.s. Whiteboard 3 Allianz - Slovenská poisťovňa ASPartner Based on recent research conducted by the Slovak Syndicate of Journal- ists, top management at companies is often insufficiently aware of the importance of corporate media. They need to comprehend the pow- er of words and images, regardless of if media is intended for internal consumption inside the company or is focused externally. It is also important to realize that such external mediums represent the company, help support exports, influence potential customers, increase demand and drive interest in products and services. Internally-focused communication media help to shape employees, give them more information about the company and upcoming goals while building loyalty to the em- ployer, thereby making a significant contribution towards lowering fluc- tuation, and building the employee's relationship with the company that employs them. We are convinced that participat- ing in the competition has made a contribution towards increasing the level of corporate communication and the quality of corporate media in a country where we need to help support cultivate business and social relationships. We believe that our success and the increased visibility of the Whiteboard magazine are proof that quality corporate media, such as magazines, flyers, websites and even an ordinary calendar can help bring about positive exposure and help build the brands of the compa- nies that produce such materials. Holcim Excellence in white On 03 May 2013, the Corporate Media Club and Slovak Syndicate of Journalists announced the results of the 10th annual corporate media communication competition Corporate Medium of the Year for 2012. The tenth year of this competition was the source of our inspiration to sign up our customer magazine for the very first time at Holcim Slovensko. Whiteboard 2012 succeeds in the pres- tigious "Corporate Medium of the Year" competition Excellence in white Bet-OM project Holcim joined forces with top designers, including Patrik Illo in Slovakia, to create the limited edition bet-OM project, a pilot project to potentially support creative design and to spark cooperation with the best designers in the EMEA region. We want to open space for experi- mental, progressive and original implementations of design concepts utilizing and discovering a wide range of different applications for concrete and its combinations with other materials. In cooperation with the Art Design Gallery, the project resulted in the creation of a series of objects combin- ing glass with concrete. Patrik Illo, the author of these works, is a major figure in Slovak glass design and the visual arts. He let the adventure of experimentation flow in his vase designs for bet-OM, where he employed and worked with concrete in addition to his more familiar glass. The series of functional objects were designed as an intersection of two geometric bodies, more specifi- cally cylinders. Concrete and glass come into immedi- ate contact with one another with the roughness and corporality of the concrete (and more than just sym- bolically) supports and complements the transparency, smoothness, openness and etherial nature of glass. The collection of vases with the strong visual atmosphere created by their shapes reflect both modern architecture and design. The limited edition bet-OM collection was exhibited at the Art Design Festival of Křehký Mikulov, which for the first time included a collector's market for design arts from across the Central European region, intended just for collectors of exceptional works of design, for the very first time. Student works out of white cement: Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava Illustration photo ExcellenceinWhite ExcellenceinWhite Holcim Whiteboard 201328 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 29
  • 16. Contacts Contacts Management Our White Team Technical Sales Center Application Consultants Sales Coordination Marketing Patrick Stapfer Chief Executive Officer Holcim Central Eastern Europe Phone +421 34 77 65 111 (reception) patrick.stapfer@holcim.com Josef Nowak Sales Manager White Cement Switzerland, Lithuania Phone: +43 1 889 03 03 Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 30 Mobile: +43 676 654 24 20 josef.nowak@holcim.com Beata Karpati Application Consultant Hungary Phone: +36 46 561 616 Fax: +36 46 561 608 Mobile: +36 30 257 64 66 beata.karpati@holcim.com Stanislav Belanec Application Consultant Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine Phone: +421 34 77 65 135 Fax: +421 34 77 65 526 Mobile: +421 903 554 616 stanislav.belanec@holcim.com Adam Staruch Country Sales Manager Poland Phone: +48 22 548 00 82 Fax: +48 22 548 01 85 Mobile: +48 695 88 99 12 adam.staruch@holcim.com Ingrid Višňovská Senior marketing & communication coordinator Phone: + 421 34 77 65 250 Fax: + 421 34 77 65 101 Mobile: + 421 911 960 789 ingrid.visnovska@holcim.com Zora Vajdová Sales Coordinator CEE Phone: +421 34 77 65 189 Fax: +421 34 77 65 526 Mobile: +421 903 401 398 zora.vajdova@holcim.com Jürgen Oecknick Head of Technical Sales Center Phone: +41 58 850 61 Fax: +41 58 850 61 60 Mobile: +41 79 770 62 06 juergen.oecknick@holcim.com Josef Nowak Sales Manager White Cement Central & Eastern Europe Phone: +43 1 889 03 03 Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 30 Mobile: +43 676 654 24 20 josef.nowak@holcim.com Marco Haberhauer TCC for CEE Phone: +43 1 889 03 03 Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 30 Mobile: +43 676 654 24 21 marco.haberhauer@holcim.com Sven Thorenz Application Consultant &Technical Marketing Germany, Sweden Mobile: +49 173 7132 095 sven.thorenz@holcim.com Agata Borowiec-Potępa Sales Coordinator Poland Phone: +48 71 333 60 26 Fax: +48 71 337 30 01 Mobile: +48 695 88 99 95 agata.borowiec@holcim.com Whiteboard is a dialogue-oriented customer information magazine published by Holcim (Slovensko) a.s. It focuses on providing open and helpful information about white cement and the activities of HCEE/Holcim (Slovensko) a.s. within Central and Eastern Europe. Whiteboard is published twice a year and is available in German and English. Responsibility: Ingrid Višňovská, senior marketing & communication coordinator Phone +421 34 7765 250, Fax +421 34 7765 149, ingrid.visnovska@holcim.com Holcim White Europe SE LV PL SK HU RO AT CH DEBE NL SI HR BA RS CZ UA BLR EE Sonja Mlinar Sales Coordinator for Balkan and Assistant to Sales Manager Phone/Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 14 sonja.mlinar@holcim.com Martin Karasek Application Consultant & Technical Marketing Austria, Romania Phone: +43 1 889 03 03 Fax: +43 1 889 03 03 30 Mobile: +43 676 654 24 29 martin.karasek@holcim.com Holcim Whiteboard 201330 Holcim Whiteboard 2013 31
  • 17. Holcim Central Eastern Europe Holcim (Slovensko) a.s. SK- 906 38 Rohožník Slovakia www.holcim-white.sk © 2013 Holcim Central Eastern Europe Holcim (Slovensko) a.s. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or used in any form without permission of HCEE/Holcim (Slovensko) a.s.