From the Sector

• Waiver of dividend
• Expansion of Board of Directors

The shareholders of Autoneum Holding Ltd approved all proposals of the Board of Directors at today’s Annual General Meeting and agreed to forgo dividend payments. Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli were newly elected to the Board of Directors. Based on Art. 27 of the Covid-19 Ordinance 3, the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd decided to hold the 2021 Annual General Meeting without physical attendance by the shareholders. For this reason, the Company had asked them in advance to exercise their rights exclusively via the Independent Proxy. He represented 63.5% of a total of 4 672 363 shares.

The shareholders approved the Annual Report, the Annual Financial Statements and the Consolidated Financial Statements 2020. In view of the net loss in the 2020 financial year, the Board of Directors proposed forgoing dividend payments, which was approved by a large majority of the shareholders. Hans-Peter Schwald, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said: “2020 was extremely challenging for the entire automobile industry and also for Autoneum. The pandemic-related drop in revenue has impacted profitability. Despite the net loss, Autoneum reached important financial improvements in 2020. We expect to return to profitability in 2021 and our aim to distribute at least 30% of the net profit attributable to Autoneum shareholders as dividends remains unchanged. The Board of Directors, the Group Executive Board and the Company as a whole are committed fully to ensuring that Autoneum continues to make significant operational and financial improvements.”

Chairman Hans-Peter Schwald and the other members of the Board of Directors, Rainer Schmückle, Norbert Indlekofer, Michael Pieper, This E. Schneider and Ferdinand Stutz were confirmed in office. Newly elected to the Board of Directors were Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli.

With Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli and the resignation of Peter Spuhler, who did not stand for reelection in order to be able to focus on managing Stadler Rail, the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd has expanded from seven to eight members. Hans-Peter Schwald explained: “The expertise of Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli in the areas of finance and corporate management is of great value to Autoneum. As the Board of Directors, we look forward to this enhancement to the Board and to working with both of them.”

Peter Spuhler has been an important driving force since the Company became independent, he played a major role in shaping Autoneum thanks to his entrepreneurial expertise and showed great commitment to the Company. The Board of Directors thanks him sincerely and wishes him continued success.

This E. Schneider, Hans-Peter Schwald and Ferdinand Stutz were re-elected to the Compensation Committee. Oliver Streuli was elected as a new member of this committee. In addition, the shareholders of Autoneum Holding Ltd granted discharge to all members of the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Board with a large majority.

The consultative vote on the 2020 remuneration report was approved by 83.4%. Due to the severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Group’s business development, the members of the Board of Directors renounced half of their compensation for the 2020 financial year and, in order to  align their remuneration with shareholder interests, decided to receive it entirely in Autoneum shares. In addition, a waiver of salary amounting to 10% of the basic salary for a period of three months was agreed upon with the senior management as part of a reduction of personnel costs.

The proposals for the remuneration of the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Board for the 2022 financial year as well as the other proposals were also approved by a large majority.

• Michael Pieper is not standing for re-election
• Stefaan Haspeslagh will be proposed for election to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting
• The change is related to the transfer of the shareholding of Artemis Beteiligungen I AG to Picanol Group

Michael Pieper, a member of the Board of Directors of Rieter Holding AG since 2009, has informed Rieter that Artemis Beteiligungen I AG has sold its 11.5% block of shares to the Picanol Group (Picanol NV), Belgium, and that he thus will not stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting on April 15, 2021.

Michael Pieper has supported and helped to significantly shape the development of Rieter for more than ten years. He joined Rieter as a major shareholder in 2008, and since then has been strongly involved in the strategic realignment of the group.

“On behalf of the Rieter Group, I extend our sincere gratitude to Michael Pieper for his extremely successful and valuable work on the Board of Directors and, above all, for his commitment as a long-term major shareholder,” said Bernhard Jucker, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rieter Holding AG.

The Board of Directors of Rieter Holding AG today announced its intention to propose Stefaan Haspeslagh for election to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting on April 15, 2021.
Stefaan Haspeslagh (born 1958) holds a Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the University of Antwerp, Belgium. He has been Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Financial Officer of the Picanol Group (Picanol NV), Belgium, since 2010. In addition, Stefaan Haspeslagh has also been Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Tessenderlo Group NV, Belgium, since 2014. As a director of Cellpack NV, Belgium, he has been in office since 2001.

“Rieter welcomes the new major shareholder, Picanol NV. Luc Tack, majority shareholder and CEO of Picanol, has been a member of the Board of Directors of Rieter for four years. Stefaan Haspeslagh is characterized by broad, international management experience in the textile sector and is very well connected in the industry”, stated Bernhard Jucker, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

All other current members of the Board of Directors will stand for reelection at the Annual General Meeting.

With the pollen season starting, new independent test results by the German external laboratory BMA-Labor have shown Purissimo’s™ effectiveness against pollen, making it an all-in-one solution for reducing allergens.

Devan’s allergen control technology, known as Purissimo™, has been found effective against allergens from pollen. The technology had already been proven to significantly reduce the amount of allergens from house dust mites and pets (cats & dogs).

“Allergens are small protein molecules, which can cause allergic reactions and asthma. All allergy sufferers are different when it comes to their sensitivity to allergens”, says Sofie Depluverez, PhD researcher at Devan. “However, few people are only allergic to a single allergen – and the effects of multiple allergens can add up. The key to reducing and even eliminating symptoms is to reduce your exposure to the allergens themselves.”

Allergy threshold
When people move into a house or bring in a new dog, the number of allergens starts to rise. In the beginning there are little to none, so the allergy threshold causing symptoms is far from being reached. Nobody is suffering any reaction at this stage.

“As time goes by, the various allergens start to build up inside the house, certainly when ventilation is limited”, Depluverez continues. “As the allergen concentration increases (especially in combination with seasonal allergens such as pollen), the allergy threshold may be reached if no allergen reduction measures are in place.”

Purissimo™
Purissimo™ is a natural allergen control technology that significantly reduces allergens from pet dander, dust mites and pollen in textiles throughout the home. The technology is based on encapsulated probiotics, which are naturally occurring microorganisms similar in kind to those you can find in probiotic yogurt, tempeh, kombucha.

Inactive probiotics (spores) are encapsulated and integrated onto the textiles. Friction opens the microcapsules and releases the spores. The spores absorb humidity and self-activate. They are transformed into probiotic bacteria that start to consume the allergens.

“As the probiotics consume the allergens, exposure is gradually reduced to below threshold levels”, Depluverez adds. “Therefore, individuals with respiratory allergies will be exposed to fewer ‘attacks’ and perceive a better well-being.”

• ITM of TU Dresden – your research partner in the field of virtual product development at ISPO Munich
• ISPO Munich Online 2021 – the world´s leading sports business platform from February 1st to 5th 2021

The Chair of Assembly Technology for Textile Products of ITM presents itself for the first time at ISPO Munich Online 2021 – showcasing its expertise in the field of virtual product development. Its know-how in the determination of material parameters, digital data processing, and data transfer will be presented as well as its competencies in 3D/4D body shape recording via scanning, data animation for the 3D product development for functional clothing, and simulation for wear comfort/usage visualization. The Chair of Assembly Technology for Textile Products of ITM has manifested its leading global position in the virtual product development sector by successfully completing a variety of national and international interdisciplinary research projects.

Researchers of the Chair of Assembly Technology for Textile Products have been actively involved in the preparation and digital representation of material samples for the ISPO Textrends Forum. Thus, the material parameters of the ISPO Textrends Award textiles were determined for 3D fit simulations in Vidya (Assyst/Vizoo), automatically analyzed, and digitally processed by the specially developed "Material Analyzer" software. This software in addition to other state-of-the-art CAE infrastructure, such as the recently installed 4D Scanner Move4D, are essential for the further establishment and promotion of its leading position in the field of digitalization and virtual product development for garments for high-tech applications.

The researchers involved eagerly await future collaborations in this promising field of research. This pilot project presented at ISPO 2021 was coordinated by the company FOURSOURCE Group GmbH, thus enabling the characterization and 3D visualization of the award-winning materials that are presented to all visitors at ISPO 2021.

• DushaGreya is a well-known brand from talented Moscow-based designer, Natalia Dushagreya, who puts her all into her unique creations.

Combining her outstanding creativity with cutting-edge digital printing technology, Natalia has been delighting women with eye-catching, comfortable clothes, which boast unparalleled individuality and vivacity for several years. “The quality of digital prints surpasses that of traditional fabrics, both in the variety of colour compositions and in the contrast and clarity when printing small details or complex geometric elements. Digital technology makes it possible to achieve exceptionally smooth colour transitions, which is almost unattainable when using analogue printing methods. As a designer, I make sure to fully leverage the advantages of digital printing when designing and producing my collection”, says Natalia.

By the time the DushaGreya brand begun, Natalia and her like-minded associate and father, Alexander Kordovatov, already had experience in the field of sublimation printing and knew that printing on fabric for subsequent tailoring would be carried out using this technology. However, no third-party performers could be found that would meet the quality and deadline requirements of the brand, so they decided to purchase new equipment and start printing at their own site. 

Alexander says. “We also found out that Smart-T (Mimaki's distributor in Russia), the supplier of this equipment in Moscow, is highly rated by the industry community and customers due to its professional expertise, first-line service support, and highly qualified engineers.” At the end of 2019, Smart-T installed the highly anticipated Mimaki Tx300P-1800 direct textile printer at the DushaGreya facility. Today it prints fabrics for dresses, skirts, T-shirts, fleeces, jumpers, hoodies, trench coats, and other midwear.

"Mimaki Tx300P-1800 is the only printer in the Mimaki line that allows us to print on natural fabrics without pre-processing,” Alexander comments. “This gives us the ability to produce short, original print runs at no extra cost, which is vital in achieving our goals. The TP400 pigment inks used in this printer have an expanded colour gamut, so the prints are always bright and saturated.”

BÖNNIGHEIM - Textile testing and research partner Hohenstein has reason to celebrate: this year marks the company’s 75th anniversary. Now in its third generation of family ownership, the company will spend this landmark year expanding its foundation for the future. Owner Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels is proud: "Our motto, We live textiles, expresses exactly what has made us special for many decades - our collective enthusiasm for textiles and the opportunity to provide solutions that make a difference in the world.”

Successful Roots

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Otto Mecheels laid the foundation for an internationally-renowned company in 1946 when he founded the Hohenstein Institutes, a textile school in Hohenstein Castle. His son, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jürgen Mecheels modernized the Hohenstein Group’s business structures and expanded into new research and service areas such as textile finishing or professional laundries/dry cleaning. He helped to forever change textile safety with the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification system that protects consumers from harmful substances. Under Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels’ leadership since 1995, Hohenstein has been at the forefront of microfiber analysis, consistently perfected its created standards for comfort and compression testing and worked to reduce the industry’s ecological impact. Last but not least, the testing laboratory in Hong Kong, which has been in operation since 2011, and the Hohenstein textile testing laboratories in Bangladesh and India, which were opened in 2018, ensure even greater market proximity.

Solutions for the Global Textile Industry

Today, Hohenstein specializes in the testing, certification and research of all kinds of textile-related products. With a total of more than 1,000 employees at its headquarters in Bönnigheim and in more than 40 branches, contact offices and laboratories worldwide, the company faces the current challenges of the global industry.

"Textile sustainability remains a major focus for us and is woven through every decision we make," explains Stefan Mecheels. “Even services that are seemingly focused on innovation contribute somehow to longer lasting products, less waste and more safety. Our Digital Fitting Lab helps brands leap forward with digitized apparel development. Using modern 3D and 4D technologies and our traditional fit and pattern expertise, we help our clients design better fitting clothes with fewer prototypes and less waste.”

When SARS-CoV-2 struck, the company developed a quality label to easily identify non-medical, community masks that meet legal and functional requirements. The Hohenstein Quality Labels are independent proof with a high level of credibility among buyers and consumers.

Anniversary

Among the celebrations, Hohenstein plans to hold a mid-year press conference with regional and industry journalists. "We are celebrating this anniversary because we have succeeded in constantly adapting to the market and use our applied research to anticipate developments. For this I would first like to thank our employees, who, in keeping with the motto We live textiles, put their hearts and souls into their work. A very special thanks also goes to our customers, some of whom have been placing their trust in us for decades," says Stefan Mecheels, adding "I am convinced that we are positioned to continue our contribution in the future.

• Looking to the future – Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself with a consistently sustainable agenda and propelling the transformation of a modern, resource-efficient fashion industry.

The Conscious Fashion Campaign (CFC), working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), will be the presenting partner and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be a prerequisite for all exhibitors by 2023. And the Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit by CFC is set to become the leading international conference for sustainability in the fashion world. The future of fashion has begun – and its key players will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021.
 
Frankfurt am Main, 2 December 2020. Joining forces to improve the fashion industry: Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself as the host of the future of fashion and actively driving forward the transformation towards a future-oriented, more sustainable fashion and textile industry. All decision-makers looking to instigate this change will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021. The initiators of Frankfurt Fashion Week – Messe Frankfurt and the Premium Group – have achieved a real coup: Conscious Fashion Campaign, working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, will be the presenting partner. Messe Frankfurt will build on its collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and establish Frankfurt Fashion week as the platform on which to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and help guide the fashion industry into the 'Decade of Action'.
 
“Frankfurt will play host to the whole world. We are seeing a very positive response indeed,” confirmed Peter Feldmann, Senior Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main, at today’s digital press conference, before going on to say: “The fact that the initiators are able to rethink the concept of a Fashion Week in such a way is extremely impressive and proves that the fashion industry is correctly interpreting the signs of the present and future. The time has come for value creation and values to be reconciled. Consistent alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals is an important step in this direction.”
 
“Frankfurt Fashion Week aims to play a crucial role in finding solutions for macrosocial challenges and supporting the goals of international politics such as the European Green Deal. The fashion and textile industries are also expected to be climate-neutral by 2050. If we want to achieve this, we all need to pull together. Frankfurt Fashion Week is inviting all initiators and supporters of sustainable concepts and congresses or shows dedicated to sustainability to meet in Frankfurt, partake in discussions and make tangible decisions for the greater good. We will connect the most relevant players and pave the way for a future-proof fashion and textile industry,” says Detlef Braun, CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
 
“Given its global reach, the fashion industry is uniquely positioned to collaborate and engage on the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular on climate action and responsible production and consumption,” said Annemarie Hou, Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships. “Frankfurt Fashion Week and the Summit will serve as an important platform for education and engagement of the fashion and textile industry in the Decade of Action,” emphasised Ms Hou.
 
The aim of Frankfurt Fashion Week is for all exhibitors, participants and partners to align with the Sustainable Development Goals by 2023. The SDGs will also be incorporated into all formats of Frankfurt Fashion Week. This will help to make the UN’s sustainability goals visible and tangible for the Fashion Week audience, therefore bringing its claim, goals and specific proposals for implementation to an international opinion-forming fashion and lifestyle community. During a one-day Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit presented by Conscious Fashion Campaign, topics like gender equality, clean water, climate protection, social justice and their significance for a forward-looking fashion industry will be examined in greater depth. Another point on the sustainability agenda: Frankfurt Fashion Week is launching a Sustainability Award for outstanding, innovative, sustainable design, alongside other categories with a global appeal for the fashion and textile industry.
 
"We are committed to setting the wheels of transformation in motion. Not only does the overall mindset have to fundamentally change; the entire industry also needs to have the courage to be transparent and honest. It’s important to see values and value creation as opportunities rather than contentious. We are doing what we do best: connecting the relevant players at all levels. With its ecosystem, Frankfurt Fashion Week will become the enabler. We are creating a platform that will orchestrate industry-wide change. With this as our inspiration, we are also developing our tradeshow formats from a ‘marketplace of products’ to a ‘marketplace of purpose and ideas’,” explains Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group.
 
A new start in Frankfurt: In summer 2021 the entire fashion industry will be coming to the metropolis on the Main river to inform themselves, be inspired, discuss, negotiate and celebrate. “There’s a huge need to finally meet in person again, to exchange ideas and be inspired. At the same time, digital tools and formats have become an integral part of the fashion industry,” says Markus Frank, Head of the City of Frankfurt’s Department of Economic Affairs and therefore also responsible for its creative industry. “To implement such a future-oriented, all-encompassing overall concept, Frankfurt’s business and creative scenes offer an almost unique concentration of different expertise with its internationally networked agencies, universities and museums. The city’s multifaceted, high-end club, bar and restaurant scene, diverse hotel industry and internationally renowned retail landscape will become the stage for this. This network will be a key factor in the successful implementation of Frankfurt Fashion Week and the way in which it will expand into the public space as a cultural and social happening.”
 
A number of major publishing houses are also showing their commitment to the new Fashion Week in Frankfurt with conferences, events and awards: Textilwirtschaft, the leading professional fashion journal by the Deutscher Fachverlag publishing house, is moving its traditional meeting of the industry’s top decision-makers – the TW Forum, the presentation of the renowned Forum Award, as well as its subsequent conference – from Heidelberg to Frankfurt’s Palmengarten botanical gardens, and will therefore be kicking off Frankfurt Fashion Week on Sunday evening and Monday morning. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung will be hosting its traditional fashion party for the first time in Frankfurt and publishing a special edition of its FAZ Magazin on Frankfurt Fashion Week. And the ZEIT publishing group is holding its ‘UNLOCK Style by ZEITmagazin’ conference, which was established in 2014, and the ZEITmagazin Fashion Week party in Frankfurt for the first time and will dedicate the whole new issue of ZEITmagazin Frankfurt to Frankfurt Fashion Week. Condé Nast will also be involved in next summer’s Frankfurt Fashion Week with an exclusive event by GQ. And the Burda publishing house will also be represented with various event formats from its lifestyle and fashion brands.There will also be talks with SHINE  Conventions, the organiser of GLOW, about what a mutual collaboration could look like.
 
Frankfurt Fashion Week is also delighted to have the Fashion Council Germany (FCG) on board.  The FCG is theinstitution when it comes to German fashion design. It promotes designers, is committed to gaining more political relevance and strengthens the international visibility and awareness of German fashion. At Frankfurt Fashion Week, the FCG will contribute selected formats, such as its already established Fireside Chat, and a future-oriented accelerator format to support German designers.
 
“What really impresses me about Fashion Week is the whole networking aspect: the creative industries will meet the financial world and sustainability is the common denominator. The Green Finance Cluster is another project that we could link with Frankfurt Fashion Week in the future. This will provide new inspiration in the fashion industry, which will certainly extend way beyond its own horizon of Frankfurt and Hesse. After a very difficult year for the trade fair industry, the concept is an encouraging breath of fresh air,” sums up Tarek Al-Wazir, Hesse’s Minister of Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Development and Deputy Minister-President of the state of Hessen.

An impairment charge has become necessary based on the current status of the new 5 year plan.

(Market Abuse Regulation N° 596/2014)
•    Impairment loss amounting to €80-100 million in the fourth quarter 2020 in the business unit CFM
•    Restructuring program resolved with savings target of more than €100 million until 2023
•    Guidance 2020 for Group sales and operating recurring Group EBIT confirmed
•    Guidance 2020 for net result reduced to minus €130-150 million

In the current status of the 5 year plan, which is at present under preparation, significant deviations have already become apparent today, particularly in the market segments Automotive, Aerospace and Wind Energy in the business unit Composites – Fibers & Materials (CFM). Partially also due to the pandemic, Automotive and Aerospace is developing slower than anticipated in the last 5 year plan. In contrast, business with Wind Energy is growing much stronger than previously planned. These changes in the product mix lead to lower mid-term earnings at CFM compared to the prior 5 year plan. Following these deviations from the last 5 year plan, an event-driven impairment test was undertaken. This results in a non-cash impairment charge amounting to €80-100 million, which will be recorded in the fourth quarter 2020.

The Board of Management of SGL Carbon SE today also resolved the implementation of a restructuring program, with which the Company is targeting savings of more than €100 million until 2023 (compared to the base year 2019). These savings consist of a planned socially compatible reduction in personnel of more than 500 employees and substantial reduction in indirect spend, particularly in the areas of travel, consulting and external services. Costs of approximately €40 million are anticipated for the implementation of this restructuring program. A little more than half of this is expected to be recorded as expenses in the fourth quarter 2020, while the associated cash outflows are mainly forecasted for 2021.

This requires a partial adjustment of the guidance for 2020. The solid operational development in the third quarter 2020 with Group sales between €220 and €230 million and operating recurring EBIT1 between €13 and €15 million (plus approximately €9 million positive one-time effects) is within the framework of our expectations for the full year 2020. However, the Group net result is likely to develop below the prior year level of minus €90 million and reach approximately between minus €130 and €150 million due to the restructuring provisions as well as the impairment charge (prior guidance: improvement to a negative low double-digit million € amount).

With liquidity of €167 million as of September 30, 2020 (compared to €137 million at year-end 2019) and further cash inflows in the fourth quarter 2020 from successfully implemented additional funding measures, the Company’s position is solid. This liquidity is more than sufficient for the payment of the purchase price for SGL Composites USA in the amount of USD 62 million at the end of 2020 as well as the restructuring-related cash outflows expected mainly in 2021. The Company continues to have access to the revolving credit facility (RCF) in the amount of €175 million, which remains undrawn.

The quarterly statement as of September 30, 2020 will be published on November 12, 2020 as scheduled. Further details on the new 5 year plan as well as the guidance on the fiscal year 2021 will be presented with the publication of the Annual Report 2020 on March 25, 2021.

*The use of KPIs in this notification is aligned to the annual report 2019 and the interim report for the first half year 2020. There were no changes to the scope of consolidation or to valuation methods compared to the previous guidance.

The collaboration between Tonello and denim designer Piero Turk gave birth to a sustainable denim collection, result of a combination of the latest responsible technologies, and created with the most eco-friendly fabrics selected by The Kingpins Show.

“When it comes to working on new developments, we always start from new ideas and the constant research that starts from a concept that becomes reality, by increasingly raising the bar of sustainability,” said Alice Tonello, R&D and Marketing Director of Tonello.

18 exclusive and contemporary denim pieces, result of the premium experience of Piero Turk, and Tonello with its new brand-new finishing process: The Laundry (R )Evolution.

This is a radically new conception thought to simplify and optimize the entire garment finishing process.

It involves only 2 technologies in the entire finishing cycle, reducing waste and optimizing resources: LaserBlaze, and The All-in-One-System. Finally we use Metro, our software that processes real data, in real time to check all laundry consumption, optimizing processing times and improving performance.

The All-in-One System performs all washing operations by integrating 4 sustainable technologies into a single machine: ECOfree 2, which uses ozone in both the water and air; NoStone® for authentic and pumice-free stone-wash effects; UP, for washing processes with at least 50% less water; Core, a nebulizing system improving performance and reducing water consumption.

As a result of The Laundry (R )Evolution, Tonello developed two innovative and patent-pending processes: OBleach and Wake.

OBleach is the new Tonello process, which, by using only ozone, “returns to the future” with an authentic, sustainable and cool Bleach. Without chemicals.
This is possible thanks to a combination of the technologies part of our All-In-One System.
In short, the real Bleach without Bleach has finally arrived. And this in the year of the total ban of permanganate too.

Wake is the first totally natural dyeing system that uses only plants and biodegradable vegetable waste like flowers, berries and roots, without harmful chemicals additives.

The capsule collection will be displayed at KINGPINS24 on October 27th during the seminar held by Alice Tonello and Piero Turk.

Ab sofort unterstützt Torsten Turba die smartpolymer GmbH Rudolstadt als technischer Vertriebsmanager für den internationalen B2B-Markt. Der 41-jährige tritt damit die Nachfolge von Frank Stops an, der im Dezember nach 14-jähriger Tätigkeit für die TITK-Gruppe in den wohlverdienten Ruhestand geht.

Als Diplom-Kaufmann verfügt Torsten Turba über langjährige Erfahrungen im Vertrieb und der Erschließung neuer Geschäftsfelder und Märkte. Er war bereits in unterschiedlichen Branchen erfolgreich tätig. Bei smartpolymer betreut er künftig die Produktgruppen Beflockung, Phasen-Wechsel-Materialien (PCM) und Sicherheitsfasern, schwerpunktmäßig in den Zielmärkten Deutschland, Italien und Frankreich.

In seiner neuen Funktion will sich Torsten Turba mit Kompetenz, Serviceorientierung und Empathie besonders empfehlen. „Wenn sich der Kunde gut aufgehoben fühlt, dann bleibt er auch“, sagt der 41-Jährige, den die große Vielfalt des Leistungsangebotes innerhalb der TITK-Gruppe besonders reizt. „Gern möchte ich die Weiterentwicklung aktiv mitgestalten“, so Turba.