28-11-13
Member news
News from Polytype
polytype Converting AG (Fribourg, Switzerland), the leading manufacturer of high-end coating and laminating systems, has now set the direction within the Group for the market offensive it launched in September 2013: It intends to set up production to be more flexible so the multifaceted portfolio of solutions can be implemented worldwide. And production has to move closer to the markets.
Strategic alliances and cooperation arrangements will be given a different priority in the future and competence in research and development will be strengthened at the core facilities in Fribourg, Switzerland and Hamburg, Germany.
The two inter-group Digital Competence Center and Automation Competence Center are already operating with great success and have allowed developmental engineers in Fribourg to provide forward-looking and innovative printing and coating solutions to all business areas of the wifag//polytype Group. //polytype also runs a large test center in Fribourg for coating and lamination, which naturally has a digital production line as well. The quality and excellent reputation of the //polytype systems are based not least on this intensive R&D activity.
In addition, more priority than ever is being given to sales, customer-based development and project management plus service and after-sales activities in Fribourg and Hamburg. With the restructuring of tasks within the internationally operating //polytype Converting AG, production steps will be shifted away from the facility in western Switzerland. That might result in personnel cuts in the months ahead in Fribourg. The extent of these cuts is expected to be in the low double-digit range but will depend on the markets in which //polytype is successful with its expanded portfolio.
However, there is no credence at all to the announcement by the Swiss union Employés Suisse that the entire Fribourg facility of //polytype Converting AG is endangered. The union has since explicitly apologized for misinforming the public with this story, which was also picked up by several media.
In an interview with a trade journal in late November, the CEO of //polytype Converting AG, Jörgen Karlsson, clarified that the company would stand by the facilities in Fribourg and in Hamburg: "Our most important assets are our employees and we have a very good and experienced team in Fribourg and in Hamburg."
Strategic alliances and cooperation arrangements will be given a different priority in the future and competence in research and development will be strengthened at the core facilities in Fribourg, Switzerland and Hamburg, Germany.
The two inter-group Digital Competence Center and Automation Competence Center are already operating with great success and have allowed developmental engineers in Fribourg to provide forward-looking and innovative printing and coating solutions to all business areas of the wifag//polytype Group. //polytype also runs a large test center in Fribourg for coating and lamination, which naturally has a digital production line as well. The quality and excellent reputation of the //polytype systems are based not least on this intensive R&D activity.
In addition, more priority than ever is being given to sales, customer-based development and project management plus service and after-sales activities in Fribourg and Hamburg. With the restructuring of tasks within the internationally operating //polytype Converting AG, production steps will be shifted away from the facility in western Switzerland. That might result in personnel cuts in the months ahead in Fribourg. The extent of these cuts is expected to be in the low double-digit range but will depend on the markets in which //polytype is successful with its expanded portfolio.
However, there is no credence at all to the announcement by the Swiss union Employés Suisse that the entire Fribourg facility of //polytype Converting AG is endangered. The union has since explicitly apologized for misinforming the public with this story, which was also picked up by several media.
In an interview with a trade journal in late November, the CEO of //polytype Converting AG, Jörgen Karlsson, clarified that the company would stand by the facilities in Fribourg and in Hamburg: "Our most important assets are our employees and we have a very good and experienced team in Fribourg and in Hamburg."