Interview with Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels, CEO Hohenstein Institute in Bönnigheim (Germany)

Transcription

1 Press information Competence in textiles - worldwide Interview with Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels, CEO Hohenstein Institute in Bönnigheim (Germany) 21-Oct EN BÖNNIGHEIM (ri) The Hohenstein Institute provides testing, certification and research in every aspect of textiles expertise from a single source. Over 4,500 clients the world over profit from the textile know-how of the approximately 370 staff based at the head office in Boennigheim (Germany) and from a global network of international offices in over 25 countries. These provide access to the broad range of services of the research and service centre locally in all the major production and trade regions for textiles. The Hohenstein Institute, which was founded in 1946, is headed by Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels, who represents the third generation to run this family concern. How do you ensure success for your company? My grandfather already essentially phrased the secret of the success of the Hohenstein Institutes during its founding in 1946, and this still holds true to this day. On one hand, we have the fundamental principle of a unity of research, service and continued education. Through our research work, we have always kept in pace with times which has enabled us to detect and fulfil the current demands of the markets when it comes to testing and certification services, as well as training courses. On the other hand, an additional factor of success is our focus on textile products of all kinds, and their use in a great variety of working and living areas. This ensures us, and thereby our customers, a deep expert knowledge which, in combination with our interdisciplinary approach, is unique worldwide. Why is testing and certification so important? Over the past 20 years, the independent testing and certification of textile products has assumed significantly greater importance. This is due both to consumers being much more aware of product quality as well as the changes which have taken place in global flows of goods. The best example of this is the OEKO-TEX Standard 100. The testing and certification system for this was developed in 1992 with the aim of reestablishing consumer confidence in textiles after a number of scandals surrounding products contaminated with harmful substances. Today, we find the standard of the same name displayed on millions of products as an indicator of quality based on testing for harmful substances, making it an important sales argument. At the same time, the tests for harmful substances carried out under OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and the audits of industrial premises under OEKO-TEX STeP have come to be an essential Editor: Hohenstein Laboratories GmbH & Co. KG Hohenstein Textile Testing Institute GmbH & Co. KG Hohenstein Institut für Textilinnovation ggmbh Hohenstein Academy e.v. Marketing & Business Development Schloss Hohenstein Bönnigheim GERMANY Phone: press@hohenstein.com Internet: Your contact for this text: Britta Gortan Phone: b.gortan@hohenstein.de You can make use of the news service free of charge - please send us file copies.

2 Seite element of the textile chain. Testing documentation and test certificates such as OEKO- TEX guarantee that uniform quality standards are being met irrespective of where the individual steps in the production process are undertaken across the world. What is the most effective way to attract potential clients? In the past century, the main challenge for us has been to accompany the growing globalization of textile production. Accordingly, we were able to win new customers mainly outside Europe. Without a doubt, this trend will continue in the future. Aside from our good reputation being spread by our satisfied customers, our more than 40 international offices are of major relevance. Our global presence in all countries and regions relevant to textile production gives potential customers a direct point of contact. The staff members in our international offices speak their language, and are familiar with the special demands of the relevant markets. These are advantages which are highly appreciated by European importers, who in turn refer their suppliers to Hohenstein. Apart from cultivating and expanding our direct contacts, we put a lot of emphasis on public relations and online media to inform potential customers as well as research partners about our work. You offer advanced training, how does this benefit your company and those that embark on the training? An essential part of our company s philosophy is the transmission of newly found knowledge in our research and service areas to third parties. Continued education is by no means self serving, it rather has a clear pragmatic objective: the feedback from seminars, workshops and conferences helps us improve our service portfolio to suit the ever changing demands of our target groups. Furthermore, it enables us to adjust our portfolio to suit the current market characteristics and market trends. In return, the participants benefit from very timely information about current developments. Since we have been centralizing the knowledge transfer though our international offices, and have been offering modern e-learning options, interested parties worldwide have been able to benefit. Are there any achievements you have made that you would like to discuss? Environmental protection and social responsibility significantly gained importance in the past years for globally acting textile brands, trade enterprises, and manufacturers along the textile value-added chain. With the new STeP certification for Sustainable Textile Production by OEKO-TEX, we have been offering these companies an objective and transparent possibility to document their sustainable production conditions credibly outward for the past few month now. The core of the new STeP certification is the modular analysis of all relevant areas of the company like quality management, use of chemicals, environmental protection, environmental management, social responsibility, and work safety. The certification tool has been especially designed to the situation during individual processing steps of the textile and clothing industry; it is therefore specifically able to support interested companies in continuously improving their production conditions. The assessment to which extend STeP certified companies

3 Seite already operate on a sustainable basis is conducted web-based on the basis of a scoring system. How do you go about transforming an idea into a reality? In these cases we strongly benefit from our company structure: as a family run business, decision making chancels are short, and ideas can be realized very quickly. Furthermore, we practise a very open company culture in which suggestions by staff members are always welcome and often transformed into reality if they promise an advantage for either the company or the customer. To top it off, I have a great management team which moves us forward in the right direction with much personal commitment and dedication. How do you ensure your training is the best out there? In my opinion, different aspects are important to ensure the quality of seminars, workshops and contributions to international conventions. Firstly, a healthy balance between depth and width of the knowledge to be conveyed must be found. During conception we clearly define what is expected by the participants or listeners, which previous knowledge exists, and, last but not least, which messages and skills must be communicated. In the case of limited resources, quantity often proves to be the natural enemy of quality. This applies to the textual, as well as the formal or didactically design. For this reason, we strictly prioritize in this area, and keep the seminar and lecture range manageable. Secondly, in order to meet the rising need, we are placing a great emphasize on the multiplication of knowledge through internal development of junior staff, and by utilisation of latest media. We increasingly process the special knowledge from a broad variety of departments as webinars, which can be downloaded from our Hohenstein website around the clock. How important is research? As an applied research institute, we regard ourselves primarily as a partner for the industry s small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). These SMEs in particular benefit from the practical solutions which our interdisciplinary teams of specialists work together to develop. Thanks to the close cooperation between textile engineers, chemists, medics, biologists, and physicists, we are able to provide and optimize a diverse range of products and procedures for a wide spectrum of sectors in line with individual requirements. As part of publicly sponsored research projects, we work on the latest scientific findings and link them to potential applications in the industry. Our expertise also provides the basis for the market-oriented research and development projects which we carry out on behalf of companies. Are there any new project opportunities you would like to mention? In our research project Strong Men we are currently determining the body measurements of men with clothing size 58 and up. It is our goal to use the determined

4 Seite data as a basis to develop special measurement tables for this target group, and to therefore improve the future fit of their clothing significantly. We bundle our experience with serial measurement programs which we have been conducting since the 1950s with state-of-the-art 3D-scanner technology. During the so-called SOFIA study, our interdisciplinary approach becomes especially evident. The study deals with the question which effect clothing has on the emotions and thinking processes of the human brain. Next to textile experts, physicans and humane biologists from Hohenstein have given their expert knowledge. Are you planning any future expansions or investments you would like to mention? (if so) How do you feel these will boost your company s success? The last weeks about 160 employees moved into a newly erected institute building at our headquarters in Bönnigheim. For this three story building with a size of 2,580m², in connection with an underground parking garage and a block-type power plant, we undertook an investment of about 9 million Euros. Between 2007 and today, the number of staff members here at our headquarters has risen from 220 to about 370, therefore the newly constructed building was unavoidable to remedy at least some of the space constraints. Continued growth will make a demand for further qualified personnel as well as laboratories and offices inevitable. Therefore, we have made future plans for the possibility to erect three additional buildings in further construction phases in the same area. Until these plans are realized, however, we will take others measures to improve space utilization, i.e. by adding another storey to an already existing building. In the past year, we have opened a new laboratory in Hongkong to be able to offer certain services directly on site. This also called for a significant investment to expand our capacities and to ensure our competitiveness sustainably. Please tell us about the importance of the relationship you have with your customer groups. The contact with our customers is generally very close, personal and is oriented towards dialog. This shows that the special know-how in Hohenstein does not just cover testing and certifications of any kind but also includes intensive consulting and support. We particularly see ourselves as trouble shooters who don t just brush their customers off with their measuring results but also assist in solving manifesting problems during production, and in optimizing products. Thank you very much for this interview! Hohenstein Institute Since 1995, the institute has been under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels, the third generation to run the family business, who has carried on the philosophy of the unity of research, service

5 Seite and training in his work. Hohenstein Institute The Hohenstein Institute employs textile engineers, physicists, chemists, biologist and medical scientists in an interdisciplinary cooperation to provide customers with comprehensive services from a single source. Hohenstein Institute On countless products the Hohenstein quality label represents quality with regard to wearing comfort, fit, workmanship and numerous other product characteristics. Hohenstein Institute Hohenstein Institute The Hohenstein Institute in Bönnigheim (Germany) is an internationally active research and service centre for the entire textile chain and related industries.