Sattler AG -
In need of a pool of highly specialised partners


Networks

Specialists needed

A specialist deals with certain jobs better than an allrounder – and that‘s why the best people in a particular area are taken on to realise dedicated project tasks. But dividing up a project in this way can only work if there are clear one-stop responsibilities for overall coordination. As is the case, for example, with fabrics manufacturer Sattler AG. This Austrian company is utilizing Weiss-Röhlig USA‘s export expertise to freight its special fabrics to the North American market – from ex-works in Austria right through to the US retail outlets. As Mark Fitzgibbon at the Weiss-Röhlig New Jersey branch notes: „Managing such an involved cross-border logistic process is extremely complex and requires a mass of experience. Most importantly, though, you need a pool of highly specialised partners on the ground.“ The Röhlig subsidiary has sub-divided single tasks, delegating them to local service suppliers with the requisite expertise in specific sectors – warehousing, fabric cutting and packing. A number of dispatch companies are then used to deliver the packed goods to a wide range of uS destinations. But as Fitzgibbon points out: „We have overall responsibility for the entire logistics supply chain.“


Markets

Off to new shores

Sattler boat awnings cover the skipper‘s head, providing protection against rain, wind and sun. But this Austrian company‘s boat cover fabrics are not only water resistant. They also have one special feature – they are water vapour permeable. Sattler boat covers use a new kind of fabric structure: while the crew sits high and dry down below, the material lets the moisture under the cover escape. In the meantime, yacht owners across Europe have discovered the advantages of Sattler fabrics – and now the company plans to break into the uS market. It‘s an ambitious move. One single manufacturer dominates 95% of the uS market for boat covers, awnings and tarpaulins. Sattler, though, is ready to take up the challenge: „We plan to break that monopoly.“ Since wholesale structures make market entry somewhat difficult, Sattler has founded the European Outdoor Fabrics Corp. – its own distribution network. And it is benefiting from support services organised by Weiss-Röhlig USA, a Röhlig subsidiary that jumped the Atlantic ocean four years ago and successfully establis- hed itself in the US market.


Partnerships

Made to measure

„Whether boat covers or awnings – our customers demand precision and speed of delivery,“ says Mr Bernie Formal, Foldtex owner. His team warehouses, cuts and packs Sattler‘s special fabrics. Directly

on receipt of the order, Mr Bernie Formal‘s staff find the specific material to match customer requirements – quickly locating it among the 100 different sorts of fabrics warehoused by Foldtex. Fork lifts transport the heavy rolls to the cutting machines. There the fabrics are prepared to the customer‘s specifications. „These are expensive fabrics,“ Mr Bernie Formal says. „We cannot afford to make any major cutting errors.“ To cut the fabrics swiftly and accurately, Foldtex needs to know how much material is left on the rolls – a task made easier by the specialist software supplied by Gebr. Weiss Austria, which Weiss-Röhlig USA are linked into. After cutting, the fabrics are packed and labelled. It‘s a fast and efficient service, promising customers same-day delivery on orders. By the way, Foldtex was personally recommended for the contract. As Mr Bernie Formal says: „The word is out that we are a customised service provider.“

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