Members of the Association of Plant Managers in the Swiss Clay Brick and Stone
Industry elect new board
On 3 and 4 June, around 25 members of the Association of Plant Managers in the Swiss Clay Brick and Stone Industry (SBZS) met for their 106th Annual Meeting in Stansstad on Lake Lucerne.
The conference programme began with a group viewing of Glasi Hergiswil. Here the visitors were given extensive information on glassmaking at this traditional manufacture, watch the craftsmen working and discover how the glowing mass of glass is skilfully formed, blown and cast.
The members’ meeting on the late afternoon was opened by the SBZS President Thomas Bannwart, Gasser Ceramic. He gave a short overview of the activities in the past year. One highlight was the group visit to ceramitec in Munich in October 2015. At the trade fair, the attendees were not only able to find out about new things in the industry, but, at the invitation of the companies Lingl and Sibelco, enjoy tasty Bavarian fayre and discuss the latest news with each other.
The group visit to the company operations of Katadyn, a manufacturer of water filters, on 6 April 2016 provided interesting insights in an industry in which ceramic is also used. Especially the very finely structured ceramic filters impressed the group.
After the discharge of the Board, Bannwart was able to announce that six new members had joined, five of whom were introduced and able to briefly present themselves and their backgrounds. Five members left the Association, all for age reasons.
Four SBZS members were honoured for their 50-year membership in the Association with a certificate and a “pocket knife“. Walter Distel accepted the honour personally.
This year, the board elections were on the agenda. Dirk Hümmer, ZZ Wancor AG, was elected president for the next three years. He will be assisted by David Hartmann, Keller Ziegeleien, as vice-president and Matthias Schönle, Gasser Ceramic, who was newly elected to the Board. The former President Thomas Bannwart will be on hand to support the Board as the new auditor. Other Board members are Jürg Läderach, Romegalli Feuerfest, as treasurer, Ewald Stillhard, ZZ Wancor AG, as Secretary und Simon Jordi, Aurest. All Board members were elected unanimously.
The outgoing President Bannwart then informed the attendees about the upcoming viewing of the Schüpfen Brickworks of Gasser Ceramic, which will take place on 7 September 2016 and expressed his thanks to the companies Händle/Braun for their material support of the 106th Annual Meeting. In the new year, the Association’s website is to be filled with more life and reports on activities published.
To conclude the general meeting, the incoming President Dirk Hümmer thanked his predecessor for the work he had done and looked forward to leading the traditional association in the upcoming years.
Following an evening dinner, at which the attendees held interesting talks with each other and exchanged experience, they met up next day in Lucerne.
Split into two groups for a tour, the attendees travelled across the beautiful city on Lake Lucerne. From the railway station, they started off to the well-known Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), which with its red plain-tile roof is the emblem of the city. Following a fire in the year 1993, during which two thirds of the bridge superstructure as well as the majority of panels of the series of paintings were destroyed, the bridge was restored in just eight months. The damaged part of the roof was given a new covering. As there were still enough old roofing tiles in a Bern warehouse, this top photo motif is presented with a harmonious clay-tiled roof in all its splendour. On the further tour through the city, the interested attendees found out a lot of information worth knowing on famous buildings and on the history of the capital of the Canton. With a heavy rain shower, the tour neared its end. The umbrellas covered with a roofing tile motif from Cham Brickworks got many members dry back to the starting point of the tour.
Anett Fischer
Schweizerischer Betriebsleiterverband der Ziegel- und Steinindustrie (SBZS)
www.sbzs.ch
