Bulletin 2/2012

Bulletin
2
2012
Oy Robit Rocktools Ltd Customer Magazine
New horizontal
drills being
tested
in Sweden
Asia factory
operating
in full gear
Customer service
team keeps
Robit going
CEO’s Review
Robit continues to thrive
The past year has been quite positive at Robit Rocktools.
Regardless of the negative economic forecasts for the
beginning of the year, our sales figures are currently up by 15%
from last year. We are very pleased about the development.
We believe our sales will remain on this level for the remaining
part of the year.
The biggest and most significant event of the year was
without a doubt the Intermat fair held in Paris in the spring.
More than 1,300 exhibitors and 200,000 visitors attended the
fair. The event met all our expectations in terms of gaining
new customers and sales. We were also happy to get to meet
some of our partners.
In addition, we launched a new product line from the Korean
factory in the spring. This new line has been well received.
Additionally, we introduced so called large bit products to the
ground drilling market.
Towards the end of autumn, we are already strongly focusing
on next year. We are in the process of planning for 2013 at
Robit. We are confident that our sales will continue to grow.
Among other things, we will be able to distribute the Korean
factory products more evenly along our distribution network.
The factory’s new investments are already visible in the
product range this year.
We currently export our products to over 80 countries. We
hope to cover 100 countries next year. Our staff in Finland
and Korea have done a magnificent job. We will continue
our investments in both countries, and will further increase
quality consistency.
I would like to wish all our customers and partners a pleasant
and successful end of the year!
Jussi Rautiainen
CEO
www.robit.fi
Robit Bulletin is the customer magazine of
Robit Rocktools Ltd.
The next Robit Bulletin will appear
in March 2013.
Editor-in-chief Jussi Rautiainen
Text and layout Villivisio Oy
Edition 2500 pcs
Printed by Eräsalon Kirjapaino
In this issue
2
CEO’s Review
4
A record number of visitors at Open doors event
5
International visitors
6
New horizontal drills being tested in Sweden
8
Together to success
10
Asia factory operating in full gear
11
New faces
12
An efficient customer service team keeps Robit going
13
Office employee of the year: Kaisa Välikoski
14
Intermat Paris 2012
15
Robit in exhibitions
Bulletin 2 / 2012 Robit Rocktools 3
A record number of visitors at
Open doors event
Robit organised a
traditional Open
doors event at the
company’s factory
in Lempäälä in May.
Nearly 400 guests
attended the event.
During the course of the day, the
guests toured the Robit factory, viewed
company products and met the staff.
– The Open doors event is getting
bigger by the year. We had a record
number of visitors this year. The event
is a recreational day that gathers people
in the industry to form networks. The
event has become a tradition that
customers clearly look forward to, says
Jari Silver from PR and marketing.
Robit goes Big
The event theme was the company’s
strong growth – Robit goes Big.
– We introduced topics relevant
to the company’s current operations.
In 2012, these include growth and
internationality. Right now, we are
investing in robust drilling tools. The
new SR product series includes product
sizes 406–1,220 mm.
4 Robit Rocktools Bulletin 2 /2012
– We always take the opportunity
to gain influences from the other
countries and continents we operate
in. This time, we focused on North
America, says Silver.
The delicious and popular burger bar
catering the event was one idea that
came from North America. Tasty Italian
ice cream was served for dessert.
Robit guests also enjoyed various
other
programmes.
The
day’s
exciting activities included drilling
demonstrations, chilli tasting, a driving
simulator, and sniper shooting and
powerlifting competitions.
– The atmosphere was splendid.
The Open doors event is one way for us
to thank our customers and staff for
the past year. Our customers feel it is
useful to have the opportunity to come
to the factory and see how we operate.
International visitors
Robit impresses the
National Mineral
Resources University
Robit
received
interesting
guests this
spring.
Teachers and students
from the National Mineral
Resources University
in St Petersburg visited
the company’s factory in
Lempäälä. The university was
founded in the 18th century
and is Russia’s leading mining
industry university.
During their visit, the guests received a comprehensive
introduction to the factory and its extensive product
selection. Their hosts were Robit’s Regional Manager Oleg
Ivanov, Sales Engineer Olli Heinonen and Juha Sorjonen from
sales and marketing support.
– Robit received us warmly. It was wonderful to get to see
the factory and its progressive products, says teacher Kirill
Fedorov from the St Petersburg National Mineral Resources
University.
The guests were especially impressed by Robit’s capacity
to design and produce a large number of different products,
considering the size of the company’s factory facilities.
– Robit can manufacture top quality products in both
small and large volumes. The team spirit here is admirable
and everyone is willing to help out. It must further improve
employee performance.
– I believe that Robit’s substantial experience in drilling
equipment production and Finnish quality, combined with the
capacity for producing even small batches of custom made
products at a relatively low cost are what make Robit so
competitive in the international market, continues Fedorov.
Robit was also very pleased with the successful university
visit.
– We definitely want to be involved in training mining
engineers and are happy to tell more about our products
and their use to future mining business experts, says Juha
Sorjonen.
Bulletin 2 / 2012 Robit Rocktools 5
New horizontal drills b
This spring, Robit Rocktools introduced to the
market a new HZ product series for horizontal
drilling. The models were officially launched
during the Intermat fair in Paris in May. The
systems have been tested in Sweden since
last year, with positive results.
Pictures from the worksite of
Landvetter airport ramp.
6 Robit Rocktools Bulletin 2 /2012
being tested in Sweden
The horizontal drilling HZ product line will replace
the previously marketed Robit MUHZ products.
Horizontal drilling means drilling a pipe in a horizontal direction. Typical uses include drilling under
roads, so that the road does not need to be dug
open.
– The ring bit of the HZ models is more robust
than its predecessors. The product includes a simple, disposable impact shoe that is easy to place
at the end of a pipe and weld into it.
– Re-usable ring bits are not attached to the
pipe. They can be easily detached from the pilot
and pipe after drilling, explains designer Pasi Korte.
Several test drillings
The HZ models have been developed in Sweden
since early 2011. The pilot and rings have been
used by Robit’s customer Styrud for drilling under
roads. The model was tested in co operation with
Robit retailer Global Drilling System Sverige AB.
– The test drillings have produced good results.
The first drillings were conducted in early 2011. I
have personally monitored the drillings at our
work sites during the past year and have received
direct feedback from other project participants,
says Korte.
Size 406.4/12.7 was
first used to drill under
a highway ramp in May.
The ramp is located a few
kilometres from Gothenberg Landvetter airport.
In addition to Korte, Bosse
Bäckgren, a representative of Global Drilling System Sverige AB, supervised the drilling.
– They drilled 24 metres under the Landvetter ramp. The land filling
under the ramp consisted
partially of very large
boulders. Because of the
boulders and directional
requirements, it was necessary to supervise the
drilling very carefully, especially at the start. However, no problems occurred. The drilling went as
planned, says Bäckgren contentedly.
Co operation for optimal results
The test drilling results have enabled the company to further improve the functionality of the
HZ product line.
– For example, we made slight changes in the
ring bit of the 323.9/12.7 model, in order to make
it easier to detach the ring bit after drilling, explains Korte.
– The end customer may want to use the same
ring bit more than once, which is a definite advantage in the HZ models. The long life bits are cost
efficient, continues Bäckgren.
Only the best materials and production methods are used for all Robit products.
– It is important for us to develop our drilling
equipment in close co operation with our partners
and end users. In this way, we can obtain maximum product efficiency and best serve our customers, says Korte.
Bulletin 2 / 2012 Robit Rocktools 7
Cristian Villalba
8 Robit Rocktools Bulletin 2 / 2012
Together
to success
CVC started 30 years ago and today is part of a holding consisting
of 18 companies involved in various lines of business such
as transportation, construction, security guard services and
industrial cleaning. The company started introducing the Robit
brand to the Chilean market in 2011.
Since its beginnings, CVC has been
supplying parts and accessories to
the Chilean mining and construction
industry. Four years ago, the company
decided to create the division “CVC
Machineries” to suit the growing demand to import and commercialize
machines, accessories and parts in the
Chilean market.
– During this 4-year period, we have
become a well-known name in the mining sector. Our clients know us for the
quality of our products and the quality of our service. We represent brands
from USA, Germany, Sweden, Japan,
Italy, Turkey and Finland.
Until 2011 they had been working
with a different brand, but decided to
change to Robit because of the good
references they had received about the
product quality.
– Working with Robit has definitely
helped us meet the demands of our
customers, not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of variety of prod-
ucts to offer. Another important aspect
Robit had to offer us was the ability to
quickly dispatch their products to Chile.
After just one year of collaboration
with Robit, our evaluation has been
very positive and we can certainly talk
about success, based on the evolution
of our sales, says General Manager of
CVC Machinery Cristian Villalba.
Fluent co-operation
According to CVC, the best aspects of
the collaboration with Robit are trust
and the guarantees and reliability of
working with a prestigious brand.
– Then there is of course the good
relationship we have with the people
who work at Robit. We can also highlight the feeling of satisfaction we
get by knowing that we are offering
proven-quality products, excellent
service and are experiencing the commitment the factory has toward CVC
Machineries.
– We also share Robit’s vision to respect the environment by offering ecofriendly products. We get full support
from the factory in the sales and postsales process, says Villalba.
Trustworthy brands give benefits
CVC is constantly striving to gain a
good reputation in the mining and
construction sectors of our country by
always offering good service at all our
branches, nationwide.
– Our clients value the quality of a
good product and the trust this generates, which of course helps us gain
more strength in the market.
– We try to give our clients brands
that guarantee manufacturing quality
and offer integral support during the
sales process, to ensure that our clients
make the best purchase and get the
best post-sales services possible. With
Robit as our partner, this is possible,
says Villalba.
Bulletin 2 / 2012 Robit Rocktools 9
Robit Rocktools officially landed
in Korea in May 2011, when
the business agreement with
YoungPoong CND was signed.
The first year was primarily
spent in starting operations,
which has yielded great results
this year in terms of turnover
and product quantities.
Investment in carbonizing solution
in South Korea
explains Robit
Sales Manager S.K. Backto local endn
ctio
Casing System fun
in the middle
user at a forepoling site
of Korea.
Robit has a factory in the free trade zone
of Donghae in South Korea and an office
in the country’s capital, Seoul. Domestic
sales are managed both at the factory
and at the office, but also through a
continuously extending dealer network.
– At the beginning of the Korea business acquisition, we conducted a careful survey of the market. Now we have
successfully started production based
on the market needs. In 2013, we will
further increase our production volumes
through investments. We will invest in
a new rod line and in the general level of
automation at the factory, says Mikko
Mattila, Representative Director of YP
Robit Ltd. responsible for the factory
production commissioning.
The drilling equipment company
purchased from YoungPoong CND has
been fiercely developed from the start
through Finnish efforts in terms of
quality, methods and production capacity. The Korean factory currently produces drill rods, shanks, couplings and
some ring bit types.
A new carburisation furnace to
expand the product range
A while ago, Robit invested in a 7 meter tall carburisation oven in Korea. The
10 Robit Rocktools Bulletin 2 /2012
Asia factory
operating
in full gear
furnace enables the company to harden
carburised drill rods of over 6.5 meters
in lenght. Rods produced in this way will
expand the product range, especially in
the tunnel segment.
Long, carburised drill rods, for example tunnel rods, are primarily used in
mines and tunnel construction.
– The length of the rods varies from
16 to 21 feet, depending on the market
area and rock conditions. You can drill
longer rounds with longer rods. The
method provides substantial benefits in
terms of tunnel progress. It is also cost
efficient.
– The first calibration batches of tunnel rods were manufactured in late September. Actual production batches for
test drilling were available in August,
continues Mattila.
Another jobsite in
Korea. S.K. Back
visiting Samsung
Construction jobsite , which in addition to phones and
electronics also
makes tunnels.
New experiences in Korea
The factory currently employs about 40
people, primarily Koreans. Some of the
employees are Finnish, Sri Lankan and
Indian.
Mattila’s commission in Asia will last
until summer 2013 at the earliest.
– The Finnish have adapted to this
different country relatively well. It is
easy to get used to the lifestyle in Korea, even though there are cultural differences with Finland.
– Then again, Koreans are similar
to us Finns in many ways. At the moment, we have two Finnish production
engineers at the factory, and more will
surely come. Mattila encourages those
who want new experiences in Korea to
pluck up their courage and volunteer.
NEW FACES
Kari Sivula
Production development engineer Kari Sivula started work
at Robit in May 2011. He has spent over six months of his
time at Robit working at the Korean factory. Kari returned
to Finland in August.
In Korea, he was responsible for boosting production
processes and quality development.
– My areas of responsibility in Korea included developing
mechanisation and improving delivery security, supervising
the commissioning of new production equipment, tool
testing, and implementing the factory layout reform. My
work consisted of extremely practical tasks and compiling
related reports.
– In Finland, I am in charge of various production
development processes, automation cell efficiency, internal
quality management and supplier quality development,
among other things.
Kari particularly enjoys the diversity of his work, for
example the varying and challenging work tasks.
– The work in Korea was interesting because of the
completely different local cultural. It posed special
challenges in the implementation of work assignments.
I balance my work with my hobbies which include going to
the gym, playing football and downhill skiing in the winter
in Finland.
Jay Lee
S.K. Back
Sales Manager S.K. Back initially worked in Bl.Korea, a
Robit dealer. He joined YP Robit´s work force last year.
– I studied civil engineering at Inha University. At Robit, I´m
in charge of overall sales and, for example, selling Robit´s
products on the domestic market. Technical support is also
one of my responsibilities.
S.K. is also on the test team for 45mm Bits in Suwon near
Seoul.
– My typical working day consists of very simple things:
thinking about how I can sell our products to customers and
then just “doing it”, he smiles.
– On Sunday night in bed, I just think about what I have
to do for next week´s or month´s sales. After that, I wake
up in the morning, visit our customers and try my best to
make their work a lot easier with our products. That gives
me energy.
The most interesting parts of S.K.´s work are the different
parts of the sales process.
– For example, meeting with customers, pricing and
marketing. But pure sales work is definitely my biggest
passion. If I have time to take a rest, I really enjoy table tennis.
VP, Sales and Administration at YP Robit, Jay Lee is mainly
in charge of sales and marketing and is also involved in
management.
– I have studied Computer Engineering and later moved to
English Literature, gaining a BA. I have been in the mining
and rock tool business for over 20 years now. I used to lead
the sales and operation of Young Poong Ltd which merged
with Robit in May 2011. That was the time I joined the
company.
The typical working day in Korea is from 9AM to 6PM.
– Working hours are not limited, as our location is far in
the east. I try to spend time on the desk in the morning and
communicate with buyers in the afternoon. Sometimes I
even receive calls after midnight. One of my tasks nowadays
is also to harmonise the local Korean ways with Robit’s
international way.
– The best thing in my work is communicating and
meeting different people from different regions. The world
is getting smaller, but is still big enough to encounter things
that are new to me.
In his free time, Jay likes most outdoor activities.
– Especially enjoy golf and skiing, which I have
unfortunately never tried in the North.
Bulletin 2 / 2012 Robit Rocktools 11
Sa
nna
is a
Ka
Se
ij a
Niin a
Karita
An efficient
customer service
team keeps Robit
going
Sales coordinators Sanna Kortelainen, Seija Hassinen, Niina Rasi, Karita
Reivala and Kaisa Välikoski are Robit’s efficient customer service team.
– Our responsibilities include export coordination, receiving and processing orders, organising shipments, preparing
sales documets and invoicing. We work
in close co operation with the Sales Department, says Niina.
– We have divided responsibilities
into categories by country and continent. Sales coordinators are responsible
for customer service in their respective
target countries, explains Kaisa.
Cultural knowledge is a must
Niina is responsible for Robit’s domestic deliveries in the company’s other
main production line, rock drilling. Karita, Seija and Kaisa are in charge of export, and Kaisa also has responsibilities
in the domestic section.
– We all have our special tasks. For
example, Seija is in charge of train12 Robit Rocktools Bulletin 2 /2012
ing affairs, and I am responsible for
outstanding payment recovery. Sanna
manages Robit’s fetching station operations in Kerava, says Kaisa.
– The work is challenging because
of its international nature. We manage
deliveries all over the world. Our work is
a junction point for different cultures
and their different operational methods. These differences we have learned
to know very quickly and they enrich our
everyday work. Different time zones also
add flavour to our daily tasks, says Karita.
Diversity of our work is the best part
of it – there is no such thing as a typical working day. The mornings tend to
be very hectic, because that is when the
customer service team manages export
deliveries and domestic orders and deliveries.
– With our position at Robit we are
constantly learning something new,
which further improves our professional
skills. That motivates us to do our best
every day, says Seija.
Humour in good use
Kaisa is the most senior member of the
customer service team. Seija joined the
team three years ago, and Niina and
Karita were employed a couple of years
ago. Sanna started work at the Kerava
centre this year.
The sales coordinators all followed
different paths to the customer service
team. They all enjoy working in their
brilliant team.
– We all have a great sense of humour, which helps us through tricky
situations. There is no room for uptightness in this team. We are sure the
positive atmosphere is also transmitted to our customers, smiles Karita.
Office employee
of the year:
Kaisa Välikoski
Excitement
in the air
Sales coordinator Kaisa
Välikoski’s work days at Robit are
action packed. This fits well with
Kaisa’s energetic personality. Her
motto is: get inspired and you’ll
move forward.
The Office Employee of the Year 2012 began her work
at Robit over five years ago. She is very happy with her
work and particularly enjoys the challenging nature of
her tasks.
Kaisa originally came to work at Robit as a substitute
for a production coordinator on maternity leave.
– I previously worked in the exercise and wellbeing
industry. After my temporary post ended, I began to do
more sales department work at Robit. The company
has grown immensely in five years. It has doubled its
personnel. My job description has also expanded a great
deal from the time I started.
– I am responsible for domestic ground drilling
matters, and exports to North America, including
Canada, and Asia. I am also in charge of outstanding
payment recovery, internal reporting and sales
assistance for offer calculation. The phone calls and e
mails never stop, laughs Kaisa.
A solution to every problem
According to Kaisa, among the most interesting aspects
of her work are the various problem situations.
– I am good at organising and arranging things.
Finding solutions to even the most difficult of our
customers’ problems is rewarding. And the sooner the
better, since drilling problems always tend to occur out
of the blue and need to be solved in a hurry.
International customer service is a big part of Kaisa’s
job description. The different time zones also introduce
challenges in customer work. For example, the Finnish
customer service team is never at work at the same time
as its Canadian customers.
– I am constantly striving to learn more about the
drilling business and our operations at Robit. Lately, I
have been visiting our customers’ work sites to learn
more about the industry in practice. I want to be able to
help our customers as efficiently as possible, even in the
most demanding matters.
Positivity as a resource
Kaisa was elected as Office Employee of the Year
because of her excellent and positive attitude, among
other things.
– Kaisa’s customer service input and flexibility under
pressure make her a valuable employee. Kaisa is also
extremely reliable and proactive, says Robit’s Marketing
Coordinator Jari Silver.
Kaisa spends her free time mostly with her 3-year old
daughter.
– With a small child in the house, I never have a dull
moment at home either. And that suits me just fine. I
also enjoy running and outdoor life when I have the time.
Bulletin 2 / 2012 Robit Rocktools 13
Intermat Paris 2012
was a success.
Robit Rocktools
was represented
by its sales team
an management
group.
Robit participated in the land construction Intermat fair in Paris
in April. The fair was held between 16–21 April and attracted
more than 1,300 exhibitors and over 200,000 visitors.
Robit travelled to Paris for
spring fair Intermat
Robit was represented by its entire management group, in
addition to the sales team.
– We also brought two representatives from our Korean unit.
Because of the global recession in 2009 (Intermat) and the 2010
eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull (Bauma), Intermat 2012 was the first
significant international construction and quarrying industry
fair organised in Europe in four years, says Robit’s VP Sales and
Marketing, David Delorme.
– The event was a great opportunity for us to meet our
distributors, subcontractors and new customers, he continues.
For example, the fair was a chance to see drill rods, shanks
and bushing made at Robit’s Korean factory.
– We also organised an evening cruise on the River Seine,
complete with good food and drink. Over 100 of our distributors
and customers from 40 different countries participated in the
cruise. The evening was a huge success and left everyone with
great memories, says Delorme.
From left; Export Manager Kari Juntunen, VP Sales & Marketing
David Delorme and Philippe Barbier, Soilmec, France
14 Robit Rocktools Bulletin 2 / 2012
Robit in exhibitions
Mining World Russia, Moscow
From left: Vasili Kuznetsov (Gornya Evroazia, Robit’s
distributor), Regional Manger Oleg Ivanov, one of the
visitors, Marketing & Sales Support Manager Juha Sorjonen
and in the back PR Customer Service Natalia Tverdohleb.
ADSC, San Antonio, Texas
From left: CEO Jussi Rautiainen and Brett Illidge
(Pacific Bit, Robit’s distributor).
Kaivos -12, Oulu Finland
From left: VP Sales & Marketing (Domestic) Timo Rajala,
Hostess Siiri Sirviö, Sales Managers Timo Rahkama and
Tapio Vuorenmaa.
Ugol & Mining 2012, Donetsk, Ukraine
From left: Regional Manger Oleg Ivanov, PR Customer
Service Natalia Tverdohleb and Ukrainian customers.
Conex, Seoul South Korea
From left: VP Sales & Administration Jay Lee, Sales
Manager S.K. Back, Representative Director of YP Robit
Ltd. Mikko Mattila and Sales Manager Byung Hoon Park.
Bulletin 2 / 2012 Robit Rocktools 15
”Man who catches the big fish also in business!”
Binn Lim (YP Robit) during his stay in Finland, summer 2012
Any ideas,
ments?
proposals, com n on
inio
Tell us your op
ine:
Bulletin Magaz
[email protected]
Vikkiniityntie 9
FI-33880 Lempäälä
Finland, Europe
phone +358 3 3140 3400
fax +358 3 367 0540
www.robit.fi