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Roto’s International Press Day has become a fixture in the annual calendar of the German group of companies over the last couple of decades. Every autumn, trade journalists from across Europe and around the world are invited to a city where Roto has either a production or sales presence.

The 19th edition has taken place in the Stuttgart region. On the day of arrival, delegates are taken to the Window & Door Technology production site in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, which is also the head office of the Roto Group.

Factory tour

After a welcome from divisional CEO Marcus Sander, the journalists are invited to fasten their safety belts aboard some six-seater electric golf carts for a comprehensive tour of the site. Stops along the way include a visit to the Digital Innovation Lab, where Roto is using technology such as Microsoft HoloLens to provide augmented reality training.

Roto has a high level of automation in both its production and logistics processes. Within the building, boxes of components are moved by a fleet of driverless forklift vehicles. Outdoors too, a fully autonomous transport train conveys pallets between the interim storage area and the Logistics Service Centre.

In the test centre, the visitors get to see a large sliding window subjected to a glass-flexing level of air pressure on a test rig, demonstrating the very high sealing capabilities of the premium Patio Inowa hardware system.

Schloss Solitude

The evening event takes place at Schloss Solitude, a Rococo palace commissioned by Charles Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and dating back to 1769. It provides an atmospheric backdrop to an outdoor mug of Glühwein before entering the building for dinner, at which Roto senior management are very accessible to the journalists.

In the morning, Group chairman Dr. Eckhard Keill opens the press conference. The year 2025 will mark Roto’s 90th anniversary and he pays tribute to founder Wilhelm Frank, “He had the vision and a positive outlook on the future”, says Keill, before admitting that his own optimism twelve months ago in predicting Roto’s financial performance for 2024 was a little over enthusiastic.

Turnover slightly down
Where Roto had ended 2023 with a 2.2% increase in turnover at €885 million, the 2024 performance is likely to see a year-end turnover figure around 1% lower. “It is not dramatic, but it is not what we wished for”, he says. Having steered Roto successfully through both the post-2008 global financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, many would say Dr Keill has earned the right to be optimistic in his projections. “There was a higher level of consumer uncertainty than I had expected, not just in Germany but internationally”, he says.

According to Dr Keill, figures released in Germany this year showed that the number of planning permissions was down by 6.8% over 12 months. “In 2025 there will not be much of an improvement here”, he predicts. “It doesn’t matter which government we have”.

CO2 reduction
Focusing on the industry as a whole, Dr Keill criticises what he sees as a lack of recognition in the wider world for the window and door sector’s environmental achievements, citing the millions of modern windows which are saving energy globally and keeping carbon emissions lower than they otherwise would be.

“37 million energy-saving windows have already been installed but another around 209 million need to be replaced worldwide if we are going to take environmental protection seriously. How much CO2 could we save if all outdated windows were replaced?”. He goes on to quote figures relating to the number of older windows in Germany. “If the 6 million single glazed windows in this country were replaced with modern triple glazed units, we would reduce CO2 emissions by 700,000 tonnes”, he claims.

“Today. Tomorrow. Roto.”
Dr Keill explains how the new marketing phrase, “Today. Tomorrow. Roto”, reflects the brand’s promise to remain an innovator and also expresses a commitment to social and ecological responsibility. “Roto has been embodying sustainable production, business practices and construction for decades now. But the legal requirement to publish measures and their impact is now making our efforts visible.”

Window & Door Technology
In his presentation, Marcus Sander, CEO of Roto Window & Door Technology (FTT) talks about how his division has expanded its customer base and market share despite challenges in the global construction industry.

“Our delivery performance is part of this success. Wherever we operate, we are local”, he says, going on to thank Roto team members as well as customers and partners for their collaboration. “We are having a good fourth quarter of 2024”, he says, predicting that divisional turnover would likely be very similar to last year’s total.

Product portfolio
Mr Sander is keen to highlight the company’s extensive product portfolio and system expertise as critical factors in attracting more partnerships with window and door manufacturers. He talks about how Roto is able to cater for trends in the market such as the increasing demand for large-format elements, electronic convenience, maximum sealing, sustainability and burglary protection.

Perfect match
The “perfect match” of hardware and seals, providing the highest levels of weathertightness, is another offer that customers worldwide are interested in, he says.

“Good design, greater security and optimum operability work as an incentive to buy new windows and doors”, he continues, going on to talk about some of the features and options that attract customers to Roto, such as the TiltSafe technology for enhanced security of tilted windows, TiltFirst options to prevent accidental sash opening, electromechanical window drives and door lock systems for user convenience, and concealed hardware to complement minimalistic window designs. The fact that Roto supports all frame materials is also a factor in the choice of many manufacturers, he says.

Committed to efficiency
Finally, Mr Sander outlines Roto’s commitment to quality and efficiency, talking about how development engineers rigorously test new products for durability before launch and always aim to optimise components for use in several applications if possible.

He concludes by explaining how Roto’s investments in digitalisation and automation, all part of ongoing Industry 4.0 initiatives, are intended to boost production efficiency. The company is also involved in a number of sustainability efforts, including self-generation of electricity and heating, and a constant drive to modernise and streamline production facilities with more automated processes.

Roof System and Professional Service divisions
In other divisional presentations, Christoph Hugenberg, CEO of Roto Roof System Technology (DST) marks 30 years since the company’s first multi-chamber PVC roof window, and talks about how in the current economic climate his division is concentrating on the renovation sector, with 70% of its business in this area. Meanwhile, Dr Christian Faden, CEO of Roto Frank Professional Service (RPS) reports that the organisation, which undertakes contracts for repair, maintenance and upgrading of windows in the DACH countries, continues to grow and now has 36 locations in that region.

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