Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/658237
tobaccoasia 51 Max Schlatterer GmbH & Co. KG Alt-Ulmer-Straße 89542 Herbrechtingen Germany Phone +49 (0) 73 24 /15-0 Fax +49 (0) 73 24 /15-2 80 info@esband.de www.esband.de Quality Service Research and Development Fit for Future Made in Germany ... endless reliability! The secrets of our success ... kbu.de The secrets of The secrets of our success The secrets of our success ... Quality Service 02_2013_Schlatterer_tobacco_asia_83x178.indd 1 18.01.2013 12:37:32 KARDIEN company headquarters in Daejon City ties of cigarette or filters, such as weight, diameter, pressure drop, ventilation, length, hardness, and related parameters," recalls Lee. In rather quick succession further specialized machines followed. They were either entirely developed by KARDIEN itself or adapt- ed and further improved in terms of performance, reliability, ease of use and maintenance, and, most importantly, exclusive software. "For better understanding, all our products – including the adapted machines – are heavily based on software systems that we designed and developed ourselves. That effectively means that there generally are fewer hardware parts when compared to equip- ment from other manufacturers. This ultimately is what makes our models less prone to malfunctions or breakdowns and lets them run with very little, if any, maintenance," Lee explains. Business Expansion Drive With occasional equipment failures at KT&G apparently having been sorted for good, the mother company soon decided that it was time for KARDIEN to also start marketing its sophisticated testing and measuring equipment portfolio in other countries. The company has since showcased its products at several international trade exhibitions. Lee explicitly insists that his company does not limit its market- ing activities to only a few restricted markets, but eventually wants to see its equipment being deployed globally. "While it is still a bit too early after our launch to claim a resounding success in terms of global presence, we surely are making good progress," he says and readily identifies China as one of the company's current key mar- kets. "Particularly China's tobacco market is rapidly changing as domestic manufacturers move to super-slim cigarettes and capsule- filter cigarettes, consumer demand for which is increasing at a very fast pace." This reflects a development that already has taken place in KARDIEN's home base of South Korea, where both super- slim and capsule-filter cigarettes have become enormously popular among smokers. But according to Lee, Indonesia's cigarette market likewise is growing and expanding fast especially in the white cigarette seg- ment, gradually veering off traditional kretek (clove) cigarettes. In order to accommodate these important market changes, manufac- turers in China and Indonesia need sophisticated testing and qual- ity control equipment, with Lee obviously hoping that they will choose KARDIEN products. Another focus for the company is Europe, where similar shifts are underway across the continent. Machinery assembly