by Angelika Beyreuther-Raimondi

deutsche Fassung

The company headquarters in Speyer enjoys the status of a protected monument

For over 50 years, SchulzSpeyer Bibliothekstechnik AG has been furnishing libraries. Planning, building and installing library furnishings has been the company's sole activity, so it not surprising that they have developed such solid expertise in this field. A market leader in Europe, it has permanent agencies in Austria, the Benelux, France, Hungary Italy, and Switzerland and supplies clients throughout the world. Among them, the University Library in Alexandria, Egypt, many Goethe Institutes, including in Casablanca, Beijing, Tokyo, Hanoi, the Zagreb University and National Library, the Parliamentary Library in Riga, Latvia, and the Moscow Lord Mayor's Library. The company's headquarters are in the Cathedral City of Speyer.

Hans R. Schulz founded the company on August 15, 1955 in Nördlingen. Seven years later, he moved to Speyer. Then in 1970, he set up premises on 900 square meters in the historical building of a former cotton mill in the Friedrich-Ebert Street. The mill, built in 1887, was fully renovated a century later, after having survived the over-zealous "demolition squads" of the seventies, and now has the status of a protected monument. SchulzSpeyer has invested heavily in the company buildings, that present such interest and value from the standpoint of industrial history. Today, they own 9000 square meters, of which 7500 are for their own use.

A view of the exhibition area

After nearly 50 years, the company has acquired a long list of references. The company brochure giving a selection of their German clients covers 15 pages: they range from the rather small, such as the Children's Library in Anklam or the Municipal Library in Eggstätt, to major projects, such as the Chancellory in Berlin, the libraries of the Parliament and of the Interior and Justice Ministries, the Staatsbibliothek Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Berlin State Library Prussian Cultural Heritage), the Hamburg State and University Library and many others.

In 2001, notwithstanding a widespread crisis on the market, the company's turnover reached record levels. Many major projects were carried out in that year, including equipping the Frankfurt University Library and the Thuringia University and Regional Library in Jena - which has a total book shelf space of 36.000 meters. In 2002 as well, the company made a «handsome profit», according to Business Manager Erich Hampel. He is nonetheless concerned about the tight budgetary situation of public authorities, since "if there's no money, nothing will be built". Although Mr. Hampel does not believe the market will suffer an outright clampdown, he does expect stiffer competition.

Transformation into a Corporation

Furnishing example: the public library Sand in Taufers

In 1968, the Schulz Family Company became a limited liability company (GmbH) and, in 2002, became a corporation (AG), which depends solely on its own equity capital. This decision was essentially motivated by the wish to smooth the process of transition to the next generation. Until then, a 50% share in the company had been held by both Erich Hampel, who has been with the company for over 30 years and has been Business Manager since 1985, and the Technical Manager Hellmut Haub, who has worked for Schulz since 1966 and joined the management team in 1995. By setting up a three-person Board of Directors, for which a third neutral person from without the company was found, competence in decision making has been guaranteed. Capital and management are now quite separate, the management is autonomous and only answerable to the Board of Directors. In all events, there will most certainly be a next generation of entrepreneurs, since two sons of Hellmut Haub and one son of Erich Hampel have held positions of responsibility in the company for many years now.

Competitivity

SchulzSpeyer is not itself a manufacturer, but has nonetheless developed 98% of the products it uses. Everything is done here, from blueprints to choice of material, to detailed construction plans. Highly specialized suppliers produce the components, be it wood processors that deliver quality veneer work, or firms that produce the plastic surfaces. At a varnisher's, the parts coming from metal works are collected and uniformly varnished. All components are then made ready in the principal factory. "On one shelf, some ten to fifteen suppliers will be involved.", Erich Hampel told us. In general, the individual parts are first installed on the construction site by specialized assembly firms "who have been working for us for decades."

The two owners Erich Hampel (2nd fr.left) and Hellmut Haub (3rd fr.left) with their sons Torsten Hampel (far left), Marc Haub (2nd fr.right) and Oliver Haub

For the library furnisher, such a division of labour has "major advantages, including for the client", ensuring as it does total neutrality during advisory consultations. Erich Hampel is convinced that "a company that also manufactures will tend to steer the customer towards his own products. A carpenter would rather sell wooden shelves, than a design in any other material." At SchulzSpeyer however, there is no pressure to favour any specific line of production. And the client has the advantage that all production types are readily available in the company's programmes, while custom-made designs or individual solutions are always possible as well.

The multi-level system of supply and production allows for "a great deal of flexibility" which is "urgently needed", the Business Manager told us, because "given the orders, it is impossible to ensure consistently full utilization of capacities." In 2000-2001, the 50% increase in turnover could be met smoothly thanks to this flexible system. SchulzSpeyer has so called A suppliers, that is a "hard core" of approximately twenty small firms some of which work exclusively for SchulzSpeyer and are kept fully occupied with the day-to-day work. B suppliers, who also have other clients, then cover the excess requirements. And C suppliers are relatively large firms "for whom we are more or less insignificant but who can meet our needs, when we do require peak quantities."

This system is competitive, according to Erich Hampel, and has proven successful in the last decades. SchulzSpeyer can select those firms on the market that use the best and most modern machines, the most efficiently and inexpensively.

The company for equipping research libraries

Sales manager Markus Münch talking to Tanja Fähnrich (chief planner)

SchulzSpeyer has become the furnisher for research libraries. Two separate exhibition rooms in Speyer display the differentiated furnishing systems for research or for public libraries. One will immediately notice the difference in approach between the two types of library in Germany. In a research library, a limited amount of space must be made to contain as much as possible in a well organized way, making it possible to fully exploit the upper reaches of the room to the ceiling as well. While shelfs with a top covering are the norm in research libraries, they are frowned upon in public libraries. In the latter, the concept, floor plans, and furnishings are different, they should be as attractive and relaxing as possible, the user should feel comfortable, be able to stay at his leisure, and have all media within easy reach.

Next door, in the Netherlands, the marketing concept is not the same. Their priority is the media offer. Several years ago, SchulzSpeyer equipped the Hague Municipal Library, planned the individual floors and supplied the book shelves and other library furniture. As early as 1994, the Hague library had no less than 50.000 CDs available to lend and 3000 users per day! The City Hall-Library complex was built by the well known architect Richard Meier, who insisted that the structure of the building not be hidden by the furnishings. Consequently, the walls and pillars were not covered with book shelves. The municipal library in Eindhoven was also furnished by SpeyerSchulz and here the shelves are simply lined up in plain fashion, but the "incredible number of users", according to the furnisher, speaks in favor of the marketing concept.

Endurance!

The lengthiest preparation time for one contract - from the first contact up to installation - was a full twelve years. For that, you need staying power and a long-term business policy. SchulzSpeyer guarantees delivery and resupply of its products over decades. Information concerning furnishings are recorded and stored in the company's archives for an unlimited amount of time, and, should the client so wish, "lifelong follow-up" on equipment can be assured. As for quality and functioning, the company offers unusually long-term warranties.

Solid Expertise

Chief designer Hartmut Michalke

In the main factory in Speyer, the forty employees of whom five are interior designers, have almost all been with the company for many years, there is exceptionally little staff turnover. The 47 year old Sales Manager Markus Münch likes to recall his apprenticeship at Schulz in the "revolutionary 70s" : "My hair was down to here", he says, indicating his elbow. At the time, he and the other two apprentices did not make life easy for the management. Today Münch is totally committed to "his" company and remains optimistic, despite what is overall a difficult economic situation, because "we are simply better than the others."

Chief planner Tanja Fähndrich, an interior designer, has been with Schulz for ten years. She sits at a super-modern CAD workstation and is just about ready to present the finished designs in the form of a "short film". "You can't simply proceed in the same old way", the charming Palatinate says, "each and every time, we introduce some unique aspects." The walls of her spacious workplace are decorated with some of "her" plans which she explains with enthusiasm. For her, it has become a very "personal thing" to furnish a library, besides being a lot of fun.

The "footprints" of the young Chief designer Hartmut Michalke, who joined the staff some seven years ago, can be found in the large exhibition area where one can view and try out different shelving and furnishing systems, presentation systems and accessories, numerous counters, individual pieces of furniture, guide systems, etc. The latest creations are in the photography corner of a huge storage hall on the second floor waiting to be "shot" for the new catalogue. The specialists in Speyer have intensely tackled the problem of presenting and stocking new media. They are busy adapting their products and have already come up with many interesting, practical and attractive solutions. Michalke demonstrates the versatility of the designs. A cube construction, open on all sides, sitting on a pedestal on casters, make it possible for several clients at a time to consult, "without getting too close to one another". As for signs and directories, there is a whole range of new products at SchulzSpeyer. And tried and true systems are continually modernized. Erich Hampel puts it this way: "It's like a VW Golf model, it's been around for a long time, but new and technically improved versions are constantly being brought out."

Some services provided by company On-site advice by experienced specialists Furnishing plans, along with alternative arrangement proposals, drawn up by specialized interior designers Presentation of models and material samples Optimised furnishing concept Cost estimate, with itemised breakdown Manufacture of the furnishings Delivery, ready for use installation and instructions on use Indefinite archiving of data and "life-long" follow-up Unusually long warranties on quality and functioning Further deliveries guaranteed for decades

SchulzSpeyer Bibliothekstechnik AG Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 2a D-67346 Speyer Tel.: 06232 - 31 81 81, Fax: 06232 - 31 81 - 700 E-Mail: sales@schulzspeyer.de Internet: http://www.schulzspeyer.de