Vaillant Group, a business group that includes among others, Vaillant and Saunier Duval trademarks, named a few months ago Nicolás Klingenberg Calvo as general manager for the Spanish and Portuguese markets. From now on, Klingenberg takes on the responsibility for a Company in which he once served for nine years with remarkable success.

1. What does it mean to you to return to a sector in which you worked for almost a decade?

At both a personal and professional level, this reunion has given me great joy. This is an area where I always felt very comfortable in and I return hoping to enjoy this new stage of great satisfaction.

2. You return to hold a leadership role at a sensitive time for business. What are your plans for the development of your new responsibility?

To start with, it’s an advantage that Saunier Duval and Vaillant are two strong brands in the aftermarket. So we are suffering less than others in regard to our traditional market. On the other hand, we are strengthening our product ranges in the renewable energy sector, where we can continue to grow despite the economic crisis. I therefore feel that Vaillant Group is well positioned and that we will emerge strengthened from the crisis. Of course, our business management must be focused to sustain margins and to cut the costs.

3. Can you tell us how is the current economic crisis influencing the various European subsidiaries of Vaillant Group and what steps are being taken to address it?

Our conduct is very different according to the different countries. In Germany and France, for example, our leadership is growing in comparision with last year, while in countries like Spain sales continue a negative trend, although our products show a clear recovery from the first half turnover.

As for the steps being taken to address the economic crisis, they are the same in all countries: sustaining actions focused on the profits and the fixed costs minimization. We are also trying to minimize the specific costs such as costs of product warranty through a continuous improvement process of product quality and effectiveness of the Technical Service.

4. Your nomination includes the Group's leadership in Spain and Portugal. Could you define these two markets?

I will start by clarifying that Vailant Group is the leader in the European domestic heating market and will expand this position to the segments where we operate. We intend to maintain this leadership position in the renewable energy market and in the development of climate control solutions with maximum energy efficiency by using condensing boilers, solar thermal energy, geothermal and air-water heat pumps, biomass energy, etc.

And as for Spain and Portugal, I say that we are totally different markets. Thus, while in Spain we are clearly the leaders, in Portugal we still have much work to do. Besides, the market scale is totally different in both countries, as well as the importance of the different segments. For example, the wall  mounted boiler market in Portugal is much more smaller in proportion to the country population than in Spain.

5. What would be the Group size particularly in our country?

Spain is the fourth country in the turnover rank and therefore an important country within the Group. In addition, we are an highly advanced organization in some aspects, as in what regards the loyalty programs, prescription in new construction, or quality processes in Technical Support.

Also in Spain, Saunier Duval and Vaillant are highly competitive brands. And that’s because we aim to always provide a real added value for the consumer with our brands and to each product that holds our logos. We always seek the best support and professional assistance to the installing company and the best after sales service once the product is installed. In this respect we are extremely competitive. These brands are both leaders because we are able to offer a product whose price-quality ratio is very high and because our customers recognize the value of the Vaillant and Saunier Duval products.

6. What do you think about the current market in compatison with the last 10 years?

Regarding the market organization, I really can not find many differences. There are some changes in the complexity of systems and product ranges, which have grown significantly and increases the demand for new and upgraded technical skills, both from our distributors as from our sales network.

7. And as for results, how do you expect to close the current year and what projections do you have for the future?

As I said, although the wall mounted boilers perform better than other products such as pipework or radiators, it is impossible not to be affected by the crisis. Therefore, our 2009 sales will be below last year's, but much less than we expected. However, we are very optimistic about 2010. We think the market has already bottomed out in what our main products concerns, and as for the other products, we are still growing and will continue to do so.

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