The extra mile

“Semperit has been the perfect partner for us for decades,” says René Böttrich, General Manager of Clemco International, a company specialising in the production of blasting equipment. Clemco’s technology gives ships, aeroplanes, wind turbines and even icons such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco immaculately cleaned, hardened and more efficient surfaces. Semperit’s high-quality sandblasting hoses, not called blasting masters for nothing, play a decisive role here. They are extremely durable and can be used at temperatures from minus 35 to plus 80 degrees Celsius. However, the fact that the product quality is impressive and was designed entirely according to Clemco’s standards is only part of the story. A decades-long successful partnership is about more than that. It’s about reliability: “We run for our customers and deliver what we promise. Whether it’s the development of a customised solution, a tight delivery deadline or the implementation of customer feedback,” says Gerhard Mahlfleisch, Product Manager Industrial Hoses and someone who knows. After all, he has been with Semperit for over 35 years and has not only passed through many stations – from the laboratory to mixing operations, production, product development and product management – but has also worked successfully with many customers.

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“Semperit has been the perfect partner for us for decades”

René Böttrich, General Manager of Clemco International

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Semperit as a development partner

Industrial hoses are used wherever a medium needs to be transported flexibly from A to B – sandblasting as well as chemicals, steam and hot water, grain, gas or even fire extinguishing agents. Mahlfleisch remembers another story. Semperit has also enjoyed a close partnership with firefighting equipment supplier Rosenbauer for decades. In addition to oil and fuel hoses, this partnership primarily involves so-called rapid action hoses. These are the hoses that firefighters hold directly in their hands when attacking a fire. “A few years ago, we faced the problem that two people had to stand at the reel due to the nature of the rubber hose. This was an unsatisfactory situation, especially for professional fire brigades. We had to come up with a new solution together with the customer. The result was a completely new hybrid hose with significantly better sliding features. Since then, only one person has been needed to operate our rapid action hose, and it is much easier to handle,” Mahlfleisch says. Roland Weber, Rosenbauer’s Product Manager for extinguishing systems and himself a volunteer firefighter, can only confirm this: “You never know what the fire will do in the next moment, it’s unpredictable. That’s why it’s very important that I’m quick and mobile. The hose is my life insurance.”

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A future full of opportunities

Semperit’s industrial hoses are manufactured at the sites in Wimpassing, Austria, and Odry, Czech Republic. “We also want to grow in the American market,” Mahlfleisch announces further initiatives. In addition to new sales markets, the “green energy” megatrend also offers interesting opportunities for Semperit, which is illustrated by an ongoing project in the hydrogen sector: “In order to transport pure hydrogen, either extremely high pressure or extremely low temperatures are required. Both are not only a logistical challenge, but also extremely energy intensive. We are learning more about this every week,” says Mahlfleisch about the challenges of the future. And so, even after decades at Semperit, things remain exciting and full of variety for him.