With innovative sanitary solutions, the Geberit Group aims to bring about sustainable improvements to living standards. It achieves this with its expertise, high-quality products and services. Geberit’s Sanitary and Piping Systems repeatedly set new standards and the company is committed to continuously enhancing its products.

Geberit products combine quality, design and functionality. But the company itself is also constantly evolving
to optimize its production and logistics processes. Based on this unconditional determination to pursue further development and improvement, the Group made fundamental changes to its logistics function with a completely new distribution concept. Up to 2005, logistics was not established as a core function within the Geberit Group, but was rather organized by the individual production plants. Driven by increasing and more individual customer requirements and an awareness of the importance of an efficient logistics system in optimizing the entire supply chain, a new logistics strategy was developed. Logistics was established as a core competence and the previously uncoordinated, decentralized logistics activities transferred to an effective, central Group function. At the heart of this radical restructuring was a new process model for supply chain management. Measures adopted as part of a master plan included pooling distribution in a new logistics centre, standardised transport management, integrated IT
governance and cross-functional logistics controlling. Extensive analysis led to the decision to base this central logistics centre in the existing production and logistics site in Pfullendorf. The existing logistics infrastructure was used and synergies between production and logistics in the plant strengthened. The motivated and highly-qualified staff at the Pfullendorf site were a further argument in its favour. To consolidate distribution in Pfullendorf, it was necessary to add two picking areas, a dispatch area and a further high-bay warehouse to the facility. Another special feature of the new logistics centre in Pfullendorf is the warehousing and materials handling technology. In addition to two fully automatic high-bay warehouses, the centre also uses state-of-the-art material flow engineering. The different areas of the logistics and production facilities are connected by a pallet conveyor system,
a bin conveyor system as well as electric monorail conveyors. In October 2011, Geberit received the German Award for Supply Chain Management from the German Logistics Association (BVL) for its project “The Radical restructuring of Group Logistics.”

Blum is a leading global manufacturer of furniture fittings. The family-owned company maintains seven production facilities with a state-of-the-art working environment and high-tech production plants in the Vorarlberg region of Austria. Some 5,500 employees worldwide work at Blum fitting systems today to realise the company's goal of creating perfect motion. In constant dialogue with its customers around the world, Blum creates innovative products that offer greater convenience in the kitchen, bathroom, hallway, living room and bedroom and make furniture beautiful both inside and out. These innovative products and services depend not only on intensive development work, but also on the know-how and commitment of its staff and an ongoing concern with the needs of its customers along the entire value chain – from kitchen manufacturers, sellers, and fitters all the way to the end customers who buy the kitchens. The knowledge gained goes on the one hand into developing new products that look good and are easy to use, and on the other into " Blum's ideas for practical kitchens." The company is committed to the region of Vorarlberg as a business location and develops fittings here that are used worldwide. To this end, Blum relies on employees from the region and neighbouring countries. The company has its own training centre, where young people can gain a qualification in a wide range of skilled trades. Thanks to these highly-qualified employees, Blum is able to secure its future success.

When people talk about Lake Constance, they usually mean the greater whole. After all, it is the landscape, the countries and above all the people around the lake that make the region what it is. Three million people live and work around Lake Constance. The region extends over four countries, several cantons, districts and federal states. Nowadays, regions are in competition with each other in many respects, vying with each other to attract companies. Qualified specialists choose those cities and regions that offer them the best perspectives for both their professional and private goals. As a holiday destination, we are also up against palm beaches, mountain resorts and short city breaks. The region of Lake Constance can succeed in this competition in particular if it positions itself as an all-rounder with a distinct brand. As a business venue, it boasts a balanced mix of small and medium-sized companies and global players. As a holiday destination, the wealth of cultural treasures and the friendliness of the people here make it appealing. And as a location for research and education, its close links to innovative companies make it distinctive.

But to be able to communicate the region’s many advantages efficiently, we need an umbrella: a regional brand. One that pools the communicative efforts of all involved partners. It should also symbolise the longstanding, cross-border cooperation by the EU’s Interreg programme, the International Lake Constance Conference and other
networks around the lake.

The regional brand “Fourcountryregion Bodensee” was officially launched on 13 September 2011 in conjunction with several highlights. The brand was unveiled by the 14 project partners aboard the ferry Tábor in a spectacular event with 300 balloons in the brand’s colours of orange, red and violet. At the same time, a film presenting the brand had its world premiere, as did the biggest Lake Constance panorama picture of all time by Achim Mende, attached to the side of the ferry. Over 100 guests from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein celebrated “beyond borders” on the lake.

“Our new face, the regional brand ‘Fourcountryregion Bodensee’ suits us. Like us, it is dynamic, interesting and varied – in all respects. Its four colours stand for the four countries in the region – grouped around the region’s heart, the lake,” District Administrator Frank Hämmerle (Constance) describes the new regional brand. District Administrator Lothar Wölfle (Bodenseekreis district) emphasises: “With the regional brand, we have finally created a symbol of what is so special about the region of Lake Constance – our now traditional cross-border cooperation.”
All speakers at the launch praised the combined effort of the four countries in the project, represented by partners from the areas of tourism, business, politics and science, Baschnegger Ammann Partner (the agency from Vorarlberg responsible for developing the regional brand), as well as Lorth Gessler Mittelstaedt GmbH (film production).

The regional brand was unveiled by all project partners together. The new film presenting the regional brand shows how the brand developed and introduces the region’s gems: High-tech companies, research and educational institutions, wonderful scenery with top destinations for days out, cultural highlights and of course the lake
all compete for attention. Together with the new homepage www.vierlaenderregion. com, the film represents the new regional brand for the time being – until it has been printed on all the flyers and brochures in the region, which will boost its impact. “The launch of the regional brand is a unique opportunity for the region of Lake Constance to achieve the glory it deserves as a location for business, science and tourism. The fact that it comes top in all the
relevant rankings is further proof of this,” Thorsten Leupold, CEO of Bodensee Standort Marketing GmbH, summarises the enthusiastic response of guests at the launch.

For further information on the regional brand “Fourcountryregion Bodensee” and on licenses for its use, see: www.vierlaenderregion.com

He was born in Constance in 1971. After training as an agriculturist and studying forestry at Weihenstephan
University of Applied Sciences, he held various management positions in industry from 1997. Most recently, he worked as a freelance management consultant, writer and speaker. As mayor of Constance, Burchardt intends to develop political strategies for sustainability and put these into practice. He sees sustainability as a core concept to create a viable balance between the economy, ecology and social issues. His new day-to-day life as a politician is shaped by talking to people, gathering information and communicating his own ideas.

He cultivates an intensive work style with colleagues and political players and has heralded a new era of dialogue. At the top of his political agenda in his everyday work as mayor is the economy, as it was in his previous work. As a member on the supervisory boards and advisory boards of the many companies in which the town of Constance has a holding interest, he has to deal with countless reports, data and balance sheets. Establishing and cultivating contacts in the economy is a matter close to the mayor’s heart. But he considers it even more important to communicate Constance’s many advantages as a location. In terms of image transfer, he still sees considerable potential. The town’s key strengths are its attractiveness and quality of life, according to Burchardt, as well as its solid expertise in the area of research and development. Constance's business development office, town marketing and tourist office have the task of presenting the town with its strengths and advantages as a location externally.
Developing a positive image also means clearly communicating facts and building networks that benefit companies, Burchardt says. Constance needs to work on improving the location as a whole before the business development office can advise and help individual companies. At a supraregional level, too, Buchardt wants to focus on the region of Lake Constance as a whole before entering into competition with other towns in the region. Constance is one of the tourist highlights in the international region of Lake Constance. It is home to important tourist companies, such as Mainau island, the boats of Lake Constance Shipping Company and the SeaLife centre. The anniversary of the Council of Constance will also be an important tourist magnet in the next few years.

With around 610,000 overnight stays per year, tourism is a key economic factor for retail as well as the hotel and restaurant industry in Constance. Constance is one of the most beautiful towns in Germany, says the mayor, thanks to its medieval old town that was spared during World War II. Over the past decades, Constance has continued to grow and has proven its innovative strength. Yet he also speaks openly about the disadvantages of the town as a business venue: Little space, expensive land and insufficient housing. That is another area that Burchardt plans
to tackle in the coming years. And yet the town boasts unbeatable advantages:
Its sensational position on the lake, the mountains nearby, and a vast and unbelievably diverse choice of leisure activities. Constance is a town that owes its economic success as a shopping town and as a cultural location to its attractiveness. What’s more, the town is home to two high-ranking educational institutions - the University
of Konstanz and Konstanz University of Applied Sciences (HTWG). All these advantages together are unbeatable.