Building fittings factory of the mechanical engineering company expands portfolio for retail customers, commercial customers, and the public sector
Medebach. Paul Köster GmbH is expanding its product portfolio in the field of structural steel and aluminum components for construction products. The globally active mechanical engineering company from Medebach has successfully obtained certification for this in recent months in accordance with the DIN EN 1090 Standard, and is addressing the increasing demand for these construction products with this certification. It’s an important step and a great competitive advantage. Among other things, the certificate now provides the customer with written proof that the products and components manufactured in the Paul Köster GmbH building fittings factory comply with the required standards and have been produced by skilled workers with appropriate qualifications. “Our core business is and remains, of course, special mechanical engineering. However, our building fittings factory also handles additional orders in the field of load-bearing steel and aluminum components for customers throughout the region. In addition to commercial customers and the public sector, the demand for individually manufactured stairs, balconies, and railings is growing - especially in the retail sector. This certification means that we are optimally positioned in all sectors. We are constantly striving to improve ourselves and to supply our customers with high-quality products,” says Managing Director Paul Köster.
Legal security for customers at the highest quality
A certification in accordance with DIN EN 1090 has many advantages. “Thanks to the proof of conformity, commercial customers are not the only ones who know that our products have been manufactured in accordance with the relevant standards and with appropriately qualified personnel. Even customers in the public sector, such as local governments, now have the assurance that our products meet the current requirements of the state building regulations of all German states. This guarantees that both public sector customers and retail customers have absolute legal certainty with regard to the public use of our products in relation to third parties,” Paul Köster continues. Furthermore, the products covered under the certificate can now be freely marketed within the European Union. This means that the potential sales markets will be considerably larger. In addition, there is the aforementioned legal guarantee both for Paul Köster GmbH and for customers with the official proof of conformity. “As a result of legal changes, all building products used in public spaces must be manufactured in accordance with DIN EN 1090. We can now tackle jobs that we wouldn’t have been able to do without the certification.” Moreover, there are also a few products in the field of mechanical engineering, the core business of Paul Köster GmbH, for which the DIN EN 1090 standard applies.
Mastering the demanding requirements of the audit
Companies do not receive this certificate as a gift. On the contrary, the requirements are diverse and demanding. Among other things, a complete documentation of the project must be provided in writing. In addition, the procurement and use of the highest quality materials is required, and the skilled workers must provide evidence of appropriate additional qualifications for production. The quality inspectors of the building fittings factory’s products in the field of load-bearing steel
and aluminum components must also be specially trained. Last but not least, as part of the certification process, the high-quality welding equipment and production processes are also closely scrutinized. The mechanical engineering company from Medebach, which has already been successfully certified in accordance with DIN ISO 9001 and, therefore, also has a great deal of experience with such procedures, has more than successfully mastered all requirements. “The auditor was really impressed by the organization and cleanliness of our facilities,” reports Holger Kroll, head of the Quality Management Department.
“Strategically, certification is an important step in several respects. On the one hand, we are expanding our product portfolio in the building fittings sector for retail and public customers alike, thereby opening up further markets regionally and nationally. On the other hand, the certificate also helps us in our main business, mechanical engineering, which will continue to be the focus of our activities in the future. The successful certification is also a message to our customers worldwide that we are constantly improving and that our claim is the very highest quality - both in terms of personnel and our products,” concludes Paul Köster.