At full speed into the green market

In Europe the group is represented by Peaktop Europe in Lauterbach, where a showroom has been set up to display all product categories and the current novelties. This globally operating group of companies has a workforce in excess of 11 000 and includes firms such as Heissner in Germany and Waterworks in Australia. Walt Disney, Wal Mart, Friskies, Kingfisher and Carrefour feature among its customers. “We regard ourselves here as a central information point for the European market,” explains managing director Rolf Papenheim. Peaktop’s portfolio of products can be broken down into the basic categories of water sculptures (indoor water features and atomizers), figures for the home and garden, and pet products. Mr Papenheim puts special emphasis on the group’s innovative energy, since “The Peaktop group occupies the top spot in its sector with around 300 new developments each month in the case of decorative products.” Such products, sold under brand names that include “Silkroad”, “Sunterra” and “Prismarte”, represent the group’s core business.
The company specialises in indoor water features.
It is fully intended to speed things up in the pet segment as well over the next five years. For the time being the range is to consist of aquariums, carry cages and feeding bowls. According to Mr Papenheim, it is already true here as elsewhere that a finished sample can be produced no more than two weeks after the birth of the first idea. This is made possible principally by the existence of the group’s own development and design centre in Italy. Employed there and at the main factory in Shenzhen, China, are more than 250 designers, developers and engineers, who, with the aid of computerised moulding machines, are able to produce models made of ABS copolymer in just a few hours.
The company’s trading partners are looked after by branches and agencies throughout Europe. As Mr Papenheim says, “Our priority is to see that customers of Peaktop Europe have their contacts on the spot, whilst still being able to take advantage of the favourable conditions offered by purchasing direct from the manufacturer in Asia.” This arrangement makes Peaktop one of the first Asian producers in the sector to offer wide-ranging distribution structures in Europe.