News

While the collective wringing of hands continues around the world, SKIA is continuing to set its sights on the international market. Particularly in the property fixtures segment, the small Cologne-based producer of shade covers is strengthening its position. For instance, we delivered our first ever JURI G shade cover to Saudi Arabia, where it will soon take pride of place at a café in Jeddah.
Closer to home, our CAMERARUIUS has established itself as a fixture at Deutsche Telekom. A few weeks ago, it was featured at an international event in the form of an illuminated sculpture.

The list of our prominent customers is continuing to grow steadily. Over the past year, we supplied our products to Volkswagen’s ‘Autostadt’ visitor attraction in Wolfsburg, the German embassy in The Hague, BMW in Munich and consulting firm Deloitte in Copenhagen, to name but a few. At the same time, our attractive 1shade covers can be found at hotels in Merano, Zurich, Paris and further afield.

Knuth Hornbogen, founder and Managing Director of SKIA, is optimistic about the current situation: “Our small customer group of demanding individuals who appreciate top quality design is not suddenly going to cease to exist”.

Federal Republic of Germany orders Camerarius for its embassy in The Hague

In future, Germany will be flying the flag even higher for appealing design. This is because the new permanent guest at the German embassy in The Hague will ‘leave everything else in the shade’ at receptions and other events: the CAMERARIUS shade-cover, designed for SKIA by Markus Boge and Patrick Frey. This means that CAMERAIUS will now be an official ambassador – an ambassador for outstanding, lyrical and high-quality design.

Launch of online sales

SKIA, the Cologne-based producer of shade covers, is moving into direct sales. Customers who wish to purchase products without seeing them in action first can now order online. In this way, SKIA products can also find their way to interested customers who don’t have a listed SKIA dealer in their local area. There are no price differences between online and dealer sales – both are in line with the latest price lists.

Immediate introduction of nano coating

SKIA, the publishers for shade from Cologne, is now introducing the first and only fabric with lotus effect. All of the sails for the CAMERARIUS will now be made of "swela sunsilk", a material to which almost no dirt will adhere. Whereas Teflon coatings used to be considered the best solution (these had been used to date), they look set to be replaced by SNC nano coatings in the years to come. "We did not want to wait another month to put this innovation into production as the increase in quality is simply overwhelming – even though this will make it difficult to sell some of the products we have already produced," says Berthold Roling, who is responsible for design development and quality assurance at SKIA. This material, which has only now become available, will only be offered in white by SKIA.

Customers who were supplied with acrylate-coated polyester sails in the past will be able to order these new sails at a special low price of only € 39.00 per sail (including 19% VAT, plus € 16.00 for shipping and handling). These new sails for existing units will only be sold directly by SKIA, thus relieving dealers of the responsibility for this special customer service.

Redesigning the production process: efficiency gains

SKIA, the publishers for shade from Cologne, is taking over production steps which had been carried out by a supplier. Work which had been both strength-intensive and time-intensive and which required two people to do it is now being performed by one person – in less than half the time. This represents an increase in productivity of more than 65%. This efficiency gain was achieved by a new design: the production process has been completely redesigned.

In the traditional production process, the base of the CAMERARIUS had to be turned numerous times on the workbench – at an unergonomic height – then raised and shifted as many as four times. The design of a simple assembly tool rendered all of these strength-intensive work steps unnecessary. Whereas the production process used to be concluded with the quality controls and packaging for transport, the assembly process can now be said to start with the packaging.

Logistics are made more efficient

SKIA, the publishers for shade from Cologne, is moving their logistics. The COTTONKNUTH-SONNENSCHUTZ business area, whose warehouse had been located in Schleswig-Holstein, is moving to Cologne. This centralization is intended in particular to increase the speed of deliveries. It is also expected to lead to a considerable improvement with regard to quality, thanks to the ability to directly monitor shipments with a "critical design eye", as Knuth Hornbogen, the "motor" of SKIA, emphasizes. "For us," explains Hornbogen, "design concerns far more than just products and their communication. Instead, it is a cycle that is brought into being, starting with the initial product idea and continuing through the production and logistics processes. All of this needs to be designed, and this is what we do."

SKIA coordinates the design process

As of the beginning of the year, SKIA GmbH Deutschland has taken over the COTTONKNUTH-SONNENSCHUTZ company. This specialist for sun protection for SCHENNJESSE conservatories, which has been in existence for more than ten years, has been profiting from SKIA for a number of months already. This has been and is the case for product development in particular, an area in which SKIA has functioned as a moderator to bring together the knowledge and expertise of various suppliers with the desires and ideas of external designers.

The planning and coordination of design processes is becoming ever more important as a core competence of SKIA. A completely revised sun protection system has now been created for the COTTONKNUTH-SONNENSCHUTZ brand, which will continue to be marketed under its own name. This system was created in cooperation with freelance designer Bernd Oette.

SKIA Celebrates Its 2^nd Birthday

While Germany’s chorus of complaints is getting louder and louder, SKIA is jumping for joy. Only two years after it was founded, SKIA – the publishers for shade – is in the black. And has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that “Made in Germany” is not a myth of the past, but a guarantee for international success and a solid economic future.

In its first full year of business (2004) SKIA chalked up losses – despite healthy sales. Meanwhile, the young company has generated a return on sales in the double-digit range. In comparison to last year, turnover shot up (in the first 9 months) by 184%.

The shade-maker CAMERARIUS is primarily responsible for this growth. SKIA now delivers this product within 7 days – throughout Europe. Among its clients are high-end furniture stores, but also architects and private customers. 

Getting worldwide attention is the LED-lit JURI G. In order to make a significant contribution to turnover, however, this product was ready too late in the 2005 season. But now it’s available. 

Before the end of this year, the SHADE GAMES CD will also be delivered. It has been available for order online since Summer.

Design Award Comes Knocking.

Shade-maker CAMERARIUS has been nominated for the German Design Award.
No question: We, the people at SKIA, are heroes! Big and bigger our business is growing; big and bigger the praise is getting. Applause is reaching us from all over the world.
In January 2005, The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design honored CAMERARIUS (design: Patrik Frey and Markus Boge). Since then, the world’s oldest design award – “GOOD DESIGN” – has been adorning the shade-maker.
GOOD DESIGN as the entrance ticket for Germany’s official design award.
The German Design Award can only be given to products which have already received other design laurels. And no company can apply for the award; a nomination is necessary. Nominations can be made by State Economic Ministers. As a result – and the German Design Council knows this – “many opinion leaders in the design field” refer to this honor as the “award of awards.” So they didn’t have to ask us twice. We immediately agreed to participate; are proud as peacocks, as they say; and would already like to express our thanks for this great honor.

www.skia.de

New SKIA-Websites

camerarius-products-page | link
bucky-products-page | link
juri g-products-page | link

New press pictures

Wonderful new press pictures are now available in our press section.

skia press pictures | link

SKIA shade-makers win the world’s oldest design award.

In January 2005, one year after the first official presentation of Camerarius (design: Patrik Frey und Markus Boge, Hannover), a shade-maker from SKIA will be adorned with a design award in Chicago, USA.
“GOOD DESIGN” – awarded by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design – is the world’s oldest design award. It owes its international fame primarily to the renowned architects and designers who brought it to life in 1950. In addition to the founder of The Chicago Athenaeum, Edgar J. Kaufmann Jr, they are: Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, George Nelson, Florence Knoll, and Harry Bertoia.
Every year, the jury is presented with several hundred products. Only a few receive the prized award. For SKIA, the publishers for shade from Cologne, this is the first design award. The young designers Patrick Frey and Markus Boge, who have earned this honor, can already look back on a considerable number of awards. Among them are another GOOD DESIGN award in 2004, the iF Design Award, and various “young talent” awards.

chicago athenaeum | external link
boge & frey | link

SKIA presents novelties in Cologne

17. until 23.01.2005
Spichernhöfe, Spichernstrasse 6

Schattenspiele
There used to be sun umbrellas. Now there are shade-makers: beautiful ones with which Skia, the publishers for shade, has been adorning gardens and hotels for a year – throughout Europe. Now, before making the jump into the big wide world, the young team invites visitors to play. With shade. And to gaze at new shade-makers and enhancements to the popular Camerarius (by Markus Boge and Patrick Frey).

Opening hours:
17. – 23.1.2005
daily 11 – 21 h

Location:
Spichern Höfe
Spichernstr. 8
50672 Cologne

Tel. +49 - 163 – 863 26 22

Commercial Agreement Signed. SKIA now in Spain too.

The sun is always shining somewhere in the world. That’s why SKIA, the German-based publishers for shade, now delivers to southern European countries too. Starting immediately, our customers on the Iberian Peninsula – architects and well-stocked furniture dealers who value top-quality design – have our new partner at their disposal:


Bauen & Proyectos, S.A.
Parque Empresarial ASIPO I, nº 5
33428 CAYÉS (LLANERA - ASTURIAS)

Tel: 0034 / 985 264 264
Fax: 0034 / 985 264 321
bauen@bauenproyectos.com

dealerlist | link

Greetings from and to Korea

Actually, we do not know what the korean press is writing about SKIA, but we are pleased.

press area | link

Attention: Dear shade fans in the USA, Canada and Mexico — and in all the other countries of the world!

We've received hundreds of inquiries asking if our shade-makers can also be ordered from outside of Europe. We're working on that right now. We'll be able to give you more specific information in just a few weeks, including details about the charges for international shipping. But one thing’s for sure: In response to numerous requests, we're going to make ordering possible from all over the world. Until then, why not ask us to send you our free advertising booklet (in German) about the shade-maker camerarius?

camerarius | link
robin hood | link