Cosalt produces win/win solution

27 October 2008

Cosalt Germany has solved a production problem and helped the disabled in a new move.

The company's classic but old-fashioned lifebuoys will now be manufactured by Lebenshilfe, a German national association for the learning disabled.

The 10,000 a year demand for the lifebuoys was too low to justify continuing production by Cosalt but, after talks with Lebenshilfe, manufacture has been switched to the association's Pinneberger, near Hamburg, workshops.

Lebenshilfe has taken over the machinery and a former Cosalt employee, Mr. Jörg Paulick, has transferred to Lebenshilfe to show staff how to produce them.

The old fashioned, usually red and white painted lifebuoys, are still used by sailboat owners and by private individuals and companies for decorative purposes. However, commercial shipping prefers the modern, more economic plastic versions.

The change has been described as a win/win situation. Cosalt, while not producing the traditional lifebuoys, will still be able to supply them to customers together with its range of more modern lifebuoys.

And Lebenshilfewerk has a new and interesting product which it can manufacture, step by step from raw-material to end-product.   

This novel industry-community partnership has attracted interest from German newspapers and TV stations.

For Further information, please contact Theresa Fitzgerald.