Betonmarketing becomes IZB
The German cement and concrete industry celebrated the foundation of the new organization InformationsZentrum Beton ((IZB) – information center concrete) at the Zollverein Coal Mining Industrial Complex in Essen on the 1st of July. Prior to this, the three previous regional BetonMarketing organizations and BetonMarketing Germany were wound up, merging to the new common organization. Verein Deutscher Zementwerke e.V ((VDZ) - German Cement Works Association) is the exclusive shareholder. The management of IZB is taken over by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Middel and Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. Ulrich Nolting. Torsten Bernhofen is authorized representative.
On the occasion of the kick-off event, more than 150 guests get informed about the new structure of the organization, convincing themselves of the new corporate design. “For us it was important to start this step with a new corporate design and the relaunch of the concrete logo, as this merger will serve to strengthen the brand concrete even more and more effectively – the new design is intended to represent this externally too,” Nolting said.
National campaign management
The IZB headquartered in Erk-rath is represented in Germany by local offices in Ostfildern, Beckum and Hannover. “As before, we will be distinguished by a strong local presence enabling us to act in close co-operation with decision-makers and users in the building materials sectors,” Middel stated. “The new structure enables an even better national coordination of these local competencies. In future, it will allow us to link and coordinate the national priorities and campaigns as well as to implement them locally in an effective way,” Middel added.
In his welcoming speech, Dr. Dirk Spenner, Vice President of the German Cement Works Association, emphasized the synergy effects created by the new organization. “If we pull together in the same direction, we can achieve a lot. With the new streamlined and thus more powerful structure, we will get the decision-makers in the building materials sector of tomorrow even more interested in our building material and its fascinating application potentials,” Spenner said.
The new orientation as well as the new structure were aiming at securing existing markets in an even better way and better linked, and establishing new markets as well as maintaining the positive image of concrete, according to Bernhofen. “The IZB considers itself as a partner in all matters relating to the use of the building material concrete, both in high-quality standard and sustainable,” Bernhofen stated.
Knowledge provider for manufacturers and users
The new InformationsZentrum stands in the tradition of collaborative working across companies. Nearly 100 years ago, the so-called construction consultancy cement, on behalf of the cement and concrete industry, had already provided information on concrete construction and, in particular, the technical implementation across companies and nationwide.
As knowledge provider of cementitious building materials, the IZB is focusing on an exchange of knowledge between manufacturers and users in the most important markets of the building material concrete. The instruments used include exhibitions, image and advertising campaigns, offering national architectural awards, university initiatives, internet sites, seminars and e-learning programs. These measures are supported by a wide range of informative brochures and guidelines as well as target-oriented market research.
