No. 1: Mads Bonde accepts the first prize in HSE Achievements for the Tønder site.

The annual Extrusion Eurasia MD meeting took place in Oslo following the Hydro Summit. HSE and the current business situation were on the agenda, as well as the traditional annual awards gala dinner and ceremony.

The HSE award winner for 2008 was Tønder, with Raeren and Extrusion Germany as the runners up. Tønder has gone more than two years without an accident, they have all systems and tools in place, and, even more important, they have a strong passion for HSE that runs throughout their organization. 

The clear number one in the profitability category in 2008 was Hydro Aluminium Nenzing/Bellenberg, with record earnings and an overall excellent performance. Extrusion Germany won a solid second position, and while there was strong competition for the third place, Extrusion Spain pulled the longest straw in the end.

Fuertes wins MD honor

The sector's Managing Director of the Year was Rafael Fuertes from Extrusion Spain, for showing overall good performance in a difficult year while at the same time, leading a successful integration of the Expral acquisition into his organization.

Fuertes and sector president Johnny Undeli are pictured at right.

Three innovation winners

The Innovation Award winners in all three categories Products, Processes and Social were also invited to the ceremony.

They gave a short presentation of their winning contribution, before receiving their respective trophies, diplomas and checks.

The first-place winner in the Products category was Hydro Aluminium Extrusion Spain (La Roca) team members Virgina Ortigues and Mario Monroy.

In Processes, first place was "Kjeld and Hanging Kjeld Dies" by team members Kjeld Andersen (Tønder), Willy Gampe (EdEx), and Anders Kindlihagen ECC. The three are pictured at right, together with Undeli and Mari Wilhelmsen.

The winners in the Social category - "Water is a planet resource, don't waste it" - were the Hydro Alluminio Ornago team members Walter Lardini and Claudio Scaccabarozzi.

The Processes and Social winners achieved a runner-up place in Hydro's company-wide Innovation Competition.

Congratulations to all winners!