Victaulic entrusts Manuel Emmerich with its commercial development in Europe

Victaulic is strengthening its European organization with the appointment of Manuel Emmerich as Divisional Business Development Director. His role will primarily focus on providing technical support for major construction and industrial projects, from initial studies through to the implementation and maintenance of the facilities.

The new director will work with project owners, design offices and engineers on various markets: data centers, battery factories, health and educational establishments, high-rise buildings, airports, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) installations or industrial water networks.

Intervene from the preliminary design studies stage

This appointment reflects a shift in Victaulic's commercial approach in Europe. The manufacturer aims to integrate its technical services from the FEED ( Front-End Engineering Design) phase, which corresponds to preliminary engineering studies. This involvement can take place, according to the company, between 12 and 18 months before construction begins.

Manuel Emmerich will lead this initiative across Europe, having previously headed the group's operations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The stated objective is to examine the design of piping networks early enough to account for installation, operation, and maintenance constraints throughout the entire project lifecycle.

The company intends to move from an intervention primarily focused on supply to a support approach that is engaged from the definition of technical solutions.

Incorporate grooved fittings from the design stage

This strategy is based on a model called "engineering specialist", developed by Manuel Emmerich in 2022. It aims to study the grooved mechanical connection method from the initial design stage and to compare it to welded or flanged solutions.

For project owners and consulting engineers, this analysis can take into account the total installation cost, deadlines, quality of execution, team safety, and maintenance requirements. Victaulic indicates that proactive design can also limit the number of connections made on site, optimize pipe lengths, and reduce the risks of oversizing or late modifications.

"When we intervene 18 months in advance, for example, we can engage in a broader discussion on budget estimation, materials management within design-build strategies, and also contribute to thermal and vertical stress analyses of piping to reduce risks associated with complex designs," explains Manuel Emmerich.

Developing prefabrication and modular assembly

The intervention during the preliminary design phase must also allow for the adaptation of the networks to prefabrication and modular assembly. Part of the piping sections can then be prepared off-site, in a controlled industrial environment, before their final installation on the construction site.

According to Victaulic, this organization can reduce the volume of operations to be carried out on-site, limit labor requirements, and shorten certain assembly phases. Transferring part of the manufacturing process off-site should also facilitate quality control and reduce the teams' exposure to certain risky interventions. However, these benefits remain dependent on the project's configuration, its logistical organization, and the level of prefabrication chosen.

“Piping networks are much more than just components or a piece of a larger whole: they can become a strategic choice, where the method of connection has a direct impact on the overall efficiency of the project,” says Manuel Emmerich.

“Our goal is to provide building owners and engineers with optimized designs, faster installations, and an easy-to-maintain piping system. These efficiency gains will reduce costs, mitigate risks, and improve system optimization throughout the building's lifetime.” Manuel Emmerich, Divisional Business Development Director for Europe at Victaulic

Thirteen years of experience within Victaulic

Manuel Emmerich joined Victaulic 13 years ago as a sales engineer in Cologne, Germany. He was appointed regional manager in 2017, at the age of 30, with the mission of coordinating the company's activities in western Germany and Switzerland.

He subsequently extended his responsibilities to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The engineering-driven business model he helped implement in Central Europe is now intended to serve as a benchmark for the development of this organization across the entire European market.