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TRISA AG CH - 6234 Triengen / Switzerland Phone +41 (0)41 935 35 35 Fax +41 (0)41 935 33 00 www.trisa.ch info@trisa.ch

The following pages are intended to provide you with an insight into our TRISA cul-ture and our corporate philosophy. The TRISA Spirit has evolved over generations and decades and, today, is considered to be our key to success. Immerse yourself in the exciting world of brush makers!

TRISA was founded in 1887 and, ever since, honesty and fairness with all our partners has been our credo. The harmony between mankind, work and the environment is deeply rooted in our culture and in our awareness. TRISA has proven itself in many ways. We have remained young and open-minded and are thus willing to learn and rediscover our company again and again.

This brochure is dedicated to Ernst Pfenniger. His enthusiasm, his joy and passion for the task in hand, his unbounded optimism and his unshakeable belief in the future were legendary and unique. With his caring manner and warmth he looked upon employees as co-entrepreneurs and made them very much the focus of his thoughts: in the knowledge that without satisfied employees there can be no satisfied customers and no common objectives can be achieved.

Our strong set of values will continue to guide our actions, even in the future. As proud TRISA employees, proud brush makers and a leader in development and quality, our aim is to create sustainable added value.

Adrian and Philipp Pfenniger

Philipp and Adrian Pfenniger

Ernst Pfenniger (1939 - 2010)

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Dear Reader

TRISA since 1887

TRISA, situated in the heart of Switzerland and Europe, is characterised by an impressive history. In 1836, four young men from Triengen, in the canton of Lucerne, set about exporting the local art of linen-weaving to Wie-sental, a valley in the Black Forest. Whilst there, they learnt the art of brush making. In 1885, commercial brush production started up in Triengen but operations had to be suspended after only two years. The same year, six Triengen citizens founded a new brush factory so that 1887 is actually the year when the present TRISA was founded. On returning home, Ferdinand Kost became the first foreman. In the 1890s, Xaver Pfenniger joined the company. The new entrepreneurs were blessed with a pioneering spirit, a belief in the future and were brim-ming with confidence. At the end of the 19th century, the company already had a workforce of 30 and special-ized in the manufacture of hair brushes and brushes for general household use.

The first toothbrush

The first toothbrush, produced in 1903, was hand-drawn. A few years later, a hydraulic production ma-chine made the whole process a lot easier. However, the chaos of the First World War didn’t leave the fledgling factory unscathed and, as a result of active service, pro-duction had to be halted on a number of occasions. At the end of the 1930s, manual tufting machines grad-ually replaced the work previously undertaken by hand. More technical milestones were soon to follow. Tufting

machines and a variety of other semi-automatic pro-cesses were among the chief innovations of the 1940s. In the 1950s, together with the University of Zurich, the first academic paper on toothbrushes was published. A new era in the former brush factory commenced in the 1960s. Piecework gave way to more entrepreneurial responsibility and active involvement. The participative leadership and participation model resulted in em- ployees becoming co-entrepreneurs.

More than a million toothbrushes per day

The streamlining of the Swiss brush industry, coupled with TRISA’s strong growth, dominated the seventies and eighties. In 1989, TRISA acquired the Walther brand and the Bürstenfabrik Ebnat Kappel AG. Pioneering roles were also achieved in production processes, technol-ogies and, in 1992, ISO certification, as the first Euro-pean toothbrush factory. Since then a large number of accolades bear witness to the performance and innova-tion of TRISA. What started out as a commercial manual brush making undertaking gave way to an internationally active high-tech company with more than 1 000 em-ployees working for the group. Yet everything started off in a small way. Where 50 000 toothbrushes were being produced annually in the 1950s, this figure now is more than one million per day.

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History

History

Ferdinand Kostknown as «Brushmaker Ferdi»

«Dora» toothbrush 1930, hand-drawn brush

«Kehr» factory 2 extension

Production plant 1940

Xaver Pfenniger

At the beginning of the 20th century, as managing direc-tor, Xaver Pfenniger was instrumental in enlarging the fledgling company in Triengen. He took over responsi-bility for the sale of brushes throughout Switzerland and transformed TRISA into a national enterprise. In 1908, there were 196 different brushes for use by the farming industry, in the home and for body care, including three different toothbrushes. Just 13 years later, 39 different toothbrush models made up the product range.

Ernst Pfenniger-Unternährer

Ernst Pfenniger-Unternährer, lic. nat. oec., a great en-trepreneurial figure, joined TRISA in 1961 and took over management in 1967. No other person changed the former brush factory as radically as he. Ernst Pfenniger was also the creator of TRISA participative entrepreneur-ship which, since 1964, has been further developed and makes the company unique to this day. Far beyond his death, the honorary citizen of Triengen embodies the soul of TRISA.

Proud brush makers

Anybody who has been trading in the market successfully for more than a century must be fair to all partners and needs solid principles and values to be able to exist within the business community. Throughout this period, products and manufacturing processes have undergone significant change. Unchanged, however, is the joy and passion that we attach to our work - even after so many years, TRISA employees have remained proud brush makers.

Adrian and Philipp Pfenniger

Brothers Adrian and Philipp Pfenniger have been with the family business since 1989 and 1994 and, from the mid-1990s onwards, have been part of senior manage-ment. Whilst Adrian Pfenniger, lic. oec. HEC, as CEO, is re-sponsible for TRISA’s commercial fortunes, Philipp Pfen-niger, dipl. Ing. ETH, is responsible for logistics, produc-tion and the technical divisions. Ever since, development has been running at a breathtaking pace with years of growth rates in double digit figures following. Hundreds of additional jobs were created and a number of new factory premises built.

Ernst Pfenniger-Häfliger

Ernst Pfenniger-Häfliger joined the company in 1932 and took over management in 1941. It was a time of radical change. The first tufting machines slowly replaced man-ual activities. Soon, production commenced using the process of injection moulding. Semi-automatic produc-tion started in 1948 and, four years later, end-rounding of the toothbrush bristles commenced.

Today, the TRISA Company, jointly owned by family and employees, is being managed by the fourth generation of the Pfenniger family. Each generation has built up its know-how from the previous generation, accompanied by business sense and creativity. They all were and still are patrons but also role models for the motivated TRISA employees. Many families of employees, who have also been loyal to TRISA for several genera-tions, have contributed in no small measure to the success of the company.

Four generations

7 History

His

tory

6 History

Brush production 1907

Workforce in 1962TRISA 75th anniversary

Socially sustainable

Our employees are co-entrepreneurs and partners who participate in the joint success of the company. We endeavour to be a good neigh-bour and a reliable and valued partner in the community. We want to be in harmony with God and the world. We provide selected non-profit organisations with financial support, or with our products. We also make selective donations to scientific, cultural and sports institutions. We are well aware of the great differences in income that exist from country to country on every continent of the world. Here and there we can help to alleviate the distress of the underprivileged. As a sign of solidarity, TRISA has been donating more than 100 000 quality tooth-brushes annually to disadvantaged children.

Ecologically sustainable

The harmony between mankind, work and the environment is deeply rooted in our culture and in our awareness. Even at the beginning of the 1960s, before the matter of the environment was on everybody’s lips, TRISA had taken on a pioneering role with regard to environmental protection. In the knowledge that a percentage of the raw materials we use does not originate from renewable resources we have been very careful with their use. Many milestones are proof of TRISA’s ecological sustainability.

Consistently sustainable

From the beginning, our actions have been characterised by sustain-ability and this is firmly anchored in our identity and in our culture. The TRISA mission is evidence of our basic position and our leadership philosophy. Sustainable corporate development is based on an even balance of economic, social and environmental issues, which can always be improved upon. Thus TRISA is constantly striving to find new ways to fulfil its responsibilities towards its employees and customers, the environment and society.

Economically sustainable

Economic success is the precondition for sustainable actions. Without this, the company would not be able to operate in a social or environ-mental manner. We are not striving for short-term profit maximisation but for long-term optimisation. One of our corporate goals is to be in-dependent and with the firm intention of remaining so. Sustainability also refers to our products whose quality is given top priority. With new technologies and products we are able to safeguard our jobs. The finan-cial resources that we generate are invested in our joint future.

Sustainability

9 Sustainability8 Sustainability

Production impression

Solar plant since 1998Wood contruction factory 2

Solidarity toothbrushes for India

«I personally believe in God and in the good of man!

Consequently, I feel that we have a mission to fulfil here on earth.

And the task of the entrepreneur?

In my opinion, he shall create work and do everything to ensure that the people who work

for him take pleasure in their jobs.

He who enjoys his work will always produce better results – to the benefit of one and all!»

Ernst Pfenniger-Unternährer, quote 1964

TRISA’s philosophy and culture

We practise open-mindedness – both within and outside the company. Solidarity and humanity, but also treating all our partners fairly, is entrenched in our corporate philosophy.

This creates a strong commitment to the company and a pronounced culture of trust and confidence. Only a dedicat-ed team can be sure of success in the long term. The willingness to go the extra mile, however, can only be counted on if the employees feel at home in the company and go about their work with enthusiasm. This is what our mission, basic values and principles of leadership are all about.

TRISA’s success is mainly attributed to our corporate culture, the TRISA spirit and the innovative leadership in technology, together with a courageous policy of investment.

Enthusiastic employees create enthusiastic customers.

Success factors

11 Success factors10 Success factors

1. Success factor – TRISA Spirit

Sales team

TRISA Mission

TRISA products provide health, joy and wellness.

TRISA is achieving pioneer performance in theareas of oral care, hair care and body care.

TRISA acts in an innovative, quality-conscious,social and environmentally-friendly manner.

TRISA employees participate in the capitaland success.

One should love TRISA.

TRISA Basic Position

We believe in our successful future whichwe create day by day. Together, we can achieveeverything.

We take joy in our task andachieve top performance.

We think positively based on mutual trustand esteem.

We approach each other co-operatively,uncomplicated and constructively.

We think entrepreneurially, we love initiativeand new ideas.

We work professionally, efficiently and flexibly.

We lead through example and take decisionson the spot within the team.

We communicate and inform openly, honestlyand systematically.

We regard our customers and suppliers aspartners. They take part in the TRISA family spirit.

We have confidence in the power abovethat is guiding us.

Mission and basic position

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Satisfi ed employee

Production impression

Principles of leadership

I lead by example

I trust in the skills of my team members and I adopt a co-operative style of leadership.

I promote the identification of my team with the moral concept, with TRISA and with our products.

My behaviour as a superior is credible and transparent: I do what I say and I say what I do.

I lead in a focused manner and I create an innovative environment through coaching.

I support talent and expertise within my team and I respect different points of view.

I delegate as much as possible without ducking my own responsibilities.

Continuous improvement is my basic principle. The better is the enemy of the good.

Leadership is communication. I communicate openly, sincerely and systematically. I motivate my team by promoting personal dialogue.

As a TRISA manager I regularly assess my team members in the same manner as they assess me.

As a role model my leadership qualities are: Humaneness and fairness Integrity and credibility Ability to communicate and motivate Reliability and endurance Expertise

15 Success factors14 Success factors

Committed human resources

Teamwork

Apprentices

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«Mutual trust is the greatest gift we can bestow upon each other.

And trust is TRISA’s true asset! It forms the basis for joint success.

There is nothing that gives us greater strength than mutual trust

and esteem. Good performance at TRISA deserves praise and

recognition. Honest praise and true appreciation are heartfelt.

Confidence and esteem is what the TRISA spirit is all about.»

Adrian Pfenniger, CEO, quote

TRISA Principles

We respect each other’s individuality and pay attention to each other.

We act in confidence with fairness and the spirit of partnership in mind.

We are honest and value each other.

We are interested in our work colleagues as persons and in what they do.

Praise, appreciation and constructive criticism are our instruments that provide trust.

We practise a culture of open discussion and of trust in our everyday life.

Confidence and esteem

16 Success factors

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Trust

Team of mechanics

17 Success factors

A learning community

We consider ourselves to be a learning community, which strives for improvement and searches for new solutions. Well-trained and com-mitted employees form the basis for our success. Thus for years, TRISA has given high priority to a professional employee development pro-gramme. Our system is based on rolling planning that is regularly up-dated to meet future needs. On the basis of regular employee question-naires we also organise seminars and events which benefit everybody in the company.

The spirit of TRISA looks to the future

The TRISA spirit, our philosophy and our corporate culture continues to evolve. The aim is to promote a co-operative style of leadership and responsibility for one’s own actions, but also entrepreneurial thinking. Apart from the well-established capital and profit-sharing scheme, plus co-determination within the Board of Directors, TRISA is also following new paths on the way to promoting social, mental and physical well-being.

Co-determination, capital and profit-sharing (EB)

Our philosophy is aimed at promoting entrepreneurial thinking. All TRISA employees are shareholders in their own company and partici-pate in its joint success. Holding 30 per cent of the shares, the em-ployees account for half the members of the Board of Directors. The EB commission provides an additional opportunity for co-determination and a possibility to exert influence. This democratic and social man-agement model results in a high level of commitment and dedication within the company.

Profit-sharing scheme

The employee’s financial participation in the success of the company is reflected on the one hand in dividend payments to the shareholders and, on the other, in the profit-sharing scheme (EB). Each month, the EB commission receives a report on the company’s course of business. All employees receive a bonus in the form of a fixed percentage of their basic salary under the EB scheme. With the annual financial report the Board of Directors assesses the sales figures, the EBITDA and the sustainability of the results on the basis of the effective figures and then determines the level of the end of year EB bonus. This is then paid out across the entire company as a percentage of the EB compliant annual salary and handed to each employee personally by senior management.

19 Success factors18 Success factors

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TRISA Spirit milestones

from 1964 Profit-sharing for all employees

from 1968 Social equality for all TRISA employees

from 1972 TRISA employees become shareholders

from 1973 Equal representation on the Board of Directors

from 1999 Promotion of social, mental and physical well-being amongst the employees

Seminars on the subject of esteem

Social skills and motivation Health promotion projects «Oasis» water dispenser / offers of fruit «TRISA on the move» with sporting programmes Regular, representative employee surveys Leadership and communication seminars

TRISA General Meeting of Shareholders

Freshening up at an oasis

Instruction

Zunge

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labiallabial

labiallabial

3. Quadrant4. Quadrant facial

Gaumen

orallingual

oralpalatinal

artificial mouth

Innovation gives the competitive edge

Our second success factor is systematic and consistent innovation management as well as a culture of innovation that is practised throughout the company. TRISA competes in the world markets with manufacturers from every imaginable country. Thanks to inno-vation and functionally superior products we create added-value and are always one step ahead.

Focusing on needs

Our many years of collaboration with the dental profession and leading universities help us to achieve pioneering results in the field of oral health. In the market, and when considering the needs of consumers, we follow current trends and the findings from our systematic market research. The results of surveys conducted amongst our loyal national and international customers have had a considerable impact. We never waiver from our mission: to provide our customers with the best possible toothbrushes!

2. Success factor – leadership in innovation and technology

21 Success factors

Design

Research

Ideas

Artificial mouth

Quality control

20 Success factors

Our «innovative» workforce

Our TRISA spirit creates a favourable environment and acts as a driving force for the innovation process. TRISA endeavours to integrate the entire intellectual resources of its employees. For this reason, all TRISA employees are in possession of an «idea pass» where every proposal made, whether involving products, process optimisation, improvements to the workplace, technology or social innovations is recorded and also rewarded at a later date. With the «Question of the month», which is addressed to all employees, inputs received from the idea circles are subjected to a critical discussion with the view to finding solutions. Each year, «TRISA Champions» are selected: these are employees who stand out because they have come up with excellent ideas. The potential for creativity is boundless. Groundbreaking ideas are the capital for our future!

House of ideas and innovation circles

Since 1997 TRISA innovations have originated from our house of ideas. Our inter-disciplinary innovation circles meet regularly with the aim of creating new ideas for products. In all probability, the house accommodates the largest exhibition of current dental hygiene articles anywhere in the world. This collection, with the latest trends in material, technology, design and packaging is being continuously updated. Further-more, we can take advantage of the innovation database, which provides us with ac-cess to comprehensive innovation on a specific subject, at the flick of the wrist. With the passing of time, the number of regular innovation circles has steadily increased. Today, systematic innovation activities are the key element of our international com-petitiveness. Equally important is its value placed within TRISA’s corporate strategy.

High percentage of new products

From the beginning, TRISA has been characterised by a vibrant pioneering spirit and an open percep-tion for new products and ways. Where the percentage of new products originating from TRISA in the 1980s amounted to between 5 and 10 per cent, the goal of achieving a figure of 25 to 35 per cent has been far exceeded in recent years. The results of our successful innovative spirit have been protected by international patents. All stages of product development, from the initial idea to the end product, are undertaken in-house by TRISA.

Tongue cleanerDental fl oss

Intensive Carewith AFT-technology

Sensitive Perfect White

Sonicpower

TRISA Champion – idea passport

Question of the month

Innovation circle

23 Success factors22 Success factors

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Courageous investment policy

With courage, entrepreneurial and a pioneering spirit, TRISA is expanding and con-tinuously provides more and more jobs. Back in the 1960s, TRISA already invested triple the annual turnover in order to succeed under difficult conditions. Within 40 years, sales have risen more than twentyfold. Between 2000 and 2011, the TRISA Group invested in excess of CHF 250 million in buildings, infrastructure, new techno-logies and products. During the same period, more than 400 new jobs were created in

Switzerland.

Enthusiastic employees create enthusiastic customers

Entrepreneurship and passion are important issues at TRISA and sufficient room for manoeuvre allows TRISA employees to give off their best. The customer is always the focal point of our activities. Our customers and consumers provide the rationale and purpose for our work. We are grateful that our major national and international clients have demonstrated their loyalty over many years and decades. This will spur us on to striving for outstanding performance in the years to come.

Growth secures our future

The TRISA Group evolved, step-by-step, 100 years after the parent company was founded. In 1987, TRISA Electronics AG, a former division of TRISA AG, became independent. During the course of streamlining through-out the Swiss brush industry, Ebnat-Kappel AG took up its place within the TRISA Group in 1989. TRISA Bulgaria GmbH, a distribution company, was founded in 1996. TRISA Accessoires AG joined the group in 1998 and is market leader in Switzerland for hair and fashion jewellery. TRISONIC AG, also a member of the TRISA Group since 1998, produces in excess of one million high quality electric toothbrushes annually.

3. Success factor – entrepreneurship

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TRISA Electronics AGTriengen

TRISONIC AGTriengen

TRISA AG Triengen

TRISA Accessoires AGTriengen

TRISA Bulgaria GmbHSofia/Bulgaria

Bürstenfabrik Ebnat-Kappel AG Ebnat-Kappel

Expertise CenterElectric appliances

Expertise CenterHair fashionFashion accessories

Expertise CenterInterdental careHome care

Expertise CenterElectric oral care

Expertise CenterManual oral careHair careBody care

Expertise CenterDistribution company

Friendly reception

Factory 3 extension

24 Success factors

If you don’t move forwards you move backwards

Over all the decades the TRISA philosophy has shown no signs of becoming outdated – on the contrary, it is more relevant than ever! The TRISA spirit affords our company intrinsic stability and gives a feeling of security in an environment that is constantly in a state of flux. We are always looking for new ways to live up to our reputation and responsibility towards our stakeholders. We are in no doubt that our future success will be attributed mainly to our motivated employees and their entrepreneurial thinking.

TRISA of Switzerland

Today, TRISA is a worldwide leading manufacturer of oral and dental care products. Apart from TRISA branded articles we undertake production for multinational com-panies. Each day, more than one million toothbrushes, manufactured to strict quality criteria (integrated management system ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 / OHSAS 18001), leave our state-of-the-art production plants. We export more than 95 per cent of our tooth-brushes to over 80 countries. Great potential

We view globalisation as an opportunity to tap into new markets. But we are well aware that in the open market of globalisation you have to be in the world class league to survive. In other words, we have to motivate TRISA daily to world class perform-ance. This requires professional creativity in all areas: but it also requires a modicum of luck and God’s blessing. We at TRISA are grateful to be able to manufacture useful products that contribute towards the health, pleasure and feeling of well-being of our fellow citizens.

We started with confidence – and with confidence and optimism we will shape our joint future.

Future

27 Future

Manufacturing base Triengen

Apprentices

In the heart of Switzerland TRISA - Feel the difference.

Entrée

26 Future