During the symposium 2009, which was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Interroll Group, Dieter Specht looked to the future and explained how strongly the global demand for logistics will grow over the next 25 years. He referred to the growing world population, the development of emerging markets and the increasing use of the Internet and e-commerce. 

He demonstrated that in the future, billions of cardboard boxes would have to be transported and distributed worldwide every day. Now, it is already a reality.

While analyzing the existing powered conveyor systems, which are easily found in the image-search section of Google, he felt a necessity for a change. Most of the shown conveyor constructions were ugly, old-fashioned, complicated, full of cables - like spaghetti -, with big motors mounted outside and visible control boxes sticking out - a remnant of the last century with perforated steel profiles. It is hard to believe that these are still produced and sold today!

With these impressions in mind, Dieter Specht sat on the balcony of a charming hotel in Gstaad in the Swiss Bernese Alps some years ago and gazed at the picturesque mountain landscape at 3,000 meters above sea level, where he used to spend his vacations. While he was admiring the beautiful landscape and daydreaming, he suddenly saw the solution for the future very clearly in his mind's eye. There it was, the conveyor system with a modern and streamlined aluminum frame, completely enclosed. The drive systems and electronic controls, as well as all cables, would be installed inside, but invisible from the outside. This design would blend in with today's architecture and modern machine centers.

Of course, everything is much better thought out today than in the past. Just look at modern railroads or modern cars or smartphones and so on. Yes, today everything looks better, more beautiful, more streamlined, more elegant and more aesthetic. It's the design that sets companies apart from their competitors, and design is what works best. 

How is it possible - he thought - that the drive belts of a driven roller conveyor are still visible from the outside on the upper part of each roller conveyor and have to be individually protected by additional finger guards? And why does each motor have to be individually wired to an expensive central control cabinet that controls the conveyor system centrally?

He then began to list all the requirements for a modern conveyor system. Many new ideas came to his mind. He often woke up in the middle of the night and had a new idea for a change or another way to improve the design. 

He was also fascinated by the new OTU (Omni-directional Transfer Unit) that came to his mind, a modular product, almost like a LEGO brick, which is indispensable in any conveyor system. This unique OTU replaces all separate constructions on the market, as crossings, corners, transfers, diverters, large X-crossings and even sorters.

This very modern, extraordinary and futuristic design, which is different from any existing one and was never seen before, is named "avant-garde", 

which  means: 

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The combination of the two words "avant-garde" and "conveyor" resulted in "avancon", the name of the new company.

Together with some young people, Dieter Specht founded avancon SA in Ticino, Switzerland, in 2015 as a startup.  And now, after big investments in development, machinery, molds, a new factory- and office-building, in marketing, and 12 patents for new products and improvements, avancon SA sees the result: the customers love it!