The Weidmüller Group, headquartered in Detmold, looks back on a successful 2022. For the first time, the turnover mark of one billion euros was exceeded in the current fiscal year. In total, Weidmüller achieved a turnover of 1.175 billion euros in 2022. This is a 22 percent increase in turnover compared to the previous year. “We are very pleased that we were able to exceed the one billion euro turnover mark for the first time in our company’s history. This means we have reached an important milestone and have established a good starting position for the future,” emphasizes Chief Technology Officer and Speaker of the Executive Board Volker Bibelhausen. Despite the various crises and uncertain geopolitical developments, Weidmüller was able to successfully continue to grow.
National and international investment projects
In 2022, long-term investments in all areas again formed the basis for Weidmüller’s constant growth. With a total of 83 million euros, the electronics and connection technology company invested 7 percent of its turnover in future-oriented projects and the expansion of its sites. An important component of these investments is the strengthening of the global positioning. The focus here is on the construction of a new production site in China, an expansion of the site in Richmond, USA, a production expansion in Romania and capacity expansions in Thuringia.
Improved value creation, more sustainability and circular economy as well as the strengthening of sustainable local-for-local concepts in the regions are fundamental goals of the investment projects. “With the expansion of our locations, we are on the one hand ensuring more proximity to our customers in the regions. On the other hand, we are expanding and optimizing our operational footprint in terms of productivity, efficiency and sustainability,” explains Dr. Sebastian Durst, the new Chief Operations Officer at Weidmüller, adding: “The projects are essential building blocks of our global growth path in the production and logistics sector.”
New logistics facility in Thuringia put into operation
Meanwhile, the completion and commissioning of the Weidmüller Distribution Center (WDC) marked the successful completion of the largest single investment project in the company’s history. Not far from Eisenach, a new logistics center was built on an area of 72,000 square meters in a construction period of around two years. With the WDC, Weidmüller is significantly and sustainably optimizing and revolutionizing its logistics processes. The highly modern building complex is located about ten kilometers away from the site of the Thüringischen Weidmüller GmbH (TWG). It is largely automated and enables a fully digitized and flexibly networked delivery and customer service. “With the Weidmüller Distribution Center, we are well prepared for the multi-layered logistics requirements of tomorrow,” explains Dr. Timo Berger, Chief Sales Officer at Weidmüller, adding: “By optimizing our supply chains, we have set the course for further growth and more service for our customers.”
Products and concepts for the future
When developing new concepts, products and solutions, Weidmüller focuses on future-oriented topics. The aim is to make core technical areas simpler, more efficient and more sustainable. Many of the company’s products and concepts are used, for example, in photovoltaic systems and machines, wind energy, electromobility and hydrogen production. Weidmüller also develops solutions for the DC industry: the Detmold-based family business is a founding member of the Open Direct Current Alliance (ODCA), which was launched in November 2022 and aims to establish a sustainable DC ecosystem. With the u-control control system, the easyConnect service platform and the u-OS operating system, Weidmüller is also significantly expanding its software and hardware product portfolio in the areas of Industrial IoT and Automation. The electronics and connectivity company develops integrated solutions along all process steps for the cabinet building of the future. The SNAP IN connection technology also enables automated, robot-assisted manufacturing processes. “We clearly align the development of our products and solutions with the conditions and requirements of the future. This applies both in terms of practical added value for our customers and in terms of a more sustainable world,” says Chief Technology Officer and Speaker of the Executive Board Volker Bibelhausen.
With confidence into the future
Following the strong growth in sales to over one billion euros in 2022, the Executive Board of the Weidmüller Group remains confident despite difficult market conditions. “For 2023, we are aiming for a growth rate that is close to double digits compared to the year 2022,” explains Chief Financial Officer André Sombecki.