Industrial Automation Magazine India

HARTING Technology Group holds its own in 75th anniversary year

Published on : Tuesday 08-12-2020

Sales revenues up slightly by 1.2 per cent to dollar 759 million/supply chain maintained/customer communication expanded.

Espelkamp, December 2020 – The HARTING Technology Group in Espelkamp (Minden-Lübbecke district) held its own in the 2019/20 (September 30) business year despite the corona pandemic and the associated global economic plunge. Sales of the international active family-owned company were up slightly by 1.2% to € 759 million (prior year: € 750 million).

“We stood up to the global corona pandemic. We are satisfied with the result,” as CEO Philip Harting stated. As the Covid-19 situation will continue to determine economic and social life, the CEO expects a challenging fiscal year 2020/21 for the Technology Group.

The regions in which HARTING is active worldwide developed differently in the 2019/20 financial year. Besides declines, the company also achieved significant growth. Sales in Europe (excluding Germany) and the Middle East and Africa, also known as EMEA, remained stable at € 278 million (previous year: 278 million). In the Asian region, HARTING sales rose vigorously by 9% to € 202 million (previous year: EUR 186 million). Growth in the Americas region was even more pronounced, recording a 15% increase to € 82 million (previous year: 72 million). In Germany, sales were down by 8% to € 197 million (previous year: 214 million).

The number of employees (including trainees) rose to 5,473 in the course of the 2019/20 financial year (previous year 5,268). This corresponds to an increase of 3.9 % or 205 jobs. In Germany, nine positions were not filled again (- 0.3 %), while 214 employees were hired at the foreign production facilities and subsidiaries (+ 8.0 %). Consequently, a total of 2,869 people were employed abroad on September 30, 2020, and 2,604 in Germany. Growth in the Americas and Asia is reflected in these figures.

Right from the outset, the Technology Group reacted quickly and flexibly to the ensuing pandemic. From the very beginning, the protection of employees as well as the supply of customers took top priority. This applies in particular to well-known manufacturers of medical and respiratory equipment with customer-specific cable assemblies which HARTING supplies. "We are and remain a reliable partner," as Philip Harting emphasized

This applies in particular to customer and market communication, which was duly converted and expanded to digital formats. Since spring, events and web seminars have been held in a dedicated studio and streamed to customers, distributors and media worldwide. "Since we are globally networked we can react very quickly to changing conditions – and we are close to our customers," emphasized Philip Harting. Based on this new form of communication, HARTING is positioning itself for the future, as the CEO underlined.

The Technology Group will closely monitor the further course of the pandemic. A corona pandemic team evaluates the developments on a daily basis and recommends or takes measures, as Dr Michael Pütz, member of the Board of Management responsible for Human Resources, underscored. As examples he mentioned the free corona tests in certain clinics in the Minden-Lübbecke district or the free mouth-nose masks for employees. "The extended home office regulation in cooperation with our IT also worked very well and is being very well accepted by our employees," said Dr Pütz.