Global turnover doubles within two years for Beckhoff Automation
For the second year in a row Beckhoff Automation has closed the financial year with exceptionally high growth in turnover. Annual turnover of 465 million Euros was achieved in 2011.
Beckhoff can look back on a very successful financial year.
- It is the second robust growth year in a row and we have even exceeded our own optimistic expectations. It is also particularly pleasing that all of the large markets – Europe, Asia and America – and product groups have contributed more or less equally to the growth. Naturally we are extremely satisfied with this result, summarises Hans Beckhoff, Managing Director and Owner of Beckhoff Automation GmbH.
The prospects for 2012 are also encouraging; following the rapid growth, consolidation at a high level is becoming apparent, which will permit an overall homogeneous business development. The various industrial markets are exhibiting great differences in 2012.
The ‘alternative energies’ sector, for example, is in a strong downturn, but this is compensated by growth in general machine construction and plant engineering. As a result, we are planning moderate growth for 2012," says Hans Beckhoff. Overall the entrepreneur sees continued exciting prospects worldwide for further growth and the acquisition of new customers with the leading edge Beckhoff technologies in machine construction and plant engineering as well as in building automation and process technology. “We are known as influential drivers of modern industrial technology. We have regularly set new milestones in automation technology and, together with our customers, have opened up new fields of application and business as well as new performance classes. That also applies this year, because at Hannover Messe, for example, we are presenting XTS technology – a new linear drive system with genuinely revolutionary characteristics – as well as an extremely fast PC-based PLC with a cycle time of just 12.5 µs.
30 Beckhoff subsidiaries ensure worldwide presence
In 2011 exports accounted for about 56 % of the gross turnover at Beckhoff; of that, 24 % were attributable to Europe (excluding Germany), 22 % to Asia, 8 % to North America and 2 % to the remaining countries in which Beckhoff operates worldwide.
The sales network was further expanded in 2011 with the establishment of new subsidiaries in Singapore, Japan and Israel.
With the opening of new branch offices in Hungary and New Zealand in the first quarter of 2012, Beckhoff is presently represented in 30 countries by its own subsidiaries. Including official distributors, Beckhoff is represented in over 60 countries worldwide.
Expansion of office and production capacities at the Verl and Marktheidenfeld, Germany locations
Parallel to its turnover growth, Beckhoff invested heavily in office buildings and new production facilities in 2011. On a total area of 200,000 sq. metres at the company’s expanded global headquarters in Verl, over 55,000 sq. metres of office and production space are now available. Production at the company’s Marktheidenfeld location in Franconia has also been expanded. Fertig Motors GmbH, which is affiliated with the Beckhoff Group in a joint venture, develops and produces highly dynamic servomotors here.
Through the expansion of manufacturing resources and investments in warehousing, Beckhoff is prepared for further rapid development in the coming years. - Our production capacities are currently designed for turnover of up to 600 million Euros and will be further expanded up to 700 million Euros in 2012, which means that we have sufficient reserves for further growth and can deliver products promptly to our customers. In our extended warehouse we maintain reserves of raw and finished materials that can last four to six months. This enables us to offer our customers high delivery reliability independent of various bottlenecks that can happen on the world market, e.g. due to environmental catastrophes, Hans Beckhoff explains.
In 2012 Beckhoff will move into its new headquarters building in Verl with a floor space of 12,000 sq. metres. In addition, further production buildings and a new training centre will open soon in Verl.
Beckhoff is, however, also investing internationally in its infrastructure: New headquarters for Beckhoff USA are currently being built in Savage, Minnesota (Minneapolis area).
The new building, with a total floor space of around 4,000 sq. metres, will considerably expand spatial capacities in order to create the conditions required for further growth in North America.
Investments in research and development drive innovation
The Beckhoff investment in 2012 is focused on innovative new technologies and product series. The company’s large number of engineers, 660 in all, who work to expand “New Automation Technology" testify to the strong technological orientation of Beckhoff. Research and development will continue its expansion in 2012 and beyond.
