Häfele recorded an increase in turnover to 1.5 billion euros last year. This represents an increase of 7.6 percent. In view of the tense global economic conditions, the company’s management views this result as a great success.

The parent company in Germany and its five production companies recorded growth of 3.3 percent last year, which was slightly below expectations. The 38 foreign sales companies were the main contributors to the good overall result – they grew by 8.8 percent in 2019. Growth in Asia and Eastern Europe was again particularly high. And the internationalisation continues: With the establishment of the Häfele Adriatic branch last July, Häfele has created a further pillar in the Mediterranean region: Häfele Adriatic is the 38th foreign sales company in the Group and serves the markets in Slovenia and Croatia.

In Africa, too, things are moving forward: Since February 2019, Häfele has been supporting the East African countries Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the Seychelles from its own office in Tanzania. With the second pillar on the African continent, Häfele is preparing for a stronger presence in this emerging market in East Africa. Overall, the group of companies generated 80 percent of its sales outside Germany.

The positive sales trend is also reflected in the number of employees: Last year, the number of employees worldwide rose by 300 to 8,100. Of these, 1,650 employees, trainees and students are employed in Germany (50 more than in 2018). This increase is primarily due to the acquisition of the Stuttgart-based LED lighting specialist Nimbus in February 2019. The fittings technology specialist has also become an important player in the growth market for smart control concepts.

The expansion of logistics services – one of Häfele’s key success drivers – was again a focus of attention in the past financial year. For example, the company commissioned a second dispatch centre in Lehrte near Hanover to supply customers in northern Germany and the neighbouring countries. With this second warehouse as a supplement to the large logistics hub in Nagold, the logistics of Häfele Germany now stands on two pillars – for greater customer proximity, shorter transport times and thus even better service: With the warehouse geared to fast order throughput, all customers in Germany and neighbouring countries can receive their ordered goods the very next day. In addition, the acceptance deadline for “next day” deliveries can be pushed back further.

Häfele will continue to build up its digital skills by focusing on training and has not expanded its range of services until 2018 to include new training positions for e-commerce business people and students for the dual university course of study in Business Administration Digital Business Management. In order to take account of the ongoing internationalisation, the Industrial Engineering and Management course of study with a focus on International Technical Sales and Purchasing was added last year. Häfele traditionally offers training positions for wholesale and foreign trade clerks and courses of study in cooperation with the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University.

The corporate group is cautious about the current fiscal year. After a positive start in the first quarter of 2020, the company assumes that the sales level of 2019 cannot be reached in 2020 due to developments in Western and Eastern Europe as well as North America and Southeast Asia.