futronic profits from positive investment climate in core market container glass industry and, thanks to a very good order situation, stays on course for growth and is looking for qualified specialists. Expansion is also planned for the Tettnang site.
In the past financial year futronic GmbH achieved sales of EUR 8.6 million, up EUR 1.4 million compared to the previous year. This corresponds to a full increase in revenue of about 19%. The share of turnover from projects for enterprises outside the glass industry increased to nearly 33%. In the new financial year, the order books are full; futronic remains on course for growth and is also looking for qualified staff. The company is planning to expand within this year and improve capacity at the Tettnang location.
“This is the best result in our 40-year company history,” states Michael Preuß, Managing Director of futronic GmbH together with Wolfgang Lachmann since 2004. “With this result we are more than satisfied.” The current order situation and the utilization of the development division and the production department in this financial year are excellent. “All signs are pointing to growth,” Michael Preuß adds, “We assume that this upward trend will continue.”
However there is a lack of experts at futronic. Order peaks are bridged with personnel from agencies for temporary work. Within a short time the futronic management intends to employ new personnel. Preuß: “First of all we are looking for engineers, technicians and industrial electricians.” Presently the control system specialist in Tettnang engages 61 employees and six trainees.
Preuß also attributes the sales increase in the previous financial year ended 31 March to the continuing positive investment climate in the core market container glass industry. In the previous year, the company had expanded its marketing and partner network, especially in Eastern Europe and South Asia and represented its products at numerous international Trade Fairs. “These measures have paid off,” Preuß explains. The new partnership with the Austrian company Forma Glas GmbH, a business partner in the tableware industry, is also already bearing fruits. The prospects are brilliant: The Glass Plants in China are particularly busy in modernizing their machines and timing systems. The enormous demand for glass recipients of Chinese bottlers and consumers is still increasing; thus production capacities also need to increase.
If the Chinese factories intend to cope with the high demands in quality of the US American and European consumers, they have to invest among other things in Control Technology. Preuß is sure: “We will benefit from this.”
futronic is also growing more and more into the business of industrial automation. Thus the company could raise sales considerably regarding orders of machine and equipment manufacturers worldwide, for example in the sector of bulk material technology. The share of the total sale increased from 29% in the same period of the preceding year to now 33%. “This sector we want to expand continuously in the next years,” futronic managing director Wolfgang Lachmann explains.
To ensure growth, futronic is planning to expand its production capacities in Tettnang in the short term. It was only in 2008 the company moved to the new facilities. Today it is obvious that the space in the new buildings has again become somewhat limited. In the neighbourhood, a reserve for expansion of about 800 sq.m. is available; plans are ready for approval at the building authority. Lachmann: “We would like to start with the building project possibly within this year.”