EUR 11.8 billion in sales, double-digit operating result increase: Würth Group on target
• Würth Group reports sales growth of 7.1 percent – 7.9 percent in local currencies
• Clear increase in operating result: 14.3 percent gain to EUR 600 million
• Expansion of online sales activities
Künzelsau. According to the preliminary annual financial statement, the Würth Group reports a sales volume of EUR 11.8 billion in 2016 (previous year: EUR 11.0 billion). Compared with the previous year, this is an increase by 7.1 percent, and 7.9 percent in local currencies. “Our multi-channel sales strategy takes effect”, Robert Friedmann, Chairman of the Central Managing Board of the Würth Group, commented on the result. “Be it by making investments in e-business or by opening new branch offices – Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG plans to step up the number of branch offices from currently 437 to 480 in 2017 – we give our customers a choice. We are always available. Our offer goes down well with the customers.” South and Eastern European Group companies did exceptionally well, thus compensating for the difficult market situation in Western Europe and North America.
For the first time in the Group’s history, the headcount exceeded the 70,000 employees mark. The total number of employees in the Group increased by 2,413 to 71,391. In Germany, 552 new employees were hired, advancing the headcount to 21,697.
Investments in e-business
In 2016, the Würth Group made large investments in its e-business activities: On 1 December, the Group started its B2B e-procurement platform Wucato (www.wucato.de). Customers can choose from more than 500,000 products from suppliers within the Würth Group as well as third-party suppliers. It is another important step towards digital competitiveness. The parent company Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG alone intends to hire 60 new employees to further its e-business activities, among them specialists for online strategies. This reflects the great importance the Würth Group attaches to this channel.
Clear increase in operating result
According to preliminary calculations, the operating result of the Würth Group increased considerably on the previous year to EUR 600 million (2015: EUR 525 million). “Higher productivity and target-oriented cost reductions are two factors contributing to an above-average increase in the result”, said Friedmann.
Announcement
The Group’s convention center in Künzelsau-Gaisbach, Carmen Würth Forum, will be officially inaugurated on 18 July 2017. Covering an area of around 11,000 square meters, the multifunctional venue houses a large, divisible hall with a capacity for 2,500 guests, a chamber music hall with 600 seats, gallery, foyer as well as grounds for open-air events.
The next press conference on the Würth Group’s annual financial statement will be held at Kunsthalle Würth in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, on 10 May 2017.
About the Würth Group
The Würth Group is the world's market leader in its core business, the trade of assembly and fastening materials. It currently consists of more than 400 companies in over 80 countries with more than 71,000 employees on its payroll. Approximately 31,500 of them are salaried sales representatives.
In its core business, the Würth Line encompasses the product range for trade and industry with over 125,000 products: from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, chemical-technical products and personal protective equipment.
The Allied Companies of the Würth Group, which either operate in business areas related to its core business or in diversified business areas, round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical installations, electronic components such as circuit boards, and financial services. They generate approximately 40 percent of the Würth Group’s sales volume.
