Let’s start from Homag’s amazing figures: according to the preliminary balance published in mid-February, the German company closed 2022 with a record result, as revenues exceeded the level of 1.6 billion euro, up by 17 percent compared to the previous year (1.37 billion euro). Significant growth also for Ebit, i.e. revenues before tax burden, which proves the company’s excellent profitability with 124.8 million euro, 26 percent more than 92 million in 2021, a noteworthy result considering the sharp increase in raw material and energy prices.
The employment rate also increased, up to 7,525 at the end of 2022 from 7,164 at the same date of the previous year.
Orders at group level topped 1.7 billion euro, basically repeating the 2021 result, with strong demand especially from North America, up by 45 percent. Looking at customer categories with a stronger propensity to investments, Homag’s data indicate solid demand from furniture manufacturers especially in the first part of 2022, combined with a positive trend of technologies for wood constructions, which currently represent 15 percent of total group revenues, also following the acquisitions finalized in this industry in recent years.
Optimism for 2023, when Homag expects to face the consequences of the extraordinary results achieved in 2021 and 2022, with investment levels that cannot last forever, especially in the “traditional” industries. A different trend might characterize the wood constructions segment, which has been moving at full speed for some time now, and everything suggests that this trend might continue in the near future.
“Each and every Homag subsidiary exceeded expectations in 2022: in Italy and for the entire group, we went beyond the budget target, recording greater interest for standalone machines compared to the past”, said Walter Crescenzi, managing director of Homag Italia, definitely one of the “heaviest” subsidiaries within the German group. “We have always been “strong” in big plants, in complex production lines, but in 2022 we achieved excellent results in the segment of standalone machines. It was a challenge we had been pursuing for a long time, and finally, our efforts have been rewarded, mostly thanks to edgebanding machines, as well as numerical control centers and panel saws.
All of this has driven Homag Italia to a turnover of approximately 50 million euro, which is not an all-time record, but certainly one of the best results ever.
We are hiring new engineers to support this growth with adequate customer and after-sales service: today, Homag Italia employs 51 people, plus a large group of agents and salespeople, including 32 engineers for customer service. Let me tell you that we would hire at least another ten, if we could find them; these professional roles are the core of our business, they show what we can do for and with the companies that rely on us”.
HOMAG TREFF
The current situation was reflected by the Italian “Treff” event, we imagine.
“I am happy to say so”, Crescenzi said with a smile. “I must say we put hard work into this edition, because we came from a period where in-person meetings were not frequent. So, we made things “bigger”, so to say, organizing social moments around a rich display of technologies and web meetings with our Holzbronn headquarters, where we had set up a demo of two plants, an edgebanding and a cutting line, illustrated by an Italian-speaking engineer, who could answer the many questions of our guests.
It was a great success, with over 300 visits in our Giussano site, an unprecedented level of attendance with many first-time visitors, including “important” companies who wanted to take a look at high-end machines and plants.
These events offer opportunities to get together, have a drink, meet again after difficult years, but let’s admit it, the main purpose is trying to attract curiosity and interest, to encourage investments into a new process or solution. And this result has been achieved: all the machines exhibited in our showroom were sold, and more were ordered, including a big panel sizing plant.
I repeat: we invested a lot in this event and it was an opportunity to “refresh” and renovate our facilities since their opening back in 2009”.
“Such excellent result reflected the success our our Homag Treff events in Germany, held a few weeks earlier in Shopfloch and Holzbronn, where we displayed the best of our technology, plenty of machines and big plants that struck the attention of many visitors.
Open-house events are a well-proven formula, always gathering excellent feedback, and in the future they will be a key moment to meet old and new customers”.
INNOVATION
And what about innovation? Which technologies will be the focus of research for you and your fellow manufacturers in the coming months?
“Wood constructions are definitely a segment where many things will happen”, Crescenzi said. “Our group has been investing a lot for a long time in this business, not only with the acquisition of specialists like the Danish companies Kallesoe and System TM, but also through the collaboration with a historical brand like Hundegger, that adds up to the wide range of solutions designed and produced by our brand Weinmann. Our commitment is stronger and stronger, and for some time now, we have been promoting projects and initiatives also in Italy, where wood constructions is no longer limited to roofing, but also involves bigger buildings.
This business is also driven by the increasing attention for sustainable construction techniques and resources, which in many countries are supporting the development of these technologies”.
“Another big topic that will dominate the innovation process is software. It’s been many years now since our industry has realized that software is a key element for the management of production operations, for standalone machines as well as for “batch one” big plants. At the “Treff” events in Germany and in our Giussano site, we noticed great interest for “intelligent” systems. With our “Tapio” platform, more than ten years ago we opened a new season for the industry, meeting the requirements of an increasing portion of our user community, the “young generations” that are making their way into the operations and ownership of many companies. More and more often, our customers are young people with solid skills for digital tools and modern production management methods. I daresay that, while until few years ago everyone looked at the machine and did not care much about its “language”, now the situation has flipped, and interface, usability, integration with accounting, administration, planning and warehouse systems are decisive factors to make the final decision.
I have been in this business for many years, and for the first time, I have a feeling that the machine itself is being surpassed by software in the vision of users. I am not saying that mechanical quality and engineering are not essential, but today more than ever, they must fit into a bigger system that Homag has been developing for a few decades…”.
THE FUTURE
“As far as I can see, 2023 will also close with excellent results, maybe not as good as the past two years, but quite satisfactory”, Walter Crescenzi continued. “The financial figures of the group are clear, and as far as the Italian subsidiary is concerned, I can tell you that we have a book of orders and machines to be delivers for more than 40 million euro.
We have already acquired orders for standalone machines and big plants that will be built during 2023, so the final result of this year will certainly be positive.
For sure, joining the Dürr group, Homag has amplified a few essential processes for our type of industry: today, we have a different industrial vision, stronger, stable and competitive, so we are looking ahead with caution, but with peace of mind, too.
