Balance sheet 2019 shows sales at the previous year’s level and worldwide employee growth
Vipiteno (OTS) – 2019 was another good year for the HTI group of companies (LEITNER ropeways, POMA, PRINOTH, DEMACLENKO and LEITWIND): The group achieved sales of EUR 1.05 billion and was able to exceed the billion mark for the second time in a row. However, the negative effects of the global pandemic are already becoming apparent. The group wants to face this situation with even more innovation and courage to change.
In addition to annual sales, investments in research and development (EUR 28.9 million) and capital goods (EUR 38.3 million) also increased. In addition, more than 3,800 employees are now employed worldwide. It was a successful business year for the individual companies in the group: the latest showcase projects of the 78 cable cars implemented by LEITNER ropeways and POMA include the 10-seater Fleckalmbahn cable car in Kitzbühel (AT) as Austria’s fastest single-cable gondola, the first Scandinavian three-cable gondola in Voss ( NO), the spectacular cable car over the sea in South Korea with a 150 m high reinforced concrete column or the sixth cable car in the Colombian city of Medellin. PRINOTH recorded another record year in all three business areas (snow groomers, tracked utility vehicles, vegetation management) and further increased its market share. LEITWIND received various orders for wind turbines in Greece and DEMACLENKO again exceeded the 2,000 snow guns produced in 2019, which were delivered all over the world.
Diversification, internationalization and constant innovation have strongly influenced the group’s companies in recent years. For example, the trend in the cable car sector is towards urban cable cars, even if the projects in winter tourism still play a primary role. The Tracked Commercial Vehicles division is seeing increasing demand, especially in North America. HTI CEO Anton Seeber will continue to stick to this course in the future: “With our strategy, we can certainly cushion the greater impact of the pandemic. However, certain cable car projects or planned investments in snow groomers or snowmaking systems were either postponed or canceled entirely. So today we have to assume that sales will decrease by about 30%. ”
Courage to change after corona-related sales decline
“The great uncertainty on the market has led to massive project postponements and an abrupt drop in inquiries. In 2020, especially in the field of winter sports and tourist facilities, we will see a massive drop in sales. It is all the more important that we are currently implementing major urban projects in Mexico City or Toulouse. In Zermatt we are currently working on the highest cable car crossing in the Alps and in Oberstdorf we are currently implementing two sections of the newly developed two-cable gondola, ”emphasizes board member Martin Leitner.
The group of companies continues to focus on promoting employees. This is borne out by the corresponding figures from the previous year: around EUR 2.3 million for training and further education, almost 42,000 further training hours and the creation of 235 internship and 49 apprentice positions. Important investments were also made at different company headquarters within the group in order to be prepared for the future. These include the construction of the new company headquarters of DEMACLENKO (Sterzing) as well as the new LEITWIND service branch in Lacedonia (Italy) and the building extension at the POMA headquarters in Voreppe (France). Despite subdued expectations for fiscal year 2020, CEO Anton Seeber is confident: “We always have to have the courage to change. A change does not necessarily have to go well, but it is crucial for our continued existence and, of course, you have to deal with it responsibly. Innovation creates change that enables us to shape a sustainable future for the company. ”
Questions & contact:
Maurizio Todesco
Car +39 335 7722259
maurizio.todesco@leitner.com
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