The KATEK Group reports strong growth despite the corona pandemic. KATEK is currently the second largest electronics services provider in Germany and among the top 10 in Europe. In the first eight months of this year, KATEK has already grown in sales by more than 40 % and intends to continue this high pace for the remainder of the year. The growth is strongly driven by the acquisitions of the last quarters, but is also purely organic at currently more than five percent.
“A special achievement is that we continue to gain market share, even though the electronics industry is shrinking this year due to the pandemic,” says Rainer Koppitz, CEO of the KATEK Group. “The management consultancy in4ma speaks of minus 7.5 % in 2020. KATEK’s excellent results can also be attributed to our broad, crisis-resistant positioning and the entrepreneurial management of our subsidiaries, which we have been consistently implementing since the group was launched in January 2019. The main growth drivers were medical technology, the solar/energy sector, electromobility and the embedded systems business.”
Currently, the positioning of the group is being optimized in such a way that KATEK will be able to continue its profitable growth in 2021, despite the competitive and generally unpredictable economic situation, while remaining a stable and innovative partner for customers and employees for the long term. This includes:
Expansion of the prototype express service business of the subsidiary, beflex, to a fourth prototyping center in Hamburg under the management of Andreas Klinger, in order to be able to serve in particular the aerospace, medical and high-quality industrial products sectors at a local level
Focus of the locations in Frickenhausen on prototyping (beflex), sales, development/test engineering and IT, as well as future production of the products previously manufactured in Frickenhausen at more competitive KATEK Group locations in Germany and Eastern Europe
Opening of the completed logistics building in Grassau (Bavaria), almost 6000 square meters in size, to realize the planned growth of the location
Expansion of the location of KATEK electronic Bulgaria EOOD in Saedinenie, under the leadership of the new managing director, Hristo Nenov, in order to significantly increase the capacities in the areas of EMS, box-building and cable production
Planning of a top-class customer event – working title “Festival of Electronics” – at the beginning of 2021 in Munich, in order to maintain the important exchange of ideas and meeting with customers despite cancelled presence fairs like electronica
“We have taken this pandemic very seriously and will continue to do so,” adds Koppitz. “For example, we switched the administrative staff into home office very early on. In addition, we required the managing directors at all locations to communicate openly and affirmatively and to create understanding for all measures – such as temporary closure of the social rooms or short-time work – in order to strengthen the trust and motivation of the employees. At the same time, we continue to set the course during the crisis with undiminished speed in order to make the KATEK Group even faster and more competitive.”