Thimm Group expects growth in packaging and displays

The Thimm Group's turnover increased by 7.4 per cent in the 2018 financial year. According to the Northeim-based company, it totalled 645 million euros. The operating profit according to EBITDAR also increased accordingly. In 2017, the result was 40.5 million euros, in 2018 it was 46.7 million euros.

The Thimm Annual Report also states that 15.9 million euros were invested in the expansion of the sites and in new production technologies. According to the report, Thimm employed 3,286 people at 19 locations at the end of the year. This included 123 trainees.

The Group has announced investments totalling 37 million euros for the current year. The main aim is to modernise buildings and machinery in the Packaging plants modernised and expanded. Thimm's forecast for the coming year also takes into account the cautious general economic forecasts and general conditions such as the approaching Brexit. Nevertheless, a further increase in sales is expected, especially in the profitable Packaging and display business. „We expect volume increases at the sites in Germany, Poland and Romania,“ says Mathias Schliep, CEO of the Thimm Group.

Investments in digital printing technology boosted demand

In particular, Thimm refers to the effects of the investments made in 2017 in the Digital printing technology at the location Ilsenburg. As a result, the demand for digitally printed packaging and displays rose continuously last year. Schliep: „More and more manufacturers of branded goods and private labels were interested in digital printing. After many initial orders, our customers were enthusiastic about the flexibility and innovative solutions such as invisible data codes. In order to meet the continued strong increase in demand in the first few months of 2019, further printing capacities will have to be built up on the market in the long term. Overall, this confirms our investment in the new digital web printing system.“

First e-commerce start-up successfully launched

In the Group's view, the strategic focus on digital business models has also developed positively since the first E-commerce start-ups of the Thimm Group in March 2018. In addition to the initial product portfolio of standardised corrugated cardboard packaging and value-added accessories, the online shop also offers Cardboard macaw.com clothing boxes and a new generation of moving and archive boxes. „The consistent expansion of our online range in line with market requirements has enabled us to reach our start-up milestone for the third quarter of 2019 as early as November 2018,“ says Schliep on the launch of the first e-commerce start-up in Thimm's 70-year history.