Groninger, a manufacturer of filling and closing machines for the pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare and cosmetics industries, has grown despite the pandemic and was able to increase its total output to almost 200 million euros in the 2020 financial year.
The Groninger Group can look back on a successful financial year. The mechanical engineering company with sites in Crailsheim (Baden-Württemberg, Germany), Schnelldorf (Bavaria, Germany) and Charlotte (North Carolina, USA) continued to grow in 2020, the year of the pandemic, and increased its Total operating performance of almost 200 million euros.
„Although the Covid-19 pandemic has brought some challenges and continues to do so today, we have been able to achieve our targets and even exceed them in the Pharma division. This is thanks to the outstanding work of all our employees. They have responded to the challenges of the coronavirus crisis with great flexibility, adaptability and dedication and have also excelled in the past year.“ Jens Groninger, Managing Director of the family business
The pandemic led to enormous capacity utilisation, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector - and therefore at the main plant in Crailsheim. „The demand for our systems, services and expertise was and is immense here. In the new machine business, we recorded the best order intake of all time in 2020. We have a robust and secure business model that is indispensable even in times of crisis. This was clearly demonstrated once again in 2020,“ Groninger is convinced. The order backlog is high - especially in the pharmaceutical sector - and the order books are full. „We won't run out of work in 2021 and 2022 either.“
Also in Schnelldorf, where groninger has its Systems for the consumer healthcare and cosmetics industry the situation has recently eased again, after a certain reluctance on the part of customers was noticeable until late summer 2020. „However, we were able to make up for this very well in the last tertial, so that we were able to close the year as planned even in this market environment,“ comments Jens Groninger.
Growth in the future too
In order to be able to process the high order backlog in the future, invested Groninger 2021 in Crailsheim in a new warehouse and logistics centre including a fully automated small parts and high-bay warehouse. The ground-breaking ceremony for this took place in February, only on a very small scale and with sufficient distance from each other due to the lockdown. The earthworks on the 17,500 square metre site are now almost complete.
„The next step will be to start with the steel construction for the high-bay warehouse before a new logistics hall and a new administration area are built,“ explains Jens Groninger. The structural work should be finalised by the end of the year, after which the interior construction phase and the installation of the storage systems, which are divided into the automated small parts warehouse and high-bay warehouse areas, will begin. The Completion of the building complex is scheduled for summer 2022 planned. „With this commitment to the Crailsheim site, we are optimistic about the future of the Groninger Group. We are certain that we will continue to grow healthily in the coming years with our excellently trained specialists.“
Source: Groninger
