Kübler Group 2022: Growth and innovations in these challenging times

Company

The Kübler Group, based in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, continues to record rising turnover figures and is focusing on innovation and new products.

At the same time, several challenges also accompany the current business year at Kübler. High energy prices as well as costs for raw materials and input materials are rising. Logistics chains are becoming more expensive. Inflation increases costs.

At the annual press conference Kübler gives figures: After a strong year in 2021, Kübler is again expecting good growth and even higher order intake for 2022, With a current increase of just under 20% in revenue compared to the previous year, the family-owned company is targeting a group revenue of around €95 million for 2022. The number of employees worldwide increased by approx. 7%. 

For the fourth time in a row, the renowned magazine WirtschaftsWoche has chosen Kübler as one of the 100 most innovative medium-sized companies. "An award that we have worked for over many years", says Gebhard Kübler, visibly pleased.  

A pillar of success for Kübler remains the close customer dialogue. Developing new things together and continuously improving the existing is the motto here.

No less important: the manpower behind it. For the size of the company, with a good 500 employees worldwide, the strongly developed international sales and application network, as well as a high R+D share, are very important competitive advantages in the international business. In addition, at the end of 2021 Kübler has set up an incubator team focused on digitalization and Industry 4.0 solutions.

At the press conference Kübler will be presenting several new products and innovations from the areas of "Measurement", "Transmission" and "Evaluation". New to the range are SIL3-certified PROFIsafe encoders of the very latest generation. Other slip ring innovations are also new. According to Kübler, this business field, which is still quite young, is developing very dynamically. A new portfolio of measuring wheel systems and further bearingless encoders with IlOT functions for preventive maintenance will also be presented. Digitalization of Kübler encoders and its added value in an Industry 4.0 application, the company showed with live examples from its own production.

According to the management, this innovative and customer-oriented strategy is possible thanks to a corporate culture that is lived in many ways. Gebhard Kübler, managing partner of Fritz Kübler GmbH, emphasizes that the company is doing a lot to achieve this: "We see the achievements of our employees and want to recognize them. This also includes tangible measures such as inflation compensation in the spring and now in October, celebrations and company parties that take place again, and much more."

Kübler intends to consistently continue on its path of innovation and customer proximity and is looking for skilled workers at all its locations.

Martin Huth, the Sales Managing Director emphasizes, "Despite the material crisis, high order intake and cost explosion, Kübler remained able to deliver, albeit with longer delivery times." Here the internationally distributed production with Germany, Pune India and Charlotte NC, USA proved to be very helpful and flexible when bottlenecks occurred.

Kübler expects many influencing factors in 2023, making it difficult to plan for the year. Overall, however, Kübler expects continued growth. Huth sees Corona as well as material shortages, energy cost surcharges and increased raw material prices as influencing factors. At the same time, topics such as climate change and sustainability, as well as advancing digitalization, are advancing, offering enormous development potential. Here, agility and speed of response will be important factors for success.

"Developing the future with the customer. More digital, more technological, more sustainable! With our strong, fast teams we can do that. With this, Kübler wants to drive profitability and revenue forward and quickly break through the 100 m€." Gebhard and Lothar Kübler, the two managing partners and owners of the family business, are more than convinced of this.