14.06.2019

A successful year for the MAPAL Group

Dr Jochen Kress reports on the 2018 financial year

The international MAPAL Group recorded growth of almost five percent for 2018. Political and economic uncertainties make a forecast for 2019 difficult.

Dr Jochen Kress gives an interview.
  • Dr Jochen Kress gives an interview.
  • In the foreground, Dr Jochen Kress hands over a commemorative plaque to Lazaro Garza Sr. at the opening of the site.
  • Almost two dozen tools for die & mould sector are placed on a sample component.
Consolidated Group turnover climbed from €610 million in 2017 to €640 million in 2018. In addition to turnover, the number of employees also increased. The precision tool manufacturer now has more than 5,500 employees worldwide, with over 3,600 in Germany

Asia remains the most important market after Germany

MAPAL has consolidated and further expanded its position in all major regions. To achieve this, substantial investments in the locations were made in the past year. “In Asia, we founded a new joint venture in Vietnam and acquired the majority stake in ADICO, a manufacturer of PCD and PcBN cutting materials,” specifies Kress. Asia is still the second most important market for MAPAL after Germany, even though growth rates in China have decreased somewhat in line with the country’s overall economic growth. 

The Group is also strengthening its presence in the Americas. “We have expanded our location in Fountain Inn, South Carolina,” explains Dr Jochen Kress. A completely new plant was also opened in Mexico in February 2019. In Germany, capacity at the Centre of Competence for solid carbide tools in Altenstadt is currently being increased with a new production hall. In addition to new buildings and expansions, there are continuous investments in new machinery all around the world in order to maintain the highest level of quality and productivity.

Focus 2019 on tool and mould making, electromobility and digitalisation

MAPAL is increasing its involvement in various industries, including tool and mould making. There are challenges ahead in the automotive industry, too, says Kress: “We intend to build on our leading position in machining components for electric vehicles.” 

There is also a continued focus on digitalisation and thus on MAPAL’s subsidiary c-Com, which has broadened its focus. “We have seen in practice what many companies are lacking, especially small companies, and that is something that makes access to the digital market easier for them,” says Kress. For this reason, c-Com offers a range of modules that help companies get started in this area. These include the module for efficient regrinding handling and the new c-Connect Box to make machine monitoring easy.

“2019 is certainly going to be an interesting year, both economically and politically,” concludes Dr Jochen Kress. “Whatever it brings, we have confidence in our capacity for innovation and our flexibility, which are based on our employees’ skills.”

Kathrin Rehor, PR Project Manager at MAPAL

Contact

Kathrin Rehor Public Relations Kathrin.Rehor@mapal.com Phone: +49 7361 585 3342


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