At two stands at this year's Hannover trade fair, Bürkert will be presenting its system solutions in the fields of automation technology (Hall 9, Stand G14) and energy technology (Hall 13, Stand E68). This includes products and solutions for explosion protection, as well as in the fields of pressure and temperature, flow and analysis valves: Bürkert will also again be exhibiting its automation system AirLINE with the Rockwell, Siemens, Phoenix and Wago interfaces.
This year too, automation technology will be Bürkert' prime focus. Actuators, sensors and interface standardisation remain important areas. In addition to its automation technology systems (valve blocks, the AirLINE automation system), the company will be exhibiting products for explosion protection applications, analysis technology, pressure and temperature control, flow monitoring, mass flow controllers and mass flow meters. The Hannover trade fair is one of the trade fair highlights of the year for the company. "This is mainly because of the international character of the HMI," according to Heribert Rohrbeck. "After all, more than 30 per cent of our visitors are international trade fair guests. This is very satisfying for us, because it enables us to secure our system leadership in the areas in which we exhibit at the HMI."
Water treatment, gas handling, steam (steam / CIP - clean in place) and once again the growth sector of micro-fluidics are at the centre of the company's activities in 2004. In future, biotechnology, medicine, micro-mechanics and fine chemistry will become increasingly important markets. In these areas, systems for the open-loop and closed-loop control of very small quantities (from one droplet or less) will become more intelligent and more precise as a result of the integration of electronics and software.
Bürkert bucks the overall trend in 2003 and aims to increase turnover
The company's management regards business developments for the current year in a positive light, because the slight upswing that began at the end of 2003 stabilised in the first quarter of 2004. "We're also expecting to achieve our turnover target, a growth of 7 per cent", said Director Heribert Rohrbeck.
In the foregoing business year, Bürkert was again able to record a growth in turnover: Turnover (consolidated) rose by 3.5 % to 225 million Euros. "We regard this result as a success" said Rohrbeck, "because last year, the main task was to compensate for the weak market signals, price erosion and the Dollar / Euro exchange rate which was unfavourable for exports". Despite the export quota of 60 per cent, the company achieved this, mainly by opening up new areas of business such as system solutions and consultation services, for which there was a greater demand compared with the standard range of traditional individual components.
Restructuring remains an important aim
For a few years, Bürkert has been working on the reorganisation of the process-orientated company structure. Last year, it recorded its first successes. Heribert Rohrbeck emphasises two areas in this context: Firstly, the aforementioned knowledge management, which networks the worldwide knowledge of the company's employees via a uniform Internet platform and secondly the field of training: The latter has been greatly expanded over the past year. Courses and seminars on the relevant training areas are held at the company's own training centre. The subjects cover data processing, technology, business management, languages, quality management and imparting "soft" core competences such as social, method and leadership competence. The further training program is aimed at all staff ands in some cases also people from other companies and customers.
The next step is the implementation of the international marketing process and a sector-orientated procedure. "One of the tasks still ahead of us" says Director Heribert Rohrbeck " is process-orientated personnel development. This means that leadership capabilities will be extended and staff will be motivated to take on more responsibility than is the case in a traditional hierarchical organisation"
2004: Extending the company's market position and the generation change
In 2004, Bürkert intends to secure and strengthen its market position in order to align itself in the medium term as the technology leader for "fluid control systems". In order to achieve this, it is revising its standard range and intends to extend existing customer relationships via innovations - such as optimised systems and components - as well as by providing more consultation services. The company's aim is also to tap into new markets in South America and Eastern Europe, particularly the new EU member states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus).
Another main area of emphasis is the generation change in the management. This was stated at the beginning of the year: Heribert Rohrbeck was appointed Director of the Holding with effect from 1st January 2004 alongside Gerhard Hettinger, which means that until Gerhard Hettinger leaves in 2005, there will be two directors for the transitional period. After 32 years as a director, Dorothee Bürkert has stepped down as Managing Director of Christian Bürkert GmbH & Co. KG (holding company).
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