05.06.2019

Internationalisation Strategy Takes Hold

Fiscal Year 2018 of the Blanco Professional Group

The Blanco Professional Group made good headway with internationalising its sales markets as planned in the fiscal year 2018. The B2B system supplier for commercial kitchens and supplier to the industry managed to increase exports as a share of its total revenues to 44 per cent. 686 employees and 28 trainees achieved a group turnover of some 120 million euros in 2018. After divesting its Medical Business Unit at the start of the year, for the first time, Blanco Professional mainly generated its sales from three business units – Catering, Industrial and Railway – during the last fiscal year. 

Roland Spleiss, Chief Executive Officer, comments on the growth: “We moved forward with implementing our focussed growth strategy in the face of a challenging environment in 2018. The strategy is based on the four pillars of internationalisation, digitisation, tailor-made solutions and flexible sales channels. Thanks to the increase in the exports ratio, the internationalisation pillar was particularly consolidated in 2018.”

Blanco Professional also focussed on the further improvement of efficiency in business processes to ensure the company is future-proof. The company invested more than two million euros in its Oberderdingen headquarters alone in the fiscal year 2018, primarily in renovating plant structures. Customer service is now also set up in such a way that it extensively honours the Blanco Professional pledge to put the customer first. Blanco Professional has thus completed the structural realignment initiated in 2015 to transform its business from a high-grade producer to an integrated solution provider. Over the next few years, the automation and digitisation of processes and workflows will be developed further in order to gain new market shares on an international level. Its recent takeover of Brimato, a globally active specialist in process automation systems in the commercial kitchen sector, is designed to further accelerate the expansion of business relationships worldwide.

Brand image was also amplified in 2018 to achieve this goal: floating presentation surfaces and a large-format interactive media installation added highly appealing touches to trade fairs.

Blanco Professional also unlocked creative potential in promoting young talent. Its Art and Industry project encouraged trainees to think outside the box. The works of art they produced caused a sensation at this year's exhibition stand in Hamburg.

Roland Spleiss thinks Blanco Professional is favourably positioned for future challenges: “The structural changes made to the Catering, Industrial and Railway business units in 2018 will reap rewards for a long time to come. We have created an excellent basis for continuing to establish ourselves as an expert solution provider to international standards over recent years.”