•Record high: 988 million euro turnover
•fixing systems are an engine of growth
•New production plants in Vietnam and Serbia
•Digitalisation is a key strategy component
The fischer Group of Companies ended the 2021 financial year with great success. With a gross turnover of 988 million euro, the family business from Waldachtal in the northern Black Forest exceeded the previous year’s figures, reaching a record high with a turnover of almost one billion euro. At the same time, the company continued to increase its independence from the negative global influences of the Coronavirus crisis with its growth strategy. In total, fischer employs more than 5,400 members of staff, 200 more than in 2020.
The company’s largest division, fischer fixing systems, once again made an above-average contribution to the success of the Group of Companies with an 18 per cent year-on-year increase in turnover. Numerous innovative, new products and a comprehensive range of services for various customer groups had a positive effect. The fischer Automotive division continued to operate in a difficult market environment in 2021 (minus four per cent year on year). Reduced production figures resulting from the shortage of semiconductors in the automotive industry had also affected the automotive supplier. At the same time, fischer Automotive experienced positive developments with its activities, particularly with Chinese customers in China, which is why fischer Automotive plans to further expand its production capacity in China in 2022.
The new product campaign in the fischertechnik division came to fruition in 2021 in both the toy sector as well as in education and industry. fischertechnik’s turnover improved by 14 per cent compared to the previous year. The new product strategy will continue in 2022 with emphasis on further expanding the trending topic of sustainability, an industry that has taken a positive view of fischertechnik's developments. As such, the Green Energy construction kit won the German Toy Award while the H2 Fuel Cell Car was selected as one of the Top 10 Toys of 2021 by the German Association of Toy and Game Retailers. The bio-based fischertechnik Animal Friends construction kit also won the Toy Award in the Sustainability category at the start of the year. The Toy Award is one of the industry’s most prestigious quality seals.
International success
The company was disproportionately successful with significant turnover growth in most of the 38 countries in which fischer is represented by a total of 50 subsidiaries. The new fischer Automotive production plant was opened in Serbia in June 2021 after just ten months of construction. An additional fixing systems production plant is being planned for Serbia so as not to be as reliant on suppliers in the Far East in future. Another new fischer fixing systems production plant in Vietnam has now been occupied, with production expected to start in the first quarter of 2022.
Focusing on innovations and digitalisation
Innovations and issues of the future play an important role for the Group of Companies. As such, fischer continued to invest in digitalisation in 2021. In addition to smart digital twins of its fixing
and system solutions, the company’s Building Information Modelling (BIM) offers also include a wide variety of services ranging from the planning, construction and operational phase of a building. Digital services such as fischer plug-finder apps make it easier to select and use products. fischer is also supporting its retail partners’ online sales with e-commerce solutions.
Sustainability firmly anchored in the strategy
fischer has practised active environmental management for decades and has firmly anchored this in its strategy. A wealth of initiatives in education, health and community affairs continued to set standards in the personal development of employees as well as future generations in the 2021 fiscal year. fischer members of staff prevent waste on a daily basis with the fischer ProcessSystem and the associated continuous improvement process, making a significant contribution to the company’s sustainability.
A popular company among apprentices
Education has been of the utmost importance since the beginning. The company currently employs 103 apprentices and dual degree course students. Overall, fischer provides training for 31 different technical and commercial jobs.
2022 outlook
fischer is expecting another increase in turnover for the current financial year 2022, provided this objective is not impaired by the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic or by special political and economic situations. There will continue to be a high degree of innovations in 2022.
