Business & Money | Sunday 1 May, 2016 11:09 am |

 Karcher, the world leader in innovative cleaning technology solutions, has once again achieved growth in the financial year 2015 and set a new record with sales totalling AED 9.2 (€2.22) billion. Compared to 2014, this is an increase of AED 450 (€108) million or 5.1%. With 12.87 million machines sold, Karcher also achieved the highest sales in the company's history in the past year.

 

"Our growth in 2015 was once again much higher than the industry average," said Hartmut Jenner, Chairman of the Management Board. "This is mainly due to our innovativeness and ongoing internationalisation of our business. Despite difficult economic conditions in part, we have held our ground and managed to more than compensate for slumps in sales in our present growth markets Russia and Brazil."

 

In 2015, Karcher developed a new series of manufacturing products, such as the fleet management system which is a digital service product for use by building contractors. Additionally, the company played a pioneering role in digitalisation in the end consumer segment; the prototype of the first water timer from Karcher, which can be remotely operated via a smartphone app, was presented at the IFA 2015 in Berlin, Germany.

 

To ensure growth in the long term, Karcher also invested heavily in 2015. Currently, the family-owned company has opened almost 550 Karcher Centres. At the end of 2015, Karcher had a total of 11,333 employees in 60 countries which corresponds to an approximate increase of 200 employees compared to the previous year.

 

In the Middle East Karcher recorded double-digit growth in 2015, and has expanded their products and services into various other industries. “Despite some volatility in some Middle East economies, we have managed to push through. This is due to our products quality and reliability which has built trust and preference among many customers in the region,’’ said Richard Nouira, MD of Karcher ME. The company is expected to open a new Karcher Centre in Dubai, with another 20 planned across the region by 2020. 

 

Social commitment once again had high priority at Karcher. As part of its cultural sponsorship programme, the company utilized its technology and experts in the restoration of numerous monuments – including Aachen Cathedral in cooperation with UNESCO in 2015. Further, financial and technical support for SOS Children's Villages was expanded worldwide while the cooperation with the Global Nature Fund with whom Karcher builds green filter systems for waste water treatment mainly in South America, was also strengthened.