Kitchen sink and tap manufacturer Blanco has reported “record” sales of €408million turnover in 2020, up 3.1% despite massive global declines in the first two quarters as a result of lockdown. Its domestic sales increased to €151million, while its export sales amounted to €257million.
The pandemic created unexpected challenges for the international company which has subsidiaries in Europe, Russia, China, APAC and North America. To tackle this BLANCO initiated a raft of protective measures at a very early stage.
COO, Andreas Ostermann von Roth commented “The health of our workforce remains one of our most important guiding principles,” Working from home was encouraged from the very outset and is still being successfully practised wherever possible today. For this purpose, the company invested in extra hardware and special telephone management software so that the in-house sales teams, to give one example, could also work from home and thus continue to support their customers.
The plants adapted to the situation by implementing a consistent approach to safety with a clearly defined hygiene concept. The number of meetings in the production halls was reduced and shifts were carefully organised. At the same time, however, the aim was to continue to provide retailers with a high level of service.
“Managing this balancing act was, and remains, an extraordinary challenge for all of us,” says Ostermann von Roth. Both during the first lockdowns in Spring 2020 and now, one year later, “we were struggling with significant supply backlogs. However, we did not shy away from the costs involved in enabling us to supply our customers reliably. We managed to do this in more than 80% of cases which is remarkable given the circumstances. But we strive to do better.”
Customers are used to something else from BLANCO, says Ostermann von Roth, adding, “If you bear in mind that our team has so far shown itself to be highly flexible in the crisis, and given 150% to meet customer requirements as best as it possibly can, I know that, with such a great team, we can lead the company safely into the future,” says the COO.
Heading safely into the future as an international system provider
BLANCO is investing in many areas to ensure competitiveness and create a framework for future growth strategies. Despite massive global sales declines in the first two quarters as a result of the lockdowns, record sales of 408 million euros were achieved in the 2020 financial year, equating to growth of 3.1%. Domestic sales increased to 151 million euros. Revenue in international regions amounted to 257 million euros.
The company is investing in its composite production network with the plants for the globally successful Silgranit® sinks which are still the strongest growth engines, being expanded in Most (Czech Republic) and Toronto (Canada). Productivity will also be stepped up at the German site in Sinsheim.
Investing in quality means certainty for the customer
BLANCO sees itself as a premium brand that is associated with high quality, long product lifetime, superb performance features and excellent customer benefits, all worldwide. “Reliability is part of the company DNA; it drives us. We want to become an excellent and reliable system provider in our international markets as well and increase our global footprint,” says CEO, Frank Gfrörer, setting out the company’s goal.
Sharing knowledge: turning customers into water hub experts
BLANCO is also setting standards by establishing customer-oriented digital services such as the new international virtual training platform for retail and sales partners, planners, fitters and employees. The Brand Academy also takes a global approach and is run from Singapore. In the future, expertise in product innovations, installations, maintenance and repairs, and the assembly of the UNIT components, will also be the focus of practical instruction at the new centre for in-person training which will be directly connected to the test centre.
BLANCO 2021: heading safely into the future
“You can see the new strategy taking effect everywhere now,” says CEO, Frank Gfrörer. “One very important aspect is the increased focus on the consumer and the promise associated with a premium brand.”
With its large number of new products, especially the UNITS as holistic system solutions, BLANCO offers its retail partners opportunities to set themselves apart from the competition and create added value. Whether destined for a family home or a singleton’s kitchen, UNITS with integrated drinking water systems like the drink.hot impress users with their optimum convenience. Besides tap water, they dispense filtered and 100°C hot filtered water, and the user can also set the precise quantity they require. The BLANCO UNIT represents a complete rethink of the kitchen water hub and encourages the sustainable use of resources.
Responsibility and commitment create a sense of security
BLANCO has also invested in expertise and staff development as it looks to achieve its strategic goals. At the end of 2020, the family-owned company had 1,542 full-time employees, including 1,102 in Germany and 440 at its international locations. BLANCO was named Top Employer 2021 for the eighth time in a row following a study by the German business magazine “Focus” and is considered to be one of the best employers in southwest Germany. Numerous programmes for employees – from professional and personal further training opportunities to flexible working hours, pension schemes and healthcare – contribute to employee motivation and satisfaction.
“We attach great importance to high-quality HR management, along with appealing general conditions and interesting opportunities for development,” says CFO, Rüdiger Böhle. “It’s basically the overall package that sets us apart as an employer.” Not least, this includes a voluntary commitment to the Global Values which provide support for successful collaboration both internally and externally.
Social responsibility is also important to the company. BLANCO has been involved with the humanitarian organisation arche noVa since 2019 as a way of helping in international crisis areas where access to drinking water is difficult or even impossible. BLANCO’s partnership with the Dresden-based non-profit organisation focuses on the construction of mechanical water pumps and the training of locals for the independent maintenance and repair of the pumps which noticeably improves living conditions for the local people (www.arche-nova.org).
