Vienna — Machinery maker Wittmann Group saw its sales climb 6.6 percent in 2023, but is already warning of a 10 percent drop for this year.
During the Wittmann Group Competence Days event in its hometown of Vienna in June, Managing Director and Partner Michael Wittmann and Managing Director Rainer Weingraber said the company saw 400 million euros ($429 million) in sales for 2023, up from 376 million euros ($403 million) in 2022.
But Michael Wittmann said he expects 2024 sales to reach 360 million euros ($386 million) to 370 million euros ($397 million), a 10 percent decline in line with the present overall European plastics machinery industry position.
Wittmann said he cannot be more specific about further business development until September when sales typically rise again follow a low activity level in July and August.
Stronger incoming orders in Wittmann's North American market is positive for sales growth as from the second half 2024 and into 2025, while European and Asia order levels are less pronounced.
In terms of future investment, Wittmann spoke of plans to open a second Hungarian robotics plant in Ikrény, a village 75 miles from Vienna. The existing Wittmann Robottechnikai Kft plant in Mosongyaróvár, 52 miles from Vienna, produces linear robots, sprue pickers, temperature controllers, SmartPower and EcoPower molding machines up to 120 metric tons of clamping force, as well as machining their frames and platens. It also produces various sheet metal parts for molding machines.
The plant has suffered because it must compete for staff with the Györ plant of automaker Audi Hungaria Zrt. This will not be an issue in Ikreny, even though it is much closer to Györ, as the new plant will be able to economize on staff levels. This is because it will run sheet metal production on a "lights out" basis. Wittmann would not commit to wider lights out production elsewhere in the Wittmann Group when asked by Plastics News.