OBO is repositioning itself once again through international manufacturing

Manufacturing in eight countries – their own factories in India and Russia – over 500 million euros in sales

In 2015, according to plan, OBO Bettermann for the first time achieved consolidated sales of more than half a billion euros, which is a plus of 2.3 per cent year on year, compared to 508 (494) million euros in 2014. The manufacturer of electrical installation systems will continue to serve international markets with small and agile units. ”Continued growth and market leadership are among our corporate goals to sustainably secure the future of the long-established company,” said Managing Director Andreas Bettermann.

OBO Bettermann has more than 40 subsidiary companies serving more than 60 countries around the world. OBO's product range comprises 30,000 articles for electrical infrastructure, in which systems for connections and fastenings, transient and lightning protection, cable support systems, fire protection, cable routing, devices and underfloor installations are used. The company employs 3,600 employees. OBO Bettermann owns its own factories in Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Great Britain, South Africa, India and Russia.

For many years, more than half its sales have come from international markets. The medium-sized family-owned business is making concerted efforts to also establish its manufacturing on an international level. The factory in Bugyi, near Budapest, Hungary employs a staff of 1,000 and is no less significant nowadays than the headquarters in Menden, Germany. The company is enhancing its role as a manufacturing location and logistics hub for south-east Europe.

Since 2010, OBO has owned factories in the Netherlands and South Africa, and has recently also acquired a factory in Great Britain. O-line located in Johannesburg, South Africa, with branches in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Randfontein and Pretoria and a subsidiary in Mozambique, was established to serve the market of southern Africa for OBO Bettermann. In 2014, OBO set up its own factory in India, which today employs a staff of 150. Today, the subcontinent's most modern cable support system production facility is located in Oragadam. It is the first OBO factory in Asia.

Soon the international OBO family will grow even more. In 2016, OBO will open its own production facility in Russia. In the Lipetsk special economic zone, located 450 kilometres south of Moscow, OBO owns a property with manufacturing and administration buildings on an area of around 50,000 square metres. After the training of the first staff members, OBO will set up its own manufacturing facility in Russia. The factory in Russia, with initially also a staff of 150, is another step towards the internationalisation of the OBO Bettermann brand and the penetration of other relevant markets. Mr Bettermann said: “In Russia, in particular, having your own manufacturing facility is expected for success on the local market.”

In 2016, continued stable business is expected in the German housing market. In the export market, the company is regaining its confidence regarding the future because the countries of southern Europe, especially Spain, are recovering. However, OBO does not foresee any significant new impulses for the commercial construction and industrial equipment markets.

One of OBO's brands has just celebrated its 60th anniversary. Ackermann with the double A already introduced innovative solutions to the construction market in 1955. The lifelines of modern buildings extended underground. Ackermann developed the first modern underfloor system. The digital world of today would not be imaginable without underfloor systems. Wherever data is transferred, underfloor systems are employed. In today's world, underfloor systems are very complex and require collaboration across professional trade sectors. This turned the typing pool into a high-tech office. It was a revolution of electrical installation in office buildings. Allowing OBO to reposition itself again and again.

Diplom-Kaufmann (business graduate) Andreas Bettermann (40) is the Managing Director of the OBO Bettermann group of companies. He represents the fourth generation to head the family-owned business at its headquarters in Menden, Germany. Established in 1911, the company numbers among the innovative leaders of the electrical installation sector. Following his studies at the universities of Cologne and Siegen, Andreas Bettermann gained initial work experience at companies including Grohe AG and the Pittsburgh Tube Company Inc. (USA), before joining OBO Bettermann in 1999. He was appointed to the Management Board in 2004.