Despite difficult political and economic conditions such as the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the Taiwan conflict, Corona, chip shortages as well as allocations and shortages, Leuze can look back on a very successful 2022 financial year. More than that, the company has taken a big step towards the growth target it declared in 2020 of doubling its sales again by 2025.
Sales growth
For the year 2022, Leuze recorded a year-on-year sales growth of 25 percent. Following sales of 258 million euros in 2021, the company achieved sales totaling just under 323 million euros last year. The leader within the Leuze electronic Group is Asia, with growth of almost 30 percent. But in Europe too the company recorded the highest growth for years with an increase of around 20 percent.
Full order books with production and logistics running at full capacity
The order backlog is still four to five times higher than usual. Even the declining order volume expected for the first half of 2023 did not materialize. An increase in the usual levels is expected in the summer. In the summer of 2022, Leuze opened a new plant in Malaysia.
Listed in the WMF index
According to the world market leader index, Leuze is an internationally active technology and world market leader in the area of optical sensors that stands for innovative sensor solutions in automation technology. Leuze consistently focuses on the following industries of machine and system construction: intralogistics, packaging industry, machine tools, automotive industry and laboratory automation. In these industries, the Sensor People bring decades of experience and in-depth expert knowledge.
Investing in the specialists of tomorrow
Leuze is also further expanding its employer brand as an attractive employer and trainer. Leuze currently employs 1,600 people worldwide. 850 of those are at its company headquarters in Owen/Teck. In 2022, the company hired nearly 200 new Sensor People. 1/3 of those are based in Germany. Leuze has also significantly increased the number of trainees and students and will continue to do so this year. 220 new employees - around 60 of them in Germany - are to be added in 2023.
CO2-neutral in Germany
The company has already achieved a goal it set itself: In Germany, Leuze has been CO2-neutral since 2022 and has been able to significantly reduce its energy consumption, for example through photovoltaics, conversion of its vehicle fleet, installation of charging stations, and use of company bicycles. To offset direct emissions that cannot be avoided, the company supports a forest conservation project in Brazil. In the long term, Leuze also wants to become CO2-neutral on the product side. For this purpose, the "cradle to cradle" approach is already being taken into account in the product development of individual series.
Goals for 2023
Leuze also has ambitious goals for 2023. Among other things, the company will have doubled its production capacity by the end of the year and will continue to be involved in international structures.