2024 is almost behind us – time for a comprehensive review: As the year draws to a close, we want to take another look at the most important topics that have kept Hoffmann + Krippner busy, challenged us and made us successful over the course of the year!
Hoffmann + Krippner GmbH becomes Hoffmann + Krippner GmbH & Co. KG: Change as a basis for the challenges of the future
The most important step in 2024: The entire traditional operating business of Hoffmann + Krippner GmbH was transferred to Hoffmann + Krippner GmbH & Co. KG by changing its legal form. All activities continue under unchanged conditions, the contacts known to our customers remained as well as the previous service portfolio. “Hoffmann + Krippner GmbH & Co. KG continues to be agile in terms of technology and personnel within the newly created HK.SYSTEMS GmbH group of companies (soon to be AG) so that we can react flexibly to all developments: with a powerful structure that enables us to create the optimum solutions for our customers even in an economically challenging global environment,” explain the two CEOs Frank Wahlandt and Thomas Grimm.
A change at the right time: there have been many question marks and unrest in the market, and not just since 2024. The new structure enables H+K to counteract this very well – especially because it allows the company to swim against the tide when necessary.
“We have generally heard a lot about industries that are not doing well, about order problems, reduced working hours and political uncertainties: None of this has had a negative impact on us – because despite all these developments, we are so well and broadly positioned that we can cope with them,” says Frank Wahlandt.
The order backlog is just one sign of this, explains Thomas Grimm: “We have always been characterized by the fact that we have never been dependent on a single industry, even in years of crisis, and have thus been able to optimally absorb these market movements.”
Adaptation of internal structures, automation and digitalization
One of the reasons for the high resilience of H+K: the general willingness to change and adapt. A good example of this is the recent relocation within the company: “We are adapting to the changing product portfolio towards high-tech products,” says Grimm. “Production and other departments are moving at the turn of the year. This will allow us to adapt ideally to the new challenges – Hoffmann + Krippner’s internal production and organizational processes are well positioned for further challenges in the future!”
Frank Wahlandt adds: “In general, we are constantly reviewing processes, supporting them with automation and optimizing them. Automation now plays a very important role for us in many areas.” This was certainly not the easiest task, but the efforts will pay off: “Of course, changing processes is always associated with effort, sometimes also with skepticism and internal persuasion. But the reasons for this, and therefore for founding the holding company, are obvious: changes to structures and processes are absolutely necessary to make us fit for the future.”
These changes will also actively counteract the shortage of skilled workers, for example, which affects every company: “We are facing a generational change, various employees will be retiring in the near future and we must and will be able to absorb this with this commitment. This is the only way we can continue to be successful and overcome this challenge – through digitalization and automation, among other things. We want to make the best possible use of our systems in this way, there is still a lot of potential.”
High-tech from the Odenwald: local investment – global vision
The expansion of the machine park exemplifies the H+K vision: high-tech from the Odenwald, produced locally for customers all over the world. “We are the input specialist for strategic infrastructure. Our aim is to be the ideal partner for high-quality input systems and complex HMI operating units for customers in the industrial B2B environment,” explains Frank Wahlandt. “With the right technologies in-house, we not only implement the hardware for this, but also offer the necessary solutions to meet requirements with our technology standards, platforms and interfaces – especially for customers from critical infrastructure such as mobility, defense, food supply and medicine.”
A clear commitment to the Buchen location is very important to H+K: “There are now almost daily reports about company takeovers and relocations abroad – but that is not our way,” says Thomas Grimm, emphasizing the company’s deep roots in the region. “Hoffmann + Krippner is an integral part of Germany as a manufacturing location: we not only support this rural region with our investments as an employer – with its spirit, it is an important part of our DNA, without which our development over the past five decades since the company was founded would not have been possible.”
As we head into the holidays, we wish you all a relaxing, reflective holiday season and a wonderful New Year with your loved ones!
