In spite of the challenges presented by the pandemic, along with global sales declines in the first two quarters as a result of lockdowns, Blanco has revealed that it achieved record sales of 408million euros in the 2020 financial year, equating to growth of 1.3%. Domestic sales increased to 151million euros, while revenue in international regions amounted to 257million euros.
COO Andreas Ostermann von Roth revealed that throughout the crisis, the priority has been to provide retailers with a high level of service. "Managing this balancing act was, and remains, an extraordinary challenge for all of us," he said. "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."
He added: "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."
The company says it is investing in the expansion of a global, decentralised quality management system. A new test centre is currently being set up at the headquarters in Oberderdingen/Germany. This will focus on the production of Blanco Units, which are technically complex and have to meet specific quality criteria as a system solution.
It is also investing in training with regard to product innovations, installation, maintenance and repairs, and the assembly of the Unit components, as well as staff development, and support for its retail partners. According to the company, the multi-level Unit Partner Programme, where retailers in participating regions can qualify as water hub experts, assists retailers with their marketing by supplying a wide range of POS materials and other services such as installation training.
