Annual Report 2022
The world finds itself at a geopolitical and geo-economic turning point. International supply chains have been disrupted by the pandemic and protectionism. Politically motivated decoupling tendencies can be observed around the world. Although the decoupling of markets is meant to ensure sovereignty and protect a country’s critical infrastructure, the consequences also include loss of prosperity and negative economic impacts.
Wilo responded to these developments at an early stage by diversifying and adopting a long-term “region-for-region” strategy. This means it can already meet regional customer requirements efficiently with products and solutions that are manufactured locally. Highly efficient and innovative Wilo technology helps to secure and improve critical infrastructure, thereby safeguarding the reliable supply of water, energy and food.
In times of uncertainty, Wilo makes a point of staying connected – with its partners and customers, and across national borders. After all, global challenges can only be overcome by working together.
Future viability and resilience
The Wilo Group is looking back on a financial year characterised by significant challenges and uncertainty. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Russia’s war on Ukraine, the dramatic rise in energy and material prices, further supply shortages affecting already strained supply chains, and high inflation were disruptive factors that posed a considerable burden. This required particularly forward-looking, risk-aware and flexible management accompanied by prudent yet decisive action. Wilo overcame the challenges in the past financial year and delivered exceptionally good business performance on the whole, not least thanks to the exemplary commitment of all its employees around the world. In these times of crisis, the Wilo Group has once again demonstrated its future viability and resilience.
Editorial by the Executive Board
Oliver Hermes, President & CEO of the Wilo Group
Dear Readers,
Although 2022 began with growing concern from month to month, we remained optimistic in our 150th anniversary year. Despite all the uncertainties and the unfavourable global conditions, the Wilo Group enjoyed excellent performance. We continued on our profitable growth path in 2022 and are strategically extremely well positioned for future challenges.
The Wilo Group again proved to be resilient and crisis-resistant in the face of considerable uncertainty and unfavourable global conditions. We continued on our profitable growth path in 2022 with encouraging increases in net sales and earnings. The 2022 financial year was a success, with net sales totalling around EUR 1.9 billion and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) coming in at around EUR 197 million.
The Wilo Group derives its corporate strategy from the megatrends that are especially pertinent to us: Globalisation 2.0, urbanisation, energy shortage, water scarcity and climate change. These are supplemented by digital transformation, which is a key factor in all five megatrends.
As well as celebrating our 150th anniversary with a superb family festival attended by around 3,500 guests and soundtracked by our in-house Wilo band, last summer saw us respond to the global political situation by addressing the opportunities and risks of expected future development in terms of the global megatrends even more intensively than before.
