How would you sum up the year 2024?
Many crises, including the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, have come to a head, and the election of Donald Trump as US president means we are facing an even more challenging future. In view of the circumstances, however, we at WAGNER can be quite satisfied. While we started the financial year with a delta compared to the previous year, we were largely able to close this gap by the end of the year. Our order intake has developed positively.
What technological trends and developments do you currently see in the surface industry?
Automation and digitalization play a major role in counteracting the shortage of skilled workers in paint stores. We have been focusing on making our systems and equipment more user-friendly and reliable for some time now. With Flowsense, we launched an innovation on the market that corrects deviations in the powder quantity fully automatically to ensure constant coating thicknesses at all times. The topic of AI does not yet play a major role in the coating industry, but will continue to develop rapidly in the coming years.
How do you assess the impact of the change of government in America on geopolitical crises and global trade?
I expect a clear “America first” policy. The announced import tariffs will reduce prosperity for everyone, especially for end consumers. In my view, the new US administration will not help to end global crises. Thanks to our international strategy with locations in the USA, Europe and Asia, we are in a good economic position.
What demands would you make of a new federal government to improve the framework conditions for companies?
The responsibility of the new federal government will lie in particular in finally making Germany more attractive again as a business location, reducing bureaucracy, reforming the education system and pursuing a sensible energy policy.
What are your expectations for 2025 in terms of energy prices?
I'm not worried about security of supply, but energy prices will remain at a high level, which is fatal for Germany as a business location. Thanks to the high energy efficiency of our systems, our customers will be able to reduce their consumption, but general energy costs will still remain high. As a result, many companies will move their production to locations where electricity costs only a fraction.
What are your expectations for the coming year in terms of general economic development, both at European and global level? What do you expect specifically for your company's areas of activity?
In Central Europe, development will stagnate, while the economic upturn in South East Asia, India and the Middle East will continue to gather pace. In Europe, we are already seeing a migration of customers, especially from Eastern Europe, to the Gulf States and North Africa.
How do you expect the shortage of skilled workers to develop and what strategies do you use for recruitment? What role do social media activities now play here?
Fortunately, the shortage of skilled workers does not affect us at WAGNER. With our “Powered by talents” campaign, we present ourselves as a strong and attractive employer in order to attract new talent. We are very active on social media and are also increasingly trying to appeal to young career starters.
What general challenges do you see for 2025?
The numerous crises will continue in 2025 and, as in recent years, we must expect many uncertainties. Trump's re-election will certainly not help to ease the situation and the willingness to invest in Europe will remain low. It won't be easy, but thanks to our good infrastructure and decentralized structure, we at WAGNER are well equipped for times of crisis. We generate a large part of our turnover outside Europe. With our new locations in India and Vietnam, we are already investing in the future and must now ensure that these investments pay off in the long term.
