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2021 was an incredible year for the Horst Klaes GmbH & Co. KG from Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler. In addition to the effects of corona, there were also the problems caused by flooding in the Ahr valley. Nevertheless, Klaes' team ended the year with sales that were 9% higher than the previous year. This was immediately the best result ever since the company was founded. Moreover, the order book was well filled worldwide.
The wide product range and the focus on markets around the world are important cornerstones for the company's success. Lars Klaes is firmly convinced, that they are following the right strategy: "We also need to further digitize our services. That is why we have now also developed the Klaes Web Campus, which allows us to offer our customers an even wider range of training courses: individually, when they have a moment and at their own pace."
But of course Klaes' team is also an asset that cannot be underestimated. According to Miriam Berzen, daughter of founder Horst Klaes, it was impressive to see how everyone worked for the company again even when cleaning up in the mud.
Houses under water, closed streets, damage to bridges, power cuts, hardly any drinking water and major problems with the mobile phone network: these were just some of the consequences of the fact that the Ahr had exceeded the highest water levels of the past by meters. At Klaes the cellars were flooded and the parked cars had been carried away. Fortunately, the buildings themselves remained undamaged. However, many of the firm's employees live upstream in the valley of the Ahr and there the situation was even worse. People were evacuated by helicopter or spent the night on the roof of their homes. A lot of personal belongings were lost and some people even lost their homes and property. Fortunately, the Klaes employees themselves suffered no injuries.
Meanwhile, at Klaes himself, everything is running normally again. Only the guesthouse still needs extensive renovation work. Things are different for the employees who were affected by the floods. They were offered alternative accommodation or now have a house or apartment in the process of being rebuilt. In order to help quickly and directly, customers, partners, employees and also "former employees" donated more than 125,000 euros, which were paid out tax-free to the 25 people affected. Thank you very much for this extraordinary support!
As incredible as the floods themselves was the willingness to help, the support, compassion and cohesion within and outside the company. This was evident in the clearing of the basements, for example, where help even came from employees of customers and partners. Even today, our affected employees can count on the support of the same people to rebuild their homes and apartments.
Core market Germany was characterized by continuous positive development throughout the year in all regions and among all target groups.
New and existing customers want to digitize their businesses more and more. Klaes is an ideal partner in that case. Sales also increased outside Germany in 2021. For example, there was a large increase in Poland and also in the other eastern
European and Southeastern European countries, growth was strong. In Asia and Australia, nice reports could be presented, but pre-corona figures were not yet reached. In Western European countries, some very nice orders were recorded, especially in the automation sector. Important growth countries were Austria, France and Spain.
The number of live trade shows and events remained limited, but this was amply compensated everywhere with online sessions. Since the cancellation of the Fensterbau Frontale in 2020, webinars around Klaes' wide range of solutions have met with great acclaim. Participants from around the world attend these sessions to learn about the additional opportunities that Klaes' solutions offer for them. But the local events, which were organized according to corona rules with a limited number of participants, were also a great success and generated a lot of requests each time. In
China and some Arab countries also held a number of fairs.
Investments in digitization continue to increase, and then Klaes, with its extensive product range, is obviously a perfect partner. The software house now also offers a digital platform for training. With Klaes Web Campus, customers can follow training sessions at any time of the day using videos that explain everything step by step. These sessions also include moments when knowledge is tested. In terms of the products themselves, all solutions related to home and remote working, document management and telephony were in high demand.
In addition, cloud solutions were also in demand, and the growing supply from customers themselves also increased demand. In addition to classic window construction, we are talking about curtain and membrane facades, patio covers, conservatories, pergolas, front doors, interior doors, .... By the way, the capabilities of the various programs were further expanded, allowing, for example, product data from different manufacturers of shutters, door panels and accessories to be requested even more easily.
Klaes is also letting the 2022 Fensterbau Frontale pass them by. After all, at the software house they are convinced, that the expectations for this summer edition of the fair do not outweigh the high investment. But at Klaes, of course, they remain committed to promoting the digitization of business processes. Longer-term cooperation with customers and partners and the company's innovative solutions play an important role here. Klaes will present the latest developments at the end of March during its own online trade fair as part of the "Fensterbauwoche" (Week of Window Construction).
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