Hella’s group turnover grew by about 4% to €5bn this year vs. last. This increase, they say, was driven particularly by the international growth markets in Asia and North America. Success in the past fiscal year was driven particularly by the company’s globalization strategy Hella have long applied. Over the past years, Hella have continually increased the international operations’ contribution to turnover and are already now generating 47% of its turnover outside of Europe. “Our strong international presence enables us to engage even better in partnerships with our clients globally”, says Dr Jürgen Behrend, Chairman and President. “We are therefore very well prepared for the current market situation and can compensate margin pressure in Europe with high demand in the global growth markets.”
Contributions to positive turnover growth came not only from the regions but also from all segments. As in the past, the successful development and marketing of innovative products have remained key growth drivers. Over the past year, these included the market launch of the next generation of full LED headlights, the successful rollout of innovative products for electronic steering and driver assistance systems with enhanced functionalities.
In order to protect its technological leadership, Hella again stepped up investments in research and development to about 9% of group turnover in the past fiscal year. Today, more than 5,500 people work across the global research and development network. “We are currently in a position to develop tailored products for each market and customize them on site,” says Dr Rolf Breidenbach, President and CEO. “We will continue to systematically build on these strengths.”
