GERMANY - The Homag Group closed fiscal year 2020 with a positive result despite the challenges arising from the coronavirus pandemic.

“In spite of the coronavirus crisis, we developed the company further and made acquisitions, in particular to strengthen our business in China and in the solid-wood sector”, points out CEO Ralf W. Dieter.

According to preliminary figures, the Homag Group’s order intake in fiscal 2020 declined by 10.4 percent to € 1,093 million (2019: € 1,220 million). Sales decreased by 13.1 percent to € 1,112 million (2019: € 1,279 million). By contrast, the order backlog stood at € 581 million as of December 31, 2020, thus exceeding the previous year’s level (December 31, 2019: € 546 million). The Homag Group achieved operating EBIT of € 27.0 million (2019: € 82.7 million). “After a good start to the year, we recorded a significant decline in orders in the second quarter, due to the restrictions and uncertainties resulting from the coronavirus pandemic”, explains Dieter. “In the second half of the year, and particularly in the final quarter, demand picked up noticeably.”

As of December 31, 2020, the Homag Group had 6,942 employees (December 31, 2019: 6,569). However, it must be noted that the Group gained around 550 employees through the first-time consolidation of two companies acquired in 2020, HOMAG China Golden Field in China and System TM in Denmark.

In order to maintain close dialog with customers despite the canceled trade fairs and reduced personal contact, the Homag Group relied increasingly on digital formats. One such example was the HOMAG Treff 2020 in-house event, which was organized in a hybrid format. During this global event, customers could participate live in over 500 activities for a period of 60 days, either on site in small groups or online via a digital platform. Ralf W. Dieter says: “The feedback we received from customers and from sales was very good.”

The CEO is optimistic about the future: “Many of our customers are benefiting from the fact that people are spending more time at home due to the pandemic and are investing in their living space, for example in new furniture or kitchens. As a result, we, too, are expecting a growth stimulus.”

The Homag Group is the world's leading provider of integrated solutions for production in the woodworking industry and woodworking shops. Its 14 specialized production sites, about 20 Group-owned sales and service companies and approximately 60 exclusive sales partners worldwide make the company a unique system provider.