5 November 2011
In today's climate of soaring energy costs, everyone is trying to cut costs - none more so than the German Government, which is pushing energy companies to cut emissions, compelling building contractors to improve insulation and urging consumers to switch to low-emission cars and low-energy appliances. Frese plans to be part of this energy-saving revolution, and expects sales of its range of dynamic valves to increase significantly over the coming years.
In January, Gerhard Stuut was appointed as Managing Director for Frese GmbH. From his sales office in Hamburg, Gerhard and his team monitor developments in the German market closely.
With a presence in Germany since 1983, Frese currently holds around 10 percent of the German dynamic valve market; a figure that Gerhard expects to grow by 5-10 percent in the coming years. The sales potential for dynamic balancing valves is approximately 20-25 million Euros.
The HVAC market dropped drastically in 2009 but has now stabilised. In the first six months of 2010, Frese sales in Germany increased by 15 percent, compared with the same period last year. The energy-saving initiative sponsored by the German government has certainly played at part in this recovery.
"The German community is really into energy savings, which is a main selling point for us. We have customers in all categories of the business and, as well as manufacturing products for both small and midsize projects, we are increasingly supplying large construction projects," notes Gerhard.
Although Frese was the first company in Germany to introduce dynamic valves, competition has increased. The German market is expected to grow by 15-20 percent in the next four years.
The target for the Frese team will be to grow the business aggressively. Frese is not yet a well-known brand in Germany, but Gerhard expects to build it over the coming years and capitalise on its huge potential. He has extensive experience in the international automation business and previously served as Sales Manager for an industrial automation company, looking after sales and marketing activities in Europe, The Middle East and Africa.
As well as the German market, Gerhard is also confident about the potential of neighbouring markets, "We are also looking into the Benelux countries. With a population of 26 million people in a relatively small area and a requirement for energy-efficient solutions, our range of winning products will help them lower their overall energy consumption."
