STUTTGART, Germany,
December 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Despite economic decline in important markets:
- Revenues expected to increase by more than 7% to €2.15
billion
- German automotive and industrial business under one roof
- Number of employees increased by 1,300 to 28,600
After the record year in 2011, the globally operating testing
group DEKRA is continuing to grow in 2012. Revenues are expected to
rise by more than 7% to €2.15 billion. "DEKRA remains on course,
even though the economic environment in some important
markets, such as France, has worsened considerably," DEKRA CEO
Stefan Kölbl told journalists in
Stuttgart on Thursday. DEKRA now
generates more than 35% of its revenues outside of
Germany. As part of the continued
expansion of its international business, the testing
group has strengthened its structures beyond the home
market of Germany in Europe and in the growth markets America and
China. "In centres of business such as Paris, Milan,
Atlanta, Sao Paulo and Shanghai, regional and country officers are
now operating in order to offer our clients the
entire range of DEKRA services concentrated from one
source," says Kölbl. Due to the international
presence, the number of employees worldwide has
increased by around 1,300 to
approximately 28,600.
The focus of the 2012 financial year was the vigorous
implementation of the strategic programme <<DEKRA
2015>>. The initiatives focused on efficient processes and
structures and steady growth. With the Global Business Excellence
(GLOBEX) project, DEKRA is establishing integrated IT processes
Group-wide based on SAP to achieve greater data transparency from
order entry to reporting. GLOBEX was piloted in France, with further countries to follow.
The strategy involves customer-focused structures enabling easy
access to DEKRA's wide range of services all from one source. For
this reason, in 2012 the Group opened further "DEKRA Houses" in
Bratislava, Hamburg and Prague where DEKRA expertise from the various
Business Units is bundled. The integration of the German industrial
testing services into the organisational structure of DEKRA
Automobil GmbH from January 2013 also
holds large potential.
As one of the world's largest testing organisations, DEKRA
continues to be actively involved in global market consolidation.
This year, DEKRA has already achieved 10 acquisitions, which
strengthened considerably the Group's global presence in the
USA, Australia, Singapore, India, Sweden
and Denmark. Today, DEKRA experts
are active in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Core automotive business continues to
grow
In DEKRA's core business, automotive services, revenues have
grown by roughly 4% to approximately €1.2 billion this year. The
world's largest testing organisation for vehicles thus defended its
position with approximately 22 million inspections per year in an
environment marked by fierce competition both nationally and
internationally. The €885 million turnover of DEKRA Automobil GmbH
has again made a key contribution to the overall success of the
Group. With a market share of almost 34%, DEKRA Automobil remains
the market leader in Germany for
testing and inspection as well as in the area of expert appraisals
with approximately 25% of the market. In the 2012 financial year,
DEKRA's expertise in the field of automotive technology and safety
was recognized by bodies such as the Japanese road traffic
authorities. As the only provider in Germany, DEKRA is authorised to certify the
passive safety of vehicles for the Japanese market.
Preferred partner in electromobility
Since the start of the year, the Electromobility Competence
Centre, with more than 20 employees, now coordinates all
electromobility-related projects across the Group, including the
fields of homologation, product safety, standards, certification
und training. DEKRA is thus a sought-after industrial partner. For
example, a series of fire tests conducted by DEKRA in collaboration
with an automotive manufacturer this year showed that in the event
of a fire, electric and hybrid cars containing lithium-ion traction
batteries are at least as safe as conventionally-powered
vehicles.
DEKRA Automotive Solutions on course
for success
DEKRA Automotive Solutions, renamed from AutoContact as part of
a joint brand positioning at the beginning of April, remains on
course for success as the European market leader in used car
management despite difficult markets, such as France and Southern
Europe. Along with the 14 European countries, the company
started to operate in the USA,
Brazil and China. Its customers include renowned vehicle
manufacturers, leasing companies, vehicle rental operators and
automotive dealers. With its wide range of services, DEKRA
Automotive Solutions covers the entire B2B used car lifecycle.
As a long-term partner for the insurance industry, DEKRA intends
to tap into markets beyond the automotive sector in the future. To
further develop business in damage management after disasters,
DEKRA has founded a new company on the Dutch Antillean island
Curacao: DEKRA Caribbean. The
company will focus particularly on the adjustment of damages caused
by hurricanes.
Industrial testing services with
strong growth
The Business Unit DEKRA Industrial is the company's largest
strategic growth area. With a dynamic increase in revenues of 15%
to a total of approximately €630 million, the on-going growth curve
has continued to rise in 2012. Besides strong organic growth, this
success was also supported by the further expansion of the
international market position through strategic acquisitions. Of
the total of 10 acquisitions, five took place in the business with
industrial testing in order to tap into new areas of expertise and
gain new customers.
The acquisitions Incos and W. Hofmann strengthen the newly
created DEKRA service unit "Material Testing and Inspection", in
which the worldwide material testing activities of DEKRA are
bundled. Both companies specialise in the non-destructive testing
of materials. With radiographic and ultrasonic procedures, parts
such as pipes and weld seams can be tested reliably and quickly for
cracks and tightness. Precisely planned and carried out testing and
inspection services in large-scale plants of the oil and gas
industry reduce costly downtime and save the operators
millions.
Premium services of DEKRA Insight
Also active in the processing industry is the Californian
company Behavioral Science Technology Inc. (BST), acquired at the
beginning of 2012. The international consulting firm focuses on
helping companies from the chemical, oil and gas industries to
establish a no-compromise safety culture from top management to
labourers. In the new DEKRA Insight Group, the expert organisation
will bundle its expertise in such premium consulting services. As
well as the British company Chilworth Global, a specialist in
explosion protection and process safety services with branches
worldwide, the group also includes the German company DEKRA
Consulting GmbH, which offers consulting services in the areas of
sustainability management and energy efficiency.
DEKRA asserts its position in the
temporary job market
As an important partner for training and temporary employment
for companies and institutions, the Business Unit DEKRA Personnel
increased revenues by 2% in 2012 to €340 million. In temporary
employment with approximately 1,500 active clients, the DEKRA
Arbeit Group has now reached preferred supplier status with 125
customers and is involved in so-called on-site management. That
means a DEKRA employee deals with the organisation of the temporary
workers directly on site at the customer. In 2012, Airbus,
Schmitz-Cargobull and Henkel, for example, were three well-known
companies with which new framework agreements were concluded.
Nevertheless, fears over the economy and the lack of qualified
temporary workers have ended the boom of the previous years. The
equal pay regulation and the introduction of industry surcharges as
of 1 November 2012 have also
contributed to this slowdown. "As a result of the current
circumstances, temporary employment as an important instrument of
flexibility is becoming increasingly less attractive," says
Kölbl.
Training and qualification: growth
with corporate clients
The business with corporate clients is continuing to grow in
importance at the DEKRA Akademie Group. "Thanks to new
qualification opportunities, we have achieved considerable growth
here," said Kölbl. An example is the consulting and qualification
business focusing on new EU regulations for the aviation industry.
DEKRA has positioned itself accordingly with measures such as
e-learning programmes. DEKRA helps to establish high safety
standards for the security screening of passengers and crew
members. In addition, starting in 2013, DEKRA will be an
independent testing centre for air cargo. The business generated
through publicly subsidised training continues to decline as a
result of less public spending by the Federal Employment
Agency.
Good opportunities for further growth
in 2013
Following a further successful year in 2012, DEKRA is also
confident about 2013, even though the economic and regulatory
conditions in many markets are challenging. "In the last 12 months,
we have worked intensively on setting the stage for further
growth," said Kölbl. "For this reason, we are in an outstanding
position to achieve further growth on the basis not only of our own
efforts but also through acquisitions." In future acquisitions,
DEKRA will continue to focus on financially successful companies
that fit our corporate culture and help DEKRA to further expand its
position and its range of services in foreign target markets.
DEKRA e.V.
Presse & Information
Handwerkstraße 15
D-70565 Stuttgart
http://www.dekra.de/presse
Contact: Dr Torsten Knödler
Tel: +49-(0)711-78-61-20-75
Fax: +49-(0)711-78-61-27-00
torsten.knoedler@dekra.com
SOURCE Dekra SE