Compared to the previous year (EUR 2.183 billion), this represents a slight decrease of 2.5%. The workforce grew by 552 employees to 15,190 as at the reporting date (previous year: 14,638).

Stefan Brandl, outgoing Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ebm-papst Group: "We have a very difficult financial year behind us. After a 28.6 percent drop in sales in April 2020, we were able to steadily catch up month by month thanks to a responsible approach, high commitment and flexibility of the entire workforce and achieve a good financial year in the ebm-papst Group."

Forward-looking corona management

ebm-papst took far-reaching measures such as hygiene rules, testing strategies and mobile working to tackle the coronavirus pandemic back in January 2020. With the government's approval for company vaccination at the beginning of June 2021, the company is offering its employees at its German sites a vaccination program. Throughout the pandemic, the supply of system-relevant areas of medical technology, the food industry, hospitals and data centers was always maintained.

High order intake and pressure on supply chains

Fragile supply chains at the beginning of the pandemic demanded maximum flexibility from ebm-papst. The effects were kept to a minimum thanks to long-term contracts with established suppliers as well as the "local for local" internationalization strategy and the associated expansion of local production capacities in China, the US and Europe.

"The current strong global demand situation and the shortage of raw materials and components, particularly in the electronics sector, is also affecting ebm-papst. "Our order books are well filled and we are making every effort to serve our customers as usual," affirms Thomas Wagner, Deputy Chairman and future CEO of the ebm-papst Group.

Highest investments in the company's history planned

With the highest net investment in the company's history of 182.7 million euros (previous year: 108 million euros), ebm-papst is responding to the increasing global demand for its fans and motors. In Johnson City, at the US location, the construction of a new production plant will start in the summer. An extension in Xi'an (China) will further increase capacity for the rapidly growing business in Asia. In Germany, ebm-papst invests in three new research and development buildings and in Italy a completely new production facility for protective grilles is built.

Digital strategy bears fruit

The digitalization strategy initiated with ebm-papst neo is bearing fruit. Hans Peter Fuchs, Group Managing Director Finance and Controlling, comments: "We have been able to win important projects with our start-up in Dortmund and the international investments anchored there. Particularly in the field of analysing and regulating air quality, a noticeable megatrend that will continue in the long term due to climate change and urbanization in the post-coronavirus era."

The 2021/22 financial year: strategy, goals and key topics

With its new, market-oriented corporate strategy move26, the hidden champion plans to achieve a turnover of EUR 2.6 billion by 2026 and is thus gearing itself up for further long-term growth. move26 builds on the "one ebm-papst" strategy, with which ebm-papst has optimized internal structures, leveraged synergies and formed itself into a strong group of companies over the past three years.
In addition to focusing on the core business, move26 will concentrate in particular on system solutions, digital solutions and new business models.

For the current financial year (2021/2022), the fan specialist is planning a slight increase in the workforce and adjusted sales growth of 4.7% to EUR 2.179 billion. The technology leader will provide an adjusted 126.2 million euros for research and development, including for further development in the areas of aerodynamics/acoustics, digitalization and material and manufacturing innovation.

When it comes to climate protection, ebm-papst is once again leading the way. From 2030, ebm-papst will focus exclusively on energy-saving EC fans and motors in its European production.

Thomas Nürnberger, Group Managing Director Sales and Marketing at ebm-papst since April 2021, comments: "We pioneered and developed the global market for electronically controlled EC fans. The technology is firmly established and we are now once again sending a clear signal for greater energy efficiency and climate protection." ebm-papst is also demonstrating this with solutions for e-mobility and projects in the field of heating technology with hydrogen.