The Munk Group is once again showing how it's done: the family-run company based in Günzburg and Leipheim once again closed the 2023 financial year with a significant increase in turnover and expanded its production capacities. The Munk Group was once again honoured with the Bavaria's Best 50 award in 2023 for its exceptional and consistent growth in recent years. And this is exactly how it should continue: Following further investments at its headquarters in Günzburg, the Munk Group and its more than 400 employees believe they are ideally equipped for further growth.
"I am extremely proud of our entire team. We have once again significantly exceeded our planned turnover and also completed the next major milestone in our long-term 'Future Munk' project right on time for the end of the year with the reorganisation of production processes in Günzburg," says Ferdinand Munk, owner and Managing Director of the Munk Group.
Following the realignment of the company under the umbrella of the Munk Group (2021), the opening of the new site for the Munk Rescue Technology division in Leipheim (2021) and the commissioning of the new production and sawing centre in Günzburg (2022), the restructuring of production processes was the next major sub-project. This has now been completed at the end of the year with the relocation and significant expansion of the welding shop in a larger, newly extended hall.
Processes optimised
Ferdinand Munk and his team had the foresight to install additional welding booths in the newly occupied welding hall, so that the welding shop now has 20 per cent more manual welding workstations with needs-based welding room extraction and energy-efficient hot air recirculation. The welding booths can be individually and ergonomically designed by the welder according to his work processes and are equipped with individually adjustable LED lighting. The highlight of the new welding shop is a new combination welding robot, which doubles the Munk Group's previous capacity for robot-controlled welding. The new robot can not only weld aluminium, but also steel.
"By restructuring production, we can optimise processes and significantly expand our capacities. As the renewed growth in the 2023 financial year shows, this is exactly the right approach. After all, we want to continue to shine in all areas in the future with our strengths such as fast delivery capability and first-class quality made in Germany. As a technology and innovation leader, we have this ambition," says Munk.
Munk Group is one of Bavaria's Best 50
The company once again lived up to this in the 2023 financial year, as the award as Bavaria's Best 50 proves. The Munk Group received this prestigious award from the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy for its above-average growth over the past five years. "You are indeed one of the best medium-sized companies in Bavaria," said State Secretary for Economic Affairs Roland Weigert at the award ceremony in Schleißheim Castle in the summer.
The significance of the Munk Group's developments in the field of occupational health and safety was documented in 2023 by the Employers' Liability Insurance Association for Wood and Metal (BGHM). It honoured the Munk Group twice with its safety award.
High demand for customised solutions
Customised special solutions from Günzburg were in particularly high demand last year. "We develop our customised designs with a project team to meet the individual needs of our clients. The fact that our solutions are used in many major projects and in all sectors of industry in particular shows that those responsible have recognised the occupational safety and health of their employees as their greatest asset. And there is no way around 'Safety. Made in Germany'," says Ferdinand Munk.
Strong trade fair presence
This statement was confirmed by the good trade fair year 2023. "We were once again very well represented at the most important trade fairs for the various target sectors and had countless great conversations and made new contacts at our stand. A+A in Düsseldorf and Agritechnica in Hanover were particularly strong," says a delighted Munk.
Innovations for more safety
The Munk Group set the pace again in 2023, not only with special designs, but also with product innovations in the industry's most comprehensive series range (over 2,500 products): Innovations such as the first stepladder made in Germany from glass fibre reinforced plastic profiles (GRP), the new version of the FlexxTower single-person scaffolding with advanced guardrail and the SafeCaddy mobile safety system from Munk Rettungstechnik were a complete success.
Moving forward with innovations
The next innovations are already in the starting blocks for 2024, first and foremost the new Ergo platform for rolling scaffolding: thanks to its material properties, the composite scaffolding platform is not only very durable, but also up to 40 per cent lighter than conventional platforms. Thanks to its light weight and easy handling, it ensures improved ergonomics and less strain on the labour force. Another new feature is the FlexxGuard safety railing in the flexible modular system, which consists of telescopic railings, safety gates and guardrail posts. It can be combined without tools and highly customised to secure danger zones.
Close dialogue with experts
"We are constantly developing new solutions for greater occupational safety and utilise the intensive exchange with experts from the field. This means we always know where there is a particular need," says Munk. The most important trade fairs in the target industries will once again play an important role in 2024: the company will present its new products and the classics from the occupational safety programme at the International Hardware Fair (Cologne), InnoTrans (Berlin) and Arbeitsschutz Aktuell in Stuttgart, among others.
On-site presence with customers and trade partners in Germany and Austria remains an important key factor in the Munk Group's service and sales concept. After more than 300 roadshow dates in 2023, the access technology experts will be travelling again in 2024 to advise their customers in person on site. "Direct face-to-face dialogue is and remains our most important consulting tool," promises Ferdinand Munk.
A lot planned for 2024
Munk is also continuing to invest. In 2024, the Munk Group will take another step towards energy self-sufficiency: With a new photovoltaic system that will supply 250 MWh of green energy per year and thus save around 110 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. All systems on the roofs of the Munk Group will then produce 1,079 kwP, which corresponds to the needs of 280 four-person households. "In the coming months, we will continue to work on the 'Future Munk' step by step in order to realise its full potential," explains Munk. Among other things, this means that additional areas in production and the warehouse will be relocated and expanded in order to further optimise internal processes and increase capacities.
