Bizerba invests in digitization and an additional location

Balingen – Securing the future has top priority for the family-run technology and solution provider Bizerba. After modernizing the German locations, the medium-sized company from southern Germany is now investing more in digitization and a new location in Eastern Europe. The company is thus shaping the digital transformation and occupying strategically important markets in a European growth region. This is part of the Bizerba Strategy 2025 and an essential part of Bizerba's growth course. With 4.300 employees worldwide and the company headquarters in Balingen in southern Germany, the scales specialist Bizerba supplies solutions for industrial companies in various sectors and is also indispensable in stationary retail. Bizerba solutions are used in many supermarkets. “We are a global company with a presence and reputation around the world. As a family company, Bizerba is clearly committed to Germany as a location,” emphasizes Andreas W. Kraut, Chairman of the Board, CEO and shareholder of Bizerba SE & Co. KG, Balingen. The company underlines this commitment with investments in the German locations in Balingen, Meßkirch, Hildesheim and Bochum.

The global logistics center at the Balingen headquarters is currently under construction and office areas were modernized last year based on the latest findings from the New Work area. In Meßkirch - production site for cutting machines - Bizerba invested considerable funds in buildings, infrastructure and production facilities such as an innovative friction stir welding machine. In Bochum, the company modernized the label printing shop significantly in the areas of printing machines and systems. In addition, the production capacity of the checkweighers in Hildesheim was almost doubled. "These investments in the millions in infrastructure as well as continuous investments in the digitization of the company have been pushed ahead in recent years to enable Bizerba's clear growth course," says Kraut.

Location in Eastern Europe
Due to the positive development and the sustained growth, the production capacities at the German locations are reaching their limits. At the same time, new regions have emerged as clear growth markets in recent years. "Eastern Europe is very dynamic and is therefore a strategically important market for Bizerba," says Andreas W. Kraut. The additional location will enable Bizerba to react more flexibly to trade restrictions between the USA and China and thus contribute to greater independence in the flow of goods and money. The company is therefore building a new location in the region and is thus expanding its production capacities. As a global player, it is essential for Bizerba to invest in growth regions in order to be as close as possible to the customer.

"For Bizerba, the expansion of capacity by a location in Eastern Europe is the next logical step in the growth strategy 2025. This also secures jobs in Germany in the long term," emphasizes Andreas W. Kraut. "By expanding the international production network in Europe, we are securing our global competitiveness and thus creating the conditions for growth, including in price-sensitive product segments," emphasizes Frank Reinhardt, Vice President Global Operations, who has overall responsibility for the worldwide production units. "The final selection of the exact location is planned for early 2021, and production in the newly built plant there is scheduled to begin at the end of 2022."

Investment in digital transformation and software competence
In addition to the expansion of production capacities, the digital transformation remains a strategically important topic for Bizerba. The company continues to invest in the consistent digitization of processes and in the modernization of the IT infrastructure in order to ensure cooperation across the international locations. Tools for international cooperation are already in use today, which during the lockdowns during the Corona period made an enormous contribution to Bizerba's business developing so positively. The proven solutions from Bizerba have long included software as well as hardware. "Our competence is unique on the market and the possibilities of our software in connection with our devices are enormously diverse," says Andreas W. Kraut. Based on this know-how, Bizerba expands its software competence. A separate area is now being set up for this purpose: Bizerba Software Solutions. In this area, the company brings together all software competencies in-house. Under the leadership of Tudor Andronic (Vice President Bizerba Software Solutions) and Stefan-Maria Creutz (Vice President Digital Transformation), the newly tailored area should lead to a significant increase in sales with software components. In addition, Bizerba Software Solutions supports innovative topics until they are ready for the market and series production.

New requirements accelerate digital sales processes
From January 1, 2021, the newly designed sales area will be managed by Michael Berke (Vice President Global Sales & Marketing) from Frankfurt am Main. In this function, he is responsible for global sales activities for the Industry and Retail areas as well as for Global Marketing & Communications. In addition, he is responsible for global product line management and global key account management for the retail and industry sectors. One of the most important tasks for Berke will be the digitization and standardization of sales processes worldwide. The expansion of sales competence internationally and the focus on the topics of inside sales and campaign management will further increase Bizerba's presence worldwide.

"I am pleased to welcome Michael Berke to my Management Board from 2021. We are gaining a very experienced leader with a large network. I am convinced that his experience in the field of payment systems and his understanding of the market will be an asset for Bizerba,” says Andreas W. Kraut. Michael Berke previously worked as VP Head of Sales DACH/BeNeLux at Elavon, Inc., one of the top 5 cashless payment providers worldwide.

Confident in the future
Bizerba is well prepared for future challenges. Investments in locations, in structures, in digitization and in the organization are consistently continued even in times of crisis. New products and solutions will come onto the market as early as 2021 and offer Bizerba customers new opportunities. Digitization is a topic that needs to be pushed further – in processes and systems, but also consistently in the solutions.

Andreas W. Kraut, Chairman of the Board, CEO and shareholder of Bizerba SE & Co. KG (Image: Bizerba)

About Bizerba:
Bizerba offers customers in the sectors crafts, trade, industry and logistics worldwide with a unique portfolio of solutions consisting of hardware and software around the central size "weight". This company supplies products and solutions for the activities cutting, processing, weighing, cashiering, testing, Commissioning and pricing. Comprehensive services from consulting to service, labels and consumables to leasing round off the range of solutions.

Since 1866 Bizerba designed largely the technological development in the field of weighing technology and now has a presence in 120 countries. The customer base ranges from global trade and industrial companies through retail to the bakery and butchery. Headquarters for five generations guided family-owned group of companies with approximately 4.300 employees worldwide is Balingen in Baden-Württemberg. Further manufacturing facilities are located in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, China and the USA. In addition Bizerba maintains a worldwide network of sales and service locations.

https://www.bizerba.com/de/home/