Wiesenhof increases sales by 14,9 percent
The growth results primarily from the positive development of "Wiesenhof", the leading German poultry brand. With 695 million euros in the past financial year (previous year: 605 million euros), sales increased by 14,9 percent. The human nutrition and health division achieved a sales volume of EUR 59,7 million in the previous year (2001/2002 financial year: EUR 60,7 million). The animal nutrition and health sector recorded a drop in sales of 7 percent to EUR 304,7 million. The other sales of the PHW Group are attributable to the "Propagation and Rearing" area upstream of the "Wiesenhof" brand (sales increase of 2,3 percent to EUR 45 million) and the Polish poultry processor Drobimex GmbH, which belongs to the PHW Group with around 94 percent in Szczecin (37,3 million euros). The number of employees remained stable in 2002/2003, so that today 3.855 employees work in the PHW Group (previous year: 3.866). In addition to Paul-Heinz Wesjohann, the PHW Group's management team includes son Peter Wesjohann and Harm Specht.
"Wiesenhof": Quality concept further developed
"Wiesenhof" benefited disproportionately from the ongoing high demand for poultry meat in the past financial year. Per capita consumption in Germany rose from 17,5 kg to 17,9 kg. At the same time, the brand benefits from the consumer's trust in the concept of origin, quality and safety. This concept is implemented with around 700 partner farms or producer groups and includes a production process based on the "everything from a single source" principle. All stages of production are in Germany, the feed from our own feed mills has been guaranteed without animal proteins since 1996 and without antibiotic performance enhancers since 1997. The farms that raise the animals are named on the labels of origin. In addition, "Wiesenhof" is the only European supplier to guarantee that the feed from its own mills does not contain any genetically modified soy and is also produced free of salmonella. All of the group's poultry slaughterhouses and processing plants are organic and QS-certified.
Last autumn, Wiesenhof added another component to the origin, quality and safety concept: residue monitoring. The examinations of the poultry and the feed by internal and external laboratories are an integral part of the sophisticated quality and origin concept. Since October 2003, the results of all residue checks on poultry and feed have been accessible to all retail customers. With the disclosure, Wiesenhof takes on a pioneering role in the entire food industry.
Industry: Continued strong import pressure from third countries
Investments in a seamless security system and in the "Wiesenhof" brand are also made against the background of dramatic changes and erratic developments in the poultry market. The persistently high import pressure from third countries such as Thailand and Brazil led to declining market prices in the year under review. At the same time, crises such as the poultry flu in the Netherlands in spring 2003 prompted short-term increases in production in Germany.
The medium and long-term trend for poultry meat offers good growth opportunities for the brand. In the Eastern European acceding and candidate countries, the demand for poultry meat will increase in the coming years. The decisive influencing factors are the increasing incomes since the mid-50s and the associated effects such as more out-of-home consumption, the desire for convenience products and changed price relations. With its commitment in Poland - in addition to the existing stake in the poultry processor Drobimex GmbH in Stettin, the PHW Group has a XNUMX percent stake in the turkey processing company Bomadek GmbH in Trzebiechow near Posen - the PHW Group has laid the basis for further growth in Eastern Europe.
PHW Group is building a European house in the medium term
In the medium term, Paul-Heinz Wesjohann sees the entire German poultry industry and the PHW Group on the way to becoming a "European house". In order to remain competitive and to comply with European trade structures, the company is currently working on transnational solutions that take into account the highest quality standards. Wesjohann: "We can imagine implementing the process quality formulated for Wiesenhof in production and marketing internationally. That's why you have to build up a European recognized value indicator for quality in the long term." The poultry industry is better prepared for this European internationalization than other industries because it has never received state subsidies, says Wesjohann.
Expansion investments and additional environmental protection measures
After EUR 90 million in the 2001/2002 financial year, the investments of the PHW Group in the past financial year were at the level of the previous years. Of the total investments of EUR 52,2 million, the majority (EUR 22,1 million) went to the production facilities of the "Wiesenhof" brand, including the expansion of the poultry slaughterhouse in Bogen (EUR 6,3 million) and the Expansion of the production, order picking and loading capacities for Märkische poultry specialties in Niederlehme in eastern Germany (EUR 2,4 million). At Lohmann Animal Health GmbH & Co. KG, investments for the expansion of the vaccine plant amounted to 8,7 million euros. Research and development expenses increased again: in the past financial year they amounted to EUR 9,4 million (previous year: EUR 7,4 million), of which almost EUR 5 million alone for the development and approval of new drugs at TAD Pharma GmbH were spent.
The PHW Group also made further investments in the environmental sector last year. On the site of Wiesenhof-Geflügel Möckern GmbH (Saxony-Anhalt), the company built a biogas plant together with a municipal operating company for 1,3 million euros. It generates energy from the organic waste from the poultry slaughterhouse, which is fed into the municipal grid. The municipality of Möckern has been benefiting from Wiesenhof since 1996, as municipal waste water is cleaned inexpensively in the Wiesenhof sewage treatment plant.
Generic manufacturer TAD Pharma GmbH wants to expand foreign business in 2004
The generics manufacturer TAD Pharma GmbH (Cuxhaven), which is part of the PHW division of human nutrition and health, generated sales of EUR 237 million with 43 employees in the past financial year and expects growth in the current financial year. The Cuxhaven-based company will expand its export activities and expand its leading position in the generics segment through further cooperation with foreign partners. For several years, TAD Pharma GmbH has been working with the Icelandic pharmaceutical company Delta (Hafnarfjördur) on product development.
Nutrilo Gesellschaft für Lebensmitteltechnologie mbH (Cuxhaven), which specializes in the production of vitamin mixtures for the food industry, increased its sales in the year under review by 23,3 percent to EUR 16,4 million (previous year: EUR 13,3 million). The significant growth in sales was primarily achieved in domestic business (plus 37 percent).
Outlook: PHW Group expects moderate growth
At Wiesenhof, the PHW Group adheres to a consistent quality policy and will not engage in price competition. The marketing investments planned at Wiesenhof for the next five years are in the double-digit million range and are intended to further anchor the brand and quality philosophy with retailers and consumers. Overall, the PHW Group expects total investments in the current financial year to be at the same level as in 2002/2003 and moderate growth.
Source: Rechterfeld [ phw ]
