Photo: Woodworking
Häfele Group celebrated 100 yearss at interzum in 2023.
CEO Gregor Riekena’s start to the Häfele’s anniversary year could not have been more challenging.
One month after taking over management of the company from his predecessor Sibylle Thierer, Häfele was hit by a serious cyber attack. But that’s not all, inflation and interest rate hikes affected the real estate and furnishing industry and therefore also the furniture and building hardware sector worldwide.
As a result, the Häfele Group, with branches in 38 countries, recorded a turnover of 1.71 billion euro – a decrease of 8.2 percent compared to the previous year.
The markets in Germany, Western Europe and the U.S. were under particular pressure. The company reports a foreign share of 82% for 2023. Despite everything, Riekena is confident about 2024. “We have launched the right initiatives to ensure that we can close 2024, which is still a difficult year, with an increase in sales.” Häfele is one of the world’s leading specialists for intelligent hardware technology, lighting and electronic locking systems.
