Wintersteiger

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Wintersteiger Holding AG
Company typeJoint-stock company
Founded1953
HeadquartersRied im Innkreis (Upper Austria)
Key people
Harold W. Kostka (CEO Group),
Thomas Fürkötter (CTO)[1]
ProductsMechanical engineering, skiing services
Revenue167.7 million EUR (2021)[2]
Number of employees
1,026 (2021)[2]
Websitewww.wintersteiger.com

Wintersteiger Holdig AG is an Austrian company based in Ried im Innkreis. The company is active in the development, production and distribution of machinery and equipment for seed cultivation, ski service, wood and metal industries.[3]

History[edit]

Wintersteiger plot harvester

In 1953, Fritz Walter and Johann Wintersteiger founded the Walter & Wintersteiger locksmith's shop in the old smithy in Obernberg am Inn, Austria.[4] The first products were a seed drill and a laboratory thresher for a seed breeding company. In 1958, the business was relocated to Ried, Austria,[5] where the group's headquarters are still located today.[3]

Product expansion 1960s[edit]

In the 1960s, Wintersteiger introduced the first serial-produced plot harvesters. Further, Wintersteiger began producing ski production machines and ski service machines, including a stone grinding machine for Fischer – the microplan grinder.[5]

Reorientation 1970s[edit]

Founder Johann Wintersteiger

In the 1970s, Wintersteiger developed a frame saw for ski production and other grinding machines for base service. At the same time Wintersteiger shifted its focus from ski production machines to ski service machines.[6] In 1976, the company building was extended for the first time.[5]

Business expansion 1990s[edit]

At the ISPO 1996 in Munich Wintersteiger presented two new product lines for ski service machines. The group had also taken over the distribution of the French SKI2 products in Austria, the US and Canada.[7] When the wood processing industry switched from solid wood to multi-layer boards at the end of the 1990s, Wintersteiger's frame saw was now repurposed for slicing precious woods.[6] Since 1998, Wintersteiger has been the exclusive machinery supplier to the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV).[8]

Acquisitions and production expansion 2000s[edit]

After Germany, France, the USA and Canada, Wintersteiger established branches in Italy (2000),[9] Switzerland (2002)[10] and Singapore (2004).[11] Furthermore, several companies were acquired around the turn of the millennium: Hege in Germany (1999)[12] and SKID in France (1999), Grindrite in the USA (1999),[13] SKI2 in France (2002)[14] and Banholzer GmbH in Germany (2004).[11] With the acquisition of Hege, Wintersteiger had taken over its largest competitor in the production of sowing and harvesting machines for seed research.[12] This was followed by the establishment of subsidiaries in China (2006),[15] Brazil (2008),[16] and Russia (2008).[17] In 2011, Wintersteiger took over the majority of Kohler Maschinenbau GmbH and thus entered the field of levelling technology. In the same year, Wintersteiger bought the company Bootdoc[18] and took over the majority of VAP Automation GmbH in 2012.[19]

In 2002, Wintersteiger completed its exhibition hall and started the construction of a new production hall.[20] In 2006, new operating buildings followed for the sales and service branches in St. Hélène du Lac, France, and in Salt Lake City, USA.[21] In 2004, Wintersteiger invested in additional production sites for their subsidiary Banholzer, and in 2006, a new saw production plant was built in Arnstadt, Thuringia.[11] In 2014, Kohler changed its location to Lahr, Germany. The newly constructed company building was the largest single investment in the company's history at around EUR 14 million.[22]

In 2004, Wintersteiger was converted from a GmbH (limited liability company) to an AG (public limited company).[23]

Business and product expansion 2010s[edit]

Automatic skiing service

In January 2017, further developments of existing product series and the new Scout ski service machine were presented at ISPO Munich – a ski service station for skis and snowboards that is used in ski service workshops of various sizes.[24] In 2019, Wintersteiger took over Serra Maschinenbau GmbH. Serra developed machines and saw bands for mobile and stationary sawmills.[25]

Business transformation 2020s[edit]

At the beginning of 2022, the Group acquired a majority stake in the German machine manufacturer Hema, based in Frickenhausen near Stuttgart.[26] In the same year, the decision was made to transform the four business segments into independent companies and combine them into a holding by the end of the year.[27]

On 1 July, Wintersteiger AG became Wintersteiger Holding AG and the Rieder divisions Sports, Seedmech, Woodtech and Production became independent GmbHs.[28]

Corporate structure[edit]

Wintersteiger headquarters in Ried i. Innkreis

The group has its headquarters in Ried im Innkreis, Austria. The executive board is overseen by Florestan von Boxberg and Harold Kostka.[1] As of 2021, the company is divided into four business segments. The Sports division, among other things, plans and installs service workshops, rental stations and ski depots. The Seedmech division develops products for seed breeding, including machines, software programmes, equipment for assessment, as well as laboratory technology. The Woodtech division manufactures products for the woodworking industry, especially wood thin-cutting products and saw blades, as well as industrial automation solutions. The Metals division produces levelling machines for the sheet metal processing industry.[2]

Revenue (in million EUR)
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
93.4 101.8 126.2 141.9 135.8 143.7 140.6 153.9 160.1 181.7 133.8 167.7

Source: Bundesanzeiger[2][3][29][30][31]

Patents[edit]

Wintersteiger holds a variety of patents,[32] among others: in the area of agricultural machinery technology a patented precision precision air seeder,[33] as well as in the area of ski processing, the Trimjet device. It is used for bridge-free grinding for all ski lengths as well as for snowboards and the semi-automatic operating mode.[34]

Awards[edit]

2003: Fritz Freyschlag Main Award[35]

2010: 1st place at the Best Business Award in the category of 100 or more employees[36]

2013: 1st prize at the Upper Austria Regionality Award in the industry category[37]

Since 2013: ineo certification by WKO Upper Austria for exemplary commitment to apprentice training[38]

2015: winner at the INN AWARD of the regional broadcaster BTV in the category innovation large-scale enterprises[39]

2017: ISPO Award – Product of the Year in the category Ski for the 3D foot scanner Vandra by Bootdoc[40]

2018: Award for commitment to climate protection from the klima:aktiv climate protection initiative[41]

2018–2022: Top employer award from trend, kununu and Statista[42][43][44][45][46]

2020: Family-friendly company award, berufundfamilie audit[47]

2021: Award for the Kurier as a popular employer in the industry sector

2021: Award for Kurier as a sustainable company in the Industry Division[48]

2021: 3rd place in the Innovation Award of the Province of Upper Austria in the category of large companies[49]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Firmenprofil Wintersteiger AG" (in German). Northdata. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  2. ^ a b c d "Wintersteiger AG: Jahresabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2021 bis zum 31.12.2021" [Wintersteiger AG: Consolidated Financial Statement for the financial year from 01.01.2021 to 31.12.2021] (in German). Bundesanzeiger. 2022-11-10.
  3. ^ a b c "Wintersteiger AG: Jahresabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2020 bis zum 31.12.2020" [Wintersteiger AG: Consolidated Financial Statement for the financial year from 01.01.2020 to 31.12.2020] (in German). Bundesanzeiger. 2022-04-19.
  4. ^ Rabe, Gerd (2004-05-27). "Von der Klein-Schlosserei zum Weltmarktführer: Wintersteiger" [From small locksmith's shop to world market leader: Wintersteiger]. Oberösterreichische Rundschau (in German). p. 52.
  5. ^ a b c "Von der Schmiede in die große Welt" [From the forge to the big world.]. Oberösterreichische Nachrichten (in German). 2013-05-24. p. 3.
  6. ^ a b "Wintersteiger übernimmt französischen Mitbewerber" [Wintersteiger takes over French competitor]. Wirtschaftsblatt (in German). 1999-04-24. pp. D2.
  7. ^ "Wintersteiger: Neue Servicemaschine" [Wintersteiger: New service machine]. Wirtschaftsblatt (in German). 1996-02-03. pp. D4.
  8. ^ "Keine kalten Füße" [No cold feet]. Wirtschaftsblatt (in German). 2015-02-10. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Wintersteiger Italia S.R.L". gb.kompass.com. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  10. ^ "Wintersteiger Schweiz AG". ch.kompass.com. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  11. ^ a b c "Sägeblätter aus Arnstadt – Österreichische Wintersteiger AG feierte offiziell Eröffnung..." [Saw blades from Arnstadt – Austrian Wintersteiger AG officially celebrated opening...]. Thüringer Allgemeine (in German). 2006-06-25. p. 24.
  12. ^ a b Puschautz, Ingrid (2000-07-04). "Wintersteiger schluckt mit dem deutschen Hege seinen grössten Konkurrenten" [Wintersteiger swallows its biggest competitor with the German Hege]. Wirtschaftsblatt (in German). pp. D7.
  13. ^ "Grindrite Company Profile: Acquisition & Investors". pitchbook.com. PitchBook. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  14. ^ "Wintersteiger Maschinenbau kauft zu" [Wintersteiger Maschinenbau makes an acquisition]. Der Standard (in German). 2022-10-08. p. 20.
  15. ^ Leitner, Karl (2006-07-18). "Maschinenbauer Wintersteiger rüstet sich für die Erweiterung des Werks Ried Oberösterreich" [Machine builder Wintersteiger gears up for expansion of Ried Upper Austria plant]. Wirtschaftsblatt (in German). p. 8.
  16. ^ "Wintersteiger sucht in Brasilien neuen Standort" [Wintersteiger seeks new location in Brazil]. Wirtschaftsblatt (in German). 2014-07-10. p. 1.
  17. ^ "Nur langfristiges Engagement lohnt" [Only long-term commitment pays off]. Die Presse (in German). 2014-02-08. p. 59.
  18. ^ Berger, Norbert (2011-11-11). "Ambitionierte Ziele" [Ambitious goals]. medianet (in German). p. 56.
  19. ^ Biron, Britta (2012-11-30). "Zwei Spezialisten ziehen jetzt an einem Strang" [Two specialists are now pulling together]. medianet (in German). p. 56.
  20. ^ "Wintersteiger stößt in Ried an seine Grenzen" [Wintersteiger reaches its limits in Ried]. Oberösterreichische Nachrichten (in German). 2022-06-13.
  21. ^ Sailer, Susanna (2006-02-15). "Wintersteiger pumpt 11,3 Millionen Euro in den Rieder Ausbau und in drei Auslandstöchter" [Wintersteiger pumps 11.3 million euros into the Ried expansion and three foreign subsidiaries]. Wirtschaftsblatt (in German). p. 8.
  22. ^ "Maschinenbauer baut am Flugplatz" [Machine builder builds at the airfield]. Badische Zeitung (in German). 2013-07-15. p. 28.
  23. ^ Sailer, Susanna (2004-10-14). "Wintersteiger wandelt sich in eine AG um" [Wintersteiger changes into a public limited company]. Wirtschaftsblatt (in German). p. 113.
  24. ^ "Von nahtloser Unterwäsche bis zu beheizbaren Socken" [From seamless underwear to heated socks]. Oberösterreichische Nachrichten (in German). 2017-02-13. p. 1.
  25. ^ "Wintersteiger übernimmt Maschinenbauer Serra" [Wintersteiger takes over machine builder Serra]. Passauer Neue Presse. 2019-03-30. p. 5.
  26. ^ "Wintersteiger übernimmt Hema" [Wintersteiger takes over Hema]. Kurier (in German). 2022-01-14. p. 11.
  27. ^ "Wintersteiger zurück zu Wachstum und Gewinn" [Wintersteiger back to growth and profit]. news.wko.at (in German). Austrian Economic Chamber. 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  28. ^ "Wintersteiger wird zur Holding und bekommt neue Adresse". Tips Zeitungs GmbH & Co KG. 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  29. ^ "Wintersteiger AG: Jahresabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2018 bis zum 31.12.2018" [Wintersteiger AG: Consolidated Financial Statement for the financial year from 01.01.2018 to 31.12.2018] (in German). Bundesanzeiger. 2020-11-19.
  30. ^ "Wintersteiger AG: Jahresabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2016 bis zum 31.12.2016" [Wintersteiger AG: Consolidated Financial Statement for the financial year from 01.01.2016 to 31.12.2016] (in German). Bundesanzeiger. 2018-08-02.
  31. ^ "Wintersteiger AG: Jahresabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2014 bis zum 31.12.2014" [Wintersteiger AG: Consolidated Financial Statement for the financial year from 01.01.2014 to 31.12.2014] (in German). Bundesanzeiger. 2016-02-19.
  32. ^ "Patent list Wintersteiger". worldwide.espacenet.com. European Patent Office. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  33. ^ "Patentanmeldung WO2010063047A1: Einzelkornsämaschine" [Patent application WO2010063047A1: Precision air seeder]. worldwide.espacenet.com (in German). European Patent Office. 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  34. ^ "Patent application: Device for grinding the running surface of a ski". worldwide.espacenet.com. European Patent Office. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  35. ^ "Fritz Freyschlag Preis". fritz-freyschlag-preis.at. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  36. ^ "Best Business Award für nachhaltige Unternehmensführung" (PDF). europaregion.org. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  37. ^ "Wintersteiger AG und Lebensraum Innviertel als große Regionalitätspreis-Gewinner". MeinBezirk.at (in German). 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  38. ^ "Wintersteiger erhielt Auszeichnung für Lehrbetrieb". MeinBezirk.at (in German). 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  39. ^ "BTV vergab erstmals die Inn-Awards". Tips Online. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  40. ^ "ISPO Award 2017 Category Ski". www.ispo.com. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  41. ^ "Heizungstausch, klimaaktiv". www.klimaaktiv.at. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  42. ^ "Österreichs beste Arbeitgeber 2018". trend.at (in German). 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  43. ^ "Österreichs beste Arbeitgeber 2019". trend.at (in German). 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  44. ^ "Österreichs beste Arbeitgeber 2020". trend.at (in German). 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  45. ^ "Österreichs beste Arbeitgeber 2021". trend.at (in German). 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  46. ^ "Österreichs beste Arbeitgeber 2022". trend.at (in German). 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  47. ^ "Als einziges Unternehmen im Bezirk Ried: Wintersteiger erhielt Zertifikat "familienfreundlicher Arbeitgeber"". MeinBezirk.at (in German). 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  48. ^ "Österreichs nachhaltige Unternehmen". observer. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  49. ^ "Innovation hat in Oberösterreich Tradition: 30 Jahre Landespreis für Innovation". www.biz-up.at (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-19.