Getzner Werkstoffe reports stable business development

Getzner Werkstoffe, a leading expert in the field of vibration protection solutions, continued to show stable business development in the past financial year despite a number of challenges. Getzner grew its turnover by 12 percent to 150 million euros, which the company attributes above all to greater market penetration. “Particularly in the railway sector, we were able to expand our market presence to a gratifying extent in 2022 despite higher prices of primary products. The raw materials situation was not easy, but thanks to forward planning we were able to cope with that as well. On the one hand, we work with multiple suppliers on the basis of long-term supply contracts. This gives us a certain security of supply. On the other hand, we made ‘smart’ use of our storage capacities and invested in a state-of-the-art high-bay warehouse. These measures together enabled us to supply our customers with the products they want despite bottlenecks,” explains Juergen Rainalter, Chief Executive Officer of Getzner Werkstoffe.

To prepare for the future, the company is particularly investing in further digitalisation and in sustainability initiatives. One result of these efforts is that Getzner can meet its entire electricity needs with ‘green energy’ from the group’s own hydroelectric power plants, that is to say, with electrical energy from ecologically renewable energy sources. “For us it is not ‘only’ about climate neutrality or reducing CO₂ emissions: we take a more holistic view of sustainability. We therefore look at the entire life cycle of our products and closely examine all areas of the company to look for ways of promoting sustainability,” says Juergen Rainalter. The main focus is on production technologies, while manufacturing processes and logistics are also examined for optimisation potential. This includes measures to reduce material waste and scrap, use of sustainable transport equipment and making maximum use of transport container volume. “The long life of our vibration protection solutions is what makes the largest contribution to conserving resources and improving the carbon footprint when considered over their life cycle. Our products demonstrably retain their material properties over decades without any loss of performance. As a result, they also significantly extend the service life of the components fitted to them,” explains Juergen Rainalter. Getzner’s elastic materials can be used again after they have reached their planned service life, for example by recycling them and returning them to the production cycle. “We are working on new solutions so that in the near future we will be able to fully recycle our materials and reintegrate them into the material cycle,” says Juergen Rainalter.

The ongoing innovation process has resulted in products such as the Sylodyn Construction Series: an elastic vibration protection mat that can be tailored to individual requirements and shields buildings from shocks and vibration. “Its effectiveness has in fact been increased by up to 30 percent – with even less use of raw materials and with no loss of performance,” says Juergen Rainalter.

Driving forward the digitalisation of operational processes is an integral part of Getzner’s strategy. Services to customers are now also increasingly being provided digitally in the form of online applications: for example, calculation programs for the use of vibration-insulating materials, or a digital under sleeper pad that collects real-time data on railway operations.

Getzner’s solutions are based on materials developed and manufactured in-house that reduce shocks and vibrations. They are used in the railway, construction and industry sectors – for example in railway tracks, for the bedding of buildings or in machinery and equipment. These business areas are currently developing in different ways: “There is much to be done in the railway sector – all over the world, railway lines are being prepared for more ‘green mobility’. We expect our activities to go on expanding. The construction sector, on the other hand, is growing more slowly; inflation and supply bottlenecks are causing problems for the industry. However, demand is picking up in our Industry business area – especially in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning segment, where our products are used to reduce vibrations in heat pumps, for example,” says Juergen Rainalter.

Around 350 people currently work at Getzner Werkstoffe in Buers, with around 500 people employed at all sites combined. The vibration protection specialist trains apprentices in the company’s three business areas and is also looking for support beyond that. “We are convinced that our business will continue to develop successfully in the future because, by reducing noise and vibration, our solutions make a valuable contribution to a better quality of life and sustainability. With our great teams, our innovations and our sustainability awareness, we look forward to the future with confidence,” stresses Juergen Rainalter.