Positive Interim Report after one Year of Independence
Keyboards “Made in Mellrichstadt” are in demand worldwide – PrehKeyTecon course for stable growth
After more than one year as an independent company, the management of PrehKeyTec GmbH, Mellrichstadt, presented a positive interim assessment. In 2011 the specialist for high-quality cash till keyboards raised total sales by 4.1 % to EUR 8.4 million, exceeding its sales target by 2 %. In the current financial year, PrehKeyTec even expects sales to rise by more than 20 % to EUR 10.3 million. Net income, too, is developing well. After the company embarked on a turnaround in 2010 and reported only slightly negative performance in 2011, the company now plans to achieve strongly positive net income in 2012. The management had taken over PrehKeyTec from the former parent company, Preh GmbH in Bad Neustadt a. d. <place w:st="on">Saale</place>, in early2011.
In addition to the two PrehKeyTec Managing Directors, Rolf Ilsemann and <personname w:st="on">Karl Krenig</personname>, four other executives and an external service provider had acquired shareholdings in the company as part of a management buy-out (MBO).
At the PrehKeyTec head office in Mellrichstadt, Managing Director Rolf Ilsemann, responsible for marketing/sales and development/production, now draws a positive balance sheet: “We are growing in an extremely competitive international environment with quality ‘Made in Mellrichstadt’. Our keyboards and touch screens convince customers with their high durability and flexible application options – not just in <place w:st="on">Europe</place>, but also on the American and Asian markets.”
The company went through several difficult years. In 2008/2009 the global crisis also resulted in losses at PrehKeyTec, forcing the company to embark on painful cost-cutting exercises. „We mastered that situation by a huge joint effort of our employees and management, including wage cuts and short hours, but without forced redundancies. The very fair approach of our former parent company Preh helped us. It took on a total of 14 of our colleagues from the Bad Neustadt site. Today we can take pride in having overcome that crisis and can now look to the future very optimistically”, Rolf Ilsemann said.
Above all the sales of high-quality programmable keyboards for use in the retail and the medical sector, in banks and security facilities (police/fire brigade) and at airports are currently flourishing. PrehKeyTec generates 87 % of its sales abroad, mainly in the <country-region w:st="on">USA</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Canada</country-region>, Latin and South America as well as <place w:st="on">Western Europe</place>. At year-end 2011 the company in Mellrichstadt employed a total workforce of 50, of which 41 work in the headquarters, which is also the development and production site.
The most recent innovations from PrehKeyTec include a glass keyboard which was developed specifically for medical applications. When the surface is touched, special sensors execute the respective key codes. For optimal use, the keyboard is equipped with an integrated glide pad. The technology used also operates faultlessly when operated wearing medical gloves. In addition, the surface is resistant to acid, sweat, dust and liquid.
In 2012, PrehKeyTec aims to expand its market position above all in Eastern Europe and in Latin and <place w:st="on">South America</place>. The establishment of a marketing subsidiary in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Britain</place></country-region> is to take place in parallel. In addition, the supplier business with original equipment manufacturers (OEM) is to be expanded. Fujitsu in the <country-region w:st="on">USA</country-region> and Motorola in <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Israel</country-region></place> are already important PrehKeyTec partners today. <personname w:st="on">Karl Krenig</personname>, Managing Director in charge of finance, procurement, quality assurance and human resources, regards PrehKeyTec GmbH well positioned for further international growth: „PrehKeyTec is financially stable and has the prerequisites to implement our dynamic growth strategy. This is an important signal to our employees, customers and partner companies.”
As a specialist manufacturer of innovative data input systems, PrehKeyTec GmbH mainly develops high-quality keyboards for the segments point-of-sale, point-of-service and point-of-care. The company has 51 employees in three locations worldwide. In addition to the head office in Mellrichstadt with 41 employees, PrehKeyTec operates sales offices in <country-region w:st="on">France</country-region> (Cergy-Pontoise) and the <country-region w:st="on">USA</country-region> (<place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Buffalo Grove</city>, <state w:st="on">Illinois</state></place>).
Press Contact:
Carsten Deuster
SK medienconsult GmbH
Phone: +49 211-557945 0
<city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Mobile</place></city>: +49 172-1741295
E-Mail: carsten.deuster@sk-medienconsult.de