Good times for Swiss instrumentation and sensor specialist
The Kistler group, based in Wintherhur, reports that despite difficult conditions, and the strong Swiss Franc, it achieved sales growth over 11% in 2011, and expansion plans remain firmly on course.
Production has expanded, with 85 jobs created, including 40 in Winterthur. A new factory is being built in the Stuttgart area, and the group hopes that this will provide some offset against the strength of the Swiss Franc, which caused the only blemish on the 2011 balance sheet. The Stuttgart plant is due to be inaugurated in autumn 2012.
As part of the group’s move from a sensor specialist to a supplier of complete systems, its new Kistler Technology Center in Detroit, USA, began operations in December 2011. The Technology Center in Shanghai will be officially opened in spring 2012. The company says that these developments will allow further expansion of the range of services and provision of more custom systems.
On 1 January 2012 the Kistler Group took over the business operations of Baewert Präzisionsmechanik based in Meerane in Germany. With 15 employees, Baewert produces piezoelectric pressure sensors for monitoring large engines, as well as safety valves and mechanical indicators. The company was originally established in 1946 as Metallwerker GmbH, and had been a customer of the Kistler Group for many years. On the new site future production will focus on sensors and systems for large diesel engines.
The group is cautiously optimistic about 2012. CEO Rolf Sonderegger says: "The market is admittedly volatile and the currency turbulence far from over. However, sound financing and strong positioning in growing markets enable the Kistler Group to fully concentrate on the operational challenges, even in difficult times".
