| Prof.
Dr. Kathrein: "Our target for 2005:
turning over 1 billion euros"
The antenna and communication specialist
Kathrein has recently invited the representatives
to this year's international representatives
meeting in Rosenheim. About 75 participants
from 39 countries - from Iceland to
Australia, from Brazil to Iran - used
this opportunity and exchanged their
experiences. |
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| Not
far from headquarters in Rosenheim,
Prof. Dr. Kathrein (left) showed his
international representatives the latest
and most modern production methods at
the KATHREIN-Austria Ges.m.b.H. in the
Tyrolean village Niederndorf. To the
right on the photo: Prof. Dr. Anton
Kathrein with factory manager Ottmar
Sappl (KATHREIN-Austria) and Director
Alois Trepesch (KATHREIN-Werke KG). |
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| Company
owner and principal Prof. Dr. Anton
Kathrein proudly revealed that the Kathrein
group was able to experience a dynamic
growth in the first seven months of
the current legal and business year:
"Our turnover in these seven months
of 603 mill. euros represents a growth
of 5.3% and, compared to the first seven
months of the previous year, an increase
by 51%. For 2004, we are expecting to
turn over more than 900 mil-lion euros.
Currently workforce exceeds 4,600. |
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| According
to Prof. Dr. Kathrein, this was something
highly remarkable given the strong international
pricing pressure. He explained that
primarily in India a great number of
antennae was needed since the mobile
phone networks there are being extended
literally explosively, which in turn
rendered the network operators an excellent
starting position for beating down the
prices rather unconscionably. |
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| In China,
the Kathrein company has to face up
to firms copying the company and to
the dumping of local manufacturers penetrating
the market with sleazy cheap copies
and even perkily promoting their stuff
with the slogan "quality products based
on Kathrein technology". |
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| Prof. Dr.
Anton Kathrein intends to perfect marketing
and distribution methods in his companies
in order to maintain the high production
level (currently more than 75.000 mobile
phone network antennae can be produced
per month), to keep the employees salaried
and to safeguard further growth for
2005. |
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| "We consider
a growth rate of 10% necessary to turn
over 1 bn euros in total. This must
be our common target." According to
Prof. Dr. Anton Kathrein, all the necessary
decisions were made. He explained that
he invested in the production facilities,
in the equipment and in the employees
(since August 2003, 830 new employees
have been taken on in all in western
Europe), and he pointed out that this
had been required for the national as
well as the international Kathrein production
facilities, e. g. in N?rdlingen (Germany),
in Austria, Italy, Brazil, in the Czech
Republic, China and Romania, in order
to be able to satisfy the customers'
high demands on a global scale. Prof.
Dr. Anton Kathrein: "To remain successful
as the world market leader in the field
of antenna technology, we will continue
pursuing our two-in-one strategy of
a 'mixed calculation' within the group
and for our products. The slogan 'doing
one thing without abandoning the other'
still applies. In plain language this
means: We keep on counting on local
production and focussing know-how at
headquarters in Rosenheim but do not
ignore the chances given on the world
market. Only in this fashion will we
remain strong and unbeatable." |
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| Working
hard and revelling hard. Sure enough
the Herbstfest in Rosenheim was an item
on the Kathrein group's agenda. |
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