Sebastian Schwanhäußer
D – The Schwan-Stabilo group, which the promotional products supplier Stabilo Promotions also belongs to, has recorded a clear increase in turnover in all three business areas – cosmetics, writing instruments and outdoor – in the fiscal year 2021/22. In spite of the pandemic and the war, bottlenecks in the provision of raw materials, energy and the supply chain, as well as a sharp increase in inflation, according to own accounts the family business was able to increase its turnover by around 20% from 623.3 mil. Euros up to 745.3 mil. The writing instrument division that operates under the brand Stabilo contributed 215.8 mil. and experienced above all growth in Europe and Asia.
Sebastian Schwanhäußer, CEO of the group, is delighted: “We operate in many countries across the globe in different segments of the consumer goods section and our economic situation depends on both global consumer behaviour and individual market influences. The past fiscal year shows that Schwan-Stabilo can also be successful in times of crisis.” The Managing Director of Stabilo, Horst Brinkmann, summed up the year as follows: “Thanks to strategic alignments, Asia managed to become more competitive. After a strong first half this resulted in a tangible deceleration in consumption in Europe. Over the past years we have strongly expanded our innovative efforts. This has paid off because it has led to consumer-oriented product development which goes hand in hand with digital activities.”
In this way Stabilo has reinforced and extended its range of products in the analogue/digital area of learning to write by introducing a pen application for the Apple app Procreate and through the further development of the Stabilo EduPen. Furthermore, the writing instrument division has drawn up an action plan for the areas energy, transport and raw materials that aims to make the company climate neutral by the year 2025.
Whereas the group has declared that it intends to push growth in Asia and America further, in Europe a sense of caution and reservation is meanwhile noticeable in the demand and order placement. “Although we are delighted with this result even though it wasn’t expected to this degree, we must continue to remain flexible – because there is not going to be a new normal after the crisis. But our entire company is already geared up for this now, so we are viewing the development without concern. Acting, instead of reacting: This too makes us fit for the future,” is Schwanhäußer’s conclusion.
