Ratec Annual Report 2017: The market is the world
16.02.2018
Ratec: Position in key proven markets maintained or expanded and opportunities in new markets successfully utilized with Battery systems, for example (Figure: Ratec)
Ratec can look back at a successful year in 2017 – a year in which the company significantly expanded its position in international business. 87 (previous year: 75) percent of sales were accounted for by international business. 36 percent of sales were generated within the European Union (previous year: 30), outside of the EU it was 51 percent (previous year: 46). Ratec now supplies customers in more than 75 countries.
Next to Europe, Asia is the strongest volume market, mainly the countries Malaysia, China and Thailand. This serves as confirmation of the decision taken to focus intensively on this region. With the opening of the Ratec Asia branch in Singapore at the beginning of 2017, the presence in this important economic zone was further expanded.
With moderate rates of increase, a generally positive development was recorded in Europe, too, whereby the share of sales in Germany decreased, contributing just 13 percent to total sales (previous year: 25).
Development in the United States was also good. Here, in addition to its standard program, Ratec also offers specialty products for the North American market through a subsidiary of its own. The marketing measures for this were intensified in order to continue to be at the front of the pack in this important market.
Strong products for ambitious projects
In the course of the mega-project Forest City in Malaysia, which is the largest urban development undertaking in Asia, a new precast plant was equipped with robot-compatible standard formwork and the new Easy Form System. For Ratec Asia’s first project, specialty formwork for mobile precast plants went to Singapore. Around the world, the patented upcrete pump technology was used in infrastructure projects, including for wind power plants in China or pillars for a new elevated motorway in Melbourne, Australia. Ratec system formwork was also delivered to plants from China State Construction Engineering, the world’s largest construction company, and to MyHome Construction, one of the most ambitious Chinese project developers and investor in new precast plants.
Intensive product development as key to success
Activities in product development, that have always been very extensive, were further intensified. A range of new components were developed to market maturity in 2017, including the Easy Form formwork system, and many existing solutions were developed further. There are currently a number of additional innovations in the testing phase. For Bauma 2019 at the latest, visitors can look forward to a broad range of new and partially pioneering solutions from Ratec.
Targeted marketing and intensive sales activities
In marketing, a complete revision of the product catalogue was a particular milestone. With its new look it offers a quick, well-structured overview of the entire product range of the Ratec Group. There is a separate catalogue available for the market in North America. Special trade fair highlights included the first-time participation at the Buildtech Asia and the ConMin Iran.
Positive outlook for 2018
For 2018, Ratec expects a continuation of its growth course. Through the further development of formwork technology, the company intends to generate new impetus in the field of modular construction and, on this basis, win new modular housing projects in an international environment.
CONTACT
Ratec GmbH
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68766 Hockenheim/Germany
+49 6205 940729
