Even in a year of crisis, the company managed to continue the path it had forged and, despite a 20% drop in turnover due to Covid-19, still managed to achieve a positive result. Even before the Covid crisis, E+L had already introduced professional home and smart-working tools and thus could shift seamlessly into the first lockdown in the March of 2020 without any noticeable loss in productivity.
"The company is extremely robust, internationally, digitally, and in growth areas," explains Dr. Michael Proeller, CEO of the international group of companies, which, in the past year, focused even more strongly on the future market of battery and fuel cell production. The growth rates here have now risen to a two-digit area.
Investment in digitalization and technology
The creation of E+L as a digital company is a continuous process, which had already started before Covid. The digitalization of sales and distribution, the automation of logistical processes - these and many other core processes are continually improved digitally.
In the area of technology, the focus remains on high-precision measurement and control technology, "Smart Drives" (brushless drives), digital laser measurement technology, artificial intelligence in sensors and image processing and the use of cloud concepts for the online processing of measuring data.
Expansion of the global E+L locations
Besides digitalization, Proeller also sees further opportunities for his company in globalization. E+L subsidiaries, with their own production facilities in Italy, the USA, China and India, have meant that the supply chain has been increasingly aligned to a global market. Locations around the world and new logistics concepts allow both a reduction in freight costs and also shorter delivery times, making the company even more competitive. To this end, the production and warehouse area at the Augsburg location will soon be expanded by more than 4000 m².
The planning for the new building of the E+L Elektroanlagen subsidiary company, currently located in Augsburg-Pfersee, has now been completed, meaning that construction work can hopefully begin in the middle of the year at the future location in Sheridan Park. The location in Italy also continues to expand. The competence center for the automobile and tire industry is expanding its office and production areas by 4000 m². The Erhardt+Leimer India subsidiary, which serves as a hub for the group for the entire Asian region, is also expanding, creating an additional 10,000 m² of production area.
Thanks to its global networks, its commitment to different, future industries and progressive technology, the company considers itself to be well situated. Even during the pandemic, investments remained at a high level. Investments were made not only in new processes, machines and areas, but also the number of employees remained stable with around 15 percent of staff being trainees.
"Even without Covid, E+L would have entered a new phase of its strategic company development in 2020," emphasizes Dr. Michael Proeller. "Digital products, internal and external digitalized processes and functions, a shortening of the cycle time and expansion of the international supply chain - these cornerstones will help E+L grow healthily, in a modern and international way in the future. We are proud of our employees, who worked without fail towards our joint aim in the previous year. We owe our thanks to them."
