Pilz continues to grow in turnover and number of employees- new to the portfolio: Modules for service robotics: "Grateful for a successful year 2017."

The Pilz GmbH & Co. KG Group continues to grow: In the last financial year 2017 the automation company increases its turnover to 338 Mio Euro and the number of employees to about 2.300. The demand on the Asian market has grown particularly strongly. In 2018, the family business wants to continue growing and it also promotes a new, modular offer for service robotics.

"I look back on the economic year 2017 gratefully: We have superseded our economic objectives, we have increased the number of employees and we expanded the research and development activities at the head office in Ostfildern, and we invested a new building for the software development centre in Cork, Ireland for the future", explains Susanne Kunschert, Managing Partner of Pilz GmbH & Co.KG.

More turnover, more employees
In 2017, Pilz achieved a turnover of 338 Mio. Euro. That represents a plus of 10.6 per cent over the previous year. On 31.12.2017 Pilz employed 2,346 staff in 40 subsidiaries worldwide. Pilz has created 174 new jobs worldwide in 2017. This is an increase of 8 percent compared to the business year 2016. On 31.12.2017, 1.067 people were working at the head office in Ostfildern (+42 employees over the previous year).

Export share continued to grow
The export share of 71.9 percent (+ 0,7 per cent points over 2016) emphasises the strong international focus of the supplier of automation solutions. A major factor in this good result was the strong demand for Pilz products and services on the Asian market. In 2017, Asia was the fastest growing region at Pilz, with over 30 % and there is a great potential for the future.

Continue to grow with robotics
With a view to the product ranges, Pilz has been able to grow in the classic segments such as safety relays. The continuing growth in the sectors of sensor technology and services is particularly satisfying.

In 2018, Pilz will expand its portfolio in the robotics range: Pilz offers new modules for service robotics in the industrial environment. The offer initially is a mobile operator module, a control module and a robot arm module, that is, a self-developed robot arm. Pilz addresses pick & place applications and modular, partially automated "small robot cells". Pilz will introduce the service robotics modules on the exhibition Automatica the public. "So we develop further to become an technology company that offers complete solutions now also for safe robotics", says Susanne Kunschert.

Innovations in the focus
Also in 2017 the family business holds true to its innovative character: Again, Pilz invests about 20 percent of its turnover in research and development. The company created the best options for further innovation with the current reconstruction of the former production site at the head office Ostfildern to create a new R&D center and the expansion of the software development by a new building at Cork, Ireland. On both sites, Pilz invests about 7 Mio Euro each.

In 2018, Pilz wants to link to the successful year 2017: "We want to continue to grow. We started well into the business year 2018. With a view to the current orders received, we are going completely to plan," closes Susanne Kunschert.