Wilfried Theissen, Putzmeister

Mr. Wilfried Theissen, MD

If the government can keep the confidence of the investors up, then 2018 should be good.

Market is fragile and need to be reassured to regain confidence & growth

2017 has had a lot of surprises, most of them not really helping our customers to keep their calm and serenity. If the government can keep the confidence of the investors up, then 2018 should be good. The various positive initiatives taken by the Central government in infrastructure and affordable housing projects should also have a positive effect beyond 2018.

The first half of 2017 was very strong. However, since the introduction of GST the order book has fallen in the three consecutive months by about 20%. The last quarter should be slightly better. All in all, we should achieve the targets we had set for 2017.

The market is still fragile. Many of our customers are financially weak and struggling to pay their bills, and to free fresh funds for new investments. Private investment is very slow but absolutely necessary if the government wants to realize its ambitious plans for infrastructure development and smart cities.

The markets need to be reassured to regain confidence so that the private investment flow starts again, only then will we have a stable and sustainable growth.

We have made our equipment smarter

There has been an increase in demand for bigger plants, but the numbers are still marginal. About 40% of the market is still 20 m3 and smaller, and 55% of the market is between 30 and 60 m3. In this very competitive CE market we have been able to reach our targets by offering the best solutions to our customers.

We have put the total satisfaction of our customers as our highest target. Our R&D department is continuously improving our equipment based on market research and customer feedback. This, and our excellent after-sales and application support, enable us to stay ahead.

We have made our equipment smarter by offering key data to our customers. We have reduced emissions and diesel consumption by using better engines. We have reduced the necessary amount of hydraulic oil by dramatically improving the cooling system. We are using twin layer pipelines to guarantee longer live. We are working on additional features, which we will share very soon.

Most importantly, we give full training and support during commissioning and thereafter, making sure that the customers know how to maintain the equipment and get the best output month after month and year-after-year.