Laser, measurement and lighting technology were the WILD Group’s revenue generators in 2017, generating a total of EUR 91 million.

With total sales of EUR 91 million in financial 2017, the WILD Group once again managed to exceed the previous year’s results (EUR 88 million). EUR 82.2 million thereof were generated at the Carinthia sites WILD GmbH and WILD Electronics.

In particular, the Optical Technology division, which focuses on laser and optical measurement technology and the semiconductor industry achieved significant growth. In this division, sales for the Carinthia sites amount to EUR 21.2 million. Demand for laser technologies has seen a significant rise. Industry 4.0, however, also figures as one of the main drivers of Optical Technology.  “Increasing automation in numerous companies in particular demands valuable data that delivers insight into current production and is capable, for instance, of revealing quality errors. This is exactly what optical measurement technology can contribute and WILD produces and develops numerous different systems in this sector”, explains WILD Group CEO Dr. Josef Hackl. Anyone producing such devices for the world’s leading companies must meet the highest standards of precision and cleanliness in their own production environment. For this reason, WILD invested EUR 2.5 million in Völkermarkt in 2017 alone, among other things in the expansion of its precision cleaning capacities.

The Medical Technology division continued to be the WILD Group’s main revenue generator, generating EUR 61 million at the Carinthia sites. Mechanical manufacturing and the complex, high-precision cleanroom assembly were particularly popular among customers. “In general, development orders are on the rise. As a systems partner, we stand out in this respect with clear processes, complete documentation and the fact that we can deliver in-house development and manufacturing of products”, Josef Hackl stresses

Positive results for Photonic and WILD Technologies

The WILD Group also saw significant growth in microphone and headphone deliveries. These are produced by WILD Technologies in Trnava, Slovakia.

“A renowned audio specialist has contributed to this site seeing a significant increase in sales to EUR 8.7 million (previous year: EUR 7.2 million)”, says Dr. Michael Wratschko, CFO of the WILD Group, obviously pleased with this positive development.

Lighting technology, the area of expertise of Vienna-based Photonic also saw very solid growth, with sales increasing from EUR 5.7 to 6.1 million. The company recently shifted its focus to product development and market analysis. The result was a first venture into the future market of photobiomodulation. The latter involves photodynamic therapies, which have also been successfully used in the treatment of cancer cells and in therapies involving sterilisation. Photonic is currently working on a 2-in-1 combilight, which can be used both for examinations and in the treatment of infant jaundice. They are currently looking for OEM-Partners.

A trailblazer in logistics and supply chain management

To prepare itself for the future in all areas it operates, WILD is currently working on three projects which can be summarised under the term “4.0”: mechanical manufacturing, assembly and supply chain management. “We refer to our projects as 4.1, since we have established a broad 4.0 basis in recent years which we are now elevating to the next stage of evolution”, says Hackl. More specifically, WILD is working on accelerating throughput times, increasing process stability and rendering all processes even more transparently. The latest distinction recently awarded to WILD and presented to Dr. Josef Hackl by Transport Minister Norbert Hofer in Vienna demonstrates that the systems partner is indeed a trailblazer in these areas. WILD was one of just two companies in Austria to receive an award for its excellent performance in supply chain and logistics from the newly founded umbrella brand “Austrian Logistics”. “Being a high-end company, outstanding technology is vital for us, yet not solely responsible for our success as a business. Supply chain management and logistics are substantial additional pillars”, Hackl stresses.

Outlook for the business year 2018

The WILD Group is planning investments of EUR 3.3 million for the current business year. “The requirements for precision continue to increase. This applies both to manufacturing and to measurement. For this reason, we are planning important investments in measurement technology and in our plant equipment to help us maintain the technological edge”, explains CFO Dr. Michael Wratschko. For this purpose, WILD will invest a total of EUR 2.7 million in Völkermarkt alone.

In 2018, WILD is expecting group sales to increase to EUR 97.2 million, of which approximately EUR 87 million is to be generated by the Carinthia sites. This corresponds to a group-wide increase of around 7 percent. “From a current point of view, we are confident that we will definitely achieve this target. The first quarter of 2018 was above target both in sales and results and the forecast for the following months is extremely reassuring”, stresses Wratschko.