PROGRESS MADE BY INDUS

“One for all, all for one.” The Swiss national motto chosen in 1848 as their country was founded is without a doubt also a central element of INDUS’ corporate understanding. Since its foundation 35 years ago, the Group has been guided by this motto. With good reason. Together, we can achieve more – particularly if the partners’ strengths complement one another. One brings capital, the other a specialization. One can create connections, the other can use them to generate new ideas. One provides impetus, the other turns it into entrepreneurial success. The success of the individual boosts the Group as a whole.

The markets have become tougher, including for the INDUS portfolio companies. In response, the Board of Management adapted its corporate strategy to the framework conditions at the beginning of 2023. An important aim of the ­PARKOUR perform strategy update is to keep boosting dialogue within the Group. Just like with our new segment management. Each of the three segments is now the responsibility of a specific member of the Board of Management. This allows the members of the Board of Management to immerse themselves more fully in the trends and challenges in “their” sectors and recognize and develop strategic and operational commonalities between the segment companies.

In order to nurture collaboration in the segments, INDUS organizes segment meetings over the course of the year. This direct communication enables the managers to get to know the other portfolio companies’ business models better. A company that wants to break into a certain field can benefit from a portfolio company that is already well established. For instance, an INDUS company wants to expand into a country where another INDUS company already successfully operates. The company with experience abroad can report on its findings and introduce the fellow INDUS company to its network. Many of the segment meetings are held at the portfolio companies. This gives the companies a clearer picture of each other and the opportunity to gain what would otherwise have remained abstract – an understanding of each other’s products, an insight into the actual business processes and an overview of the challenges in the value chain. 

These talks result in specific starting points for mutual product innovations, such as those that FS-BF, a specialist for sealants made from silicone and acrylic, and HAUFF-TECHNIK, a man­ufacturer of cable and pipe feed-throughs, have come up with.

Whether for wall boxes, photovoltaic equipment or even faster internet – ever more cables are fed through house and apartment walls. Expert sealing is of vital importance. The two INDUS subsidiaries HAUFF-TECHNIK and FS-BF have combined their specialist areas: Based on the current quality requirements for the house feed-through system with integrated injection system designed by HAUFF-TECHNIK, FS-BF developed, produced and assembled the necessary two-­component resin for this application. This enables fiberglass cables or telecommunications cables to be installed expertly, quickly and safely.

To avoid leaving the creation of new products and other collaboration options to chance, growth clusters have been formed within the segments. The aim is to work on future fields that are important for the Group’s success together. Many INDUS portfolio companies are active in related markets and face similar technological challenges. They’re in an ideal position to tackle these challenges together. Reinforcement and thermal technology, measuring and monitoring technology, fluid technology and component manufacture – the portfolio companies in these clusters have a lot of common focal points and complementary relationships that make sharing knowledge and experience worthwhile. The clusters provide the platforms for just that.

As an example from the field of fluid technology, valve specialist GSR has developed an innovative hydrogen valve. Hydrogen is a topic that the HORNGROUP is currently focusing on. As an international supplier of refueling technology, the company is ideally placed to support GSR in tapping into new markets related to hydrogen refueling stations. Another example is OBUK and WIRUS – both companies manufacture products that are complementary in some cases and also target the same end consumer groups. OBUK has become a key supplier of front doors for WIRUS.

The INDUS holding company also encourages the principle of reciprocal complementary skills. Management consistently looks at how the investment and thus also the product portfolio can be supplemented with direct and sub-­subsidiary acquisitions, while keeping an eye on the strategic potential for the segment.

The add-on acquisition of QUICK Bauprodukte last year is a prime example. The specialist for formwork, reinforcement and bridge building technology not only ideally complements the product range of its new owner BETOMAX, a structural concrete and civil engineering systems provider. Together with ANCOTECH, a manufacturer of special reinforcement and anchor technology, these companies form the mainstay of the future reinforcement technology growth cluster. One case study for an acquisition with and impact on geographical growth is PCL, through which HORNGROUP broke into the British market a few years ago. Just as ROLKO, a manufacturer of rehabilitation technology, acquired Ability Products, thereby gaining a foothold in the North American market.

Just over a year in, PARKOUR perform has shown that focusing structures and processes on sharing knowledge within networks is very worthwhile. Dialogue nurtures ideas. Ideas lead to innovative products, better performance and new scope for development. Making the most of this means growing out of existing groups and attracting new partners.