Schubert’s corporate management: Marcel Kiessling, Managing Director Sales and Service, Gerhard Schubert, Founder and Managing Partner, Ralf Schubert, Managing Partner, Peter Gabriel, Commercial Managing Director (from left to right)
With the successful completion of the relocation of the L2218 state road on 9 April 2020, Gerhard Schubert GmbH laid the foundations for the planned expansion of the site on the newly acquired land.
Innovations with international growth potential
International growth, especially in the USA and Europe, is currently being driven by the manufacturer’s immediately available and preconfigured lightline machine series, which enables customers to react quickly to market trends, along with significant advances in the development of tools for process optimisation using predictive maintenance (GRIPS.world). The establishment of industrial on-demand 3D printing processes for additive manufacturing in both plastics and metal, along with the consistent further development of sustainable packaging solutions and a strong focus on consulting, are all additional success factors behind Schubert’s current development. Business in the USA developed very positively in this context. The Schubert subsidiary generated around 82 million US dollars in sales in North America in 2020. In addition to upward trends at Schubert UK and the main European markets of France and Italy, the Polish market is also becoming increasingly important for the manufacturer.
The future is both sustainable and flexible
Ground-breaking innovations and investments enable Schubert to continue winning over customers, while strengthening the company’s leadership position in the industry during the 2020 pandemic year. Ralf Schubert, Managing Partner explains: “We have been intensifying our research activities in the field of robotics technology for some time. With AI projects in the field of robotics and image processing, we are making a decisive contribution to the ongoing professionalisation and future viability of the entire packaging industry. Added to this is the development of innovative assemblies for our TLM machines as well as our first collaborative robot and progress on TITAN, our packaging systems’ digital twin.” To this end, the Crailsheim-based company has been investing around 8 to 10 per cent of its annual turnover for decades in a time-tested tradition.
It is also thanks to this innovative strength that Schubert is able to continuously expand its trailblazing role in the automation of sustainable production processes and in the development of innovative packaging materials. “The future belongs to environmentally friendly packaging materials such as cardboard trays or fibre-based films which can be used flexibly on a packaging line. Our customers benefit from over 50 years of Schubert experience in cardboard packaging along with our consulting and service expertise," says Marcel Kiessling.
Outlook for 2021
Supported by the high order backlog and equally positive order intake in the first quarter, Schubert is very confident about the development of the current financial year: “Our production capacities are currently very well utilised. We already have 100 per cent of the planned annual turnover in our order books for 2021 and are already planning our new orders into 2022,” says Peter Gabriel, describing the favourable situation. The signs are pointing towards continued growth for the manufacturer in other respects too; In the second half of 2021, construction of the new assembly hall will begin as part of the planned further expansion of the Crailsheim site. Prior to this, in 2019 the adjacent country road was rerouted in order to make way for the extensive construction work, creating the necessary space and ideal conditions for up to 300 additional employees.
