Record sales in 2019, carbon neutral by 2021

Kärcher takes decisive start in 2020

Notwithstanding all the corona events, Kärcher is more decisive than ever. The company has sound financial strength and is determined to cope with any economic consequences of the corona crisis. With sales of 2.578 billion euros in 2019, Kärcher posted a nice increase of 2.1 percent compared to the previous year. This once again puts Kärcher in a good starting position for further investment. 150 million was already invested last year, including in the global launch of the new, emotional brand identity and the WOW campaign that Kärcher is rolling out this year. In addition, the company's focus is on a new environmental policy, with the goal of making all plants worldwide carbon neutral by 2021.

Sustainability creates added value

"Kärcher continues to grow. In 2019, we again achieved the highest sales in the history of our company," said Hartmut Jenner, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Management Board of Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG. One of the important pillars for sustainable growth is and remains our employees. At the turn of the year, we clocked in at 13,500 employees (headcount increased by 500 versus 2019). Five new subsidiaries were also established to further adapt the corporate structure to current market developments. Kärcher's Executive Board was enriched by two new hires on January 1, 2020: Stefan Patzke (43) for finance and Michael Häusermann (59) for industrial cleaning applications and municipal cleaning.
"Since the beginning of 2010, we have doubled our turnover. Important reason for this beautiful evolution is the fact that our family business incorporates 'preserving values' and 'sustainable management' into its DNA," Hartmut Jenner adds. Kärcher has long been committed to constantly increasing the efficiency of its products and saving resources. In addition to CO2 neutrality, reusing and recycling raw materials and reducing plastics in packaging materials are on the sustainability agenda.

The "Kärcher Battery Universe" with 43 new products includes pressure washers, vacuum cleaners and garden tools.

Innovation creates added value

Anyone who wants to be successful in the future needs innovation. Kärcher launched as many as 150 new products in 2019 - an absolute record in one year. The "Kärcher Battery Universe," with 43 new products ranging from garden tools to the first battery-powered high-pressure cleaner for professional users, is one of the most important pillars of growth. The integration of innovative companies within the Groupe Kärcher corporate network is also part of the innovation strategy. In 2019, Kärcher acquired the Berlin-based IT company SoniQ Services GmbH, which offers cleaning companies intuitive software that allows them to efficiently plan and manage all their service processes. Since last September, Max Holder, the market leader for multi-purpose municipal vehicles, has also been part of the Kärcher Group.

Responsibility creates added value

Kärcher has always been committed to people and society. In 2019, the company performed cleaning work on 11 monuments around the world, from Vietnam and the Philippines over Israel to Germany. The cleaning specialist is also a donor to the "One Earth - One Ocean" association, which fights the accumulation of dirt in the world's oceans. In cooperation with the "Global Nature Fund," Kärcher has built filter systems for water treatment in 15 village communities on 3 continents, the most recent being in Jordan in 2019.

An emotionally charged campaign to reinforce brand identity will be rolled out in 2020.

Green light for 2020: time for the WOW factor

Starting in the spring, Kärcher is rolling out a new brand identity. This is intended to provide even greater visibility for the company and its various product categories. "In future, we will place more emphasis on the emotional effect when addressing our target groups," says Hartmut Jenner. The focus is on value retention - whether it is garden maintenance, the restoration of a vintage car or the maintenance of an industrial plant.