B&R needed additional services last year, and extra employees were brought on board to cope with the high order backlog. Now the stuttering economic engine is also affecting the automation specialist from Eggelsberg. Read here how you can save.
“Good,” answers Jörg Theis when you ask the head of B&R, based in Eggelsberg, how busy the automation specialist is at the moment. The company, which helped itself to extra weekend shifts last year to deal with the huge order backlog, still has a buffer. However, the view ahead is also somewhat clouded at the company belonging to the ABB group.
B&R, which keeps its finger on the pulse with its focus on automation of machines and systems, is also feeling the consequences of the current economic situation. Consumer reluctance in combination with higher costs is causing companies to put projects on hold.
“No crisis lasts forever, it will pass,” says Theis, who speaks of a “dip” that is now also reflected in B&R’s order intake: “It is becoming increasingly volatile – you have to prepare for that .”
“Buffer will run out in the coming quarters”
“We still have a buffer, but it will expire in the coming quarters,” said the B&R boss, who recently informed the employees. He said that they are now tightening their belts: “You do that at home when you notice that things are not so rosy – you become a bit more frugal,” said Theis.
The boss is now also reducing business trips
For example, savings are set for business trips: “That applies to me too.” Further measures? “We try to motivate people to go on holiday. This is how we try to overcome the problem.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
