“There is hardly an industrial company in Upper Austria that is not a customer of Kaindl or has at least already purchased there,” says Thomas Hopfinger. He is the managing director of the wholesaler for corporate and industrial supplies based in Leonding. There are 130,000 different items in the company’s warehouse – from a wide variety of hoses, films and seals to tools, work clothing and cleaning products. People are buying in large quantities and the delivery conditions and prices are currently stable, says Hopfinger.
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Due to its broad mix of customers, Kaindl is also considered an indicator of the economic situation in the respective industries. At the moment, many companies are still showing reluctance in view of the weak economy: “Nobody really dares to let their guard down,” says Hopfinger. But there are also positive signals: business in the heating industry has picked up again following the new funding guidelines.
In addition to sales, Kaindl has a second pillar that is becoming increasingly important: individual production and special solutions for customers. For example, plastic or hoses are adapted so that they can be used directly. This saves customers work steps – possibly also a response to the shortage of skilled workers, says Hopfinger. The demand for special solutions has almost doubled since 2019.
The 17 employees in this area (out of a total of 130) also produce individual pieces: “That is our strength,” says the managing director. Around 20 to 25 percent of sales are generated with custom-made products. This was increased to 75 million last year – in 2022 it was 72.5 million euros. For this year, the managing director expects a similar figure to 2023, but the first quarters were slightly below expectations. Hopfinger is hoping for a strong second half of the year.
Active for more than 240 years
The company, which was originally founded in 1780 as a white tannery and leather trade in Linz, has existed for more than 240 years. The headquarters is in Leonding – there is another location in Haag am Hausruck.
The planned expansion of the warehouse in Leonding will be postponed for a while; we are also waiting for construction costs to fall and interest rates to develop positively. Construction should start by 2025 at the latest, says Hopfinger. The warehouse will then be expanded by two thirds of its existing capacity.
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Source: Nachrichten
