DITZINGEN, GERMANY - October was a busy month for the Trumpf Group, with record financial releases, key management changes, and facility expansions all being announced.
After record sales of €1.4 billion (US$1.7 billion) last year, machine tool manufacturer and laser specialist Trumpf is expecting further sales increases for the 2005/06 fiscal year. The growth rate is to be about 8%, according to the company’s Management Board.
Much of this success can be attributed to Berthold Leibinger, who has led the company for 40 years but will resign from his position as president of the Trumpf Group on November 18. Leibinger will move to the Supervisory Board of the Group and assume the chairmanship there. A four-member team will run Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG, the holding company of the Trumpf Group.
Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller, Leibinger’s oldest daughter, will become the new president of the Trumpf Group. She will continue to be responsible for corporate communication and also hold the title labor director for personnel matters. Since 1985 she has held various management positions within the company, including three years at Trumpf’s Japanese subsidiary. She will remain managing director of the Berthold Leibinger Stiftung, which she has been overseeing since 1992.
Executive vice president and vice chairman of the Managing Board will be Peter Leibinger, Berthold Leibinger’s son, who has been head of the Laser Technology Business Division since 2000. He has been appointed head of the Electronics Business Division and will also oversee research and development and new business divisions. From 1999 to 2003, he presided over the largest foreign subsidiary of the corporate group, Trumpf Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the Trumpf Group.
In related news, Trumpf is gearing up to expand its presence in North America with increased manufacturing operations. As part of a multimillion dollar expansion plan, Trumpf Inc. will build a new laser research, development, manufacturing and demonstration facility in Farmington, CT.
“Our goal is to keep and grow next-generation laser manufacturing and development here,” said Rolf Biekert, president and CEO of Trumpf Inc.
Trumpf Inc.’s laser business has increased dramatically over the last few years. Last year, the company had a nearly 30 percent increase in U.S. sales, and lasers were a strong contributor to this growth. Investments related to the manufacturing of new laser products have also increased significantly.