"Another record sales"

Ahead of the MHK International Congress in early June, the MHK Group presented its 2022 annual report, which includes positive figures for the overall group. At the same time, the MHK Group is launching a pioneering program to counter the shortage of skilled workers and presenting the new MHK Europe Academy.

No one could have predicted it at the turn of the year, but 2022 has become a challenging year. In addition to the impact the corona pandemic was still having, there came Russia's invasion of Ukraine that only exacerbated the prevailing conditions. Rising prices for energy and food as well as rising inflation. Consumers and businesses kept a hand on the purse strings, creating new challenges for the MHK Group and its members. "However, due to our decisiveness, innovativeness and forward-looking planning, we continued to build on the positive results of 2021 and thus also grew in 2022," we heard during the press presentation. "Thus, the 3,877 member companies generated,
244 more than in 2021, a turnover of just under 10 billion euros. A growth of 9.1%."

Domestic and International

Both Germany and the export countries recorded growth figures, although it is immediately noticeable that the highest growth was in the export countries (5.5% for Germany versus 16.4% for the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Austria, Switzerland and Spain). "The growth is mainly due to the increased number of MHK members," Werner Heilos -now ex-CEO of the MHK Group- commented at the annual press conference. "A total of 208 German and 36 foreign kitchen dealers joined." These positive results resulted in a record amount distributed by the MHK Group to these affiliated members.

Rising sales prices

Werner Heilos: "Until the summer of 2022, we saw a decline in demand for new kitchens. Rising energy costs created uncertainty among consumers. We were also able to enjoy the freedom of travel again after the stricter corona years. The second part of the year demand recovered and topped off at a nice level, this thanks to the innovative products of our partners as well as our own brands." The average selling price at MHK members increased by 16% and the average selling price at Reddy also improved, by as much as 19.9%. "This increase is due to the better equipment in the kitchens, but mainly due to the higher energy and material costs that were passed on to retailers by the manufacturers," explains Werner Heilos. "This burden could not be borne by the medium-sized specialist retailers and a recharge had to follow."

Commitment to training

Simultaneously with the presentation of the annual figures, the MHK Group is launching two new initiatives to find suitable personnel as well as further training if needed or desired. "The MHK Europe Academy offers a diverse range of courses to further train our retail partners and their employees," said Dr. Olaf Hoppelshäuser, member of the Executive Board. "The offer ranges from seminars for managers to junior employees, from consultants to mechanics. Our partners received the founding of the academy and the course offerings very well. In just a few weeks, it was completely booked up."

The continued support of the furniture school in Cologne was also in the picture. "We want to combat the shortage of skilled workers and in this way underline our leading position in the industry," Werner Heilos concludes.