The head of the company, Johannes Artmayr, also expects full order books in the coming years: “I assume that we will double our turnover in the next ten years. Today the €50 million mark is within reach; in 2032 we will reach 100 million”, says Artmayr.
sustainable kitchen countertops
The company is benefiting greatly from the current trend towards natural stone in the kitchen and has also developed a new product that transfers the circular economy idea to the production of kitchen worktops. With the so-called lapping process – the world’s first recycling system for natural stone countertops – production sections can be recycled, for example. They are sorted by color, shredded and used in combination with recycled material to produce new kitchen worktops. In the future, it is also planned that end customers will be able to return natural stone countertops that are no longer needed through the dealer. This means that kitchen worktops can be put back into the production cycle at the end of their useful life. The resulting product, called Alpinova, was introduced in the second half of 2022 and has been very well received.
Trend for natural stone
“The market launch of Alpinova has exceeded our expectations. There are already around 500 kitchens with Alpinova worktops in Austria and Germany, and demand continues to grow,” said Strasser Steine Managing Director Johannes Artmayr at the annual press conference in Linz. Since May 2021, the company has invested around 25 million in the expansion of its headquarters in Mühlviertel, thus doubling its production possibilities, as most of the investment has gone into the new production area of 6,500 square meters, which came into operation a few days ago. The new Alpinova kitchen worktops are now also being manufactured there.
Research shows trend towards natural stone
The latest research carried out by market research institute Market on behalf of Strasser Steine also shows that the trend towards natural stone remains strong: “The kitchen worktop has continued to gain importance as an element in the kitchen and natural stone is on the wish list of Austrians at the top,” explains market head Werner Beutelmeyer, explaining the result of the trend survey among 1,004 people in Austria in February 2023.
The company has growing staffing needs
Although the degree of automation has further increased with the expansion of production at Strasser Steine, the need for personnel is also increasing: at the end of 2022, including the German location in Kösching and including apprentices, 285 people were employed at Strasser Steine and this year again 15 to 20 people are added. In order to increase the attractiveness for employees, there will be a gradual change from a three-shift operation to a two-shift operation in the coming years. This also required expanding production capacities. The company also has a mix of employee incentives, from benefits and flexible working hours to employee bonuses if new colleagues are recruited on their recommendation.
Export to all Europe
With a market share of around 65%, Strasser Steine is currently the market leader in Austria and number one in Central Europe in the field of high-quality kitchen worktops. The share in exports is 35%. Germany is by far the most important export market with a volume of around 17 million euros. In addition, Strasser Steine supplies well-known furniture and kitchen dealers in the neighboring countries of Italy, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, as well as in Spain, Luxembourg and the USA.
Market leader in kitchen countertops
With a market share of around 65%, Strasser Steine is the Austrian market leader in the field of high-quality kitchen worktops and the largest producer in Central Europe. With branches in St. Martin im Mühlkreis and in Kösching, Germany, the company is represented throughout Austria and Germany. International sales are handled by kitchen and furniture retailers. In 2022, a turnover of 49.1 million euros was generated. At the end of 2022, Strasser Steine employed 285 people.