A Conversation with Hartmut Jenner
In 2023, KÄRCHER generated revenue of more than 3.2 billion euros, achieving growth of 4.2 percent. What measures and strategies were key to this growth?
With its comprehensive product range for home and garden as well as for professional applications, KÄRCHER continues to set milestones in the global cleaning market and serves as a benchmark among competitors thanks to its innovative solutions, high quality standards, and attractive value for money. Especially during challenging times, our long-term corporate strategy and balanced business model—which serves both residential and professional customers—have proven their worth over the long term.
By manufacturing in the regions where its products are sold, KÄRCHER reduces transportation distances to customers and thereby cuts emissions. What other measures are you planning to further improve the sustainability of your products and production processes?
Through our sustainability goals, we have always taken responsibility for preserving values and resources. In our products and product packaging, we are increasingly focusing on reducing plastics and using renewable raw materials. For example, the recycled content in selected consumer products is set to rise to up to 50 percent. Furthermore, sustainability has long been an integral part of our entire supply chain. With its “Regional-for-local” strategy—which involves short supply chains with production and distribution in the same region—Kärcher significantly reduces delivery distances and emissions.
The expansion of the high-bay warehouse in Obersontheim and the recently inaugurated new Service Center in Ahorn are impressive projects. What impact do they have on KÄRCHER’s logistics and service offerings?
The expansion of our infrastructure is a central component of our growth strategy. Our investments in Germany and around the world ensure maximum customer benefit well into the future—for example, at the state-of-the-art Ahorn Service Center, where repair turnaround times have been significantly accelerated and administrative overhead has been substantially reduced. Or at the Obersontheim logistics center, through even faster goods handling thanks to a tripling of our warehouse capacity.
With the KIRA B 200 autonomous scrubber-dryer and the KIRA CV 50 robotic vacuum, you’re bringing exciting innovations to the market. What are your expectations for these new products?
Our new robotic devices will see increased use in the future and will boost the efficiency of cleaning processes for our customers. Manual labor is increasingly being replaced by technology that also cleans more effectively. Businesses such as commercial cleaning companies, which often struggle with staff shortages, benefit from the time savings and the ability to clean around the clock, while private households can further minimize their cleaning efforts.
You have led KÄRCHER very successfully as CEO for more than 20 years. What challenges and successes have been the most significant for you personally? And how has the industry changed during this time?
One of the biggest challenges of recent years was certainly navigating the many crises that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. And yet, the pandemic also had a positive side, as people’s awareness of cleanliness and hygiene has increased significantly. As the world’s leading manufacturer of cleaning technology, we have naturally benefited from this. However, it wasn’t just the COVID-19 pandemic that has transformed our industry. Rapid technological progress and the demand for innovative, sustainable solutions have helped us focus even more strongly on our customers’ needs. That is why I consider it one of my core responsibilities to continually rekindle the innovative spirit at KÄRCHER—that is, the inventor’s mindset of our company’s founder. To this day, this remains the decisive factor in our success and, at the same time, the foundation for KÄRCHER’s profitable growth, which enables us to sustainably secure our long-term development.
Given the current trends and challenges in the cleaning industry, what are your plans to further strengthen your position in this dynamic environment?
KÄRCHER will continue to be the world’s leading customer-focused provider of cleaning and asset preservation solutions—and make a difference for our customers. To this end, we are focusing intensively on the three megatrends of robotics, battery technology, and “Connected Cleaning.”
