In these uncertain and, for some, difficult times, Valk Welding has done well.
As a result of the Covid-19 virus, several industries and branches have been severely affected by the partial and sometimes total fall in turnover. Just for example the travel & tourism industry, the oil industry and of course the automotive industry.
Over the past 40 years, Valk Welding has deliberately not focused on the automotive industry and its suppliers, but more on the "general industry" with its privately controlled companies. Now that the result of Covid-19 is affecting the 'large industries' worldwide, it is the privately controlled companies that see their chance to invest just now and anticyclic.
The majority of Valk Welding's customers implemented an investment freeze in the second quarter of 2020. As a result, the order intake across the entire group shrank by approximately 35%. The month of July of this year alone was the same as before. The outlook for the third and fourth quarters is also very positive.
The "general industry" and certainly the privately managed entrepreneurs see their opportunity to invest just now and to be ready for the moment when the economy picks up strongly. That is why companies are now investing in robotised and automatic production. A robotised production is not dependent on the 1.5-metre society or on a virus which makes it impossible for employees to work (together). Also, the TechMan cobots (introduced last year by Valk Welding) are not affected by the 1.5 meter regulations. All these factors together provide a good basis for the coming period - with and after Covid-19.
With a strong group of customers in Europe and a fixed core of suppliers, Valk Welding has a very positive outlook for the coming years.
The new corporate structure of the Valk Welding group and this development is a solid basis for further growth in Europe. The growth ambition is in line with the developments Valk Welding has implemented over the past 42 years, both as a system integrator and as a technology partner. In short, Valk Welding stands for "The strong connection": a strong bond with our customers, suppliers, employees, education and our environment.
