Knaus Tabbert achieves significant successes in the realignment of the Group
Knaus Tabbert achieves significant successes in the realignment of the Group
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Numerous stabilization measures initiated
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Strengthening the management team with experienced industry experts to accelerate the realignment
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Positive outlook for the 2025 financial year
Jandelsbrunn, March 19, 2025
Knaus Tabbert is undergoing an intensive process of stabilization and realignment under the leadership of the new Management Board. In recent months, a comprehensive package of measures has been launched to strengthen the company’s competitiveness and future viability. This package includes significant steps to improve production efficiency, sales-related activities and measures to support dealers as well as significant cost reductions.
From model year 2026, production efficiency will be increased by simplifying the chassis portfolio, which should also have a positive impact on costs. Knaus Tabbert is optimizing the model portfolio for 2026 in order to streamline product variants with insufficient demand and focus more on segments with high customer potential. The company has also conducted intensive negotiations with its suppliers in recent months in order to achieve improved price and delivery conditions. In addition, cooperation with suppliers whose products or services did not offer sufficient added value for customers was terminated.
Targeted marketing campaigns and an impressive presence at the CMT in Stuttgart and other trade fairs attracted a high level of customer attention. Targeted incentives were also created in sales to further promote sales. These include attractive discounts at trade fairs and additional sales campaigns to support retail partners. As a result, vehicle inventories have been reduced by around 2,000 units since October 2024, both within the company and at dealerships.
The management team will now receive additional support as the realignment progresses. Jochen Hein, an experienced industry expert, will join the management team as Chief Operating Officer from May 1, 2025. He brings a broad range of experience in managing medium-sized companies and implementing operational excellence to this important position. Among other things, he was a long-standing shareholder and senior partner of the Conmoto Consulting Group and spent eight years as Technical Managing Director of Hymer GmbH. As Director Digitalization, he also played a key role in developing the digitalization strategy of the Erwin Hymer Group. Knaus Tabbert has also been able to recruit Matjaž Grm, a renowned industry expert, as a consultant. The former Chief Sales Officer of Adria Mobil has many years of experience in the caravanning industry and has already proven his expertise by successfully managing a high-performance product development and sales and marketing organization. These additions to the existing management team will strengthen Knaus Tabbert’s progress in its strategic realignment under the motto “back to our roots”. The aim is to adapt the product portfolio more consistently to customer benefits, increase production efficiency and focus on the quality of existing products.
CEO Wim de Pundert: “Knaus Tabbert is undergoing a comprehensive transformation process in which we are setting clear priorities: Customer focus, efficiency and quality. By optimizing our model portfolio and taking targeted measures in sales and marketing, we are creating the basis for a successful future. Knaus Tabbert stands for innovation and quality. We will continue to use these values and our strengths as a traditional manufacturer of leisure vehicles with decades of experience together with our dealers and partners in the future.”
Structural adjustments for a stable future
After the entire caravanning industry experienced a boom during the coronavirus pandemic and production was significantly increased in line with this extraordinary demand, manufacturers’ and dealers’ inventories have increased in the context of the current economic situation in many European countries. Knaus Tabbert’s structures must continue to be adapted to the currently normalized but stable demand. This has involved temporary production breaks or short-time working at various locations, budget cuts in administration and the cancellation of inefficient development projects. These include the discontinuation of the “KNAUS CASCAN” luxury panel van and the launch of the “XPERIAN” brand.
Necessary personnel adjustments were also implemented in January 2025. Among other things, a reconciliation of interests and a social plan for staff reductions at the Jandelsbrunn site were negotiated and signed in January 2025. As a result of the necessary structural adjustments at all four locations, the headcount was reduced by around 15% in the period from October 2024 to February 2025 as planned.
CFO Radim Sevcik: “In recent months, we have taken decisive steps and initiated necessary optimization measures to get Knaus Tabbert back on track. These measures, some of which were cost-intensive, had a correspondingly negative impact on the earnings and financial figures for the 2024 financial year. However, these measures form the basis for sustainable positive development from the 2025 financial year onwards. The current progress and the feedback from our partners show that we are on the right track.”
Positive outlook for the 2025 financial year
In the 2025 financial year, the Executive Board expects sales of around one billion euros (EUR 1,000 million). Earnings power, expressed in terms of the adjusted EBITDA margin, is expected to be in the range of 5.0% to 6.5%. The scheduled implementation of the measures defined above will have a significant impact on this.
