The 2013 business year was a further successful one for the HANSA-FLEX Group. 

In an officially shrinking domestic market, we were able to maintain the same levels of sales and profit as in the previous year. From an international perspective, we are continuing to grow, with the corporation having successfully continued its organic expansion in 2013. 

From a structural perspective, at the start of 2014, the founding shareholders of the HANSA-FLEX Group transferred their remaining shares in the HANSA-FLEX companies in the Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA, which had previously been kept separate from the corporation, to the HANSA-FLEX corporation. Furthermore, the shares in our subsidiary in Australia, the majority of which were still held by outside shareholders, were also fully acquired. 

The entire international business of the group is now subsumed under HANSA-FLEX International GmbH - a 100% subsidiary of HANSA-FLEX AG. The board of directors will of course continue to work closely with local partners in some of the overseas subsidiaries, who as managing locally operated successfully building the business, thus enabling the global appearance of the HANSA-FLEX Group. 

Further information on the preceding fiscal year 2013 will be available in our business report after the financial statements have been finalized and published.

We are once more conducting a representative survey on customer satisfaction between December 2013 and February 2014. For this reason, we are requesting all customers to give their opinions on our products and services. Based on the results of this study, we will derive measures to optimise our services even further. It is through continuous change that we can improve. The improvements ultimately help to increase satisfaction in and competitiveness of our customers.

Participation is completely voluntary and anonymous. It will take just 15 minutes to fill in the questionnaire. As a token of appreciation for your participation, you will be included in a draw to win an iPhone, iPad or iPod if you provide us with your personal details. 

With effect from 1 July this year, Florian Wiedemeyer has been appointed to the position of divisional manager for Accounting & Controlling at HANSA-FLEX AG.

Mr Wiedemayer is 33 years old and has an advanced degree in business administration, having completed a dual course of study while working for HANSA-FLEX AG. After graduating, from 2005 onwards he established and developed the Controlling function at the Bremen Headquarters, with outstanding results. The IT instruments (SAP Business Intelligence) that were introduced at his instigation now enable the management board and all managers to analyse and control their daily business more effectively on the basis of cogent figures that are permanently up-to-date, available online and accessible even when travelling.

Mr Wiedemeyer is a respected and valued contact in Sales and the business divisions. With extensive knowledge in his field, he has also served as a professional contact for domestic and overseas auditors from the more than 40 subsidiaries of the HANSA-FLEX Corporation for a number of years. In his new function, the former Controlling departmental manager will also take his place as a member of the executive management team, which will benefit greatly from his operational expertise.

Enter for a chance to win a training day for up to twelve employees of your company in the HANSA-FLEX Eventmobile.

The mobile classroom is specially equipped with a training bench for on-site training sessions.
The training will be led by a highly qualified trainer from our cooperation partner, the Internationale Hydraulik Akademie (IHA). And as a special gift, we invite you to a barbecue party after the seminar.

Please submit your entry at ma hansa-flex com and include the following information: your name, company, customer number and the major theme for the desired training course.

The judges’ decision is final. The prize cannot be exchanged for cash. Entries must be received by 31 August 2013. Good luck!

In 1962, Bremen businessman Joachim Armerding began the one-man business that would serve as the foundation for the multinational HANSA-FLEX AG of today. In December 2012, Mr Armerding set up the HANSA-FLEX foundation. The foundation is endowed with one million euro. The purpose of the foundation is to promote adult and vocational education, including assistance for students.

"The HANSA-FLEX foundation considers that assistance for the next generation is an extremely important task. One of its primary objectives is provide support for particularly gifted young people, who in their turn will then contribute to the long-term development of economic and social living conditions in their own countries", said Joachim Armerding.

The first programme undertaken by the foundation will be the provision of grants for full- and part-time studies at the Jacobs University, Bremen. Starting on 1 September 2013, 150,000 euro will be made available annually for this purpose. The further objective of this undertaking is to promote Bremen as a hub for science, research and education by enabling talented young people to study at the private university. The International Jacobs University is an excellent partner, because by assisting students we can help young talent for a prolonged period, and in particular we can reach talented youth from overseas", said Joachim Armerding.