Sandler, headquartered in the Upper Franconian town of Schwarzenbach/Saale, District Hof, increased both its revenue and number of its employees in 2021. However, challenges increasingly arise from the extraordinary rise in energy prices since 2017. 990 employees including 61 trainees (previous year: 940) generated €365 million in turnover, an increase of 11% (previous year: 328). This rate of growth is mainly attributable to the capacity expansion at the U.S. subsidiary Sandler Nonwoven Corporation in Perry, GA. In addition, there was double-digit sales growth in technical products.

Overall, the nonwovens specialist remains cautious about the ongoing financial year, also due to spiraling energy costs that are expected to become even more serious in 2022. CEO Dr. Christian Heinrich Sandler says: “In early January, we still hoped that the lessening of the turmoil surrounding the Corona pandemic would bring not only our industry back to clearer waters. However, the belligerent attack on Ukraine, geopolitical uncertainty and the continued increase in energy costs are clouding the waters again in terms of our outlook. At the same time, we are seeing our long-term strategy of consistently focusing on diversification in terms of technologies and industries, and the establishment of an additional company location, confirmed.”

In 2021, the coronavirus pandemic also made great demands on “our dedicated and motivated staff,” sums up Sandler. But the entire Sandler team fought shoulder-to-shoulder for the success of the company at both locations. A high level of expertise and a correspondingly high level of commitment and flexibility made a successful year possible despite the continued massive restrictions caused by the pandemic and despite the market changes. Sandler adds: “Our teams in Schwarzenbach and Perry did a great job.”

Sandler has not only managed to stand up to Covid-19 in so doing. The reactions to the pandemic have completely changed the market and the market environment over the past two years. Businesses that had been growing over many years have stalled, and supply chains have been turned upside down. The CEO casts his mind back to the supply bottlenecks worldwide, longer delivery times and the dramatic price increases in almost all goods and services. “We had already arrived at this point from a high cost level and believed that we had reached the tip of the cost iceberg. But that has not proved to be the case in 2021 and this trend – we can now say after the first quarter of this year – will continue in 2022. “However, despite facing major logistical challenges, we still managed to deliver on time,” emphasizes Sandler.

Looking beyond the current financial year into the future, the CEO continues to view environmental protection and sustainability as fixed, highly relevant constants in the corporate strategy. Sandler pursues a constant goal of reducing its ecological footprint even further.