close
close
close
The Optima packaging group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of packaging machinery, looks back on a successful year 2023. The revenue of the family-owned company rises to 620 million euros and the number of employees exceeds 3,150. The outlook is also promising: incoming orders will continue to drive further growth in 2024.
“We attribute this growth to the outstanding commitment of our employees as well as our customers and partners”, say Hans Bühler and Dr. Stefan König, who assumed the role of CEO of the Optima packaging group from Hans Bühler in April 2024. The company is an attractive employer for over 3,150 employees worldwide. Last year, the number of jobs increased by 200, with similar plans for this year.
"We are on a good path into the future. What matters is that we continuously realize new solutions for highest quality, productivity, and flexibility with passion and pioneering spirit. Customers, from start-ups to global players, particularly appreciate our extensive market and process knowledge," describes König the core of the success story. Bühler adds, "It's not just about machines: Innovative services help our customers operate these machines 24/7 for many years. Our digital solutions are state of the art, with multimedia training solutions, online connectivity to machines, and automatic self-monitoring as essential parts of our offerings. In November, Optima received an award for its digitalization strategy and customer focused implementation of digitalization solutions.
At the main location in Schwäbisch Hall, there are now over 2,100 employees working. The good order situation and continued positive outlook prompted the company to purchase a previously rented area with over 17,000 square meters of production and office space. This is where the new headquarters will be located. Furthermore, there is enough space for major projects and a new training center. Over 180 young people are undergoing training or studying at Optima.
Internationally, investments continue: a location was established in Puerto Rico, more are to come in 2024. The focus is primarily on the service sector and proximity to the customer.
In the pharmaceutical industry, Optima is a reliable partner for turnkey solutions. Filling systems with integrated cleanroom technology facilitate the customer's mandatory validation for production approval. Products such as injectables, vaccines, and biopharmaceuticals reach patients quickly. Around 250 guests from 25 nations visited the "Pharma Forum" in Schwäbisch Hall in September.
In the consumer goods industry, Optima is preferred by customers especially if they have demanding projects: Whether it's cosmetics, coffee, or milk powder - if the product requires challenging filling technology, sustainable packaging, high volumes, or maximum flexibility, there's no way around Optima. The highlight of 2023 was the introduction of the "Moduline Smart" filling machine for cosmetics at the Interpack trade fair, which has become a bestseller. Particularly satisfactory: The order intake for highly efficient packaging machines for hygiene products has significantly improved. Optima also offers solutions for the energy transition: The technologies for producing life science products such as wound dressings have been transferred to the production of fuel cells.
