NEW STRUCTURE, NEW FOCUS: THIS IS THE R+S GROUP AG OF THE FUTURE
Published: 15.03.2019
R+S Group AG, headquartered in Fulda, is launching a new and fresh brand image.
“We have thus set the course for the future and taken decisive steps to meet the changing requirements of the market and competition. Our strategy focuses on our 3,500 employees and our valuable customers,” says CEO Ralph Burkhardt (48), speaking about a restructuring of the Group. “If you want stability and synergies, you need a clear direction. That is why we have completely redeveloped our vision and corporate values. Our external image also has a new look. This is most evident on the new R+S Group website”.
Planning for this began in mid-2017. For the 30th anniversary in May 2018 the ‘R+S Group AG of the Future’ was officially presented for the first time and now the result is being presented after 15 months of intensive work. The changes relate to three areas: the organisation of the company, the management and the employer brand.
Organisation
“We are strengthening the potential in the markets we know,” explains Ralph Burkhardt, who will report on three divisions in the future instead of seven pillars. The company’s core business is building services technology. It plays an important role and is anchored in R+S solutions, the Group’s technical division. The second division, NEWA, comprises the entire trading business with electrical wholesalers and end customers. “In a digital world with global competition, the needs of our customers are changing and so are the demands we place on ourselves. R+S POWER solutions, the third division, is responsible for personnel solutions as well as industry and services.
Management
In the course of the new structure there have also been changes in the Management Board of R+S Group AG. In addition to CEO Ralph Burkhardt, Rainer Bauer (52) is the joint CEO of the Group. “Since May 2018, we have thus reduced the number of members of the Executive Board from six to initially three and now to two as of early 2019 and, as announced, also rejuvenated it. This was an objective shared with the Supervisory Board and the shareholders. At the end of 2018, Armin Alt retired from the management team, which was also planned,” says Burkhardt. He adds: “We will in future be supported on the Board of Management by an extended management team and have strengthened the operating units.”
Company founder, majority shareholder and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board Markus Röhner (57) has stepped back from the operational business. His task now is to focus on future markets and strategic issues. “I made this decision for myself personally. It was well-considered and well-prepared over a relatively long period of time,” emphasises Markus Röhner. “The plan is working. Our realignment, which is fully on schedule, is the first visible proof of this,” he says.
Employer brand
“Know what’s happening on the shop floor.” This is important to Ralph Burkhardt and his fellow board member Rainer Bauer. “That’s why we focus on our employees. They are the core of the R+S Group and are responsible for our shared success.” The smart and dynamic web presence, social media and internal and external publications are designed to promote the employer brand and enhance the company’s profile. “People are our most important asset. We offer attractive jobs in an efficient manual trades business with good prospects for the future and an interesting environment.” The Executive Board duo say that the Group will in the future position itself even more clearly in the highly competitive market.
Major project at Frankfurt Airport
The R+S Group is currently handling two important and very complex projects in the region. These include the new construction of the operating and emergency centre at the Fulda Clinic and the new Engelbert Strauss CI factory with logistics tower on the A 66 near Schlüchtern. “Both major construction sites – with a total order volume of over €30 million – are important to us because they generate a certain amount of pride among our employees and we can show our clients what know-how and expertise the R+S Group possesses,” says Burkhardt.
A highlight in 2019 will be the start of Fraport AG’s “Pier G in the new Terminal 3” project in Frankfurt am Main. “We are very pleased that we were able to successfully fend off the international competition here, because our job is to carry out the electrical engineering in this building, from the fire alarm system to the information technology.” The Chairman of the Board of Management expects up to 150 employees from the branches in Fulda, Hanau and Mannheim to be working there simultaneously at peak times. “This is a first and a record. The construction period is 29 months and the order volume is €26.2 million. R+S is acting for the first time here as part of a consortium with Lindner AG from Arnstorf (Bavaria) and other partners. “What is key here is detailed planning accurate to the millimetre and close coordination with our partners”.
The R+S Group in figures
With 3,500 employees at 30 locations, R+S Group AG generates annual sales around €400 million. “Our order books are currently full almost 14 months ahead”, reports CFO Rainer Bauer. “This puts us in an excellent position for 2019,” he explains. “The challenge now is to produce a sufficient number of specialists and executives to handle the complex projects that set us apart from the regional market. This phenomenon is an issue not only for the R+S Group, but for the entire industry.”
Caption: Markus Röhner (left), Rainer Bauer (centre), Ralph Burkhardt (right)