With its two brands Griesser and weinor, the Griesser Group is one of Europe’s leading specialists for high-quality, innovative, and well-designed sun shading solutions and controls for windows and terraces. With both companies, the Griesser Group is represented in more than 30 European countries and has a strong international network of more than 7,000 partners. Griesser produces in its own factories in Switzerland, Austria, and France and weinor at its two German production sites in Cologne and Möckern. The high-quality sun shading products from Griesser and weinor regularly win prestigious awards. The Griesser Group generated a turnover of CHF 324.5 million in 2023 and has been managed by Swiss entrepreneur Urs Neuhauser since 2019.
Interview with Urs Neuhauser, CEO of Griesser Group.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Urs Neuhauser: Production, sales, service & repair, assembly.
E.E: What’s the news about new products/services?
U.N: We are constantly refining our products. The topic of product development is particularly relevant in the area of our sustainability strategy, which aims to achieve CO2 neutrality by 2050. With our solar collection, we recently launched solar-powered roller shutters and façade awnings that can be used independently of the electricity grid. We also offer an awning collection whose awning fabric consists of 85% recycled PET. The topic of smart homes is another area that we are constantly expanding. Automated sun protection is an essential basis for saving energy costs.
E.E: What are the ranges of products/services?
U.N: In our five factories in four countries, we produce Venetian blinds (in Switzerland), roller shutters (in France), facade and terrace awnings (in France and Germany), window shutters (in Austria) and control systems (in Switzerland).
E.E: What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
U.N: In the construction sector in general, the political situation in Europe, economic factors such as high inflation, rising interest rates, the strong Swiss franc and selective changes to the legal framework across Europe mean that uncertainty is still noticeable. However, the first signs of recovery are already becoming tangible and we anticipate a slight economic upturn towards the end of the year in Switzerland and in Europe from 2025. With sustainable investment activities and continuous strategic optimization, we are positioned for the coming upturn in an efficient, customer-oriented and growth-oriented manner.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
U.N: In general, building land is becoming an increasingly rare commodity worldwide. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to be able to offer perfect sun shading solutions in the renovation sector too. Another trend is the topic of automation and the associated smart home. In addition, the need for sustainable products is increasingly being felt directly by customers, meaning that the sun shading industry will have to invest more heavily in sustainability in the long term. Sustainability has been a high priority for Griesser for several years now, both at company and product level
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2024?
U.N: Due to the current economic situation and the forecasts for the coming months, we expect another year of low growth across the industry. Despite the challenging environment, we were able to achieve a solid first quarter, which gives us confidence for the rest of 2024.