Just a few years ago, Heckler & Koch was deep in the red and the company was burdened with a high mountain of debt. The last time a loss was recorded was in 2018, after which it kept going up until the “exceptional year” 2022, as H&K boss Jens Bodo Koch called it. Higher energy and raw material costs and negative currency effects are now making themselves felt in the current financial year. In the longer term, however, management is convinced that H&K will grow again. The board of directors emphasizes that the course for growth is intact.
Against the background of the Ukraine war, the demand for armaments also increased in Western countries. H&K benefits from this as a manufacturer of assault rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and pistols.
At the beginning of 2023, however, there were signs of a slowdown in business: In the first quarter of 2023, sales fell by 4.3 million to 73.2 million euros compared to the previous year and the operating profit (Ebitda) fell by 2 million to 18 million euros. For the second quarter, the company expects similar sales and a slightly weaker operating result than in the first quarter.
Heckler & Koch had 1131 employees last year, 45 more than in 2021. A good 90 percent of them work at the main plant in Oberndorf am Neckar. Competitors include Smith & Wesson and Colt from the USA. In Europe, Beretta (Italy), FN (Belgium) and the Colt mother CZ from the Czech Republic are among the competitors. A smaller domestic competitor is the Thuringian gunsmith CG Haenel.
ROTTWEIL (dpa-AFX)
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