“We also need relief for the economy,” said the CEO of the DAX group in an interview with Focus. Whether this goes “through tax breaks or special depreciation, for example for investments in energy-saving processes” must be discussed, said Knobel. The well-being of society is closely related to the state of the economy.
The group, which is primarily known for its washing and hair care products (Persil/Schwarzkopf), is severely affected by rising prices for raw materials and logistics: “This year there will be additional costs of 2 billion euros,” said Knobel. “Just for comparison: In the previous ten years we had an average headwind of 100 million euros a year, so we’re talking about a twenty-fold increase!”
Henkel was directly “not so badly affected” by an impending gas shortage. However, like 90 percent of German industry, Henkel is dependent on chemical raw and basic materials. “If we lack certain primary products as a result of a lack of gas deliveries, in the worst case we would have to shut down parts of production,” explained Knobel. Henkel is preparing for this by converting production wherever possible and reducing the proportion of gas.
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