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Tag: Hilti

  • Hilti wants to take over 4PS Group

    Hilti wants to take over 4PS Group

    The Hilti Group is seeking to acquire the 4PS Group. The Dutch company, which is headquartered in Ede and has branches in the UK, Belgium and Germany, specialises in software for business processes in the construction industry, Hilti informs in a corresponding statement. According to the statement, the acquisition is still subject to the approval of the relevant supervisory authorities. No details of the purchase price are given in the release.

    “As a company that works closely with its customers and focuses on driving the digital transformation of the construction industry, 4PS Group is a perfect fit for Hilti,” Thomas Hillbrand, member of the Hilti Group Executive Board, is quoted as saying in the release. “We share the conviction that optimised business processes offer enormous productivity potential for the construction industry.” The corresponding offering from 4PS is intended to complement Hilti’s software offering for working capital management and construction site management.

    The company’s 4PS Construct software is based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and provides functions for managing construction projects. Construction companies can use it to control their profitability and plan and manage the use of resources. “By integrating our services and cloud solutions into Hilti’s portfolio, we will become an even stronger digitalisation partner for the construction industry,” explains Paula Middelkoop, Director Product & Development at 4PS Group. The approximately 350 employees, including the management of 4PS, are to remain with the company under the umbrella of the Hilti Group.

  • Hilti wants to lead transformation in the construction industry

    Hilti wants to lead transformation in the construction industry

    Hilti launched its new Lead 2030 strategy at the beginning of 2023, the Schaan-based global tool manufacturing group said in a statement. It is intended to put Hilti in a position to lead the transformation in the construction industry. To this end, the group is continuously investing in product innovations.

    In the 2022 financial year, Hilti has already increased spending on research and development by 17.2 per cent year-on-year to CHF 437 million. In the same year, the tool manufacturer also made “the most extensive product launch in the company’s history”, according to the statement. Specifically, the new Nuron battery platform was launched with more than 70 tools.

    The higher investments, combined with increased costs and the strong franc, had a negative impact on Hilti’s profits. At 731 million, operating profit in 2022 was 13.7 per cent lower than in the previous year. At the same time, net profit fell by 16.3 percent to CHF 565 million. In contrast, sales generated worldwide increased by 10.0 per cent in local currencies to 6.35 billion Swiss francs.

    “2022 was a challenging year, which inevitably left its mark on our profitability,” CEO Jahangir Doongaji is quoted as saying in the statement. “Nevertheless, we achieved our growth target in local currencies and continued to invest massively in the future of our company.”

  • FHNW strengthens the Institute for Digital Building

    FHNW strengthens the Institute for Digital Building

    The Institute for Digital Building at the FHNW has won Eder Martinez as a professor. According to a press release , the focus of his teaching will be on digital twins and the information lifecycle. “Anyone who wants to build with digital support and needs-oriented in the future must be able to collect, automate, map and process information in a targeted manner,” explains Manfred Huber, head of the institute, explaining the background to the focus.

    Martinez received his Masters and PhD degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB). Among other things, he worked as a civil engineer and specialist for cooperation processes on construction sites in Chile and Ecuador. He has also supported companies such as Hilti and Implenia in digital construction projects.

    The FHNW only founded the Institute for Digital Building in 2018. According to the university, it has grown significantly since then. With Martinez, the second professorship in the field of information management will be filled this year.

  • Hilti receives award as an attractive employer

    Hilti receives award as an attractive employer

    Hilti has received the Great Place to Work award for the seventh time, according to a media release. A representative anonymous employee survey and analyzes of the company’s HR work were therefore decisive for the evaluation. Two-thirds of the perspective of the workforce was included.

    The Great Place to Work assessment provides information about the quality and attractiveness of the company’s workplace culture. An excellent and future-oriented workplace according to the criteria of the international research and consulting institute is characterized by trust between employees and managers, sustainable value creation, effectiveness of management, lived values, the commitment and motivation of employees to innovate and the extent to which the team members can reach their potential.

    According to Philip Janssen, Head of Headquarters Human Resources at Hilti, 91 percent of employees would recommend Hilti to their friends and family as a great place to work. “For us as an HR department, it shows that our efforts to promote an employee- and performance-oriented company culture are visible and important to our team members.”

    The Liechtenstein provider of machines, products, services and software for the construction industry has also received the Benefits Award from Swibeco, which is given for additional services provided by a company.

  • Hilti buys software company Fieldwire in the USA

    Hilti buys software company Fieldwire in the USA

    The Schaaner group of companies Hilti is taking over the American tech company Fieldwire for 300 million dollars. Both companies have reached an agreement on this, according to a media release . The aim of the acquisition is to develop a leading digital platform for construction site management. Fieldwire has offered a platform since the company was founded in 2013, which is now used on more than 1 million construction sites.

    “This acquisition expands our software portfolio and is the next logical step in the direction of our vision of becoming the leading digitization partner for our customers,” said Christoph Loos, CEO of the Hilti Group, in the press release. Hilti wants to continue investing in the platform in order to become the market leader in the field of construction project management software.

    This also includes taking on all Fieldwire employees and hiring new ones. The two company founders, Yves Frinault and Javed Singha, will also continue to run the company.

    The tool manufacturer had already invested in the American start-up in 2017 as part of a financing round and has supported the development of Fieldwire since then. A close partnership already exists.

    “In Hilti we have found a partner who shares our values and at the same time enables us to accelerate our product development for our customers in our existing and new markets. We are very pleased to become part of the Hilti Group, ”said Yves Frinault, CEO of Fieldwire, in the press release. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year.