Postage Velenje, Slovenia, 20 December 2017...
Transcript of Postage Velenje, Slovenia, 20 December 2017...
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Published by: Gorenje d. d. / editor-in-chief: Uršula Menih Dokl / content development: Mateja Celin, Anja Rejc, Bojana Rojc / design: Marko Marinšek / print: Eurograf
“Innovative and prestigious appliances are our future – today, they already account for almost a third of our sales”
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO FRANJO BOBINAC
Dear shareholders,
In the first year of our pursuit of the 2016–2020 Strategic Plan, Gorenje Group attained and exceeded its plans for both revenue and profit. This year, we were again off to a good start and at the half-year mark we were, compared to the last year’s results, ahead in all key categories of the annual plan. However, the third quarter fell well short of our expectations and we issued a warning in November that it would not be possible to fully attain all of our key goals for 2017.
While we continued to grow in Eastern Europe and in non-European markets, our sales were down significantly in Germany, our largest market, where we changed our business model. We are looking to sell more built-in and premium appliances, and to sell through specialized retail chains that are better suited for sales of innovative appliances. This resulted in major fluctuation of sales in Germany in the transitory period, which had an immediate impact on our performance.
Global prices of steel sheet metal and plastic granulate, key raw materials for our manufacturing processes, which had been relatively low for several years, increased steeply with this year’s economic growth. Costs of material account for the largest share of the cost of our products, and if these prices only increase by a few percent, the resulting negative effect can wash way our entire profit.
Moreover, labour costs increased, especially on account of higher number of employees during the
delniar.g Gorenje shareholder newsletter
delniar.g 2
period of high orders, as well as due to the elimination of salary disproportions.
We responded swiftly. We are focused on sales promotion in key markets; we are improving our cost efficiency and process productivity in all areas; and we are looking to improve working capital turnover with intensified supply chain financing. We are also decreasing our inventories and complexity of our operations.
New generations of appliances are the foundation for solid sales
In the second half of the year, we launched mass production of new generations of free-standing cookers and premium dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. This is an exceptional technological step for Gorenje. Introduction of new technologies and solutions that are important for the future of the company caused some short delivery delays, but these were resolved and partly made up for by the end of the year. Thus, we are completing a few-year cycle of higher investments that exceeded depreciation and amortization.
Updated cookers, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers for all Gorenje Group brands are our future. Only advanced appliances will allow us to boost sales of innovative products and premium brands that are more profitable and mostly marketed beyond Europe, which decreases our reliance on the mature European markets.
Takeovers, relocations, premium products and global growth
Execution of strategic policies was particularly important after the onset of the global financial and economic crisis. If we had not completed major structural changes then, we would have been obliterated to the ash heap of history by now. Italian Merloni, Spanish Fagor and the French Thomson-Brandt, once our competitors due to comparable size, have all failed. One of the most important moves we made following the acquisition of the Czech company Mora, Dutch company Atag, and Swedish company Asko, was shifting the manufacturing operations form Scandinavia to Slovenia and the Czech Republic, and from Slovenia to Serbia. Our annual savings on account of this move amount to 20 million euros.
Another strategically important decision was to boost sales of innovative products and premium brands that
today account for nearly a third of total Gorenje Group sales, and bring in considerably more earnings.
The third step was focusing on markets beyond Europe. This is where our growth was the steepest in this year. Today, we sell over 12 percent of our products in Australia, USA, China and the Middle East.
We wish to ensure Gorenje Group’s long-term development
Globalization and consolidation that have been the hallmarks of the
white goods industry in recent years have compelled us to actively seek opportunities for strategic business combination. Gorenje remains one of the few companies in the industry, which is not a part of a major multinational corporation. Our products have found their way to the homes of end users across the globe while competing with giants like Samsung, LG and Electrolux. Gorenje could remain independent for some time, but we believe that laying the foundations of Gorenje’s long-term future and competitive edge is the responsible thing to do. Especially for our further development and hiring.
Why do we need a strategic partner? The main goal is to increase the scale of our
operations. Economies of scale are highly important for cost management and the resulting long-term competitiveness in our industry. If we make more appliances, we can negotiate much better prices and payment terms with our suppliers on account of greater volume. Similar logic applies to development that today focuses on digitalization and connectible appliances as a part of a smart home. In addition to acceleration of product innovations, a suitable strategic partnership would also afford access to new markets, and we could work with a partner to reinforce the power of our brands.
We have a solid foundation for sales growth Operations are highly challenging in this year. We
still have a lot to do to improve our position, but we have proven that we can do it. In the last ten years, we have completed important acquisitions and relocations that have enabled growth and development.
In Central and Eastern Europe, and the countries of the former Soviet Union, Gorenje Group is an esteemed and reputed company. Our factories in Slovenia, Serbia and the Czech Republic are strategically positioned. Development at our competence centres in Slovenia, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic keep abreast of the global trends and sometimes even set them. The range of all major and small domestic appliances of all brands is competitive. Highly skilled and experienced employees bind all this into Gorenje Group’s story of success.
Gorenje is the only brand from the Western Balkans, which not only survived, but consolidated its position.
2017
Today, we are present in households in four continents and 90 countries around the world. We are one of the largest manufacturing companies in Slovenia and we are aware of our social responsibility. Therefore, our efforts are always dedicated to preservation of productive jobs, both within the company and at our many suppliers.
We are successfully developing the status of a niche manufacturer of premium and innovative appliances and designer lines that set the trends in the industry. On the other hand, economies of scale are highly important for cost management and the resulting long-term competitiveness.
Deleveraging a key task for better profitability At its core, Gorenje is a domestic appliance
manufacturer. Therefore, we shall continue to gradually divest some of our non-core businesses and thus continue to cut our debt, and we shall restructure any companies failing to deliver adequate returns. Constant decrease of working capital, and of course increase in profitability, remain the other important way of cutting our debt – and a key goal for us in the future. Further increase in sales of innovative appliances and appliances under premium brands Asko and Atag will improve our sales structure, and we expect the improvement of geographical structure of sales to result in even steeper growth in the markets outside Europe. By increasing our market shares, we shall considerably increase the utilization of our production capacity. Moreover, we shall
improve our supply chain management, as well as labour cost management as we intend to cut the number of employees in support services. After the completion of a major investment cycle, investments in the coming years will be at the level of depreciation and amortization, or approximately 20 million euros lower than in recent years.
Dear shareholders, Creating value for the shareholders, employees, business partners, and the environment remains at the heart of our mission. Rapid development of digitalization, volatile environment, and shifting consumer behaviour are the motors of changes that lead us in the creation of sustainable innovative products and services that make everyday easier and improve the quality of our lives. Successful transformation into a global and sustainably competitive domestic appliance manufacturer will be of key importance for Gorenje Group’s further development. I believe that we are together on the right path.
On behalf of Gorenje d. d. Management Board,
Franjo Bobinac, President and CEO
Following a request by the shareholders Home Products Europe B.V., Netherlands, Raiffeisenbank Austria d.d., Zagreb, Croatia, Splitska banka d.d., Split, Croatia, and Unicredit Bank Hungary ZRT, Budapest, for the convocation of Shareholders Assembly of the company Gorenje d. d., Gorenje Management Board convened the 25th Shareholders Assembly of the company Gorenje d.d. to be held on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, starting at 10.00 a.m., in the conference hall of the Paka Hotel in Velenje, Rudarska ul. 1, Slovenia.
The shareholders will vote on discharge of two members of the Supervisory Board, representatives of shareholders, Marko Volj and Uroš Slavinec and on elections of two new members of the Supervisory Board: Philip Alexander Sluiter and Robert Lien.
Detailed explanations relating to the Shareholders Assembly are published on the corporate website for investors: http://www.gorenjegroup.com/en/investors/ annual-general-meetings.
On November 21, 2017, the Supervisory Board publicly presented its position regarding the request for convocation of extraordinary general meeting. It is the Supervisory Board’s mission to always work in the best interest of the company, while keeping in mind Gorenje’s importance for a variety of stakeholders. Every shareholder has the right to propose changes in the Supervisory Board if she or he is unhappy with the Supervisory Board’s work.
Gorenje prides in its very solid corporate governance. It is understandable that respective Supervisory Board members’ views on a variety of issues pertaining to Gorenje’s challenges may deviate; however, such views have always been exchanged in a sharp, yet respectable dialogue. To date, this has virtually always led to unanimous conclusions and decisions. The Supervisory Board stressed unity in their work, and rejected all allegations of differences between respective members.
Gorenje Group is entering a very turbulent period and therefore, stable management is in the best interest of the company and its stakeholders, including its shareholders. In order to ensure stability and to reach the best possible business results, the Supervisory Board continues to support the Management Board.
JANUARY 9, STARTING AT 10.00 A.M. HOTEL PAKA, VELENJE
Extraordinary Shareholders Assembly
Cooking Appliances 41.5%
Cooling Appliances 25.5%
Laundry Appliances 16.5%
Dishwashing Appliances 12.2%
13% Czech Republic Mariánské údolí
64% Slovenia Velenje
Netherlands Duiven Sweden Lidköping
PRODUCTION FACILITIES FOR DOMESTIC APPLIANCES
Design driven innovators. Gorenje Group. The Gorenje Group is one of the leading European manufacturers of household appliances
CORE BUSINESS Major and small domestic appliances
IN 90 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE
95% of sales
GLOBAL PRESENCE in 90 countries worldwide, mostly in Europe (91%), also in USA, Australia, Middle and Far East
REVENUE (2016)
2017
BOOSTING SALES OF PREMIUM BRANDS THAT AFFORD CONSIDERABLY HIGHER PROFITS
SALES UNDER THE PREMIUM ASKO BRAND INCREASED BY A THIRD
Asko appliances represent in the period January-September 2017 4% of our appliances produced. However, because of higher pricing Asko appliances represent 12.2% in our revenues.
Gorenje Group has a carefully developed portfolio of brands spanning all price segments. We are focused in particular on the upper-mid (Gorenje) and the premium segment (Asko and Atag). Global brands Gorenje and Asko are supplemented by European regional brands.
Asko is a premium brand under which we offer a comprehensive range of home appliances in select markets across the globe. Its recognition is based on specialization on premium dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. Over the years, however, we expanded the assortment to cooking and cooling appliances. Asko is reinforcing and increasing its market share in the premium segment, and stepping up its sales and profitability every year. The graph presents sales in millions of euros and sales growth in percent. Overall, sales have grown by 33.67 percent in the period from 2013 to 2017.
In 2017, we continued to gradually developing and adding new product platforms in all key major appliance product categories. The strategic goal that we will increase the share of premium appliances in the sales structure to 30% of the total Group’s overall revenue by the year 2020, was achieved already this year.
MDA structure: Own brands (January – September 2017, volume terms)
MDA structure: Own brands (January – September 2017, value terms)
DOMESTIC APPLIANCES REVENUE FROM PREMIUM AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS
0%
10%
20%
30%
122,000
+ 33.67%
Innovative on the global level
Asko no. 1 in Australia Asko dishwashers received the best review by the biggest independent Australian review company Choice. Model Asko D5436 was the No. 1 rated dishwasher in Australia and three more of our premium-brand Asko models were ranked in the top 14.
Gorenje on the roads of the Asian capital In January, Gorenje Asia organized a 10- day roadshow campaign to promote the brand. The first campaign ‘on wheels’ was successful and noticed on the streets of Hanoi as well as on social media with significant increase of new followers.
From digital transformation to smart factories At Gorenje Group, we are very much aware of the need for digitalisation and digital transformation of work processes and product development, which is why we also invest in automatization of production and robotization of the factories of the future, the smart factories.
Gold for Gorenje’s innovation Innovators from Gorenje won the Golden Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIS) Innovation Award for the new generation of Gorenje SmartFlex dishwashers, which were developed in Sweden, at one of Gorenje Group’s four development-competence centres. The CCIS award for the best innovations in Slovenia is considered the highest commendation for innovative achievements of Slovenian companies, and an important vehicle of promotion for innovation in Slovenia.
2017
Passion for design
Users impressed by our hairdryers Brand Gorenje launched the first Gorenje Beauty line. The new Gorenje hairdryer was already named ‘the Beauty Gadget of the Year’ as the readers of the popular women’s lifestyle publication Cosmopolitan Croatia selected it as the most wanted gift they’d like to see under the Christmas tree.
Designing with technologies of the future Gorenje Group is introducing the Microsoft HoloLens technology in R&D and IT, which enables a more advanced and more efficient product development in augmented reality. Development in AR also shortens time, necessary to develop a new product, and reduces costs of making real samples.
Meet Anna! Gorenje launched Anna, the Gorenje virtual shopping assistant, available to users on Facebook. One of the aims of introducing the advanced digital service for users is to simplify the product research process and to provide a simple, convenient help in choosing/getting informed about new Gorenje products.
Awards for our superior design In 2017, Gorenje Group received 4 Red Dot Awards: 2 for Gorenje brand products, and 2 prestigious Best of the Best Red Dot Awards for the ASKO brand products. This marks the 18th consecutive year for Gorenje Group to be awarded with the Red Dot award – the internationally sought-after seal of quality, which this year alone received more than 5,500 entries from 54 countries.
Postage stamp – a special recognition of our achievements The Slovenian postal service issued a special-edition postage stamp from the Slovenian Industrial Design series, depicting the Gorenje Simple & Logical washing machine. The revolutionary product from 1996 was considered an innovation on global level as it was the very first touch-controlled home appliance and the first to introduce a truly simplified user experience.
delniar.g 8
OFFICIAL SPONSOR
Gorenje, one of the leading European home appliance manufacturers and a proud sponsor of the upcoming EHF European Handball Championship, commits to fair cheering under the hashtag #simplyfans. Become a part of Gorenje’s #simplyfans movement that brings together handball fans of all nationalities.
Nikola Karabati
Published by: Gorenje d. d. / editor-in-chief: Uršula Menih Dokl / content development: Mateja Celin, Anja Rejc, Bojana Rojc / design: Marko Marinšek / print: Eurograf
“Innovative and prestigious appliances are our future – today, they already account for almost a third of our sales”
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO FRANJO BOBINAC
Dear shareholders,
In the first year of our pursuit of the 2016–2020 Strategic Plan, Gorenje Group attained and exceeded its plans for both revenue and profit. This year, we were again off to a good start and at the half-year mark we were, compared to the last year’s results, ahead in all key categories of the annual plan. However, the third quarter fell well short of our expectations and we issued a warning in November that it would not be possible to fully attain all of our key goals for 2017.
While we continued to grow in Eastern Europe and in non-European markets, our sales were down significantly in Germany, our largest market, where we changed our business model. We are looking to sell more built-in and premium appliances, and to sell through specialized retail chains that are better suited for sales of innovative appliances. This resulted in major fluctuation of sales in Germany in the transitory period, which had an immediate impact on our performance.
Global prices of steel sheet metal and plastic granulate, key raw materials for our manufacturing processes, which had been relatively low for several years, increased steeply with this year’s economic growth. Costs of material account for the largest share of the cost of our products, and if these prices only increase by a few percent, the resulting negative effect can wash way our entire profit.
Moreover, labour costs increased, especially on account of higher number of employees during the
delniar.g Gorenje shareholder newsletter
delniar.g 2
period of high orders, as well as due to the elimination of salary disproportions.
We responded swiftly. We are focused on sales promotion in key markets; we are improving our cost efficiency and process productivity in all areas; and we are looking to improve working capital turnover with intensified supply chain financing. We are also decreasing our inventories and complexity of our operations.
New generations of appliances are the foundation for solid sales
In the second half of the year, we launched mass production of new generations of free-standing cookers and premium dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. This is an exceptional technological step for Gorenje. Introduction of new technologies and solutions that are important for the future of the company caused some short delivery delays, but these were resolved and partly made up for by the end of the year. Thus, we are completing a few-year cycle of higher investments that exceeded depreciation and amortization.
Updated cookers, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers for all Gorenje Group brands are our future. Only advanced appliances will allow us to boost sales of innovative products and premium brands that are more profitable and mostly marketed beyond Europe, which decreases our reliance on the mature European markets.
Takeovers, relocations, premium products and global growth
Execution of strategic policies was particularly important after the onset of the global financial and economic crisis. If we had not completed major structural changes then, we would have been obliterated to the ash heap of history by now. Italian Merloni, Spanish Fagor and the French Thomson-Brandt, once our competitors due to comparable size, have all failed. One of the most important moves we made following the acquisition of the Czech company Mora, Dutch company Atag, and Swedish company Asko, was shifting the manufacturing operations form Scandinavia to Slovenia and the Czech Republic, and from Slovenia to Serbia. Our annual savings on account of this move amount to 20 million euros.
Another strategically important decision was to boost sales of innovative products and premium brands that
today account for nearly a third of total Gorenje Group sales, and bring in considerably more earnings.
The third step was focusing on markets beyond Europe. This is where our growth was the steepest in this year. Today, we sell over 12 percent of our products in Australia, USA, China and the Middle East.
We wish to ensure Gorenje Group’s long-term development
Globalization and consolidation that have been the hallmarks of the
white goods industry in recent years have compelled us to actively seek opportunities for strategic business combination. Gorenje remains one of the few companies in the industry, which is not a part of a major multinational corporation. Our products have found their way to the homes of end users across the globe while competing with giants like Samsung, LG and Electrolux. Gorenje could remain independent for some time, but we believe that laying the foundations of Gorenje’s long-term future and competitive edge is the responsible thing to do. Especially for our further development and hiring.
Why do we need a strategic partner? The main goal is to increase the scale of our
operations. Economies of scale are highly important for cost management and the resulting long-term competitiveness in our industry. If we make more appliances, we can negotiate much better prices and payment terms with our suppliers on account of greater volume. Similar logic applies to development that today focuses on digitalization and connectible appliances as a part of a smart home. In addition to acceleration of product innovations, a suitable strategic partnership would also afford access to new markets, and we could work with a partner to reinforce the power of our brands.
We have a solid foundation for sales growth Operations are highly challenging in this year. We
still have a lot to do to improve our position, but we have proven that we can do it. In the last ten years, we have completed important acquisitions and relocations that have enabled growth and development.
In Central and Eastern Europe, and the countries of the former Soviet Union, Gorenje Group is an esteemed and reputed company. Our factories in Slovenia, Serbia and the Czech Republic are strategically positioned. Development at our competence centres in Slovenia, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic keep abreast of the global trends and sometimes even set them. The range of all major and small domestic appliances of all brands is competitive. Highly skilled and experienced employees bind all this into Gorenje Group’s story of success.
Gorenje is the only brand from the Western Balkans, which not only survived, but consolidated its position.
2017
Today, we are present in households in four continents and 90 countries around the world. We are one of the largest manufacturing companies in Slovenia and we are aware of our social responsibility. Therefore, our efforts are always dedicated to preservation of productive jobs, both within the company and at our many suppliers.
We are successfully developing the status of a niche manufacturer of premium and innovative appliances and designer lines that set the trends in the industry. On the other hand, economies of scale are highly important for cost management and the resulting long-term competitiveness.
Deleveraging a key task for better profitability At its core, Gorenje is a domestic appliance
manufacturer. Therefore, we shall continue to gradually divest some of our non-core businesses and thus continue to cut our debt, and we shall restructure any companies failing to deliver adequate returns. Constant decrease of working capital, and of course increase in profitability, remain the other important way of cutting our debt – and a key goal for us in the future. Further increase in sales of innovative appliances and appliances under premium brands Asko and Atag will improve our sales structure, and we expect the improvement of geographical structure of sales to result in even steeper growth in the markets outside Europe. By increasing our market shares, we shall considerably increase the utilization of our production capacity. Moreover, we shall
improve our supply chain management, as well as labour cost management as we intend to cut the number of employees in support services. After the completion of a major investment cycle, investments in the coming years will be at the level of depreciation and amortization, or approximately 20 million euros lower than in recent years.
Dear shareholders, Creating value for the shareholders, employees, business partners, and the environment remains at the heart of our mission. Rapid development of digitalization, volatile environment, and shifting consumer behaviour are the motors of changes that lead us in the creation of sustainable innovative products and services that make everyday easier and improve the quality of our lives. Successful transformation into a global and sustainably competitive domestic appliance manufacturer will be of key importance for Gorenje Group’s further development. I believe that we are together on the right path.
On behalf of Gorenje d. d. Management Board,
Franjo Bobinac, President and CEO
Following a request by the shareholders Home Products Europe B.V., Netherlands, Raiffeisenbank Austria d.d., Zagreb, Croatia, Splitska banka d.d., Split, Croatia, and Unicredit Bank Hungary ZRT, Budapest, for the convocation of Shareholders Assembly of the company Gorenje d. d., Gorenje Management Board convened the 25th Shareholders Assembly of the company Gorenje d.d. to be held on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, starting at 10.00 a.m., in the conference hall of the Paka Hotel in Velenje, Rudarska ul. 1, Slovenia.
The shareholders will vote on discharge of two members of the Supervisory Board, representatives of shareholders, Marko Volj and Uroš Slavinec and on elections of two new members of the Supervisory Board: Philip Alexander Sluiter and Robert Lien.
Detailed explanations relating to the Shareholders Assembly are published on the corporate website for investors: http://www.gorenjegroup.com/en/investors/ annual-general-meetings.
On November 21, 2017, the Supervisory Board publicly presented its position regarding the request for convocation of extraordinary general meeting. It is the Supervisory Board’s mission to always work in the best interest of the company, while keeping in mind Gorenje’s importance for a variety of stakeholders. Every shareholder has the right to propose changes in the Supervisory Board if she or he is unhappy with the Supervisory Board’s work.
Gorenje prides in its very solid corporate governance. It is understandable that respective Supervisory Board members’ views on a variety of issues pertaining to Gorenje’s challenges may deviate; however, such views have always been exchanged in a sharp, yet respectable dialogue. To date, this has virtually always led to unanimous conclusions and decisions. The Supervisory Board stressed unity in their work, and rejected all allegations of differences between respective members.
Gorenje Group is entering a very turbulent period and therefore, stable management is in the best interest of the company and its stakeholders, including its shareholders. In order to ensure stability and to reach the best possible business results, the Supervisory Board continues to support the Management Board.
JANUARY 9, STARTING AT 10.00 A.M. HOTEL PAKA, VELENJE
Extraordinary Shareholders Assembly
Cooking Appliances 41.5%
Cooling Appliances 25.5%
Laundry Appliances 16.5%
Dishwashing Appliances 12.2%
13% Czech Republic Mariánské údolí
64% Slovenia Velenje
Netherlands Duiven Sweden Lidköping
PRODUCTION FACILITIES FOR DOMESTIC APPLIANCES
Design driven innovators. Gorenje Group. The Gorenje Group is one of the leading European manufacturers of household appliances
CORE BUSINESS Major and small domestic appliances
IN 90 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE
95% of sales
GLOBAL PRESENCE in 90 countries worldwide, mostly in Europe (91%), also in USA, Australia, Middle and Far East
REVENUE (2016)
2017
BOOSTING SALES OF PREMIUM BRANDS THAT AFFORD CONSIDERABLY HIGHER PROFITS
SALES UNDER THE PREMIUM ASKO BRAND INCREASED BY A THIRD
Asko appliances represent in the period January-September 2017 4% of our appliances produced. However, because of higher pricing Asko appliances represent 12.2% in our revenues.
Gorenje Group has a carefully developed portfolio of brands spanning all price segments. We are focused in particular on the upper-mid (Gorenje) and the premium segment (Asko and Atag). Global brands Gorenje and Asko are supplemented by European regional brands.
Asko is a premium brand under which we offer a comprehensive range of home appliances in select markets across the globe. Its recognition is based on specialization on premium dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. Over the years, however, we expanded the assortment to cooking and cooling appliances. Asko is reinforcing and increasing its market share in the premium segment, and stepping up its sales and profitability every year. The graph presents sales in millions of euros and sales growth in percent. Overall, sales have grown by 33.67 percent in the period from 2013 to 2017.
In 2017, we continued to gradually developing and adding new product platforms in all key major appliance product categories. The strategic goal that we will increase the share of premium appliances in the sales structure to 30% of the total Group’s overall revenue by the year 2020, was achieved already this year.
MDA structure: Own brands (January – September 2017, volume terms)
MDA structure: Own brands (January – September 2017, value terms)
DOMESTIC APPLIANCES REVENUE FROM PREMIUM AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS
0%
10%
20%
30%
122,000
+ 33.67%
Innovative on the global level
Asko no. 1 in Australia Asko dishwashers received the best review by the biggest independent Australian review company Choice. Model Asko D5436 was the No. 1 rated dishwasher in Australia and three more of our premium-brand Asko models were ranked in the top 14.
Gorenje on the roads of the Asian capital In January, Gorenje Asia organized a 10- day roadshow campaign to promote the brand. The first campaign ‘on wheels’ was successful and noticed on the streets of Hanoi as well as on social media with significant increase of new followers.
From digital transformation to smart factories At Gorenje Group, we are very much aware of the need for digitalisation and digital transformation of work processes and product development, which is why we also invest in automatization of production and robotization of the factories of the future, the smart factories.
Gold for Gorenje’s innovation Innovators from Gorenje won the Golden Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIS) Innovation Award for the new generation of Gorenje SmartFlex dishwashers, which were developed in Sweden, at one of Gorenje Group’s four development-competence centres. The CCIS award for the best innovations in Slovenia is considered the highest commendation for innovative achievements of Slovenian companies, and an important vehicle of promotion for innovation in Slovenia.
2017
Passion for design
Users impressed by our hairdryers Brand Gorenje launched the first Gorenje Beauty line. The new Gorenje hairdryer was already named ‘the Beauty Gadget of the Year’ as the readers of the popular women’s lifestyle publication Cosmopolitan Croatia selected it as the most wanted gift they’d like to see under the Christmas tree.
Designing with technologies of the future Gorenje Group is introducing the Microsoft HoloLens technology in R&D and IT, which enables a more advanced and more efficient product development in augmented reality. Development in AR also shortens time, necessary to develop a new product, and reduces costs of making real samples.
Meet Anna! Gorenje launched Anna, the Gorenje virtual shopping assistant, available to users on Facebook. One of the aims of introducing the advanced digital service for users is to simplify the product research process and to provide a simple, convenient help in choosing/getting informed about new Gorenje products.
Awards for our superior design In 2017, Gorenje Group received 4 Red Dot Awards: 2 for Gorenje brand products, and 2 prestigious Best of the Best Red Dot Awards for the ASKO brand products. This marks the 18th consecutive year for Gorenje Group to be awarded with the Red Dot award – the internationally sought-after seal of quality, which this year alone received more than 5,500 entries from 54 countries.
Postage stamp – a special recognition of our achievements The Slovenian postal service issued a special-edition postage stamp from the Slovenian Industrial Design series, depicting the Gorenje Simple & Logical washing machine. The revolutionary product from 1996 was considered an innovation on global level as it was the very first touch-controlled home appliance and the first to introduce a truly simplified user experience.
delniar.g 8
OFFICIAL SPONSOR
Gorenje, one of the leading European home appliance manufacturers and a proud sponsor of the upcoming EHF European Handball Championship, commits to fair cheering under the hashtag #simplyfans. Become a part of Gorenje’s #simplyfans movement that brings together handball fans of all nationalities.
Nikola Karabati
