About Hannes Niederhauser
Hannes Niederhauser, CEO of Kontron, described the company as a technology firm with over 7,000 employees that connects machines and devices to the internet, focusing on expensive equipment such as high-speed trains, aircraft, and welding robots. In a podcast, he stated that Kontron is one of only three providers in its market and, following Huawei's retreat from the European market, is winning 70 to 80 percent of tenders. He said the company buys hardware firms, adds its own software, and has increased gross margins from 30 to 36 percent in the first six months of the year. Niederhauser noted that Kontron is focused on five key technologies and predicted strong development if even two of them succeed.
Niederhauser also discussed past challenges, including a short-seller report in December 2021 that he said was addressed through forensic investigations by Deloitte and an unmodified audit opinion. He mentioned that chip shortages had created 108 million euros in undelivered orders and that paying premium prices on the spot market had reduced EBITDA by 1.1 million euros. In earlier interviews, he highlighted the benefits of the merger between Kontron and S&T, stating that the combined company could offer integrated hardware and software solutions. He also expressed a preference for the Austrian business environment, citing labor freedom and consensual unions, and criticized the ratio of lawyers to engineers in the United States.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Hannes Niederhauser's recent appearances.
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Transcript (11 segments)
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Interviewer0:03
Community welcome to a new edition of 606 Neue Werft. We not only have startups but also famous companies and personalities as guests, and I am especially pleased to welcome Hannes Niederhäuser, the CEO of S&T, here today. Hannes, we've known each other for a while, and I want to dive right in. My first entrepreneurial impression of you was that you worked on a construction site, but not as a student earning money – you had employees, selling beer. They say entrepreneurship is something you inherit; is that really true? Or how does one become an entrepreneur?
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Hannes Niederhauser0:44
Yes, I think entrepreneurship, as the name says, every person has an undertaking. We simply wanted to earn money. With beer sales, you have to have the right product at the right time and place. In the summer holidays, we sold cold beer to sweating construction workers. No one else was doing it. We quickly realized it wasn't a real job, but we stuck with it. That led us to become entrepreneurs. At 32, I founded my first company, Teschner GmbH, in the basement of a terraced house. My girlfriend had a job. The company started with 462,000 marks in revenue in 1994, and it quickly grew. After five years, we reached 20 million in revenue. I was confident about the target return. Then BMW came and cancelled orders, which threatened our business.
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Interviewer2:50
No, you became unemployed and the whole business went to the dogs?
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Hannes Niederhauser2:54
It could be the right time. Yes, with BMW, we had huge closure costs and had to change our social obligations and work style. The Bergmann 23 venture cup, that was in England?
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Interviewer3:20
That was a funny conversation. We both installed a kitchen in our youth. Such a likeable guy. Five million marks were given out back then. OK, and how many years later did you take the company public? Two years later, in April 2001?
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Hannes Niederhauser3:50
That was a huge experience. We suddenly had a lot of money, which was the problem. The bond market was cautious. We bought five million marks, and later there was an existing company with 400 million. Why? What didn't happen?
A company like Kontron had 80 million marks in revenue with losses, while we had 160 million in revenue with 25 million profit. Something must have changed. The market and product changed. The work attitude is crucial. BMW had two canteens – one for management, one for workers – which was unfair. And the planned economy approach.
In the fast-moving high-tech industry, which I enjoy most, communication is key. I am a tech fan. My greatest pleasure is going through the development departments and talking to engineers. That is what I love. I now spend much time with development. In my daily work, I look for companies that fit and evaluate strategies. As a company, you can get trapped in a cage or hamster wheel. I can allocate my time to interesting topics. Last year, our company had one of the ten highest R&D budgets in Austria, at 13 percent. Our project gives enough time for enjoyable things.
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Interviewer6:57
But there are companies in research and technology. Golf or something? Business and technology are fun. Last year was not quite up to the media. Now it's clearly above, and for 2023 the offer is two billion. How do you achieve that? By organic growth of at least 10 to 15 percent each year, and by acquiring companies. Now, regarding Austria as a location: what is good, what is bad, what has been done?
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Hannes Niederhauser7:50
The company gives great freedom to scale up or down without bureaucratic obstacles, and employment is relatively high in Austria. That is positive. Austrian unions are more consensus-oriented compared to German ones which are more strike-prone. Those are the positives. The negative is a problem with the director. Otherwise, positive achievements.
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Interviewer8:40
I could continue forever. I think it was totally interesting. I wish you much success. You will certainly be successful, that is progress. I am glad that we have you in Austria, that insurance companies in Austria have you. Thank you very much for watching, and I look forward to next time when it's 'It meets new work.' Thank you.
