The order intake of the Swabian machine tool and automation specialist decreased in the group compared to the same period last year by 5.3% to 120.3 million euros (previous year 127.0 million euros). The sole reason for this was the weak domestic demand: In Germany, new orders in the reporting period fell significantly by 26.9% to 31.6 million euros (previous year 43.2 million euros). In contrast, order intake from abroad increased by 5.8% to 88.7 million euros (previous year 83.8 million euros). This once again demonstrated the success of HERMLE's consistent internationalization strategy. The order backlog as of March 31, 2025, was 121.8 million euros compared to 150.8 million euros on the same date last year and 98.7 million euros at the end of 2024.
HERMLE was also able to slightly increase its group revenue abroad: The business volume generated outside Germany grew by 2.6% from January to March 2025 to 69.9 million euros (previous year 68.1 million euros). In contrast, domestic revenue fell sharply by 29.1% to 27.3 million euros (previous year 38.5 million euros). The export ratio increased from 63.9% to 71.9%. Overall, group revenue decreased by 8.8% to 97.2 million euros (previous year 106.6 million euros). The associated lower capacity utilization led to a significantly disproportionate decline in results in the first quarter of 2025. HERMLE is countering this by increasingly reducing flexible working time accounts and implementing short-time work in many areas of the company. At the end of March, HERMLE employed 1,605 employees compared to 1,521 persons on the same date last year and 1,603 at the turn of the year 2024.
Despite the currently difficult economic conditions, HERMLE continued its extensive investment program for site development during the reporting period to prepare for the long-term expected, persistently high demand for automation solutions and machining centers. The focus was on the construction of a new application center at the company headquarters in Gosheim. However, the investment volume in the first quarter of 2025 was below that of the previous year. The financial and asset situation of the HERMLE Group remained very solid thanks to a strong financial base: As of the end of March 2025, an equity ratio of over 70% was reported.
As the burden factors from weak economic conditions, geopolitical conflicts, as well as customs and trade disputes continue unabated and there are currently no signs of improvement in the environment, the forecast for the entire year 2025 remains unchanged: HERMLE expects a revenue decline in a range from the upper single-digit percentage area up to 25% and a disproportionately high loss of results of 40% to 90%.
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