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Sales cause a stir: now the Viessmann boss speaks in an exclusive interview

2023-04-27T10:07:37.698Z


The sale of the Viessmann climate solutions division (Climate Solution) to the US group Carrier Global caused an uproar. Company boss Max Viessmann expresses himself exclusively.


The sale of the Viessmann climate solutions division (Climate Solution) to the US group Carrier Global caused an uproar.

Company boss Max Viessmann expresses himself exclusively.

Why did the Viessmann company decide to sell the Climate Solutions division?

We are bringing the Climate Solutions business into a global company so that we can create an even more competitive group.

We are thus offering our employees even better long-term prospects in a changing market.

What speaks for the US group Carrier Global Corporation as a partner?

We have looked at a wide variety of options as to how we can grow successfully in an even more intense competitive environment.

The main criterion was how best to meet our social responsibility towards employees.

We have communicated very clearly to Carrier what our expectations are and we have agreed on corresponding guarantees: three years no redundancies for operational reasons, five years securing the locations for research and development as well as production and ten years maintenance of the headquarters in Allendorf.

Viessmann boss on the sale of the heat pump division - "is an emotional step"

Such a decision to sell after 106 years of independence was certainly not easy.

Were there emotional discussions within the family?

That was and is a very emotional step.

But it's the right move!

In addition, the family company Viessmann Group remains 100 percent in family hands.

This also applies to the Viessmann brand.

The brand is owned by the entrepreneurial family, it is licensed for the Carrier Group.

Today's Climate Solution division will continue to operate under the Viessmann identity and also as part of the extended family.

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Max Viessmann, CEO of the Viessmann Group based in Allendorf/Eder, gave our newspaper an exclusive interview on the sale of the air conditioning division to Carrier.

© Viessmann/nh

Please allow me to be more precise: Were there any emotional discussions within the Viessmann family about the option of selling?

The past year and a half have been very challenging because so much has changed in our market environment.

We have seen that we have to make changes for the long-term future of the employees.

The good thing about my father and I is that we always agree on things like this.

The emotionality relates more to the question: what is happening to our Viessmann family members and not what that means for us – my father and me – personally.

And you agree on that I think?

Yes, we absolutely agree on that.

That's why we don't have any generation gap clichés.

Viessmann employees will be informed about the sale of the heat pump division

When and how did you inform your employees?

When the first rumors were in the market, we could not and were not allowed to provide broad information for legal reasons.

When the contract with Carrier was signed, we communicated immediately.

The first thing we did this morning was to inform the employee representatives and the employees.

On Friday we will answer the questions of all Viessmann family members in detail and at our leisure.

Could Viessmann have remained independent as the market leader for heat pumps in Germany and thus survived on the market?

We certainly have the prerequisites to develop well on our own in the long term.

But we don't think in months, but in decades.

Looking ahead to the next few years, it is very clear that we will play in the Champions League with this structure and thus give our employees the best possible prospects.

In Waldeck-Frankenberg, especially in Allendorf, Viessmann employees worry about their jobs.

What do you say to an employee who has built a house that he has to pay off in the next 20 years?

With the guarantees that Carrier has agreed to, there is more security today than there was before.

In addition, the future prospects are much better.

Joining forces with Carrier is a step toward more future-proofing, growth and relevance.

Viessmann boss: climate change needs global solutions

Let's move on to the consequences: Are the global climate targets more likely to be met after your decision to sell?

Climate change is a global challenge and therefore needs global solutions.

With the merger of the two companies, we can now make an even greater contribution to climate protection.

How does the decision to sell affect German homeowners or home builders?

Will they get a heat pump sooner?

Are heat pumps tending to become cheaper or more expensive?

Nothing will change in the short term.

In the medium term, capacities will increase and access to components will become significantly easier.

This improves both the competitiveness of our solutions and their availability.

The price is then determined by supply and demand.

According to a press release, the Viessmann family will receive 80 percent of the €12 billion purchase price in cash and 20 percent in Carrier shares.

What is to be done with this money?

On the one hand, we will invest the funds that are available to us in our business activities outside of Climate Solutions.

We are very active there in the area of ​​CO2 storage, avoidance and reduction.

In addition, we will greatly expand our activities in the foundations for the benefit of the people and our social commitment.

Does the decision to sell also have consequences for the numerous suppliers and trade partners in Waldeck-Frankenberg?

It gives both groups even more secure future prospects.

The attractiveness increases, especially for our trade partners, because our product portfolio has increased significantly with the products of the Carrier Group, to which the Toshiba brand also belongs.

We will therefore be an even more holistic provider in the future than we are today.

Viessmann has repeatedly emphasized its connection to Waldeck-Frankenberg and has also demonstrated this through diverse support in the region.

Will this remain so in the future?

The Viessmann family is directly involved in projects, but also very strongly through the local foundations.

Of course, the Viessmann-Allendorf Foundation will continue to be heavily involved locally in the future.

Are there any effects on Viessmann's sports sponsorship?

The Viessmann brand and the associated activities are also very important for the Carrier Group.

The contractual relationships will continue to exist.

How do you personally see your future?

It was read that you will become a member of the board of directors of the carrier group.

Will you still be found in Allendorf in the future?

In my first role, I am CEO of the Viessmann Group.

I will continue to be unreservedly so.

That is, to put it mildly, a day-long job.

You can be sure that you will often find me in the Upper Edertal.

Not only did I grow up here, I also feel very connected to my homeland and the region.

Max Viessmann

(34) is CEO of the Viessmann Group based in Allendorf/Eder, which employs more than 14,500 people worldwide.

He studied industrial engineering in Karlsruhe and Darmstadt.

From 2013 to 2015 he worked as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group before joining the Viessmann family business as a digitization expert.

After a period as co-CEO and head of the largest division, Climate Solutions, Max Viessmann has been the sole boss of the Viessmann Group since the end of 2021.

Max Viessmann is married to his wife Laura.

The couple have two children.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-04-27

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