Annual report 2008 - Munters

Business focus
7
Global trends increase demand
By successively broadening its product offering, Munters has increasingly developed into a globally
leading supplier of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for air treatment
and damage restoration within selected market segments. The offering, based on expertise
in technologies for humidity and climate control, is adapted to customer requirements, follows
development and leverages global trends. Several of Munters’ products support sustainable
development. The Group’s values should provide guidance in how business is conducted and
permeate work within Munters and relations with the company’s stakeholders.
Global trends increase demand
Over the past decade, Munters has developed from a component
supplier with its base in dehumidification and humidification
to a globally leading supplier of environmentally
friendly and energy-efficient solutions for air treatment and
damage restoration based on its expertise in technologies for
humidity and climate control. By continuously developing
new, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions
while adapting the product and service offering to customer
requirements, the Group is now well-positioned to take
advantage of a number of global trends.
Increased demand for energy-efficient
and environmentally friendly solutions
The long-term trend of increasing energy prices, together
with a greater global environmental awareness and increasingly
stricter regulations on emissions increase demand for
energy-efficient and environmentally friendly products and
production processes. Compared with alternative solutions,
Munters’ technology often results in lower energy consumption
and less resource waste. Several of the Group’s products
are used to reduce emissions of hazardous substances, such
as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide that contribute to the
greenhouse effect. Munters’ damage restoration services
contribute to avoiding demolition and new construction by
instead renovating and reusing damaged materials.
Increased demands on indoor climate
Increasingly high demands are being placed on indoor climates
in both commercial and industrial premises. Munters’ lowenergy
solutions for climate control allow customers to reduce
resource consumption and environmental impact. Energy is
often saved by making insulation denser and reducing ventilation.
This often results in problems with mold, moisture and
allergies. Munters can reduce these problems in two ways – by
installing fixed aggregates that prevent problems from arising
and enabling more energy-efficient ventilation or via the MCS
service division, which can take care of environments that
are already affected.
Economic expansion in Asia
The extensive economic expansion in Asia, primarily in China
and India, has created a large population that to an increasing
degree is able to adopt Western consumer patterns. This in
turn leads to increased demands to improve indoor climates,
which benefits products that employ Munters’ technology in
the manufacturing process. The Munters strategy includes
investment in growth in Asia, where China has become a
production center for Asia.
Consolidations and quality requirements
within food production and distribution
Consumption of meat in developing countries is increasing in
pace with improvement in regional economies. This in turn
leads to higher prices and a need for more rational production
processes. As a result, a global consolidation and regulation
of the farming and food industries is now in progress. This
trend has resulted in increasing investment in equipment to
increase productivity and improve hygiene. By regulating the
humidity level in premises for food production and distribution,
mold and bacteria growth are prevented, while shelf life
and quality are improved. To ensure high production quality,
production environments must be identical, regardless
of the climate zone. This trend favors Munters, which has a
strong brand and an organization that supports a strategy of
being global, customer-focused and specialized. Munters has
solutions for all levels in the food industry, from production
and manufacturing via transports to warehousing and sales in
stores. Munters climate control systems for animal breeding
increase productivity and reduce the risk of disease.
Consolidation within the insurance industry
An extensive consolidation has been in progress in the
insurance industry for a long time. Many insurance companies
want to reduce their costs for claims adjustment and restoration
by working with fewer national or international suppliers
and partners that can take increasingly greater responsibility
for administration relating to claims settlement. Munters’
service division MCS is positioned to take advantage of this
trend through its geographic coverage, long-term national or
regional partnership agreements at fixed price levels and its
ability to take increasingly greater responsibility for claims
settlement and IT-based documentation.
Munters Annual Report 2008