MANN + HUMMEL
A filter is a workhorse . It ’ s hard to think of a mechanical system that does not have filters . They protect the moving parts from damaging particles , and in HVAC systems they protect people ’ s lungs in the same way . As MANN + HUMMEL puts it , they are there to ‘ separate the useful from the harmful ’: it may not be the most exciting component in any system , but it is entirely essential because without filters the machine , whether it is part of an automobile , a train or an air conditioning plant , couldn ’ t do its job – and it certainly wouldn ’ t have a long life . Mann + Hummel , a German manufacturer with a global footprint , is the largest filtration company in the world , with 80 locations , more than 20,000 employees , and annual sales in the region of $ 3.9bn . An impressive statistic is that it sells 24 filters every second .
The company was founded in 1941 and is still owned by the families of its founders , Adolf Mann and Erich Hummel . Its success can be attributed largely to its domination of the automotive and transportation sector . It ’ s a position gained and held in large part because of the trust it has gained with MANN + HUMMEL brands such as Wix Filter , Mann-Filter , Filtron and Purolator . A wonderful history , however , as Chief Technical Officer Charles Vaillant is there to point out at every opportunity , good is never good enough , and the businesses of the future will not be able to grow with the practices of the past . As CTO Vaillant has a very exciting job – no less than to drive the growth of a traditional manufacturer into a digital-age manufacturer , finding previously unconceived value in products that used to be considered dull .
For a start , he says , there are large filtration markets that Mann + Hummel has hardly touched . Filtration is a market worth some $ 60bn a year , and automotive accounts for only 40 % of that , despite the fact that automotive and transportation markets give MANN + HUMMEL 90 % of its turnover . “ We see a great opportunity for us to take our competence and our capability and apply them in new fields such as life sciences , oil and gas ( O & G ) and a host of other industries .
80 June 2018