Global demand for shredding technology “Made in Austria” remains high

“2022 was a successful year for UNTHA: We have extended our global sales and service network further, invested in our production site and made great strides when it comes to innovation and digitalisation - and we have our reliable employees to thank for all those things. They are the basis of our success. I am incredibly proud of this team effort”, says Alois Kitzberger, CEO of UNTHA shredding technology.

In the financial year 2022, UNTHA chalked up yet another record turnover in the region of 80 million Euro and sold more than 500 shredders, reflecting an increase in all product segments. The company has an export rate of around 90 %. UNTHA shredders are in use all over the world in a wide range of applications, for instance for material recycling, the processing of residual and waste wood, and the production of alternative fuels for thermal and energy recovery. In this way, the company makes an important contribution towards the conservation of resources and the sustainable processing and reduction of waste.

UNTHA continues to expand

All the UNTHA shredders and the associated conveyor technology are developed and manufactured at the Kuchl site. The share of in-house production lies at 80%. The purchase of Aigner Stahlbau Verkehrstechnik GmbH in Pöttelsdorf/Burgenland means that UNTHA has secured its supply of essential components. UNTHA first began to source strategic components of important assemblies in Austria instead of in other countries years ago, thereby protecting supply chains and ensuring timely deliveries for its customers.

In addition, UNTHA enlarged its sales network in 2022, setting up a new subsidiary in Turkey. UNTHA already has four other subsidiaries, in Germany, Poland, the US and the UK. Partner enterprises in 40 countries all over the world complete its international sales network.

Investing in the future

“We are confident about the future and intend on continuing our expansion course based on continuous growth and trailblazing investments. In this way, we will continue to offer our customers premium quality, innovative technology and first-rate service”, says Alois Kitzberger. The UNTHA team always puts its customers and their satisfaction first. With this in mind, the UNTHA Service Competence Center was extended in 2022, with a new department for the sustainable refitting of cutters. Thanks to UNTHA’s continuously growing service team and offering, customers also enjoy excellent after-sales support.

For several years now, UNTHA has been focusing strongly on innovation and digitalisation. This includes new developments and advancements in shredding technology as well as digitalised and interconnected products, always with the goal of making machines even more user-friendly and efficient. Examples of the great strides made with regard to digitalisation include the intelligent monitoring system UNTHA GENIUS and the digital customer portal MyUNTHA. Big Data is another area that is growing in importance all the time: data collected with the help of digital products is used to improve existing products and processes.

Sustainability is also a key topic for UNTHA. At the Kuchl site, a range of measures has been taken to preserve resources and make a contribution towards greater efficiency. For instance, offices and production facilities are heated with a wood-chip heating system using residual wood, and low-energy LED lighting has been installed throughout. In addition, e-vehicles are charged using the photovoltaic plant on the company roof, set to double in size in 2023 so that it will produce 350,000 kWh of sustainable energy every year.

Images (reproduction for press purposes free of charge; image credit: UNTHA shredding technology GmbH)

Fig. 1: Alois Kitzberger, CEO of UNTHA shredding technology

Fig. 2: The main building of UNTHA shredding technology in Kuchl bei Salzburg

Fig. 3: The in-house photovoltaic plant will soon produce 350,000 kWh of electricity per year