Despite Headwinds, Roto Envisions a Future Built on Progress and Technology

In the final weeks of 2024, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the German economy to close out the year at 0% growth. Meanwhile, with recent events and uncertainties—including the expectation for U.S. president elect Donald Trump to raise tariffs—a further decline in German economic output is expected, along with weakened demand for industrial goods.

“Our sick child is Germany,” said Dr. Eckhard Keill, chair of the board of directors at Roto Frank Holding AG.

But that did not subdue Eckhard’s mood or the atmosphere of Roto’s 19^th Annual International Trade Press Day. Held last week in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, the event’s theme, “Today, Tomorrow, Roto,” focused on a future filled with hope and technology. Keill also chose to focus on the environment and how his company can be part of a solution for climate change.

The event began at Roto’s factory in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, with a look at some of the company’s latest inventions and developments in automation, ending at nearby Schloss Solitude—an 18^th century castle that once served as a hunting retreat for Charles Eugene, Duke of Württemberg. The setting was lush, and the mood bright, despite economic shadows.

With so much uncertainty in the air, it’s easy to focus on all of the negative possibilities, warned Max Thinius, a futurologist who served as the event’s keynote speaker. But it’s more important to envision—and invent—a positive future, he suggested.

“The future doesn’t just happen to you,” Keill echoed. “You don’t just sit there and the future walks in. You have to create the future,” he told members of the press.

Roto ended last year on 2.2% growth, compared to the previous year, Keill said. In the final weeks of 2024, things don’t look as promising; the company is down by 1.2%, he said. But orders for November were “really, really high,” Keill added, leaving room for hope that the company might break even in the end. For 2025, Keill said he doesn’t expect much improvement. But that hasn’t stopped the company from focusing on progress.

The Wheels Go ‘Round Automatically

Roto has kept the wheels turning partly by deploying mass amounts of automation—especially in its Leinfelden-Echterdingen plant, which is touted to be among its most advanced. Wages in Germany remain high—too high to keep the plant filled with workers, officials said. Instead, the factory hums with the sound of automated equipment. The facility is also among the first to deploy self-driving material handlers, which automatically transport parts and products around the factory floor. The company is “far ahead of everyone else,” with autonomous transport, said Almir Poric, the plant’s manager. That’s drawn attention from outside of the industry, including from auto manufacturers who’ve visited Roto’s factory to see the technology firsthand.

Poric said Roto’s facility employs around 182 people, operating across three shifts. However, “You won’t find many lines here, but robots and automated machines,” he said.

Humans are at the heart of each automated station but remain minimally involved in manufacturing. With wages in Germany high and proof of automation in hand, with each retirement comes the decision to re-employ or add additional machinery, company officials said.

In cases where humans do remain involved, those positions are now higher skilled than in years past. The company has also deployed new technologies for training, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) systems. In a Digital Innovation Lab, attendees were shown how employees gather from across numerous divisions to explore the use of these and other technologies by Roto’s customers and employees. The lab serves as a sort of interdisciplinary melting pot, officials said.

Getting Hands On

In Europe, Roto has kept sales moving partly by deploying a Professional Services division to provide installation. The unit works across three countries, from 36 locations. Services cover the entire lifecycle of doors, windows and roof windows, including repairs, maintenance and complete overhauls. The company also offers to retrofit systems to protect against burglary. Demand for the company’s services has grown consistently since 2017, said Dr. Christian Faden, the unit’s managing director. Company officials also feel that its retrofit services can have a significant impact from an environmental perspective—helping to save on heating costs.

In a recent project, the company found that it’s possible to get “modern performance” out of more than 30-year-old windows, Faden said, saving 30 liters of heating oil per year.

“We, as window makers, are part of the solution for climate problems,” Keill told attendees, as buildings account for 10% of emissions worldwide.

In its quest to play a vital part in combatting climate change, Roto has also deployed a “local for local” approach to manufacturing and distribution. By establishing a worldwide presence and sourcing and providing finished materials to nearby regions, “Local for local allows us to have material immediately available in regions, but also reduces our carbon footprint,” Keill said.

The same approach also helps to spread the company’s economic odds across numerous regions.

Thanks to a globalized footprint, Roto has experienced “big gains” in market shares worldwide, said Marcus Sander, CEO of Roto Frank Fenster- und Türtechnologie GmbH (FTT). Despite the economic circumstances in Germany, “When we look at the global segments, we can be very happy with what we have achieved,” Sander said.

With 90 distribution centers and 18 factories worldwide, the company’s roots—and heart—may remain in Germany, but its financial results are global.