FACING CHALLENGES, ROTO LOOKS AHEAD TO A FUTURE DRIVEN BY PROGRESS AND INNOVATION

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 and weakened demand for industrial goods are expected.

“Our sick child is Germany,” said Dr. Eckhard Keill, chair of the board of directors at Roto Frank Holding AG, during the company’s annual International Trade Press Day, which was held in late November in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany. 

The event began at Roto’s factory with a showcase of some of the company’s latest inventions and developments in automation. It ended at nearby Schloss Solitude, an 18th-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,” echoed Keill. “You don’t just sit there, and the future walks in. You have to create the future.”

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