Dear customers and partners,
An eventful year lies behind us – a year that for many of us was also characterised by challenges in an uncertain economic environment. I am therefore all the more grateful for the good relationships, loyalty and trusting cooperation with our partners and customers over the past year. Once again, it has become clear how important this close cooperation and support is, with which we have gone through the year together and overcome challenges. And I look forward to continuing on this path in 2024 in our joint endeavour to improve the well-being of patients through optimal oral health care.
In 2023, our teams around the world gave their all to support our customers in their work. This is also our promise for 2024: we will put all our energy and commitment into helping customers restore their patients' oral health with our dental solutions. To do this, we want to be even closer to our customers – because their needs are the benchmark for our actions. That is why we are continuously developing our strategy, adapting it to the requirements and developments in the dental market; always putting the needs of dentists and dental technicians at the centre of everything we do.
Right at the beginning of the year, we reached an important milestone that fulfils our customers' desire for greater simplicity: In the area of direct restorations, we have fundamentally revised our concept and focused on simplification. With a new product line, the colour selection for restorations will be less complicated and clearer, making dentists' daily routines easier without compromising on aesthetics. The result of a beta test for the new concept was clear: over 90 per cent of users are convinced and would recommend the new product to others. That positive feedback makes me look forward to the market launch, with which we can make one of our customers' core tasks in everyday practice life much easier.
It is also important for us as Kulzer to continue to drive our innovations forward. Last year, we invested in a state-of-the-art Research & Development Competence Centre at our headquarters in Hanau in order to develop first class technologies and solutions. In doing so, we want to involve customers even more closely in order to meet their needs in the best possible way. To this end, we continue to work closely with our parent company Mitsui Chemicals, from whose in-depth expertise in chemistry we benefit in the development of our dental innovations.
As an employer, it is also important for us to be and remain attractive to professionals. After all, our employees are our most valuable asset; only with their commitment can we contribute to shaping the dental market of tomorrow. I am very grateful for this strong team, which is guided by our core values of Challenge, Diversity, One Team and is committed to the success of our customers every day.
We have an exciting year ahead of us and I look forward to continuing our collaboration and close dialogue with you, our customers and partners, so that we can continue to grow together.
All the best and a successful new year!
Marc Berendes
CEO Kulzer