Wels Plumbing Supplier:

“We’re Investing Now, Even in Difficult Times”

The new small-parts warehouse on the company’s grounds in Wels is scheduled to go into operation in the fall of 2027—construction is already underway.(Bild: HOLTER)

Holter, a plumbing wholesaler based in Wels (Upper Austria), is building a new, highly automated small-parts warehouse for faucets, hand showers, and related products at a cost of twelve million euros. Despite the crisis in the construction industry, the CEO remains confident in the industry’s future.

The construction industry has been in crisis for several years. Holter, the plumbing and heating wholesaler based in Wels, is also feeling the effects: Sales have stagnated at around 330 million euros. Nevertheless, Holter is now investing 12 million euros in a new small-parts warehouse on its company grounds in Wels, which is scheduled to go into operation in the fall of 2027. “We’re a family-owned business. We don’t think about the next quarter; we think in terms of generations. That’s why I believe we should invest right now, even though these are economically challenging times,” said Managing Director Markus Steinbrecher at Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony. He added that the industry will see positive growth as a result of the energy transition.

During the COVID years, there was significant investment in home improvements. These were pull-forward effects that are now having an impact. 

Markus Steinbrecher, Holter-Geschäftsführer

Bild: HOLTER

80% of sales come from small parts
The new warehouse will house plumbing supplies such as fixtures, valves, and hand showers. Holter earns eight out of every ten euros from such small parts. Its customers are largely plumbers from all over Austria. The central warehouse is located in Wels, from where Holter delivers the ordered products to its branches in the various federal states.

Previously, the small parts were stored in a 2,200 m² facility—the new, highly automated warehouse reduces the space required to 800 m². In addition, automation allows Holter to redeploy its staff (a total of 830 employees) to other tasks. Several companies have recently invested in Wels. For Holter, the decision to locate there was ultimately a logical one: the family-owned business has been firmly rooted in the trade fair city since 1873.