At the time of founding, our sales were around 300 million EUR. In 2024, the group's revenue was just under 3 billion EUR. Initially, we almost exclusively served the leisure vehicle sector. Now, the marine industry and the truck sector have been added: refrigerators or air conditioning systems from us are also installed in boats and trucks. In addition, there are several other markets in which we operate. The Emsdetten location is our largest warehouse and distribution center in Europe, making it a major hub for logistics. In addition, we perform other important functions for the group such as product development and marketing. 

Wirtschaftsforum: So your business still revolves around the special refrigeration technology invented over 100 years ago. What is the advantage of this technology? 

Marcus Remmel: It can be operated with either electrical energy or gas. Compared to compressor technology, it is absolutely silent. With these advantages, it has made its way into the leisure industry, in the form of refrigerators in inhabited leisure vehicles, but also into the hotel industry, for example in minibars. Gradually, Dometic has further expanded into more products and markets.

Wirtschaftsforum: Do you continue to expect such strong growth as before?

Marcus Remmel: Our industry has a lot of growth potential. People are investing more in their leisure time and have a great interest in outdoor activities. The topic of work-life balance is of course also playing into our hands. Urbanization is indeed a mega trend. People want to balance this by spending time in nature. This is exactly where our products come into play. Like many other industries, the past few years have been difficult for us, starting with the pandemic. But then the outdoor sector experienced a boom. Now, we are in a phase where inflation is taking effect, and the desire to purchase has decreased. Nevertheless, vehicles are still being bought. In the long run, we definitely see ourselves on a growth path. This is also in light of the fact that many from the baby boomer generation are now retiring. As a result, we have many people in the coming years who will have significantly more leisure time and want to see parts of the world.

Wirtschaftsforum: How is your current portfolio structured?

Marcus Remmel: The largest business segment, Land Vehicle, consists of installed products for recreational vehicles and commercial vehicles such as trucks. This includes a focus on 'Food & Beverage', such as refrigerators, stoves, and cooktops. Another focus is on heating, air conditioning, and ventilation with air conditioners, ventilation systems, and heaters among others for vehicles from the Land Vehicle sector. Then we have the Windows and Doors product segment with windows, doors, and roof systems for vehicles. We are the market leader in Europe for frame and frameless windows for recreational vehicles. In addition, we have the Sanitary Systems sector, which includes toilet systems installed in vehicles. Another global business segment is Marine, with equipment for boats such as highly complex control or navigation systems. Here, we recently introduced an innovation in North America first: a system that ensures the boat remains balanced, essentially compensating for wave motion. In the Mobile Cooling business area, we offer portable cooling systems. Moreover, we have the Outdoor Stand Alone product segment with tents and awnings as well as mobile cookers and grills, and finally, Mobile Power Solutions with batteries installed in vehicles, but also portable batteries, solar cells, and inverters.

Wirtschaftsforum: What do you think are the most important success factors for Dometic?

Marcus Remmel: One is definitely our global presence. We have always thought globally. Another is our products - not only those that we have developed ourselves but also those that we have added through acquisitions. All this comes together to form a coherent overall picture. Our company core is to enable as many people as possible to spend their leisure time outdoors, to stay longer at beautiful places in the world and to be flexible without sacrificing comfort. Moreover, we have many employees who have been with Dometic for many years and are strongly connected to the company. This enables us to be successful in the market.

Wirtschaftsforum: How would you describe your company culture?

Marcus Remmel: We constantly question and redefine our values. This led to the creation of the slogan 'We play to win'. We have high ambitions and also demand a lot from our employees. But it should all be a bit playful and motivating. We play together as a team to win the game.

Wirtschaftsforum: Where do you want to see the company in the next three to five years?

Marcus Remmel: We want to continue to grow, add even more products, and open up new markets. We also want to focus on specific product areas and gain more market shares there. One goal is to more closely accompany the life cycle of our products. This means offering more services to make the product usable for a longer time. Therefore, we will also focus our product development on the aftermarket.

Wirtschaftsforum: Finally, we would like to know more about you personally and what drives you in your work.

Marcus Remmel: I have been involved since 2001 and was initially active in product development. In addition to my role as Managing Director at the Emsdetten location, I have been responsible for both product management and product development in the business area Land Vehicle EMEA for two years. This is my specialty. I am therefore active in a market that is close to my heart. I am also very outdoor-oriented. In my free time, I spend a lot of time outdoors and can completely identify with our products.