{
  "id": 4577142,
  "title": "Hartmut Jenner: Kärcher-Chef: „Was damals in der Solarindustrie passierte, droht nun dem Maschinenbau“",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/hartmut-jenner-karcher-chef-was-damals-in-der-solarindustrie",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-31T05:11:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/mittelstand/familienunternehmer/kaercher-chef-wir-sind-dreifach-getroffen-vom-iran-krieg/100248335.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Hartmut Jenner, CEO of cleaning equipment manufacturer Kärcher, spoke to Handelsblatt about the company's response to current market uncertainties. Jenner stated that uncertainty has never been greater than it is now, despite having previously warned of \"ten difficult years\" in May 2020. The company has implemented several controversial measures to adapt to the current environment, but some core problems remain.\n\nKärcher is heavily impacted by the Iran war, with increased plastics prices, supply issues in the Arab region, and shortages of essential raw materials such as oil, sulfur, helium, and light benzene naphta. In response, the company increased prices on July 1st and has been focusing on localization and diversification of supply sources to improve resilience.\n\nThe company has been affected by the reduced US market share of Chinese competitors due to higher tariffs. Europe is seen as a potential solution for the industry, with lower labor and energy costs and competitive suppliers. However, Europe is currently not very aggressive in protecting its industries. Jenner believes that imposing fair conditions through tariffs could help restore the industry's health, even though he generally opposes such measures. The CEO recently announced a cooperation with motor saws manufacturer Stihl for their 36-volt battery systems to be integrated into Kärcher products.",
  "summary": "Der deutsche Maschinenbau sei vom Wettbewerb aus China stark bedroht, sagt der Chef des Familienunternehmens Kärcher im Interview. Das liege auch daran, dass Europa zu „brav“ reagiere.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}