Since 1992, A.T. Kearney has been presenting the “Factory of the Year” award in collaboration with the European business magazine Produktion. The competition, which identifies leaders in the field of manufacturing, is considered one of the most prestigious industrial competitions in Europe. For 2023, ifm has won the award in the “Outstanding Series Production” category for its manufacturing facility in Sibiu, Romania. The award was naturally received with enthusiasm by those responsible at ifm. “The jury rated us as outstanding, particularly in the area of agility,” says Ralf Mitterer, ifm's location manager responsible for the Sibiu site. “This reflects how well we have come through the pandemic and the raw materials crisis.” The site made good use of the time to become more flexible and was able to improve its supply chain. The competition focuses heavily on company key figures and indicators that provide a very good overview of the current situation and developments over time. The jury thus recognized the company's commitment to continuous improvement. “This refers on the one hand to the improvement of our KPIs,” said Mitterer, “and on the other hand to our efforts to improve in many other areas.” Another positive aspect for the jury was the small software team available for local projects at the Sibiu site. 

As a university town, Sibiu is one of the biggest drivers of innovation and technology in the region, and ifm, with over 650 employees, is one of the most important employers in the area. This prompted the long-established company to expand its site last year with a new factory, including headquarters for sales.