Roehrhoff, who officially replaced previous CEO Axel Herberg last week, set out the ambition in an open letter to shareholders shortly after his official investiture.
He went on to explain that considerable growth, particularly of Gerresheimer’s global presence would be key to generating revenue and to achieving the firm’s long-term aims.
“We will continue in the future to focus on the successful business in the field of pharma and healthcare. At the same time we want to push ahead with internationalization. We are very well positioned and solidly financed to achieve further profitable growth in the future.”
Global growth has been a focus of Roehrhoff 20-year career at the German glassmaking specialist, where he has been pivotal in expanding the firm’s business in both the US and China.
The strategy also fits with investments Gerresheimer has made over the last 12 months, beginning in June 2009 when it set up a primary packaging plant in Danyang, China.
This was followed, in September, by two new plastics plants in Spain and the US and, more recently, by the opening of an insulin pen manufacturing facility in Brazil which considerably expanded its presence in South America.
Gerresheimer’s most recent global addition was a sales office in Moscow, Russia which, at the time, CEO Herberg described as “a strategically important step to further develop the fast-growing pharmaceutical and healthcare markets of Russia and neighbouring regions.”
And, although further details were not disclosed, Roehrhoff’s comments suggest that further expansion of Gerreshimer’s manufacturing base is likely over the next few years.