As reported, Fronius and the two authorized dealers Haberkorn and Zultner were involved in anti-competitive agreements from 2007 to 2021. On June 30, 2023, the BWB filed an application with the Cartel Court to impose a fine on Fronius because it had received information through its anonymous whistleblower system.
The contracts contained antitrust-violating agreements on territorial division with absolute territorial protection, price fixing and non-competition clauses within the framework of the distribution system for sales in the field of welding technology, one of Fronius’ three business pillars.
Penalties also for authorized dealers
The leading Upper Austrian company with headquarters in Pettenbach was granted crown witness status and has since cooperated “continuously and comprehensively” with the BWB, as it is said. The proceedings against the other companies involved have already been legally concluded. Zultner had to pay 505,000 euros, Haberkorn 870,000.
The BWB announced in a press release that it could initiate a new investigation if there were new clues. As reported, Fronius is currently experiencing a dip in orders in the solar division until 2025. As a result, the number of employees is falling from 8,000 to 7,000 this year.