Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear readers,

At the age of 89, I believe I can safely say that I have a fair bit of life experience behind me.I also have 75 years of professional experience under my belt. Nowadays, I am so very grateful to have been able to experience and live my life in a political environment that was relatively calm and stable. This is something for which I have God, my family and my more than 87,000 employees to thank.

Now, in 2024, we find ourselves facing a whole new world: Wars, hatred, and xenophobia have raised a number of questions for us. What do we want planet Earth, Germany, and our company to look like in the future? The various hot spots have potential enough to trigger a third world war. We can all only hope and pray that human reason will prevail and overcome the perils of war.

So what does this scenario mean for our Würth Group? As we operate in 80 countries, we, too, have been, and still are, affected by local disputes, but this has had no impact on Würth’s future and stability to date.

With equity of EUR 8.8 billion and an equity ratio of 48.7 percent, we are built on a solid foundation, especially as our activities focus on Germany, the European Union, and the US.

The authors have chosen “COURAGE” as the overall theme for this annual report. This is a leitmotif that I am more than happy to endorse because this is not the time for despondency, anxiety, or cutbacks. From the very outset, the Würth Group’s DNA has been characterized by an optimistic, solid, and pro-active approach, as well as an ability to celebrate the success that this approach brings.

As far as the 2023 fiscal year described in this report is concerned, we are delighted by and thankful for the positive results. Having set a new sales record of EUR 20.4 billion and achieved the second-best pre-tax operating result in the company’s history (EUR 1.5 billion), I would first of all like to express my sincere gratitude to all of our 87,000 employees for their fantastic work. I would, of course, like to extend a very special thanks to our more than four million customers across the globe, who have made this result possible by placing millions of orders with us.

With this foundation to build on, it is not unreasonable for us to look ahead to the 2024 fiscal year with courage and optimism. I very much hope we can count on the goodwill of our customers and the wonderful work of our employees in the months that lie ahead, too.

The category of “courage” also includes shaping the future after my time is up. After fruitful discussions with all of the committees involved, I have decided to hand my position over to my eldest grandson. Benjamin Würth has been working successfully within the company for over 25 years and has built himself a well-respected reputation.

I have asked Benjamin to briefly introduce himself. He is now to take over at the helm. I will be supporting him and giving him guidance in more of a background role for as long as I can. On that note, I have a heartfelt request for all of our readers: Please give Benjamin a fair chance to find his place in what has always been the very diverse world of the Würth Group. Benjamin is well aware that modesty, humility, fairness, and honesty are the cornerstones of our Group’s success and are to remain so in the future.

I sincerely wish you all the best and hope that you are spared illness, war, and strife. Life can be such a wonderful thing!

Gratefully yours,

Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth

Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group

in January 2024

Ladies and gentlemen,

Although many of you know me already, I would still like to say a few words about myself. Over the past 25 years at Würth International AG, I have traveled to India, Southeast Asia, and the US, to name but a few places, and have worked closely both with the Würth companies and with the people there.

The company is not only part of my everyday working life but also has an impact on our family. My grandfather’s values are firmly rooted at work and at home.Despite all of the changes that come and go, these values will continue to guide me and the entire Würth Group in the future. One of my main priorities is to be approachable not only as a manager but also as a person.

This sort of closeness requires the courage to be authentic. It creates trust and a sense of team spirit that radiates far beyond everyday working life. I am looking forward to the new challenge and am delighted to be able to embark on this journey together with all of the great people we have at our company worldwide.

Yours,

Benjamin Würth

Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group