The recently ended 2022 has been a year in which we have all faced challenges such as the conflict in Ukraine, rising costs or the shortage of raw materials, but it has also been a year in which MRF has completed many projects that we have been working on for some time.
First of all, we would like to highlight the change of our corporate image, as of last September. The previous one was more than 25 years old and MRF has evolved a lot in that time while we have managed to preserve our culture and personality. Our new image helps us to reinforce the concept of being a company with more than 55 years of experience but one that looks to the future.
We implemented improvements in our facilities aimed at reducing our carbon footprint and improving ergonomics in the production area: we installed photovoltaic panels and completely renovated the assembly section.
We are still immersed in the digitalisation project, improving data collection in the plant in real time and implementing a new ERP.
We were grateful to be able to meet our customers and suppliers again in a more direct way after the pandemic. We exhibited again at the IAA in Hannover, Europe's leading forum for commercial vehicles, where we presented the new "Skirion" sliding side door system for refrigerated vehicles, which is now available on the market, as well as unveiling our new electronic locking system.
It was time to expand our commercial presence and to develop a larger team combining experience and new ideas. We incorporated a new sales and marketing manager and two new sales technicians, who joined our colleagues. In the same vein, we reached agreements with new distributors in some countries such as Poland.
It has not been an easy year, but our balance is positive, thanks to the efforts of the whole team, the support of our suppliers and the trust of our distributors and customers, whose number has grown in 2022 and allowed us to increase sales by 23% compared to a good 2021.
We all hope for the best while sharing the uncertainty that comes up in many conversations. We learn to adapt to volatile, uncertain, changing, and ambiguous environments. Best of all, we learn together with our customers and suppliers.
During 2023, new products will be available to our customers that will expand our current offer, such as a new wall separator system for refrigerated vehicles or a sliding side door system for dry cargo.
We will provide our customers with more digital functionalities for enquiries and transactions, so that we will have more time to discuss new needs and solutions.
Through 2023 we will have more opportunities to meet, we will participate in Feindef (Spain), Mindtech (Spain), NUFAM (Germany) or SOLUTRANS (France). These are some of the trade fairs in which we will exhibit this year and in which our goal is to be close and present again for our customers, partners, and suppliers.