“Although falling raw materials prices meant that sales remained at the same level as last year, we were able to significantly increase the volume of sales,” said Dr Michael Schwarzkopf, CEO.
There was growth in products for the consumer electronics sector and tools for the mechanical engineering and automotive industries, where demand picked up noticeably in the second half of the year.
Sales in Europe remained stable compared with the previous year at a level of 48%. While sales in America dropped from 31 to 28%, sales in Asia rose from 21 to 24%. For the first time for the Plansee Group, China was the third largest country in sales behind the USA and Germany.
Recent products
More than half of group sales were achieved in three sectors: mechanical engineering, automotive and consumer electronics. Some 30% of sales were realized with products that are less than five years old.
During the year, the group increased its share in Chilean company Molymet from 14 to 20% last year and its hardmetals division Ceratizit acquired an 80% share in North American tool manufacturer Promax Tools LP. “At a total value of €400 million, the share in Molymet is the largest single investment in the 90-year history of the Plansee Group,” said Schwarzkopf. “These M&A activities underscore Plansee Group’s intention to take a leading position in the world market for molybdenum and tungsten materials.”
“If the current economic sentiment prevails, we should be able to achieve new record figures,” he added. “In the current fiscal year, we will go forward with two main objectives in mind. On one hand, we shall focus on further boosting the competitiveness of our existing production plants, and on the other, our focus will be on targeted expansion into new growth markets.”
