AUSTRIAN firm Semperit Group reported to have achieved significant revenue and earnings growth in the first quarter 2013, which the company says is its strongest ever.
Amidst a tight market, its revenue increased by 6.6% from EUR 201.8 million in the previous year to EUR 215.2 million. The medical sector has generated significant revenue and earnings growth due to the rapid integration of Latexx Partners.
Revenue of the industrial sector has been affected by economic slowdown, but optimisation measures and market share gains of the company buffer the negative impact.
The Group´s consolidated EBITDA at EUR 29.3 million was 20.4% higher than the previous year’s figure of EUR 24.4 million. EBIT increased by 13.5% from EUR 16.5 million to EUR 18.8 million, despite higher depreciation due to investments in growth. Other financial figures show increase in profitability.
“We have started well in 2013, without any positive support from the market. We have instead benefited from the successful implementation of strategic measures. In the glove business, our growth activities in Malaysia and Thailand fully materialised. We grew sales in all relevant regions, and significantly improved our earnings despite continued price pressures,” quipped Semperit CEO Thomas Fahnemann.
He furthered that the comparably lean performance in the industrial sector has still shown its resilience against “fierce economic headwinds to achieve double digit margins and earnings growth in all segments”.
“We were able to win new customers and additional market share, ” he added.
With an equity ratio of 49.3%, unchanged since end of last year, and an increase to EUR145.5 million (+9.1%) in available cash and cash equivalents, the company says it is operating on an excellent financial basis.
“Through rigorous capacity and cost management, we were able to maintain our high level of profitability in the Industrial Sector and to significantly improve our performance in the Medical Sector. Together with our solid financial basis, this will support us to grow the business further,” said Semperit CFO Johannes Schmidt-Schultes.