
Wädenswil, March 11, 2008
Solid growth in 2007 – positive outlook for 2008
Wädenswil, 11 March 2008 – Von Roll Holding AG, one of the industrial companies in Switzerland with the longest traditions, has further expanded its position as the global market leader in insulation products, systems and services through renewed growth.
Group sales rose by 17% to CHF 620 million. Order intake increased from the previous year by 19% to CHF 681 million. Also the operating income rose by 36% from the previous year to CHF 48 million. The net income after tax amounted to CHF 43 million. This is equivalent to a growth of 82% compared to the same period of the previous year. The Board of Directors of Von Roll Holding AG proposes the distribution of a dividend of CHF 0.10 per share for the business year 2007 to the General Meeting of Shareholders.
The Electrical segment in particular has made a significant contribution to this year’s business success of Von Roll. Compared to the previous year, sales in the segment rose by 18% to CHF 479 million and the operating income increased by 36% to CHF 41 million. The Industrial segment also showed a positive development: sales grew by 11% to CHF 142 million, the operating income rose by 48% to CHF 10 million.
Completed in August 2007, the change in management represents a new direction for strategic alignment and sustainable, profitable growth. “Von Roll will create a business portfolio geared toward growth and profitability that will be successfully deployed as part of a dual strategy for the future” says Limberger, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Von Roll. Its core business will be expanded further and its acquisition strategy will be continued:
CHF 323 million generated from the capital increase successfully completed in November 2007 and various external financing options are available for implementation of the dual strategy.
The takeover of Shenzhen Mica in January 2008 is a key milestone in the implementation of Von Roll’s growth strategy. “The purchase of the company has made us once again number 1 on the global market for mica-ba
In parallel to its continued growth, Von Roll is pursuing an in-house strategy to improve operating efficiency. In this connection, production will be realigned with clear profitability targets for each individual site. Three cost-optimized production centers in Asia, Europe and America will enable Von Roll to focus its activities even more clearly on its customers. Efficient organizational and sales structures have been created for this purpose. In addition, permanent optimization of processes, costs and quality contribute to the positive result.
A look at the development of the energy markets shows that growth will continue in the years to come. Accordingly, demand for electrical and thermal insulation materials and composites for various industrial applications will increase significantly. Von Roll therefore expects above-average, two-digit growth in sales and earnings for 2008.
About Von Roll Holding AG:
As one of the industrial companies in Switzerland with the longest traditions, Von Roll Holding AG focuses on products for power production. Von Roll is the global market leader in insulation products, systems and services. Von Roll is represented in 18 countries at 32 sites with around 3,000 employees.
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