Bühler Continues Growth as Net Profit Remain Constant
Despite a challenging fiscal 2012, Bühler Technology Group increased both its order intake (+5%) and its turnover (+13%), with acquisitions accounting for the rise in order intake. As a result of the substantial investments made by the group in securing its long-term future, the EBIT margin declined to 7.3% from the previous year. Its net profit of SFr161 million (Eur130 million) was unchanged from 2011. For the current fiscal year, Bühler expects sales revenues at the same level as 2012 and a return to a double-digit EBIT margin.
In 2012, Bühler’s order intake increased by 5% to SFr2345 million. Of the three divisions, Grain Processing as well as Food Processing booked somewhat higher orders, whereas the orders received by the Advanced Materials division were consolidated at the record level of the previous years.
Geographically speaking, developments varied widely. With 12% less orders received, Europe was especially disappointing. On the other hand, North America grew sharply (+44%). The plus side also includes markets in China(+13%) and the Middle East/Africa (+7%). In all, the orders received from emerging countries exceeded 50% of the group’s total volume for the first time.
Turnover (sales revenue) rose by 13% to SFr2,409 million; adjusted for acquisitions, it exceeded the value of the previous year by 5%. The sharpest rise in sales was achieved by the Advanced Materials division (+47%) and was mainly driven by acquisitions. Grain Processing boosted its sales on a purely organic basis by 7%, whereas the revenue of Food Processing was 3% below the value of a year ago.
Future Investments
In order to secure its long-term future, Bühler invested heavily in markets, its global service network, innovations, and new fields of application. As Bühler is convinced that innovation is and will remain its core growth engine, research and development spending rose substantially and for the first time exceeded SFr100 million or more than four percent of turnover. In conjunction with higher restructuring costs for integrating new acquisitions, this resulted in a lower EBIT margin of 7.3% in the year under review compared to 2011. Bühler expects these investments to pay off in the coming years in the form of double-digit margins. The net profit remained at an encouragingly constant level of SFr161 million in comparison to a year ago.
Bühler’s group-wide payroll at the end of 2012 rose above the 10,000 employees mark (previous year: 8,830) for this first time. This sharp increase was primarily due to the strengthening of the Customer Service organization especially in Asia, as well as to new acquisitions.
