Trumpf posts record-breaking sales and pumps up R&D investment and personnel
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Germany's Trumpf Group has achieved the highest sales in its corporate history, and is expecting growth to increase slightly more for the coming fiscal year, despite the gradual economic slowdown, it was revealed at the company's recent annual press conference.
Trumpf, which manufactures machine tools (CNC laser profiling, CNC punch presses, CNC press brakes), laser technology and medical technology, achieved sales of €2.33 billion at the end of fiscal 2011/12 – a 15% increase over last year's €2.02 billion, which means it has beaten its pre-recession record.
The company created over 1,000 new jobs over the past fiscal year, with more than half of them in Germany, with the number of employees worldwide having risen to 9,555.
"Trumpf benefited from the fact that a lot of customers caught up on investments that had been postponed during the recession," said president Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller (pictured) at the press conference. She added that, thanks to its highly flexible production systems, Trumpf quickly managed to adjust from recession to recovery, gaining market share worldwide in the process.
Orders also rose, to €2.35 billion, up on last year's €2.22 billion, while profits were up 13.8%, reaching €211 million, as against last year's €185 million.
In Machine Tools, the company's largest division, sales rose by 17% to €1.89 billion; the Laser and Electronics division increased its sales by 14.8% to €727 million; and the company's Medical Technology division, saw sales rise by 4.4% to €184 million.
The company's largest regional single markets in the past fiscal year were Germany (sales growth +14% to €671 million), the USA (+23% to €274 million), and China (+9% to €186 million).
Added Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller: "We are noticing that some customers are holding back on investments, despite full order books, because the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone is making them nervous. Despite this, we are continuing to aim for growth in the new fiscal year, since we are well-positioned in the markets that count."
Innovation is a key factor in Trumpf's success, with the company having "considerably increased its investments, as well as expenditure on research and development over the past year". The company invested €153 million in tangible and intangible assets - €61 million last year. Expenditure on research and development rose by 22.4% to €193 million (last year's figure was €158 million). R&D expenditure at 8.3% of sales makes it almost double the average for the industry, Trumpf reported, and 1,352 employees now work in research and development – 17% more than in the previous year - it said.
"It is only by making these major investments in the future that we can retain our technological lead over the long term," underlined Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller.
