Tornos sales up despite poor start to 2006

Following the fall-off new orders at the end of 2005, volume was relatively weak at the beginning of 2006, with gross sales of just CHF 52.4 million in the first quarter. Business then picked up, with gross sales reaching a new record high of CHF 75.5 milion in the fourth quarter. New orders in 2006 accounted for CHF 257.3 million – up 21.1 per cent from the previous year (CHF 212.5 million). After a rather quiet end to 2005, order intake picked up again from the beginning of the year 2006, with the billing volume reaching its normal level from the second quarter onwards. The slight economic softening experienced at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter eased, and new orders worth CHF 64.3 million were taken during the final three months of 2006.