Bühler releases 2012 fiscal report

Feb. 8, 2013, Switzerland – The Bühler Technology Group recently
reported it increased both its order intake (five per cent) and its
turnover (13 per cent), with acquisitions accounting for the rise in
order intake.

Feb. 8, 2013, Switzerland – The Bühler Technology Group recently reported it increased both its order intake (five per cent) and its turnover (13 per cent), with acquisitions accounting for the rise in order intake. As a result of the investments made by the group for securing its long-term future, the EBIT margin declined to 7.3 per cent from last year. Its net profit of CHF 161 million was at the level of a year ago. For the current fiscal year, Bühler expects sales revenues at the same level as 2012 and a return to a double-digit EBIT margin.

Bühler says its order intake increased by five per cent to CHF 2345 million; in organic terms, it was at the level of a year ago. Of the three divisions, grain processing and 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 per cent less orders received, Europe was especially disappointing. On the other hand, North America grew sharply (44 per cent). The plus side also includes the markets in China (13 per cent) and the Middle East/Africa (seven per cent). In all, the orders received from emerging countries thus for the first time exceeded 50 per cent of the group’s total volume.

Turnover (sales revenue) rose by 13 per cent to CHF 2409 million; adjusted for acquisitions, it exceeded the value of the previous year by five per cent. The sharpest rise in sales was achieved by the advanced materials division (47 per cent) and was mainly driven by acquisitions. Grain processing boosted its sales on a purely organic basis by seven per cent, whereas the revenue of food processing was three per cent below the value of a year ago.

In order to secure its long-term future, Bühler says it invested heavily in markets, its global service network, innovations, and new fields of application. In conjunction with higher restructuring costs for integrating new acquisitions, this resulted in a lower EBIT margin of 7.3 per cent in the year under review compared to 2011.