Clearview North January 2014 - Issue 146 | Page 61
HARDWARE&SECURITY
“Slowly but steadily catching up”
CFO Michael Stangier outlined the current
situation and future prospects for Roto
Group. He recalled the starting point in
2012: sales volume of 652 million Euros,
just slightly below the previous year’s record
level (657 million Euros). With the market
downturn looming or already a reality in
some sub-sectors, this slight decline, coupled
with a gain in market share, marked a
business success for Roto. The company’s
goal for 2013 (“Outperforming markets
and our competitors”) was translated into a
key message: “When markets are shrinking,
stagnation can actually represent success.”
Roto has been able to live up to this and may
even exceed its own expectations.
As of the end of September, the turnover of
the Window and Door Technology Division
was only slightly down compared to same
period of the previous year. It was possible
to compensate for the weak first quarter by
“slowly but steadily catching up”, Mr. Stangier
explained. Just like 2012, the year 2013 has
been characterised by significant regional
differences and a strong position of Roto
compared to its competitors.
In the USA, Latin America, China and
some European countries like France, Roto
but the acquisition “immediately put us in
second place”. Roto has also succeeded in
gaining market share in the USA and Europe
(France, Italy and Turkey).
Core business thriving
The situation of the Roof and Solar
Technology Division as of the end of
September shows a moderate sales increase
compared to last year. Two-digit growth
rates during the second and third quarters
succeeded in evening out the sharp downturn
caused by unusual weather conditions at the
beginning of the year. The main reason for
this reversal in trends was high demand for the
Division’s core business – roof windows. Solar
technology, which has previously generated
negative results, has been reduced to “a
residual share” and therefore will no longer
represent a burden in the future.
Core markets