The sia Group expects sales to grow by 4% to 6% in 2007 (08/12/2006)
sia Abrasives continues its growth path
The growth prospects for the abrasives manufacturer based in Frauenfeld will remain intact during 2007. According to management, the company expects sales to grow within the forecasted range of 4% to 6% in the year ahead.
The sia Group’s sales forecast for the 2007 financial year is within the 4% to 6% range already announced by the company. According to management, this growth target should be attainable for the year ahead, even though the company expects global economic growth in 2007 to slow down compared to this year.
The sia Group enjoys a strong foothold worldwide and has continued to strengthen its market position during the current year by launching innovative products and establishing market niches. In North America, the company has posted substantial growth of more than 20% and clearly outperformed market growth for the year. The 2006 growth rates in Europe are also above-average. This has set the stage for sales growth to continue during 2007 at a rate that should outpace the anticipated economic growth. Order intake is developing positively and the order book, adjusted for seasonal variation, is well ahead of the year-ago level, indicating that the momentum from this year should carry over into the new financial year.
The sia Group based in Frauenfeld ranks among the world’s top three suppliers of coated abrasives. It develops, manufactures and markets complete abrasive systems tailored to specific requirements and applications for surface preparation and finishing of all kinds. This commitment has made sanding and grinding into true surface technologies. Employing some 1,100 people worldwide, sia Abrasives posted net sales of CHF 261.4 million and operating profit (EBITDA) of CHF 40.5 million for 2005. sia Abrasives Holding AG is listed on SWX Swiss Exchange and generates more than 90% of its sales outside Switzerland.
Financial calendar
23 March 2007, 9 a.m. Annual press conference at SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich 23 March 2007, 11 a.m. Analyst conference at SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich 24 April 2007, 4 p.m. Annual General Meeting of Shareholders at Frauenfeld Stadtcasino 30 April 2007 Dividend payment
For further information
Peter A. Schifferle, CEO and Executive Director Gerhard Mahrle, CFO and Investor Relations Phone: +41 52 724 45 75 Fax: +41 52 724 45 70 E-mail: ir@sia-abrasives.com Internet: http://www.sia-abrasives.com/
® Correct nomenclature for sia Abrasives Holding AG
As there are other companies and organizations that use the same abbreviation as our company, we would be grateful if you could help to avoid any misunderstandings by always writing our name as follows: sia Abrasives (never just sia by itself).
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