Laser manufacturer Trumpf’s annual sales increased to €3.1 billion in the 2016/17 fiscal year ending 30 June 2017, preliminary calculations have revealed. This corresponds to a growth of 10.8 per cent compared to the €2.8 billion reported in the previous 2015/2016 fiscal year.
Germany, the US and China were reported to be the largest three markets, with South Korea additionally showing promise after experiencing a 52 per cent increase in sales year-over-year.
Trumpf management board. (Credit: Trumpf)
Trumpf attributes the upturn in sales to a strong global economy. ‘In many markets, we exceeded our targets, with an equal contribution from all our products,’ commented Trumpf CEO Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller. ‘But we know that the current investment climate has been influenced by external factors such as the euro exchange rate and raw materials prices.’
Germany continued to be the largest single market, accountable for €642 million in sales, followed by the US (€416 million) and China (€398 million). Sales in South Korea also showed promise after rising 57 per cent year-over-year to €209 million, making the region Trumpf’s fourth-biggest market worldwide.
Italy and the Netherlands proved to be the top performers in Europe after Germany, with sales increasing by 34 per cent and 55 per cent respectively. Sales in the Netherlands were boosted by business with chip manufacturer ASML, to whom Trumpf supplies CO2 lasers for extreme ultraviolet lithography systems for processing semiconductor chips. ASML received eight additional orders for its EUV machines in Q2 2017, which the company says shows that the adoption for high-volume EUV manufacturing has reached an inflection point.
Leibinger-Kammüller also pointed out that Trumpf has used the last year to drive ahead with its investment in the digital business platform Axoom, as well as the expansion of locations in Germany and abroad. Examples include the completion of production and sales facilities in Warsaw, Poland and Neukirch, Germany, as well as the logistics centre at headquarters in Ditzingen, built at a cost of €35 million. Trumpf also constructed a €13 million Industry 4.0 demonstration facility in Chicago, which will open on 12 September 2017.
The number of employees in the Trumpf Group rose by six per cent in the fiscal year to reach approximately 12,000. The company also recently announced an expansion in the Group’s management, effective 1 July 2017.
Regarding political developments and their impact on the market, Leibinger-Kammüller was pleased to report that there has been hardly any impact so far on business in Europe and elsewhere. ‘In many cases, political uncertainties have simply not affected the economic situation. It’s clear that customers and suppliers have learned to respond to the increased volatility with a high degree of flexibility,’ she said.
Trumpf subsidiary Hüttinger in Freiburg also had a good year, recording sales of €118 million, an increase of 52 per cent over the previous fiscal year.