Incoming orders increase by 33 percent in the first six months
Schopfloch, August 3, 2017. The HOMAG Group, the world's leading manufacturer of machinery and systems for the woodworking industry and trade, has continued to grow, recording strong demand for its products and solutions in the first half of 2017.
| H1 2017 | H1 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming orders | € 734 million | € 552 million |
| Order backlog (June 30) | € 542 million | € 354 million |
| Sales | € 597 million | € 527 million |
| Operating EBIT | € 46.9 million | € 31.9 million |
Employees (June 30)* | 6,149 | 5,983 |
* incl. apprentices
In the first six months of 2017, the world market leader's incoming orders increased by 33 percent to € 734 million (previous year: € 552 million). By June 30, 2017, the order backlog had reached € 542 million (June 30, 2016: € 354 million) and sales were up 13 percent to € 597 million (previous year: € 527 million). Operating EBIT rose by 47 percent to € 46.9 million (previous year: € 31.9 million). As at June 30, 2017, the HOMAG Group had 6,149 employees (previous year: 5,983 employees).
"Our encouraging start to 2017 continued in the second quarter, which means we had an excellent first half", highlights CEO Pekka Paasivaara. "We recorded strong growth in all regions. In China we increased our incoming orders by over 100 percent." CFO Franz Peter Matheis adds: "The disproportionately high rise in our earnings also shows that our numerous measures for enhancing efficiency and for standardizing our processes and systems are paying off."
Paasivaara is also pleased with the outcome of the LIGNA trade fair, which took place in Hanover at the end of May: "It was clear that our customers are increasingly tending toward digitization and automation, where we can already offer end-to-end solutions from a single source. And thanks to 'tapio', the open digital industry platform that we presented at LIGNA, we are all set to lead the entire woodworking industry securely into the digital future. In addition, customers have already confirmed that our concept to ensure digital data continuity from point of sale through the entire production process, based on our comprehensive software suite, is unique in this industry." With this in mind, the HOMAG Group is also optimistic about the future and expects 2017 to be a successful year as a whole.