ots Ad hoc-Service: Rosenbauer International <AT0000922554> The Executive Board of the listed company Rosenbauer International AG presented the Groups 1999 figures at a press conference held today.
Vienna (ots Ad hoc-Service) -
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Rosenbauer Group 1997 1998 1999 Sales EUR m 172,6 263,5 260,3 Result from ord.activities EUR m 8,8 9,5 5,8 Profit after tax EUR m 4,6 6,4 4,4 Cash-flow before tax EUR m 12,4 14,6 10,9 Capital investment EUR m 3,4 7,1 7,1 Vehicles supplied 659 1.302 1.258 Workforce 912 1.379 1.329
At around EUR 260,3 m (1998: EUR 263,5 m), Group Turnover held steady at the same level as in 1998, although with a Result from Ordinary Activities of EUR 5,8 m (1998: EUR 9,5 m).The main reasons for this are to be found in the fact, that major high-margin projects have been offset by smaller low-margin orders.
A total of 1,258 vehicles were supplied by the Group in 1999 (1998: 1302). Viewed by product segment, the vehicle field still accounts for the lions share (56%) of sales (1998: 56%), followed by aerials (turntable ladders) and fire safety equipment.
The Executive Board of the Rosenbauer Group intends to propose to the General Meeting that a dividend of EUR 1.16 per share should be distributed. The General Meeting is to take place at 10.30h on 9th June 2000, in the Festsaal des Hauses der Industrie, A-1010 Vienna.
At year-end 1999, a total of 1329 persons were employed in the Rosenbauer Group (1998: 1379). Of these, 612 were based in Austria, 541 in other European countries, 149 in the USA and 27 in Singapore.
The volume of new orders received in the Group rose last year from EUR 251.8 (1998) to EUR 287.6 bn. Order books at 31.12.1999 stood at EUR 204.7 bn (1998: EUR 178.0 bn).
Further development of the Panther family Work on this series - commenced in 1998 with the air-crash tender Panther FL 6x6 - proceeded apace during 1999. These vehicles are being developed simultaneously in the USA and Europe, using virtual engineering design.
A special member of this series is the Panther FL 4x4 ATA (Aluminium Technology - air transportable). This vehicle was developed for the US Airforce, to be flown to wherever US fighter jets are based in an emergency. For Munich and Leipzig Airports, the first-ever Panther 8x8 AT was developed in Aluminium Technology.
Outlook
In the fire-equipment industry, the business climate is sluggish by comparison, with a tendency towards further falls in prices and thus reduced earnings expectations, particularly among European producers.
Despite this development, the Rosenbauer Groupns main European production facilities have a good level of capacity utilisation. Not least, this is due to the strong market position that Rosenbauer products have established for themselves in recent years.
A major exception to this trend - and one that is very important for the Rosenbauer Group - is the US market. The sustained expansion of the American economy has meant that this, the largest single market for the fire-equipment business (accounting for 25% of world market volume), has been running superbly in terms of both turnover, production-capacity utilisation and earnings. This trend is expected to continue in the year 2000 as well.
The Management expects 2000 to bring renewed growth in both Groupns consolidated turnover and Result from ord.activities.
For more information, please contact: Robert Kastil, Executive Vice-President Finance, Tel:: +43 732 6794-570 Gerda Königstorfer, Investor Relations, Tel: +43 732 6794-568
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