In 1HY 2013, Gurit achieved net sales of CHF 109.1 million (1HY 2012: CHF 172.3 million) with customers in the traditionally supplied materials target markets of wind energy, aerospace and marine, and increasingly so in additional industrial markets.
Sales to wind energy customers declined sharply given the lower demand from Asian and American markets as well as some postponements of European offshore projects. In contrast, Gurit achieved a 12.8% sales increase with material supplies for industrial and marine purposes while sales to aerospace and rail customers remained stable. Due to the slower than anticipated demand recovery for composite materials and tooling equipment in the wind energy markets as well as some postponements of orders in Gurit Composite Systems and Engineering, the 1HY 2013 operating profit is now anticipated to be slightly above break-even. For the full year 2013, Gurit now expects net sales to fall somewhat below CHF 300 million and the operating profit margin to reach 3 to 5%.
