Financial Statements - Geberit

2000 sales
by markets
Germany (38.8%)
Italy (15.5%)
Switzerland (12.3%)
United Kingdom (6.1%)
Austria (5.0%)
Netherlands (4.8%)
France (3.7%)
Belgium (3.5%)
Others (10.3%)
In the United Kingdom Geberit Ltd., acquired in early 1999, achieved an excellent
growth. On the one hand, the established drainage system business
recorded very good progress due to higher prices; on the other hand, the
introduction of numerous Geberit products in this market started to have a
positive impact. With mchf 73.5, sales in this core market rose by 18.0% over
the prior year.
With a moderate growth in the building industry in Austria, Geberit achieved
a 5.9% rise in sales to mchf 60.7. Here growth was clearly driven by drainage
and water supply systems. In the Netherlands Geberit sales increased by 5.5%
to mchf 58.2, which was above the general market trend. A significant contribution
was made by the product line water supply systems which was recently
launched in this market.
In France sales recorded a moderate 1.1% growth to mchf 44.7, in spite a
satisfactory growth in the construction industry. A decline in sales of flushing
systems was offset by a strong rise in sales of installation systems and the
introduction of new products.
In Belgium sales progressed in line with the market, and Geberit generated a
3.0% growth to mchf 42.4, which was attributable to satisfactory growth in
the installation systems business.
Good progress in the internationalisation process
Outside the eight core markets sales rose strongly by 15.5% to mchf 125.0.
A significant contribution to this satisfactory result was made by the Northern
American markets with a sales growth, after currency adjustments, of 8.1%;
due to the strong u.s. dollar this resulted in a growth of 21.4% expressed in
chf. In Eastern Europe a sound growth of 9.7% was recorded. With 33.5%
the Asian markets achieved the highest sales growth. As a result of the takeover
of a smaller distribution company in Northern Ireland the Group was able
to establish itself also in this rapidly growing market and to generate positive
results.
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