Annual report 2008 - Comrod

The Masts business area is one of the world’s leading suppliers of tacticalmasts for the defence industry.Business Area MastsRapid deployment andincreased mobilityThe company Lerc was acquired in 2006and is the backbone of the Group’s Mastbusiness area. The company is based in St.Amand Les Eaux in Northern France.Lerc masts are reaching further heights andmobility and the solutions are continuouslybeing developed for the benefit of ourvalued customers and shareholders. Lerc is aleading brand worldwide.PRODUCTS & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTThe wide range of products meets therequirements of most defence end-usersworldwide. Lerc’s mast products includesolutions for end-users such as the infantryand special forces, ranging from light andhighly mobile masts to heavy duty and fullyautomated telescopic masts for electronicwarfare.Key features of the mast products includeeasy maintenance, standard as well astailor-made versions, and advanced controlsystems for unmanned use of the masts.Sleeve masts currently constitute the mainproduct category within the mast segment.Lerc has superior competence and a wellproventrack record when it comes tocalculating, designing and manufacturingmasts, especially for large-size and heavytop-load applications.STRATEGYThe business area has defined the followingmain goals for the period 2009-2010- Minimum 15% annual growth in turnover inthe business area- We will further improve our marketposition in the US market- We will develop our business in the field ofadvanced mast systemsMARKETS AND OUTLOOKIn 2008, Lerc mainly delivered masts to anincreasing line of sight (LOS) NATO marketfor the mobile internet backbone. Lerc mastsare used to support the high capacity LOSradios needed in modern warfare for deliveringhigh-speed video and file transmissionbetween the front and command and controlcentres.Recently, the market has moved to highermobility and the integration of all radiocommunication equipment on vehicles. Thecompany is adapting its range of productsto meet this need in order to be ready forfuture defence programmes.The technical advances withinComrod Communication Group Annual report 2008 15