Financial Overview

(in million euros)

	FY2010	FY2009	Rate of change (%)	Factors
Overall
Sales	1,002.8	831.0	20.6	1)
Automotive division
Sales	473.7	409.1	15.8	2)

Factors
1)
 -Good demand prevailed not only in the automotive market but also in the capital goods industry, particularly the chemical industry and medical technology. Sales rose by 20.6% to EUR 1,002.8 million. Incoming orders, which increased by 26.8% to EUR 1,044.4 million, performed even better.

2)
-The international automotive supplier industry recovered from the severe economic decline in 2009 with astounding speed. Thus the industry’s global sales in 2010 nearly matched the pre-crisis level. As a result of the good market development, the Automotive Plastics division increased sales by 15.8% to EUR 473.7 million. The growth rates were particularly high in China and the USA.

Contracts

-Rochling Automotive Plastics division announced that it earned a contract during 2009 to supply controllable air ducts for GM Chevrolet Cruz. Also in 2009, the Company received new orders including cooling-water pipes for engines on Toyota models as well as intake manifolds for Chinese company Dongfeng Motor's car model. (From a press release on May 20, 2010)

Orders in 2008 and before are as follows;
-Air filter systems for Porsche
-Electrically-driven controllable air duct systems for Peugeot in France
-Expansion tanks for Nissan and Volvo trucks (future program)
-Cylinder head covers for Iveco
-Interior parts for the new VW Golf VI

Awards

-A blow-molded charge air pipe made of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) was awarded 1st place in the "Powertrain" category and a "Grand Award" in the collective "Parts & Components" category at the 12th Automotive Division Award 2009 of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Central Europe. (From a press release on June 24, 2009)

R&D Expenditure

(in million euros)

	FY2010	FY2009	FY2008
Overall	N.A.	N.A.	32

Capital Expenditure

(in million euros)

	FY2010	FY2009	FY2008
Overall	35.9	26.8	52.8

 

Investment Activities

-Among the most important projects in 2010 was the first assembly line for the flexible production of six different intake manifold models in the Röchling Automotive plant in Changchun, China, with an annual output of 737,000 units.

-The Company's 3rd production plant in China is to be built in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. In the second half of 2011, the 13,000 square meters facility will begin manufacturing air duct systems and other components made from engineering plastics. Clients served from this plant will include FAW-VW, Ford Chongqing, and Volvo. (From a press release on April 7, 2011)