The abolition of the minimum exchange rate of the Swiss National Bank on 15 January 2015 clearly left its mark on the Lucerne-based family-owned electronic business company.
After a successful 2014 SCHURTER Group with their 20 worldwide subsidiaries had to accept a sales decrease of 6.9 % to CHF 191.4 million. The cash flow amounted to 9.0 % and the profit after tax 4.2 % of sales.
Both Division Components (-7.6 %) as well as Division Input Systems (-5.4 %) had recorded negative growth figures. In particular, the strong growth of the Division Input Systems could not be continued. Calculated at the exchange rates of the previous year a decrease of 0.5% would be obtained for the SCHURTER Group and a drop in sales in the Division Components of 3.2 %, but still a respectable growth in the Division Input Systems of 4.8 %.
The negative influences of the strong Swiss Franc were promptly curbed with countermeasures. In addition, efficiency-enhancing measures with the group-wide implementation of lean management also came in effect. The infrastructure of our Group Company in the Czech Republic has been extended to 100 %, and herewith contributes to additional competitiveness in the global electronics components business. Both in Division components as well as in Division Input Systems promising innovation projects are in the pipeline. These justify the increase in capital expenditures by 12.5 %.
Efforts to coordinate expertise of both divisions and increasingly offer total solutions for our customers, developed very well. The sales volume in the area Solutions increased by 6 %. For 2016 a growth rate of over 20 % is projected.