KEBA announces result for FY 2012-13; on course for growth and expansion

In the Financial Year (April 2012 – March 2013), the KEBA Group generated sales revenues of EUR 150 million. This represented an increase of 16% from EUR 129.7 million to EUR 150.1 million. As Gerhard Luftensteiner, the KEBA AG CEO explained at today’s press conference in Linz: “This increase in sales revenues can be traced to an excellent positioning in the Industrial Automation Business Area and market share gains in Banking Automation.” KEBA’s positioning is further strengthened through a clear focus on branch segments. This allows the precise recognition of the demands of both respective markets and users and the development of correspondingly optimized solutions. In the Industrial Automation Business Area, important OEMs in the mechanical engineering and robotics fields were obtained as customers. In particular, KEBA scores when highly dynamic robotic applications or complex control algorithms in the mechanical engineering sector are involved. The Banking Automation Business Area was able to raise its market shares considerably in Germany and Austria with KEBA ATMs. Indeed, the market regards KEBA cash recyclers as a quality benchmark. The export quota amounted to roughly 80%. 64% of exports went to the EU (excluding Austria) and 16 % to the rest of the world. Investments in research and development rose from EUR 21.5 mln to EUR 24.3 mln. At the beginning of the year, KEBA took over a majority holding in the Dutch company Delem B.V., which specializes in the automation of sheet metal machinery. With this acquisition, KEBA has clearly consolidated its competence and position in the automation area and tapped into the sheet metal segment, which is new to the company. Delem is a highly successful enterprise, which in the last financial year had sales of EUR 14.8 mln (as at December 31, 2012) and currently has a workforce of 47. During the past year, the sales of the CBPM-KEBA joint venture in China also rose to EUR 38.5 mln. The focus of this joint venture is on banking automation. South Korea’s growth rates and economic performance are impressive and the Asian state numbers among the world’s most important economic powers. The government places great reliance upon the industrial sector and provides research and development with appropriate support. South Korea has brought forth a number of significant business groups and is the market leader in numerous high-tech areas. Reasons enough for KEBA, the Austrian automation experts, to tap into this market.