Global market development for German injection moulding machinery manufacturer Arburg (D-72290 Loßburg; www.arburg.com) last year was “fairly pleasing,” managing board chairman Michael Hehl said at the group´s recent annual “Technology Days”. According to provisional figures, overall sales rose by 8% from EUR 283m to EUR 305m.

Although difficulties such as tough global competition and the weakness of the dollar not only in the US, but also in Asia, had to be overcome, Arburg continued to be highly profitable, added Michael Grandt, managing director for finance and controlling. He said the group was able to compensate for this influence mainly by investing in its own production. Capital expenditure in 2004 held steady at the 2003 level of EUR 16m.

In percentage terms, the strongest growth in incoming orders came from Asia and North and South America, but Hehl pointed out that in absolute terms order volume in Europe, in particular in Germany, remained at a high absolute level. At the same time, he left no doubt about the fact of Asia´s growing importance to the machinery manufacturer. By converting its representative office in Shanghai into a wholly owned subsidiary last year, Arburg took a significant step closer to China. Hehl said the group now intends to further expand its presence in the People´s Republic as well as penetrating farther into eastern Europe.