After extremely negative development in financial year 1992/93, the Battenfeld Group (HQ: D-58540 Meinerzhagen) was able to report improvement for 1993/94 (30.6.), although the bottom line was still negative. Incoming orders increased by 6% to DM 707m, turnover by 13% to DM 715m. Injection moulding machinery (+4%) accounted for DM 280m of turnover, blow moulding technology (+41%) for DM 150m, tube and profile extrusion (+5%) for DM 115m and film production technology (+13%) for DM 170m. The success of a restructurisation and reorganisation scheme started some time ago was reflected in a 7% decline in employment during 1993/94 to 2,807. At the recent press conference, Heinrich Weiss, chairman of the board of management of Battenfeld's parent company, SMS Schloemann Siemag AG (PO Box 230229, D-40088 Düsseldorf), as usual declined to disclose further details of the machinery manufacturer's performance.

READER SERVICE: Extract from the 1993/94 annual report of SMS AG "Plastics Technology Divison" (German) PIE-No. 36967.