The Belgian manufacturer of window profiles, Deceuninck Plastics Industries NV (Bruggesteenweg 164, B-8830 Hooglede-Gits), reported unchanged after-tax earnings of just under EUR 8m for the first half of 2000. This is regarded as a particularly good achievement because PVC raw material prices rose at an above-average rate during this period and it has not yet been possible to pass them on to the market to anywhere near the full extent. Sales rose – on a non-comparable basis – by 27% to EUR 166m. 8% of this was due to the first time consolidation of the Turkish company Ege Profil (Atatürk Organize Sanayi, Bolgesi 10003 Sok, No. 6, TR-Cigli-Izmir). Currency changes accounted for 7% while price increases plus volume growth were responsible for the other 12%.

Deceuninck is complaining that it has been impossible to adequately pass on the enormous increases in the price of PVC. A recent press release blames in particular the aggressive market behaviour of German competitors for the “erosion of margins”.