DYNAMIT NOBEL
Plastics propel sales, earnings in 1997-98 / Acquisition in Argentina / Smart: Good start
German plastics processor Dynamit Nobel AG (D-53839 Troisdorf) profited from its close ties to the automobile industry in financial year 1997/98. As the new car economy boomed, plastics were the driving force behind the improvement of group sales and earnings, chairman Fritz Lehnen said at a press conference in Hambach, France, where group company Dynamit Nobel Kunststoff GmbH (D-91780 Weißenburg) is supplying the “smart” micro compact car. Total sales of Dynamit Nobel AG and its subsidiaries, part of the Metallgesellschaft group (D-60388 Frankfurt), rose 9% to DEM 4.5 bn, net earnings by 30% to DEM 268m.
Lifting pretax earnings to DEM 54m from DEM 21m and sales 28% to DEM 1.3 bn, Dynamit Nobel Kunststoff made the strongest contribution to the group´s overall performance. This, according to Lehnen, was due in particular to full-year consolidation of Phoenix Kunststoff GmbH, acquired on 1 July 1997, and to initial intake from “smart” supplier Dynamit Nobel France SAS. The share of plastics in group sales widened by 2% to 30%.
DN´s capacities for injection moulding, painting and assembly of parts and modules for new automobiles – 25,000 bumper systems are produced daily for the European market – were run flat out. Considerable sums were spent last year on developing systems for new or revamped car models such as the Daimler Chrysler “S” class. Production facilities at Valenica, Spain, of Dynamit Nobel Iberica S.A. (HQ: Sant Andreu de la Barca, E-08748 Barcelona) were expanded. This facility and Dynamit´s plant at Pappenheim, Germany, produce bumpers and assembly frames for the new Ford Focus.
The acquisition last month of Argentinian automobile supplier Emplast S.A. and its subsidiary Corplast S.A. underscores Dynamit´s commitment to follow its customers in the auto industry worldwide, said Lehnen. With USD 46m in annual sales and 350 employees, the company is a leading producer of painted plastic bumpers for such automakers as Ford, Volkswagen, General Motors and Daimler Chrysler. It has state-of-the-art injection moulding, painting and assembly facilities at Tortuguitas, near Buenos Aires, and at Cordoba.
Micro Compact Car´s (MCC, F-57913 Hambach) production is now running at about 80% of capacity, journalists were told on a tour of “smartville”. Initial series production of the “smart” is sold out. DN, one of 13 system suppliers and one of the few to perform all functions on site, supplies custom moulded, pre-coloured body panels in a PC/PBT blend (“Xenoy” XD 1573) produced by GE Plastics NV (PO Box 117, NL-4600 AC Bergen op Zoom), as well as a number of other parts. At “smartville” Dynamit Nobel Kunststoff managing director Dieter Pütz said the company has already had enquiries from other auto manufacturers about adapting the technology.
Press conference speech by Dr. Fritz Lehnen with details on DN´s financial performance in 1997/98 and the “smart” production concept (German): PIE-No. 43238 – “smart”-brochure on the production in Hambach (German): PIE-No. 43277.
Lifting pretax earnings to DEM 54m from DEM 21m and sales 28% to DEM 1.3 bn, Dynamit Nobel Kunststoff made the strongest contribution to the group´s overall performance. This, according to Lehnen, was due in particular to full-year consolidation of Phoenix Kunststoff GmbH, acquired on 1 July 1997, and to initial intake from “smart” supplier Dynamit Nobel France SAS. The share of plastics in group sales widened by 2% to 30%.
DN´s capacities for injection moulding, painting and assembly of parts and modules for new automobiles – 25,000 bumper systems are produced daily for the European market – were run flat out. Considerable sums were spent last year on developing systems for new or revamped car models such as the Daimler Chrysler “S” class. Production facilities at Valenica, Spain, of Dynamit Nobel Iberica S.A. (HQ: Sant Andreu de la Barca, E-08748 Barcelona) were expanded. This facility and Dynamit´s plant at Pappenheim, Germany, produce bumpers and assembly frames for the new Ford Focus.
The acquisition last month of Argentinian automobile supplier Emplast S.A. and its subsidiary Corplast S.A. underscores Dynamit´s commitment to follow its customers in the auto industry worldwide, said Lehnen. With USD 46m in annual sales and 350 employees, the company is a leading producer of painted plastic bumpers for such automakers as Ford, Volkswagen, General Motors and Daimler Chrysler. It has state-of-the-art injection moulding, painting and assembly facilities at Tortuguitas, near Buenos Aires, and at Cordoba.
Micro Compact Car´s (MCC, F-57913 Hambach) production is now running at about 80% of capacity, journalists were told on a tour of “smartville”. Initial series production of the “smart” is sold out. DN, one of 13 system suppliers and one of the few to perform all functions on site, supplies custom moulded, pre-coloured body panels in a PC/PBT blend (“Xenoy” XD 1573) produced by GE Plastics NV (PO Box 117, NL-4600 AC Bergen op Zoom), as well as a number of other parts. At “smartville” Dynamit Nobel Kunststoff managing director Dieter Pütz said the company has already had enquiries from other auto manufacturers about adapting the technology.
Press conference speech by Dr. Fritz Lehnen with details on DN´s financial performance in 1997/98 and the “smart” production concept (German): PIE-No. 43238 – “smart”-brochure on the production in Hambach (German): PIE-No. 43277.
31.12.1998 Plasteurope.com [18280]
Published on 31.12.1998