In 1996, Grammer AG (PO Box 1454, D-92204 Amberg) expects its turnover to increase to DEM 440m and its profit to rise at an even higher rate. The first four months of this year saw the volume of business increase by 20%. In 1995, the company, which produces driver and passenger seats, automobile equipment and office chairs, increased its turnover to DEM 356.6m (284.9m), while the group turnover rose to DEM 399.7m (326.9m). The result of ordinary business operations improved to DEM 24.6m (17m) for the company and DEM 28.8m (17.7m) for the group. The highest growth in turnover was achieved by Grammer's automobile equipment division with an increase of 46% to DEM 14.1m. The product division with the largest turnover was driver and passenger seats, which grew by 8% to DEM 224m. In spite of the weak economic trend in the industry, the turnover for office chairs also increased to DEM 26m (22.7m).

In the middle of the year, the new subsidiary in Most (Czech Republic) began manufacturing headrests for various vehicles produced by the VW group. This project covers the manufacture of 4.5m headrests per year. Grammer will also deliver a total of 80,000 passenger seats in the next few years for the various models of the Deutsche Bahn AG's new high-speed trains. The company sees potential for growth in both the driver and passenger seats division and the automobile equipment division. The internationalisation of the group is to be pushed forward with more acquisitions and joint projects – Grammer's latest acquisition was the Italian seat manufacturer C.M.I. di R. Lazzerini & C. SpA – as well as the expansion of foreign production.

READER SERVICE: 1995 Directors' report (compulsory publication of financial statements) for Grammer AG and group: PIE-No. 39964 – Set of brochures on driver seats: PIE-No. 36850 – Company profile: PIE-No. 36851 – Environmental brochure "Nach Gebrauch wegwerfen?": PIE-No. 36852 (all documents in German).