Polyamide specialist Ems (Domat / Switzerland; www.ems-group.com) said it had a “pleasing” course of business during this year’s first quarter, with sales gaining 14.1% year-on-year at CHF 566m (EUR 622m). In local-currency terms, sales have already reached pre-coronavirus levels, with the year-on-year increase at 15.3%. “EMS recorded a pleasing course of business in the first three months of the year and a pleasing order situation,” the company said.

Sales of the high-performance polymers division at CHF 507m represented a 15.1% expansion, while those of the smaller division of speciality chemicals totalled CHF 59m, up 5.6%.

The local raw material and finished products Ems had built up last year at its warehouses ensure that all companies within the group can deliver at any time even during the current shortages of raw materials. Continually rising raw material notations will make sales price increases for customers inevitable, Ems said, noting that the shortage of semiconductor chips in the automotive industry will also continue.

Commenting on the outlook for 2021, the company said it continues to expect that sales and operating income would be higher this year than in 2020. While it projects further economic recovery worldwide, Ems believes there will be continuing instability, though temporarily. It also anticipates bottlenecks and price hikes in supply chains.

The Swiss company has decided to invest more than CHF 300m over the next five years in expanding the production site at its headquarters in Domat. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for a new high-rack warehouse on 31 March 2021. Further major production lines, also at other locations, are expected to come onstream in 2021.