Schuler Focuses on New Markets
and Digital Business Models
In the 2018 fiscal year, Schuler increased its order intake by ten
percent with successful sales in new markets and digitized applications.
However, ongoing pressure to make
adjustments in Germany, international trade
conflicts and special effects had a significant
negative impact on the Göppingen-based press
manufacturer’s sales. “We will consistently
focus Schuler on new markets, digital business
models and profitable core businesses”,
said CEO Domenico Iacovelli, in office since
April 2018, when speaking to journalists on
Wednesday. In mid-2019, Schuler and Porsche
plan to start building their joint high-tech
press plant, which has now finally been agreed.
Sales just maintained, 2018 sales down
compared to previous year
Schuler’s incoming orders rose to € 1,255 billion in
2018 (previous year: € 1,141 billion). Despite the
rather low order backlog at the end of 2017, Group
sales remained virtually unchanged at € 1,212 billion
(previous year: € 1,220 billion). The regions of Europe
and China grew, while business in North America
suffered significant losses.
Sales margins were subject to multiple burdens. The
challenges posed by the new WLTP test procedure
for automobile manufacturers led, particularly in
Germany, both to the abandonment of new capacities
and to the postponement of already agreed projects.
At the same time, costs rose due to the collective
wage agreements from recent years. Customer
business in China suffered from the trade conflict
between China and the USA.
14 TUBE NEWS April 2019
The corporate headquarters in Göppingen.
In 2018, Schuler had extraordinary expenses in
the low double-digit million range due to capacity
adjustments within the Group and write-downs on
the capitalized goodwill of the die manufacturing
subsidiary AWEBA. EBITA fell to € 45.3 (111.9)