Interroll Posts Improved First-Half Profits Despite Order Slowdown

Swiss conveying roller and drive specialist Interroll has recorded boosted first-half profits, despite a fall in sales and orders. In the first half of 2020, leading global provider of material handling solutions Interroll recorded a decline in sales of -10.6% (-4.8% in local currencies) and a disproportionately strong increase in operating result (EBIT) of 3.5% and result (3.1%).

• Order intake was CHF 263.4 million (-11.9%).
• Sales fell to CHF 233.2 million (-10.6%), driven by EMEA and the Americas.
• Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) reached CHF 32.3 million (+3.5%).
• Result rose by 3.1% to CHF 23.8 million (prior-year period: CHF 23.1 million). The result margin reached 10.2% (previous year: 8.8%).

Alongside the impact of the COVID-19-pandemic, the rise in the Swiss franc had a clearly noticeable effect on sales, which reached CHF 233.2 million (-10.6% compared to the same period last year: CHF 260.8 million), but the decline in sales in local currency was only -4.8%.

The order intake showed a decline of -11.9% to CHF 263.4 million (previous year: CHF 299.0 million). In local currency, the decline was moderate at -6.1%.

Interroll managed to once again disproportionately increase the EBIT, even against declining sales and order intake by 3.5% to CHF 32.3 million (previous period: CHF 31.2 million).

“In the first half of 2020, Interroll was able to further grow EBIT and result despite a decrease in sales ” states Paul Zumbühl, CEO Interroll Worldwide Group. “Our high discipline regarding costs and investment also contributed to this positive result and additionally, Interroll was able to gain market share.”

Consolidated sales in the “Rollers” product group amounted to CHF 52.5 million, down -10.6% on the prior-year period of CHF 58.7 million. The Americas region recorded a 3.1% increase in orders for the Rollers product group. In the EMEA (-6.6%) and Asia-Pacific (-19.3%) regions, the lockdown was clearly felt in the
first quarter. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the “Rollers” product group recorded only a moderate decline of -5.9% in incoming orders, which amounted to CHF 53.5 million (same period a year ago: CHF 56.9 million).

The Drives product group’s sales in the first half of 2020 amounted to CHF 79.1 million, down -12.3% on the same period of the previous year (CHF 90.1 million). Thanks to innovative products such as the EC5000 RollerDrive, which has been successful in the marketplace, consolidated order intake fell only -10.5% to CHF 77.4 million compared with CHF 86.5 million in the same period last year, despite the COVID-19 crisis.

The Conveyors & Sorters product group recorded consolidated sales of CHF 80.9 million in the first half of 2020, which was -3.5% lower than in the same period of the previous year (CHF 83.9 million). Despite numerous project postponements, order intake was only -12.4% below the level of the same period last year (CHF 128.3 million) at CHF 112.3 million.

At the end of the first half of 2020, Interroll recorded consolidated sales of CHF 20.6 million with the Pallet Handling product group, which is -26.6% down on the same period a year ago (CHF 28.1 million), partly due to the lack of major projects. Consolidated order intake fell by -24.9% to CHF 20.2 million (previous year: CHF 26.9 million). During the COVID-19 crisis, important projects related to pallet handling in the storage area were postponed but not cancelled.

At the end of the first half of the year, Interroll’s share of total sales in EMEA is 60%; in the Americas, it is 27%; and in Asia-Pacific, it is 13%.

In the EMEA region, sales amounted to CHF 140.2 million, down -10.1% from the same period last year
(CHF 156.0 million). Incoming orders fell by -13.0% compared to the previous year and reached CHF 144.2 million (previous year: CHF 165.7 million). The markets in southern Europe (-21.9%) and central Europe (-22.3%) were particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, eastern Europe, with a high demand for sorters, recorded an increase in orders of 44.6%.

Sales in the Americas region amounted to CHF 63.5 million, down -18.8% on the same period last year (CHF 78.2 million). Most of this development was attributable to the North American market with the United States at the top. Capacity at the Hiram site in Atlanta (United States) was doubled at the end of the first half of 2020 in order to take advantage of the medium-term growth potential in the region. Order intake fell by -6.4% to CHF 77.3 million (previous year: CHF 82.6 million) after the record period of the previous year. Significant impetus came from the sorter business, with demand up 54% on the previous year.

Interroll’s sales in the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of 2020 increased by 10.7% despite the COVID-19
crisis and amounted to CHF 29.5 million at the end of the first six months of this year (same period in
the previous year: CHF 26.6 million). Incoming orders in the first half of 2020 fell by -17.4% to a total of CHF 41.9 million (previous year: CHF 50.7 million). Demand for conveyor rollers, drives and belt curves developed very positively due to Interroll’s strong market position during the COVID-19 crisis.

Results enjoying disproportionate growth
At CHF 43.5 million, Interroll was able to match the previous year’s level of earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in the first half of the year. The EBITDA margin increased to
18.7% (previous year: 16.7%). Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) reached CHF 32.3 m (3.5% above the previous year’s figure of CHF 31.2 m). The operating cash flow increased by 12.5% to CHF 45.6 million (previous year: CHF 40.6 million).

The result rose by 3.1% to CHF 23.8 million (prior-year period: CHF 23.1 million). The result margin reached 10.2% (previous year: 8.8%).