PRESS RELEASE
What a great year!
SICK profits from market and own structural strengths



Sales: EUR 902.7 m. (previous year: EUR 748.9 m.)
Orders received: EUR 922.3 m. (previous year: EUR 809.4 m.)
EBIT: EUR 83.4 m. (previous year: EUR 67.5 m.)
Waldkirch, April 19, 2012 – SICK AG surpassed itself again last year and, for
the second time in a row after the international financial crisis, exceeded its
own record levels as a result of continued strong demand for intelligent sensors
(particularly for plant and machine construction) as well as further development
of the company’s organization. this success is not without reason: These record
results are a consequence of SICK anticipating technological trends and customer requirements, and implementing them in innovative products and solutions, complemented by the flexible adaptation of organizational structures.
Parallel to economic development worldwide, the SICK Group started the fiscal
year 2011 at a blistering pace and was able to maintain this level despite economic downturns. At the end of the year, the orders received amounted to a
new all-time high of EUR 922.3 m., 13.9 percent above those of the previous
year (EUR 809.4 m.). This good level of incoming orders was converted to
sales of EUR 902.7 m. in 2011, an increase of 20.5 percent on the previous
year (EUR 748.9 m.). The book-to-bill ratio was also over 100 percent by the
end of the fiscal year 2011: 102.2 percent not only reflects the good development, but also shows that dynamism weakened somewhat compared to that at
the end of 2010 (book-to-bill ratio in previous year: 108.1 percent).
PRESS RELEASE
Despite the growth-related additional burdens resulting from material costs,
personnel costs and other operating expenses, it was possible to achieve earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) amounting to EUR 83.4 m. in 2011 – another new record for the SICK Group and a 23.6 percent increase compared to the
previous year (EUR 67.5 m.).
Worldwide growth
Considered on a regional basis, all regions contributed towards driving the
growth of the SICK Group. Growth in North America and in the Asian-Pacific
region was particularly satisfactory. Sales volumes in 2011 were almost equal,
with EUR 149 m. in North America and EUR 148 m. in the Asian-Pacific region,
representing increases of 25 percent respectively. The strategy of meeting local
demand for engineering and production with local Regional Product Centers
and Regional Competence Centers – so that customers receive optimum support locally – has paid off here. In the growth rankings these regions are closely
followed by the countries grouped under “Rest of the World”. In addition to the
Brazilian subsidiary (SICK Solução em Sensores Ltda in Sao Paulo), the South
African subsidiary (SICK Automation Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. in Roodeport
near Johannesburg, founded in December 2010) also developed very satisfactorily. Sales in 2011 reached EUR 37 m. in the “Rest of the World”. This corresponds to a rise of 24 percent compared to 2010. Thus, SICK has successfully
further established itself in the southern hemisphere. In the growth rankings,
Germany, with growth of 19 percent to EUR 216 m., lies ahead of Europe, with
growth of 18 percent to EUR 353 m. In addition to Austria, the Eastern European and Scandinavian subsidiaries, in particular, achieved very strong growth.
2
PRESS RELEASE
The individual segments:
SICK divides Group business activities into Factory, Logistics and Process Automation segments.
The Factory Automation segment showed particularly strong growth in machine construction and in the automotive industry in 2011. Indeed, the segment
was able to fully exploit the good development of machine construction worldwide: The Factory Automation segment completed the 2011 fiscal year with
sales amounting to EUR 542.3 m., 20 percent more than during the previous
year (EUR 451.0 m.).
The Logistics Automation segment also achieved double-digit growth in almost all strategic industries. The segment did particularly well in the equipping
of airports and in the traffic sector. The high investment confidence amongst
courier, express and package service providers also contributed towards total
segment sales of EUR 201.5 m. by the end of the year. The segment therefore
grew by 23 percent, having achieved sales of EUR 163.9 m. in the previous
year.
Following only slight growth in 2010, the Process Automation segment was
able to exploit many growth opportunities during the 2011 fiscal year: The segment achieved growth amounting to EUR 158.8 m., 19 percent higher than in
the previous year (EUR 134.0 m.), principally due to stimuli from the gas industry and from equipping the petrochemical and cement industries with process
measurement technology from SICK.
3
PRESS RELEASE
The largest ever increase in the number of employees
660 additional employees were integrated worldwide in 2011. Internal restructuring was stemmed and the enormous growth mastered thanks to a fantastic
performance by the entire SICK workforce. The new jobs correspond to growth
of 12.7 percent compared to the end of 2010.
With 3,580 employees, at the end of the year 61.2 percent of the workforce was
active in Germany – 10.4 percent more than at the end of the previous year.
Growth in the number of employees abroad was larger in percentage terms:
Here a total of 323 new employees started work at SICK by the end of 2011 –
16.6 percent more than at the end of 2010.
At EUR 7.3 m., expenditure on training and further education during the fiscal
year 2011 grew by 26 percent compared to the previous year (EUR 5.8 m.).
During the fiscal year 2011, SICK employed an average of 211 trainees. There
were 197 trainees in the previous year.
Research and development:
innovative products + intelligent solutions = Sensor Intelligence
The continuous expansion of research and development activities is one of the
most important pillars of SICK’s competitiveness. SICK therefore invested EUR
80.4 m. in research and development during the last fiscal year (previous year:
EUR 67.3 m.). This is equivalent to an innovation rate of 8.9 percent. An average of 611 employees – 5.7 percent more than during the previous year – was
involved in research and development during 2011.
Prospects:
4
PRESS RELEASE
The extraordinary pressure on many industrial companies to carry out further
rationalization of production and logistics remains strong. SICK is technologically very well positioned and can meet the needs of customers for intelligent automation solutions – needed to cover fluctuations in demand and achieve the
required process optimizations – worldwide and at any time. Expectations regarding sales and earnings are, however, affected by volatile financial markets
in the eurozone and high oil prices, among other factors.
2012 started with a stable orders situation and reduced dynamism. SICK therefore expects low single-digit growth in sales and earnings during the 2012 fiscal
year.
Further information on SICK can be obtained on the Internet at:
http://www.sick.com or by telephone at: +49 (0)7681 202-3873.
Picture Service: current corporate photos are available for you to download freeof-charge from our Internet site:
http://www.sick.com/group/DE/home/pr/press_releases/Seiten/press_releases.aspx
Overview of the key figures in this press release:
SICK Group (IFRS)
2011
2010
2009
Orders received (in m. EUR)
922.3
809.4
592.4
Sales (in m. EUR)
902.7
748.9
596.8
EBIT (in m. EUR)
83.4
67.5
11.3
Annual profit (in m. EUR)
52.0
42.9
3.5
R&D expenditure (in m. EUR)
80.4
67.3
64.6
Employees at end of year
5,853
5,193
4,919
5