Bühler Weathers Challenging Year
by swisschambei in Engineering / Manufacturing
Bühler on February 13 reported EBIT of CHF 146 million (USD 163.6 million) for 2020 compared to CHF 248 million a year ago. Turnover was CHF 2.7 billion, down 17.0% from CHF 3.3 billion. The 2020 figures are impacted by the development of currency exchange rates, specifically of the Chinese yuan, euro, and US dollar against the Swiss franc. The Group gained financial strength, with equity ratio reaching 44.2% (+1.4 percentage points) and net liquidity soaring to CHF 749 million (+66.8%). Turnover was CHF 2.7 billion (-17.0%), with order intake amounting to CHF 2.6 billion (-16.7%). Along with the divergent course of Bühler’s businesses, there was also a shift in regional development towards Asia. While all markets reported lower volumes, Bühler Asia managed to be stable driven by the strong growth of Bühler’s business in China. Order intake in China rose sharply by 15% for the full year. Regarding turnover, Asia now makes up 35% (previous year: 31%), Europe 30% (30%), North America 16% (16%), Middle East & Africa 11% (14%), South America 5% (6%), and South Asia 3% (3%). Despite the challenging environment, Bühler continued to execute its innovation roadmap, launching 86 new products and solutions.