Solar sales at Manz sink to 12% of total revenues; diversified markets limit sales decline

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  Supporting the need to have a diversified market approach, equipment supplier Manz reported first-half 2012 sales of €113.5 million and an operating profit of €1.1 million

Supporting the need to have a diversified market approach, equipment supplier Manz reported first-half 2012 sales of €113.5 million and an operating profit of €1.1 million, despite solar equipment sales declining to only 12% of total revenues. Manz said that strong sales and orders in its Display segment and entry into the battery market were key reasons for overall sales in the period only falling around 16%.

Manz reported a significant decline in sales within its solar segment, providing further proof of the collapse in capital spending from PV manufacturers as they continue to be impacted by severe overcapacity. Manz said that it had generated only €13.1 million in revenue from the solar segment, down from €46 million in the same period a year ago.

“With a positive EBIT we have achieved our target in the first six months,” noted Dieter Manz, CEO of Manz AG. “This was above all enabled by our core competences in the fields of automation, laser process technology, vacuum coating, printing, metrology and wet chemical processes, as well as our successful diversification strategy. With the positive order situation in the Display and Battery segments, we can compensate the ongoing lack of investment in the solar industry.”

However, the CEO warned that weak sales to the PV industry could still impact earnings for the full-year.