ALINVEST increased its net profit by 58 percent last year and increased its turnover to 3 billion crowns
Bridlicna, 30.7. 2010
The economy of AL INVEST Břidličná, a.s. (hereinafter ALINVEST), which is this year celebrating 80 years of the production of non-iron metals in Bridlicna, was closed in 2009 with a net profit to the amount of 118 million Czech crowns. The most significant Czech producer of rolled semi-finished products from aluminium and flexible packaging materials battled with stagnating inquiries and went through dramatic setbacks especially in terms of the sale of its assortment to the automobile industry and construction industry. However, the company managed to reduce the effect of such negative events through a flexible orientation towards the needs of the food industry, which was not as severely affected by the economic crisis. The turnover in 2009 reached around 3.2 billion Czech crowns.
”Our wide portfolio had a lot to do with the results and the reorientation towards using packaging materials and foils in the household became very advantageous. Once orders for construction, machine building and the automobile industries went stagnant, we aimed for a growth in our market share of orders in the food industry. Our viewpoint helped us keep the decrease in sales below 5%. We spared ourselves a great fall, unlike other companies in the Czech Republic. We managed to even things up in the second half of the year” said the CEO of ALINVEST, Robert Macek. ”The level of profit and management of assets helped the company strengthen its stability, which was reflected in the reduction of debt by 5.3%. Although the business plan for 2009 was more ambitious, I believe the management managed to keep the consequences of the economic crisis to a minimum and to establish rules for ALINVEST to profit in the future wherever possible. Here we are mostly dealing with cost savings or simplifying the management system for it to be more effective. We also managed to invest into innovations and improvements to property, which can to a total of 97 million Czech crowns. The most significant items were the purchase of an extruder and glowing furnace for foils,” director Macek commented on the internal situation of the company.
One of the pivotal aims, which the company managed to fulfil, was the maintenance of its position and expansion into other European and non-European markets. Our share of export in 2009 amounted to 62% and was mostly directed towards the east, especially the Ukraine, Belarus and the Balkan countries. AlINVEST also focused upon strengthening its position in Western Europe in the second half of the year. ”The trend towards pressure from customers on prices and business conditions continued in the food industry, particularly in the cases of simpler products such as butter laminates. Our reaction was to focus on products with added value and improvement of our position on the market with tobacco products. This allowed us to successfully install facilities for the production of innerliners on the basis of metallised paper. We also received the prestigious award of packaging of the year for cooperation with the Olešnice dairy works, which was a repeated success from 2007 and 2006,” added Vít Hrabánek, director of sales and marketing.
Notes for editors:
AL INVEST Břidličná, a.s. is a significant European producer of packaging materials and rolled semi-finished products from aluminium. The company employs more than 800 people. This year we are celebrating our 80th of production of non-iron metals in Břidličná.
We are members of the international aluminium association EAFA, the packaging association SYBA, the south-Bohemian chamber of commerce and the Association of Czech test-rooms and laboratories.We achieved, in 2009, the prestigious award for the packaging of the year in the category of packaging material for the showpiece Butter-tradition from the highlands. We also received this award in 2006 and 2007.
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