Increase in total revenues – invested in future trends

The transformation process triggered by the introduction of electric mobility, connectivity and autonomous driving is leading to major upheavals in the automotive industry and other key sectors. These changes are largely taking place in parallel and vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers are faced with a wide variety of decisions. “External factors such as the emissions scandal and the consolidations taking place in our customer base have influenced our results in the 2016/2017 fiscal year. In some cases these have caused delays in contracts being awarded. In addition the highly competitive market has led to growing downward pressure on prices,” said Dietmar Bichler, chairman of the management board. 

The market situation is reflected in its financial figures. Total revenues rose slightly to EUR 993.9 million. The company’s operating profits were EUR 62.9 million, which corresponds to an EBIT margin of 6.3 percent. Bertrandt’s subsidiaries outside Germany continued their good performance and recorded an increase in revenues of 24.2 percent, which took this figure to EUR 134.3 million. “Bertrandt’s sound financial footing enables it to be a reliable partner for its customers, employees and shareholders. Against the background of the latest trends, the most important prerequisites for growth in the medium-term remain in place,” said Dietmar Bichler.

As a provider of comprehensive development services, Bertrandt once again invested in group-wide expertise and infrastructure in the 2016/2017 fiscal year. These investments amounted to EUR 38.3 million. “Our forward-looking approach has allowed us to tailor our portfolio of services to meet our customers’ requirements. We are building on our existing skills and focusing closely on areas of innovation, such as connectivity and new development technologies,” explains Dietmar Bichler.

Temporary influences that have made their mark on the 2016/2017 fiscal year will not have any impact on the company’s dividends. The board of management and the supervisory board will propose to the annual general meeting on 21 February 2018 that the dividend payment of EUR 2.50 per share should remain unchanged.

At the end of the financial year, 12,970 people were employed by Bertrandt worldwide producing customised development solutions to the highest standards of quality for customers at home and abroad. The many technological innovations on the horizon and the high-quality services required by customers have put the emphasis on ongoing employee development. Bertrandt is aware of the importance of providing training. It gives them every opportunity to continue developing their skills so that they can meet customers’ requirements as effectively as possible. Bertrandt invested a total of EUR 10.2 million in training during the fiscal year that has just come to an end.