Professional chefs in China and Japan are increasingly taking a liking to steamers from Bavaria. Profits are booming there.
The commercial kitchen equipment supplier Rational continues to grow thanks to strong business in Asia and America and sees itself well on the way to achieving its annual targets. In the first half of the year, the Bavarian MDAX group’s sales rose by four percent to 581 million euros, while operating earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose by 10 percent to 149 million euros. The bottom line was a profit after taxes of 117 million euros.
“We see great free market potential for our products and services,” said CEO Peter Stadelmann. The main growth driver was demand in China and Japan: business in Asia grew by 13 percent year-on-year, in North and Latin America by 6 and 7 percent, respectively, and in Europe sales were slightly below the previous year. The number of employees grew to 2,660, of which 1,500 were in Germany.
The Management Board confirmed the outlook for the current year: sales are expected to grow in the mid to high single-digit percentage range.
Source: Stern
