"We have increased our company's earnings, achieved additional profits in important markets, and improved our overall position in the face of global competition", said Heinrich Baumann, managing partner of the Eberspächer group, at the annual press conference. Eberspächer operates globally, supplying automotive manufacturers, dealers and workshops with exhaust gas equipment and vehicle heaters. In both areas of business, the family-run Esslingen company is one of the world's market leaders. The international corporation encompasses 38 operational companies and employs 5,824 people.

Compared to the previous year, the group's turnover rose by 23.5 per cent to 2023.3 million euros. The foreign share of turnover also grew - from 52 to 55.6 per cent. The result of normal business activity almost doubled to 29.7 million euros. The positive results of the German consolidated companies continued to stabilise whereas the US subsidiary, ENA, reported a substantial loss in 2006 as well. As a result, the company's overall result of 7.1 million euros is, on the whole, unsatisfactory.

In the area of exhaust gas technology, Eberspächer increased its turnover by 27 per cent to 1695.5 million euros, which includes, however, a large number of cost-intensive bought-in parts. After being corrected by these continuous items, the rise in turnover amounts to nine per cent. Apart from Germany, South Africa and the U.S. made the greatest contributions to the growth in turnover. Eberspächer sees itself as an all-round supplier for all aspects of exhaust gas equipment: exhaust-gas filtering, silencers and sound design. It focuses on innovative solutions for the increasingly strict limits applicable to exhaust gas filters for automobiles and lorries.

Turnover in pre-heaters and auxiliary heating devices in 2006 amounted to 327.8 million euros, 15 per cent more than in the preceding year. Here, the company succeeded in strengthening its market position internationally and in making clear advances into the east European market. As regards vehicle heaters, innovative products, new concepts for thermal management in the vehicle and even greater user convenience are central aspects of development. The prognoses for the current year are optimistic: sales and turnover are going according to plan.

Source: Eberspächer