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Autoneum Annual Report 2015
Business year at a glance
Growth path continued
With a sales increase of more than 10% in local
currencies, Autoneum achieved strong organic
growth in 2015. Despite the strength of the Swiss
franc, sales measured in the Group’s reporting
currency also increased clearly. This market
success was achieved in particular thanks to
a good order situation and correspondingly high
production volumes in Europe, North America
and Asia. Whereas global automotive production
provided barely any impulse with a year-on-
year growth rate of only 1.4% and the automo-
bile industry in South America and Russia
experienced significant slumps in demand and
production, Autoneum profited from numerous
successful production ramp-ups as well as from
the diverse and balanced customer base. It was
broadened again in 2015 with the addition of
local and international OEMs. In accordance with
the strategic priority not only to generate sales
but also to grow profitably, the record highs in
operational profitability attained in past years
were again exceeded. Thus, the EBIT margin
before non-recurring expenses in relation to the
payment of CHF 31.5 million to the German
Federal Cartel Office reached 7.6%, surpassing
the 7% mark for the first time in company
history. After non-recurring expenses and due to
a normalized tax ratio, net profit declined to
CHF 68.7 million.
There was also impressive confirmation of the
company’s acoustics expertise in the reporting
year. Once again, Autoneum was scientific
leader of the Automotive Acoustics Conference
held in June at the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland. At the
2015 conference, more than 200 experts and
representatives of car manufacturers, suppliers
and research institutions from 20 countries
discussed challenges associated with new
regulations in the field of vehicle acoustics.
Numerous international customers attended
a regional edition of the conference held in
Detroit, Michigan, USA. Autoneum mounts
in-house exhibitions at automobile manufactur-
ers to present the extensive benefits of its
product innovations to existing and potential
customers. In 2015 these “Innovation Days”
took place at various US OEMs in China and
for the first time at a leading Korean OEM
in its home market. Items on show included
Theta-FiberCell engine encapsulations,
underbody shields made of Ultra-Silent and
Clean-Tuft technology for carpets.
Customer-driven expansion
Autoneum further expanded its global presence
in 2015 in accordance with high demand. In
Mexico, Autoneum laid the foundation for a third
production site and thus strengthened its
position in this important North American growth
market. The plant located in San Luis Potosí,
approximately 400 kilometers northwest of
Mexico City, will start the production of inner
dashes, floor insulators and carpet systems in
early 2017. From this 26000-square-meter
facility, Autoneum is to supply US and German
OEMs producing locally for the North American