Company Results

Sartorius: Single-Use Demand in Europe and Asia Offsets Rev Decline North America

Sartorius: Demand in Europe and Asia Offsets Decline North America

Increased demand for single-use tech from Europe and Asia offset lower North American sales and help Sartorius’ bioprocess solutions division drive company-wide growth.

Group revenue for the six months to June 30 rose 4.5% to €441m ($585m), while EBDITA grew 11.8% to €84.8m and margins increased from 21.2% to 22.7% with the bioprocess solutions division seeing revenue, income and orders grow significantly in the period.

Sartorius said: “This increase was driven by strong demand for single-use products used in biopharmaceutical manufacture as well as by special growth impulses, particularly from large equipment orders in the first quarter.”

In Europe and Asia bioprocess solutions revenue increased 7.7% and 3.9%, respectively, while sales in North America fell 4.4% to €93.4m.

Sartorius explained that: “[North American bioprocess solutions revenue was] slightly below the exceptionally strong revenue base in the previous year,” adding that this had been expected.

North American bioprocess revenue increase 43% to €72.5m in the first six months of 2012, coinciding with Sartorius’ decision to “invest heavily” in the expansion of its sales arm in the region as part of its Sartorius 2020 growth plan.

Despite the decline in North America Sartorius expects full-year bioprocess solutions revenues “will reach, or slightly exceed, the upper end of the range of 9% to 12%” it predicted at the start of 2013.