SSM Textile Machinery
Overall, demand for textile machinery was weak, partly because of capacity expansion in previous years (e.g. China) and partly because of WTO-related uncertainty and moves to relocate production abroad (e.g. Turkey).
Despite a 50 percent increase in volume in India, total new orders declined by 13 percent and revenues fell back by 21 percent. The operating result decreased significantly to CHF 7.7 million (2004: 19.2) despite an EBIT margin which still came to nearly 10 percent.
Satisloh
With the first-time full-year consolidation of Loh, Satisloh generated new orders amounting to CHF 221.3 million (2004: 96.7) and revenues of CHF 198.5 million (2004: 93.6). The operating result improved to CHF 13.2 million (2004: 11.9), with Loh, as expected, still making a modest contribution to the result.
Ismeca Semiconductor
Most of 2005 was marked by weak demand. A clear upturn in new orders only emerged in the last quarter of the year. Even so, at CHF 76.9 million, the result for the year as a whole was down 27 percent on the previous year (106.0). Because new orders only began to pick up toward the end of the year, revenues were even lower at CHF 67.3 million (2004: 109.9 million). The operating result amounted to CHF -8.5 million (2004: 8.5).
The later-than-expected upturn meant that it was not possible to achieve the targeted balanced result in the second half of the year. However, at CHF -1.9 million, the loss at EBIT level was significantly lower than in the first half of the year.
Schweiter is a traditional Swiss group focused on the machinery business and consists of the four divisions "SSM Textile Machinery“, "Satis Vacuum Coating“, "Ismeca Semiconductor“ and "Ismeca Automation“.
Schweiter Technologies AG
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