Sacmi posts 2018 revenues of 1.44 billion euros

Following further growth, Sacmi has set its goals for 2030: strengthening its leadership in its core sectors and addressing the challenges of the circular economy and the Industry 4.0 revolution.

After five very positive years, Sacmi Group posted further growth figures in 2018 including revenues of 1.4 billion euros, net equity of 668 million euros and a balance sheet profit of 50 million euros. The Group’s export share remained stable at 85% of revenues, while investments rose to 42 million euros (making a total of more than 220 million euros invested in the space of 5 years) and the workforce was expanded to more than 4,500 employees.

“2018 produced one of the best results in Sacmi’s history, with an improvement in net operating margin with respect to the previous year,” commented Sacmi Imola chairman Paolo Mongardi. This performance is all the more significant when viewed against the progressive weakening of the international economic situation during the year.

The Sacmi Imola parent company’s sales were largely driven by the Ceramics Division, which accounts for around 70% of volumes, and the Closures, Containers & PET Division.

As for the ceramic sector, the Sanitaryware&Tableware segment produced excellent results while the Tiles segment remained essentially stable, with strong sales of flagship products such as Continua+ and slab decoration lines offsetting the market slowdown, especially in Europe. Italy remained easily the largest market with investments aimed at consolidating the most innovative products (larger and thicker tiles and slabs with through-body veining) and further boosted by Industry 4.0 government policies. Demand picked up significantly in Russia, Ukraine and Brazil, while signs of sluggishness were observed in North America, especially in the United States, due to a trade policy that has created uncertainty amongst investors. Africa performed well with further growth in projects and investments, while in Asia Sacmi strengthened its position in the Indian subcontinent but continued to feel the pressure of Chinese competition.

In its centenary year, Sacmi has already set out its new goals for 2030, which involve further strengthening its skills, processes and facilities so as to guide the digital transformation in terms of products, services and business models. “We saw some major achievements in 2018, including the inauguration of the new Sacmi Innovation Lab and the partnership with the MIT of Boston, which enabled us to strengthen our role as an international leader in research applied to industry,” observed Mongardi. “Continuing in this direction is the right strategy for creating an even more integrated and efficient international Group with a solid international culture, managerial excellence and strong values. We must take up the new challenges of the circular economy and the widespread culture of sustainability that are now essential for the future of the global community.”