KBA Posts Profit for 2009, Targets Modest Sales Increase in 2010

China a solitary engine for growth
As economic output waned in Germany, KBA’s domestic sales plummeted by 30.9%. However, since many export markets were even weaker, its export level remained virtually unchanged at 84.5% (2008: 84.6%). The proportion of group sales generated in Europe nosedived from 51.4% to just 36%, well below the historic average. Thanks to continuing brisk demand from China, Asia/Pacific markets were once again second only to Europe in their significance for the group, generating 22.5% of total sales compared to 17.7% in 2008. Although North America still showed no sign of a perceptible upturn, the installation of a single multi-unit web press line in New York raised the proportion of total group sales generated in this core market from 9.4% to 13.9%. Latin America and Africa contributed an above-average 12.1% (2008: 6.1%).