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

Adjusting capacity to smaller market
The need to adjust to a diminishing market obliged KBA to reduce the group payroll by 869 to 6,969 (2008: 7,838). Although this was largely achieved through voluntary schemes to minimise the social impact, compulsory lay-offs could not be avoided. When the market-driven realignment is completed sometime this year KBA anticipates a Group payroll of around 6,000. At the end of February it had already been trimmed to 6,703. But no compromises have been made on maintaining staff skills: as in the previous year the number of apprentices and student trainees in the KBA Group was an above-average 5.8% of the workforce.