Bürkle is on track in the first half of the year

The Freudenstadt based company develops machines for the manufacture of composite boards for the automotive and aviation industry.The first six months of the year 2012 have been positive for the machine manufacturer specialized in presses and coating lines.Robert Bürkle GmbH with headquarters in Freudenstadt, Germany will reach the planned sales target of 94 million Euros by the end of the year. Managing partner, Hans-Joachim Bender, evaluates the second half of the year confidently: The order books for the third and fourth quarter are well-filled. Around 88 per cent of the planned turnover have already been gained by today. "We are looking forward to short-term orders, too", says Bender and mentions that the medium-sized company is in the position to react to inquiries flexibly.

Based on the current status, the sales figures for 2012 can be associated as follows:

65 per cent will be achieved by the surface business unit comprising the wood-based panel, glass, automotive and graphical industry. 19 per cent will be obtained by the printed circuit board and plastic card division which is the second largest sector. The worldwide sales slump in the photovoltaic market has been experienced by Bürkle, too. Nevertheless, the machine manufacturer will gain around 14 per cent of the turnover here. The subsidiary company Fiber Engineering in Karlsruhe will also contribute to the total turnover bringing in three per cent. The engineering company develops machines with which automotive manufacturers can produce ecological insulation boards.

Bürkle mainly balances fewer orders in the solar business with orders received by the surface business unit as well as with orders obtained by the printed circuit board and plastic card division. In the first half of the year, the line manufacturer could book the largest single order that has ever been gained in the history of the company. Ikea supplier and ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer Maja with locations in Kasendorf (Franconia) and Wittichenau (Saxony) has invested around 50 million Euros totally for expanding their production. For this project, Bürkle will supply lines for the production of lightweight panels and for coating them with finished foil, lacquer or for indirect printing of the same. In parallel to this, a substantial order from the USA contributes to a stable turnover in the printed circuit board and plastic card division. The US based company will receive a Bürkle line for an annual production of base material of up to 720.000 m² for the printed circuit board industry. The line will be supplied in the first quarter of 2013.

Summing up, Bender is satisfied with the overall development of the company. Thanks to the "cornerstones" associated to different markets, Bürkle's market position is crisis-proof. For remaining stable even in the future, the company will invest in diversification. The latest project are machines for the production of composite boards using glass and carbon fibres. Bender mentions that potential customers can be found in the automotive and aviation industry. In the future, Bürkle presses will be used to manufacture motor hoods, fenders or car doors.

It shall be possible to produce interior trims for aircrafts with machines from Freudenstadt, too. This was triggered by an expanding market of lightboards contributing to save energy. In the future Bürkle will focus on developing lines for the manufacture of energy generating, energy saving and energy storing products.