On the rise for the third consecutive year, exceeded 1.4 billion euros

The 2017 Financial Statement for Sacmi Imola shows higher sales and an increased gross operating margin with respect to 2016. Like its parent company, the Group as a whole closed the year by improving on the previous year’s performance, with sales touching 1.434 billion euros; the net consolidated result was over 35 million, also on the rise compared to 2016.

A look at the financial and accounting position shows that the net working capital balance of Sacmi Imola and the Group as a whole was, at the end of 2017, aligned with the figures for the end of the previous year, as was net invested capital, again aligned with 2016 despite an increase in total sales. The company's net financial position improved, as did net worth, which exceeded 660 million euros.

In just one year the number of workers rose from 4,239 to 4,305, the increase being particularly significant in the local region where Sacmi has invested more heavily in new human resources, facilities and manufacturing units. Exports remain stable, accounting for 84% of total volumes. Against this generally positive background, the huge progress made by the Italian market - more than 23% greater in the Group's largest business, Ceramics - is particularly noteworthy.

“The impressive results obtained in 2017”, points out Paolo Mongardi, President of Sacmi Imola, “have been driven by the excellent performance of the Ceramics Division and Closures & Containers business unit. The former accounts for some 70% of volumes produced by Sacmi Imola: in 2017 upward growth accelerated again, generating significant results, higher than both the budget forecast and the final balance for 2016. Similarly, the Closures & Containers B.U. maintained the pattern of expansion, obtaining significant results and a strong customer portfolio in over 60 countries”.

Beyond the performance of individual business sectors (non-Tile areas also continued to achieve record results, as did Special Pressing thanks to higher Powder Metallurgy sales), the year was, for Sacmi Imola and, consequently, the entire Group, characterised by the implementation of organisational, production and service solutions that respond to the requisites of Industry 4.0.

In this regard there were essentially two lines of action. Firstly, 2017 saw higher sales of the new Sacmi HERE (Human Expertise for Reactive Engineering) supervisor, the platform designed to implement - starting with Ceramics and, later, all Group businesses - monitoring, diagnostics and predictive maintenance services/solutions With regard to internal affairs, explains President Paolo Mongardi, the year was characterised by “the drawing up of a new governance model that takes into due consideration the Group's multi-business nature and the high technological content of its various sectors without neglecting the ongoing changes at system, economic, social and cultural level. Designed and developed in 2017”, continues Mongardi, “this model has become an intrinsic part of the organisational set-up and, as of this year, paves the way for reorganisation of all Group companies and their greater involvement in the drawing up of the strategic business development plan”.

Particularly significant, from an economic and financial viewpoint, are the balance sheets of all the subsidiaries, including new acquisitions (Eurofilter, B&B, without counting the full takeover of CMC, completed in 2017 and involving an ambitious technical and logistic development project that will also see the construction of a new headquarters in the Casalgrande area). Sacmi's role as both the local ceramic and packaging industries' prime partner and a key supporter of ancillary industries remains strategic. Last year, in fact, 570 million euros was spent on purchases from regional suppliers. “That impressive figure”, points out the President, Paolo Mongardi, “encapsulates all the hard work, outstanding relationships, intricate business networks and industrial, cultural and social prowess that has made our region so wealthy”.

In 2017 another key focus of Sacmi's strategy was investment in training: “We've designed and published a new website called Sacmi Careers. The latter aims to link the demand for skilled company workers with the worlds of education and University. Moreover, we've also strengthened the new Sacmi Innovation Lab project; in addition to working on the most cutting-edge 4.0 enabling technologies the latter also has the task of training new staff so they're ready to take up strategic positions within the company”.