MediaInfo Banner enjoys a satisfactory 2014/15 financial year •
Sales revenues of EUR 239 million spread across all business areas
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3.8 million starter batteries sold
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Increased demand for Banner EFB batteries for start-stop vehicles
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Successful balance for Duracell starter batteries
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Investments in excess of EUR 35 million at the Linz-Leonding location since 2011
Linz-Leonding, May 7th 2015. Banner can reflect upon a pleasing financial year in 2014/15 (April 1st 2014 to March 31st 2015). The sales of starter batteries rose to 3.8 million units, which represented an increase of more than 100,000 over the preceding year. Moreover, owing to the positive marketing of the newly developed Banner EFB battery for start-stop vehicles and the successful teamwork with Duracell, the world’s leading battery brand, Banner was able to raise its consolidated sales revenues by around three per cent to EUR 239 million.
Development of the Banner financial year 2014/15. During the past financial year 2014/15 (April 1st 2014 to March 31st 2015) sales again developed positively, above all with regard to environment-friendly start-stop batteries. For example, Banner supplied leading automotive manufacturers such as BMW and Porsche with absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries. In addition, the newly developed Banner enhanced flooded batteries (EFB) for environmentally compatible vehicle management also met with success. Indeed, since January 2015, Banner has been supplying various Audi, VW and SEAT plants with this type of start-stop battery as part of a new, long-term contract awarded by VW.
Banner is a premium supplier and during the past financial year was able to sell 3.8 million starter batteries, which represented an increase of more than 100,000 as compared to the previous year. Above all, the French, Polish, Hungarian and Czech markets made important contributions to this growth and the level of exports to the Near/Middle East region also rose.
Contact: Günther Lemmerer, Marketing and PR Banner Batterien GmbH Banner Strasse 1, 4021 Linz-Leonding (A) Tel. +43/(0)732/38 88-21550, Fax DW 61550 Mobile +43/(0)676/873 81 550 E-mail: guenther.lemmerer@bannerbatterien.com www.bannerbatterien.com
MediaInfo Furthermore, the financial year expired witnessed growth in the industrial battery segment with an increase in battery sales revenues of over one million euros and a contribution to the consolidated sales revenue figure of EUR 26 million. The successful marketing of the new Select chargers, additional developments in the direction of being an energy package supplier and product innovations such as the new generation of pure lead batteries for stationary applications all had a positive effect in this connection. In total, during the 2014/15 financial year, the Banner Group achieved sales revenues of EUR 239 million (an increase of EUR 6 million over 2013/14). On the balance sheet date, the Banner Group employed a workforce of 770 (unchanged over 2013/14), of which 520 employees were located at the Linz-Leonding plant. A successful balance is achieved with the global Duracell starter battery brand. The cooperation between Duracell, the world’s leading manufacturer of alkaline batteries and Banner, the starter battery specialist based in Linz-Leonding, Austria developed in positive fashion. During 2014/15, the second business year, sales already amounted to around EUR 5 million. The exclusive, long-term licence agreement mainly relates to markets in which Banner is already active and the company is currently selling Duracell started batteries, “Made by Banner” in 23 countries. Investments in expanded production and storage capacity. Since 2011, Banner has invested a total of more than EUR 35 million in its Linz-Leonding plant. Of this amount, some EUR 20 million have been spent on the creation of production capacity for the environment-friendly AGM start-stop battery. Moreover, December 2014 saw the commissioning of a fully automatic, high-bay warehouse with approximately 10,000 additional pallet spaces. The new warehouse, which involved an investment volume of EUR 7 million, enables far greater flexibility with regard to seasonal battery sales patterns.
In order to cover sales of up to 4.5 million starter batteries per year at the Linz-Leonding location, supplementary investments are foreseen as a next step. In the medium-term, Banner plans to increase its capacity with the addition of a second plant in Pasching, Austria.
Contact: Günther Lemmerer, Marketing and PR Banner Batterien GmbH Banner Strasse 1, 4021 Linz-Leonding (A) Tel. +43/(0)732/38 88-21550, Fax DW 61550 Mobile +43/(0)676/873 81 550 E-mail: guenther.lemmerer@bannerbatterien.com www.bannerbatterien.com
MediaInfo The commercial and building negotiations relating to this project have been concluded and positive decisions on the part of the authorities are awaited in the coming months.
Environment-friendly production. “Green” production has long traditions at Banner and the company plant in Linz-Leonding currently numbers among Europe’s most modern starter battery manufacturing facilities. As a premium supplier, Banner operates in line with an environmental management system, which corresponds with ISO 14001:2004 requirements. Over the years, the maximum requirements of all the environmental protection regulations in place at the Linz-Leonding location have been more than fulfilled and in addition, Banner ensures that valuable raw materials such as lead, sulphuric acid and polypropylene are returned to the production cycle. In concrete terms, during the past 19 years Austria’s Starter Battery Environmental Forum, of which Banner Batterien Österreich GmbH is a founder member, has been able to collect over 15 million used vehicle batteries throughout the country. The resultant recovered raw materials include 160,000t of lead, which can be 99 per cent recycled and thus achieves the highest collection quota of all the recyclable goods on the market. The Banner outlook. Andreas Bawart, the commercial CEO of the Austrian starter battery specialist, Banner, is convinced that: “Up to 90 per cent of all the new vehicles produced from this year onwards will be fitted with a start-stop engine. Accordingly, we have developed batteries for this environment-friendly technology over the years and have installed the necessary production capacity. We are able to convince with our quality brand batteries “Made in Austria” and envisage excellent opportunities for future growth. We have undertaken massive expansion at our Linz-Leonding location and wish to continue to complete any further enlargements in Upper Austria in order to create employment. However, for this we require the active and responsible support of decision-makers at regional and district level.”
Contact: Günther Lemmerer, Marketing and PR Banner Batterien GmbH Banner Strasse 1, 4021 Linz-Leonding (A) Tel. +43/(0)732/38 88-21550, Fax DW 61550 Mobile +43/(0)676/873 81 550 E-mail: guenther.lemmerer@bannerbatterien.com www.bannerbatterien.com
MediaInfo Photo captions Picture 1) New major order. Since January 2015, Banner has been supplying the Volkswagen Group with innovative EFB batteries for its “Blue Motion” start-stop vehicles. Photo: @ Banner Batterien GmbH Picture 2) Serial production of Duracell starter batteries (r.: Andreas Bawart, Commercial CEO Banner/l.: Shep Gerrish, Business Development Manager Duracell)
Photo: © Andreas Wenter/Permanent Moments Picture 3) The interior of the high-bay warehouse
Photo: @ Banner Batterien GmbH All photos: reprints free of charge. Specimen copy requested. Banner at a glance Banner GmbH is an innovative, steadily expanding producer of top quality starter batteries. The company, which is based in Linz-Leonding, Austria, has been manufacturing batteries for all types of vehicles since 1937. The family-owned firm, which is headed by Andreas Bawart and Thomas Bawart, employs a workforce of around 770 across Europe. Banner produces and sells over 3.80 million starter batteries annually and thus numbers among the oldest, most experienced and important brands in the battery production field. Banner batteries are used for the first fitting of numerous models from Audi, BMW, Caterpillar, Jungheinrich, Kässbohrer, Liebherr, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Porsche, SEAT, Volvo, and VW. In Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands, the UK, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey retailer support is provided via a company network of sales companies with a total of 28 branches. Moreover, Banner products are sold in more than 50 European, African and Asian states via direct importers. Future-oriented technology and outstanding quality underline the international reputation of these exemplary products with “buffalo power”, which are also characterized by the Banner logo. Further information is available at www.bannerbatterien.com
Contact: Günther Lemmerer, Marketing and PR Banner Batterien GmbH Banner Strasse 1, 4021 Linz-Leonding (A) Tel. +43/(0)732/38 88-21550, Fax DW 61550 Mobile +43/(0)676/873 81 550 E-mail: guenther.lemmerer@bannerbatterien.com www.bannerbatterien.com