• Turnover increases to EUR 144.5 million
• EBITDA at EUR -0.3 million
• Equity ratio at 21.1%
• Strict cost management is taking effect and will continue in 2025
• Success of the Fab Light concept accelerates in 2025
Schramberg, April 28, 2025 – SCHWEIZER achieved a turnover of EUR 144.5 million in the 2024 financial year (previous year: EUR 139.4 million), the highest consolidated turnover in the company's history.
The company benefited from the successful start of series production of the innovative chip embedding technology, which was implemented in collaboration with Infineon Technologies AG and has found its way into innovative drive technologies in the automotive industry.
As a result, sales with automotive customers increased to EUR 117.4 million, which corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 18.7%. Compared to the double-digit growth with Mobility customers, sales with non-Mobility customers fell by 33.0%. This decline in sales to industrial customers reflects the increasing economic slowdown and declining export activities in Germany.
Sales with products from our strategic partner companies increased by 49.4% to EUR 68.2 million in 2024 (2023: EUR 45.6 million). By contrast, sales from in-house production fell by 18.6% year on year to EUR 76.3 million (2023: EUR 93.8 million). The share of sales generated by trading goods increased to 47.2% (2023: 32.7%).
At the end of the reporting year, the order backlog totalled EUR 220.4 million.
A negative product and customer mix as well as reduced capacity utilisation at the German site meant that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to EUR -0.3 million (2023: +8.9 million euros1)).
The liquidity situation developed positively thanks to consistent working capital management. Cash and cash equivalents increased to EUR 8.2 million as at 31 December 2024 (31.12.2023: EUR 7.7 million).
The net gearing ratio increased moderately to 62.8% (31.12.2023: 56.5%). Equity decreased to EUR 21.6 million, which corresponds to a ratio of 21.1% (31.12.2023: 26.7%).
Marc Bunz, CFO of Schweizer Electronic AG, on the outlook: "In 2025, the trend of recent years will continue, in which business via Asian production partners will develop better than that with PCBs produced in Germany. The fab-light strategy introduced by SCHWEIZER at an early stage is paying off more and more as a stability and growth factor."
Outlook
Sales of between EUR 130 million and EUR 165 million are expected for 2025 (2024: EUR 144.5 million). We therefore expect sales to be roughly on a par with 2024 but could potentially increase by up to 14%. However, the general market risks could lead to a decline in sales of up to 10%.
EBITDA is expected to be in a range between EUR 3 million and EUR 8 million in 2025 (2024: EUR -0.3 million). This corresponds to an increase of between EUR 3.3 million and EUR 8.3 million. The EBITDA ratio is therefore forecast to be between 2% and 5%.
The continuing significant price pressure from customers is being countered by expanding the customer base and technology as well as by continued and intensified cost management at the German production site.
The full report for the 2024 financial year is at www.schweizer.ag in the Investors & Media / Annual Report section or at https://schweizer.ag/investoren-und-medien/geschaeftsbericht/downloads-berichte.
Key figures SCHWEIZER Group
in Mill. Euro | 2024 | 2023 |
Order backlog | 220.4 | 251.3 |
Turnover | 144.5 | 139.4 |
EBITDA | -0.3 | 8.91) |
EBITDA ratio(%) | -0.2 | 6.41) |
EBIT | -6.2 | 4.31) |
EBIT ratio (%) | -4.3 | 3.11) |
Annual result | -9.0 | 34.9 |
Equity ratio (%) | 21.1 | 26.7 |
1) adjusted for the current result from January to April 2023 of Schweizer Electronic (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., China and the deconsolidation effect