The Hilti Group grew sales by 4.3 percent in the 2019 business year to CHF (Swiss Francs) 5.9 billion (about U.S. $6.1 billion). In local currencies growth was 6.3 percent against the previous year.
“2019 was another successful year for us with exclusively organic growth,” said Hilti CEO Christoph Loos. “The economic environment has become more volatile while global construction growth has noticeably slowed. Additionally, currencies largely displayed depreciation tendencies against the Swiss franc. Against this background we’re satisfied with our growth level and are pleased that we gained additional market share.”
“Hilti North America is pleased to be an important contributor to the growth of the Hilti Group in 2019,” said Martina McIsaac, region head and CEO of Hilti North America.” Turnover in North America increased 8.6 percent in Swiss Francs (7.3 percent in local currencies).
“Major factors in our growth are the focus on new products, services and software which bring added value to the industry, and our 3,800 team members who are engaging daily with professional customers,” added McIsaac.
Hilti achieved an increase of 6.9 percent in local currencies in the Europe business region, despite Brexit uncertainties and a substantial downturn of the construction economy in Scandinavia. North America continued to develop positively, advancing 7.3 percent. Significant growth was also achieved in Latin America (+8.5 percent), where the recovery in Brazil made a considerable contribution. In the Asia/Pacific region, the growth level of 4.3 percent was slowed by the difficult environments in both Hong Kong and South Korea. The situation in the Eastern Europe / Middle East / Africa region remained disparate (+3.7 percent), with Russia and the Eastern European markets driving growth while business remained difficult in the Gulf States and in Turkey because of ongoing political uncertainties.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.