The machine manufacturer partially succeeds in compensating the depression in photovoltaics business through the other parts of its product range.
Robert Bürkle GmbH terminates business year 2011 with a turnover of 96 million Euros. Originally, the company had planned 110 million Euros. Reason for the recession is the worldwide bad demand in the solar market. Something pleasing: the business result of the company group stayed positive, since Bürkle achieved higher sales figures in their business unit surfaces as well as in business unit printed circuit boards and plastic cards than expected.
Amongst others, managing Partner Hans-Joachim Bender attributes a part of the success in business unit surfaces to some new equipment for the profiling of heat insulation boards made of Styrofoam being used in the building industry. The parquet and door market was noticeably revived as well. Moreover, Bürkle perceived a considerable increase in sales of finishing and printing lines.
Background for the attained turnover in solar business that was just half of the planned business volume is easy to explain: the lamination machines produced by Bürkle are at the end of the process chain. Thus Bürkle felt the decreasing demand for solar modules first. “We have already felt this decrease in the second quarter of 2011 when the others still felt a boom” affirms Bender. However, the manager still counts on photovoltaics business. He hopes that the market will have adjusted in two years and that overcapacities will be sold, so that Bürkle will be able to “score” by means of innovations, like considerably shortened laminating times and will thus have a unique selling point on the market. After all Bürkle has earned a turnover of 100 million Euros in the PV industry after their market entry four years ago.
