Dental implant maker boasts record profit
Straumann, the world's second-biggest dental implant maker, posted a 27 per cent increase in net profit to SFr128.2 million ($98 million) last year.
The Basel-based company also reported a 21 per cent rise in sales amid growing consumer awareness of implants for an ageing population.
Full-year sales reached SFr509.6 million – surpassing the half a billion mark for the first time in the company’s 50-year history, a company statement said on Thursday.
All regions contributed to the strong sales growth, with European sales accelerating in the fourth quarter of 2005, chief executive Gilbert Achermann said.
The company said the 2005 result was due to an unprecedented number of initiatives to consolidate the company’s organisation and the launch of new products.
It added that the roll-out of its next generation implant surface technology was on track and the product had been very well received.
Goals
In 2005 Straumann integrated the Italian BIO distribution company and established subsidiaries in Australia and Mexico.
It also gained direct access to its distributor in South Korea and took steps towards acquiring its Danish counterpart.
For 2006 Straumann expects continued growth slightly above the market average, in addition to stable profit margins comparable to last year.
Straumann, like rival Swiss company Nobel Biocare, has seen a steady increase in business as an ageing population and growing consumer awareness of implants as an alternative to traditional false teeth drive demand.
Last week Nobel Biocare said 2005 net profit rose 69 per cent to €154 million (SFr240 million) in the wake of an aggressive marketing strategy in the United States.
swissinfo with agencies
Straumann was founded in 1954 in a village outside Basel to become a leading provider in the fields of implant dentistry and dental tissue regeneration.
The company has a workforce of 1,340 worldwide.
Company headquarters are in Basel. Straumann’s North American headquarters are in Andover.
Major production facilities are in Villeret (Switzerland), Malmö (Sweden) and Andover (US).
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.