Romi goes shopping to gain strength and meet the demand
DCI - 04/24/2008
Romi, the country's biggest manufacturer of tool-machines and plastic injectors, is searching for new acquisitions to grow. The company, which yesterday published increase of 23,4% in new orders in the first quarter, is focusing on Brazil and foreign companies, according to the Company's CEO Livaldo Aguiar dos Santos. « We have a protfolio of opportunities in several continents », he affirmed. The iniciative gained strength after Romi purchased JAC in January. With the acquisition, the company added plastic blowers to its line and expanded sales and profitability. According to Santos, profit grew 37.9% compared to the first quarter of 2007, and the net profit was R$ 152.9 million (US$ 79.2 million), an expansion of 21.9% over January-March of 2007. With positive numbers Romi is excited to invest in acquisitions and is examing markets since last year. « If we close a deal abroad, it will be our first step outside the Country », affirmed the Company's CEO. « We have subsidiairies in the United States and in Germany, but they are commercial unit, not productive ones ». The domestic market is heatedin the various segments in which the Romi works, remarked Santos. And the exportations, whose main client is the United States, are also in high. The crisis in USA affects mainly consumption, but there are still strong investiments in infrastructure, in segments like electric energy, he affirmed. The manufactore of heavy machines helped Romi get greater margin in the segment of tool-machines, which represents 64% of its net sales. The increase of the backlog of orders in the first quarter was 31.4% in this segment, a little lower than the growth of 33.3% in machines for plastic processing and much higher than castings' 7.6%. With a diversified client Portifolio, Romi had high demand from sectors such as agribusiness, automotive industry, and tooled equipment. That heating allows the company to foresee growth between 14% and 18% this year, after having grown 15.1% in 2007. «Romi grows from three to four times more than the Braziliam GDP, which should be 4.5% higher this year ». foresees Santos. He remembers that the company's sales are usually bigger in the second semester. To keep growing, the company also increased the headcounter from 2,500 to nearly 3 thousand this year.