Collano Group: good financial 2010

The Collano Group, the adhesives specialist headquartered in Sempach Station near Luzern, reports good results for financial 2010. Sales picked up by 7.3% to CHF 118 million (previous year CHF 110 million). Operating profit (EBIT) clearly improved to CHF 6.2 million (previous year CHF 0.9 million).

There was a considerable demand for specialty adhesives from the industrial markets, which in the course of the year under review had largely recovered after the economic crisis. Certain industries, including automotive supplies, boomed due to backlogged demand. Because Collano is an exportoriented group of companies, the positive effect was eroded by the firmness of the Swiss franc: exchange-rate-related price adjustments are hardly possible. Escalating raw material prices and shortages also burdened the result. As a rule, it takes time to pass commodity cost increases on to the market. The worldwide workforce rose from 321 to 328 employees. The number of occupational trainee positions was 22 (previous year 23).

CEO Stefan Leumann: "We are satisfied with financial 2010, although raw material bottlenecks, rising prices, and the strong Swiss franc are disappointing for us and have depressed our profit margin. Demand in the markets is brisk, but the still difficult external factors are putting a damper on our expectations for financial 2011. Nonetheless, thanks to the realignment of the company in response to this situation, we look to the future with optimism.”

The realignment of the Group was and is being pursued energetically with a focus on specialty adhesives (Collano Adhesives), the development of the innovation center and adhesive engineering (nolax), and the expansion of contract manufacturing (adhesives production for third parties by Collano Services). Long-term development and innovation projects, many in cooperation with national and international industrial and research consortia, are fruits of this strategy.

Cooperation in research

In September 2010, a major project was launched within the scope of the Seventh EU Framework Program for Research (FP7). Nine European industrial partners are jointly developing materials and processes for manufacturing thin-film solar cells that can be directly and continuously integrated in roofing membrane production. The resulting functional roofing product produces electricity at competitive costs. The European Union is funding the project with EUR 6.4 million. As a research partner, Collano Group member nolax AG will be granted about half a million euro from the Framework Program across a three-year period (www.pvgum.eu). Further examples of innovation and cooperation ventures have resulted in three patent applications for an innovative wound dressing material, a medical adhesive system, and an emission-free adhesive designed for drywall construction. A project for the development and implementation of an ultrafast wood element fabrication process is being supported through the “Wood Action Plan” of the Federal Office for the Environment and expedited by a consortium of SMEs (www.bafu.admin.ch/aktionsplanholz/).

Collano Group

The Collano Group is an independent specialist for adhesive and bonding systems headquartered in Switzerland (Sempach Station). Worldwide, the group employs 328 persons at sites in Switzerland, Germany, France, and the USA. Sales in 2010 closed at CHF 118 million. Since 2009, the Collano Group has been serving its markets with three independent companies.

nolax | The first knowledge and innovation resource for radical system developments in bonding technology. nolax implements new concepts with surprising material and technology combinations focusing on the automotive, construction, medical, and security segments.

Collano Adhesives

| The company for the refinement and distribution of Collano’s specialty adhesives for industrial and commercial applications. Specialized in established products and sophisticated, customized adhesive bonds with a focus on applications in Construction, Composites, Label/Tape/Packaging, Protective Systems, Technical Textiles/Apparel, and Foams.

Collano Services | The service provider within the Collano Group. Specialized in production, process technology, and logistics as well as complementary services in the domains of finance, accounting, human resources, and IT.