Seattle, WA, USA -- (Jobwerx) -- In the first quarter of 2005 Quadrant recorded net sales of 121.9 million Swiss francs, thus surpassing by 0.5% the already strong result posted in the first quarter of the previous year (121.3 million Swiss francs). Ebitda amounted to 18.1 (vs. 20.6) million Swiss francs. Ebit benefited for the first time from the new IFRS treatment of goodwill, rising to 13.5 (vs. 12.5) million Swiss francs, equivalent to 11.1% of net sales. The new year has thus started within the range of group management's expectations, and the outlook remains confident.

Plastics Division Great Expectations
Quadrant outlook for the future remains confident despite price increases for raw materials in the High-Performance Plastics Division.

Sales expressed in local currencies were 3.2% higher, which gives cause for confidence in view of the strength of the previous year's performance and the current uneasy economic environment. Since the price rises for raw materials in the High-Performance Plastics Division in recent months can only be passed on with a time lag of three to six months, operating profit margins contracted slightly in the first quarter, as announced earlier (cf. press release of April 1, 2005). However, the Ebitda margin remained at a healthy level of 14.8%.

Quadrant regularly launches new products while their production costs are competitive despite rises in prices for raw materials.

The outlook for the future remains confident; only those who can regularly launch new products and at the same time keep their production costs competitive can hold their own in an increasingly globalized and highly competitive business environment, and Quadrant's high-quality polymer materials help its customers to achieve both of these objectives.

Quadrant Award
Quadrant will confer an international award for the first time this year. The «Quadrant Award 2005» will be open to entries of scientific papers in the fields of «Materials and processes related to engineering and high-performance plastics and composites» and will offer prizes totalling EUR 20,000. The launch of this unique international award in this field is intended to foster talent and facilitate access to industry for plastics scientists and engineers after completion of their academic studies. Quadrant also aims to reinforce its innovative focus and further intensify its already good cooperative relationships with universities.

Quadrant, a Swiss-based public company, is a global leader in high-performance polymer materials and thermoplastic composites which are superior in performance over metals and other materials. With 1 300 employees at 27 specialised locations worldwide, the Quadrant Group generates annual net sales of over CHF 400 million.

Quadrant develops, manufactures and distributes engineering plastics shapes - rods, bars, plates, sheets, tubes - and machined parts made of PBI, PAI, PEEK, PPS, PTFE, PEI, PPSU, PSU, PC, PET, POM, PA.

Quadrant also produces Symalit fluoroplastics (PVDF, ECTFE, ETFE, FEB, MFA, PFA), injection moulded components and cable protection conduits. Our plastic composites are produced from polypropylene matrices and glass or natural fibres and include glass mat thermoplastics (GMT, GMTex) and light weight reinforced thermoplastics (SymaLITE).

Haven't found what you're looking for? Try Search powered by Quadrant Group - Quadrant AG, Further information on the Quadrant Award 2005 and Performance data for the1st quarter can be found at the Quadrant website.

Quadrant will report on the first half of 2005 on August 30, 2005.