Komori returned to profit in the latest financial year and has shared in the booming order backlog that both Heidelberg and Koenig & Bauer have enjoyed. It has exceeded budgets in almost every measured and reported business line.
Komori’s financial year runs from April to the end of March and ended this year with orders up more than a third and sales by more than a fifth. And this has swung an operating loss into an operating profit.
While the company is cautious about predictions for the present financial year, it is expecting to continue to be profitable.
Sales for the year reached ¥87.6 billion (£530 million) 22% higher than 12 months earlier when the book closed on sales of ¥71.8 billion (£434 million). The increase in sales was not spread evenly. Sales in Europe were 60% higher at £124 million (£77.4 million), but domestic sales fell to £145.2 million (£180 million) as Japan continues to suffer from lockdown restrictions compared to the relative easing air Europe last year. Likewise sales in China, which had been hit by the initial lockdowns in the country, showed a 53% growth.
Incoming orders showed similar growth, with even Japan showing growth. Combined orders for the business reached ¥97.6 billion (£590.4 million), an increase of 36%.
And growth in orders has been greatest in the sheetfed press division amounting to an increase of 50% over 2021. Orders in the web/security press division, used press and service and its printed electronics and specials division also showed growth. The company is forecasting that incoming orders will reach the equivalent of £568 million during the current financial year.
The prediction is that Komori will end the financial year with an operating profit of £20.6 million. This compares to the operating profit of £14 million this year and an operating loss of £14 million in the 12 months to March 2021.
