Annual Profile 2011 - Introduction by the COO
The full annual profile can be seen as an E-paper version here
It's about people
Dear reader!
Welcome to another edition of Pressalit's annual profile.
We look forward to telling you about what we have done in the past year and what is going on at Pressalit right now.
In more than one sense, 2011 was about people. This was clearer than ever last autumn when we won the coveted CSR People Prize for companies with more than 100 employees. It was a great honour to receive this award, which truly shows that Pressalit’s longstanding strategic work with Corporate Social Responsibility and development of people in the company has made its mark in the world around us.
As a business, Pressalit has been undergoing a major transformation in recent years. Investments in production techno-
logy, IT systems and the development of new products are
in focus, requiring development in the organisation as well.
In this year's overview, not only can you take a look at some
of the year's new products, but you can also read about how we are continually working towards improving our trade-fair presence, the optimisation of how our products are displayed in-store and not least increasing our know-how, upon which our developmental work is based.
Fight for market share
The belief in growth is largely re-established following the financial crisis of 2008. However, the fourth quarter of 2011 showed how turbulent and sensitive the markets remain. Customers react quickly to signs of uncertainty from the economies, so it is necessary to fight to maintain the revenue and market share we have previously captured.
The 2011 results show total revenue of 431.7 DKKm. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) was 24.1 DKKm, which is roughly on a par with 2010. Our ambition is continued growth on both the top and bottom lines. The road to this goal is a targeted prioritisation of our efforts and resources – a theme that our new chairman of the board, Lars Aagaard, talks about in the dialogue on page 6.
For me personally, 2011 once again provided the opportunity to visit a number of our customers and partners around the world. It is inspiring to see the work being done globally to raise awareness of Pressalit’s products, and in the Executive Committee we look forward to continuing this good work moving forward.
Towards London 2012
Now that 2012 is well underway, I would also like to point out that this is a special year for us, in that it is a Paralympic year. As the head sponsor of the Danish Sports Organisation for the Disabled, we are following the Danish disabled athletes’ preparations for the games in London, and we look forward to being there in September when the world’s best disabled athletes break down all boundaries and deliver world-class performances. We thought that you should meet a couple of these outstanding Danish athletes in this annual profile, as their determination and courage make them role models for many other people with and without disabilities.