Barry Callebaut delivers strong top-line and bottom-line growth

Barry Callebaut AG, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, again delivered strong top-line and bottom-line growth in an exceptionally difficult economic environment in fiscal year 2008/09 (ended August 31, 2009). In sharp contrast to the global chocolate market, which contracted by more than 2% in volume in 2008/09, Barry Callebaut succeeded in growing its sales volume by 4.1%.

The company attributes its growth to three factors: its early expansion into emerging and high-growth markets, the implementation of outsourcing deals, and market share gains. The strength of the company’s reporting currency, the Swiss franc, compared to most other currencies had a negative impact on sales revenue, operating profit (EBIT) and net profit for the year. In local currencies, sales revenue grew by 8.5% and came in at CHF 4,880.2 million (or +1.3% in CHF).

Based on considerable operational improvements as well as tight cost savings programs, and despite the effect of the anticipated lower combined cocoa ratio1, operating profit (EBIT) increased by 9.5% in local currencies. In Swiss francs, the increase was 2.8% to CHF 350.8 million. Net profit for the year went up 18.5% in local currencies; in CHF terms, it grew strongly by 10.4% to CHF 226.9 million.

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