Groupe Seb: good start with WMF

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After the very good performance recorded in 2017, Groupe Seb started this year with a very dynamic strategy, focused on the innovation in the main company’s sector: small appliances.

Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, chairman and chief executive officer of Groupe Seb
«In a probably more challenging general environment – said Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, Chairman and Ceo of the company – and bearing in mind the demanding comparison basis set by the Group, including WMF, we have begun 2018 with great determination and a two-fold objective.
Firstly, in a Small Domestic Equipment market that we believe should remain buoyant, we aim to continue the Group’s profitable growth within its former scope by leveraging our main strategic pillars: innovation, the power of our brands, a multi-channel distribution, global presence and our competitiveness. Secondly, we will continue to integrate WMF, by intensifying the projects initiated in 2017 and, in particular, by implementing the investment and acceleration plans in the professional coffee business while at the same time taking actions to boost profitability in Small Domestic Equipment. This will enable us to start generating tangible synergies in line with our objectives for 2020. Against this backdrop, Groupe SEB in 2018 aims to achieve further organic sales growth, improve its Operating Result from Activity and continue to reduce its indebtedness.»
During 2017, sales recorded about 6.5 billion euro, up 30%, with a 1.15 billion euro contribution to Group revenue from WMF in its first year of consolidation. The organic growth, at +9.2%, was driven by all geographic regions and product families. Investments in research & development activities were important and reached 225 million euro.