Strong growth At Kci

KCI Konecranes has reported a 12 % rise in sales for the full year 2004. Sales in the group reached € 728 million (US$ 944 million).

In the group's sectors, sales of special cranes rose by 19 % to € 214 million ($ 277 million) and standard lifting equipment sales were up 9 % to € 231 million ($ 299 million).

The company also reported that new orders rose by 20 % over the course of the year, indicating an increase in both market share and market growth.

KCI described 2004 as “good” but highlighted the fact that the poor performance of the US Dollar had eliminated the effects of restructuring savings.

For 2005, KCI points to the Asia-Pacific region as being the strongest, while North America, Europe and Scandinavia remain “on a low level”. The acquisition in December 2004 of Morris Material Handling in the UK is expected to contribute to figures this year although the company warned that US Dollar development throughout the group is “expected to continue to burden results”.