The cabling specialist, Reichle & De-Massari AG (R&M, www.rdm.com) continued its impressive growth in 2006 with 20 percent more sales, and thus even exceeded its own goals. The R&M group achieved the best result in the company’s history with CHF 196 million (Euro 121.5 million).
R&M generates three-quarters of its sales in international markets as a provider of copper and fiber optic cabling systems for telecommunications and data networks. The German subsidiary recorded a growth rate of 26 percent, far above the trend of the country. Sales increased by more than 20 percent in Eastern Europe and in the Balkan countries. R&M has gained additional market shares in the rest of Europe, particularly in the Iberian market and the Nordic countries.
For the third consecutive year, the Middle East was the fastest-growing sales region. There, sales increased by 90 percent. The Indian market organization pulled off a lightning start. “The demanding Indian IT companies believe in high-quality infrastructures to guarantee the transmission security of their networks. As a provider in the high-end sector, we can successfully assert our quality advantage,” said Laurent Amestoy, Regional Managing Director, R&M Middle East & Africa. R&M sales increased by more than 90 percent overall in the Asian region.
“With 25 percent of total sales, Switzerland is clearly the pillar of the organization. Here, R&M has asserted its market leader position and the Global Key Account Management was successfully expanded,” explains CEO Martin Reichle. Two groups from the financial sector defined R&M as the main global supplier for cabling technology. “The decisive factor was our consistently high quality, as well as the ability to respond quickly, thanks to our global service and logistics network,” added Martin.
Enterprise Cabling is the mainstay of sales, with cabling systems for enterprise networks, data centers and similar applications. Sales in this division increased by 29 percent. R&M has gained international market shares in this segment and confirmed its position as the pioneer in high-performance data transmission. The Carrier Cabling division, which provides systems for telecommunications companies, grew by more than eight percent. Copper technology is experiencing an upswing because emerging markets are modernizing their telephone networks, while industrialized countries believe in copper solutions for the expansion of broadband infrastructures. Additionally, fiber optic cabling is being used more and more to implement new services, such as Triple Play and Internet television. Thus, R&M was able to significantly increase sales of fiber optic components.
Thanks to its impressive growth, R&M was able to create about 70 new jobs in 2006. Today, the group employs just under 600 people worldwide. In the next two years, a new production and logistics center will be built at the site of the headquarters in Wetzikon.
About Reichle & De-Massari
As an independent Swiss family business, Reichle & De-Massari AG (R&M), Wetzikon (ZH), have now chalked up more than 40 years' experience in the information and communication technology market. The firm concentrates on the development and manufacture of future-oriented passive structured cabling solutions for communications networks (Layer 1). Outstanding products in the copper and fiber optics domain have won R&M a reputation as leaders in quality who always provide added value. R&M solutions set standards for modularity as well as convenience of installation and maintenance.
R&M have won market leadership in Switzerland, and are present in 16 further countries with their own subsidiaries and agencies so called MOs (marketing organisations). In many other countries around the world, customers are looked after by well qualified marketing partners.
