Tyrol-based food manufacturer going from strength to strength

A. Darbo AG, Austria's leading producer of jams and honey, has continued to grow despite the economic difficulties that 2009 brought with it. "The crisis has largely passed us by," commented CEO Martin Darbo on the highly pleasing situation. He said 21st December 2009 was a "historic date": this was the date on which the Tyrolean family company first broke the "sales barrier" of 100 million Euro. At year end the company recorded a 2.9% increase in sales and total sales of 102.65 million Euro (2008: 99.7 million Euro).

Not unnaturally, it will be difficult for Darbo to increase its sales on the domestic market with its traditionally high market shares. And yet in 2009, the company managed to increase sales by +1.7% to 61.98 million Euro (2008: 60.91 million Euro) and develop its market shares. Its market share for honey is now 41.6% (2008: 40.2%), and for jams 58.6% (2008: 56.3%). Exports sales are even more impressive: they grew by 4.77% to 40.67 million Euro, and most of all in Germany (+ 25.8% to independent German food retailers). Germany is Darbo's main foreign market, followed by Italy, Russia, China and the USA. However, commercial tourism, which is in decline on almost every export market, has had a braking effect on the otherwise pleasing development.

 

Darbo's export rate climbed from 38.9% (2008) to 39.6 percent. "We want to break the 40% point now," Martin Darbo has resolved. The company's sales growth is to be generated primarily by exports and product innovations. Darbo intends to invest more than 2 million Euro in a laboratory tract at its works in Stans and in technical equipment. Its staffing level (284 at 31 December 2009) is to be maintained. A worldwide honey shortage is expected for the current year.