SLM Solutions Group AG: Adjustment of forecast despite successful trade fair and more than doubled order intake

The industry trade fair formnext 2017 in Frankfurt ended last Friday. The SLM Solutions Group AG convinced the trade fair visitors with product premieres and recorded numerous business deals during the four days of the fair. With the 156% year-on-year value increase in incoming orders, SLM Solutions expects consolidated revenues of around EUR 90 million for the 2017 financial year.

„The formnext 2017 was a great success for us“, says Henner Schöneborn, Member of the Management Board of SLM Solutions Group AG („SLM Solutions“). More than 470 exhibitors from 33 nations presented their most important product premieres to the professional world. With over 21,000 visitors, the trade fair was able to increase the number of visitors by more than 60 percent compared to the previous year and thus continued its success story. SLM Solutions, a leading supplier of metal-based additive manufacturing technology, presented one of the industry’s most important innovations at formnext 2017 in live operation: The SLM 800. „In addition to the significantly increased construction chamber, the degree of automation with the docked removal and unpacking station convinced customers at the trade fair. Accordingly, we were able to announce a major order for 20 SLM 800 machines on the first day of the fair “ Henner Schöneborn added pleased. The machines will be delivered to a customer from the energy sector based in Asia.

Incoming orders of SLM Solutions have risen 156% to a value of EUR 155 million compared to the same period in 2016 (status: 23.11.2017). As a result of the numerous framework agreements concluded, SLM Solutions now has an improved planning basis for the coming years than ever before and will be able to reduce its strong dependence on the fourth quarter.

„After a tense market environment in the first half of the year, in which we lost 13.5 % of our revenues, we are back on growth-track and currently expect a consolidated revenue for the financial year 2017 of around 90 million Euros and a positive adjusted EBITDA margin in the single-digit range. Therefore, we will not be able to achieve the ambitious goals we set ourselves for 2017 “, says Uwe Bögershausen, Member of the Management Board of SLM Solutions. The main reason for the adjustments are delivery dates postponed by customers into the beginning of the next financial year, which prevent the original forecast for the 2017 financial year from being reached. „Due to the aftereffects of the changes in the competitive environment in the first half of the year, the deliveries were concentrated on the fourth quarter. Without these logistical challenges, revenue this year would have well reached three figures", explains Uwe Bögershausen.

SLM Solutions has recently published a long-term plan to achieve revenues of EUR 500 million with a positive EBITDA margin of 20 % in the financial year 2022. „2017 was a transitional year. With signing diverse frame contracts with our customers we have built the cornerstones for plannable, future growth. This planning is underpinned by the more than doubled value of incoming orders. The very positive formnext 2017 also underlines our expectations. We are highly satisfied with the expert discussions we have had with representatives from numerous industrial sectors such as the energy sector, aerospace, automotive and medical technology. The innovative technology and the high productivity of our solutions really impressed our visitors at the fair", concludes Uwe Bögershausen.