VTG AG continues innovation and investment

Wagon hire and rail logistics company VTG AG has gained numerous new customers in 2012
 
VTG Aktiengesellschaft (Hamburg), one of Europe’s leading wagon hire and rail logistics companies, yesterday announced its preliminary, unaudited figures for the financial year 2012. Compared with the previous year, revenue for the group increased by 2.3 per cent to EUR 767 million. Operating profit (EBITDA) increased by 3 per cent compared with 2011, reaching a level of EUR 173.8 million. “We ended the last year much better than expected. Primarily as a result of the positive trend in the Railcar Division, we were able to make up ground and iron out the slight dent from the first half of the year and achieve a pleasing overall result”, says Dr. Heiko Fischer, CEO of VTG Aktiengesellschaft.
 
This positive development was in line with many innovations and substantial investment in the wagon fleet as well as new business in the rail logistics division. More than 1,700 new wagons were constructed, delivered and hired out to customers directly. The technological solutions they have realised represent a clear step forward in terms of innovation, process optimisation and quality. Moreover, VTG has integrated the new operations in Russia into the group and made the preparations there for further growth.
 
The railcar division achieved turnover growth of 3.5 per cent to EUR 314.6 million in the reporting period, and an increase of EBITDA by 7 per cent to EUR 167.4 million. Fleet capacity utilisation was 90.4 per cent at the end of the year. The rail logistics division pushed up its revenue by 0.9 per cent to EUR 296.8 million in the financial year 2012. EBITDA dropped by 36.2 per cent to EUR 7.7 million. Many new business operations were realised, particularly in the industrial goods segment. For example, the division is in charge of the transport logistics operations for aluminium coils and copper anodes for the companies Novelis and Aurubis. Since October 2012, a block train has been transporting the Aurubis products from Bulgaria to Germany and Belgium at weekly intervals. The tank container logistics division competed on the global markets in 2012. Revenue increased by 2.5 per cent to EUR 155.5 million, while EBITDA declined by 8.7 per cent to EUR 11.9 million. A total of 10,100 containers were in use for tank container logistics.
 
In 2013, VTG plans further investments and expansion of growth areas. In Russia, the fleet is being expanded to 1,000 wagons with the addition of 150 newly built mineral oil wagons. In 2013, the logistics divisions intend to concentrate on their strategic areas of growth and expect a rather positive trend in business.

Quelle: LogEastics

Portal: www.logistik-express.com