Four areas guarantee record level

It was mainly four areas that drove Bosch’s growth last year: the storage battery segment, the so-called emerging markets, the accessories segment and the measuring tools division. “Since 2003 we have been world-leading in lithium-ion cordless tool technology,” says Henning von Boxberg, president of the Power Tools business division of Robert Bosch GmbH. A success story that began with the launch of the Ixo, which is celebrating its tenth birthday this year. Since then the proportion of cordless tools has been rising steadily. “We are convinced that we can continue this success story in 2013 with further innovative products,” said Boxberg. In the Asia/Pacific region, to which Bosch adds the “emerging markets” like China, India and the ASEAN countries, the company managed to grow at twice the rate of the market, notching up a currency-adjusted rise of eleven per cent (16 per cent nominally). “A significant contribution to that growth is provided by the consistent gearing of our products to the needs of the target groups,” says Boxberg. “Above all, we introduced professional tools there that are tough and reliable, and at a pricing level that is affordable even for contractors with relatively little to spend.” In the field of accessories, according to Boxberg, his main achievement is making the investment of some € 45 mio in an ultra-modern production facility in Frauenfeld, Switzerland – headquarters of Sia Abrasives, which has belonged to the Bosch Group since 2008 – pay off. “In the accessories segment we grew at nearly twice the speed of the market in 2012,” declared Boxberg. Bosch’s measuring technology product area, which was formed in 2009, succeeded in doubling its sales by 2012. “We have been market leaders since 2010, and now hold a market share of 22 per cent,” Boxberg continued. The result has been significant growth for the Bosch Power Tools division altogether in the past year. For the first time this manufacturer of power tools reached the € four bn mark, achieving a sales increase of six per cent. The number of employees remained on the previous year’s level, totalling 19 000 at 37 locations. In 2012 the overall market experienced growth of four per cent to € 24.5 bn according to Bosch market research. The power tools and accessories market segments recorded similar growth. “Our six per cent growth makes it clear that we have succeeded once again in gaining added market share,” explained Boxberg. The business division intends to continue on…