“Special dynamism in China”

Bosch sees its best prospects in all product categories in Asia and America. As Franz Fehrenbach, chairman of the managing board, said at the press briefing on the company’s annual results, “we are experiencing a surge in demand” from Asia. Bosch geared up to “the special dynamic strength evident in China” at an early stage. According to information supplied by him, the companies associated with Bosch there achieve a market share of around 20 per cent in the category of power tools. The pace of growth in China will remain at least as high as in 2003, when sales increased by 25 per cent even based on the euro. Sales in the consumer goods and building services division rose by more than ten per cent to € 8.5 bn last year. However, the division would have recorded a 3.5 per cent deficit without the acquisition of Buderus. Further information from the press conference suggested that the power tools business was having to contend with the pricing pressure from low-wage countries in the Far East.