Turnover increased by 5.5 per cent to EUR 489.7 million

In the fiscal year 2004/2005, the Doppelmayr group was able to increase its turnover by 5.5 per cent to EUR 489.7 million, thus strengthening its position as the world market leader in ropeway engineering. With its 2099 employees world wide, the group has realized a total of 170 ropeway projects and invested EUR 10.3 million (as compared to EUR 18.7 million in the previous year) in plant and equipment (fixed assets). The balance sheet profit thus generated amounted to EUR 4.6 million in the fiscal year ended (EUR 3.0 million in the previous year). The European Alpine countries and North America continue to be Doppelmayr's core markets. The growth markets of Eastern, South-Eastern and Central Europe as well as Russia have proven to be markets with a very high potential which have contributed considerably to the very good corporate result.

Technology Leadership
Doppelmayr is still the only company which offers and has built all known types passenger ropeway systems. The following rank among the technically most sophisticated projects realized in the fiscal year 2004/2005:

• Market launch of the world's first seat heater for chairlifts on a total of five installations in Lech on the Arlberg and Schröcken in the Bregenzerwald, both in Austria. Customers from all over the world are already ordering this innovative groundbreaking product, which is suited also for retrofitting.
• The unique 3-S tri-cable ropeway in Kitzbühel, Austria, with a length of approx. 3 km, just one tower, a 2.5 km rope span and a maximum ground clearance of 400 meters.
• The "Pianalunga - Passo dei Salati" Funifor ropeway which takes skiers to 3700 m a.s.l. in the Monte-Rosa mountains. Its capacity can be flexibly adapted per section to the actual number of skiers.

In addition, several exciting projects were developed and implemented in the material ropeways field. In Zöchling, Lower Austria, for example, a bulk material transport system type "RopeCon" was installed to connect the quarry and the crusher.

High volume of investments
In the fiscal year ended, Doppelmayr has invested EUR 10.3 million (previous year: EUR 18.7 million) in plant and machinery. The most capital-intensive investments were made at the Hohe Brücke plant in Wolfurt, Austria, with the primary objective of achieving further quality improvements and rationalisations.

Stable number of employees
The number of employees remained stable throughout the fiscal year ended: In 2005, Doppelmayr employed 2099 highly qualified workers world wide, i.e., about as many as in 2004 (2102). With its future-oriented human resources policy the group wants to consolidate and strengthen its position as a technology, innovations and quality leader.

Optimism for the current fiscal year
Despite the tough price competition and the high energy and steel prices, the Doppelmayr group is well prepared for the coming years. The order situation and capacity utilisation in the current fiscal year is excellent, and the orders placed with the group for the coming fiscal year give reason for optimism.

Factbox

For enquiries contact

Mag. Ekkehard Assmann
Rickenbacherstrasse 8-10, Postfach 20
A-6961 Wolfurt, Österreich
Tel. (+43) 05574/604-223, Fax (+43) 05574/75590
email: ekkehard.assmann@doppelmayr.com
Internet: doppelmayr.com