ROODMICROTEC : 9% sales growth in second half of 2014

Preliminary sales figures 2014
RoodMicrotec N.V.'s preliminary sales in 2014 were EUR 9.972 million (2013: EUR 11.179 million), a 11% decrease compared to 2013.

In the second half of 2014 we realised sales of EUR 5.202 million. This represents a 9% increase on the first half of 2014 (EUR 4.770 million).

Business units
Preliminary semi-annual sales result:

*) Due to an altered definition of sales by BU, there has been a shift in sales between BUs, leading to an adjustment of the sales figures for the first half year. The total sales for the half year have not been adjusted.

In the second half of 2014, sales increased markedly compared to the average for the first half of this year. However, sales are still under pressure from postponed projects.

On the other hand, the number of requests for quotations remains high at over EUR 10 million. In addition, approx. 90% of the requests results in a quotation, and the trend of the total hitrate (quotations turned into orders), which is above 50%, continues to rise. In 2014, the book-to-bill ratio was above 1.0 in all quarters, and the average for the full year was between 1.1 and 1.2. This is significantly higher than in the past.

The fact that the factors set out above have not yet resulted in a material increase of sales is related to the inevitable long preparation times for most of the projects. However, once these projects start to generate sales, these will be recurring sales. Recurring sales will give us a far more stable position than we used to be able to realise.
We anticipate that for several projects we will be able to finalise the phase preceding actual production in the next 7-8 months. As of that time, these projects will start to generate actual turnover.

'Currently, all our indicators are green and we anticipate that we will be able to profit from this in 2015. We have worked hard to put ourselves in this position in the course of 2014, both in terms of winning projects and in terms of the (staff) structure of the company. One interesting initiative in this context is the setup of an Automotive Competence Centre. OEMs and FCs have responded to this with great enthusiasm because they are interested in the high tech market. This clearly distinguishes us from other market parties,' said Philip Nijenhuis, RoodMicrotec CEO. 

Preliminary sales result compared to 2013*):

*) Due to an altered definition of sales by BU, there has been a shift between BUs.

Outlook for 2015
The continuing postponement of orders makes it difficult to state exactly when the sales growth will materialise that we anticipate based on our high hit rate. As usual, we anticipate that sales in the second half of 2015 will be higher than in the first half of the year. By how much is presently unclear.
We maintain our previously stated long-term objective of annual autonomous growth of between 3% and 13% at an average growth of the semiconductor market of 6%, and of improving the operating result and the net result.

Financial agenda 2015

Audit
The financial data has not been audited.

Forward-looking statements
This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and prognoses of the board of management and on the information currently available to the company. The statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which are hard to evaluate, such as the general economic conditions, interest rates, exchange rates and amendments to statutory laws and regulations. The board of management of RoodMicrotec cannot guarantee that its expectations will materialise. Furthermore, RoodMicrotec does not accept any obligation to update the statements made in this press release.

About RoodMicrotec
With 45 years' experience as an independent value-added service provider in the area of micro and optoelectronics, RoodMicrotec offers fabless companies, OEMs and other companies a one-stop shopping proposition. With its powerful solutions RoodMicrotec has built up a strong position in Europe.

Our services comply with the industrial and quality requirements of the high reliability/space, automotive, telecommunications, medical, IT and electronics sectors.

'Certified by RoodMicrotec' concerns inter alia testing of products to the stringent ISO/TS 16949 standard that applies to suppliers to the automotive industry. The company also has an accredited laboratory for test activities and calibration to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.

The value-added services comprise inter alia (eXtended) supply chain management, failure & technology analysis, qualification & burn-in, test- & product engineering, production test (including device programming and end-of-line service), ESD/ESDFOS assessment & training, quality & reliability consulting and total manufacturing solutions with partners.

RoodMicrotec has branches in Germany (Dresden, Nördlingen, Stuttgart), the UK (Bath) and the Netherlands (Zwolle).

Further information:
Philip Nijenhuis, CEO
Telephone:        +31 (0) 38 4215216
Email:              investor-relations@roodmicrotec.com:
mailto:investor-relations@roodmicrotec.com
Website:           www.roodmicrotec.com:
http://www.roodmicrotec.com