Sales volume increased by 3% over 2014, as did gross operating margin, which was EUR 103 million and grew by 37%. Group financial and capital soundness also showed further improvement, as debt decreased to EUR 183 million, compared to EUR 231 million in 2014. First half 2016 was positive and saw RadiciGroup attain a gross operating margin of EUR 60 million.

For the year 2015, RadiciGroup’s three business areas reported the following sales revenue results. Specialty Chemicals (polyamide polymers and chemical intermediates) has achieved EUR 370 million, Performance Plastics (polyamide engineering plastics) reached EUR 277 million, and Synthetic Fibres & Nonwovens (polyamide and polyester synthetic fibres and spunbond nonwovens) reported EUR 458 million.

Main markets

“Our 2015 income statement results were good. We closed the year with total sales revenue slightly lower than in 2014, which was basically due to the decrease in raw materials costs. However, our gross operating margin and volume rose by 37% and 3%, respectively,” said Angelo Radici, president of RadiciGroup.

“Italy and the rest of Europe continued to be our main target markets. Indeed, these geographical areas contributed 73% of our sales revenue. Good performance trends were recorded, first of all, in the automotive industry and also in electrical/electronics, furnishings and apparel, which are among our key outlet markets.”

“Despite problems upstream during the first few months of 2016, our margins for the first half are positive,” Mr Radici continued. “We achieved a gross operating margin of about EUR 60 million, exceeding our expectations. Given the uncertainty of the current international scenario, forecasting is hard, but we expect to close the year with margins in line with those of 2015.”

Key driver of innovation

For a long time now, the Group has taken action to translate sustainability into the precise systemic measurement of environmental, economic and social indicators, according to the GRI guidelines. During 2015, RadiciGroup’s product development strategy continued on three fronts: biopolymers, post-industrial and post-consumer recycling, and ecodesign of products obtained from traditional sources.

The Group also maintained its constant commitment to measure the environmental impact of its products and provide the market and all its stakeholders with information based on scientific, verified and comparable data. This achievement was made possible by the development and definition of Product Category Rules (PCRs) for its production chain, which specify how to measure and quantify the environmental impact performance of its products using Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), in order to obtain specific Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

As of today, RadiciGroup has published an EPD for the HERAMID range of post-industrial PA6 and PA6.6 engineering plastics, an EPD for the polyamide scrap recovery service (solely used for the production of HERAMID), an EPD for the RADILON S and RADILON A lines, PA6 and PA6.6 engineering plastics, and an EPD for Radifloor PA6 and PA6.6 BCF yarn.

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