H.C. Starck Continues Positive Performance from 2010 in the First Quarter of 2011

Munich - After an excellent fiscal year 2010, H.C. Starck, one of the leading manufacturers of refractory metals and advanced ceramics, continued its positive growth in all business units through the first quarter of 2011.

In 2010, H.C. Starck increased its revenues by 59% to €689 million. The company exceeded its expectations in all business units and made significant gains in market shares, particularly with regard to its tantalum and tungsten activities. One important contributing factor to the strong performance was the resurgent demand seen across all markets.

Dr. Andreas Meier, CEO of H.C. Starck, explained “The rapid and systematic restructuring of our company also played a significant role in the positive development of our business. We made our organizational structure more efficient and more tailored to the needs of the market, we also focused our product range on our core business areas. In addition, the cost-cutting measures we implemented made a noticeable contribution to our excellent annual results.”

On December 31, 2010, the company had 2,727 employees in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, China, Japan, and Thailand.

In the first quarter of 2011, business was also strong due to the ongoing economic recovery and the continued increase in market demand. H.C. Starck again exceeded expectations in several business units.

Dr. Meier commented “We have completed one of our most important strategic tasks, thanks to longer term supply agreements with established mines and the EICC certification for our tantalum procurement process, we have been able to secure our supply of ethically produced raw materials. As a result, we are in an excellent position to achieve our growth targets for 2011.”

H.C. Starck is well prepared for the remaining three quarters of this fiscal year, and is relying on three key areas of focus. An important part of the company’s 2011 growth strategy is to utilize its recycling capacities, which are unique in the market, to secure the supply of conflict-free raw materials.

“H.C. Starck currently obtains more than 45 percent of its raw materials from recycling – more than any other competitor,” says Dr. Meier.

Furthermore, the company is striving to achieve strong organic growth with new innovative products, as well as an increased international presence – close to its customers and in regions with rapidly growing markets. The company also plans to grow on the basis of current megatrends. With its proven core competencies, H.C. Starck has systematically aligned its product range to focus on products that serve these trends.

Dr. Meier said “Rapidly growing industries like the electronics industry require smaller and smaller components which are simultaneously becoming increasingly powerful With our long-term expertise, we offer specific solutions for the individual needs of our customers in this area.”

Industries such as the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, and the mining industry place ever-increasing demands on the performance and durability of cutting and drilling tools.

“With our one-of-a-kind technological expertise, particularly when it comes to tungsten, we can also offer solutions custom-tailored to the needs of our customers in this area as well,” says Dr. Meier.

The company is also active in the field of environmentally friendly technologies, developing innovative and sustainable products such as those for manufacturing fuel cells and solar cells. H.C. Starck is also working on the development of components for high-performance safe batteries for the growing electric vehicle market.  

Dr Meier concluded, “In 2010 we laid the foundation for further profitable growth, and we have begun the current fiscal year extremely well. We have a strong international presence and a high standard product portfolio. Resultingly we are optimistic that we will successfully execute our ambitious growth strategy in 2011.”

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About H.C. Starck 
The H.C. Starck Group is a leading global supplier of refractory metals and advanced ceramics, and uses its own manufacturing facilities in Europe, America, and Asia to serve growing sectors such as the electronics, chemical, automotive, medical technology, aerospace, energy technology, and environmental technology industries, as well as mechanical engineering and tool manufacturers. H.C. has close to 3,000 employees worldwide. For additional information about the company please visit: www.hcstarck.com/press; H.C. Starck Group’s Raw Material Procurement Statement

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