Alcantara's Annual Sales and Profits Have Shown Major Gains

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcantara, the manufacturer of Italian-made luxury material, has seen its annual sales triple and operating profits increase more than five-fold since the recession.

The company will have a major presence at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, as well as at auto shows in Detroit, Chicago and New York over the next six months. The U.S. market currently accounts for about 10 percent of Alcantara's global sales.

The company's net sales have risen from EUR64.3 million in 2009 to more than EUR187 million in 2016. Operating profits have jumped from EUR7.9 million to EUR45.1 million during the same period. The company's Chairman and CEO Andrea Boragno notes that Alcantara's automotive business has experienced especially strong growth in China and the United States as a result of an increase in brand awareness among automakers and consumers.

Major automakers, such as Acura, Audi, BMW, Dodge, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lincoln, Maserati, Nissan and Porsche are expected to have cars equipped with Alcantara at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show.

"As you can see from our strong business results, our emotive, high-tech artisan approach to luxury resonates well with automakers and consumers alike," says Boragno. "Our relationship with the design community in the automotive industry, as well as throughout the fashion, home furnishings, consumer electronics and marine industries, has helped us significantly increase sales and brand awareness over the last decade."

Partnerships Equal Growth
Alcantara's CEO adds that the company sees an unrivalled potential for growth through partnerships with the world's leading brands.

Premium fashion brands such as Adidas and Swarovski, for example, have launched exclusive collections in collaboration with Alcantara. The material's versatility extends to some of the world's most prestigious furnishing brands, including Torre, Cappellini and Ligne Roset, which have featured Alcantara on their product lines.

In the consumer electronics market, Microsoft utilizes Alcantara on its Surface Pro laptops and Sennheiser has incorporated Alcantara in the design of its on-ear headphones.

Investment to Double Production Capacity by 2022
To meet growing demand for its material, the company plans to significantly increase its production capacity. Boragno reports that a five-year investment program totalling EUR300 million is expected to double Alcantara's overall production capacity.

The five-year expansion plan calls for annual sales to reach EUR300 million, compared to EUR187 million last year. Brand value also is expected to triple from Interbrand's 2015 value estimate of EUR100 million to EUR300 million over the same period. The number of employees is expected to grow from 598 to around 800, as well.

Sustainability: A Key Value of the Alcantara Brand
Alcantara's CEO believes the company's strong commitment to sustainability is a key part of Alcantara's competitive strategy. A commitment to sustainability is consistent with the long-term goal of increasing the company's financial value.

"Alcantara is the first Italian industrial company and among the very first companies in the world to have achieved the status of Carbon Neutrality," Boragno notes. "Since 2009, we have published our own Sustainability Report, which provides transparency for everything we do. We also have worked very hard to build a supply chain that focuses on responsible procurement."

Alcantara S.p.A. - www.alcantara.com

Founded in 1972, Alcantara represents a prime example of Italian-produced quality. As registered trademark of Alcantara S.p.A. and result of a unique and proprietary technology, Alcantara® is a highly innovative material, offering an unrivalled combination of sensory, aesthetic and functional qualities. Thanks to its extraordinary versatility, Alcantara is the choice of leading brands in a number of application fields: fashion and accessories, automotive, interior design and home décor, consumer-electronics. These features, together with a serious and certified commitment in terms of sustainability, make Alcantara a true icon of contemporary lifestyle: the lifestyle of those who want to fully enjoy their everyday life, respecting the environment. Since 2009 Alcantara is certified "Carbon Neutral", having defined, reduced and offset all the CO(2) emissions derived from its activity. To mark out the path of the company in such a field, every year Alcantara draws up and publishes its own Sustainability Report, certified by Bdo authority and available also on the corporate website. Headquartered in Milan, Alcantara production site and R&D department are located in Nera Montoro, in the heart of Umbria Region (Terni).

For further information:
www.alcantara.com
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facebook.com/alcantara.company
youtube.com/alcantaracompany
instagram.com/alcantara_company/

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SOURCE Alcantara S.p.A.