Beneteau Group reports an 'outstanding' 2008
By IBI Magazine
French boating and mobile home group Beneteau has reported an 'outstanding' 2008 so far, with sales expected to meet targets set before the onset of the global financial crisis.
The group expects sales for the financial year 2007/08 to hit €1,087 million, representing like-for-like growth of 8 per cent.
Beneteau says that the predicted results represent the success of its 'dynamic strategy in the pleasure cruising sector'.
The group attributes its growth to three main strategies — 20 new sailing and motor models a year, reduced costs from high volume production, and targeting new markets such as India and China.
Future plans include increasing the group's offering of Fly and Express models to cover lengths of 15m-25m (49ft-82ft). The first units will appear on the market by 2010.
Excluding sales in the group's Microcar activity, boats have generated 80 per cent of Beneteau's 2007/08 sales, with the remaining 20 per cent coming from mobile homes. Sailboats represent 66 per cent of the group's boat sales, with powerboats generating the remainder.
Beneteau has 24 production sites, and 400 points of sale for boats in 40 countries.
(5 September 2008)
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