Slate - Short Profile
Rathscheck Schiefer und Dach-Systeme is one of the largest suppliers of slate for roofing and siding in Europe. The company is the market leader of the German-speaking world. Its slate is extracted from the Katzenberg (Mayen) and Margareta (Polch) mines at depths of up to 360 meters. The company also sells natural slate mined at several international sites, which are located mainly in Spain, Asia and North America. Rathscheck Schiefer maintains an export department at its Mayen headquarters as well as subsidiaries, warehouses and offices in various countries.
The Spanish affiliate Cafersa with its substantial resources is also part of the group and provides Rathscheck access to high quality slate for a worldwide market.
From Fiscal Year 2010
Steady results despite decline in construction industry
Manufacturing and marketing roof and facade slates, the Slate division, represented by Rathscheck Schiefer, is active throughout Europe. With a continually growing product range offering new types of cladding, the division has developed into an important player on the European market. Its target group is builders, planners, roofing trade retailers, and slaters.
The consequences of the economic crisis were still noticeable on the European roofing market. The construction industry, and the roofing market in particular, were not able to participate in the economic recovery of 2010. All building materials experienced intense competition and high price erosion. Strong competition in France led to falling prices. In contrast, eastern Europe experienced a slight upturn in demand. The consolidation process in the industry continued in the producer country Spain. Renowned manufacturers such as the Spanish Cafersa Group of the Slate division benefited from this.
Net sales in the past business year fell by around 2 % in comparison with 2009. This decline was due primarily to the domestic business. In contrast, the percentage of sales abroad increased again, amounting to 30 % of the total net sales. The decline in sales slowed and was 2.7 %. Despite all these issues, the operating result of the Slate division was slightly up on the previous year.
With a product range aimed at maximizing growth potential, Rathscheck Schiefer was able to maintain its position on its most important market, Germany. In the first year after its launch, the innovative ‘Stonepanel’ facade system has experienced positive development.
Despite the strained situation, the division was able to maintain its position in France, the world’s largest slate market. The revenue situation relaxed. In Spain, the situation at the extraction sites has developed well. New excavation chambers were developed and existing capacities expanded. Overall, the Slate division has stepped up its international focus, expanding its sales in eastern Europe in particular.
Based on sales, the division anticipates that the markets will develop differently in 2011. Based on the subdued forecast for the German construction sector, it is expected that the German slate market will experience a slight decline. The planned production increases in Spain are to be supplied primarily to the French and English-speaking markets. In this respect, the Slate division expects a reasonable increase in sales for 2011, primarily to be achieved through foreign growth. Due to the cost structure and conservative assumptions, the result is expected to be slightly less than that of the business year. In the long term, the division sees growth in the development of new products and in the use of slate in regions where this natural product is not typical. The increasing importance of sustainability, the environment, and energy efficiency presents other future prospects for roof and facade slate.