The last 18 months have represented lots of unpredictable happenings, both in the world and in business. The Covid-19 pandemic, as we all know, has been and still is a black swan, which came as an unwanted surprise and changed the world and the way we all live, interact, and do business.
Fortaco and our industry, amongst many others, was negatively impacted in 2020. With fast actions in the spring 2020 and onwards, the Fortaco team made a quick recovery securing the safety of our employees and deliveries in the difficult environment with a successful outcome. For more insights concerning year 2020, check out our Annual Report, which can be ordered from our web-page www.fortacogroup.com.
From decline to a clear growth trajectory
Subsequently in 2021, and despite the Covid-19 pandemic still present, the overall business outlook has changed, perhaps a bit surprisingly, from decline to a clear growth trajectory, which is further strengthened by ramping up additional business awards granted to us by our valued customers. Depending on the industry, the current level of demand is everything from high to low, and the constrained supply market, availability of people, and Covid-19 restrictions are adding a special flavor to the situation.
The ability to cope with uncertainties is one of the factors differentiating high quality companies from the rest. Our approach is “Master of Flexibility”, the Fortaco way of coping with volatility, enabling us and our stakeholders to be successful in different market environments. It entails an extensive focus on safety, delivery, and quality, added by a high level of flexibility, to address the changing needs. And all this in a collaborative spirit with our customers and supply chain.
We have set our bar higher
As a proof of our concept, our year to date delivery accuracy is >95% (note, measured strictly according to the first promise!) and lost time injury frequency is 2.0. Both already represent a solid performance, but we have set our bar higher. We aim for nothing less than 100% delivery accuracy. In terms of safety, our professional approach can be found from our fresh Safety Handbook. Our motto is clear: Go for Zero.
Green and sustainable future
During H1/2021 we have also been working with defining our approach on sustainability. We have several on-going initiatives addressing the global need to find new solutions, contributing positively to the greener and more sustainable future. We believe we have a good position to address the need to decarbonize the industry together with our customers. More info to come later on.
Second half of 2021 pointing towards more growth
As said, the marketplace is currently busy, and the demand outlook for H2/2021 is pointing towards more growth. Our May 2021 year to date financial performance shows further improvement towards our long-term target of delivering 7% EBITA over the cycles. At the same time, several factors, such as supply chain bottlenecks, increasing raw material costs, and people availability are causing issues to all companies in the industry. We need to continue addressing these issues as professionals, and we feel we are on the right track to secure the needed operational and financial performance in 2021.
I would like to thank our customers, suppliers, and the Fortaco-team of professionals. Have a great summer season – stay safe!
Kimmo Raunio
Senior Vice President & CFO
