Facts

After doubling sales in the five years leading up to 2008, as a result of the global crisis, bathroom manufacturer Duravit was forced to halt growth in 2009 and recorded a decline in sales for the very fi rst time. On the international markets, both within and outside the EU, sales in the Group as a whole declined in the single- to double-digit range. In Germany, too, Duravit AG recorded a slight decline in sales. Overall, Group sales fell by 12.6 % and, in 2009, totalled 292.7 million euros. Despite the downturn in sales, in 2009, Duravit still succeeded in implementing a substantial package of future investments. In addition to constructing the new factory in India, the bathroom manufacturer opened showrooms in Egypt and Tunisia and extended the central warehouse in Achern, Germany, to include a completely new high-bay warehouse.
 
Duravit also kept the personnel structures stable and did not scale them down in line with the downturn. In 2009, the Duravit Group had 5,202 employees worldwide. The growth of Duravit AG was 0.7 %, 21.9 % of those employed within the Group work in Germany. This clearly illustrates that the growth is mainly outside of Germany but, at the same time, it also creates and secures jobs in Germany. Key sales markets in 2009 were Central Europe, particularly Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and France, as well as the USA, the Near East and some Asian countries. The majority of sales were in the Euro region; within the Duravit Group, the international share of turnover totalled 75.1 %. These figures show that Duravit is performing better than the competition on almost all markets.
 
Overall, Duravit operates with 27 affi liated companies and is present in more than 90 countries. Production takes place at several national and international locations: Hornberg, Schenkenzell, Meißen (Germany), Bischwiller (France), Cairo (Egypt), Istanbul (Turkey), Chongqing (China) and Bizerte (Tunisia).