Industrial gases specialist publishes annual report

Messer, the largest privately managed industrial gases specialist, achieved consolidated sales of 1.146 billion euros and an operating profit (EBITDA) of 249 million euros in the 2016 financial year. Last year the Messer Group made investments totalling 147 million euros. A large part went into new production facilities in China, Poland, Slovenia and Vietnam as well as into developing the Group’s ASEAN business (ASEAN = Association of Southeast Asian Nations). The operating profit dropped by around one per cent while sales fell by two per cent owing to the general economic environment, which remains difficult. “EBITDA fell just shortly of the previous year’s level but actually turned out much better than we had anticipated in our forecast for the financial year. This gratifying development is a confirmation of our strategic focus on business with cylinder gases, as well as the development of our markets in China and ASEAN,” says Stefan Messer, owner and CEO of the Messer Group, adding: “Messer is always on the move. Not resting on our laurels but constantly looking for new opportunities and possibilities is part of how we see ourselves.”

Energy management and environmental protection at Messer

Air separation units process ambient air without producing any toxic or environmentally hazardous emissions. The production of industrial gases does not involve any water or ground pollution, but it is very energy intensive. It is the Messer Group’s aim to reduce the specific energy consumption of its air separation units by 0.5 per cent a year between 2010 and 2020. The company is seeking to achieve this through better capacity utilisation of production facilities, continuous investment in even more efficient facilities and targeted energy efficiency projects. Messer uses the energy coefficient to indicate the reductions achieved in specific electrical energy consumption. The energy coefficient fell slightly from 1.376 in 2015 to 1.368 in 2016, representing a reduction of approximately 0.6 per cent. The commitment to environmental protection is also reflected in the quality management system that applies across the Messer Group as a whole. Messer is certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 international environmental standard in 21 consolidated companies and in accordance with the ISO 9001 quality management standard in a total of 37 companies, including the non-consolidated entities.