KTM Industries AG has announced that 2017 saw the company achieve a seventh consecutive record result with an all-time high in revenues and profit.
At 1,533.4 m euro revenues for the year were + 14% with EBIT +8% at 132.5 m euro after investments of 179.6 m euro in the last 12 months.
The company says it sold 238,334 KTM and Husqvarna brand motorcycles in its 2017 business year “further strengthening our position as the largest motorcycle producer in Europe”. Sales increased by more than 17% compared to the previous year.
To support further growth, 92 m euro was invested in product development (including tools and machines) in the past year, with investments in plant and infrastructure focused on the new high-performance drivetrain production facility, in additive manufacturing at Pankl in Kapfenberg, and into the expansion of the research and development department at KTM in Mattighofen.
Due to the growth of the group, 818 additional employees were hired in 2017 (652 of them in Austria) taking the Group to 5,887 people worldwide, including 4,568 in Austria.
The company says that for the business year 2018, KTM Industries Group expects further organic growth in its core areas. With the market launch of Husqvarna's first street motorcycles (Vitpilen and Svartpilen) and the KTM twin-cylinder models (790 Duke), management expects to remain on track for continued growth and anticipates a positive business performance for 2018.
The company aims to sell 400,000 motorcycles annually by the business year 2022.
In other news, KTM concluded a joint venture agreement with CF Moto in China in October – to continue expansion of KTMs presence in the Chinese market. The new business, “CFMoto-KTMR2R”, is 49 percent owned by KTM.
