After achieving a profit turnaround in 1995, HT Troplast AG (D-53839 Troisdorf), now a 99% subsidiary of Rütgers AG (Mainzer Landstr. 317, D-60326 Frankfurt), plans to increase its presence in foreign markets. The share of sales outside Germany is set to rise from 46% in 1995 to 48.5% in 1996 and to 50% by the year 2000, Chairman Werner Heep said at the company's annual press conference. The greatest potential is seen in the People's Republic of China, Poland and Malaysia.

In cooperation with a Chinese partner, HT will produce PVC windows at Shanghai, starting in mid 1996. Talks about a joint venture in Malaysia are in progress, said Heep. In the UK, Europe's second largest PVC window market, the converter of plastics for building, sports, leisure and automotive applications acquired profile and window manufacturer Helling Profiles as of 1 January 1996. This company, now trading as HT (U.K.) Ltd., Apollo (Litchfield Road, Insturial Estate, Tamworth, GB-Staffordshire B79 7TA), has been integrated into HT U.K. Ltd. (Datchet Slough, GB-Berkshire SL3 9EA).

HT Troplast posted a net profit of nearly DM 16m in 1995, after a DM 48m loss in 1994. Operating profit soared to DM 11.5m from 3.3m, although sales declined 18% to DM 605m. Heep attributed the substantial improvement in the bottom line to the success of restructurisation measures, while noting that rises of up to 80% in the cost of raw materials – which could not be passed on to customers – represented a considerable burden on earnings.

READER SERVICE: Annual Report 1995 (German) HT Troplast AG: PIE-No. 39211.