01.03.2006

Bobcat sales up by 18%+

Ingersoll rand has reported full year results for 2005, the groups revenues were up by 12 percent to $10.5 billion helped along by a number of smaller acquisitions. The percentage increase without the purchases was nine percent.

The company reports Bobcat in its Compact vehicle sector along with golf cart manufacturer Club car. Revenues for the year were up by 18 percent to $2.68 billion, all of the growth coming from Bobcat. Operating income rose by 25 percent to $415 million but margins slipped from 15.5 percent in 2004 to 14.7 percent in 2005.

The group as a whole reported an operating income of $1.4 billion with new earnings of 1.05 billion up 12.9 percent on the prior year.

Most of the growth in 2005 came from North America but in 2006 Bobcat is investing heavily in Europe, and is looking to its telehandler line for a good deal of the growth, at least in those markets such as the UK where it enjoys a very small market share in a very large market place.