Tough headwind

Zumtobel Leuchten makes a profit despite the crisis

Zumtobel CEO Alfred Felder is currently steering his company through very choppy waters.(Bild: Studio Fasching)

The sluggish construction industry is weighing on the business of the Dornbirn-based lighting giant Zumtobel. However, the listed company is holding up well in the face of many challenges. 

The Dornbirn-based luminaire manufacturer Zumtobel is also struggling with the economic downturn, but is holding up well in the face of adverse circumstances: although revenues stagnated in the first half of the 2024/25 financial year, operating profit adjusted for restructuring costs increased slightly from EUR 40.0 million to EUR 41.2 million compared to the same period last year, while profit for the period fell from EUR 21.2 million to EUR 18.4 million. "We are simply suffering along with the construction industry," is the sober conclusion of CEO Alfred Felder. Nevertheless, the company was "generally satisfied" with the first half of the year, said Felder: "This is also reflected in the figures. Despite the difficult economic situation in many of the countries in which we operate, we still managed to grow slightly."

Pressure from low-cost suppliers from China
In addition to the economic situation, Zumtobel is also facing increasing pressure from the Far East, with Chinese companies in particular pushing into the European market. In contrast to the USA, there are hardly any restrictions on Chinese imports in Europe - "and they come with extremely low prices". Felder remains rather cautious for the second half of the current financial year, but expects a slight increase in construction activity again from mid-2025.