Riber shows resilience despite difficult environment
Strong growth in revenues from services and accessories in an environment disrupted by the pandemic
Riber, a France-based maker of semiconductor equipment, is reporting its revenues for the first half of 2020.
2020 first-half revenues came to €11.6m, down 17 percent compared with the first half of 2019. Business shows a good level of resilience despite an environment disrupted by the health crisis and the lockdown measures, which have delayed certain deliveries.
MBE systems revenues totalled €5.6m, down 35 percent from the first half of 2019. This performance includes billing for three systems, with two production units, compared with the four production systems delivered during the first half of 2019. Following difficulties sourcing certain parts, the delivery of one production machine was deferred to the third quarter.
The evaporator market remains sluggish due to the current lack of investment in the OLED screen industry.
Services and accessories revenues came to €6.0m, up 39 percent from the previous year, in line with the plan to develop this business.
At June 30, 2020, the breakdown of Riber's revenues was as follows: 52 percent in Europe, 43 percent in Asia and 5 percent in the US.
The systems order book represents €12.5m, down 42 percent, and includes seven systems to be delivered in 2020, with two production systems. The delay in taking new orders is attributable to the pandemic and stronger restrictions in granting export licenses.
The order book for services and accessories was down 18 percent, due to the slowdown in customer activity.
Outlook
Faced with the cautious market environment seen during the first half of the year, the company is taking particular care with its operational efficiency and its cost management. The company has been awarded a €6m government-backed loan, enabling it to continue investing in its R&D projects and production equipment.
The company expects to see a significant improvement in its orders during the second half of the year thanks to a strong portfolio of prospects.
