Essilor: sales results for 2004

Essilor has announced its provisional consolidated sales for the year ended December 31, 2004: €2,258.6 million, up 6,7% compared to €2,116.4 millions in 2003.

Excluding the currency effect, sales increased by 10.4%.On a like-for-like basis, sales were up 5.8%. Excluding Germany (where demand declined sharply following the elimination of reimbursement for ophthalmic lenses by the national health care system), the rise was 8.5%.

Companies acquired in 2003 and 2004 contributed €96.5 million to sales, adding 4.6 points to growth. A total of 12 acquisitions were made in 2004.

The year was shaped by sharp growth in all regions: Europe + 6.7%, North America +4.6%, Asia-Pacific +18.3%, Latin America +9.6%.

Essilor made several acquisitions in late 2004 and early 2005: 21st Century Optics and Vision-Craft Inc in the United States, Vijay Vision Private Limited in India and Delamare-Sovra in France. Together, these companies represent nearly $24 million in full-year sales.