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Saint Gobain, the French parent of Jewson, Graham and insulation manufacturer Isover, saw sales rise 6.2% for the year to December 31 2010.
Sales for 2010 were 40bn euros, although the building distribution division saw trading activity slide slightly by 1.5%, thanks mainly to a tough first half.
Growth in the UK and Scandinavia was described as ‘robust’ during the second half, while trading in France was slightly down over the year as a whole, despite picking up in the six months to December 31.
Pierre-Andre de Chalendar, chairman and chief executive officer of Saint-Gobain, said: “In 2010, in a global economy still recovering from the crisis, our sales volumes got back on an upward trend and our priority focus on sales prices paid off. We delivered a sharp upswing in our results, driven in particular by the significant cost savings achieved over the past few years.
“Overall in 2011, we expect to see more upbeat trading conditions in our key markets (particularly new-build and renovation markets in Europe). Nevertheless, we will see a sharp rise in raw material and energy costs that we will endeavor to limit by pursuing our priority focus on raising sales prices. Against this backdrop, Saint-Gobain is targeting robust organic growth and double-digit growth in operating income.”
