Detailed overview of EMS-Chemie Holding AG, its activities in 2024-2025

EMS-Chemie Holding AG is a Swiss company specializing in high-performance polymers and specialty chemicals. It is headquartered in Domat/Ems, Switzerland. The company is active in two main business areas:

1. High Performance Polymers:

• EMS-GRIVORY: A leading manufacturer of high-performance polyamides, providing a wide range of polymer materials for a variety of industries including automotive, electronics and packaging.

• EMS-EFTEC: World leader in the supply of adhesives, sealants and coatings for the automotive industry.

2. Specialty Chemicals:

• EMS-GRILTECH: Specializes in the development and production of fibers, hot glues and adhesive yarns for textile and technical applications, as well as powder coatings and reactive thinners.

Corporate structure and governance:

Headquarters: Located in Domat/Ems, Switzerland. 

Board of Directors:

• Bernhard Merki is chairman of the board of directors.
• Magdalena Martullo-Bloher is a member of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• Joachim Streu and Rainer Rothen are members of the board of directors.

Executive Management:

• Magdalena Martullo-Bloher has been CEO since 2001.
• Olivier Minger has been Chief Financial Officer (CFO) since September 2023.

Shareholder Structure:

• Emesta Holding AG holds a 60.82% stake in the company.  
• Miriam Blocher Baumann owns 10.10% of the stock. 
• The remaining shares are distributed to institutional and private investors.

EMS-Chemie Holding AG is listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange under the ticker EMSN.

Financials for 2024:

• Net sales: CHF 2,071 million, down 5.4% year-on-year (CHF 2,189 million). The decrease was mainly due to the strengthening of the Swiss franc.
• Operating profit (EBIT): CHF 539 million, up 9.5% from 2023.
• Net income: CHF 466 million, in line with the prior-year level.
• EBIT margin: 26.0%, indicating high operating efficiency.

Activity and market conditions:

Global presence: EMS-Chemie is present in 22 countries and has 26 production sites in 16 countries, giving the company a broad international presence and access to key markets.

Company Strategy: EMS-Chemie focuses on operational growth with an emphasis on specialty products, identifies high-performance polymers as a core business, and returns financial resources not required for operations to shareholders. 

Note: In 2019, EMS-PATVAG was sold and since then the Specialty Chemicals business area has been exclusively represented by the EMS-GRILTECH division.

In 2024, EMS-Chemie faced weakening demand in key markets, especially in Europe and China. Despite this, the company successfully implemented a strategy of active sales and product innovation, which helped to increase sales volumes.  

Forecast to 2025:

EMS-Chemie expects that net sales in 2025 may be below the 2024 level due to the continued impact of currency fluctuations. However, the company forecasts that operating profit (EBIT) will be slightly above the 2024 figure. 

Overall, despite challenging market conditions, EMS-Chemie demonstrates resilience and the ability to adapt to change by continuing to focus on innovation and the development of new business areas.