Management Board
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
2020 was a special and eventful year for ALTANA. The first few months were very
gratifying and promising, but from the spring onward the focus of our activities was on
dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
From the very outset, our priority was to protect our more than 6,500 colleagues worldwide.
Together, we managed to ensure that the virus did not spread significantly at
any of our sites. In addition to each individual who actively contributed to protecting the
health of all by adhering to hygiene and distance rules, the crisis teams in the ALTANA
Group, in particular, performed outstanding work. Moreover, we were able to further sig-
nificantly reduce the number of occupational accidents reported at our sites last year,
once again reaching our ambitious safety targets.
At the same time, thanks to our global network of sites, we succeeded in maintaining our
delivery capabilities and efficiency, continuing to provide our customers with the best
possible support, and leveraging numerous opportunities in a volatile market environment.
While there were many product areas for which demand was significantly lower due to
the pandemic, other consumer-oriented applications, such as innovative solutions for
food packaging, increased in importance. As a result, the ACTEGA division was able to
continue on its growth path. And the trend toward greater sustainability, which was
intensified by the pandemic, especially in the domestic realm, also provided BYK, ECKART,
and ELANTAS with positive impetus in terms of demand.
Overall, sales fell by only three percent despite the effects of the pandemic, while EBITDA
even exceeded the previous year’s level. Asides from the temporary easing of raw
material prices, countermeasures in view of the significant demand decline in some months
particularly contributed to this result.
Furthermore, we achieved important milestones for our sustainable success.