Trelleborg earnings up 8% on “solid" quarterly performance

Trelleborg, Sweden – Trelleborg Group has reported record results for the first quarter of 2025, posting strong year-on-year increases in both sales and earnings (EBITDA).

For the first three months of the year, earnings grew 8% to SEK1.98 billion, while group revenue came in at SEK8.89 billion, up 8% compared to the same period in 2024.

Organic sales increased 1% compared with the preceding year, while acquisitions contributed 6% and currency effects increased sales by 1%, said president and CEO Peter Nilsson.

“Despite the turbulence and increased uncertainty in the macroeconomic environment, all business areas delivered in line with our expectations,” Nilsson commented 24 April.

Breaking down the segments, Nilsson said Trelleborg Industrial Solutions (TIS) increased sales to SEK3.9 billion, up 5% compared to last year.

Some sub-segments, such as marine solutions and LNG projects, as well as sealing solutions for water infrastructure, reported strong growth.

However, sales to other sub-segments remained weak, particularly for seals to the construction industry, which were impacted by continued softness in the North American market.

Furthermore, deliveries to automotive manufacturers were subdued “in all markets,” according to Nilsson.

Despite the mixed performance, the business area achieved its highest quarterly earnings at SEK645 million, up 5% year-on-year.

Trelleborg Medical Solutions (TMS) posted a 45% year-on-year increase in sales to SEK848 million, with a “satisfactory” 5% increase in organic sales.

Nilsson linked the strong revenue growth to the integration of Baron Group, which had “a substantial positive impact” on TMS’s profitability.

Segment earnings more than doubled to SEK171 million, up from SEK82 million in the first quarter of 2024.

During the period, the European medtech market was the main driver behind the increase in sales, while the life science segment also demonstrated robust growth.

However, Nilsson said, the North American market for polymer solutions for the medtech segment was “still cautious.”

In the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions (TSS) business area, organic sales remained unchanged while acquisitions contributed to 6% growth, to SEK4.3 billion.

Sales to diversified industrials segments declined in Europe, with a more “particularly notable” decrease in North America.

This, Nilsson said, was mainly due to weaker deliveries to the construction and agricultural machinery industries.

Segment sales in Asia increased in most segments, while deliveries to the automotive industry had a weaker development in all markets.

Shipments to the aerospace industry showed “continued good growth globally”.

Segment earnings increased slightly to SEK868 million while margin declined by less than one percentage point due to lower volumes and lower margins from acquisitions.

Commenting on the business environment, Nilsson said that the group expected limited impact from the “direct effects of tariffs” introduced by the Trump administration.

“Trelleborg operates a ‘local-for-local’ production model, which means that most of what we produce in a region is sold within that region,” the Trelleborg leader explained.

"We are," he added, “well prepared to address the challenges from tariffs through strategic production optimisation, regional localisation, proactive price management and global flexibility.”

However, Nilsson said that it was more difficult to estimate the indirect impact of tariffs, meaning the extent to which Trelleborg customers will be affected.

“The current weakening of established trade relations is creating greater uncertainty than we have seen for some time,” Nilsson said.

“The ground rules are changing almost every week, and this makes it difficult to give a reliable outlook,” he added.

According to Nilsson, order-intake for the first quarter was higher than for the preceding period, which would normally indicate that demand is steadily improving.

“However, the high level of uncertainty means our general assessment is that demand in the second quarter will be on a par with the first quarter,” Nilsson concluded.