Brunswick CEO anticipates 2005 industry growth
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Brunswick Corp. Chairman and CEO George W. Buckley reconfirmed the company’s earnings estimates for 2005 during a speech given to analysts and investors in Miami on Wednesday.
Those earnings estimates of $3.15 to $3.30 per share for 2005, up from the $2.77 EPS reported for 2004, are based on the assumption that the marine industry will be up 5 to 6 percent at retail, he said.
That growth will drive Brunswick’s organic sales growth of 11 to 12 percent, with operating margin improvement of between 70 and 100 basis points, he further predicted.
This will be accomplished through a strategy of “blending organic growth and select acquisitions with efforts to reduce costs and improve efficiencies,” he explained.
In 2005, the boat and engine maker plans to put in place process improvements intended to better integrate product development and apply “rigorous systems engineering efforts to build in quality and enhance reliability by eliminating or better engineering interfaces, junctures where product most likely fail,” said Buckley.
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