Consolidated sales of the Ceva Group reached more than €1.2 billion in 2019 as the company returned to strong double-digit growth (+14.6%).
The start of 2020 was marked by the renewal of its shareholding structure with new long-term partners investing alongside management and historic minority investors with the aim of ensuring the continued independent development of the group.
In 2019, Ceva posted growth of 14.6% (AER) on the previous year (10.4% CER), with sales of more than €1.2 billion. In 20 years, the French-based multinational has multiplied its sales by 10. Today, the group is directly present in 46 countries, and recorded positive growth in all geographical zones: Europe +14%, Africa/Middle East/Eastern Europe/Turkey/Russia +17%, North America /Pacific +21%, Latin America +24% and Asia +3%.
All species grew, with the strongest performance in poultry (+22%), followed by swine (+13%), companion animals (+9%) and ruminants (+7%).
New Ambition 2025 plan: focuses on a virtuous circle of growth to double sales
Ceva recently concluded its 5th finance round with 4 new strategic investors (Téthys Inves - France, PSP - Canada, Mitsui - Japan, Klocke Gruppe - Germany) investing alongside management. This round of financing will give the group all the resources it requires to continue its exponential growth and double sales by 2025.
Continued investment in R&D and industrial centres
The group invested close to 11% of its sales in R&D during 2019, as it gets closer to its stated objective of achieving a 50:50 split between vaccine and pharmaceutical sales. To achieve this, it also invests over €100 million each year in its industrial facilities around the world. Some of the highlights during 2019 included:
- ● The completion of a Global centre for innovation of companion animal products at the Ceva Laval Campus, France.
- ● The creation near Angers, France of the first reference site in Europe for the design and manufacture of veterinary autovaccines (inauguration H1 2020)
- ● The development of a new Global Innovation Centre for swine vaccines in Dessau, Germany
“This year we invested nearly 11% of our sales revenues in R&D to support our innovation strategy. We completed the construction of the Ceva Laval Campus, our new global innovation centre for companion animals based in Laval, France, all of which give us a strong base as we enter our new Ambition 2025 strategic plan”, commented Dr. Marc Prikazsky, President & CEO of Ceva. “Another key event that marked 2019 was the acquisition of the veterinary activities of IDT Biologika in Germany which has allowed us to strengthen our expertise and R&D in swine vaccines. I'm delighted how quickly the new campus in Dessau has become part of Ceva.”