Verallia Group Saint-Gobain Oberland recorded a consolidated turnover of €257.2 million in the first six months of 2013, down 0.4% from the same period a year before.Sales in Germany rose slightly by 0.2% from €199.6 million to €200.0 million. It said market conditions in Eastern Europe were inconsistent. In Russia, sales fell by 6.2% to €38.5 million but sales in Ukraine rose 6.7% to €18.6 million. The market situation in the container glass market in Germany in the first six months of the year was affected by bad weather conditions, lower crop yields and weak beverage consumption. But individual product segments reported a slight increase in sales despite the difficult market environment. Alcohol producers in Russia have been hampered by an ongoing re-licensing process. Vodka consumption fell by 10% compared to 2012 due to a government-mandated price increase. Ukrainian spirit production also recorded a negative trend. The operating profit of the Oberland Group fell by 11.5% from €13.8 million to €12.2 million in the half year. The company said it had maintained its focus on sustainable revenue assurance and quality products and will continue to focus on innovation, service quality and sustainable leadership.
