Konica Minolta posted a 15% increase in revenue for the six months to 30 Sept 2021 but said an explosion at its toner plant in Tatsuno in August was expected to affect sales of new equipment. “Toner will be supplied on a priority basis to existing customers,” it said.
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| Konica Minolta's toner plant in Tatsuno, Japan |
“The business environment surrounding the company during the current period has been greatly affected by the tight supply of semiconductors and other materials, and the digital workplace business is expected to be affected by the supply of the company’s products to customers in the second half of the current fiscal year as it is expected to remain at about 70% of the actual demand,’ Konica Minolta said in its latest financial statement.
“In addition, because of the explosion accident at the company’s toner plant, toner production volume is expected to be about 75% of the actual demand during the period from the plant shutdown to restart of operations under a new production system and the recovery of production capacity.
“Therefore, especially in the professional printing business, sales of new equipment and non-hardware is expected to be affected since toner will be supplied on a priority basis to existing customers. On the other hand, the industry business, which the company is focusing on, is expected to generate higher revenue than the forecast at the beginning of the current fiscal year.”
Konica Minolta expects the impact of the supply shortage of semiconductors and other materials to continue at least until the first half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.
“Thus, the company implements additional measures including fixed cost reductions as a recovery measure,” it said. “Meanwhile, the toner supply shortage is expected to be resolved at an early stage and is not expected to have an impact on its business for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.”
Konica Minolta recorded revenue of ¥445.1 billion ($A5.2 billion) up 15.7% compared to the same period last year.
