Preactor defies downturn with 17% record growth

The firm's 2011 figures, just released, show an increase in net sales of 17% compared to the previous year, which had also seen the company celebrating record results. Preactor CEO Mike Novels credits its 2011 success in part to companies prioritising ROI in order to survive the current economic climate. Nearly 1,000 firms began using Preactor in 2011, he says, including 350 buying licences for the full product and close on 650 signing up to use the free starter product, Preactor Express. "The financial crisis has had a significant impact on manufacturing companies across Europe and they are looking for solutions that will give them a fast return on their investment," explains Novels. "The past year has been a very difficult one for many businesses in the sectors we target. Despite this, they have continued to recognise the benefits they can obtain by using Preactor to manage their production in a more agile and efficient way, even when demand varies from week to week," he continues. "We are also fortunate in that Preactor is flexible enough to be used across almost every sector and business process. So when one sector has suffered badly in the downturn, we have been able to focus our efforts on other types of businesses." Meanwhile, Preactor's global network has also been expanding, with more than 30 firms around the world signing up last year and growing the total to more than 400 partners providing local Preactor advice and support. "In addition to increasing our revenues by 45% in 2011, 2012 has also started very strongly," comments Preactor Europe operations manager Thierry Faguet. "We are already seeing 2% growth in the first quarter."