2017 will go down in history as the year Ceva Santé Animale (Ceva) achieved growth of 20 percent and broke the EUR1 billion barrier for the first time with sales of EUR1.1 billion (US$1.3 billion). This performance consolidates its position as the sixth largest animal health company and leading French multinational in the sector.
A year of growth
In 2017, Ceva grew its business by 20 percent, achieving turnover of EUR1.1 billion. Performance was strong across all geographical regions. The global sales are split as follows:
- Europe: 34 percent
- Africa-Middle East-Eastern Europe-Turkey: 19 percent
- North America-Pacific: 16 percent
- Latin America: 15 percent
- Asia: 13 percent
In terms of product portfolios, the Swine business recorded the biggest increase (up 66 percent, representing 16 percent of sales) due mainly to the acquisition of four ex-Merial vaccines. Ruminants sales were up 40 percent (20 percent of turnover), driven by the acquisition of Brazilian firms Hertape and Inova. Companion Animals sales grew 12 percent (29 percent of turnover), with Poultry up 8 percent (35 percent of turnover).
Ceva Chairman and CEO Dr. Marc Prikazsky said: “Our strong growth can be explained largely through our most recent acquisitions, Hertape and Inova in Brazil, but equally the purchase of a number of ex-Merial products and the acquisitions of Ebvac, China, Polchem in India and Biovac, France. However, our organic growth was also a driver, achieving an historic 9 percent increase (at constant scope and exchange rates). This success is due to the hard work of all our teams, in particular those in Libourne, for the smooth integration of these new companies, as well as the R&D, industrial and logistics teams for the development of such innovative new products as Feliscratch by Feliway, Zeleris and Smartvac.”
Innovation, major global investment
Prikazsky adds: “In these times of rapid global change, we need to make the most of our agility to quickly integrate, from today, the new orientations of research in areas such as artificial intelligence, connected agriculture, robotization, digitalization, big data, etc. The challenge for the future will be how to integrate these new technologies into our business model. This is a challenge for the agricultural community as a whole, both in France and around the world. In all these areas, once again, Ceva wants to become a first-line reference.”
Along the lines of its investment last year in Applifarm, a big data platform for the ruminants sector, Ceva is looking to develop new services, particularly in hatcheries around its vector-vaccine and in ovo vaccination equipment developed by its French subsidiary, Ecat-iD.
