1. What is Wärtsilä’s vision and mission?
Mission
We provide lifecycle power solutions to enhance the business of our customers, whilst creating better technologies that benefit both the customer and the environment.
Vision
We will be the most valued business partner of all our customers.
2. What is Wärtsilä’s strategy?
Wärtsilä aims to be the leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the global marine markets and selected energy markets worldwide. We see growth opportunities in gas power plants as part of our Smart Power Generation concept, as well as in gas-fuelled engines and related systems for the marine market. We also seek growth in environmental solutions, including exhaust gas cleaning systems and ballast water treatment systems. Our strengths are our technological leadership, an integrated product and service offering, our close and long-standing customer relationships, and our unparalleled global presence. Our production and supply chain management serves both our end markets, and we constantly seek ways to maintain cost efficiency and high quality – often in co-operation with leading industrial partners in our key growth markets. Our R&D provides another source of synergies, allowing us to stay at the forefront of technology and innovation in our industry.
We are determined to capture growth opportunities within our end markets, while maintaining a solid profitability. Read more about Wärtsilä’s strategy.
3. What are Wärtsilä’s financial goals?
Wärtsilä’s target is to improve its financial performance and create added value for its stakeholders and society. Wärtsilä’s financial goal is to offer investors a competitive return on their investment through profitable growth.
Our target is to grow faster than global GDP. Our operating profit margin (EBIT%) target is 14% at the peak of the cycle. Even at the trough of the cycle, our target is to keep the operating profit margin above 10%. Our target is to maintain gearing below 0.50.
4. What are Wärtsilä’s main geographical markets?
Wärtsilä’s customers are evenly spread around the world. For more information on Wärtsilä’s local presence please visit our local sites.
5. What are Wärtsilä’s main customer segments?
In the Power Plants busines the customer groups can be divided into: industries, utilities and independent power producers. The Ship Power business segments consist of ship builders, ship owners and ship operators. In the Services business the segment consists mainly of Wärtsilä’s installed engine base.
6. When was Wärtsilä founded?
Wärtsilä was founded in 1834. For more information on Wärtsilä’s history, please visit our About us-section.
7. How many people does Wärtsilä employ?
Wärtsilä currently employs approx. 18.900 people in 70 countries around the world. Find out more about working at Wärtsilä on our Careers-section.
8. Where are Wärtsilä’s biggest production facilities?
Wärtsiläs biggest production facilities are situated in Vaasa, Finland and in Trieste, Italy. Both centres are designed to produce several engine types.
9. How much of Wärtsilä’s net sales are allocated to R&D?
In 2012 Research and Development totalled EUR 188 million or 4% of net sales.
10. What does Wärtsilä’s after market operations include?
Wärtsilä divides its services into six areas of expertise: engine services, electrical & automation services, propulsion services, boiler services, operations & management, and training services. Wärtsilä is the only service provider able to offer such a large range of services to its industry. Read more about Wärtsiläs Services-solutions.
11. What are Wärtsilä’s most important raw materials?
Wärtsiläs most important raw materials are iron, steel, aluminium, metals, bronze, concrete, water and different oils.
12. How is Wärtsilä affected by changes in raw material prices?
The direct effect of oil price changes on production in Wärtsilä is quite limited. The indirect effects of oil price volatility on customers are outweighed in importance by the long economic life of the investments and the availability of alternative fuels.
The Propulsion Business hedges its exposures to different metal prices. These risks are small from the group’s perspective. Metal prices have an indirect effect on engine component costs. This exposure is not hedged but annual agreements are in place to balance the short-term fluctuations.
13. How do changes in currency exchange rates impact Wärtsilä?
Most of Wärtsilä’s business is conducted in euros, and the impact of changes in exchange rates is therefore limited. Foreign exchange exposures are monitored at the Business level and netted and hedged at Group level. The hedges cover such time periods that both the prices and costs can be adjusted to new exchange rates. The Group’s profits and competitiveness are indirectly affected by home currencies of its main competitors: USD, GBP, JPY and KRW. Since Wärtsilä has subsidiaries outside the euro zone, the Group’s shareholder’s equity is also sensitive to exchange rate fluctuations.