Germany-based Würth Group reported sales for the first half of 2018 of €6.8 billion (US$7.9 billion), up 6.5 percent from the same period a year ago.

Adjusted for foreign currency effects, growth comes to 9 percent. The companies in Germany achieved sales growth of 7.9 percent and total sales of €2.9 billion (US$3.4 billion), while sales growth abroad amounted to 5.4 percent. The Würth Group’s companies in Eastern and Southern Europe are still developing very well, reporting sales growth rates in the double digits.

“We still expect that we will be able to report sales and operating result records again in 2018, even if the ifo Business Climate Index has dropped slightly in June and economic forecasts are only cautiously optimistic,” Robert Friedmann, chairman of the Central Managing Board of the Würth Group.