DRT kicks off Full Product Full Service strategy to establish business advantages driving 2018's target growth to attain no less than 5% with confidence of strong modern trade-project customers in line with economic-purchasing power recovery while its net profit of 2017 reaches 411.61 million baht, declaring 2H dividend of 0.18 baht per share

Diamond Building Products Pcl., or DRT, kicks off its 2018 plan to enhance the sales volume growth of no less than 5% in order to meet the economic expansion and purchasing power as well as the recovery of consumer confidence which lead to the strongest growth of the construction and material industry within the past 3 years. The Company also declares its “Full Product Full Service” strategy, showing off its efficiency and variety of products and complete installation services, leading to advantages of market expansion to sweep all sales volumes with the focus on government customers and homebuilders. With the fast growing of the construction and material modern trade after the entrepreneurs’ plans to continuously expands their branches, the Company expects its average sales volume of 16% of this year’s sales volume. The 2017 operating results had the net profit of 411.61 million baht. The executive board announces the dividend of 0.18 baht per share.

Mr. Satid Sudbuntad, CEO of Diamond Building Products Pcl., or DRT, the manufacturer and distributor of roofing products, artificial woods, boards, gypsum boards, wall sidings and ceilings, diamond blocks, as well as after sales services under the brand of “Diamond” disclosed that the Company targeted the 2018 sales volume of no less than 5% and planned to maintain the gross profit margin at 25%-27% after the demand of construction and material products had improved from the year-end period of last year which tended to continue to recover in this year following the country’s economic growth due to the investment policy of the government and the private sectors, causing better consumer confidence as well as supporting this year’s construction and material market to reach the strongest recovery within the past 3 years. .

Therefore, the Company has its business plan under the strategy of “Full Product Full Service” in order to confirm its proficiency and promptness of product variety under the brand “Diamond”, covering roofing products and systems, artificial woods and diamond blocks, including professional and service-minded carpentry team to enhance the potentiality and competitiveness through the development of construction and material products of “Diamond” brand in order to serve the market expansion plan to project customers of property projects, homebuilders, and government customers with promising growth opportunity.

On the other hand, the construction and material modern trade in this year is expected to be the distribution channel with an exceptional growth due to the constant investment expansion of new branches of the entrepreneurs in order to answer the changing demand of the customers who turn to shop products in large construction and material stores which provide complete products. As a result, the products of “Diamond” brand receive benefits from the distribution channel, leading to the average sales volume at 16% of the total sales volume.

CEO of DRT also added that the oversea market expansion plan aimed to increase the export by 20% of the total sales volume which followed the 3-year operation plan (2016-2018) and the focus was still within the CLMV group, namely, Cambodia, Laos P.D.R., Myanmar, and Vietnam. The emphasis was on Myanmar where DRT had an aggressive marketing plan after the establishment of the local sales team to focus on sales since the market had the potential growth with much growing demand of construction and material products for property development of the country.

“We expects that this year’s construction and material market tends to have good growth when compares with the previous year’s stable market. However, we do not wait for other factors for the support by we have adjusted the plan and developed the strategy to provide products and services which could improve our competitiveness. It is expected that the concrete roofs and artificial products will have better growth rate and help us to reach our targeted expansion as planned,” said Mr. Satit.

The overall picture of the operating results of 2017 (January – December 2017), the Company reported the total revenue of 4,184.67 million baht, increased by 0.57% from the same period of the previous year while the net profit was at 411.61 million baht, increased by 4.99% from the same period of the previous year. Therefore, the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company on February 19, 2018, had a resolution to approve the dividend payment of the 2H operating results of 2017 (July – December 2017) to the shareholders at 0.18 baht per share with the book closing date for the right to receive dividends on 6 March 2018, and the dividend payment date on 18 May 2018. However, DRT had provided the interim dividend payment for the 1H period at 0.18 baht, thus, the total of the dividend payment of 2017 was at 0.36 baht per share.