(ICIS) -- Arkema aims to generate earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) above ┬1bn ($1.37bn) in 2015 through innovation, growth in emerging markets and bolt-on acquisitions, the French specialty chemicals company said on Tuesday. This would correspond to an EBITDA margin of 14%, Arkema added. The company's EBITDA in 2009 was ┬310m.
Arkema said that in 2015, group sales were expected to total around ┬7.5bn, compared with around ┬5.8bn at the end of 2010. The company said this would happen as a result of innovation on sustainability, which should generate around ┬400m new sales in the next five years.
Growth would also be driven by a 60% increase of sales in emerging countries, especially in Asia. The company added that selective acquisitions in its best product lines would represent around ┬1bn of additional sales.
Arkema was spun off from oil major Total in 2006. It has operations in more than 40 countries and eight research centres. It employs 14,000 people.