Thornton & Ross parent firm reports continued growth after sales climb

The company said it had “outperformed the market” in all three of its business segments, and was now set to target further sales and profits growth in 2025.

Stada CEO, Peter Goldschmidt, said: "We have again in 2024 demonstrated our ability to continue growing faster than the market in all business segments.

“This is based on our entrepreneurial culture, our broad range of brands, our reliable production network, and the high level of trust we enjoy among our partners and customers,"

The firm said its Thornton & Ross brand, which supplies dermatology creams and emollients to the NHS, had continued to play a ”leading role” in the industry.

The UK is STADA’s second-largest consumer healthcare market by sales, accounting for 13 per cent of group consumer healthcare revenues in 2024.

Last year saw the group launch a number of new UK consumer healthcare products including sensitive shampoos and conditioners.

Nigel Stephenson, UK General Manager, said: “Our site in Huddersfield serves as a centre of excellence across the group for developing consumer healthcare products.

“With our Britannia neurology unit in Reading, and our Natures Aid health supplements affiliate in Lancashire, we are well placed to provide a broad treatment portfolio for a wide range of healthcare needs in the UK.

“Our motto is Great British Brands, Great British Manufacturing, and we export around the world from our production sites in Huddersfield and Preston.”

Stada said it had "successfully defended” its leading position in the German market for consumer healthcare, despite what it described as a “weaker flu season”.

The firm increased sales in the segment to €1.53bn (£1.29bn), with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 25.4 per cent.

In Europe, Stada's market gross sales grew by 8.5 per cent.

In its off-patent generic medicines segment, Stada said it remained the “established number four in the European market”. The group achieved sales of €1.65bn (£1.39bn) in the segment.

In a move aimed at further strengthening the group’s European supply chain for medicines, Stada last year opened a new large sire in Turda, Romania, which it said would l contribute to the safe supply of medicines in Europe with an annual capacity of more than 150 million packs

Stada’s specialty business was the group’s fastest-growing segment in 2024.

Sales rose to €870m, while the segment’s adjusted EBITDA margin advanced to 33.3 per cent.

The firm said that for the year-to-date in November 2024, market data shows that its speciality revenues increased by 21.8 per cent, more than double the market average growth rate of 8.9 per cent.

For 2025, Stada said it expects to see group revenues between € 4.25bn (£3.59bn) and € 4.40bn (£3.71bn).

The company added that EBITDA adjusted for special items and currency effects is expected to land between €930m (£784.9m) and €990m (£835.6m).