TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) Monday May 7 2012 9:32 AM MT—The first quarter was a bit of a mixed bag for Taiwan’s publicly traded manufacturers, according to numbers released on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
For the first three months of the year, Merida’s revenue was down 12.7 percent; Giant’s was up 11.27 percent; Ideal’s decreased by 22.4 percent; and Kenda’s came in up 9.8 percent.
Merida, which manufacturers its own brand and is one of Specialized’s main suppliers, reported revenue of NT$3 billion ($102.7 million) from its Taiwan operations through the end of March, down from NT$3.4 billion ($117.7 million) for the same time period last year.
Giant, the island’s top frame producer, had revenue of NT$5.1 billion ($174.2 million), up from NT$4.6 billion ($156.5 million); Ideal, which makes bikes for Advanced Sports International and some boutique brands, fell from NT$766 million ($25.9 million) in 2011 to NT$595 million ($20.1 million) this year; and Kenda rose to NT$1.6 billion ($53.9 million) from NT$1.4 billion ($49.1 million).
Taiwan manufacturers could see higher numbers in the second quarter as factories crank up production to keep up with ongoing demand created by a warmer-than-usual winter in much of North America.
