Singulus to Add Jobs as Blu-ray Orders Increase

Singulus Technologies AG, the world's biggest maker of machines to produce Blu-ray optical discs, will stop working short hours at the end of the month and will add employees in the third quarter, as it plans to sell as many as 35 Blu-ray replication lines this year. "One can talk clearly of a turnaround and we are confident that it will be long-lasting," said Roland Lacher, Singulus CEO.

Lacher added that the company will "break even" this year, after a loss before interest and tax for 2009. Singulus will be able to return to sales of 200 million euros ($276 million) in 2011, he said.

Last year, Singulus cut 130 jobs because of falling demand. Its order intake had fallen last year to 80.9 million euros from 226.4 million euros in 2008. Sales declined by 45 percent to 116.4 million euros on the economic slowdown, according to preliminary figures.