The Belgium-based Barco Corporation is growing business in Xenia, throughout the Dayton area, and beyond.
Barco is an international imaging technology manufacturer. The parent company is located in Belgium with a sales and manufacturing facilities is located in Xenia.
Barco reported increased net sales 9.7% and net profits 4.9% for 2007. Those figures represent net sales growth from $1.044 billion in 2006 to $1.146 billion in 2007 and growth in net profits from $423.6 million in 2006 to $444.2 million in 2007.
Barco also reported an impressive increase in earnings per share for 2007. In 2006, Barco stock was earning $4.23 per share. At the end of 2007, earnings per share was $6.79. That is an annual increase of 60.5%.
Barco Xenia specializes in the simulation and avionics market. The company’s annual report noted simulation market sales increased by 8.2%. The avionics market showed a strong growth of 12.8%. Increase in orders were driven mainly by the flight simulation and the oil & gas markets.
Barco growth benefits Xenia and Dayton area by creating new high tech markets, providing new high tech jobs, and by inspiring new business educational opportunities. Barco is a leading partner of DaytaOhio, which is housed in the Joshi Center at Wright State University. It is a world class center established to connect innovators, entrepreneurs and investors, to accelerate commercialization of data intensive technologies, and to leverage world class research, processes, and infrastructure driving new prosperity from business creation, investment and job growth in Ohio.
Ken Berta, Executive Vice President of DaytaOhio, said the following about Barco,
“We insisted on teaming up with the leading player in this field. To us, Barco is the Rolls Royce of visualization. Its broad product offering, innovative solutions and high-quality equipment
are beyond compare.
In January, Barco announced it had developed a sophisticated multi-user solution for Dayton’s Wright Brothers Institute (WBI). Utilizing the power of Barco’s network-centric iCon H600 projector, collaboratory researchers at the WBI’s Tec^Edge already use making advanced presentations and for elaborate group discussions. The Tec^Edge facility has also hosted workshops in which small groups share a week’s worth of research in a cross-comparative fashion for group feedback. The end result is an environment ripe for team-based problem-solving.