Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) sales figure for the full year of 2011 rose by 4.5 percent versus 854,593 metric tonnes in 2010, the company said.

The sales topped the company’s own forecast for the period and exceeded the sales figures of the previous year with 38,427 tonnes, it said.

In addition, value-added sales for 2011 represented 63 percent of the total sales versus 62 percent in 2010.

Sales for the fourth quarter of 2011 rose to 227,042 mt versus 224,054 mt in Q4 2010, a statement from the company said.

Production figures for the year-to-date went up by 3.6 percent as compared to 850,700 mt in 2010, the statement said.

Alba’s chief executive, Laurent Schmitt, said: “The company placed great emphasis on continuous improvement and lean management techniques as well as commitment to operational efficiency. Alba’s success is significant because 2011 was challenging for industries in Bahrain, and yet, its sales and production demonstrated a consistent upward trend.”

Alba had earlier announced that the company’s production figures had reached 881,310 mt per annum in 2011, the highest ever metal production in its 40-year history and a substantial leap from the 850,700 mt per annum, that was produced in 2010. – TradeArabia News Service