The Matra Communication SA joint venture between Matra-Hachette SA, 70%, and Northern Telecom Ltd, 20%, reported a deficit in 1993 of an unspecified amount, due apparently to restructuring costs, says a report in La Tribune-Defosses. The loss, on flat revenues of approximately $1,100m, comes after a net profit in 1992 of approximately $12m. Without restructuring costs last year of between $26m and $35m, our result would have been in balance, the paper quotes the company as saying. The firm is cautious about 1994, says managing director Jacques Payer. We’re counting on weak growth and on a financial year close to a balance, as other domains, like enterprise communications, continue to suffer, he said. Matra appears to have completed its cost reduction programme, having let 1,100 people go last year compared to the 800 cuts originally planned. Short of a catastrophe, we’ll stop there, Payer said. Cellular phone sales, accounting for 28.5% of total revenues, will be key to a return to financial health for Matra. The article reports that it will begin selling its first portable phones in April, which have been produced in Berlin by its partner of two years AEG Mobile Communication. Wolfgang Rucker, managing director of AEG Mobile, says the plant will be able to produce 90,000 devices per month by year-end.
