SGS reduced Middle East workforce to protect margins, CEO says

  • Published On Jul 25, 2026 at 07:21 AM IST

< />By Paolo Laudani and Orest Dovhan<br><br>Swiss testing and inspection group ‌SGS has cut its ⁠workforce ⁠in the Middle East to shield margins from war-related disruptions, <a id=” captionrendered=”1″ data-src=”https://etimg.etb2bimg.com/photo/132617583.cms” height=”442″ href=”http://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/tag/ceo+geraldine+picaud” keywordseo=”CEO-Geraldine-Picaud” loading=”eager” source=”keywords” src=”https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/images/default.jpg” type=”General” weightage=”20″ width=”590″></img>CEO Geraldine Picaud told reporters on Friday.</p>
<p> The group, which offers testing solutions for 5G and food labels among others, reaffirmed its outlook for the full year after its revenue rose slightly more than expected in the first half of 2026.</p>
<p> “We had to reduce costs drastically in the Middle East … because it’s important for us to protect ⁠our margins,” ‌Picaud said during the post-earnings call.</p>
<p> “In the Middle East, we have less business because of what’s going on. So you need to ⁠address the cost,” she added.</p>
<p> <a href=SGS‘s half-year sales grew 5.6% organically to 3.68 billion Swiss francs ($4.50 billion), but Picaud said that without the crisis in the Middle East, growth would have exceeded 6%.

The figure was still above a consensus of 3.64 billion francs in an LSEG poll of analysts.

Picaud said SGS was seeking opportunities from new sectors such as aerospace and defence in regions like Europe and North America to ‌offset this impact.

The group, which has acquired 14 companies this year, including six in the U.S., is continuing to carry out its strategy of buying companies to ⁠expand its business. It aims to double its North America revenue to $1.5 billion by 2027, compared with last year.

“Against the backdrop of the crisis in the Middle East and slowing global trade growth, the momentum within the TIC (testing, inspection and certification) sector and specifically for industry leader SGS is impressive,” analysts at Zuercher Kantonalbank said in a note.

The Asia Pacific region saw the highest growth, rising 9.9% organically from a year ago.

($1 = 0.8169 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Paolo Laudani and Orest Dovhan in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)

  • Published On Jul 25, 2026 at 07:21 AM IST

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