Amorim celebrated 140 years of cork production in 2010 and did so with renewed confidence as it registered its best result in the company’s history, including a sales record for wine closures.

The figures highlight that from wine stoppers through to design and building applications, fashion and innovative new products, cork is staging a global resurgence with a new appreciation of its unique qualities.

“Cork is enjoying a renaissance,” said Corticeira Amorim’s chairman and CEO António Amorim. “There is a new understanding of its potential for many applications and recognition of the added value it brings to products in which it is used.

“A culture of sustainability has guided Amorim’s business activity since the 19th century, and today, growing awareness of cork’s crucial sustainability role is enhancing worldwide interest in natural cork.”

Mr Amorim said the company celebrated 140 years by acknowledging the foundations established by predecessors and saluting the sustainable future Amorim is building.

“Amorim’s history bears witness to the determination with which successive generations met the challenges of profound social change, world wars, globalisation and revolutionising the cork industry,” he said.

“Today Amorim continues to embrace the qualities on which our heritage has been built - entrepreneurial vision, responsibility, diligence, creativity and innovation.”

Amorim reacted swiftly and effectively to the financial crisis of 2009 by reorganising its internal structure, adapting to meet market needs, changing its processes and rationalising to reduce operating costs.

These measures were complemented by the launch of new products, an increase in productivity and wider geographical coverage that resulted in significant sales growth for all of the company’s business units.

Fundamental to the 2010 result was the growth in sales from Amorim’s core business - the Cork Stoppers Business Unit posted a sales increase of 13.8 per cent and passed the 3 billion units barrier.

Amorim recorded volume and revenue growth in all major ‘Old World’ wine markets, with France, Italy and Spain breaking historical sales volumes with growth rates ranging from 10 to 29 per cent.

Double-digit sales revenue growth was also recorded in prominent ‘New World’ wine markets such as Argentina and Australia. In the United States, Amorim registered a 22 per cent growth in sales volume.

“Along with the outstanding sales result we witnessed strong consumer preference for cork in the US, an increase in the use of cork by the ‘Top 100’ US wine brands and a return to cork by major supermarkets in the UK where unit sales increased by almost 50 per cent in 2010,” Mr Amorim said.

Outside of the drinks business, Amorim’s investment in research and development of alternative applications for cork continues to pay dividends. A 2010 highlight was the launch of Corksorb for controlling oil and hydrocarbon spills.

“While the drinks industry is still our main focus we have expanded into other areas,” said Mr Amorim. “We have taken this extraordinary raw material and applied our knowledge, research and vision to develop new applications across many industries.

“Through our sustained growth in the drinks sector and the development of new markets for cork, Amorim has emerged from the global financial crisis in a very strong position and we look forward to building on that in the years ahead.”