Hippo, a subsidiary of Guochuan, expects to maintain high shipment and business performance due to increased orders for new construction projects, with a cautiously optimistic outlook for the year

Hippo (8424-TW), a subsidiary of Guochuan (2504-TW), expects to maintain high shipment and business performance for the year by strengthening low-carbon technology and production line improvements. Hippo's General Manager, Ni Yong, expects that both shipment volume and business performance will remain at a high level by the end of the year, with a cautiously optimistic outlook for the year's business performance.

Ni Yong mentioned that although the real estate market has cooled recently, 2-3 years ago was the peak period for domestic building permit issuance. Based on the progress of the projects, it is estimated that the next two years will see a wave of large-scale new construction project completions, which is also the most intensive stage of interior decoration construction. The company's main product, calcium silicate board, is expected to benefit from this trend. Additionally, there are several large-scale projects this year, including social housing, new hospitals, and technology factories, which continue to contribute to shipments and business performance.

Currently, Hippo's calcium silicate boards and fiber cement boards have obtained green building material certification, environmental protection certification, and low-carbon circular building material certification. They have also obtained the carbon footprint certification from the Environmental Protection Administration. The company's production base is located in Miaoli Zhunan, with three production lines and an annual production capacity of 6 million sheets. These products are widely used in interior decoration projects, with a market share of 25%, firmly holding the first place in the domestic calcium silicate board market.

Furthermore, Hippo benefits from production line improvements and the government's "Large Enterprises Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises in Low-Carbon and Smart Manufacturing Upgrades" subsidy program, fully introducing low-carbon footprint raw materials and smart mixing technology. Not only has production efficiency significantly improved, but annual carbon emissions have also been reduced by 20%. In the future, the company will continue to refine AI automation and smart manufacturing technologies to improve production efficiency and product competitiveness.

Hippo stated that by strengthening low-carbon and production line improvement advantages, the company has continuously increased the proportion of new construction project orders, capturing large-scale construction projects such as social housing, technology factories, and new hospitals. Overall business operations are stable and growing, with the potential for further profit performance.

Ni Yong mentioned that Hippo, together with its sister company Guoe Building Materials, has jointly developed a high-soundproofing composite partition wall system using ALC lightweight blocks. After soundproofing tests by the Interior Ministry's Building Research Institute, the system's soundproofing performance reached 65 decibels, far exceeding the regulatory requirement of 55 decibels. It has also obtained the Interior Ministry's recognition of a 2-hour fire resistance rating. The company can provide customized solutions for high soundproofing requirements and actively target the high-end market of five-star hotels and high-tech factories.