Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Rational AG, the world’s largest maker of automated cookers, said it returned to growth in its home market of Germany and sees sales rising next year if the global economy rebounds.

“Rational posted double-digit growth in Asia in the first nine months, and Germany in the third quarter also returned to sales growth,” Chief Executive Officer Guenter Blaschke said in a telephone interview. “If the world economy does return to growth next year, our sales will grow, too.”

Net income at Rational rose 29 percent to 18.8 million euros in the third quarter from 14.5 million a year earlier, the company said in a statement today. Total sales fell 3 percent to 78.7 million euros ($118 million), the fifth consecutive quarterly decline.

Rational expects sales to “fall moderately this year,” Blaschke said. The maker of steam cookers for restaurants, hotels and staff canteens reduced costs faster than sales declined in the third quarter, lifting earnings before interest and taxes 18 percent to 25.4 million euros. Raw-material costs, mainly steel, “noticeable eased,” the CEO said.

The Landsberg am Lech, Germany-based company said customers are no longer in a “state of shock” and are again ordering equipment as the economy shows signs of improvement. It added the caterer for Durban, South Africa’s Moses Mabhida soccer stadium, a site of the 2010 FIFA World Cup with 69,000 seats, to its list of clients in the quarter.

The 233 industrial goods and services companies in western Europe that have reported an average earnings decline of 50 percent for the past quarter, data compiled by Bloomberg shows.

To contact the reporter on this story: Richard Weiss in Frankfurt at rweiss5@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 10, 2009 02:10 EST