Gleisdorf, August 14, 2013.In the first half of 2013, Binder+Co, the international specialist for processing, environmental and packaging technology, which has its headquarters in Gleisdorf/Austria, was able to raise its sales revenues by 23.4%, although owing to initial losses at subsidiaries still in the development phase, EBIT was below the level of the previous year at EUR 2.3 million. Once again, solid order intake was achieved in spite of an increasingly difficult market climate. 

Karl Grabner, from the Binder+Co Management Board: "Even though our new subsidiaries placed a burden on EBIT, we concluded the first half-year in a highly satisfactory manner with an increase in sales revenues of 23.4%. Moreover, in recent years we have laid the foundations for the long-term development of Binder+Co through increasing internationalization, as exemplified in the second quarter of 2013 by the start of full operative business at our new Binder+Co Machinery (Tianjin) Ltd. subisidiary. However, it should be added that at present we see a deterioration in market conditions and a marked increase in competitive pressure." 

During the first half of 2013, the tangible upward trend in Binder-Co order intake of the fourth quarter 2012 eased considerably. All in all, in the first six months of the year, Binder+Co, acquired new orders worth EUR 37.95 million, which constituted a fall of 19.0% over the comparative period of 2012. By contrast, on the basis of the solid order backlog of EUR 40.16 million at the beginning of the year, the group was able to attain sales revenues of EUR 46.22 million in the first half-year, which represented a 23.4% increase (H1/2012: EUR 37.46 million). However, scheduled initial losses at the Comec-Binder S.r.l., Bublon GmbH und Binder+Co Machinery (Tianjin) Ltd. subsidiaries, which are all in the development phase, placed a burden on EBIT, which although at the satisfactory level of EUR 2.33 million was 22.6% down on the figure for the previous year (H1/2012: EUR 3.01 million).

As far as new business was concerned, demand in all three segments continued to focus almost exclusively on single machines to the virtual exclusion of systems and plants. Order backlog as at June 30, 2013 amounted to EUR 31.86 million, which was 16.6% lower than the value for the previous year (June 30, 2012: EUR 38.19 million).

In the first half of 2012, Processing Technology, which is traditionally the strongest segment, again provided the largest share of group sales revenues with EUR 19.46 million. However, its result was negatively affected by the aforementioned, anticipated initial losses from the young subsidiaries allotted to this segment. The contribution to sales revenues of the Environmental Technology Segment, which focuses on sorting machines for glass and plastics recycling, totalled EUR 13.63 million and was therefore 7.2% up on the level of the preceding year. The segment result also surpassed the good 2012 figure. The Packaging Technology Segment, which is managed by the independent subsidiary Statec Binder GmbH, achieved sales revenues of EUR 13.3 million in the first half of 2013. As compared to the same period of 2012, this represented growth of 140.0%, which was also reflected by a notable improvement in the result. In all three segments, the share of high-margin spare part and services business remained constant at a high level.

Solid order backlog provides a positive outlook
Order backlog as at June 30, 2013 stood at EUR 31.86 million and although this figure was down on last year (June 30, 2012: EUR 38.19 million), it still offers a solid basis for further development in the 2013 financial year. The Binder+Co management therefore assumes that sales revenues and the result for 2013 can be maintained at the level of the preceding year.

Workforce enlarged
In the wake of the increasing internationalization of the Binder+Co Group, as opposed to the end of 2012, as at June 30, 2013, workforce numbers had risen by a further 6.5% to 362.   

Further investments at the Gleisdorf location
The new and rebuilding projects commenced at the Gleisdorf location in 2012 continued during H1/2013 with investment amounting to EUR 2.13 million.

The Binder+Co share eases considerably
Following considerable rises in past years, the first half of 2013 saw the price of the Binder share, which is traded on the mid market of the Vienna Stock Exchange, fall by 24.4% from EUR 27.50 at the beginning of the year, to EUR 20.80 at the end of the period under review.

The Binder+Co Group
Binder+Co is a specialist in the field of processing, environmental and packaging technology and the world market leader in the screening and glass recycling segments. The company was listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange at the end of 2006 and is now part of the Third Market in the mid market segment. The Binder+Co Group consists of Binder+Co AG, the three fully owned subsidiaries Comec-Binder S.r.l., Bublon GmbH and Binder+Co Machinery (Tianjin) Ltd., as well as the Statec Binder GmbH joint venture (50.7%). In 2010, Binder+Co was awarded the Austrian National Innovation Prize for its successful implementation of inventive capacity and in 2011 received the Austrian National Prize for Work Safety for its introduction of special accident prevention measures for apprentices. In the same year, the company was also honoured with the Best Open Innovator Award of the Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen as the top SME in the D-A-CH region.

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