Press release / Main Company Information Binder+Co Group Q1/2016: sales revenues increased, EBIT below the 2015 level, order intake doubled to a new record high

In the first quarter of 2016, Binder+Co, the Gleisdorf-based, international specialist for processing, environmental and packaging technology, was able to increase its sales revenues slightly to EUR 21.97 million. However, at minus EUR 0.75 million EBIT slipped into the red. Nevertheless, owing to record order intake and a solid order backlog, the Binder+Co management assumes that the sales revenue and income figures for the year as a whole will reach those of 2015.

Gleisdorf, 11 May 2016

Although sales revenues in Q1/2016 were around 4% up at EUR 21.97 million and thus slightly exceeded the figure of the preceding year, owing to the orders brought in under massive competitive pressure during 2015, EBIT deteriorated in the traditionally weak first quarter to minus EUR 0.75 million (Q1/2015: EUR 0.35 million). Conversely, order intake was double that of the previous year at EUR 44.00 million and by contrast to 2015, consisted of a blend of profitable single machine business and large volume plant contracts. Order backlog as at 31 March 2016 stood at EUR 66.86 million, which was 22.4% higher than in the preceding year and thus represented a solid figure.

Karl Grabner, from the Binder+Co Management Board:
'Naturally enough, I am dissatisfied with the result for the first quarter. Nonetheless, the negative EBIT represents a consequence of the difficult market situation during 2015 and there are already indications of a turnaround. Since the start of this year, order intake has been very good and I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to raise our 12-month sales revenues and income to the levels of 2015.'

Order intake markedly higher in all three segments
In the first quarter of 2016, sales in the Processing Technology Segment, which includes the screening, wet processing, drying and comminution areas, were 47.0% up on the figure for the preceding year at EUR 12.55 million. The losses incurred by Bublon GmbH and Binder+Co Machinery (Tianjin) Ltd., which are subsidiaries allocated to this segment, continued to have a negative impact on this result amounting to minus EUR 0.05 million, but this represented an improvement over the comparable period of last year (Q1/2015: minus EUR 0.46 million). Order intake showed a considerable increase of 56.3% at EUR 14.35 million and this represented an indication of the greater readiness to invest of the markets served.

Sales revenues in the Environmental Technology Segment, which focuses mainly on sorting machinery for glass cullet, paper and plastics recycling, amounted to EUR 5.31 million and therefor remained at roughly the level of the preceding year (Q1/2015: EUR 5.22 million). However, segment EBIT was down on the 2015 figure of minus EUR 0.10 million at minus EUR 0.76 million owing to weaker result margins on the plant projects obtained during 2015. By contrast, order intake was more than double that of the comparable period of the preceding year, rising from EUR 6.70 million to EUR 16.17 million.

At EUR 4.11 million, Packaging Technology Segment sales revenues in the first quarter of 2016 lagged well behind the excellent EUR 7.33 million of the previous year. This resulted in a smaller EBIT contribution of EUR 0.06 million, which was also lower than the EUR 0.91 million achieved in Q1 2015. However, order intake developed strongly and at EUR 13.48 million was more than twice that of the first quarter of 2015 (EUR 5.64 million).

Moderate increase in workforce numbers, investments at the level of the preceding year Binder+Co workforce numbers rose from 385 at the end of 2015 to 393 as at 31 March 2016. Investments in the first quarter of 2016 amounted to EUR 0.75 million and thus remained at the level of the comparable period of last year.

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%).

Inquiries
Karl Grabner, Member of the Board, Tel.: [phone], [e-mail]