Elma Electronic AG : Reluctant start into the new business year 2012

Media release

Interim report at March 31, 2012

Reluctant start into the new business year 2012.

Wetzikon, April 16, 2012 - The Elma Group has started reluctantly into the business year 2012. In the first quarter 2012, Elma recorded a total revenue of CHF 28.0 mio., representing a year- on-year decline of 13.8%. Adjusted for currency translation effects, sales were down 11.3%. Order income amounted to CHF 29.1 mio. which is a decline by 10.8% compared to the previous year. Adjusted for currency translation effects, sales fell by 8.2%.
All three regions reported lower revenue due to reluctant order placements by the customers. Revenue in the Americas region decreased in the 1st quarter by 7.0% (adjusted for currency translation effects:
-4.6%). The Europe region realized a sales drop of 18.2% (adjusted for currency translation effects:
-15.4%). In the Asia region, a decline of 30.8% (adjusted for currency translation effects: -29.0%) was recorded.
Order income also fell in all three regions. The Americas region was by 3.2% below the previous year (adjusted for currency translation effects: -0.7%), in Europe it declined by 11.3% (adjusted for currency translation effects: -8.2%) and in Asia order income decreased by as much as 49.9% (adjusted for currency translation effects: -48.6%).
Despite an increasing number of requests in all three regions, the orders received were not yet influenced positively. The associated long decision-making process of the customer is seen as an indicator that the economic environment in the regions has not yet recovered.
Contact persons:
Elma Electronic AG Hofstrasse 93
8620 Wetzikon
Stephan Bürgin Edwin Wild
CEO Elma Group CFO Elma Group
Tel. [phone] Tel. [phone] [e-mail]
Elma Electronic is a global company that designs and manufactures solutions in electronics packaging. The company provides standard to fully customized components such as modular enclosures, cabinets and backplanes up to complete system integration. Elma also manufactures precision rotary switches. The company offers a fast, flexible response to customer needs and extensive practical knowledge in tailoring solutions to specific applications.
Visit our Website: www.elma.com

Disclaimer

This communication contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". In this communication, such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to our financial condition, results of operations and business and certain of our strategic plans and objectives. Because these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual future results may differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors which are beyond Elma's ability to control or estimate precisely, such as future market conditions, currency fluctuations, the behavior of other market participants, the actions of governmental regulators and other risk factors detailed in Elma's past and future filings and reports and in past and future filings, press releases, reports and other information posted on Elma Group companies' websites. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only of the date of this communication. Elma disclaims any intention or obligation to update and revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This Media Release is published in German and in English. Should the English translation differ from the German original, the German version is binding.