Profitability significantly improved / Growth in all areas of business / Optimistic outlook for 2016

technotrans AG can look back on an extremely successful 2015 financial year. In the period under review the company increased its revenue by 9.3 percent to EUR 122.8 million, thus exceeding its own forecast. Operating profit (EBIT) reached EUR 9.0 million, an increase of 31.1 percent. The EBIT margin of 7.3 percent is consequently at the top end of the range originally envisaged. The Board of Management of technotrans AG expects to see the positive business performance continue in 2016.

“We maintained our growth trajectory in the past financial year and achieved all of the targets we had set ourselves,” declared Henry Brickenkamp, Chief Executive Officer of technotrans AG. Below the line, the company achieved a consolidated profit of EUR 6.3 million in the past financial year (plus 42.9 percent). This represents a return on sales of 5.1 percent (previous year: 3.9 percent). “The financial position and net worth remain very sound. We offer our shareholders an attractive yield,” added the Board member.

At the Annual General Meeting of technotrans AG on May 12, 2016 the Board of Management and Supervisory Board will propose the

distribution of a dividend of € 0.48 per no par value share on the share capital bearing dividend entitlements.

Growth in all areas of business
“The significant expansion of our activities in the non-print area is an important factor in the very good performance over the past year,” declared Brickenkamp. In the Technology segment overall, revenue rose by 10.4 percent to EUR 81.5 million.

“It was especially pleasing that alongside the strong growth in the mechanical and plant engineering sector, business with our customers from the printing industry also developed positively.” technotrans achieved a substantial increase in profit at EBIT level in the Technology segment, from EUR 0.4 to EUR 2.1 million.

In the Services segment, technotrans more than made good the previous year's slight drop in revenue. In that area the company achieved growth of EUR 7.2 million to EUR 41.4 million. Within the division, growth was driven largely by after-sales business in all sub-markets. Merely service business in the Technical Documentation area fell short of expectations due to weak orders in the first half, and failed to end the year with revenue growth. The EBIT profit in the Services segment climbed from EUR 6.4 to EUR 6.8 million, with margins remaining stable.

Positive outlook
The Board of Management is cautiously optimistic in its outlook for the 2016 financial year. “For 2016, we have set ourselves the goal of growing faster than the market once more,” explained Brickenkamp. Based on a stable development in the world economy, the Board of Management expects the technotrans Group to achieve revenue of between EUR 126 and EUR 132 million. technotrans expects robust demand for digital and flexographic printing presses in the 2016 financial year, while business for offset printing will stabilise at least

at the prior-year level. The laser and mechanical engineering markets, stamping and forming technology, energy storage technology as well as medical and scanner technology will remain the Technology segment’s growth drivers. 2016 should also bring a further slight growth in revenue in the Services segment.

The EBIT margin for 2016 is expected to be in the range of 7.5 to 8.0 percent. For planning purposes EBIT will therefore need to be between EUR 9.5 and EUR 10.5 million.

The technotrans Group continues to progress steadily along its strategic path. The Board of Management will focus its activities on a combination of organic growth and expansion through potential acquisitions. Brickenkamp held out the following prospect: “We want to accelerate our current growth further through acquisitions”. Any potential takeover target would, however, have to match the market and growth-led expansion strategy of technotrans AG as well as offer the right synergy potential. He also indicated that technologies that would specifically broaden the company’s core skills would be of great interest.

drupa 2016: technotrans is a “Partner in Print” with innovations in liquid technology. This is the technotrans motto for this year’s printing industry exhibition. The areas that are particularly in the spotlight are cooling in digital printing and UV printing, sustainable and resource-friendly solutions, as well as connected, intelligent control systems.

The full 2015 Annual Report is available both online and as a download under Investor Relations, in the Financial Reports section.