Gleisdorf, March 7, 2013. Binder+Co continued to grow in 2012 - sales revenues up by 6.7% and order intake 13.8% above the value of the preceding year

Karl Grabner, from the Binder+Co Management Board: "2012 was again a year of growth for  Binder+Co in two regards, as we not only achieved pleasing increases in sales revenues and order intake, but also invested further in internationalization. With the foundation in January 2013 of Binder+Co Machinery (Tianjin) Ltd. we took another important step in our transition from being a Styrian SME into an international company group."

Inconsistent market environment
Overall the economic environment for Binder+Co's mechanical engineering business in 2012 presented an extremely varied picture. System and plant business in the Packaging Technology Segments picked up considerably and demand in the Processing Technology and Environmental Technology Segments remained stable, if largely limited to single machine and spare part business.

Sales growth
Binder+Co achieved sales revenues of EUR 87.16 million in 2012, which were thus 6.7% up on the previous year. A decisive factor in this increase was the steady growth of single machine, services and spare part business. EBIT for the period under report amounted to EUR 8.41 million and was therefore only slightly down on the 2011 figure of EUR 8.54 million, whereby the latter was subject to the positive influence of non-periodic income of EUR 1.3 million.

As in the previous year, during 2012 the Processing Technology Segment was characterized by single machines, service and spare part business offering solid margins. By contrast, large-volume system and plant business was subject to massive price pressure and came to a virtual halt in the regions served by Binder+Co. Nonetheless, as a result of the extension of its competence to include comminuting technology, Binder+Co was able to obtain a number of systems orders in both its domestic Austrian and neighbouring German markets. Moreover, the course of business for Comec-Binder S.r.l. in northern Africa was particularly satisfactory. Bublon GmbH, which commenced its marketing activities in 2012, was unable to book any sales revenues. All in all, Segment sales amounted to EUR 42.08 million, which represented 48.3% of total revenues.

Demand in the Environmental Technology Segment during 2012 remained stable. Binder+Co succeeded in acquiring several interesting, international projects with a focus on western Europe. Moreover, the Group's leading market position was secured by its recently developed sensor units for the identification of the lead content in cullet and the sorting of heat-resistant special glass. With sales of EUR 29.75 million, the Segment provided 34.1% of total revenues.

Owing to the steady expansion of the product range since 2008, in 2012 the Packaging Technology know-how concentrated in the independent subsidiary Statec Binder GmbH experienced a leap in demand, which was reflected by a marked improvement in order intake. Contracts with a total value of EUR 28.15 million were acquired worldwide (2011: EUR 16.20 million) and at the same time Segment sales amounted to EUR 15.33 million (2011: EUR 14.99 million) and therefore represented 17.6% of Group revenues.

Export business continues to be of major significance
Consolidated international sales during the period under review provided 91.1% (2011: 88.9%) of total revenues. With a share of sales revenues of 47.5%, western Europe (excluding Austria) was again the largest sales market, followed by Asia and Australia with 20.5%. Central and eastern Europe (CEE and CIS) provided 9.9% of sales revenues, Africa 9.3% and the Americas 3.9%.

Strong demand in the fourth quarter of 2012
Binder+Co started the 2012 financial year with a good order backlog cushion of EUR 28.83 million. Solid demand in the first three quarters was subsequently followed by new order intake in the fourth quarter of EUR 33.63 million. As a result, order intake in 2012 amounted to EUR 98.53 million, which was 13.8% up on the figure for the preceding year (2011: EUR 86.58 million). Consequently, order backlog as at December 31, 2012 stood at a new record level of EUR 40.16 million.    

Since mid-January Binder+Co is also at home in China
The required documentation for the foundation of the fully owned Binder+Co Machinery (Tianjin) Ltd. subsidiary was submitted in December 2012 and on January 16, 2013, the Chinese authorities promptly issued a business licence, which means that operations can commence at any time.  
The new subsidiary will serve Binder+Co as a sales, service and assembly location and will be used initially for the production of screening machines for the Chinese coal mining industry. However, subsequently the new base is to be used to gradually increase access to the Chinese recycling industry. 

Positive Binder+Co share price development
In line with the ATX, during the period under review the price of the Binder+Co share developed in a most positive manner. Starting from a level of EUR 21.32, the price rose steadily until mid-April and on the twelfth of the month reached a historic high of EUR 32.60. For the rest of the year the share price then moved between EUR 26.00 and EUR 28.00 before closing the year at EUR 27.50,  to be down at EUR 23.20 at the end of February.


The Binder+Co Group
Binder+Co AG 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 two fully owned subsidiaries Comec-Binder S.r.l. and Bublon GmbH, and the Statec Binder GmbH joint venture. In 2010, Binder+Co was awarded the Austrian National Innovation Prize for its successful implementation of inventive capacity and in 2011 received the Best Open Innovator Award of the Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen as the top SME in the D-A-CH region.



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