New record figures for sales and earnings

SURTECO SE, leading manufacturer of surface materials based on plastics and technical papers for the international construction and furnishing industry, again increased sales over the course of 2007 at € 414.5 million. The increase by 3 % or € 11.3 was primarily due to the contribution to sales made by Swedish plastic foil manufacturer Gislaved Folie AB acquired in September 2007. The difficult market conditions in North America triggered by the subprime mortgage crisis and the associated turbulence on the international financial markets also impacted on SURTECO SE during the second half of 2007. The decline in new building activity exerted a direct effect on the subsidiary companies in the USA and Canada. Nevertheless, the Group’s foreign business advanced by 5 % to € 269.6 million (2006: 257.6). The foreign sales of the Group increased to 65 %. Domestic sales of SURTECO SE stagnated at € 144.9 at the level of the previous year. In 2007, the strategic business unit plastics, responsible for the manufacture and marketing of plastic edgebandings and a large number of other high-quality plastic products generated sales amounting to € 248.3 million (+7 %). This was achieved despite rationalization of the product portfolio in the area of do-it-yourself goods held for resale, (minus € 4.5 million) and the decline in sales of € 6.4 million to € 39.7 in the North American business (of which € 4.1 million due to currency). Business in the USA was also problematic for the Strategic Business Unit Paper and this was reflected in a drop in sales of € 2.9 million to € 12.5 million (of which € 1.2 million was due to currency). An additional factor was that this segment is experiencing more intensive competition in individual regions due to the entry of new, local producers into the market. Sales of the paper business line therefore fell short of the year-earlier value by 3 % at € 166.2 million. Despite the negative impacts referred to, SURTECO was able to achieve a record result. After submission of preliminary figures, the earnings (operating result) before interest, income tax and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) at € 74.4 million amounts to 4 % above the value for the previous year (€ 71.7). The profit after taxes was even improved by 10 % to € 31.6 million. Earnings (net income) per share increased accordingly from € 2.60 to € 2.85. The main challenge during the course of the current year 2008 has been first-time full consolidation of Gislaved Folie AB. Otherwise, the Board of Management only anticipates slight organic growth.