Berentzen Group with higher revenues and profit again in 2015

24-Mar-2016 - Germany

The Berentzen Group increased both revenues and profit in the financial year 2015. Consolidated revenues increased from EUR 153.4 million to EUR 158.5 million and the adjusted consolidated EBIT rose from EUR 5.1 million to EUR 7.6 million. EBITDA also increased during the reporting period, from EUR 12.6 million to EUR 15.7 million. The main factors contributing to the success of the group were the spirits brands "Berentzen" and "Puschkin" as well as the fresh juice systems segment trading under the "Citrocasa" brand. Sales of private and secondary label spirits also developed well throughout the year. Sales volume in the Non-Alcoholic beverages segment was adversely affected by the ramp-up phase of the new Sinalco concession, which led to an overall volume decline in the segment.

Executive Board Spokesman Frank Schübel is pleased with the results: "The successful financial year 2015 confirms the growth strategy that we initiated three years ago. With an increase of the EBIT margin from 3.3% to 4.8%, we have achieved our target of increasing the operating margin by at least one percentage point. We aim to continue delivering profitable growth throughout the current financial year."
At the reporting date of December 31, 2015, the consolidated group had cash and cash equivalents of EUR 63.1 (41.0) million and an equity ratio of 24.2% (27.4%). The Executive Board and the Supervisory Board will propose to the annual general meeting on May 12, 2016 that a dividend of EUR 0.20 per share be paid out of the distributable profit.

Fresh juice systems and non-alcoholic beverages: light and shadow The new fresh juice systems segment operating under the "Citrocasa" brand and the conclusion of the concession and contract-bottling agreements with the Sinalco Group in the Non-alcoholic Beverages segment gives the Berentzen Group a much broader footprint. T M P Technic-Marketing-Products GmbH ("Citrocasa"), which was acquired in October 2014, was consolidated into the corporate group for the first whole year in 2015. This segment made a key contribution to revenue growth with revenues of EUR 17.2 million (only EUR 3.4 million consolidated in 2015) and delivered an extremely good performance in its domestic market Austria as well as its export markets. It increased sales of fruit presses by 41.9% to 1,855 units (compared to 1,307 units in 2014) and sales of bottling systems by 38.6%.

The ongoing trend for a healthy lifestyle offers considerable potential for fresh juice systems. The goal is to achieve a sharp increase in market share in Germany in the current financial year by stepping up sales activities. At the same time, the focus will be on hotels, restaurants and catering as a further distribution channel where outstanding growth opportunities beckon for the newly developed "Revolution" compact juicer.
As a consequence of the time-consuming changeover of the concession business to the new "Sinalco" franchise brand, the Non-alcoholic Beverages segment was unable to maintain the high level of revenues and sales volumes recorded in the previous year in this reporting period. Sales of Group company Vivaris Getränke GmbH & Co. KG reached 1.56 million hectolitres of soft drinks and mineral water, which was below the 1.69 million hectolitres sold in the prior year. As a result of this, revenues declined to EUR 42.9 million from EUR 50.0 million in the previous year. Sales of mineral waters remained at a stable level despite adverse regional weather conditions in the summer of 2015, and there was a strong 58% increase in sales of "Mio Mio Mate". The mate-based drink which was launched in 2012 is now listed by food retailers throughout most of Germany: "Mio Mio Mate is a perfect example of the Berentzen Group's innovative strength and our ability to establish trends that are a perfect fit with the taste and lifestyle of young people. We intend to gradually expand the Mio Mio brand family in order to win even more customers."

Spirits: domestic growth bucking the market trend, international operations still difficult The spirits business developed well overall, with sales volumes rising by 2.9% to 79.1 (76.8) million 0.7-litre bottles.
Sales in Germany rose by 6.0% against the market trend (according to market researcher The Nielsen Company, the overall market contracted by 0.4%). This growth benefited from increases of 3.1% and 7.9% respectively in sales of the successfully revitalised umbrella brands "Berentzen" and "Puschkin" together with sales of private and secondary labels, which saw growth of 7.7%. Innovative promotional concepts coupled with a competitive cost structure served to back up the outstanding access to the market enjoyed by the Company.

At the same time, the sales volume of branded spirits as well as private and secondary labels internationally declined by 11.4% to 11.9 (13.4) million 0.7-litre bottles. Among other things, this can be attributed to political developments in Turkey and Eastern Europe, which had a tangible impact on local tourism and general consumption levels.

As a result, revenues from the spirits segment decreased by 1.6% to EUR 98.4 (100.0) million compared to the previous year. dpa

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