In the financial year 2007,
Uzin Utz AG in Ulm, a leader
in the development and
manufacture of chemical
system products and a
complete supplier of
flooring technology and
machinery for floor
preparation, remains on the
road to success and has
again made good ground
throughout the organisation.
Despite markets being
difficult once again,
especially in Germany where
the construction industry
economy became bleaker,
there has been significant
success: profits increased,
profitable market share was
gained and the position in
the markets was further
developed.
The Group
turnover rose by around 9
percent from 152.1 million
Euro to around 166.1 million
Euro. The EBIT (earnings
before interest and taxes)
rose by 4.6 percent to 13.8
million Euro compared with
13.2 million Euro in the
previous year. The profit on
the ordinary activities of
the organisation rose by
around 6 percent from 11.3
to 12.0 million Euro.
The basis of
consolidation, following
various acquisitions as well
as the development of the
company in the USA, was
noticeably increased.
At the shareholders’
meeting, the main and
supervisory boards will put
forward the recommendation,
as in the previous year, for
the issue of a dividend of
0.90 Euro per share.According to the
statement from Dr. H. Werner
Utz, Chairman of the Board
and majority shareholder of
Uzin Utz AG, 2007 was a
strategically significant
year for the Uzin Utz Group
but not only due to its
success in the market. “A
fundamental awareness for us
is that we can not only
successfully create and
develop new markets, but
also that we can
successfully generate growth
through the combining of
areas of expertise. We have
successfully implemented our
acquisitions concept, to
strengthen the core business
through expedient purchases
and to continually progress
our system ideas, and we
will continue to maintain
this.” Despite the tendency
towards further slight
recession in the
construction field, also in
Germany, the company has
been able to gain. This will
support confidence in
further growth mainly
through the ongoing strong
commercial construction and
the high number of
renovation projects.
Thomas Müllerschön, Board
member responsible for the
sales and financial
divisions, said: “We have
maintained our position in
the fiercely contested
market and stand today as a
high-capacity group of
companies in the
international playing field.
Furthermore, in 2007 we have
proved that we can grow both
organically and
inorganically. Our high
growth objectives will only
be achieved in the coming
years with above average
international growth.
Therefore, it is important
for us to push forward with
increased activities the
development of our export
markets,”
In the 2007 financial
year the Group turnover rose
by around 9 percent from the
previous year total of 152.1
million Euro to around 166.1
million Euro. With that, the
Uzin Utz Group has again
grown significantly stronger
than the market and, against
the background of
continually fierce
competition, was able to
further increase market
share. For the second year
in succession, the turnover
in Germany has also grown
considerably by almost 8
percent from 53.3 million
Euro to around 57.4 million
Euro. The export
contribution to turnover in
the Group rose from 82.6 to
92.0 million Euro and is
slightly higher at 55
percent (previous year: 54).
According to Thomas
Müllerschön, in addition to
Uzin Utz AG and the German
company JP Coatings GmbH,
especially pleasing was the
development in the companies
in Switzerland, in France,
the Netherlands and Poland,
as well as the newly
consolidated companies, who
contributed to the overall
success with 3.9 million
Euro. Amongst other things,
this also served to confirm
the strategy of
international deployment.
In Germany, the Uzin Utz
Group increased its turnover
from 69.5 to 74.1 million
Euro – a plus of 7 percent.
The Uzin Utz Group perceives
this, compared with
construction industry
development, as an
endorsement of the operative
and strategic strength of
the organisation.
Pleasing – against the
background of substantial
investments – were also the
results before taxes, that
rose once again by around 6
percent to 12.0 million Euro
compared with 11.3 million
Euro in the previous year
period. Equally positive was
the development in profits
after taxes which reached
around 8.6 million Euro
(previous year: 8.3).
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After a year of heavy
investment in new brands and
markets, such as the
development of the American
market, the new codex
product brand, the corporate
brand UFLOOR Systems and the
purchase of three companies,
as well as raw material
price increases as a result
of worldwide price rises and
a lower level of special
items, the Uzin Utz Group
stays on plan and can look
back on a positive financial
year in 2007. The Group was
able to affirm its line on a
long-term path towards
growth.
Thus the organisation
has, in the past year,
gained several times over in
its professional strength:
with the takeover of Hermann
Frank GmbH & Co. KG,
Oberderdingen, a
long-established
manufacturer of premium
sanding-machines for
parquet, Uzin Utz AG once
again complemented its
product programme for new
installation, renovation and
value maintenance of floor
coverings and wood flooring.
RZ Chemie GmbH and Genial
Produkte GmbH, with head
office in Meckenheim bei
Bonn, are significant forces
in the field of cleaning and
maintenance systems for all
types of floor coverings and
have long experience in the
development and manufacture
of their products. They were
acquired in December 2007.
The Uzin Utz Group is
confident that, with the
takeover, it can align
itself in the market with
further success. Therefore,
it signifies a further
milestone in the strategy
deployed over recent years:
to expand the product range
by acquisition of companies
that, with their high level
of technical know-how,
innovative products and
recognised quality, fit into
the overall business image.
They all optimally enhance
the special portfolio of the
Group, offering flooring
expertise for all
situations.
The basis for
consolidation was
significantly increased:
apart from Hermann Frank
GmbH & Co. KG and RZ Chemie
and Genial GmbH, the USA
sales companies UFLOOR
Systems Inc. & Utz Inc.,
founded at the end of 2006,
were included in the
consolidated accounts.
Also, the number of
employees has increased: at
the end of 2007, 790
personnel were employed in
the Uzin Utz Group – that is
84 more than in the previous
year. Around half of the
employee increase came from
the newly consolidated
companies.
Working within the Group
were 504 employees in the
home market, 286 in export
markets. In addition, 38
young people had the
opportunity of
apprenticeships. And so, in
2007, the AG was designated
by the Ulm Chamber of
Commerce and by the
federation of chemical
industry employers as a
model training organisation
for its “special training
services”. Personnel costs
rose due to pay rate
increases and the new
consolidations from 35.56
million to 39.0 million
Euro, whereby the
contribution of personnel
costs to the total Group
operating performance, with
23.1 percent (23.4), went
down in comparison with the
previous year.
Expenditure on materials
rose from 66.2 million Euro
to 75.8 million Euro.
Chairman of the Board Dr.
H. Werner Utz is confident,
over the year 2008, of once
again being able to exceed
the figures previously
achieved: “Against the
background of the
anticipated economic growth
in 2008 and the positive
developments in the year
2007, the Group remains
optimistic in its view to
the future, always with the
necessary caution with
regard to unforeseeable
economic developments. In
the forthcoming two years,
we hold as achievable a
turnover increase, with a
simultaneous and
proportional increase in
profits, of around 200
million Euro and we consider
this to be our goal. The
organisation structure for
this growth we have already
put in place. In that, we
give very careful
consideration that any
growth must also be
profitable. Turnover
increase that, with regard
to profits, brings nothing
or can even produce a
deficit, we will simply not
accept.”
For 2007, the
shareholders’ meeting will
again recommend a dividend
on 0.90 Euro per share.
“In that way, with a high
dividend payout, but with no
limitation to our strategy
of recent years, we allow
our shareholders to have a
part of the success of our
organisation. This
shareholder-friendly policy
we have maintained even
through the extremely
difficult years and we will
continue to do so”, said Dr.
Utz.
With this, the total
payout will amount to 3.8
million Euro. |
