AUGSBURG, GERMANY, Jan. 16, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- The SMAX Company BOWE SYSTEC AG, Augsburg, continues to grow. Once again, at the end of the business year 2000 the BOWE SYSTEC is continuing its sustained growth. For five years in succession the company has shown clear increases in sales and results. Thus BOWE SYSTEC can consolidate its leading position in the European market for high-performance inserting systems and associated services. At the same time, the company gained further increases in its share of the American market.
In the business year 2000 the BOWE SYSTEC Group achieved, according to provisional figures, an increase in sales of around 12.5 % to DM 420 million (Euro 215 million) compared with DM 373.3 million (Euro 191 million) the previous year. In November 2000 a sales forecast of DM 414 million (Euro 212 million) was given for business year 2000. This growth is derived from the extremely successful export trade. The strategy, pursued for a number of years, of operating the company's own sales and service companies in the most important markets of the world has been shown to be justified. In the largest single market for the industry, North America, significant growth has been achieved. For the first time a sales value of over DM 100 million (Euro 51 million) has been achieved, which corresponds to a growth of at least 50% over the previous year's figure (DM 68.3 million / Euro 34.9 million in 1999) or on the basis of the US$ figures represents an increase of 33%.
Order Intake Exceeds Sales:
In the business year 2000 the order intake also rose to a new maximum. The total volume of order entries of around DM 430 million (Euro 220 million, previous year DM 384.9 million / Euro 196.8 million) means for the third year in succession a two-figure increase in order volume. The orders in hand as at 01.01.2001 of around DM 66 million (Euro 34 million) represent an increase of around 10% over the previous year's value of DM 59.8 million (Euro 30.6 million) underpinning the continued growth of the BOWE SYSTEC Group.
Final figures, in particular the development of the result and the dividend proposal will be given at the Press conference: 09th April 2001 at 10.00 hrs in Munich