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Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) held its Annual General Meeting in the Stadthalle Heidelberg on Friday. Nearly 92 percent of Heidelberg's capital stock was represented at the event. The Management Board and shareholders looked back at a successful 1999/2000 fiscal year (April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2000). "Over recent months, Heidelberg has successfully repositioned itself as a solutions provider and thereby paved the way for playing a major role in the future of the print media industry", stated Chairman of the Management Board, Bernhard Schreier.
The company has reinforced its market position over the last fiscal year. The Heidelberg Group achieved sales of 4.6 billion Euro in 1999/2000, 16.5 percent up on the previous year. The company also achieved record levels of orders at 4.7 billion Euro, 39.3 percent higher than last year. The profit after tax of 251 million Euro was at approximately on a par with the previous year despite the expenditure incurred through the purchase of the former Kodak Office Imaging Division.
Heidelberg shareholders at the Annual General Meeting were invited to vote on six points on the agenda. The resolution to issue a dividend of 1.70 Euro for each individual share entitled to dividend was passed by almost 100 percent of the shareholders.
Almost 100 Euro of the votes cast also approved the three control and profit and loss transfer agreements which Heidelberg concluded with subsidiaries in the 1999/2000 fiscal year.
These agreements relate to Heidelberg Digital Finishing GmbH, Mühlhausen, Heidelberg Middle East and Africa Holding GmbH, Heidelberg, and Heidelberg China-Holding GmbH, Heidelberg. All the other points on the agenda were also passed virtually unanimously.
The figures for Q1 2000/2001 (April 1 to June 30, 2000) show that the Heidelberg Group has started the current fiscal year well. Orders received amounted to 1.7 billion Euro, a 65 percent increase on the same period last year, while sales rose 18 percent to 984 million Euro during the same period. The drupa 2000 exhibition in May was particularly successful. At this, the most important fair for the print media industry, Heidelberg received orders with a value in excess of 1.5 billion Euro. This record figure was more than triple the level of orders received at drupa 1995.
For further information:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Investor Relations
Dirk Kaliebe
Tel: +49 (0)6221 92 60 20
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 60 61
e-mail:
dirk.kaliebe@heidelberg.com
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