Half-year figures of Uzin Utz AG

• Group sales and earnings up again in the second quarter
• Further growth expected for the second half of the year
• Focus on internationalization and sustainability

Ulm, 26 August 2019 - The leading manufacturer of flooring installation systems was able to continue the momentum of the first quarter in terms of sales and earnings development in the first half of the year. Due to an unchanged good construction economy, the sales of the UZIN UTZ Group as of June 30, 2019 rose by 9.3 % to 186.3 million euros compared to the previous year (170.5). The result from ordinary activities amounted to EUR 15.4 million, which corresponds to a significant increase of 17.6 % over the previous year's figure (13.1). With EBIT of 15.4 million euros (13.3), the EBIT margin rose from 7.8 % to 8.3 % year-on-year.

"The half-year figures clearly show that the strategic adjustments we initiated last year in raw material purchasing, logistics and sales have had the expected impact, especially on earnings. This gives us the necessary leeway to expand our business activities in our core and growth markets and our innovative ability," says Heinz Leibundgut, CFO of Uzin Utz AG. Foreign sales also continued to rise by 9.8 million euros to 116.3 million euros (106.5). In addition to the focus regions Europe and North America, the national markets of the growth regions are increasingly contributing to the result.

"The UZIN UTZ Group continues to grow. In the second half of the year, we will devote all our efforts to achieving the successful conclusion of our GOLD growth strategy with a target figure for Group revenue of EUR 400 million. We are confident that we will reach our target range by the end of the year," Leibundgut added.

Outlook

Despite the danger of a disorderly brexit, global trade conflicts, an overall weakening economy and the increasing concern for young talent in the craft, UZIN UTZ remains confident for the further business development. For the next 12 to 18 months, the real estate market is expected to remain strong and construction investments are not expected to decline. In addition, UZIN UTZ sees business potential in the defined focus regions, which the company intends to leverage with its growth strategy.

"In the future, we will focus even more strongly on the localization of products and services to meet the needs of our customers in the individual country markets. Investments in research and development at our locations around the world are essential. Product innovations are the key to offering real added value to craftsmen working in countries that do not have specialist training, as is the case in Germany. With the advantages of our efficient product systems, which guarantee simple, fast and at the same time safe processing, we can open up new customer groups in these countries," says Julian Utz, Member of the Board of UZIN UTZ.

Sustainability

At the same time, the Group will focus even more strongly on the environment and resources. "We want to set an example in our industry. Resource-saving products, but also climate-optimized processes, should help us to constantly improve the ecological footprint of our company as well as the work of our customers. This includes, for example, optimising freight routes or increasing the use of sustainable packaging solutions.

With the further development of our sustainability strategy, we want to show that it is possible to our responsibility, or that of each individual, is how we handle the resources of our environment," says Philipp Utz, also a member of UZIN UTZ's Executive Board.

Against this background and the current business development, the Management Board is sticking to its forecast of significantly increasing both sales and earnings for 2019.

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