FRANCOTYP-POSTALIA DRIVES FORWARD REALIGNMENT IN 2011

• Financial year 2011 dominated by development of innovative franking system PostBase and establishment of new production
  
• FP Group generates revenue of EUR 159.0 million and EBITDA before restructuring costs of EUR 21.5 million in 2011 according to provisional, unaudited figures
  
• FP Group to start marketing De-Mail at CeBIT on 6 March 2012
  

Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG, the first multi-channel provider for mail communication, increased its revenue to EUR 159.0 million in 2011 according to preliminary calculations, compared with EUR 147.3 million in the previous year. This is in addition to a slight operative increase in revenue due to a change in reporting logic as part of the new regulations for sales tax on postal services in Germany that came into effect on 1 July 2010. For 2011 as a whole, this results in an effect totalling EUR 24.5 million as against EUR 12.0 million in the previous year. In the fourth quarter of 2011, the FP Group generated revenues of EUR 40.1 million, which is slightly higher compared to revenues generated in the third quarter 2011 (EUR 38.0 million). Nevertheless the FP Group could not reach the revenue level of the same quarter of the previous year of EUR 41.5 million, as the company saw a slight degree of restraint among customers in Germany in view of the upcoming launch of PostBase.

In 2011, the FP Group drove forward its realignment as a multi-channel provider, making numerous investments. The key measures included preparing for the launch of the completely new franking system PostBase, entering the sector of fully electronic mail communications through the acquisition of De-Mail specialist Mentana-Claimsoft, and restructuring production, including setting up new production at the Wittenberge location.

The restructuring of production in line with planning led to one-off restructuring costs totalling EUR 8.7 million in 2011. Before restructuring costs, the FP Group generated provisional EBITDA of EUR 21.5 million in the past financial year, as compared to EUR 26.8 million in the previous year. In addition to lower revenue than expected overall, earnings were negatively impacted in particular by the expiry of the site continuation agreement in the amount of EUR 1.5 million, negative exchange rate effects in the amount of EUR 1.0 million and higher personnel expenses due to the development of sales in the amount of EUR 1.5 million. Including the above-mentioned one-off restructuring costs, operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation amounted to EUR 12.8 million, compared with EUR 25.5 million in 2010.

“In 2011 we laid the foundations to become the first multi-channel provider covering all dispatch channels relating to mail,” says Hans Szymanski, CEO of the FP Group. “We can be particularly proud that we are the first company to be issued the accreditation certificate as a De-Mail provider by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).”

The FP Group sees new sales potential for the medium to long term in marketing De-Mail in particular. The development will primarily depend on how quickly the market accepts the new technology. The company expects to gain a 10% share of the De-Mail market within three to four years. The company plans to issue the specific outlook for the current financial year together with the presentation of the final figures on 19 April 2012.