Ad-hoc | 31 July 2000 09:48

Ad hoc-Service: CeWe Color Holding AG English

Ad hoc-announcement edited and send by DGAP. The sender is responsible for the contents of this announcement. —————————————————————————— CeWe Color – The Trend is known as Growth 31st July 2000 – The CeWe Color Holding AG reports good increases in sales for the first half-year 2000 and a half- yearly result which is also on the increase. CeWe Color was able to develop 41.0 million films with 25 laboratories in 14 European countries in the first six months, that is 5.1 % more than in that period of the previous year. The quantity of the colour pictures produced and sold rose to 1,422 billion units, or by 5.7 %. This corresponds to the growth of the consolidated sales yields: they amounted to 183.0 million EURO, that is growth of 4.8 %. As in the first quarter of the year 2000 the trade sales have developed somewhat more strongly than the laboratory sales. The Executive Board anticipates that the set sales objective of EURO 420 – 430 million can be reached for the 2000 financial year. The company result before corporation tax amounts to 5.2 million EURO and is thus in accordance with the budget and above the previous year. It was possible to raise the cash flow from 21.4 million EURO to 23.3 million EURO, i.e. plus 9.2 %. The first half-year 2000 is marked by a regular departure in the future of digital photography for CeWe Color. The group offers the amateur photographer and professionals an exactly tailored solution for “e-Photography”, with the digital services and products already successfully introduced into the market, no matter whether the picture data are to be sent to a CeWe Color Lab by Internet, photo terminals or photo order bag. Corresponding to the expanding Internet the number of enquiries for trade partners for the Online Print Service are increasing daily. The end-users can find this service, with which they can send digital picture data from their computers directly to a CeWe Color Lab and receive perfect photos on original photo paper in all formats by return within 48 hours, on the Internet pages of the CeWe clients. CeWe Color is the partner of the trade and will increasingly expand the B2B sector. Hubert Rothärmel, Chairman of the Management Board of the CeWe Color Group, stresses, that CeWe Color is the leader in the market with the already offered range of digital services. Additional digital services and products are in preparation. For this reason the deployment in material and personnel means will be increased. The volume of investment will amount to approx. 45 million EURO for the 2000 financial year. Further information can be found on the Internet under: http://www.cewecolor.de For further details please contact: CeWe Color Holding AG Hella Meyer Tel.-No: 0441 / 404-400 Fax-No: 0441 / 404-421 End of Message