Viscom AG / Half Year Report



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Viscom AG with promising half year results - the Group positions for technological and regional expansion


Hanover, August 11 2006 – The Viscom AG, European market leader in automatic optical inspection systems for the electronics industry, developed according to expectations and seasonal conditions in the first half of 2006: Viscom raised revenues during this first half to 5.0% above last year's first half, with €24.5 million.

Order intake was especially encouraging: the Viscom AG was awarded orders of over €24.9 million in the first half year 2006 - a rise of 19.7% from the very good comparable period last year. Company EBIT amounted to €4.1 million in the first half year 2006. 'These good results were achieved despite higher trade fair and marketing costs to boost worldwide sales activity', comments CFO Ulrich Mohr regarding this development. In addition, the Viscom Group has invested in a planned buildup of its employee base for further expansion of the company. With Jeff Griffin and Kenneth Sim Viscom has won two experienced industry managers for sales and marketing leadership in the growth regions America and Asia.
With company revenues of 67.6%, Europe continues to be the most important sales market for the Viscom group. The German market, amongst others, developed well during this first half year. In all Viscom achieved revenues of €16.5 million - a slight drop of 4.4% from the first six months of last year. This traces back chiefly to the French market, restrained by conservative investment tendencies on the part of French companies at present.

In Asia Viscom increased revenues to €3.3 million - an improvement of 5.2% from the first half year 2005. Construction of two new applications centers will position Viscom to develop the Asian market more quickly and profit from the remarkable expansion rate in the region.

The region America developed especially favorably in the first half of 2006: current revenues of €4.6 million mark a spike of more than 60% over last year's first six months. The Group improved EBIT over-proportionally during the same period by 116.4% to € 0.4 million. 'These encouraging growth rates confirm our decision to build a further applications center, in San Jose. With this, we can take an even stronger role in shaping development in the American growth region,' states Volker Pape, board member and founder of the Viscom AG.

Today the Viscom Group is already one of the highest-volume suppliers of inspection systems for quality assurance worldwide. As technological leader with short innovation cycles Viscom has been successful - and consistently profitable - for over 20 years. 'With the proceeds from the IPO last May we will clearly accelerate the dynamic of technological and regional expansion', as Dr. Martin Heuser, board member and founder of the Viscom AG, explains the medium-term goals of the company. 'The developments of the first half of 2006 allow us to look toward the further course of the year and future developments with optimism.'

Key Figures of Viscom AG

Consolidated Information

1st Half-Year 2006