ANNUAL REPORT 2008 - Eckes-Granini Group

6 Business Year 2008
Key Figures 2006 2007 2008 Diff.
Volume sales in million litres 1,067 1,153 1,086 - 5.8 %
– of which fruit beverages (core business) 978 1,035 960 - 7.2 %
Net turnover in million EUR 818 921 917 - 0.4 %
– of which fruit beverages (core business) 802 899 889 - 1.1 %
Earnings before interest and taxes (EbIT) in million EUR 37.0 38.3 48.4 + 26.2 %
Employees * 1,457 1,527 1,445
| * Full-time equivalent
The Eckes-Granini Group:
Consistent focus on core business
In the face of a persistently challenging market environment,
the Eckes-Granini Group recorded positive
overall results in 2008. Total volume sales declined by
5.8 % to 1,086 million litres (2007: 1,153 million litres).
Volume sales in the core fruit beverage business were
down by 7.2 % to 960 million litres (2007: 1,035 million
litres). However, accounting for the planned divestments
– the withdrawal from the Russian market and
the sale of trade label operations in France – volume
sales in the core fruit beverage business actually rose
slightly in comparison to 2007 (+ 1 %).
A major growth driver in 2008 – the year of its 50th
anniversary – was the hohes C brand, which grew
volume sales by 6 % to roughly 225 million litres in
Germany. The Finnish Marli brand also performed well,
with volume sales up 5 % following gains of roughly
20 % in 2006 and 2007. In the wake of strong growth
in the preceding years, volume sales of the international
premium brand granini and the French Joker brand
remained stable at 2007 levels.
Total turnover for the Eckes-Granini Group nearly
matched the previous year’s level at 917 million
EUR (2007: 921 million EUR). The same applies to
revenues from the core fruit beverage business, which
amounted to 889 million EUR (2007: 899 million EUR).
Adjusted to account for divestments net turnover in
the core fruit beverage business actually rose by 4 %.
Strong brands drive significant earnings gain
Earnings before interest and taxes (EbIT) for the
Eckes-Granini Group rose by a substantial 26 % (an
absolute increase of 10.1 million EUR) to 48.4 million
EUR in 2008 (2007: 38.3 million EUR). This is clear
confirmation that consistent pursuit of the sustained
value-added strategy during the past several years has
indeed borne fruit.