Bell Group continued to grow in 2011

06.01.2012, Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

In 2011 the meat processing company Bell seamlessly continued its success of the previous year and continued to grow, both in Switzerland and internationally. Adjusted for currency and acquisition effects, sales rose by 1.8 % to CHF 2.52 billion while sales volumes improved by 1.9 % to 224.3 million kg.

In Switzerland, adjusted sales volumes grew by 2.1 % to 120.8 million kg while sales increased by 1.2 % to CHF 1.75 billion (CHF +20 million). All business divisions contributed to these encouraging growth figures. Growth was mainly driven by rising demand for products with a high degree of added value as well as Swiss meat, in particular poultry from domestic sources. Sales were also supported by successful seasonal campaigns for Easter, the barbecue season and the festive season and by stable prices for raw materials. Due to the sale of Bell Convenience, reported sales were down 3.4 % or CHF 62 million from the previous year.

In Europe Bell International further improved its market position with regard to sales volumes, which grew by 5.4 % to 103,551 tonnes. Sales rose by 5.7 % in local currency to EUR 624.8 million (EUR +34 million). The effect of the Hoppe acquisition was approximately EUR 14 million in sales. The growth resulted from gains in market share as well as changes in the product range. Reported in Swiss francs, sales at CHF 771 million were down 4.8 % from the previous year. Around CHF 81 million of this decrease can be attributed to the weak euro exchange rate.

The full 2011 Group results will be published on 15 February 2012.