Gräfelfing, Munich, 14 August 2008

The Hönle Group’s sales revenue in the first nine months of the current financial year increased by 72.6 % to T€ 32,887. At the same time, the operating result (EBIT) improved by 60.0 % to T€ 4,808, while earnings before taxes (EBT) increased by 41.3 % to T€ 5,117. Net income for the period rose by 72.7 % to T€ 3,812 during the same period, which corresponds to earnings per share of € 0.69 (PY: € 0.40).

Hönle acquired Eltosch GmbH on 15 May 2008 and thus expanded the consolidated Group for the third time during the current financial year which, since 1 January 2008, also includes the Panacol Group and PrintConcept GmbH. With the acquisition of Eltosch, a company that specialises in drying technology for printing machines, Hönle is gaining direct access to one of the biggest markets for UV technology, namely the sheet-fed offset printing industry. At the same time, Hönle thus advances to become the second largest systems supplier worldwide for UV technology.

Outlook:
Hönle is reinforcing its targets for the current financial year: The Company plans an 85 % increase in sales revenue and an increase in the operating result (EBIT) by 40 %. 
Special focus is placed on speedy integration of the companies that were taken over during the course of the year. In this connection, Hönle already anticipates positive results in the current financial year due to preliminary cost synergies to be exploited at Eltosch. A further increase in profitability will be possible as of next year due to the resuming of in-house manufacturing activities and as a result of synergies expected from sales and administrative activities. Hönle also expects positive sales revenue and profits from the integration of Panacol GmbH, which was acquired in January. In this context, the business activities in China developed particularly well. Very promising adhesives projects led to initial orders; more are to follow in the next quarters. In order to increase profitability in the adhesives segment, Hönle will—among other things—merge Panacol Deutschland with the subsidiary Wellomer at one location in the next financial year.

Contact: Dr. Hönle AG, Peter Weinert, Lochhamer Schlag 1, 82166 Gräfelfing, Munich, Phone: 089-85608-173, Fax: 089-85608-101, ir@hoenle.de, www.hoenle.de