In the first half of 2017, Bene continued the positive momentum from 2016, once again clearly boosting its earning power and equity ratio with new products and solutions.
As a result, in the first six months of the financial year, the international expert in trend-setting office furniture more than doubled its EBIT margin to 3.1% (EBIT: EUR 2.0 million) with sales of EUR 63.9 million and improved its equity ratio to a strong 36.4%. This means Bene continues to have the healthy financial and capital structure that will ensure a solid basis for sustainable, positive business development in the future.
Numerous Awards
Based on its design quality and strength and high capacity for innovation, Bene has successfully brought many new products to market, thus impressing its clients as well as international juries in various design competitions worldwide. In particular, the DELTA table system, presented at the end of 2016, as well as the PIXEL furniture set, have won numerous awards in recent months. This is also reflected in significant sales increases for these product lines.
The business development was very satisfactory in Austria, where Bene projects were successfully implemented for, among others, B4B Solutions, Mondial and Schenker & Co, thus once again strengthening its strong market position in the domestic market. In Germany, Bene also scored points with its consulting and planning expertise. The company developed and successfully implemented solutions for, among other client companies, Audi, Deutsche Lufthansa, Munich Airport, BayStartUp and Hanseatische Wein- und Sekt-Kontor Hawesko GmbH. Numerous other projects, including those in France, UK, Poland, Switzerland and the Middle East, rounded out the company’s international project activities and emphasised Bene’s strong position in the European market.
Innovative products and concepts in 2018
“During the second half of the year, too, Bene is consistently continuing its solid development and margin-oriented path; all the while continually taking stock of economic and social trends and developments. All of that enables us to continue developing – for the working environments of tomorrow – the innovative concepts and products that we’ll be presenting in 2018 along with our „Future of Work Report“.” Michael Fried, Executive Board Member for Sales, Marketing and Innovation at Bene, is optimistic that Bene will continue to improve its operating result in 2017, thanks to its well-filled project pipeline, thus remaining the driver of innovation in its industry.
The high level of the company’s capacity for innovation is additionally reflected in numerous international awards. To give examples from just the month of October, 2017, Bene won awards for outstanding design from Focus Open 2017 and German Design Award 2018. The full list of design prizes awarded to Bene is much longer. More than 130 awards in recent years underscore Bene’s expertise in design and innovation.