NORMA Group SE on a solid growth path after nine months

MAINTAL, Germany, Nov. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- NORMA Group SE (NORMA Group), a global market leader in engineered joining technology, continued its growth in the first nine months of financial year 2015.

Sales rose by 29.7 percent to 672.6 million euros compared to the first nine months of 2014 (Q1-Q3 2014: 518.5 million euros). This includes growth through acquisition of 20.3 percent.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and amortization of intangible assets (adjusted EBITA) rose by 30.8 percent to 120.6 million euros (Q1-Q3 2014: 92.3 million euros). The adjusted EBITA margin improved to 17.9 percent and thus remained at a sustained high level (Q1-Q3 2014: 17.8 percent).

"We are satisfied with the first nine months of financial year 2015," said Werner Deggim, CEO of NORMA Group. "Organic growth has continued to improve, although the global macroeconomic environment is still showing restraint. At the same time, we are seeing positive developments, for instance, in the Western European and U.S. markets. We remain committed to our growth objectives for financial year 2015."

Group sales in the third quarter of 2015 rose by 31.9 percent to 218.3 million euros compared to the same quarter of the previous year (Q3 2014: 165.5 million euros). Adjusted EBITA increased by 34.7 percent to 39.3 million euros (Q3 2014: 29.2 million euros). The adjusted EBITA margin rose to 18.0 percent (Q3 2014: 17.6 percent). Order backlog through Sept. 30, 2015, amounted to 289.1 million euros, which was 9.8 percent higher than the comparable figure for the previous year (Sept. 30, 2014: 263.4 million euros).

In the Americas region, sales exceeded the previous year's figure by 79.3 percent in the first nine months of 2015 and rose to 303.1 million euros (Q1-Q3 2014: 169.1 million euros). The acquisition in October 2014 of National Diversified Sales Inc., the U.S. company that specializes in water management, along with positive currency effects, contributed to this sharp increase.

During this period the number of employees at NORMA Group increased by 321 to 6,296 employees worldwide, including temporary employees, on Sept. 30, 2015, compared to year-end 2014 (Dec, 31, 2014: 5,975 employees).

Outlook for 2015 confirmed

NORMA Group confirmed its forecast for financial year 2015. The company expects group sales to grow organically by a solid 4 percent to 7 percent in 2015 compared to 2014. In addition, NORMA Group expects to generate around 110 million euros in sales from its acquisitions National Diversified Sales Inc. and Five Star Clamps Inc. in the U.S. In 2015, the MDAX-listed company targets a sustainable adjusted EBITA margin at the level of the previous years of more than 17 percent (2014: 17.5 percent; 2013: 17.7 percent).

Note to editors:

The full report on the third quarter of 2015 is available for download from www.normagroup.com/Financial Reports. For more information, please visit the Investor Relations section www.normagroup.com/IR.com. For press photos, please visit www.normagroup.com/Images.

About NORMA Americas

NORMA Americas is an integral part of the NORMA Group, a global market leader in engineered joining technology. NORMA Americas manufactures high quality clamps, connectors and fluid systems that safely link a variety of vital components in vehicles, aircraft, trains and ships as well as in water management. With more than 1,300 employees it operates eight production facilities in North and South America with annual sales of more than $265 million. NORMA Americas´ strong brand portfolio includes the brand names BREEZE, Clamp-All, Gemi, NORMA, R.G.RAY and Torca. NORMA Americas is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

About NORMA Group

NORMA Group is an international market and technology leader in engineered joining technology. The company manufactures a wide range of innovative joining technology solutions in three product categories (clamp, connect and fluid) and offers more than 35,000 high-quality products and solutions to more than 10,000 customers in 100 countries. NORMA Group's joining products can be found in vehicles and trains, ships and aircraft, buildings and water management as well as in applications for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. The company generated sales of around  695 million Euros in 2014. With around 6,000 employees, NORMA Group operates a global network of 22 production facilities as well as numerous sales and distribution sites across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. NORMA Group has its headquarters in Maintal, Germany. NORMA Group SE is listed on the German stock exchange (Prime Standard) and included in the MDAX index.

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented statements include all statements which do not relate to historical facts and events and contain future-oriented expressions such as "believe", "estimate", "assume", "expect", "forecast", "intend", "could" or "should" or expressions of a similar kind. Such future-oriented statements are subject to risks and uncertainties since they relate to future events and are based on the company's current assumptions, which may not in the future take place or be fulfilled as expected. The company points out that such future-oriented statements provide no guarantee for the future and that the actual events including the financial position and profitability of NORMA Group SE and developments in the economic and regulatory fundamentals may vary substantially (particularly on the down side) from those explicitly or implicitly assumed in these statements. Even if the actual assets for NORMA Group SE, including its financial position and profitability and the economic and regulatory fundamentals, are in accordance with such future-oriented statements in this press release, no guarantee can be given that this will continue to be the case in the future.

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SOURCE NORMA Group