Bechtle starts the year with a bang.

• Revenue grows 13.2 percent
• EBT surges by almost 20%
• Headcount increases to 7,269

Neckarsulm, 13 May 2016 – Bechtle AG has gotten off to an excellent start in the 2016 fiscal year. Revenue was up 13.2 percent to €704.9 million in the period from January to March, driven by IT solutions for mobility, state-of-the-art data centre architectures and IT security. EBT came to €26.9 million in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of nearly 20 percent. The EBT margin climbed to 3.8 percent, starting the year off high. As at 31 March 2016, the headcount totalled 7,269, which is 598 employees or 9.0 percent more than in the prior-year period.

“Bechtle hit the ground running with an outstanding first quarter, fuelled by our deep expertise in future-ready IT architecture. Our customers want a strong, reliable partner to guide them through all aspects of modern technology—that’s what draws them to Bechtle,” explains Dr Thomas Olemotz, Chairman of the Executive Board of Bechtle AG.

Solutions portfolio reinforces system house business in Germany.

Revenue in the IT System House & Managed Services segment rose by 16.8 percent to €470.4 million. Growth drivers were the Group’s system houses in Germany, whose revenues gained 19.5 percent to €423.6 million. This clearly demonstrates Bechtle’s aptitude in applying its comprehensive IT solutions and managed-services portfolio to meet customer needs. The segment’s operating income for the reporting quarter climbed to €18.3 million, up from €16.5 million in the prior year. Although the prior-year EBIT margin was boosted to 4.1 percent through one-offs, this year’s first-quarter EBIT margin held its own at 3.9 percent.

Streamlined processes in the e-commerce segment.

IT E-Commerce revenue advanced by 6.7 percent to €234.5 million, with growth split almost equally between German and foreign subsidiaries. Particularly striking were the gains in sales of servers and mobile devices such as notebooks and tablets. EBIT soared 44.8 percent to reach €8.6 million as the result of increased staff productivity and further streamlining of processes. EBT margin grew from 2.7 percent to 3.7 percent.

Global alliance welcomes new members.

In the reporting quarter, Bechtle expanded its Global IT Alliance (GITA)—founded in 2014—into Latin America by welcoming two new partners in Brazil and Mexico. The Alliance now comprises ten IT companies that together cover 44 national markets. This enables Bechtle to offer its customers services throughout the world at consistent levels of quality. GITA also opens the door for Bechtle to serve more multinational customers through its alliance partners.

More employees to prepare for future growth.

As at 31 March 2016, Bechtle’s workforce numbered 7,269, representing a year-on-year increase of 598 employees or 9.0 percent. Some two-thirds of these new employees joined Bechtle as new hires, while the remaining one-third were brought on board through acquisitions. The IT System House & Managed Services segment accounted for the majority of headcount growth. Bechtle was also providing vocational training for 436 young people as at 31 March 2016, an increase of 25 trainees, or 6.1 percent, compared with the prior-year period.

Full-year forecast reaffirmed.

Following Bechtle’s robust start to the 2016 fiscal year, the Chairman reiterated the Group’s full-year forecast, published in March 2016. Revenue and earnings are expected to grow substantially yet again in 2016, while EBT is projected to remain at the prior-year level. “This first quarter has put us on the right track to reach our full-year targets. However, we expect earnings growth to align with revenue trends as the year progresses,” explains Dr Olemotz.

Bechtle figures  – First Quarter 2016.