Based on an increase in orders in all business areas and a large-scale order in cards and TECURITY placed during the reporting period, in Q1 the globally active Mühlbauer technology group kicked off the 2010 financial year extremely positively with the highest order income in the history of the company.

While sales and earnings have not yet benefited from this good development – as expected – the strong rise in order backlog to the end of the reporting period, borne in equal share by the robust government business and the significant increase in the industry business, is fueling expectations of a distinct rise in sale and earnings growth as of the second quarter.

In Q1 2010, sales of the Mühlbauer technology group were 22.8% lower year-on-year, at €29.4 million, due to the recession-related slump in the industry business and project-related order fluctuations in the government business of the previous months

With a consolidated order income of €113.9 million, Mühlbauer more than doubled the comparatively high value of the previous year and achieved growth of 118.2%. The company’s core area cards and TECURITY, which benefited from a large-scale order worth €64.2 million, was the greatest contributor to order income and recorded an increase of 124.6% to €91.2 million. Moreover, order volumes in the business areas semiconductor related products and traceability doubled as a result of the increased investment activities on the respective markets.