Facts and Figures

In the fiscal year 2010, Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck increased its revenue adjusted for portfolio and currency effects by 6.1%, thus continuing its strong organic growth since 2005. All of the business fields contributed to the organic growth in 2010, which exceeded the industry average. The fiction and non-fiction business field was able to once again surpass the high prior-year figure for revenue, while newspapers and magazines recorded strong sales and logistics business as well as a slight recovery in the advertising business. The international education and science business field once again recorded notable market success in 2010 in an environment shaped by budget cuts. The digital media business field continued its strong organic growth in 2010, with growth of 20.7%. There was a nominal drop in revenue of EUR 280.3m from changes in the consolidated group, particularly due to the disposals effected in the course of 2009. Influenced by positive exchange rate effects, consolidated revenue for 2010 totaled EUR 2,255.2m (2009: EUR 2,357.6m).

Earnings developed very positively in the past fiscal year. Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck recorded very strong earnings, with operating EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization as well as special effects) of EUR 230.0m. This surpassed the prior-year figure by 22%. Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck benefitted from a sustained high level of investment in new products and business models – especially digital – which provided the basis for the organic growth in all of its segments. An improved cost structure and stringent cost management also contributed to the positive development in results of operations.

Due to the sale of a further 1% of the shares in the ZEIT Group to DvH Medien GmbH which took place on schedule at the beginning of the year, the ZEIT Group left the consolidated group in 2010 and is now reported as an associate of Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck. In addition, Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck continued to focus on its core business fields. One major step in this regard was the sale of the Lebensmittel Praxis publishing group. Furthermore, Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck contributed the business of its venture capital branch Holtzbrinck Ventures to an investment fund financed jointly with the US private equity investor HarbourVest.

In 2010, Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck primarily focused its acquisitions on smaller, innovative companies that complement the existing business models in terms of products and technologies, especially those of the education and science business field.

In the newspapers and magazines business field, new and modernized printing facilities in Konstanz and Würzburg were put into operation. Mediengruppe Main-Post (which publishes the regional newspaper Main-Post for example) and its subsidiaries were sold to Mediengruppe Pressedruck, Augsburg, (which publishes Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung for example) effective as of fiscal 2011.