EANS-News: GESCO is starting into the upturn

- Incoming orders increase significantly in the first quarter

- Full year guidance confirmed

- Positive development continues in the second quarter

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quarterly report

Subtitle: - Incoming orders increase significantly in the first
quarter - Full year guidance confirmed - Positive development
continues in the second quarter

Wuppertal (euro adhoc) - Wuppertal, 12 August 2010 - In the first
quarter (1 April to 30 June 2010) of financial year 2010/2011 (1
April 2010 to 31 March 2011), GESCO Group´s business recovered
significantly. Whereas in financial year 2009/2010, incoming orders
dropped lower and lower in each quarter, this trend reversed itself
in the first quarter of 2010/2011. This positive development also
continued in the second quarter.

The Group´s incoming orders climbed by 42.9 % to EUR 87.8 million in
the first quarter, which encompasses the operating months January to
March of the subsidiaries (previous year´s period: EUR 61.4 million).
Group sales went up by 4.3 % to EUR 76.8 million (previous year´s
period: EUR 73.6 million). While material expenditure went up,
personnel expenditure went down slightly, despite increased sales.
Other operating expenditure in the first quarter includes a one-off
effect of around EUR 0.6 million, which is not going to repeat itself
in the following quarters. Earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to EUR 7.3 million
(EUR 7.5 million). As write-downs were slightly up, EBIT (earnings
before interest and taxes) went down from EUR 4.9 million in the
previous year to EUR 4.6 million. The financial result improved from
EUR -0.9 million to EUR -0.7 million. Group net income after minority
interest totalled EUR 2.4 million compared to EUR 2.5 million in the
first quarter of the previous year. This equates to earnings per
share according to IFRS of EUR 0.81 (EUR 0.83). Without the
above-mentioned one-off effect, earnings figures would have developed
positively and risen higher than sales.

The Group employed 1,731 staff on the reporting date compared to
1,762 on the previous reporting date. Figures for the same period in
the previous year did not yet include the 42 employees of Georg Kesel
GmbH & Co. KG, which was acquired in April 2009.

Business continued to develop positively in the second quarter of
financial year 2010/2011, which encompasses the operating months
April to June of the subsidiaries. Incoming orders amounted to EUR
91.4 million, sales were in the region of EUR 79.8 million. Both
figures were higher than in the first quarter of financial year
2010/2011.

Based on the available information, the company is confirming its
forecast from 29 June 2010. It projects Group sales between EUR 290
million and EUR 320 million and Group net income after minority
interest of between EUR 9 million and EUR 11 million. This
corresponds to earnings per share according to IFRS of between EUR
2.98 and EUR 3.64.

Dr. Hans-Gert Mayrose, member of the Executive Board, on the first
quarter: "GESCO Group has left the recession behind. At some
subsidiaries it takes several months for incoming orders to translate
into sales, but the book to bill ratio is above 1 - a sign of further
growth."

Online at www.gesco.de: Complete interim report and video webcast
with commentary by Dr. Mayrose on the I. quarterly report 2010/2011.

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: GESCO AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Oliver Vollbrecht

Leiter Investor Relations

T.: +49(0)202 24820 18

info@gesco.de

Branche: Economy, Business & Finance
ISIN: DE0005875900
WKN: 587590
Index: SDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share
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