Hoeft & Wessel AG: successful performance in first quarter

Substantial increase in sales revenues and operating result
High order intake
Positive forecast affirmed for fiscal 2009

Hanover / Germany, 7 May 2009. Hoeft & Wessel AG delivered a
successful performance from January to March 2009. Sales revenues of
this IT hardware and software specialist were up by more than 50 per
cent in the first quarter, to reach EUR 24.5 million (31 March 2008:
EUR 16.3 million).

Unlike the position in the preceding years, the company reported a
positive operating result (EBIT) of EUR 220 k (previous year: -
EUR 974 k).

In the first three months of 2009, the Hoeft & Wessel Group acquired
a total volume of new orders amounting to EUR 26.2 million (previous
year: EUR 20.7 million). Due to the high order intake, the order
backlog grew slightly to approx. EUR 90 million (31 December 2008:
EUR 88.2 million).

"This good first quarter confirms our positive forecast for fiscal
2009 as a whole", says Hansjoachim Oehmen, CEO of Hoeft & Wessel AG,
in commenting on business trends in the first three months of the
year. For 2009, the Hoeft & Wessel Group expects sales revenues of
more than EUR 98 million and an operating result in excess of EUR 4
million.

The Almex division made a major contribution to the quarterly results
in supplying ticketing systems to public transport corporations in
the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland as well as
check-in terminals to Deutsche Lufthansa. Sales revenues and the
operating result saw a significant increase year-on-year. To some
extent, it was possible for orders to be carried out more speedily
than planned.

The Metric division, for instance, installed more than 160 car park
ticket terminals featuring the latest RFID technology in the London
borough of Hillingdon, boosting sales revenues and EBIT slightly.
With a large-scale order from the Philadelphia Parking Authority for
more than 1,000 car park ticket machines, Metric made a considerable
contribution to the very good order intake.

In the Skeye division, mobile terminals as well as system and
application software for merchandise management systems were supplied
to the Rossmann and Rewe retail chains, amongst others, in the first
three months of the year. The U.S. restaurant chain Outback
Steakhouse received a first delivery of mobile terminals as a
point-of-sale solution for taking orders when waiting on tables. The
reduction in sales revenues and the operating result in the Skeye
division met expectations, especially due to subdued investments in
the retail sector.
"We see confirmation for our long-term strategy of operating in three
largely independent business divisions on the market. The good first
quarter shows that Hoeft & Wessel AG can continue developing
successfully even in a difficult economic environment", says Oehmen
in summing up the Company's performance.

Key financials of Hoeft & Wessel Group
in EUR 000s 31/03/09
31/03/08 31/03/07 31/03/06 31/03/05
Sales revenues 24,466 16,283
17,956 15,024 17,754
Operating result before
depreciation and
amortisation EBITDA 1,366 160
15 (321) 1,653
Operating result EBIT 220 (974)
(1,110) (1,499) 537
in % of sales revenues 0.9 n/a
n/a n/a 3.0
EBT Earnings before
taxes 8
(1,309) (1,422) (1,630) 366
in % of sales revenues 0.1 n/a
n/a n/a 2.1
Earnings after taxes (208) (1,476)
(1,521) (1,537) 362
Earnings per share
(in EUR) (0.02)
(0.17) (0.18) (0.18) 0.04

Cash flow, current
operations (2,597)
(4,832) (2,092) 4,521 5,149
Investment activities,
current operations (1,287) (1,344)
(1,262) (1,393) (1,110)
Net cash flow 86
(999) (2,149) (193) 551

Average number of
employees Group 494 506
500 489 497

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