Mannheim, 17 July 2012 - At the annual general meeting of CropEnergies AG, Mannheim, on 17 July 2012, shareholders approved by a large majority the proposal of the supervisory board and the executive board to increase the dividend by 20 percent to EUR 0.18 (previous year: EUR 0.15) per share.
All other agenda items were also adopted by a clear majority of more than 99 percent. Around 850 shareholders and guests attended the annual general meeting in the Rosengarten in Mannheim. Overall, 83.2 percent of the share capital was represented.
CropEnergies also confirmed the outlook for the 2012/13 financial year. The company continues to expect revenues in the full 2012/13 financial year to grow to more than EUR 600 million and operating profit, despite higher raw material costs, to reach more than EUR 50 million, which will put it close to the previous year's record result.
Shareholders at the annual general meeting were particularly interested in CropEnergies' strategic orientation and growth, its integrated concept for producing food and animal feed products from bioethanol production, the outlook for the current financial year and developments on the bioethanol market.
Ensuring mobility in a climate friendly way - today and in the future - is CropEnergies' business. Founded in Mannheim, Germany, in 2006, the young and dynamically growing member of the Südzucker Group is one of the leading European manufacturers of sustainably produced bioethanol for the fuel sector today. With its three modern production facilities in Germany, Belgium, and France as well as trading offices in the USA and Brazil, CropEnergies produces approximately 700,000 cubic meters of bioethanol per year. They mainly replace petrol and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent. With this, CropEnergies has established itself successfully as a bioethanol pioneer in a major emerging market.
In addition to the efficient production of bioethanol, CropEnergies is mainly characterized by the innovative co-product concept: The raw materials which are used such as cereals and sugar beets are completely utilized. As a result, 500,000 tonnes of high-quality protein food and animal feed products are manufactured every year out of the non-fermentable components of the raw materials.
Through advanced technology and innovation CropEnergies contributes to ensure a sustainable mobility from renewable sources today and in the future through its main product bioethanol: mobility - sustainable. renewable.
The CropEnergies AG stock (ISIN DE000AOLAUP1) has been listed at the regulated market (Prime Standard) at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2006.