The Cewe Photobook and added-value picture products are expected to contribute most to the increase in sales and earnings. In 2010 these items had already enhanced turnover per photo by more than 10% to 13.46 Euro Cents (18.93 US Cents), and in the fourth quarter the increase was as much as over 18 %, to 16.40 Euro Cents (23.06 US Cents). "In 2011 we will also continue to invest in our Cewe Photobook brand and establish a basis for achieving high growth rates in this attractive market in the coming years with our online print service viaprinto.de," said Dr. Rolf Hollander, CEO of Cewe Color, at the company’s Annual Report Press Conference in Frankfurt am Main.
Against the background of the positive development of business in the 2010 business year, the 159% increase in the free cash flow to Euro 25.6 million (US$ 36.0 million) and a strong 17.8% rise in the return on capital employed (2009: 11.7%), the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board propose a dividend of Euro 1.25 (US$ 1.76) per share, 19 percent more than last year‘s dividend of Euro 1.05 (US$ 1.48) .
In addition to growth generated with added-value picture products, Cewe Color is now opening up another growth sector, commercial digital printing, with viaprinto.de. The easy-to-operate online printing service for high-quality, fast prints in small volumes is attractive for large corporations as well as for small and medium-sized enterprises and sole traders. "Whereas an image brochure produced in a high volume used to be outdated after only a few days, with viaprinto we ensure that material is up-to-date since we are in a position to produce professional books and brochures quickly and according to needs, without any minimum number of copies," says Dr. Hollander. In 2011, Cewe Color intends to invest initial funding to create a basis "for generating more growth with this attractive business".