Strategic alliance EWG pushed up first semester 2006 consolidated net sales by 20% to EUR 2’649 million (2005: EUR 2’216 million). With many European markets flat, year-on-year growth on a comparable basis reached an impressive 8%, with the remainder of the increase being due to GNT’s acquisition of SMG activities. In the second quarter EWG increased consolidated net sales by 9% to EUR 1’231 Mio. (Q2/2005: EUR 1’129 Mio.). On proforma basis net sales was slightly over the level of the previous year.

The European Wholesale Group (EWG) – the number three European ICT-distribution organization – increased its consolidated net sales in the first half year 2006 by 20% to EUR 2’649 million (2005: EUR 2’216 million). While a substantial part of the increase is due to the acquisitions, organic growth still reached an impressive 8% on a comparable basis despite many European markets being flat at best in that period. Among the EWG partners, ALSO with 13% achieved the highest organic growth, followed by Esprinet, GNT and Copaco.

“We are very pleased with this half-year result” says Thomas C. Weissmann, President of EWG and CEO of EWG partner ALSO. ”8% growth in value – despite a strong decline of demand for IT products in the second quarter European wide and continuously declining average unit prices – is a strong sign that EWG can deliver profitable growth to its vendor partners and value to its reseller customers even in a difficult market environment”, he adds. “Nevertheless, we are a bit cautious for the second half year, as there are no signs yet of any significant revival in demand. For the full year 2006 we thus forecast consolidated net sales of EUR 5.2 – 5.4 billion at this time”, he concludes.

EWG was founded in 2002. On July 24, 2006, ALSO Holding AG (CH) announced that it had signed an agreement to take a 50.1% stake in EWG partner GNT (FIN). The European Competition Authorities have approved the transaction and ALSO completed the acquisition on 31 August 2006. At present, the alliance is composed of ALSO Holding AG (CH), Copaco N.V. (NL), Esprinet S.p.A. (I) and GNT Group (FI). It offers leading ICT vendors a best-in-class platform to reach more then 60’000 resellers in 14 European countries. The four companies in the alliance posted consolidated net sales of EUR 4.8 billion in 2005. Together, the EWG partners have more than 2’700 employees.

For further information please contact:
EWG:
Thomas C. Weissmann, President European Wholesale Group, Tel. +41 41 266 18 02
ALSO:
Maya von Krannichfeldt, Corporate Communications, Tel. +41 41 266 18 02