Norbert Dentressangle decreases their activity a 12.5% but maintains its operating profit

The Group Norbert Dentressangle, multinational specialized in transport and logistics, closed 2009 with a turnover amounting to 2.719 million euros, a 12.5% less than the previous year. During the last quarter, he accused a change of trend decreasing the rate of decline al - 3.9%.

Operating profit expected for 2009 remains similar to the of the year 2008, close to 80 million euros.

The divisions, Norbert Dentressangle bromeliads 45% and 55% of its sales in transport logistics. In particular, in 2009 the Logistics Division was the best performance was with an income of EUR 1,233 million, down 9.6% the previous year. The Transport Division earned a turnover of € 1,486 million, reflecting a decrease of 14.8% over 2008. This decline is based on the own fall in sales of its clients, the reduction in the price of diesel and the weakening of the pound against the euro.

The level of activity of the logistics operator has been clearly affected by the downturn suffered by the economy. In this context, the Group Norbert Dentressangle has been particularly rigorous in its management, the containment of expenses and the adaptation of its resources to the new reality of the economy. This policy has enabled it to minimize the effect of the fall in sales on operating profit while maintaining its profitability. Net debt has been a slight decline in 2009, so it confirms its ability to ensure a robust growth in the coming years.