Eltel´s EBITA grows by 7.4% in 2012

"Strong growth continued for a second year and resulted in record group sales of EUR 1.149 million. Consistent work with customers and continued company development have helped us to win new markets. Demand for our specialised Infranet services stays strong, and we remain positive about the future", comments Axel Hjärne, President and CEO of Eltel Group Corporation.

Eltel experienced another strong year in 2012. Sales totalled EUR 1.149 million, an increase of 13,6% compared to the previous year (1.011). The growth was achieved organically. Both the electricity and telecommunications sectors showed strong figures. The total sales growth between 2010 and 2012 was 34%. In 2012, EBITA including one-off exceptional items was EUR 44.9 million (41.8), showing a 7.4% improvement from 2011. The number of employees at the end of 2012 was 8,495 "´ a 5.3% increase compared to the previous year (8,064).

Great success in markets "´ important steps in internal development

"As our sales show, we have been very successful in our customer relationships, and this will be very important in the years to come. Continued cooperation with one of our largest accounts was secured by a two-year contract with TeliaSonera in Sweden. In the power sector, we report a record-high order book in transmission projects including new contracts in a number of market areas. Power distribution showed its strongest year ever and is well positioned to continue growth in the coming years", remarks Axel Hjärne, President and CEO of Eltel Group Corporation.

"In our internal development, we have paid a lot of attention to sharing our best practices across countries and with customers. Harmonisation of processes and developing efficient methods to measure our service delivery remain in the focus also in 2013. Our cross-border workforce is well-utilised due to Eltel´s presence in so many European markets. Health & Safety practice has been a focal point in 2012. On the finance side, we have greatly improved our processes in networking capital management, and this showed in the liquidity at year end 2012. "

Expectations remain positive for 2013

Eltel´s service portfolio has proved very resilient against the general economic conditions and reflects the growing need for investment in the infrastructures of society. "All-in-all, we feel quite confident about 2013. A number of important customer contracts are in place, and we have continued to win major new contracts also in the railway sector. Our strategic goal is to strengthen our position as the leading Infranet company in Europe, and we can see that the market and customer needs support this ambition. Our personnel is the most competent in the industry and has the right attitudes to serve our customers", concludes Axel Hjärne.

For more information on Eltel Group Corporation, visit www.eltelnetworks.com