• PELIA Gebäudesysteme GmbH masters the complete relocation in only three days
  • 3U HOLDING AG strengthens the performance of the SHK segment with new building
  • 15,300 m² gross floor space enables growth
  • New location favours expansion and optimization of the supply chain

Marburg, June 2, 2021 – In the future, 3U HOLDING AG (ISIN DE0005167902) will ship systems and components distributed by its Group segment SHAC (sanitary, heating and air conditioning technology) out of the newly built warehouse and logistics centre in the Koblenz industrial park. The building, which was planned specifically for the expansion and optimization of the supply chain, was completed in May and will be operated with immediate effect by the 3U subsidiary PELIA Gebäudesysteme GmbH, which is responsible for the logistics of the entire segment, among other things. The PELIA team mastered the relocation of all inventories in just three days and was immediately fully ready for delivery. From the new distribution centre, all goods of the 3U online trade, in particular Selfio GmbH, will be shipped to online customers in the future. In addition, PELIA also supplies craft businesses and other business customers from here.

With the distribution centre, the capacities of the Group’s SHAC segment have been expanded to 15,300 m² of gross floor space with 14,000 m² of warehouse and logistics space. The centre is located close to the A61 motorway in the immediate vicinity of logistics experts such as Amazon and Lidl. The project was completed on time and on budget within nine months by GOLDBECK Südwest GmbH as general contractor.

“The new distribution centre also provides Selfio with the basis for continuing to serve the growing demand for building technology products promptly and reliably. Customers appreciate the convenience of having products delivered directly to their homes, as well as the wide portfolio of offerings, and the transparent ways to compare prices,” said Selfio Managing Director Roger Moore. “The new distribution centre provides space for Selfio’s home technology range as well as room for future additions to the range. Production of the company’s own underfloor heating systems will also continue at the new site in Koblenz.”

With its subsidiaries in the SHAC segment, in particular with the Selfio online shop, the 3U Group is successfully active in the e-commerce megatrend. The 3U online trade with systems and components for DIY enthusiasts and do-it-yourselfers under the motto “Do it yourself, but do it right!” has doubled its sales volume over the last five years. For the planned further dynamic growth, 3U has now created new capacities in a future-oriented manner and invested around 12 million euros in the construction of the new site.

“As a holding company, we are investing in the future prospects of our operating business. E-commerce in the B2C and B2B sectors is one of our strategic focal points. Demand is increasing thanks to our multiple award-winning online marketing and the comprehensive range of consulting services. With the new distribution centre, we are providing further improvements in delivery quality and at the same time realising noticeable cost advantages,” says Michael Schmidt, Spokesman of the Management Board of 3U HOLDING AG.

 

Further Information: 
Dr Joachim Fleing
Investor Relations
3U HOLDING AG
Tel.: +49 6421 999-1200
Fax: +49 6421 999-1222
E-mail: ir@3u.net

About 3U:
3U HOLDING AG (www.3u.net) has its headquarters in Marburg, Germany, and was founded in 1997. It is the operating management and investment holding company at the head of the 3U Group. It acquires, operates and sells companies in the three segments of ITC (Information and Telecommunications Technology), Renewable Energies and SHAC (Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning Technology). The 3U Group has successful and profitable business models based on megatrends in all three segments. It continues to expand its business activities dynamically, particularly in its strongest growth areas of cloud computing and online trading, in which it is striving to achieve leading positions in the market.

3U HOLDING AG’s shares are traded on XETRA, Tradegate and on the German regional stock exchanges (ISIN: DE0005167902; identifier: UUU).

  • In accordance with expectations, consolidated revenue 11.8 % lower following the disposal of parts of the company, EBITDA up by 15.5 %
  • Cloud Computing, e-commerce, Telecommunications deliver sales and earnings growth
  • Forecast for the 2021 financial year affirmed

Marburg, 12 May 2021 – In the first quarter of 2021, the consolidated revenue of 3U HOLDING AG (ISIN DE0005167902) declined slightly compared with the first three months of 2020, in line with planning. Consolidated revenue came in at EUR 14.10 million, down 11.8 % compared with the figure posted in the year-earlier quarter (Q1 2020: EUR 15.99 million). The Lüdersdorf wind farm and ClimaLevel Energiesysteme GmbH were sold in the fourth quarter of the financial year 2020 and are no longer part of the group. Their joint contribution in the first quarter of 2020 amounted to around EUR 2.4 million. Continued operations reported significant revenue growth, as forecast.

The EBITDA margin at Group level was raised significantly, with support initially stemming from other operating income of EUR 2.27 million (Q1 2020: EUR 0.62 million). These earnings largely originate from concluding the disposal agreed in 2020 of parts of the Adelebsen property not used by the company. Ongoing operational improvements in various cost positions are also positively reflected here. The Group’s cost of materials stood at EUR 7.82 million in the first quarter of 2021, down 4.3 % year on year (Q1 2020: EUR 8.17 million). In relation to the lower level of consolidated revenue, the cost of materials ratio (cost of materials expressed as a percentage of revenue) increased, however, due to the higher weighting of revenue from the ITC and SHAC segments, from 51 % in the first quarter of 2020 to 55.5 % in the period under review.

Significant changes in the headcount are attributable to ClimaLevel s employees leaving the Group and a countereffect emanating from hiring new staff in Cloud Computing. The Group’s personnel expenses of EUR 3.14 million therefore remained at the year-earlier level (Q1 2020 EUR 3.20 million). The personnel expenses ratio (personnel expenses expressed as percentage of revenue) posted 22.3 % in the first quarter of 2021, which exceeds the year-earlier figure due to the lower level of revenue (Q1 2020: 20.1 %). Also, the share of other operating expenses in revenue came in at 15.5 %, slightly above previous year’s figure (Q1 2020: 14.0 %).

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 15.5 % to EUR 3.35 million in the first quarter of the financial year 2021 (Q1 2020: EUR 2.90 million). Along with healthy earnings contributions from the ITC segment and improvements in the SHAC segment, the increase is attributable to the sale agreed back in 2020 of parts of the Adelebsen property not used by the company. The EBITDA margin (EBITDA in relation to revenue) therefore reached 23.8 % (Q1 2020: 18.2 %).

The proportion of the consolidated result attributable to shareholders of the parent company soared by 110.9% to EUR 1.82 million in the first quarter of the current financial year (Q1 2020: EUR 0.86 million). Earnings per share stood at EUR 0.05 (basic and diluted).

Segment results

The ITC segment achieved strong growth in revenue and profit. Segment revenue of EUR 5.46 million was generated in the first quarter of 2021, marking growth of 25.5 % compared with the first three months of 2020 when revenue was reported at EUR 4.35 million. The Cloud Computing business in subsidiary weclapp SE remains the most important driver of expansion within the Group and in the ITC segment. Its revenue increased by 51.9% to EUR 2.39 million in the first quarter of 2021 (Q1 2020: EUR 1.57 million). weclapp’s EBITDA margin rose on the back of the disproportionately low development of personnel expenses and other operating expenses by approximately 33% to currently around 38 %. The Telecommunications business also contributed to the segment’s growth, lifting revenue by 10.9 %, up from EUR 2.58 million in the first quarter of 2020 to EUR 2.86 million in the first three months of the current financial year. As part of the programme of measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, increased demand for telephony offerings was observed on occasion. This special influence will no longer manifest as restrictions are lifted in the future. Management’s strategy remains focused on compensating the declines anticipated through growth in other parts of the Group. The segment’s EBITDA improved disproportionately in the first quarter of the financial year 2021, rising by 32.9 % to EUR 1.54 million (Q1 2020: EUR 1.16 million). The segment result grew by 28.8 % to EUR 0.96 million (Q1 2020: EUR 0.75 million).

Following the exceptionally good first quarter of 2020 (segment revenue Q1 2020: EUR 3.49 million), revenue in the Renewable Energies segment was significantly lower at EUR 1.48 million in the first three months of the period under review. The decline of 57.5 % is due, on the one hand, to the disposal of the Lüdersdorf wind farm at the end of the financial year 2020. On the other, there was little wind in first quarter of 2021, and solar irradiation did not match the healthy year-earlier figures either. Moreover, the lower rate for electricity fed back into the grid from wind turbines no longer subject to subsidies under the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) also pared down revenue. As a result, segment EBITDA also dropped notably to EUR 1.07 million, down 63.8 % in a year-on-year comparison (Q1 2020 EUR 2.86 million). In view of the lower level of depreciation and amortisation and an improved financial result, the segment delivered a profit of EUR 0.16 million (Q1 2020: EUR 1.32 million).

Following the derecognition of ClimaLevel Energiesysteme GmbH from the Group and also from the SHAC segment, effective 1 December 2020, segment revenue decreased by 10.7 %. Revenue, now generated almost exclusively from strategically important e-commerce, came in at EUR 7.37 million (Q1 2020: EUR 8.25 million). The e-commerce business of subsidiary Selfio expanded by 2.0 %. Price increases from producers were offset, and the segment’s cost of materials ratio remained stable at 79.1 % in the first quarter. By contrast, personnel expenses and other operating expenses declined as a proportion of revenue. Segment EBITDA therefore stood at kEUR 59; a negative EBITDA of EUR 0.36 million was reported in first quarter of the financial year 2020. As an individual company, Selfio GmbH achieved an EBITDA margin of 4.2 %, also thanks to the 12-Point Plan implemented in the summer of 2020 to raise earnings.

Revenue from Other Activities/Reconciliation, in particular from management services, were reported at EUR 0.38 million in the first quarter of 2021 (Q1 2020: EUR 0.51 million). The holding’s personnel expenses of EUR 0.75 million remained around the year-earlier level (Q1 2021: EUR 0.74 million). Other operating expenses of EUR 0.87 million increased significantly (Q1 2020: EUR 0.63 million). Other operating income of EUR 1.97 million resulted from concluding the partial sale of the Adelebsen property, bringing the EBITDA into positive territory at EUR 0.73 million (Q1 2020: EUR –0.74 million).

Growth in cash and cash equivalents and equity

Cash inflow from operating activities stood at EUR 1.51 million (Q1 2020: cash inflow of EUR 1.73 million). The high cash inflow from investing activities, essentially due to the partial sale of the Adelebsen property, made a substantial contribution of EUR 4.11 million to the positive cash flow (Q1 2020: EUR 1.08 million). Cash and cash equivalents rose accordingly to EUR 23.62 (31 December 2020: EUR 17.46 million). Free cash flow advanced to EUR 4.86 million in the first three months of the financial year (Q1 2020: EUR 1.48 million).

Total assets increased to EUR 88.60 million as of 31 March 2021 (31 December 2020: EUR 85.90 million). The higher value of total assets is principally due to the rise in current assets, which mainly pertains to the higher level of liquid funds. The portfolio of inventories climbed to EUR 8.96 million (31 December 2020: EUR 8.57 million), and trade receivables of EUR 3.94 million exceeded the level at the end of the financial year 2020 (31 December 2020: EUR 3.80 million).

As of 31 March 2021, the key financials had improved again. Scheduled repayments resulted in another decline in non-current and current financial liabilities to EUR 16.73 million (31 December 2020: EUR 17.10 million). The debt-to-equity ratio dropped from 65.2 % on to 64.1 %. Net cash (cash and cash equivalents minus financial liabilities) rose to EUR 13.80 million (31 December 2020: EUR 9.32 million). Thanks to the pleasing consolidated results and profit carried forward, equity increased to EUR 53.99 million (31 December 2020: EUR 52.00 million). Despite the balance sheet extension, the equity ratio rose to 60.9 % (31 December 2020: 60.5%).

Forecast for 2021 reaffirmed

The Management Board reaffirms the forecast communicated in March for the financial year 2021 and anticipates consolidated revenue at the year-earlier level. Strong organic growth in the other parts of the company is unlikely to fully compensate for the absence of proceeds from the sale of the shares in ClimaLevel Energiesysteme GmbH and the Lüdersdorf wind farm. Sales revenue in 2021 is expected to settle within a range of between EUR 58 million and EUR 63 million. Moreover, earnings in the single-digit million range from the disposal of assets have been incorporated into planning. In view of the measures introduced to strengthen profitability and the rising proportion of higher margin business, the Management Board expects a slightly higher EBITDA of between EUR 11 million and EUR 13 million, leading to expectations of profit for the 3U Group of between EUR 2 million and EUR 4 million.

“The purpose of our company is to add value. Achieving this end is realised through disposals. This strengthens the financials, but initially leads to a loss of revenue. We were and are naturally aware of this. Our strategic core businesses of Cloud Computing and e-commerce are developing in line with planning. A year down the line at the latest, consolidated revenue will reach new highs solely through organic growth,” emphasises Michael Schmidt, spokesman of 3U HOLDING AG’s Management Board. “We will, however, use freed up cash to raise the value even further. Acquisitions will lend additional acceleration to growth in Cloud Computing, and ultimately the preparations for a successful launch on the stock exchange of our subsidiary weclapp SE will also make a significant contribution.”

Quarterly Announcement

The quarterly announcement on the first quarter of the 2021 financial year will be published today, 12 May 2021. It can be downloaded from the company’s website (www.3u.net) under the “Investor Relations/Reports” heading. The first questions and answers relating to the virtual Annual General Meeting on 20 May 2021 can be found under “Investor Relations/Annual General Meeting”.

 

Further Information: 
Dr Joachim Fleing
Investor Relations
3U HOLDING AG
Tel.: +49 6421 999-1200
Fax: +49 6421 999-1222
E-mail: ir@3u.net

About 3U:
3U HOLDING AG (www.3u.net) has its headquarters in Marburg, Germany, and was founded in 1997. It is the operating management and investment holding company at the head of the 3U Group. It acquires, operates and sells companies in the three segments of ITC (Information and Telecommunications Technology), Renewable Energies and SHAC (Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning Technology). The 3U Group has successful and profitable business models based on megatrends in all three segments. It continues to expand its business activities dynamically, particularly in its strongest growth areas of cloud computing and online trading, in which it is striving to achieve leading positions in the market.

3U HOLDING AG’s shares are traded on XETRA, Tradegate and on the German regional stock exchanges (ISIN: DE0005167902; identifier: UUU).

  • Survey and expert evaluation earn Selfio top marks

Marburg, 6 May 2021 – selfio.de, the leading ecommerce shop within the Group of 3U HOLDING AG (ISIN: DE0005167902), was included in the ranks and files of Germany’s best online shops by the magazine COMPUTER BILD and the market research portal Statista. selfio.de is one of the top 25 shops 2021 in the segment “Home Technology”. The “technical quality” was rated “very high”, the “user-friendliness” is considered “excellent” by the testers. The company’s slogan “Do it yourself. But do it right” is the consistent central theme throughout the entire market presence of 3U online trading, which is one of the central strategic focuses of the 3U Group. Selfio GmbH achieved revenues of EUR 23.7 million in 2020.

“selfio.de places high value on technical quality and user-friendliness at all times. The independent tests now certify once again how successful we are with this – and we are proud of that,” Roger Moore, Managing Director of Selfio GmbH, is pleased to say. “But what distinguishes us from most of the competition above all is the high quality of advice. We reach out to customers and show them, simply and comprehensibly, how their project can be optimally successful.”

The longlist for this year’s ranking included 7,629 online shops. Marketplace providers such as eBay, B2B shops and shops with a purely foreign-language presence were eliminated. Shops that only offer digital goods, such as Audible, or focus on subscriptions or contracts, such as telecommunications service providers, were also eliminated. To qualify for the detailed study, the remaining shops also had to achieve a certain minimum reach or to have been among the Top Shops 2020.

A total of 79 criteria were examined in the detailed study. These included subjective characteristics such as the assessment of the appearance and clarity in an online survey. But objective features such as the delivery time and the overview of payment options were also scrutinised by the 15 independent testers. The list of the 750 Top Shops 2021 is divided into four categories: “Office, Technology & Media”, “Leisure, Games & Hobbies”, “Garden & Handicrafts” and “Food & Health”, each of which was again divided into several Segments.

Scorecard: “Technical quality” was rated as “excellent” for two of the top 25 shops in the “Home Technology” segment, “very high” for 18, and “high” for five. Ease of use was “excellent” for nine participants, “very high” for nine, and “high” for seven.

 

Further information:
Dr. Joachim Fleïng
Investor Relations
3U HOLDING AG
Tel.: +49 (0) 6421 999-1200
Fax: +49 (0) 6421 999-1222
E-mail: ir@3u.net

About Selfio:
Selfio GmbH is a provider of high-quality home technology systems and components with a focus on sanitary, heating, air conditioning (SHAC) and products such as under-floor heating, central and decentral ventilation and water management. Selfio supports home builders and do-it-yourselfers with professional planning services both for new buildings and for refurbishment projects. In addition, Selfio provides extensive video tutorials and product presentations and services for everyone along with technical advance calculations (quick layouts).

About 3U:
3U HOLDING AG (www.3u.net) 3U HOLDING AG (www.3u.net) has its headquarters in Marburg, Germany, and was founded in 1997. It is the operating management and investment holding company at the head of the 3U Group. It acquires, operates and sells companies in the three segments of ITC (Information and Telecommunications Technology), Renewable Energies and SHAC (Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning Technology). The 3U Group has successful and profitable business models based on megatrends in all three segments. It continues to expand its business activities dynamically, particularly in its strongest growth areas of cloud computing and online trading, in which it is striving to achieve leading positions in the market. 3U HOLDING AG’s shares are traded on XETRA, Tradegate and on the German regional stock exchanges (ISIN: DE0005167902; identifier: UUU).