Dividend increase thanks to good result

Press release for the HOCHDORF Group AGM on 4 May 2018 

Hochdorf, 7 May 2018 – The 252 shareholders attending the Annual General Meeting for HOCHDORF Holding Ltd accepted the proposals submitted by the Board of Directors. They approved an increase in the dividend to CHF 4.0 (PY CHF 3.80) from reserves from capital investments. All members of the Board of Directors were re-elected.

The AGM was led by Dr Daniel Suter, Chairman of the Board of Directors of HOCHDORF Holding Ltd, with 252 shareholders in attendance representing a total of 747,514 share votes (74.1 per cent of the share votes).

All the proposals submitted by the Board of Directors were approved by the shareholders. This included approval of the Annual Report for 2017, the Group accounts and the annual accounts for HOCHDORF Holding Ltd as of 31 December 2017, along with full support for the members of the Board of Directors and the senior management team. The remuneration report was also approved along with the proposed remuneration of the board of directors and the senior management team.

Slight increase in dividend
The shareholders approved the request for a slight increase in the dividend to CHF 4.00 per share in view of the company's substantial investments. As in previous years, the dividend is paid from capital reserves and is tax free for natural persons resident in Switzerland. The dividend is to be paid out on 11 May 2018.

No change in the Board of Directors
All members of the Board of Directors of HOCHDORF Holding Ltd stood for re-election. The shareholders confirmed the Board members as Dr Daniel Suter (Chairman), Dr Anton von Weissenfluh (Vice Chairman), Michiel de Ruiter, Dr Walter Locher, Ulrike Sailer, Niklaus Sauter and Prof Dr Holger Karl-Herbert Till. Dr Anton von Weissenfluh, Dr Walter Locher and Niklaus Sauter were re-elected onto the personnel and remuneration committee.

For the period up to and including the 2019 AGM, Dr. Urban Bieri law firm Rudolf & Bieri Ltd, Lucerne, was appointed as independent proxy. The AGM elected Ernst & Young Ltd, Lucerne as the auditing agency for the same period of time.

Outlook confirmed for 2018
Dr Thomas Eisenring, CEO of the HOCHDORF Group, confirmed that the 2018 business year will be a transition year: “The current projects we have implemented to achieve our strategic goals are challenging and require time. This includes marketing the additional capacities we have in the Baby Care Division for example, and launching the added-value products we have developed in the Dairy Ingredients Division.” The HOCHDORF CEO also confirmed the forecast published in April for the current business year, with a net sales revenue in the area of CHF 600 to 630 million and a percentage EBIT compared to production revenue of 7.0 to 7.5%.

Contact:
Dr Christoph Hug, Head of Corporate Communications HOCHDORF Group, Tel:+41 (0)41 914 65 62 / +41 (0)79 859 19 23, christoph.hug@hochdorf.com.

About the HOCHDORF Group:
The HOCHDORF group, with headquarters in Hochdorf, achieved consolidated net sales revenue of CHF 600.5 million in 2017. It is one of the leading foodstuffs companies in Switzerland and had 695 employees as at 31 December 2017. Made from natural ingredients such as milk, wheatgerm and oilseed, HOCHDORF products have contributed to healthy living for young and old alike since 1895. Our customers include the food, wholesale and retail industries. Our products are sold in over 90 countries. The shares are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich (ISIN CH0024666528).