The Greiner Group (A-4550 Kremsmünster; www.greiner.at) operated “very successfully” in 2002 according to a company statement. “And that despite a stagnating economic situation, considerable flood damage in Kremsmünster and increasing raw material prices,” said the board members, Dr. Axel Greiner and Boris Greiner. The group, which was split in 2002 into Greiner Holding AG and Bio-One International AG (A-4550 Kremsmünster; www.greiner-bio-one.com), grew sales in the last financial year by 5% to EUR 630m.

The increase in sales at Greiner Holding AG amounted to 2%, up from EUR 467m to 477m. On the other hand, sales declined in the group´s Purtec (A-4690 Schwanenstadt; www.purtec.at), Greiner Extrusionstechnik GmbH (A-4542 Nussbach; www.greiner-extrusion.at), and Eurofoam GmbH (HQ: A-1100 Vienna; www.euro-foam.com) divisions. Purtec was most affected with minus 12.9%, followed by Extrusionstechnik with minus 5.8% and Eurofoam with minus 1.2%. All the other divisions posted an increase, above all Greiner Perfoam (A-4470 Enns; www.greiner-perfoam.com) with 18% and Greiner Packaging (HQ: A-4550 Kremsmünster; www.greiner-gpi.com) with 7%. Greiner Bio-One (A-4550 Kremsmünster; www.gbo.com) hoisted its sales by 16% to EUR 154m.

The budget for 2003, said Axel Greiner, provided for a growth of 8% for the group as a whole. This was distributed right across the company´s divisions, with the exception of Eurofoam and Extrusionstechnik, which were likely to be heavily influenced by the weakness of the upholstered furniture and construction industries. In 2003, Greiner also intends to invest EUR 600,000 in the GIT training centre at Kremsmünster.