Greiner Group (Kremsmünster / Austria; www.greiner.at) has followed its successful performance in 2006 with record sales in 2007 through its holding companies Greiner Holding and Greiner Bio-One International (www.gbo.com). Sales in 2007 broke the EUR 1.1 bn threshold for the first time with an increase of 12.4% over 2006, despite worsening economic conditions in the second half of the year. Board members Boris Greiner and Axel Greiner reported on 24 April 2008 in Linz that "sales growth was ... almost entirely organic." Earnings figures are not disclosed by the group.

Broken down by company, sales at Greiner Holding rose by 13% to EUR 859m. Greiner Holding consists of Greiner Packaging (Kremsmünster / Austria; www.greiner-gpi.com, sales 352m EUR), Eurofoam (Vienna / Austria; www.euro-foam.com, total sales 445m EUR), a polyurethane jv with Recticel (Brussels / Belgium; www.recticel.com), machinery manufacturer Greiner Tool.Tec (Nussbach / Austria; www.greiner-tooltec.com, 164m EUR), automotive supplier Greiner Perfoam (Enns / Austria; www.greiner-perfoam.com, 71m EUR) and two small specialist companies, Greiner Purtec (Schwanenstadt / Austria; www.purtec.at, 37m EUR), Greiner Rubbertec (Nürtingen / Germany; www.greiner-rubbertec.de, 11m EUR) and Greiner Multifoam (Enns / Austria; www.greiner-multifoam.com, 10m EUR)

Greiner Bio-One International increased its sales in 2007 by almost 11% year-on-year to EUR 242m. Both segments of Bio-One – BioScience and Preanalytics – saw gains, with Preanalytics showing the strongest growth.

On a regional basis, business changed little compared to 2006, with 44% of production in Austria, 17% in Germany and 25% in the remaining EU countries. The other 14% comes from countries outside the EU. In total, the group has 96 production sites and 21 marketing outlets in 27 countries, most of them in EU member states. The workforce totals 7,871.

Further sales growth of around 10% is forecast across the company for the current year. EUR 100m is budgeted for investment in 2008, including EUR 30m for the construction of a new Bio-One facility in Rainbach near Freistadt / Austria close to the Czech border. Construction will begin in May 2008 and, by February 2009, it is hoped that 100 employees will be producing around 100m Petri dishes annually and safety products for taking blood. The plant can be expanded to accommodate up to 300 employees.