EANS-News: Wienerberger’s motto for this year’s Capital Markets Day: “we care and we commit”

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Strategic Management Decisions/Company Information

Vienna –

• Ambitious ESG targets based on responsibility for people and nature
• Strong organic growth through smart innovations and transformation into a full-range provider of system solutions
• Strong M&A track record and clear commitment to further transactions creating sustainable value

At Wienerberger’s Capital Markets Day on 25 November, dedicated to the motto „we care and we commit“, Heimo Scheuch, Chairman of the Managing Board of Wienerberger AG, outlined the most important pillars of sustainable growth in line with the company’s ESG criteria. He emphasized the strategic transformation of the company into a system provider and expressed a clear commitment to the continued optimization of the Group’s portfolio and further value-accretive transactions.

Focus on decarbonization, circular economy and biodiversity

Ever since the foundation of the company, Wienerberger has always been committed to improving people’s quality of life by providing high-quality building materials and infrastructure solutions and assuming its responsibility to society in ecological and social terms. Within the framework of its Sustainability Program 2023, Wienerberger has therefore set itself ambitious targets regarding decarbonization, circular economy and biodiversity in order to consistently pursue its value-accretive growth course and thus support the European Green Deal.

With an innovative product portfolio, new application technologies, and the decarbonization of its production processes, Wienerberger is determined to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, at the latest. As a first step, the Group’s CO2 emissions are to be reduced by 15% by 2023, and all its products are to be 100% recycled or reused. In addition, the quantities of secondary raw materials and recycled substances used in production are to be continuously increased. „Buildings account for more than one third of the world’s energy consumption and almost 40% of CO2 emissions. Decarbonization and adaptation to climate change therefore are topics of crucial importance for Wienerberger. We address these challenges by providing solutions that are fit for the future and will enable us to ensure that building become climate-positive“, says Heimo Scheuch.

Strong organic growth and a clear commitment to further value-accretive transactions

Over the past ten years, Wienerberger has completely repositioned itself in strategic terms and evolved from a supplier of standard products focused primarily on production volumes into a full-range provider of innovative, smart system solutions tailor-made to meet customer requirements. The organic average growth rate per year was 6%. In order to further advance this strategic transformation, Wienerberger is constantly investing in improvements of its product range and enlarging it by digital services.

Today, Wienerberger’s durable products and smart system solutions are used to renovate and erect complete buildings and entire city quarters. The portfolio ranges from roof and wall systems to facade solutions and building facilities to entire pipe systems for safe and secure energy and water supply. Another area where Wienerberger provides solutions fit for the future is rainwater management and wastewater disposal. „To protect people and property from damage caused by climate change, towns and villages need an infrastructure designed to cope with large quantities of water and extreme rainfall events. Here, too, Wienerberger supplies a broad portfolio of products and all-in solutions, ranging from infrastructure to technology to software and the corresponding cloud services“, says Heimo Scheuch.

Innovation, alongside M&A and portfolio optimization, is one of the most important pillars of Wienerberger’s sustainable growth: In North America, for instance, Wienerberger is marketing stormproof facade cladding systems made of bricks, a development due not least to product innovations and the acquisition of Meridian Brick successfully closed at the end of October. Through the integration of the portfolio of Struxura, a Belgian producer of prefabricated walls, Wienerberger is further enlarging its product mix for the core segments of new build and renovation. In mid-November, Wienerberger entered into a strategic partnership with the Dutch company Exasun for the exclusive distribution of the latter’s photovoltaic solutions, and this week an exclusive distribution agreement was concluded with Leadax, a producer of innovative, low-CO2 flat roof solutions based in the Netherlands. In these value-accretive transactions, Wienerberger is making every effort not only to align its entrepreneurial activities with its sustainability targets, but also to address the major challenges of our time, such as the effects of climate change, the shortage of skilled labor, and the demand for sustainable and affordable housing for everyone, through innovation, automation or prefabrication.

„Thanks to acquisitions worth approx. EUR 500 million and the strategic partnerships concluded in the course of this year, Wienerberger is in an even better position to take advantage of strong demand in the new build and renovation segments. We intend to continue on the successful path of the first three quarters of 2021 (increase in revenue to EUR 2.9 billion, up by 14% from the previous year’s level) in order to achieve the Wienerberger Group’s clearly defined goal – creating values for the future and improving people’s quality of life“, concludes Heimo Scheuch.

Moreover, Wienerberger’s clear objective is to consolidate the Group’s leading position in its growth markets through innovations (1/3 of total revenues) and the optimization of system solutions (more than 25% of total revenues by 2023) and to continue outperforming the market. All the Group’s entrepreneurial activities are subject on an ambitious set of ESG criteria and include the following targets by 2023:

• CO2 emissions are reduced by 15%
• All new products are 100% recycled or reusable
• The Wienerberger biodiversity program is implemented 100% on all our sites

Wienerberger Group

The Wienerberger Group is a leading international provider of smart solutions for the entire building envelope and for infrastructure. Wienerberger is the world’s largest producer of bricks (Porotherm, Terca) and the market leader in clay roof tiles (Koramic, Tondach) in Europe as well as concrete pavers (Semmelrock) in Eastern Europe. In pipe systems (Steinzeug-Keramo ceramic pipes and Pipelife plastic pipes), the company is one of the leading suppliers in Europe. With its total of 197 production sites, the Wienerberger Group generated revenues of EUR 3.4 billion and EBITDA LFL of EUR 566 million in 2020.

end of announcement euro adhoc

issuer: Wienerberger AG
Wienerbergerplatz 1
A-1100 Wien
phone: +43 1 60 192-0
FAX: +43 1 60 192-10159
mail: office@wienerberger.com
WWW: www.wienerberger.com
ISIN: AT0000831706, AT0000A2GLA0
indexes: ATX
stockmarkets: Wien
language: English

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