Gelsenkirchen, 19 June 2015 – For the first time since the company was founded nearly 30 years ago, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Masterflex SE was held this year in the neighbouring Veltins-Arena, home of Germany’s “Schalke” football club, in Gelsenkirchen. And for the first time in the company’s history, more than half of the share capital was represented at the shareholders’ meeting at 54.75%. “We are of course delighted with the interest in the company that this expressed,” said Dr Andreas Bastin, CEO of the Group. Dr Bastin and the CFO, Mark Becks, informed the shareholders at the AGM about the results for the 2014 financial year, in which the company grew at a rate of 7.9%. “Another good year on the Masterflex Group’s course of profitable growth,” Dr Bastin emphasised to the owners.
As well as general questions on the company’s growth course and long-term objective, namely global market leadership on all markets addressed internationally for high-tech hoses and connection systems, the question of a profit distribution was discussed more intensively because a shareholder association had put forward a corresponding counterproposal. The Executive Board, which is itself a shareholder of the Masterflex Group with a good 6%, rejected this as still premature today in light of the upcoming investments in growth by way of increased internationalisation and the continuation of the innovation policy; in the medium term, however, the intention is definitely to pay a dividend again. The shareholders then also approved this approach with a majority of 99.04%. The management’s other proposals were also accepted by a large majority.
Agenda item | Description | Shares for which valid votes were cast | Proportion of share capital hereby represented % | Ves votes absolute | Yes Votes % | No votes |
2 | Approval Executive Board | 4,307,415 | 48.58% | 4,304,488 | 99.93% | 2,927 |
3 | Approval Supervisory Board | 4,493,449 | 50.68% | 4,489,692 | 99.92% | 3,757 |
4 | Election Auditor | 4,851,625 | 54.72% | 4,842,809 | 99.82% | 8,816 |
5 | Supervisory Board Compensation (Article 15 of the Articles of the Associaton) | 4,851,709 | 54.72% | 4,843,293 | 99.83% | 8,416 |
6 | Addition to agenda: appropriation of net profit | 4,841,106 | 54.60% | 4,794,614 | 99.04% | 46,492 |
At the event location, the audience was not just interested in the high-tech hoses on display, such as the Master-PUR Trivolution launched in 2014. The details of the world of football were also taken in with great interest.
A short summary with visual impressions of the AGM at Schalke’s home stadium can be found online at <link https: player.vimeo.com video externen link in neuem>www.masterflexgroup.com (only available in german language).
