Brenntag profit nearly doubles

According to preliminary, unaudited numbers, Brenntag finished 2011 with a post-tax profit of €279.3m, up 90.5% on the €146.6m achieved the previous year. Meanwhile, sales increased 15.4% from €7.6bn to €8.7bn. "Our final quarter and year end results 2011 reflect the underlying resilience of Brenntag supported by a highly diversified business model which continued to capture growth from the regions around the world whilst maintaining a robust performance in those areas with more serious macroeconomic challenges," says CEO Steven Holland. "Our principle of maintaining strong organic growth aligned with a highly focused acquisition strategy further consolidated our position as global market leader and supported us in achieving a record result in 2011."