NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

FY2015 Annual Report · NORMA Group SE

Loading PDF…

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 5

N O R M A G R O U P

NORMA Group is an international market and technology leader in engineered
joining technology. The Company manufactures a wide range of innovative
joining technology solutions in three product categories – CL AMP, CONNECT
and FLUID – and offers more than 35,000 high-quality products and
solutions to around 10,000 customers in 100 countries. NORMA Group’s
joining products are used in various industries and can be found in
vehicles, ships, trains, aircrafts, domestic appliances, engines and plumbing
systems as well as in applications for the pharmaceutical and biotechnol-
ogy industry. From its headquarters in Maintal near Frankfurt, Germany, the
Company coordinates a global network consisting of 22 production facilities
as well as numerous sales and distribution sites across Europe, the Americas,
and Asia-Pacific.

Overview of Key Figures 2015

Order situation

Order book (31 Dec)

Income statement

Revenue

Adjusted gross profit 1

Adjusted EBITA 1

Adjusted EBITA margin 1

EBITA

Adjusted profit for the period 1

Adjusted EPS 1

Profit for the period

EPS

Cash flow

Operating cash flow

Operating net cash flow

Cash flow from investing activities

Cash flow from financing activities

Balance sheet

Total assets

Total equity

Equity ratio

Net debt

Employees

Core workforce

Share data

IPO

Stock exchange

Market segment

ISIN

T 0 0 1

2015

2014

change in %

EUR millions

295.8

279.6

5.8

EUR millions

EUR

EUR millions

EUR

EUR millions

889.6

533.1

156.3

17.6

150.5

88.7

2.78

73.8

2.31

128.2

134.7 2

−44.5

−70.4

694.7

405.6

121.5

17.5

113.3

71.5

2.24

54.9

1.72

96.4

109.2 3

−265.1

57.7

28.0

31.4

28.6

n / a

32.8

24.2

34.6

33.0

23.4

−83.2

n / a

31 Dec 15

31 Dec 14

change in %

EUR millions

1,167.9

429.8

36.8

360.9

1,078.4

368.0

34.1

373.1

8.3

16.8

n / a

−3.3

5,121

4,828

6.1

April 2011

Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Xetra

Regulated Market (Prime Standard), MDA X

DE000A1H8BV3

Security identification number

Ticker symbol

Highest price 2015 4

Lowest price 2015 4

Year-end share price on 31 Dec 2015 4

A1H8BV

NOEJ

53.30

38.32

51.15

EUR

Market capitalisation as of 31 Dec 2015 4

EUR millions

1,629.8

Number of shares

31,862,400

1 Adjustments are described in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Notes, p. 130.
2 Adjusted for currency effects.
3 Adjusted for acquisition-related and currency effects.
4 Xetra price.

Date of publication: 23 March 2016

Two Strong Distribution Channels

D I S T R I B U T I O N O F S A L E S B Y S A L E S C H A N N E L S
in %

Engineered Joining Technology

Distribution Services

Tailored, high-tech products devel-
oped to meet specific requirements
of individual OEM customers

High-quality standardised brand
products for a variety of applications

E N G I N E E R E D J O I N I N G T E C H N O LO GY ( E J T )
The business area of EJT focuses on customised, en-
gineered solutions which meet the specific require-
ments of original equipment manufacturers (OEM). For
these customers NORM A Group develops innovative,
value-adding solutions for a wide range of application
areas and various industries. No matter whether it is a
single component, a multi-component unit or a com-
plex system, all products are individually tailored to the
exact requirements of the industrial customers while
simultaneously guaranteeing highest quality standards,
efficiency and assembly safety. NORM A Group’s EJT
products are built on the extensive engineering exper-
tise and proven leadership in this field.

D I S T R I B U T I O N S E R V I C E S ( D S )
In the area of DS, NORMA Group sells a wide range of
high-quality, standardised joining technology products
for various applications through different distribution
channels. Among the customers are distributors, OEM
aftermarket customers, technical wholesalers and
hardware stores. In the DS business area N O R M A
Group benefits not only from its extensive geographic
presence and global manufacturing, distribution and
sales capacities, but also from its well-known brands,
the customised packaging and the high availability of
its products at the point of sale. N OR M A Group mar-
kets its joining technology products under its well-
known brand names:

p
u
o
r

G
A
M
R
O
N

s
e
r
u
g

y
e
K

Innovative joining technology and the
highest quality standards have secured
NORMA Group’s market position for
over 60 years now. The Com pany of fers
solutions for many different indus-
tries with its advanced products. In fact,
NORMA Group ranks as one of the
world’s market and technology leaders in
the area of joining technology thanks
to the personal dedication of more than
6,000 employees and an intellectual
property rights portfolio that consists of
more than 700 patents.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

W A T E R
C O N N E C T S

W A T E R M E A N S L I F E

As a global market and technology leader in the field of engineered joining
technology, NORMA Group is not only an innovative and reliable partner of
global automobile manufacturing. Sustainable joining solutions are also
becoming increasingly important for efficient water management. After all, the
world’s growing population, global warming with droughts and wildfires,
water pollution from urbanisation, industrial effluents, and waste are making
water increasingly scarce here on earth. In fact, over a billion people
already lack access to clean drinking water today. At the same time, half of the
global water consumption is caused by inefficient irrigation in agriculture.
Water as a precious and limited resource needs to be protected because there
is no life without water.

1.4

T R I L L I O N C U B I C M E T R E S

water on earth

P E R C E N T

of the world’s water reserves are usable freshwater

M I L L I O N P E O P L E

die every year from water-related illnesses

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

2,842

C U B I C M E T R E S

of water on average are used by a US citizen each year.
The per capita consumption in Germany is 1,426 cubic metres.

334.8

B I L L I O N U S D

That is how high the National League of Cities estimates
the costs of modernising the US water infrastructure
for drinking water systems to be over the next 20 years.

G R A N D P R I S M A T I C S P R I N G U N I T E D S T A T E S

Every minute, 2,000 litres of hot water on average flow through the largest thermal
spring in the US. Its colour comes from unicellular microorganisms.

U S A

A M A R K E T I N F L O W

Water is scarce. The sparing use of this resource is becoming increasingly
important, and not only in arid regions. In times of urbanisation, innovative
infrastructure solutions are extremely promising. On the one hand, they prevent
water losses from using old equipment. On the other hand, they enable wise
use of the sometimes huge volumes of rain that have destructive effects on the
environment and on cities. Landscape irrigation accounts for the largest
share of water consumption in the US, followed by consumption by industry and
households. In California alone, the most highly populated state, landscape
irrigation by private households accounts for around 80% of the total water
consumption. A state of emergency was declared in 2015 due to the prolonged
drought. Modern solutions for efficient water management are becoming
increasingly important in the US.

B I L L I O N U S D

in financial losses for the US economy were caused by
the forest fires and bush fires in recent decades.

2.4

P E R C E N T

The real gross domestic product in the US
rose by this percentage in 2015, according to the
US Department of Commerce.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

M E X I C O

T H I R S T Y M E T R O P O L I S E S

The rapid growth of the urban population and urban areas is a major
demographic trend worldwide. One of the foundations of modern
urban society is to have permanent access to clean drinking water. But
several megacities can no longer ensure this, like Mexico City, for
example. The city’s water quality is among the world’s worst, but the water
consumption of its roughly 22 million citizens the highest. Due to the
constant overuse of the groundwater reserves, the city already drops down
by around two and a half cm per month in the south and the west.
Massive investments in the renovation and maintenance of the regional
and the national water infrastructure are planned over the next few
years to bring this development to a halt. The water management and fresh
water supply industries can thus look forward to particulary strong demand.

L A G U N A S A L A D A M E X I C O

At 10 metres below sea level, the dry lake is the deepest point in the country.
It only fills with water during the rainy season from May to October.

81.5

M I L L I O N C U B I C M E T R E S

of water is consumed by Mexico each year. By global comparison,
the country ranks second behind the US. Germany
consumes 32.7 million cubic metres.

12,000

L I T R E S P E R S E C O N D

seep through the countless leaks and pipe cracks
in the old water pipes under Mexico City.

P E R C E N T

of the people of Mexico depend on groundwater
carriers, which are gradually drying up, however.

424

B I L L I O N E U R

Mexico will invest this amount in its water and energy supply,
road construction and urban development over the next few years.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

P E R C E N T

of Brazil’s energy, and thus almost its entire demand
for electricity, is generated by hydroelectric plants.

B I L L I O N U S D

That’s how much money the Brazilian water supply
industry is estimated to generate in sales in
2018. This figure was only USD 16 billion in 2012.

T H E A M A Z O N I N B R A Z I L

winds through the rainforests of Brazil over a
distance of approximately 6,500 kilometres.

B R A Z I L

T H E S O U R C E O F P R O S P E R I T Y

The country on the Amazon is one of the most water-rich in the world and
yet in 2015 the water storage tanks emptied down to the ground in
the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Water was rationed and partially
shut off. Around 77 million people were affected. The reasons for the
crisis: high consumption, an inefficient system of outdated and leaky
pipes and a lack of reservoirs. Important economic sectors such as the
paper industry, and hydroelectric power plants in the region suffered from
these shortcomings and reacted by announcing temporary short-time work,
layoffs and closures. For Brazil, efficient water management based on
joining solutions of the highest quality is of growing importance.

36.9

C U B I C M E T R E S P E R C A P I T A

is how much water Latin America will
consume in 2025. In 1995, this figure was
only 24.8 cubic metres per capita.

81.2

P E R C E N T

more water will be needed for livestock in Latin America
by 2025 – compared to the data for the year 1995.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

T H E A M E R I C A S
I N F I G U R E S

S T R O N G E R G R O W T H D U E T O T H E W A T E R B U S I N E S S

The Americas region contributed 44% to Group sales in financial year 2015. The newly acquired
water business gained through the acquisition of National Diversified Sales (NDS) accounted
for a significant share of Group sales growth. NORMA Group’s long-term goal for this region is to
continue to grow profitably – both organically and through acquisitions.

1,462

Employees

7,700

Wholesale and retail locations in
the field of water management

5.8 %

Growth in sales of light
vehicles in the US

395.3

Million EUR in sales

Production and distribution sites

66.3 %

Sales growth

Sources: WAT E R C O N N E C T S : WHO World Health Organisation 2015 who.int/heli/risk/water/water/en | Federal Agency for Civic Education, bpb.de | U S A : CRED Centre for Research on the
Epidemiology of Disasters, Statista 2015 | German American Chambers of Commerce 2015, gaccmidwest.org | Department of Water Engineering and Management, University of Twente, pnas.org
International Monetary Fund, imf.org | M E X I C O : Foreign Office 2015, auswaertiges-amt.de | OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Statista 2015 | spiegel.de | Inter
Press Service 2015, ipsnews.de | Mexico Infrastructure Projects Forum, mexicoinfrastructure.com | Handelszeitung 2015 handelszeitung.ch | die tageszeitung 2015, taz.de | icct, The International
Council on Clean Transportation, theicct.org; IPS Inter Press Service; ipsnews.de | B R A Z I L : Die ZEIT 2015, zeit.de | IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute, Statista 2015

4 Q U E S T I O N S T O …

T I M J O N E S

President – Americas Region

Tim, throughout the last years, NORMA Group
significantly expanded its business in the Ameri
cas. When did you start the business in this region
and where does the Company stand today?
NORMA Group is a result of the merger of the
two companies ABA Group and Rasmussen. The
activities of both companies were limited mainly
to Europe until 2006 when the Company began
expanding internationally. Of course, the Americas
region with its attractive US and Latin American
markets played an important role in this process.
We took the first big steps into the American
markets by acquiring the specialised joining
companies Torca, Breeze, R.G.R AY and Craig
Assembly between 2007 and 2010 and by founding
NORMA Mexico in 2008. Brazil expansion started
in 2011 with a sales centre and then added a
production facility in 2013.

And which industries are you focused on?
Until 2014 we mainly focused our activities in the
Americas region on the traditional NORMA indus-
tries: Automotive, Commercial Vehicles and
Industrial. The acquisition of NDS at the end of
2014 marked the entrance into the American wa-
ter market. By acquiring NDS, we could comple-
ment our product portfolio with numerous joining
products in the water sector and expand our
client base in the US. In total, this resulted in a
significant expansion of our Americas business
and a broader diversification regarding our end
markets. The share of the Americas region com-
pared to the total company sales currently
amounts to around 44%. In 2010 it was only 20%
and just prior to the acquisition of NDS it was
around 35%. This shows the importance of the
region for NORMA Group’s overall business.

From automotive to water, what were the reasons
for this step and are there synergies to be realised?

NORMA Group is an expert in the field of engi-
neered joining technology. This is not only needed
in the automotive sector, but also when it comes
to providing efficient solutions for water supply
and infrastructure. And this is exactly what NDS
is doing. The Company’s product portfolio ranges
from collection solutions for storm water to irriga-
tion systems, infiltration modules, valves and sub-
surface drainage solutions. In light of the global
scarcity of water and aging infrastructure in huge
parts of the Americas and the world, we see a
huge growth potential for our business. In the cur-
rent integration process and future development
of NDS, we make use of expertise gained in the
APAC region, where we have been operating in the
water business for quite a few years already. The
first cross-selling effects are already being real-
ised as NDS is selling some core NORMA products
through their distribution centres. In the long
term, we will work on realising further synergies.

What does this mean for the future develop
ment of NORMA Group in the Americas? Will
you fully focus on the water business or do you
see further growth potential also for the tradi
tional industries?
Of course, the water business will be one core
area in the future. But nevertheless, we are not
going to neglect our traditional businesses, as we
still see a high potential in these industries in the
coming years. The water business offers growth
opportunities that are significant compared to our
traditional mature and cyclical automotive and
heavy equipment industry segments that have
seen recent challenges in the Americas region;
primarily in Brazil, Heavy Truck and Agricultural
segments. Our primary focus for the Americas
region in the future is profitable growth, either
organically or through acquisitions. This focus
will not change with NDS.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 5

16
Letter from the Management Board

C
Consolidated Financial Statements

A
To Our Shareholders

26 NORMA Group on the Capital Market
30 Supervisory Board Report
34 Corporate Governance Report

B
Consolidated Management Report

46 Principles of the Group
56 Economic Report
75 Supplementary Report
75 Forecast Report
80 Risk and Opportunity Report
90 Remuneration Report
94 Other Legally Required Disclosures
97 Report on Transactions with Related Parties

104 Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
106 Consolidated Statement of
Comprehensive Income

107 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
108 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
110 Segment Reporting
112 Notes to the Consolidated Financial

Statements

168 Appendix to the Notes to the Consolidated

Financial Statements
171 Responsibility Statement
172 Auditor’s Report

173
Further Information

173 Glossary
177 List of Graphics
178 List of Tables
181 Overview by Quarter 2015
182 Multi-Year Overview

Financial Calendar 2016
Contact
Imprint

E X P L A N AT I O N O F S Y M B O L S

@ Internet

 Cross reference

S
S
T
T
N
N
E
E
T
T
N
N
O
O
C
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

The Management Board

W E R N E R D E G G I M
C H I E F E X E C U T I V E O F F I C E R ( C E O )

• Vice President and General Manager, TRW Automotive, USA
• Managing Director / Chairman of the Management Board, Peguform GmbH
• Various executive management positions,
thereof seven years in the USA and Canada

D R . M I C H A E L S C H N E I D E R
C H I E F F I N A N C I A L O F F I C E R ( C F O )

• Managing Director, F TE automotive Group
• Member of the Management Board, Veritas AG
• Director of Finance and IT, Aesculap AG (B. Braun Melsungen Group)
• Various international management positions,

thereof three years in Brazil

B E R N D K L E I N H E N S
B O A R D M E M B E R B U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T

With NORMA Group since the beginning of his professional career:
• Global Sales Director for Commercial & Passenger Vehicles
• Business Area Sales Manager for NORMACL AMP
• Marketing Manager Automotive
• Development Engineer

J O H N S T E P H E N S O N
C H I E F O P E R A T I N G O F F I C E R ( C O O )

• Vice President Operations, Hayes Lemmerz International
• Director of Operations for Northern Europe, Textron Fastening Systems
• Plant Manager and Managing Director, APW Electronics
• Various positions, among others in the area of
project and production management at Valeo

Further information regarding the professional careers of the Management
and the Supervisory Board can be found in the Investor Relations section
on the NORMA Group website @ http://investors.normagroup.com.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

J O H N S T E P H E N S O N

W E R N E R D E G G I M

B E R N D K L E I N H E N S

D R . M I C H A E L S C H N E I D E R

Letter from the Management Board

Dear shareholders, customers
and business partners,

2015 proved to be a successful financial year in which we continued to lay
further strategic groundwork for the future of NORMA Group. With this year’s
Annual Report that is entitled ‘Insight Americas,’ we want to share our activities
in the Americas region with you in greater detail. We have been active in this
region for quite some time and expanded our presence rather significantly by
acquiring the joining technology manufacturer Five Star and the water expert
National Diversified Sales (NDS) in 2014. In financial year 2015, the share of sales
of the Americas region thus rose to 44%. This region has therefore become
even more important to NORMA Group.

Furthermore, the acquisition of NDS marked the entry into the US water mar-
ket, an industry that we have been actively involved in in Asia and Australia for
several years. We are currently using the expertise that we established there to
integrate NDS, a key focus of our operating business in 2015. We are therefore
particularly proud to be able to report that we have made significant progress
on integrating the company. By forming an international steering committee,
we have coordinated our global activities in the field of water and successfully
integrated NDS. By synchronising sales and distribution channels, we were able
to realise initial cross-selling effects in the US in 2015, and we expect to be able
to generate further synergies on a global scale in the future.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 201517

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

The fact that we made the right decisions with the acquisitions of NDS and
Five Star is also reflected in our business figures: With Group sales of EUR
889.6 million in 2015, we achieved growth of 28.0% over the previous year. The
acquisitions – and mainly NDS – contributed EUR 115.4 million or 16.6% to this
result. At 3.7%, organic growth was at the lower end of the forecast range, but
is still satisfactory considering the persistently difficult economic conditions in
Brazil and China, in particular. With a 7.7% contribution, currency effects, mainly
from the appreciation of the US dollar, also had a positive effect on Group sales
growth. We were able to increase our adjusted EBITA by 28.6% to EUR 156.3
million and our adjusted net profit by 24.2% to EUR 88.7 million. With an adjust-
ed EBITA margin of 17.6%, we thus continued our profitable growth path in 2015.

Profitability and growth are two important strategic objectives for NORMA
Group. But success and competitiveness cannot be defined solely on the basis
of financial figures. For this reason, the issue of sustainability takes on an equally
high priority at NORMA Group. Sustainable and responsible action, which is
consistent with the interests of our stakeholders, therefore serves as the basis
of all decision making. For this reason, we intensified the dialogue with our
stakeholders in 2015 and invited them to an initial roundtable discussion in the
summer. Besides NORMA Group representatives from the management level,

Letter from the Management Board

stakeholders from industry, politics, science, associations and non-profit organ-
isations participated in this event. They discussed measures and targets in the
fields of action ‘business solutions,’ ‘employees’ and ‘environment,’ which we
have defined. The results of the discussions provided us with important impuls-
es for the further development of our Corporate Responsibility (CR) strategy. We
published these results on our website in January 2016 as part of our 2018 CR
Roadmap. This gives us not only a framework for action for the coming years,
which we want to be measured by, but also represents the next logical step
towards having a holistic and substantial sustainability strategy.

By focusing on innovation and sustainability and with the clear aim of continuing
to expand our market and technology position, we are well positioned for the
future. Due to the broad diversification of our business and our stable financial
basis, we assume that we will continue to be able to grow profitably even in a
persistently difficult economic environment. We see long-term growth drivers
for NORMA Group in the increasing density of regulations in environmental law
and the consequent pressure on car manufacturers to invest in low-carbon
technologies. There are also regulatory initiatives due to increasing problems
associated with the global water shortage and water pollution, which have
gained relevance for us due to our increased activities in the field of water.
We therefore look to the future with optimism and hope you will continue to
accompany us on our way.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 201519

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

We would like to thank you for the trust you have shown in the past. We are
pleased that we were once again able to achieve a good result in the financial
year 2015 and would like you, dear shareholders, to participate appropriately
in the Company’s success. For this reason, we will be proposing a dividend of
EUR 0.90 per share for financial year 2015 at the Annual General Meeting to be
held in Frankfurt on 2 June 2016.

We also owe our thanks to the more than 6,000 employees of NORMA Group
at all our sites, who through their hard work, team spirit and commitment,
contribute to the Company’s success every day. Furthermore, we would like to
thank our customers and business partners for their trust and look forward to
continuing our good collaboration in 2016.

Sincerely

Werner Deggim

Dr. Michael Schneider

Bernd Kleinhens

John Stephenson

Letter from the Management Board

USA
The global water business is growing
fast. NORMA Group has already benefitted
from this trend in Malaysia and Australia.
With the acquisition of National Diversified
Sales (NDS) in October 2014, the water
business has now also been expanded to
include the promising US market.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

5,000

N D S C A T C H B A S I N A N D G R A T E

The NDS inline catch basins and grates protect property against water damage caused by
excess rainwater or irrigation. They collect water from downspouts, areas with plants,
and gardens. The catch basins are available in various sizes and can be connected with pipes
in different sizes at various elevations. The material of the grates is free of choice. It can
consist of plastic, brass, steel or cast iron.

Demand for high-quality water management solutions
remains high. Here, NDS offers a broad product
portfolio that ranges from solutions for collecting rain-
water to irrigation systems for agriculture and
even infrastructure solutions in the area of water.

5,000

P R O D U C T S

that are supplied to 7,700 wholesale and retail locations
in the US make up the NDS portfolio.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 5

26
NORMA Group on the Capital Market

30
Supervisory Board Report

34
Corporate Governance Report

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
S
R
R
E
E
D
D
L
L
O
O
H
H
E
E
R
R
A
A
H
H
S
S

R
R
U
U
O
O

O
O
T
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

NORMA Group on the Capital Market

NORMA Group share outperforms benchmark indices

Research coverage at a high level

Annual Report and investor relations work win awards

GER M A N INDICES DE VELOP POSITIVELY OVER ALL

IN A VOL ATILE M AR KE T EN VIRONMENT
The global capital markets continued their volatile trend from
the previous year in 2015. They were influenced by geopolitical
events such as the terrorist attacks in Paris and the Ukraine
conflict. The ongoing Greek crisis, the slowdown in economic
growth in China and the discussion over manipulated emission
tests caused uncertainty among investors and thus market fluc-
tuations.

The DA X, which had risen to an all-time high of 12,391 points in
April, recorded major losses, especially in the third quarter of
2015, and reached its low for the year of 9,325 points in Sep-
tember. At the end of the year, the German benchmark index
was trading at 10,743 points (2014: 9,806 points) and thus rose
by 9.6% compared to last year. The benchmark index MDA X
that is of relevance to NORMA Group showed a positive overall
development from January to December 2015 despite the vola-
tile global market conditions. It closed the year at 20,775 points

and thus posted a 22.7% increase over the previous year (2014:
16,935 points). Unlike the German indices, US stock markets
ended 2015 slightly lower. The Dow Jones lost 2.2% from Jan-
uary to December while the S&P 500 closed 0.7% lower.

NOR M A GROUP SH AR E ROSE BY 2 9%
The NORMA Group SE share continued its upward trend in 2015
and once again performed better than the market. The share
closed at EUR 51.15 at the end of the year and was thus 29.0%
higher compared to the end of 2014 (EUR 39.64).

The market capitalisation of NORMA Group SE amounted to
EUR 1.63 billion on 31 December 2015. This is based on an
unchanged number of 31,862,400 shares compared to last year.
In terms of free float market capitalisation that is of relevance in
determining index membership, which has been at 100% since
2013, NORMA Group shares came in 33rd place out of 50 in the
MDA X in December 2015 (December 2014: 38th).

I N D E X- B A S E D C O M PA R I S O N O F N O R M A G R O U P ’ S S H A R E P R I C E P E R F O R M A N C E 2 0 15 W I T H T H E M D A X A N D D A X

G 0 0 2

in %

−5

−10

NORMA Group SE

MDA X

DA X

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015TR ADING VOLUME INCR E ASED
The average Xetra trading volume of the NORMA Group share
was 88,888 shares per day (2014: 73,932) in the period from
January to December 2015. The NORMA Group share thus
ranked 46th out of 50 (2014: 47th) in the MDA X in December
2015 in terms of trading volume. In terms of value, this rep-
resents an increased average trading volume per day compared
to last year of EUR 4.10 million (2014: EUR 2.80 million).

The total average number of daily traded shares was 273,943 in
2015 (2014: 199,934). Trading on the various trading platforms
can be broken down as follows:

D I S T R I B U T I O N O F T R A D I N G A C T I V I T Y I N 2 0 15

G 0 0 3

F R E E F L O AT B Y R E G I O N

in %

G 0 0 4

as of 1 February 2016

Rest of World 15

24 USA

16
France

7
Scandinavia

16 Germany

in %

United Kingdom 22

42
Block trades

33 Official

trading

VOTING RIGHT NOTIFICATIONS 2015
According to the voting right notifications received in 2015,
shares of NORMA Group designated as free floating and amount-
ing to over 3% are held by the following institutional investors:

O V E R V I E W O F V O T I N G R I G H T N O T I F I C AT I O N S

T 0 0 2

25 Alternative

trading platforms

The percentage of shares traded on the official market declined
to 33% compared to last year (2014: 41%). By contrast, the per-
centage of trading on alternative platforms increased from 21%
to 25%. The percentage of shares traded via block trades also
increased to 42% compared to last year (2014: 38%).

BROADLY DIVERSIFIED SH AR EHOLDER STRUCTUR E
The NORMA Group share has gained greater international rec-
ognition in recent years due to active investor relations work. As
a result, foreign investors have become increasingly important.
In the meantime, NORMA Group now has a regionally highly
diversified shareholder base with a huge share of international
investors mainly from the USA, the UK, France, Germany and
Scandinavia.  G 004: Free Float by Region.

At the end of the reporting year, 95.6% of NORMA Group shares
were held by institutional investors, 2.3% (2014: 2.4%) by man-
agement, and 2.1% (2014: 1.8%) by private investors. The num-
ber of private investors (excluding management) increased from
2,510 to 2,833 over the course of financial year 2015.

in %

Ameriprise Financial Inc., Minneapolis, USA

Allianz Global Investors Europe GmbH,
Frankfurt, Germany

BlackRock Inc., New York, USA

Mondrian Investment Partners, Ltd.,
London, United Kingdom

BNP Paribas Investment Partners S.A., Paris, France

The Capital Group Companies, Inc., Los Angeles, USA

BNP Paribas Asset Management SAS, Paris, France

A X A S.A., Paris, France

9.96

5.02

4.94

4.85

3.15

3.05

3.01

3.00

As of 31 December 2015. More information regarding the voting rights can be found
on page 168. All voting right notifications are published on the Company’s website
@ http://investors.normagroup.com.

2015 A NNUAL GENER AL MEE TING
The Ordinary Annual General Meeting of NORMA Group SE was
held on the premises of the Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt / Main
on 20 May 2015. 25,000,072 of the 31,862,400 shares with
voting rights, i.e. 78.47% of the share capital were represented
at the meeting. The participating shareholders resolved a divi-
dend of EUR 0.75 per share. This corresponds to a distribution
rate of 33.4% based on NORMA Group’s adjusted net profit for
the financial year of EUR 71.5 million. All items on the agenda
were approved by clear majorities. The voting results are avail-
able on the website @ http://investors.normagroup.com/hv.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

To Our ShareholdersNORMA Group on the Capital Market

DIR ECTORS’ DE ALINGS
In financial year 2015, two transactions were reported as
Directors’ Dealings. These can be found in the Corporate Gov-
ernance Report.  Corporate Governance Report, p. 34.

R ESE ARCH COVER AGE INCR E ASED
In 2015, 21 analysts from different banks and research firms
followed NORMA Group. As of 31 December 2015, there were
13 recommendations to ‘buy’ the share. Eight analysts advised
to ‘hold’ the share. The average price target was EUR 52.86 at
the end of December 2015 and thus around 28% higher than
the price target on 31 December 2014 (EUR 41.34).

A N A LY S T S C O V E R I N G N O R M A G R O U P

T 0 0 3

A N A LY S T R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S

G 0 0 5

as of 31 December 2015

Hold 8

13 Buy

Baader Bank

Bankhaus Lampe

Bankhaus Metzler

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Berenberg Bank

Commerzbank AG

Deutsche Bank AG

DZ Bank AG

equinet Bank

Exane BNP Paribas

Goldman Sachs

Hauck & Aufhäuser

HSBC

Jeffries

Kepler Cheuvreux

Macquarie

MainFirst Bank AG

NordLB

Oddo Seydler Bank AG

Steubing AG

Warburg Research GmbH

Peter Rothenaicher

Christian Ludwig

Jürgen Pieper

Sheila Weekes

Philippe Lorrain

Ingo-Martin Schachel

Tim Rokossa

Thorsten Reigber

Holger Schmidt

Gerhard Orgonas

Will Wyman

Christian Glowa

Jörg-André Finke

Peter Reilly

Hans-Joachim Heimbürger

SUSTAIN ABLE IN VESTOR R EL ATIONS ACTIVITIES
NORMA Group’s investor relations activities seek to further
increase awareness of the Company on the capital market,
strengthen long-term confidence in its share and achieve a
realistic and fair valuation. Therefore, the management and
those responsible for investor relations hold many discussions
with institutional investors, financial analysts and private share-
holders over the course of the year.

The Management Board and the Investor Relations team of
NORMA Group conducted 31 roadshows in Europe and North
America’s most important financial centres in 2015. Further-
more, NORMA Group attended the following conferences.

Christian Breitsprecher

Tobias Fahrenholz

• Commerzbank German Investment Seminar, New York
• Kepler Cheuvreux German Corporate Conference,

Frank Schwope

Frankfurt / Main

Daniel Kukalj

• Goldman Sachs European Small & Mid Cap Symposium,

Michael Bröker

London

Christian Cohrs

• Société Générale Nice Conference, Nice
• Berenberg Energy Efficiency & Construction Sector

In June 2015, Michael Bröker from Steubing AG published his
initial opinion of NORMA Group by recommending the share for
purchase and quoted a price target of EUR 58.00. In December
2015, Holger Schmidt from equinet Bank AG published his initial
assessment of NORMA Group by recommending the share for
purchase and set his price target at EUR 60.00.

Conference, Zurich

• Deutsche Bank German, Swiss & Austrian Conference,

Berlin

• Exane German Midcaps Forum, London
• Jefferies Industrials Conference, New York
• Commerzbank Sector Conference, Frankfurt / Main
• UBS Best of Germany Conference, New York
• Berenberg / Goldman Sachs German Corporate Conference,

Munich

• Baader Investment Conference, Munich
• Berenberg European Conference, Bagshot / Surrey

SERVICE FOR SH AR EHOLDERS
Shareholders and those interested can register in the investor
relations section of the Company website @ http://investors.
normagroup.com to receive the circular letter for investors from
NORMA Group. They will be informed promptly by e-mail of any
developments within the Group and automatically receive the
regular publications.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015
Furthermore, comprehensive information on the NORMA Group
share is published on the website. Besides financial reports and
presentations that can be downloaded, all important financial
market dates and details on how to reach the contact partners
can be found there. The teleconferences on the quarterly and an-
nual financial statements are recorded and offered in audio format.

NOR M A GROUP 2014 A NNUAL R EPORT

R ECEIVES NUMEROUS AWAR DS
NORMA Group’s 2014 Annual Report excelled in numerous
national and international competitions and received the fol-
lowing awards:

• L ACP Vision Award: Silver in the category

‘Other – Specialized Materials’
• The Best Annual Report 2015:
5th place in the MDA X segment

• Investors’ Darling: 4th place in the MDA X segment
• Annual Report Competition (ARC) 2015: Bronze in the
category ‘Traditional Annual Report: Connection Method’

• FOX FINANCE 2015: awarded with Honors
• GOOD DESIGN AWARD for outstanding design

K E Y F I G U R E S O F T H E N O R M A G R O U P S H A R E S I N C E T H E I P O

T 0 0 4

Closing price on 31 Dec (in EUR)

Highest price (in EUR)

Lowest price (in EUR)

MDA X level on 31 Dec

2015

51.15

53.30

38.32

2014

2013

2012

2011

8 Apr 20111

39.64

43.59

30.76

36.09

39.95

21.00

23.10

15.85

16.00

21.58

11.41

21.00 2

n / a

20,774.62

16,934.85

16,574.45

11,914.37

8,897.81

10,539.6

Number of unweighted shares as of 31 Dec

31,862,400

Market capitalisation (in EUR millions)

1,630

1,263

1,150

669

510

88,888

73,932

86,570

54,432

46,393

4.10

2.31

2.78

0.90 3

1.8

32.3

22.1

2.80

1.72

2.24

0.75

1.9

33.4

23.05

2.53

1.74

1.95

0.70

1.9

35.9

20.7

1.04

1.78

1.94

0.65

3.1

33.5

11.8

1.45

1.19

1.92

0.60

3.8

33.2

13.4

669

n / a

Average daily Xetra volume

EUR millions

Earnings per share (in EUR)

Adjusted earnings per share (in EUR)

Dividend per share (in EUR)

Dividend yield (in %)

Distribution rate (in %)

Price-earnings ratio

Selected indices

MDA X, CDA X, HDA X, Deutsche Börse Classic All Share Performance Index, Deutsche Börse Prime All
Share Performance Index, EURO STOX X Total Market Growth, S&P Global SmallCap, STOX X All Europe
Total Market Price Index, STOX X Global Total Market Price Index

1 IPO and first trading day of the NORMA Group share.
3 In accordance with the Management Board’s proposal for the appropriation of net profit, subject to approval by the Annual General Meeting on 2 June 2016.

2 Issuing price.

S H A R E P R I C E D E V E L O P M E N T S I N C E T H E I P O I N 2 0 11

G 0 0 6

in EUR

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

To Our ShareholdersNORMA Group on the Capital Market

Supervisory Board Report

COLL ABOR ATION BE T WEEN THE SUPERVISORY

BOAR D A ND THE M A N AGEMENT BOAR D
The Supervisory Board of NORMA Group SE has monitored and
advised on the activities of the Management Board in financial
year 2015 in accordance with the rules of the German Stock
Corporation Act, the German Corporate Governance Code and
NORMA Group’s Articles of Association.

The Management Board reports to the Supervisory Board
regularly in written form on a monthly basis on the business
development of NORMA Group SE and the Group and provides
a forecast for the current financial year. The development of
sales and earnings, incoming orders and order backlog are
described in detail compared to the previous year and current
targets. In addition to this monthly reporting and the Super-
visory Board meetings, the Chairman of the Management Board
and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board engaged in regular
exchanges on important topics in financial year 2015.

The Management Board began each Supervisory Board meet-
ing by reporting on the overall economic situation and sec-
tor-specific conditions. In 2015, the weakening of the global
economy and the consequent impact on NORMA Group were
key topics. The Management Board then reported on the re-
spective business performance of NORMA Group and explained
the earnings situation based on key indicators and their devel-
opment compared to the previous year and the budget. The
Management Board discussed sales and the order situation
for both the regions and the distribution channels. Accidents
at work and countermeasures that have been introduced to
improve work safety as well as quality and delivery were also
discussed at each meeting. Furthermore, the Supervisory Board
and Management Board discussed NORMA Group’s long-term
strategic orientation and current M&A projects. The Chairman of
the Audit Committee, Dr. Schug, reported to the other Supervi-
sory Board members after the meetings of the Audit Committee.

At each regular meeting of the Supervisory Board, the Man-
agement Board also presents a risk report in which the prob-
ability of occurrence and potential effects of all relevant risks
including any countermeasures are assessed. This regular risk
reporting provides the Supervisory Board with a clear picture
of which possible risks could have a negative impact on the
Company’s assets, financial and earnings position. Moreover,
compliance topics are also discussed at every Supervisory
Board meeting.

Two special issues were repeatedly discussed in 2015. Up until
the end of the year, the Management Board reported on the
respective progress made on implementing improvement mea-
sures at the plant in Auburn Hills. Based on a detailed action
plan, weaknesses were eliminated in both the area of finances
as well as operational areas, which had already been discov-
ered in the course of the audit conducted in 2014. Furthermore,
the Supervisory Board discussed the new legal regulations on
quotas for women and the targets to be set in greater detail at
the first three meetings of the year.

The Supervisory Board convened internally after each meeting
with the Management Board.

For transactions requiring approval, the Management Board
sought the decisions of the Supervisory Board well in advance
and presented the Supervisory Board with sufficiently detailed
information in written form.

Besides the regularly recurring topics, the Supervisory Board
also dealt with the following issues in financial year 2015:

Supervisory Board meeting held on 18 March 2015
in Maintal
The 2014 annual financial statements and management report
of NORMA Group SE as well as the corresponding consolidated

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015S up e r vi s o r y B o a r d Re p o r t

Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Dr. Stefan Wolf

finan cial statements and group management report present-
ed by the Management Board were discussed in detail by
the Supervisory Board with the auditors in attendance from
the engaged auditing firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers Aktien-
gesellschaft Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft (PWC). This dis-
cussion focused, among other topics, on the acquisitions of
National Diversified Sales, Inc. (NDS) and Five Star in the US,
the changes to the financing structure, the development of earn-
ings and cash flow and the further development of the internal
control system. The Chairman of the Audit Committee reported
on the detailed discussion of the financial statements at the
meeting of the Audit Committee on 17 March 2015 at which
these topics had already been discussed with the auditors and
with representatives of the Finance / Controlling departments
of NORMA Group.

The consolidated financial statements of NORMA Group SE were
prepared in accordance with section 315a of the German Com-
mercial Code (Handelsgesetzbuch, HGB) on the basis of the
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted
in the EU. The auditor issued an unqualified opinion for the 2014
annual financial statements and management report of NORMA
Group SE as well as for the consolidated financial statements
and group management report. The documents pertaining to
the financial statements, the Management Board’s proposal for
the appropriation of net profit and both auditors’ reports were
submitted to the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board
accepted the auditor’s findings and had no objections.

The Supervisory Board then approved and adopted the annual
financial statements of NORMA Group SE as well as the 2014
consolidated financial statements along with the associated
management reports. The Supervisory Board also approved
the Management Board’s recommendation on the utilisation of
unappropriated net profits and an increase in the dividend to
EUR 0.75 per ordinary share.

Subsequently, the Management Board presented a lease for a
warehouse in the US that the Supervisory Board approved. The
Management Board and Supervisory Board discussed plans for
the 2015 Annual General Meeting, in particular the proposed res-
olutions on capital measures. In addition, the Management Board
discussed the planned changes to the compliance organisation.

The Chairman explained the results of the efficiency audit pro-
vided for in the German Corporate Governance Code to the Su-
pervisory Board and discussed possible improvements with the
other members of the Supervisory Board and the Management
Board. The President of the Americas Region then introduced
himself to the Supervisory Board at the end of the meeting.

Supervisory Board meeting held on 20 May 2015
in Frankfurt / Main
The Supervisory Board meeting was held after the fourth An-
nual General Meeting of NORMA Group SE and started with a
follow-up assessment of the Annual General Meeting.

The Management Board discussed the development of an EDI
solution as part of the continued Microsoft A X implementation.
The Supervisory Board approved an insourcing project in the
US and the extension of a lease for NDS. The Management
Board reported that a supplier to a subsidiary of NORMA Group
had invoiced deliveries to the Company incorrectly and at the
Company’s expense. The Supervisory Board then dealt with
personnel issues in the US. The Supervisory and Management
Boards agreed that the major accounting firms, including PWC,
should be given the chance to bid on the audit of the financial
statements for 2016.

Supervisory Board meeting held on 18 September 2015
in Maintal
The Management Board presented its plans for NORMA Group’s
IT structures and discussed these in detail with the Supervisory

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

To Our Shareholders

Board. In connection with deliveries that were invoiced incor-
rectly, the Management Board reported on personnel measures
and other steps aimed at minimising damages. The Manage-
ment Board also reported on internal analysis of the procedure
regarding withholding taxes on intra-group licenses. The results
of this analysis should also be communicated to the tax office
accordingly. No deficits were found with the statutory audit of
compliance with EMIR rules.

Supervisory Board meeting held on 27 November 2015
in Maintal
The Management Board presented a detailed draft of the 2016
budget and planning for 2016 through 2020 as well as the as-
sumptions the planning is based on. Planning is based on ex-
ternal data on the economic development of the international
economic regions and for industries of relevance to NORMA
Group. The Supervisory Board discussed the opportunities and
risks of the anticipated market development, the assumptions
concerning the development of significant items, and each item
of planning.

The medium-term planning for the years 2017 to 2020 was then
discussed. The Audit Committee had already discussed the
budget and medium-term planning in detail with the CFO the
day before. The Supervisory Board finally approved the budget
for financial year 2016 and the medium-term planning.

The Management and Supervisory Boards discussed the further
development of NORMA Group’s strategy. It continues with the
plans that had been developed together with an external con-
sultant in 2012. The Management Board presented the results
of the tender for the audit of annual accounts. Furthermore,
it explained that NORMA Group will use Microsoft A X as its
standard ERP system. The Supervisory Board approved the
proposal to improve the contracts with banks and prematurely
terminate a cross-currency swap. The Management Board then
reported on personnel changes in the EME A region.

TOPICS OF THE AUDIT COMMIT TEE
The Audit Committee of NORMA Group convened three times
in the financial year just ended. In addition, it also held three
detailed telephone conferences. The former CFO, Dr. Othmar
Belker, who has since retired, participated in the meetings until
March 2015, the new CFO, Dr. Michael Schneider, from July
2015 on. Other participants were departmental managers of the
second management level to advise on technical issues in their
areas of responsibility, in particular Accounting & Reporting,
Treasury, Compliance and Internal Revision.

The Audit Committee discussed the main focuses, procedure
and results of the audit of the individual and consolidated
finan cial statements of NORMA Group SE with the auditors.
One focus of the work of the Audit Committee in 2015 was on
NORMA Group Good Practice Controls. These are rules that
are part of the internal control system that were bindingly intro-
duced at all NORMA Group sites in 2015. Other topics for the
Audit Committee were the quarterly reporting, budget planning

and medium-term planning. Other topics regularly discussed
included the compliance management system and current com-
pliance issues, risk management and internal revision. The Audit
Committee also discussed topics with the CFO that pertained to
the Treasury, in particular foreign currency hedging instruments
and improvements to the financing agreements, and the Com-
pany’s development in light of the targets published for 2015.
He prepared the Annual Statement on the German Corporate
Governance Code and topics for the Annual General Meeting.
He also dealt in particular with the integration of NDS, the ERP
system and the tendering of the annual audit.

In addition to the Audit Committee meetings, the Chairman of
the Audit Committee was in regular personal and telephone con-
tact with the CFO and the auditors to discuss possible areas of
emphasis for the audit of the 2015 annual financial statements.

AT TENDA NCE OF MEE TINGS A ND

CONFER ENCE CALLS, NO CONFLICTS OF INTER EST
All Supervisory Board members, Dr. Stefan Wolf (Chairman),
Lars Berg (Vice-Chairman), Günter Hauptmann, Knut Michel-
berger, Dr. Christoph Schug and Erika Schulte, participated in
all of the Supervisory Board meetings held in 2015.

All members of the Audit Committee, Dr. Christoph Schug as
the Chairman, Lars Berg and Knut Michelberger, participated in
all meetings and telephone conferences of the Audit Committee.

The General and Nomination Committee did not convene in
2015. Personnel issues, in particular the selection of the new
Chief Financial Officer, were prepared by the Chairman of the
Supervisory Board and discussed with all of its members.

There were no conflicts of interest between the members of
the Supervisory Board and the Company in financial year 2015.

INFOR M ATION ON THE AUDITOR
The 2014 annual financial statements for NORMA Group SE pre-
sented by the Management Board were audited by the auditing
firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Aktiengesellschaft Wirtschafts-
prüfungsgesellschaft along with the management report and
the corresponding consolidated financial statements and group
management report. The audit mandate was issued on 19 Oc-
tober 2015.

The auditors Dr. Ulrich Störk as well as Benjamin Hessel took
part in the Supervisory Board meeting held to formally adopt the
financial statements as well as three Audit Committee meetings
and a conference call with the Audit Committee.

APPROVAL OF THE 2015 A NNUAL

FIN A NCIAL STATEMENTS
The consolidated financial statements of NORMA Group SE
were prepared in accordance with section 315a of the German
Commercial Code (Handelsgesetzbuch, HGB) on the basis of
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted
in the EU. The auditor issued an unqualified opinion for the 2015

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015S up e r vi s o r y B o a r d Re p o r t

annual financial statements and management report of NORMA
Group SE as well as for the consolidated financial statements
and group management report. The documents pertaining to
the financial statements, the Management Board’s proposal for
the appropriation of net profit and both auditors’ reports were
submitted to the Supervisory Board. The Audit Committee and
the Supervisory Board in its entirety thoroughly examined the
reports and discussed and scrutinised them in detail together
with the auditor. The Supervisory Board accepted the auditor’s
findings and had no objections.

The Supervisory Board then approved the annual financial
statements of NORMA Group SE and the 2015 consolidated
financial statements together with their respective management
reports at its meeting on 21 March 2016. The Supervisory Board
approved the proposal on the appropriation of profits by the
Management Board. NORMA Group SE’s annual financial state-
ments are thereby adopted in accordance with section 172 of
the German Stock Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz, AktG).

DECL AR ATION OF CONFOR MIT Y WITH

THE GER M A N COR POR ATE GOVER N A NCE CODE
The Supervisory Board and Management Board dealt with the
requirements of the German Corporate Governance Code and
ratified the following Declaration on 19 February 2016: With the
exceptions mentioned in the  Corporate Governance Report,

p. 34, NORMA Group SE has complied with the recommenda-
tions of the German Corporate Governance Code as amended
on 5 May 2015, published (on 12 June 2015) by the Federal
Ministry of Justice in the official section of the Federal Gazette
(‘Bundesanzeiger’) since its last Declaration was submitted
and will continue to comply with the recommendations. The
Corporate Governance Declarations made by NORMA Group
SE are available on the Company’s website @ http://investors.
normagroup.com.

The Supervisory Board would like to thank all employees of
NORMA Group all around the world and the Management Board
for their personal efforts and successful work once again in
financial year 2015. The Supervisory Board is confident that
NORMA Group will continue to grow successfully in financial
year 2016.

Dettingen / Erms, 22 March 2016

Dr. Stefan Wolf
Chairman of the Supervisory Board

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

To Our Shareholders

Corporate Governance Report

The following is the Management Board’s Declaration of Confor-
mity in accordance with article 289a of the German Commercial
Code (Handelsgesetzbuch, HGB) and section 3.10 of the Ger-
man Corporate Governance Code. The Declaration is part of
the Consolidated Group Management Report.

The management of NORMA Group is dedicated to achieving
sustained economic success while complying with the Com-
pany’s social responsibility. Transparency, responsibility and
sustainability are the principles that determine its actions.

DECL AR ATION OF CONFOR MIT Y WITH THE

GER M A N COR POR ATE GOVER N A NCE CODE
The Supervisory Board and Management Board of NORMA
Group SE thoroughly examined which of the German Corpo-
rate Governance Code’s recommendations and suggestions
NORMA Group SE should follow and explains deviations from
the recommendations and the reasons for deviating from the
Code. The current Declaration dated 19 February 2016 as well
as all the other Declarations are published on NORMA Group’s
website. @ http://investors.normagroup.com.

The Declaration dated 19 February 2016 is presented below:

With the following exceptions, NORMA Group SE complies with
the recommendations of the German Corporate Governance
Code as amended on 5 May 2015 (published on 12 June 2015) by
the Federal Ministry of Justice in the official section of the Feder-
al Gazette (‘Bundesanzeiger’) since its last Declaration was sub-
mitted and will continue to comply with the recommendations:

1. With respect to the compensation of the members of
the Management Board, the Supervisory Board does
not take into account the compensation of the upper
management or the workforce as a whole (Section 4.2.2
para. 2 of the German Corporate Governance Code).

When determining the compensation of the Management
Board, the Supervisory Board, advised by an external ex-
pert, also took into account the compensation structure of
the Company as well as the entire NORMA Group. Due to
NORMA Group’s dynamic development, the Supervisory
Board has so far not explicitly defined the upper man-
agement or the relevant workforce and, therefore, does
not take these groups or their development over time into
account.

2. The remuneration of the Management Board is not
capped, either in total or in terms of its variable com
pensation elements (Section 4.2.3 para. 2 of the German
Corporate Governance Code).
The maximum gross option profit from the Matching Stock
Programme for the Management Board is limited in total to
a percentage of the average annual EBITA during the vesting
period; therefore, a relative maximum limit that is dependent
on the Company’s success is applied rather than a maxi-
mum monetary amount.

The maximum amount of the long-term variable remuner-
ation under the Long-Term Incentive Programme is limited
to 250% of the amount that results based on the three-year
average value of the annual EBITA or the free cash flow that
the Company has budgeted multiplied by the respective
bonus percentages set in the employment contract.

In addition, the Supervisory Board may grant in its sole
discretion a special bonus for extraordinary achievements
which is not limited by a maximum amount. The Super-
visory Board does not believe such a maximum amount to
be required because the Supervisory Board can ensure by
specifically exercising its discretion that the requirement of
adequacy under section 87 para. 1 of the German law on
stock corporations is complied with.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

C o r p o r a te G ove r n a n c e R e p o r t

3. The remuneration of the Management Board is not to be
disclosed on an individual basis (Section 4.2.5 para. 3
of the German Corporate Governance Code).
The Annual General Meeting held on 6 April 2011 resolved
not to disclose the remuneration for individual Management
Board members between 2011 and 2015. The Board is com-
mitted to upholding this resolution. For this reason, the refer-
ence tables attached to the German Corporate Governance
Code cannot be used unchanged, but rather only the individ-
ual components of remuneration each as a total sum for the
entire Management Board. Both the Management Board and
the Supervisory Board believe that this overview is sufficient
in assessing the appropriateness of the remuneration of the
Management Board.

4. Concrete objectives regarding the composition of the
Supervisory Board are not set and, therefore, are not
published in the Corporate Governance Report. There
is no regular limit of length of membership of the Super
visory Board (Section 5.4.1 para. 2 of the German Cor
porate Governance Code).
All members of the Supervisory Board will continue to com-
ply with all pertinent legislation related to Supervisory Board
proposals for new Supervisory Board members. In doing
so, the Supervisory Board takes into account the individ-
ual professional and personal qualifications of the relevant
candidates independently of their gender. According to sec-
tion 2 para. 2 of the rules of procedure of the Supervisory
Board, each member of the Supervisory Board shall have
the required knowledge, abilities and functional experience
to fulfil the duties properly and shall be sufficiently inde-
pendent. The tenure of a Supervisory Board member shall
not be extended beyond his or her 70th birthday; a regular
limit of length of membership of the Supervisory Board does
not exist. Section 2 para. 3 of the rules of procedure of the
Super visory Board provides for further principles which shall
be taken into account in the Supervisory Board’s proposals
for the election of the Supervisory Board by the general
shareholders’ meeting. These principles comprise, amongst
others, a maximum number of positions in other listed com-
panies and of former members of the Management Board
within the Supervisory Board as well as the requirements
of independence. In addition, attention shall be paid to the
international activities of the Company and diversity.

Taking into account the size of the Supervisory Board with
only six members, the Supervisory Board does not believe
the definition of additional concrete objectives for its com-
position to be appropriate.

5. During the transformation of NORMA Group AG into an
SE , the members of the Supervisory Board were not
chosen in a separate election (Section 5.4.3 of the Ger
man Corporate Governance Code).
All members of the first Supervisory Board of NORMA Group
SE were elected as part of the transformation pursuant to
article 40 para. 2 2nd sentence SE VO in accordance with

the Articles of Association to ensure that the resolution on
the election of the members of the Supervisory Board could
not be challenged separately. Otherwise, the risk could not
be ruled out that the Company would have no Supervisory
Board or that the board would have an insufficient number of
members after the transformation was entered in the com-
mercial register.

ALLOCATION OF COMPE TENCES BE T WEEN THE

M A N AGEMENT A ND THE SUPERVISORY BOAR D
NORMA Group SE uses the same type of dual management
system that German stock corporations use. Here, the Super-
visory and Management Boards are separate bodies. They have
different functions and powers. The Management Board man-
ages the Company under its own responsibility. The Supervisory
Board appoints, advises, monitors and dismisses members of
the Management Board.

The Management Board provides the Supervisory Board with
regular updates about its business policies, the business devel-
opment, the position of the Company and any transactions that
could have a significant impact on profitability or liquidity. The
Management Board reports the key figures of the Group and
the current course of business to the Supervisory Board on a
monthly basis, in particular with regard to the published state-
ments on the expected development of the Company. Based on
the written documents that were submitted to the Supervisory
Board in advance, the members of the Management Board re-
port in great detail on business developments and provide an
outlook on the expected future development of NORMA Group
at the Supervisory Board meetings. Other recurring topics at all
meetings include the monthly and quarterly figures, risk analysis
and measures aimed at minimising any risks that had been de-
tected, reports by the respective Committee Chairmen on the
previous meetings held and strategic projects. All Management
Board members participate in the Supervisory Board meetings.
The Supervisory Board convenes separately after meeting with
the Management Board.

The Chairman of the Supervisory Board and the Chairman of
the Management Board coordinate the collaboration of the two
boards. They also stay in regular contact between Super visory
Board meetings and discuss current corporate governance issues.

In accordance with the by-laws of the Management Board and
NORMA Group’s Articles of Association, the Supervisory Board
must approve certain important transactions before they can
be executed by the Management Board and the Company’s
employees. This applies not only for measures at NORMA Group
SE, but also for measures at its subsidiaries. In order to ensure
that the Management Board is promptly informed of corre-
sponding matters involving subsidiaries so that it can request
the approval of the Supervisory Board, a hierarchical system of
approval requirements organised by functional areas, levels of
responsibility and countries applies worldwide at NORMA Group.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

To Our Shareholders

M A N AGEMENT BOAR D A ND R EGION AL M A N AGEMENT
The Management Board of NORMA Group SE is composed of
four members: Werner Deggim (Chief Executive Officer), Bernd
Kleinhens (Managing Director Business Development), Dr.
Michael Schneider (CFO), and John Stephenson (Chief Operat-
ing Officer). The Chief Executive Officer also heads the Corpo-
rate Responsibility initiative of NORMA Group and is responsible
for the topics Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), in-
sofar as this does not concern individual issues, especially on
the environment. Chief Operations Officer, Mr. Stephenson, is
responsible for these matters.

The former CFO, Dr. Othmar Belker, left the Company at the
end of his employment contract at the end of the first quarter
of 2015. During the transition period, the Chief Executive Officer
took over the duties of CFO until Dr. Michael Schneider took
office on 1 July 2015.

The allocation of responsibilities and internal order of the Man-
agement Board are based on relevant legislation, NORMA Group
SE’s Articles of Association and the Management Board by-laws
enacted by the Supervisory Board as well as the internal guide-
lines, including the compliance documents and the business
allocation plan.

The Supervisory Board must approve of any transactions be-
tween NORMA Group companies on the one hand and a mem-
ber of the Management Board, related parties or businesses
on the other hand. No such transactions took place in 2015.

The Supervisory Board must also approve of any secondary ac-
tivities by a member of the Management Board. For instance, it
has agreed that the CFO, Dr. Schneider, is still a member of the
Supervisory Board of Leitwerk AG, Appenweier, and the Super-
visory Board of accuris AG, Munich. The remaining members of
the Management Board do not have any secondary activities
that are subject to approval.

Local Presidents in the three regions EMEA, Americas and APAC
are responsible for carrying out business on a daily basis. These
three Presidents report directly to the CEO. The entire Man-
agement Board of NORMA Group SE meets at least once a
year with the Presidents and their managers at the local head-
quarters – Singapore for the Asia-Pacific region, Auburn Hills,
Michigan, for the Americas, and Maintal for the EMEA region. In
addition, individual members of the Management Board meet
regularly with the local teams. The managers at NORMA Group
work in a matrix structure in which they have both a disciplinary
as well as a technical supervisor.

In general, Management Board resolutions are passed by simple
majority. The Chairman has the deciding vote if the vote is tied.
However, the members of the Management Board are obliged
to make an effort to reach unanimous decisions. If a member
of the Management Board cannot participate in a vote, his vote
will be obtained at a later date. The entire Management Board
is responsible with matters of particular importance. In accor-
dance with the Management Board by-laws, these include the
following matters: producing the Management Board reports
for the purpose of informing the Supervisory Board and the
quarterly and half-yearly reports, fundamental organisational
measures, including the acquisition or disposal of significant
parts of companies and strategic and business planning issues,
measures related to the implementation and supervision of a
monitoring system pursuant to section 91 (2) of the German
Stock Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz, AktG), issuing the Decla-
ration of Conformity pursuant to section 161 (1) AktG, preparing
the consolidated and annual financial statements and similar
reports, convening the Annual General Meeting and inquiries
and recommendations by the Management Board that are to
be handled and resolved by the Annual General Meeting. In
addition, every Management Board member may request that
a specific issue be dealt with by the entire Management Board.
The Management Board did not form any committees. Board
meetings are usually held once a month. In addition, the Board
meets regularly at least once a month along with other execu-
tives of the Group.

Every Board member is obliged to inform the Supervisory Board
immediately, but also the other members of the Management
Board, of any conflicts of interest. No such conflicts of interest
arose for a Board member in 2015.

SUPERVISORY BOAR D
The Supervisory Board of NORMA Group SE is comprised of
the following six members:

• Dr. Stefan Wolf (Chairman of the Supervisory Board)
• Lars M. Berg (Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board)
• Dr. Christoph Schug
• Günter Hauptmann
• Knut J. Michelberger
• Erika Schulte

They are all representatives of the shareholders, in other words
elected by the Annual General Meeting. NORMA Group SE is
not a codetermined Company; therefore worker representatives
are not represented on its Supervisory Board.

All members of the Supervisory Board are independent as
defined in section 5.4.2 of the German Corporate Governance
Code. No Supervisory Board member has ever served as a
member of the Management Board of NORMA Group SE or
been a member of management of any of its predecessor
companies.

Five of the six members of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Wolf,
Mr. Berg, Mr. Hauptmann, Mr. Michelberger and Dr. Schug,
have been members of the Supervisory Board since 2011. Mrs.
Schulte has been a member of the Supervisory Board since
2012. The term of all members of the Supervisory Board began
in 2013 and lasts until the Annual General Meeting that resolves
on discharging the Supervisory Board for the fourth financial
year after commencement of the term (the 2013 financial year in
which the term began is not counted) at the very longest and no

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015C o r p o r a te G ove r n a n c e R e p o r t

later than six years after officially taking office. This is expected
to be until the 2018 Annual General Meeting, 2019 at the latest.

All members of the Supervisory Board are obligated to report
any conflicts of interest. No such conflicts of interest arose in
2015. Furthermore, no member of the Supervisory Board exer-
cised an executive function or served as a consultant for a major
competitor of NORMA Group. No consulting or other service
contracts were concluded between any NORMA Group com-
panies and a member of the Supervisory Board.

In financial year 2015, the Supervisory Board of NORMA Group
convened for four regular meetings. All members of the Super-
visory Board and the Management Board took part in these
meetings.

The Chairman of the Supervisory Board represents the Supervi-
sory Board externally. He organises the work of the Supervisory
Board and chairs its meetings. The Supervisory Board can pass
resolutions by simple majority, whereby the Chairman has the
deciding vote if a vote is tied.

The Supervisory Board formed two committees: the Audit Com-
mittee and the General and Nomination Committee.

The Audit Committee deals in particular with monitoring the
accounting process and the effectiveness of the internal control
and risk management systems as well as the audit of the annual
financial statements, in particular through the independence
of the auditor, the additional services rendered by the auditor,
engaging the auditor, determining areas of audit emphasis and
agreeing to the auditor’s fees. The Audit Committee accom-
panies the collaboration between NORMA Group SE and the
auditors and ensures that opportunities for improvement identi-
fied during the audit are promptly implemented. It is responsible
for preparing the accounting documents and adopting the Su-
pervisory Board’s resolution on the consolidated and separate
financial statements. Moreover, it is responsible for compliance
and reviews the compliance with statutory provisions and the
internal guidelines.

The Chairman of the Audit Committee is Dr. Christoph Schug
and the other members are Lars M. Berg and Knut J. Michel-
berger. The members of the Audit Committee have special
knowledge and experience in the application of accounting pol-
icies and internal control processes due, in particular, to their
many years of work as either a Chief Financial Officer, a man-
aging director or a consultant. They are independent financial
experts within the meaning of section 100 (5) AktG. The Audit
Committee of NORMA Group convened three times in financial
year 2015 and held three telephone conferences.

The General and Nomination Committee prepares personnel-
related decisions for the Supervisory Board. This committee
has the following specific responsibilities: preparing Super-
visory Board resolutions regarding the formation, amendment
and termination of employment contracts with members of

the Management Board in accordance with the remuneration
system approved by the Supervisory Board, preparing Super-
visory Board resolutions regarding legal applications to reduce
the remuneration of a Management Board member pursuant
to section 87 (2) AktG, preparing Supervisory Board resolu-
tions regarding the structure of the remuneration system for the
Management Board, acting as representatives of the Company
to Management Board members who have left the Company
pursuant to section 112 AktG, approving secondary employ-
ment and external activities for Management Board members
pursuant to section 88 AktG, granting loans to the persons
specified in section 89 AktG (loans to members of the Manage-
ment Board) and section 115 AktG (loans to members of the
Supervisory Board), approving contracts with members of the
Supervisory Board pursuant to section 114 AktG and propos-
ing suitable candidates to the Annual General Meeting when
there is a vote on Supervisory Board members. In 2015, the
Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Stefan Wolf, served as
the Chairman of the General and Nomination Committee and
its other members were Dr. Christoph Schug and Lars M. Berg.
No formal meeting of the General and Nomination Committee
was held in 2015.

SH AR EHOLDERS A ND A NNUAL GENER AL MEE TING
The shareholders of a Societas Europaea decide on the Com-
pany’s important and fundamental matters. The shareholders
exercise their voting rights at the Annual General Meeting, which
takes place at least once every year. The Annual General Meet-
ing resolves among other topics on how earnings are to be
distributed, the formal approval of the Management Board and
the Supervisory Board, the selection of the auditor, but also on
amendments to the Articles of Association.

Shareholders are entitled to vote if they are registered in the
shareholders’ register of NORMA Group SE and provide NORMA
Group SE or another location specified in the invitation with
written notice, in German or English, at least six days before the
Annual General Meeting that they will be attending. Each share
entitles the bearer to one vote.

NORMA Group SE publishes the invitation and all documents
that are to be made available at the Annual General Meeting
promptly on its website. Information regarding the number of at-
tendees and the voting results are published there following the
Annual General Meeting. @ http://investors.normagroup.com/hv.

SH AR EHOLDINGS OF THE M A N AGEMENT BOAR D A ND

SUPERVISORY BOAR D
On 31 December 2015, the Management Board and the
Supervisory Board jointly held 730,904 (2.3%) of the total
31,862,400 shares of N O R M A Group S E. Members of the
Supervisory Board held 87,083 (0.3%), and members of the
Management Board 643,821 (2.0%). No member of the Man-
agement Board held more than 1% of the shares in NORMA
Group SE. Most of these shares were acquired prior to the ini-
tial public offering in 2011 when interest in the former NORMA
Group GmbH was transformed into NORMA Group AG shares.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

To Our Shareholders

Therefore, these acquisitions were never published as Direc-
tors’ Dealings.

DIR ECTORS’ DE ALINGS
According to section 15a of the German Securities Trading Act
(Wertpapierhandelsgesetz, WpHG), members of the Manage-
ment Board and the Supervisory Board and related parties are
obliged to disclose Directors’ Dealings in NORMA Group SE
shares if the value of these transactions reaches or exceeds
EUR 5,000 within a calendar year.

The following transactions were reported in connection with
Directors’ Dealings in 2015:

D I R E C T O R S ’ D E A L I N G S

T 0 0 5

Buyer / seller

Type of transaction

Date of transaction

Price per share in EUR

Number of shares

Total value in EUR

Bernd Kleinhens

Sale

13 August 2015

14 August 2015

46.06

13,553

46.09

797

624,251.18

36,733.73

OTHER M A NDATES IN M A N AGEMENT BOAR DS OF

LISTED COMPA NIES OR SUPERVISORY BODIES
Exercised professions and other mandates on Supervisory
Boards or compared Supervisory Bodies of the members of
NORMA Group’s Supervisory Board in financial year 2015, are
shown in  table 006.

TARGE TS FOR THE SH AR E OF WOMEN
According to the statutory requirements introduced in 2015,
the Supervisory Board of NORMA Group SE has set targets
for the proportion of women for the Supervisory Board and the
Management Board respectively the Management Board for the
management level of NORMA Group SE below the Management
Board as well as a time limit for implementing them.

There is no need for the Supervisory Board of NORMA Group
SE to be occupied by one-third women. The legal provisions
for mandatory women quotas apply only to companies that
are listed and codetermined. NORMA Group SE is listed, but
not codetermined. The members of the Supervisory Board
of NORMA Group SE are elected solely by the shareholders;
Employee representatives are not represented on the Super-
visory Board.

STOCK OP TION PL A NS A ND

EQUIT Y BASED INCENTIVE PROGR A MMES
The principles of the management remuneration are described
in the remuneration report which is also part of the management
report.  Remuneration Report, p. 90.

In financial year 2013, a Long-Term Incentive Programme (LTI)
was launched for the second management level, which involves
the employees participating in NORMA Group’s success over
the medium term.

In setting the target values for the Supervisory Board and the
Management Board, the Supervisory Board bases its decisions
on the remaining term of office of the Supervisory Board and
the terms of the Management Board member’s contracts of
employment. The latest deadline for implementation of the tar-
gets that are to be set for the first time is 30 June 2017. The
term of office of all Supervisory Board members and the terms
of Management Board members end after this date. For this
reason, the proportion of women cannot be expected to change
before this date. Accordingly, the current status quo has been

O T H E R M A N D AT E S O F T H E S U P E R V I S O R Y B O A R D M E M B E R S

T 0 0 6

Supervisory Board member, exercised office Other mandates on Supervisory Boards and comparable committees

Dr. Stefan Wolf,
Chairman of the Management Board (CEO)
of ElringKlinger AG

Lars Berg,
Consultant to various companies in the fields
of telecommunications, media and finances

Member of the Supervisory Board of Allgaier Werke GmbH, Uhingen, Germany

Member of the Supervisory Board of Fielmann AG, Hamburg, Germany (up until 9 July 2015)

Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Net Insight AB, Stockholm, Sweden

Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Greater Than AB, Stockholm, Sweden (since 5 February 2016)

Member of the Supervisory Board of BioElectric Solutions AB, Stockholm, Sweden

Member of the Supervisory Board of OnePhone Holding AB, Stockholm, Sweden (up until 23 September 2015)

Günter Hauptmann,
Consultant

Member of the Supervisory Board of Geka GmbH, Bechhofen, Germany

Chairman of the Advisory Board of GIF GmbH, Alsdorf, Germany

Knut J. Michelberger,
Member of the Management Board of
Kaffee-Partner-Holding GmbH and its
subsidiaries

Dr. Christoph Schug,
Entrepreneur

Erika Schulte,
Managing Director of Hanau Wirtschafts-
förderung GmbH and Liquidator of Techno-
logie- und Gründerzentrum Hanau GmbH

Member of the Supervisory Board of Rena Technologies GmbH, Gütenbach, Germany

Member of the Board of Directors of AMEOS Gruppe AG, Zurich, Switzerland

Member of the Supervisory Board of BCG Baden-Baden Cosmetics Group AG, Baden-Baden, Germany
(up until the end of May 2015)

No seats on other boards or comparable committees

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015C o r p o r a te G ove r n a n c e R e p o r t

set as the target for the Supervisory Board and the Manage-
ment Board until 30 June 2017. The Supervisory Board currently
has a female member; therefore the target for the proportion of
women is one female member out of the six members in total.
The Management Board is currently composed exclusively of
men. Therefore, the target for the proportion of women on the
Management Board remains zero.

At NORMA Group SE, ten out of the 17 employees who partici-
pated in the decision to define the targets and the reporting date
in September 2015 were women. Of the total of four people,
who form the first management level below the Management
Board, two are women. NORMA Group SE has only one layer
of management below the Management Board. It includes all
persons who report directly to the Management Board and have
management responsibilities towards employees. There is no
second management level, for which the Management Board
would have also had to set targets.

Given the current female representation of 50%, the Management
Board has set the target for the proportion of women in the first
management level below the Management Board that is to be
met by 30 June 2017 at at least 25% or one woman. No reduc-
tion in the proportion of women is intended, nor is it to be ruled
out that the percentage of women will increase compared to the
current share. The Management Board has in its opinion proven
with the current filling of management positions that it has suc-
ceeded and should be able to continue to recruit qualified wom-
en for leadership positions at NORMA Group SE in the future.

At NORMA Group, targets for the management, the Supervisory
Board and the top two levels of management were also set for
another company, NORMA Germany GmbH. This company is
not listed, but codetermined.

COMPLIA NCE
NORMA Group’s compliance organisation seeks to prevent
violations of laws and other rules, in particular through preven-
tive measures. Nevertheless, if there is evidence of violations,
these matters will be investigated promptly and thoroughly and
the necessary consequences will be taken. Findings will be
used to take steps to reduce the risk of future violations.

The Group-wide compliance activities are headed by the Chief
Compliance Officer of NORMA Group. He works for NORMA
Group SE and reports directly to the CEO. To further profes-
sionalise the compliance programme, NORMA Group bolstered
its existing central compliance organisation in 2015 by hiring
additional personnel. Besides the existing compliance depart-
ment at Group level, there are Compliance Officers at the level
of the regions and the individual companies. For instance, the
three regional Compliance Officers of the EME A, Americas and
Asia-Pacific regions report to the Chief Compliance Officer. Fi-
nally, each operational Group company has its own Compliance
Officer, who reports to the respective Regional Compliance
Officer. The Supervisory Board monitors compliance with the
compliance rules by the Management Board.

The compliance organisation performs risk analysis together
with the relevant functions and departments in order to deter-
mine and monitor the risk profile of countries, subsidiaries and
functions. On the basis of this, it identifies the respective need
to take action and initiates corresponding measures. It performs
specific staff training at selected risk areas. In addition, all em-
ployees are trained on the basic compliance rules on location
worldwide in personal training or online training. Employees
receive important current compliance information on a regular
basis on the intranet page, through the employee newsletter
and in the form of notices.

The compliance guidelines of NORMA Group are an important
means of demonstrating to employees their ethical and legal obli-
gations. The central compliance documents, the Code of Conduct
and the two fundamental guidelines ‘Conflicts of interest’ and
‘Anti-corruption’ are binding for all employees of NORMA Group.
A separate Code of Conduct applies for suppliers. It should help
to ensure that laws and ethical rules are respected within the
supply chain of NORMA Group. The compliance documents are
reviewed on a regular basis and adapted to changes in legal or
social requirements if necessary and thus always kept up to date.

NORMA Group encourages its employees to report breaches of
regulations and internal policies for all hierarchies. In 2015, the
existing reporting procedures were further professionalised and
an Internet-based whistleblower system was introduced. It en-
ables internal and external whistleblowers to report suspicious
cases. The members of the compliance organisation always
follow up on references to compliance violations. If violations of
compliance rules are discovered or weaknesses in the organ-
isation are identified, management takes the necessary action
promptly in cooperation with the compliance organisation. De-
pending on the actual case, these measures range from tar geted
additional training and changes in organisational pro cesses
to disciplinary means, including termination of employment.

INFOR M ATION ON THE AUDITOR A ND ROTATION
PricewaterhouseCoopers Aktiengesellschaft Wirtschaftsprü-
fungsgesellschaft, Frankfurt / Main, audited the financial state-
ments of NORMA Group SE / NORMA Group AG as well as the
consolidated financial statements for the financial years 2011
to 2015. Dr. Ulrich Störk held the office of the left undersigned
auditor in each case. Furthermore, PWC retroactively audited
the years 2009 and 2010 for the prospectus under his guidance
as part of the IPO in 2011. If PWC is again proposed to the
Annual General Meeting as auditor and elected by it, NORMA
Group has already discussed with PWC that the position of
the left undersigned auditor needs to be reassigned to ensure
independence. The right undersigned auditor Benjamin Hessel
held that position since the audit of financial year 2012.

To ensure the independence of the auditor, all services world-
wide that are to be rendered by a company that belongs to PWC
to a NORMA Group company must first be approved by the Man-
agement Board of NORMA Group SE. The Board only agrees if
there is a compelling content-related reference to the final audit.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

To Our Shareholders

MEXICO
Mexico is on its way to becoming
the manufacturing hub of the western
car world. Over five million vehicles
per year will be manufactured here
by 2018. NORMA Group has been
suc cessfully active in this country since
2008 through its subsidiary NORMA
Mexico.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

170

B R E E Z E H E A V Y D U T Y T B O L T H O S E C L A M P

The Breeze Heavy Duty T-Bolt Hose Clamp is also manufactured for the Mexican EJT
market, among other purposes. It is intended for use in areas where other hose clamps would
not do the job. Typical applications include air intake systems, charge air hose
connections and a variety of hose and pipe joints. It can be supplied in different materials
and in Quick Connect or Quick Release latch styles.

Mexico is the world’s fourth largest car importer.
All major car manufacturers have already set up
operations here or are planning to start production
in the next few years. NORMA Group has also
been present here with two production sites. From
Juarez and Monterrey, NORMA Group customers
in the automobile and commercial vehicle industries
are supplied with high-quality joining products
such as fluid systems and hose and profile clamps.

170

M I L L I O N T O N S

That is the volume of CO 2 emissions that Mexico wants to avoid by 2030
in order to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by about a quarter.
This goal is to be achieved mainly by adopting new emission standards.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 5

46
Principles of the Group

75
Forecast Report

46 Business Model
46 Organisational Structure
47 Products and End Markets
48 Unique Selling Propositions and Competitive Situation
49 Economic and Legal Factors of Influence
50 Goals and Strategy
52 Control System and Control Parameters
54 Research and Development

75 General Economic and Industry-Specific Conditions
77 Future Development of NORMA Group
79 General Statement by the Management Board

on the Probable Development

80
Risk and Opportunity Report

56
Economic Report

56 General Economic and Industry-Specific Conditions
58 Significant Developments in 2015
58 Actual Business Development Compared to Forecast
59 General Statement by the Management Board on the

Course of Business and Economic Situation

59 Earnings, Assets and Financial Position
64 Segment Reporting
66 Sustainable Value Creation
66 Production and Logistics
68 Quality Management
68 Purchasing and Supplier Management
70 Employees
73 Environmental Protection and Ecological Management
74 Marketing

80 Risk and Opportunity Management System
81 Internal Control and Risk Management System with

Regard to the Group Accounting Process
82 Risk and Opportunity Profile of NORMA Group
89 Assessment of the Overall Profile of Risks and
Opportunities by the Management Board

90
Remuneration Report

90 Remuneration of the Management Board
93 Remuneration of the Supervisory Board

94
Other Legally Required Disclosures

75
Supplementary Report

97
Report on Transactions with Related Parties

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
T
R
R
O
O
P
P
E
E
R
R

T
T
N
N
E
E
M
M
E
E
G
G
A
A
N
N
A
A
M
M

D
D
E
E
T
T
A
A
D
D

I
I

L
L
O
O
S
S
N
N
O
O
C
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report 2015

Principles of the Group

BUSINES S MODEL
NORMA Group is an international market and technology leader
in the area of advanced engineered joining and mounting tech-
nology. With its 22 production sites and numerous sales offices,
the Group has a global network with which it supplies more than
10,000 customers in over 100 countries. NORMA Group’s pro-
duct portfolio includes approximately 35,000 high-quality joining
products and solutions in the three product categories clamps
(CL AMP), joining elements (CONNECT) and fluid systems / con-
nectors (FLUID). The products NORMA Group offers are used
across industries in a wide range of applications, whereby the
product specifications differ depending on the application and
customer requirements.

High customer satisfaction forms the foundation of NORMA
Group’s continued success. The main factors here are the cus-
tomised system solutions, the global availability of products in
consistently high quality and delivery reliability.

By opening new plants and competence centres and making
strategic acquisitions, NORMA Group has succeeded in ex-
panding its international presence quite significantly in recent
years while optimising its distribution channels and intensifying
its cooperation with local customers.

ORG A NISATION AL STRUCTUR E

Corporate legal structure
NORMA Group SE is the parent company of NORMA Group. It
has its headquarters in Maintal near Frankfurt / Main, Ger many.
NORMA Group SE serves as the formal legal holding of the
Group. It is responsible for the strategic management of business
activities. In addition, it is also responsible for communicating
with the Company’s most important target audiences as well as
for the Internal Revision.

Group-wide functional management responsibilities such as
Group Accounting and Group Controlling, IT, and Treasury,
are all based at the subsidiary NORMA Group Holding GmbH.
Three regional management teams located in Auburn Hills, USA,
Maintal, Germany, and Singapore steer the specific business
activities in the regions. This is how the Company ensures that
subsidiaries are able to concentrate solely on everyday business.

As of 31 December 2015, NORMA Group SE holds shares in
44 companies that belong to NORMA Group either directly or
indirectly and are fully consolidated.  Notes, p. 125.

Changes of legal structure
To reduce the complexity of its structures and costs, NORMA
Group always strives to simplify its corporate structure while
maintaining its focus on customer service. For this reason, the
following corporate changes were made in 2015: The liquidation
of Nordic Metalblok S.r.l which started in 2014 was completed
at the end of 2015. Furthermore, the company Chien Jin Plastic
Sdn. Bhd., which is located in Malaysia, was renamed NORMA
Products Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. The corporate changes mentioned
will have no impact on the operational business.

Group management
NORMA Group SE has a dual management system that con-
sists of a Management Board and a Supervisory Board. The
Management Board comprised of four members, manages the
Company under its own responsibility, while the Supervisory
Board advises and monitors the Management Board. The Su-
pervisory Board consists of six members who have been elect-
ed by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting. Detailed
information on the composition of the Management Board and
the Super visory Board, as well as the distribution of responsi-
bilities among themselves, can be found in the Corporate Gov-
ernance Report, which forms part of the Management Report.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015N O R M A G R O U P ( S I M P L I F I E D S T R U C T U R E ) 1

G 0 0 7

NORMA Group SE

NORMA Group Holding
(Germany)

NORMA Pennsylvania
(USA)

NORMA Group APAC Holding
(Singapore)

Craig Assembly
(USA)

NORMA
Michigan (USA)

R.G.R AY
(USA)

NORMA Group
Mexico

National
Diversified Sales
(USA)

NORMA DS
Mexico

NORMA
Singapore

NORMA
Australia

Guyco
(Australia)

NORMA
Brazil

NORMA LLC
(USA)

NORMA Products
Malaysia

NORMA
Thailand

NORMA EJT
(China)

NORMA
Korea

NORMA
Japan

NORMA
India

NORMA
Serbia

NORMA
Poland

NORMA
Czech

NORMA
Turkey

NORMA
Spain

NORMA
UK

NORMA
Russia

NORMA
Germany

Groen BV
(The Netherlands)

NORMA
Netherlands

NORMA
Italy

NORMA
France

NORMA
Sweden

Connectors
Verbindungs-
technik AG (CH)

NORMA
China 2

1 A list of the Group companies and NORMA Group’s shareholdings as of 31 December 2015 can be found in the  Notes on page 126.
2 NORMA China is organisationally assigned to the APAC segment. In terms of company law, it belongs to NORMA Group Holding GmbH.

The Statement of Corporate Governance pursuant to section
289a HGB, including the Declaration of Conformity pursuant
to section 161 AktG, a description of the procedures of the
Management Board and the Supervisory Board, and relevant
information on corporate governance practices, is also part of
the Corporate Governance Report.  Corporate Governance
Report, p. 34. The curriculum vitae of the Supervisory and Man-
agement Board members are published on NORMA Group’s
website. @ http://investors.normagroup.com.

Operative segmentation by regions
NORMA Group’s strategy is based, among other considerations,
on regional growth targets. In order to achieve these, the op-
erative business is managed by the three regional segments
EM E A (Europe, Middle East and Africa), the Americas and
Asia-Pacific (APAC). All three regions have networked regional
and cross-company organisations with different functions. The
internal Group reporting and control system that Management
uses is also therefore quite regional in nature. The distribution
service is based on regional and local priorities.

PRODUCTS A ND END M AR KE TS

Product portfolio
The products that NORMA Group offers can for the most part be
divided into the three product categories clamps (CL AMP), join-
ing elements (CONNECT) and fluid systems / connectors (FLUID).

The clamp products (CL AMP) are manufactured from unalloyed
steels or stainless steel and are generally used to join or seal
elastomer hoses.

The connection products (CONNECT) include connectors made
of unalloyed steels or stainless steel that are partly equipped
with elastomer or metal seals and are used as the joining and
sealing elements of metal and thermoplastic pipes.

FLUID products are either single or multiple layer thermoplastic
plug-in connectors for liquid systems that reduce installation
times, ensure reliable flow of liquids or gases and occasion-
ally replace conventional products such as elastomer hoses.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management ReportPrinciples of the Group

O R G A N I S AT I O N A L S T R U C T U R E O F N O R M A G R O U P

G 0 0 8

NORMA Group SE

PARENT COMPANY

UNDER COMPANY L AW

EME A

Americas

Asia-Pacific

SEGMENTS

Engineered Joining Technology (EJT)

Distribution Services (DS)

DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

In addition, the FLUID division’s product range includes solu-
tions for applications in the sectors of storm water management
and landscape irrigation, but also joining components for infra-
structure solutions in the area of water.

NORMA Group’s advanced engineered joining technology is
used in all applications in which pipelines, tubes and other
systems need to be connected together. Because joining tech-
nology plays a role in nearly all industries, NORMA Group serves
many different end markets. Besides the automotive, commercial
vehicle, and aviation industry, NORMA Group is also active in
the construction industry, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
fields, agriculture and the drinking water supply and irrigation
industry. NORMA Group products are also used in consumer
products such as home appliances.

Two complementary distribution channels
NORMA Group supplies its customers via two different sales
channels:

• Engineered Joining Technology – EJT and
• Distribution Services – DS.

The two distribution channels differ in terms of the degree of
specification of the products, while having intersections in pro-
duction and development that enable cost benefits and ensure
quality assurance.

The area of EJT includes sophisticated, individually customised
joining technology and is particularly characterised by close de-
velopment partnerships with OEMs (original equipment manu-
facturers). NORMA Group’s central development departments and
resident engineers work together with the customer on develop-
ing solutions for specific industrial challenges. Due to the constant
proximity to customers in the area of EJT, NORMA Group’s engi-
neers gain comprehensive knowledge and a deep understand-
ing of the various challenges their end markets and customers
face. Such development partnerships result in high-technology
products that are designed not only to meet the needs of cus-
tomers with respect to efficiency and performance, but that also
take aspects such as weight reduction and quick installation into
consideration. As a result, they generate substantial added value
for the customers and contribute to their economic success.

S A L E S B Y E N D M A R K E T S I N 2 0 15
( P R O F O R M A 2 0 14 * )

in %

19 (18)
Water Management

G 0 0 9

2014 in brackets

26 (25)
Industrial Suppliers

DS
39 (42)

EJT
61 (58)

20 (24)
Distributors

8 (8)
Commercial Vehicle OEMs

27 (25)
Passenger Vehicle OEMs

* In order to facilitate comparison, the previous year’s figures include NDS sales for the

full year 2014.

Via its Distribution Services (DS), NORMA Group markets a
broad range of high-quality, standardised brand products. In
addition to its own global distribution network, the Company
also relies on multipliers such as sales representatives, retailers
and importers. Its customers include, among others, distribu-
tors, specialised wholesalers, OEM customers in the aftermarket
segment, do-it-yourself stores and small application industries.
The brands ABA ®, Breeze®, Clamp-All®, CONNECTORS ®, FISH ®,
Five Star®, Gemi®, NDS ®, NORMA ®, R.G.RAY®, Serflex®, TERRY®
and TORCA ® exemplify technological know-how, high quality
and reliability and meet the technical standards of the countries
in which they are sold.

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITIONS

A ND COMPE TITIVE SITUATION

Economies of scale and synergies
By combining expertise in developing customised solutions
for industrial customers (EJT) and providing high-quality stan-
dard brand products through global distribution (DS), NORMA
Group is not only able to realise cross-selling effects, but also
many synergies in the areas of production, logistics and sales.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015O V E R V I E W O F E N D M A R K E T S A N D B R A N D S B Y S E G M E N T

T 0 0 7

Segment

Main product categories

Distribution channels End markets

Brands

CL AMP
CONNECT
FLUID

EME A

Americas

Asia-Pacific

EJT
DS

Industrial suppliers, Passenger vehicle OEMs,
Distributors, Commercial vehicle OEMs,
Pharma / Biotechnology, Water management

ABA ®, CONNECTORS ®, Gemi®,
NORMA ®, Serflex®, TERRY®

Industrial suppliers, Passenger vehicle OEMs,
Distributors, Commercial vehicle OEMs,
Pharma / Biotechnology, Water management

ABA ®, Breeze®, Clamp-All®,
CONNECTORS ®, Five Star®, Gemi®,
NDS ®, NORMA ®, R.G.R AY®, TORCA ®

Industrial suppliers, Passenger vehicle OEMs,
Distributors, Commercial vehicle OEMs,
Pharma / Biotechnology, Water management

ABA ®, Breeze®, CONNECTORS ®,
FISH ®, Gemi®, NORMA ®

In addition, the Company benefits from significant economies of
scale and scope due to the broad variety of its product offerings
and high quantities and therefore differentiates itself clearly from
smaller, usually more specialised competitors.

Broad diversification with respect to products
With its products, NORMA Group provides solutions for numer-
ous industrial applications. Its expertise covers metal-based
connection solutions and products (CL AMP and CONNECT) as
well as thermoplastic materials (FLUID). Thanks to the unique
combination of expertise in both metal and plastics processing
and the broad diversification of its product portfolio, NORMA
Group can offer its customers a wide range of solutions to dif-
ferent problems from a single source.

Competitive environment
In the area of Engineered Joining Technology, NORMA Group
operates in a highly fragmented market, which is character-
ised by a very heterogeneous structure due to the abundance
of specialised industrial companies. With its diversified prod-
uct portfolio and international business alignment, however,
NORMA Group stands out from its mostly only regionally active
competitors.

Furthermore, NORMA Group sees itself as a provider of solu-
tions that are based on the specific needs of its customers
and generate significant value for them. With this approach, the
Company differentiates itself particularly in the area of CL AMP
and CONNECT from the large number of smaller competitors
who specialise in marketing only specific groups of products.

In the area of FLUID, NORMA Group finds itself facing mainly
competitors that are globally active and mainly offer solutions
that are based on rubber and elastomer products. NORMA
Group, however, has focused more on innovative plastic-based
solutions that generate significantly higher value for its custom-
ers due to their lower weight and price, as well as the environ-
mental compatibility of the materials used.

brands that are the result of a deliberate brand policy that fo-
cuses on the regional needs of its customers. In addition, cus-
tomers appreciate the high quality of service. NORMA Group
offers its trade customers a complete range of products that
meets all of their end users’ needs. These products are avail-
able on short notice, therefore the dealer is always in a position
to meet his delivery obligations even with uncommon applica-
tions or if demand fluctuates.

ECONOMIC A ND LEG AL FACTORS OF INFLUENCE

Economic factors
NORMA Group is active in many different industries and regions.
Seasonal and economic fluctuations in individual countries or
industries can have varying effects on customer demand and
the order situation at NORMA Group. Thanks to its diversified
product portfolio and broad customer base, NORMA Group
is, however, perfectly equipped to compensate for temporary
drops in demand. Temporary production peaks can be inter-
cepted quite flexibly due to its efficient production structures
and use of temporary workers. Additionally, the high proportion
of long-term development partnerships makes NORMA Group
more independent of short-term fluctuations in demand.

Exchange rate fluctuations
Due to NORMA Group’s international activities, exchange rate
fluctuations also influence its business. While fluctuations be-
tween two non-euro currencies have only little impact on the
operating result of NORMA Group as a result of regional produc-
tion, exchange rate fluctuations against the euro as the reporting
currency may have a greater impact on its results. As a result of
the acquisition of National Diversified Sales (NDS) in 2014, US
dollar exposure increased in financial year 2015 compared to
the previous year. NORMA Group generated around 45 percent
of its sales in US dollars in 2015; therefore the consolidated re-
sult was particularly affected by changes in the value of the US
dollar against the euro.  Risk and Opportunity Report, p. 83
and Notes, p. 127.

In the much more standardised sales channel Distribution Ser-
vices, NORMA Group is active in mass markets and competes
primarily with providers of similar standardised products. It
differentiates itself from them particularly through its strong

Changes in personnel and material costs
With respect to costs, the development of wages and salaries
in particular has an effect on NORMA Group, as do changes in
material costs.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management ReportPrinciples of the Group

Because the majority of the companies that make up NORMA
Group are not bound by a collective agreement, personnel costs
are based mainly on the country-specific development of the
cost of living. For companies that have collective agreements,
for example in Germany and Sweden, personnel costs are in-
fluenced by the cost levels in the collective agreements or by
the outcomes of local collective pay negotiations.

Short-term fluctuations in material prices generally have less
effect on earnings because the prices for important materials
are set in long-term contracts – generally one year – when an
order is placed. This pertains to both procurement as well as
sales to customers.

The ongoing productivity improvements defined as part of the
Global Excellence Programme that was introduced back in 2009
contribute to continuous optimisation of the cost structure and
help to compensate for negative developments with regard to
costs.  Production and Logistics, p. 66.

Legal and tax-related aspects
Due to the international focus of the business and against the
background of its acquisition strategy, various legal and tax-re-
lated regulations are of relevance to NORMA Group. Among
others, these include product safety and product liability laws,
construction, environmental and employment-related regula-
tions as well as foreign trade and patent laws.  Risk and Op-
portunity Report, p. 88.

The growing density of regulation in environmental law, in par-
ticular, has an impact on NORMA Group’s product strategy.
For example, new emission regulations, especially in the auto-
motive and commercial vehicle industry, increase the demand
for inno vative joining technology and thus benefit N O R M A
Group’s business. It cannot yet be said whether new risks or
opportunities will arise for NORMA Group from the current dis-
cussion surrounding compliance with emission standards for
diesel vehicles. Here, a possible decline in demand for diesel
vehicles could be compensated for by the demand for gasoline
engines. At the same time, this discussion is driving the ef-
forts of OEMs to meet stricter emission targets. NORMA Group

therefore continues to assume that the gradual implementation
of existing and new emission standards will have a positive im-
pact on its worldwide business.

Furthermore, NORMA Group also expects country-specific reg-
ulations for car fleets to have a positive effect on sales in the
medium term. In this case, lower average emission ceilings per
vehicle fleet will be mandatory in the years to come.  T 008:
Regulation of Average Emissions (CO 2) for Vehicle Fleets. Vehicle
manufacturers will have to invest in low-emission technologies in
order to achieve the required emission targets. NORMA Group’s
products are of great benefit to OEM customers as they strive
to comply with these requirements.

By acquiring National Diversified Sales (NDS) at the end of 2014,
the various regulatory initiatives due to increasing environmental
problems, water shortages and water pollution are of great-
er relevance for NORMA Group. Therefore, in various regions,
such as California, for example, households and companies are
being called upon to convert technical equipment and lower
their water consumption. In addition, innovations and growth
are being pushed forward in these markets. NORMA Group will
help to meet these needs with its efficient solutions for the water
supply and infrastructure. The Company expects these stricter
regulations regarding the use of water to have a positive effect
on its business.

GOALS A ND STR ATEGY
NORMA Group’s strategic goal is the sustainable increase of
the company value. In both distribution channels and all regions
the focus lies on the continuous extension of business activities
and the increase in market shares in all business segments.
Here, NORMA Group also relies on targeted acquisitions that will
contribute to the diversification of the business and strengthen
growth. Furthermore, the Group also focuses closely on high
profitability and stable cash flows. By focusing on innovations
and high service quality, the Company seeks to sustainably
increase the value of NORMA Group and achieve the highest
level of customer satisfaction. Measures to achieve these goals
will always take sustainable business practices and relationships
into account.

R E G U L AT I O N O F AV E R A G E E M I S S I O N S ( C O 2) F O R V E H I C L E F L E E T S 1

T 0 0 8

Fleet goal year 1

Fleet goal year 2

Region

USA

China

Japan

India

Target
year 1

Target
year 2

Duration
in years

under
national
laws

converted

into
g / km 2

under
national
laws

converted

into
g / km 2

Change
in %

CAGR
in %

2015

2016

2015

2016

2021

2025

2020

2021

130 g / km

37.8 mpg

6.9 l / 100 km

16.8 km / l

130 g / km

130

139

161

139

130

95 g / km

56.2 mpg

5.0 l / 100 km

20.3 km / l

113 g / km

117

115

113

−27

−37

−27

−17

−13

−5.1

−5.0

−6.2

−3.7

−2.8

1 Emission regulation schedule for cars with gasoline engines (source: European Union, ICCT, NORMA Group).
2 Fuel consumption data is normalised as g CO 2 / km in accordance with the NEDC.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Robust business model through broad diversification
Broad diversification with respect to the products, regions and
end markets that the Company operates in represents the core
of NORMA Group’s growth strategy. The Company is able to
expand and strengthen its business activities and international
presence by constantly adding application solutions for existing
EJT customers, identifying and signing up new EJT custom-
ers, extending and deepening its customer base in the area of
Distribution Services and entering new markets with attractive
growth potential. NORMA Group sees immense growth potential
especially in the emerging markets where demand for advanced
engineered joining technology is on the rise in all industries
due to the ongoing industrialisation and increasing quality re-
quirements. To benefit from this growth trend, NORMA Group
has positioned itself in the major Asian growth markets of India
and China as well as in the emerging economies of South and
Central America in recent years. In order to meet the increasing
long-term demand in these regions, the sites in Asia and South
America will be expanded even further in the mid-term.

Selective value-added acquisitions to
supplement organic growth
By making select acquisitions, NORMA Group intends to con-
tribute to the diversification of its business and strengthen its
growth. Acquisitions are therefore an integral part of the Com-
pany’s long-term growth strategy. NORMA Group observes
the market for engineered joining technology very closely and
contributes to its consolidation through targeted acquisitions.
NORMA Group has acquired nine companies since the IPO in
2011 and successfully integrated them into the Group.

The main focus of M&A activities is always on companies that
help to realise the diversification objectives of NORMA Group
and / or to generate synergies. The preservation of growth
and high profitability also play an important role. For example,
NORMA Group expanded its activities in the lucrative field of
water quite significantly by acquiring National Diversified Sales
in 2014 and is thus driving its growth and increasing the diver-
sification of its business.

In identifying new end markets, NORMA Group places a strate-
gic focus on niche markets with attractive margins, sophisticat-
ed products, fast-growing sales opportunities and a fragmented
competition environment. By engaging in strategic knowledge
transfer to new, fast-growing industries, the Company seeks to
achieve broad diversification with respect to the end markets.
This also strengthens the sustainable earnings profile, indepen-
dence from economic trends and contributes to the stability of
the business. The large number of relevant growth trends in
the end markets that NORMA Group serves offer the Company
attractive growth potential.  Products and End Markets, p. 47.

Furthermore, NORMA Group focuses on expanding in new ap-
plication areas of existing customers in which no NORMA Group
components are being used yet. The goal here is to achieve
high market penetration within the various individual technical
applications.

Focus on high-quality joining technology and
sustainable product solutions
The technological requirements that end products for NORMA
Group’s customers must meet constantly change. Increasing
environmental consciousness, rising fuel costs and growing
cost pressure also play key roles for virtually every industry.
Other factors include binding targets by lawmakers that place
special requirements on the materials used, particularly in
the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, due to more
stringent emission regulations or special requirements.  Eco-
nomic and Legal Factors, p. 49. This marks the starting point
for the development of new products. NORMA Group therefore
focuses on value-added solutions that assist its customers in
reducing emissions, leakages, weight, space and installation
time. Innovations play an important role in meeting customer
requirements, which increase with each new production cycle.
Therefore, NORMA Group employs more than 270 engineers

S T R AT E G I C G O A L S O F N O R M A G R O U P

G 0 10

NORMA Group strategic goals

Increase company value

Increase market share

High level of customer satisfaction

Diversification

Innovation

Quality

Efficiency

Acquisitions

Strategic focus

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management ReportPrinciples of the Group

who constantly work on developing new solutions and optimis-
ing existing systems. NORMA Group invests around 5% of its
EJT sales in research and development activities to sustainably
strengthen its power of innovation.  Research and Develop-
ment, p. 54.

as studies from important economic research institutes on the
development of production and sales figures in the relevant
customer industries. In addition, the customer order patterns
in the area of Distribution Services and the order book also
provide an indication of the expected revenue.

Highest quality standards and strong brands
Although the joining products that NORMA Group sells make
up a relatively small value proportion of the final product, they
are often mission-critical. Quality management therefore plays
a crucial role for NORMA Group. The high quality standards are
highly appreciated by customers and regularly receive awards.
 Quality Management, p. 68.

The area Distribution Services which offers and sells more
standardised brand products is based on a specific, region-
ally-driven brand strategy that is based on the respective per-
formance parameters of the well-known brands.  Marketing,
p. 74. In this business unit, the focus is on ensuring high-quality
service and the availability of products at all times. NORMA
Group ensures this through its worldwide distribution network.

Ongoing efficiency improvements
In order to increase NORMA Group’s profitability, the focus is
on continuously improving processes in all functional areas and
regions. The Global Excellence Programme launched back in
2009 serves as an important tool for achieving this. As part of
this programme, all internal operative processes are continu-
ously optimised. Projects on increasing efficiency are systemat-
ically recorded and monitored using a web-based programme.
This makes it possible to quantify the monetary savings that
result from a specific measure fairly accurately at the end of
the 12-month project cycles. Senior management reviews the
current status of all projects once a month and a steering com-
mittee does so once a quarter. The aim of the programme is to
be able to absorb and minimise both the unexpected negative
cost developments and inflationary cost increases.

CONTROL SYSTEM A ND CONTROL PAR A ME TERS
The consistent focus on the Group objectives mentioned is
also reflected in the internal control system at NORMA Group,
which relies on both financial and non-financial control pa-
rameters.

Important financial control parameters
The most important financial control parameters for NORMA
Group include the following value-oriented indicators that are
directly related to value creation at NORMA Group: Group
sales, profitability (adjusted EBITA margin) and net operating
cash flow.

NORMA Group strives to achieve short and medium term growth
in sales that exceeds the market average. Due to the heteroge-
neous industries that use joining technologies, the Management
Board aligns its forecast of expected market development on
selected early indicators. These are internal analyses as well

The adjusted EBITA margin (EBITA as a percentage of sales) as
another key performance indicator for NORMA Group provides
information on the profitability of its business activities. Both,
performance in the past and the planning of the individual busi-
ness units, are used in forecasting the EBITA target value. The
target margin for the Group is determined as the weighted av-
erage of the divisions. It is adjusted for the amortisation effects
from the purchase price allocation of acquired companies as
well as for potential integration and transaction costs.  Notes,
adjustments, p. 130. The price development of raw materials
of importance to NORMA Group that would have a negative
impact on the margin serves as an early indicator of changes in
major cost items, such as the costs of materials, for instance.
For this reason, the respective markets and commodity prices
are observed constantly and the prices for key materials are
contractually fixed if deemed necessary.

Operating net cash flow is yet another target figure besides
those already listed. By focusing on this financial indicator,
NORMA Group ensures that the financial solidity of the Group
is maintained in the future. It is calculated based on the EBITDA
plus changes in working capital, less investments from the op-
erational business.

All financial indicators are planned and continuously monitored
at the Group, regional and Group company levels. Deviations
between forecasted and actually achieved targets are measured
on a monthly basis inside all local companies and are aggregat-
ed at the level of regional segments within the monthly reporting
for the Management Board. Detailed business plans are regu-
larly projected based on existing monthly and quarterly results
that perhaps include various scenarios.

Important non-financial control parameters
The most important non-financial control parameters for NORMA
Group include the extent of market penetration, the Group’s
power of innovation, problem-solving behaviour and the sustain-
able overall development of NORMA Group as a whole.

NORMA Group always pursues the objective to sustainably ex-
pand its business and achieve sales growth and profitability that
are higher than average by industry comparison. Particularly by
offering innovative solutions, NORMA Group is able to create
value creation potential in various areas of application and nu-
merous industries. The Group’s organic growth is thus a sign
of NORMA Group’s market penetration.

Sustainably securing its innovation capability is a key driver for
the future growth of NORMA Group. The Group uses patents
as a way of protecting its innovations. The number of patent

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015F I N A N C I A L C O N T R O L PA R A M E T E R S

Group sales (in EUR millions)

Adjusted EBITA margin (in %)

Operating net cash flow (in EUR millions)

1 Adjusted for currency effects.

2 Adjusted for acquisition-related and currency effects.

N O N - F I N A N C I A L C O N T R O L PA R A M E T E R S

2015

2014

889.6

17.6

134.71

694.7

17.5

109.2 2

2013

635.5

17.7

103.9

T 0 0 9

2012

604.6

17.4

81.0

T 0 10

Number of new patent applications

Defective parts per million (PMP)

Quality-related customer complaints per month

2015

2014

2013

2012

applications per year is therefore part of the internal control
system and an important indicator of NORMA Group’s innovative
capacity. In addition, it is used to steer the long-term develop-
ment strategy.  Research and Development, p. 54.

I. Ensuring solvency at all times
The main financial objectives are maintaining the necessary
liquidity for the Group’s operating business at all times, main-
taining sufficient strategic liquidity reserves and thus ensuring
NORMA Group’s long-term solvency.

NORMA Group stands for the highest possible reliability and
quality of service. The reputation of its brands and reliability
of its products are key factors in the Company’s success. In
developing and manufacturing products, the Group therefore
relies on the highest quality standards. In order to minimise
production losses and maximise customer satisfaction, NORMA
Group measures and manages the problem solving behaviour of
its employees by using two performance indicators: the average
number of customer complaints per month and defective parts
per million of manufactured parts (parts per million / PPM). The
two metrics are collected and aggregated at Group level on a
monthly basis.  Quality Management, p. 68.

NORMA Group considers it to be its main responsibility to bring
the effects of its business activity into balance with the ex-
pectations and needs of society. For this reason, operational
decisions are based on the principles of responsible company
management and sustainable actions. NORMA Group’s strategy
and goals are influenced by its corporate responsibility (CR)
policies and described in detail on the Corporate Responsibility
website of NORMA Group. @ http://normagroup.com/cr.

Other non-financial performance indicators include employee
and environmental indicators and indicators on occupational
safety and healthcare within the Group. They are discussed in
the respective chapters of this management report.

Goals regarding the financial and liquidity management
NORMA Group’s objectives with respect to central finance and
treasury management have not changed since the previous year
and are as follows:

II. Limiting financial risks
The Group Treasury division constantly identifies and assesses
interest rate and currency risks as well as risks related to chang-
es in the price of raw materials and selects suitable hedging
instruments to reduce these risks. Here, not only derivatives,
but also the appropriate foreign currency financing, are used
to reduce currency risks. In the reporting year 2015, a signifi-
cant share of financing (the equivalent of EUR 80 million) was
issued in US dollars in the context of the renegotiation of the
syndicated credit line. More detailed information can be found
in the chapter  Financial management, p. 63. The overall goal
is to optimise the assets and liabilities side of the balance sheet
with regard to currency risks. In addition, existing risk exposures
are monitored regularly by the Group Treasury and evaluated in
terms of their risk-bearing capacity.

III. Optimising the Group’s internal liquidity
NORMA Group Holding GmbH assumes central liquidity man-
agement and is responsible in particular for investing surplus
liquidity as well as for intra-Group financing. Last year, NORMA
Group also extended the possibilities of internal financing by
engaging in various projects in the Treasury department. The
overall objective has been to place Group-wide financing with
respect to the instruments, currency mix and maturity profile
on a broad and well-balanced foundation and thus further op-
timise the Group’s cash flow which is already quite strong. The
main components of the policy on limiting financial risks include
a clear definition of process responsibility, multilevel approval
processes, and risk assessments, which have been adopted in
a Treasury policy. The new EMIR (European Market Infrastruc-
ture Regulation) requirements have already been addressed and
reviewed by the auditor.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management ReportPrinciples of the Group

NORMA Group’s goal is to bundle the surplus liquidity of Group
companies and allocate this money optimally within the Group
or invest it outside the Group in order to make a profit. This is
done using a professional treasury management system which
provides an overview of the cash holdings of the most important
subsidiaries at all times. In addition, regional cash pools have
been installed. More cash concentrations are performed in pe-
riodic intervals. Manually pooling funds allows for these funds
to be invested with external institutions at better terms, whereby
in particular the local terms for international payments must be
taken into account.

R ESE ARCH A ND DE VELOPMENT
Research and development activities at NORMA Group are
aimed at further expanding the Group’s innovation leadership
in the area of engineered joining technology and systematically
tapping into new groups of customers and products. The focus
of development is orientated towards the global industrial chal-
lenges of the respective end markets. These are systematically
identified on a central basis and analysed to reveal the import-
ant megatrends for the Group. NORMA Group is thus able to
anticipate technology trends early on and offer the market the
appropriate products.

Strategic collaboration with customers
and research institutes
NORMA Group’s EJT unit works closely with its end customers,
but also with research and development institutes, suppliers
and other external partners. This allows for the global trends
to be identified immediately and be seamlessly turned into new
technologies and ideas for products. This, in turn, allows for
fast marketing of product innovations. For competitive reasons,
however, the Company does not disclose the specific nature of
these research partnerships.

The Distribution Services division is purely a commercial unit;
the market does not demand the same level of technological
research from it thus far. Moreover, customers of NORMA Group
in this business division expect a strong brand image and the
most complete product range. Therefore, the focus in the DS
area lies on making useful additions to the product range and
targeted marketing measures.

Reorganisation of the R&D area completed
NORMA Group finished restructuring the areas of engineering
and product development in financial year 2015. In the course
of doing so, the responsibilities of the R&D area were also rede-
fined. The department will concentrate on developing and eval-
uating new technologies, particularly with respect to new pro-
cesses, methods, materials and additional functionalities, in the
future. New projects will be identified by taking the appropriate
measures, for example 'Innovation Road Mapping' and 'Innova-
tion Scouting,' in which innovations will be systematically planned
and changes in technological developments detected early. The
R&D department will also be responsible for identifying the po-
tential that new application fields and markets hold. NORMA
Group expects the reorganisation of the department to enable an

improved focus on innovation and higher efficiency in the areas
of product and customer development in the years to come.

Development focuses in 2015
The main focus of R&D activities in 2015 was still on driving im-
plementation of the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) systems
with major automotive customers. To this end, optimised de-
tailed solutions were developed, which could then be expand-
ed by using the building block system that is part of NORMA
Group’s SCR system. This, in turn, made it possible to further
increase the market potential for this product and improve the
overall performance of the system. In addition, NORMA Group
continued to develop the Urea Transport System (UTS) even
further in 2015. As a result, the robustness and performance of
the pipeline system has been significantly improved, which was
also reflected in newly acquired customer projects.

Another focus during the reporting year was on improving the
profile clamps. The goal here was to further optimise the toler-
ance effect on the holding and sealing ability of profile clamp
connections in order to increase the reliability of the connections.

In addition, the R&D department has also identified product
solutions on the basis of detailed analysis that will enable
NORMA Group to meet the global demands of its customers
that result from increasingly stringent emission regulation even
better in the future.  Production and Logistics, p. 66.

Furthermore, joining technology in pipeline systems was an im-
portant focus in the reporting year. Here, technologies that are
not yet in use were being investigated scientifically more closely.

In the area of fundamental research, NORMA Group continued
to expand the development and validation of plastic materials
and optimise test processes. This has significantly improved the
informative value of using plastics in certain applications, for
example in the area of cooling water. Here, the main focus will
be on the component- and manufacturing-related properties of
materials and material combinations.

Know-how protected by patents
Specific know-how in the area of engineered joining technol-
ogy represents a key success factor for NORMA Group. The
Company therefore uses patents to protect its innovations. As
of 31 December 2015, the Group held 727 patents and utility
models (2014: 850) in 179 patent families (2014: 154). In 2015,
74 new patent applications (2014: 95) were filed in 23 patent
families (2014: 17). Licensing revenue plays a subordinate role
since NORMA Group uses most of its licenses and rights itself
for competitive reasons. To strengthen the market position of
NORMA Group in the future, the Group aims to submit at least
80 patent applications per year within the years 2016 to 2018.

R&D expenses
Research and development expenses in the area of EJT totalled
EUR 25.4 million in 2015 (2014: EUR 25.7 million). This represents
approximately 4.7% (2014: 5.3%) of sales in this area. The capi-

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015R & D K E Y F I G U R E S

Number of R&D employees

R&D employee ratio in relation to permanent staff (in %)

R&D expenses in the area of EJT (in EUR millions)

R&D ratio in relation to EJT sales (in %)

R&D subsidies received (in EUR thousands)

T 0 11

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

271

5.3

25.4

4.7

250

5.2

25.7

5.3

231

205

5.0

21.9

4.9

190

5.1

22.1

5.1

174

5.1

16.8

4.1

talisation ratio, which is the proportion of own work capitalised,
during the reporting year amounted to 10.8% (EUR 2.7 million).

the Group (2014: 5.2%). Most of the employees who work in
R&D are engineers, technicians and technical draftsmen.

In 2015, NORMA Group received no public funding support for
Research and Development (2014: EUR 231 thousands).

R&D employees
As of 31 December 2015, 271 employees (2014: 250) world-
wide worked for NORMA Group in the R&D department which
represents approximately 5.3% of all permanent employees of

Important product launches
NORMA Group develops new and innovative products for var-
ious types of applications each year. The most important new
product developments of the year are listed in the  table 012.

Newly introduced products accounted for EUR 42.2 million in
sales in 2015. This corresponds to 4.6% of total sales (2014: 7.3%).

I M P O R TA N T N E W D E V E L O P M E N T S I N F I N A N C I A L Y E A R 2 0 15

T 0 12

Product

Application

Industry

GEMI 12mm clamp

Connections in low pressure areas

GEMI 9mm clamp

Connections in low pressure areas

NORMACONNECT® VPP –
profile clamp 'Light Compact'

NORMACONNECT® V2PP –
profile clamp 'Simple assembly'

Flanged pipes, exhaust gas, cooling and filter systems

Agriculture, automotive industry, ship building,
construction industry

Push-Fit quick connector

Water systems

Water industry

ABA Low Profile Cable Tie

Connections with low installation heights

Agriculture, automotive industry

ABA Original SMO clamp

Connections in low pressure areas

NORMAQUICK SSL quick connector

Fuel systems

SCR URE A Generation III lines

Dosing lines for SCR systems

SealRite light weight clamp

Exhaust gas systems

AccuLock Generation II clamp

Exhaust gas systems

Agriculture, automotive industry, ship building,
construction industry

Agriculture, automotive industry,
construction industry

Agriculture, automotive industry

Agriculture, automotive industry, ship building,
construction industry

Breeze Secure-Seal

Breeze Secure-Strap

Connections with soft hoses and rigid pipes

Agriculture, construction industry

Industrial mounting applications

Agriculture, construction industry

SuperSeal hose clamp

Connections with soft hoses and rigid pipes

S5 Sustainable Storm water Solutions

Residential and commercial
storm water management solutions

Agriculture, automotive industry, ship building,
construction industry

Landscape and storm water management

Sod Stakes

Landscape irrigation systems

Landscape and Irrigation

Light weight metal grates
800 series

Residential storm water management solutions

Landscape and storm water management

400-10 metal grates

Residential storm water management solutions

Landscape and storm water management

Drought Buster Kit for retail

Irrigation conversion systems

CPVC CTS MIP Ball Valves

Pool, pond and plumbing applications

Landscape and irrigation

Landscape and plumbing

Spee-D 2351 7" metal grate

Residential storm water management solutions

Landscape and storm water management

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management ReportPrinciples of the Group

Economic Report

GENER AL ECONOMIC A ND

INDUSTRY- SPECIFIC CONDITIONS

G D P G R O W T H R AT E S ( R E A L )

T 0 13

Global economy in 2015 in the
wake of China’s weaker growth
The world economy did not gain momentum in 2015 as pro-
jected. With an increase of 3.1% according to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), the world economy grew even more slowly
than in the previous two years. The main reason was the very
weak growth in China. 2015 was also marked by the dramatic
drop in the prices of oil and raw materials, the appreciation of
the US dollar, higher volatility in the financial markets and the es-
calation of geopolitical crises. Monetary policy remained expan-
sionary in the euro zone. Some emerging economies even had
to raise their key interest rates to stabilise their currencies and
prevent capital outflows. The US Federal Reserve (FED) did not
initiate the long expected rate reversal until the end of the year.

According to the Chinese Bureau of Statistics NBS and the
IMF, the Chinese economy grew by 6.9% in 2015. This was
the lowest growth in more than 20 years. China continued its
transformation course aimed at strengthening domestic demand
and the technology orientation of its industry at the expense
of its general growth momentum. Traditional industrial sectors
suffered from overcapacity and the collapse of China’s stock
exchanges in the summer caused great concern. The construc-
tion industry was still caught up in a crisis and the increase in
industrial output declined to 6.1% (2014: 8.3%). China’s eco-
nomic slowdown also had a negative impact on neighbouring
countries. According to the IMF, the Southeast Asian countries
(ASE AN-5) grew by 4.7% without experiencing any real recov-
ery (2014: 4.6%). India’s economy grew by an unchanged 7.3%
as a result of infrastructure measures. Brazil and Russia both
fell into a deep recession. According to the IMF, the growth of
emerging and developing countries continued to drop to 4.0%
in total (2014: 4.6%).

The US economy grew by a presumed 2.4% in 2015 as in the
previous year. Impetus came from the recovery of the housing
and labour market, as well as private consumption. Industrial
activity was increasingly impacted by the appreciation of the
dollar and falling oil prices in the energy sector, however. Ac-
cording to the FED, US industrial production declined overall. In-
dustrial production had actually increased, excluding the slump
in the energy sector, but only moderately by around 1%. Ca-
pacity utilisation of US industry fell by 250 basis points to a low
76.5% by December. According to the IMF, Japan’s economy
grew by a slight 0.6% in 2015 after stagnating in 2014. Whereas
the UK economy remained strong, but grew less dynamically
than in the past, the economy in the euro zone gained momen-
tum. The IMF estimates that the established economies grew
slightly by a mere 1.9% in 2015 (2014: 1.8%).

in %

World

USA 1

China

Euro zone

Germany 2

2015

2014

2013

+3.1

+2.4

+6.9

+1.5

+1.7

+3.4

+2.4

+7.3

+0.9

+1.6

+3.4

+1.5

+7.7

−0.3

+0.3

Sources: IMF, 1 US Department of Commerce 2 Federal Statistical Office (Destatis)

Euro zone posts fast recovery –
the ECB continues to ease rates
The economy in the euro zone gained strength in 2015. The
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.5% at a rapid pace
(2014: 0.9%). Interest rates and inflation remained low. The ECB
initiated further monetary easing by launching a bond pur-
chase programme. This resulted in a significant depreciation
of the euro, especially against the US dollar. Private consump-
tion remained the pillar of the economy in 2015. In regional
terms, the recovery in Europe took place on a broader basis.
Above-average growth was achieved in Ireland and Spain,
while Portugal continued its steady recovery. In terms of the
peri pheral countries, only Greece underperformed the overall
positive development. Increasingly buoyant forces in Italy and
France contributed significantly to the recovery in the euro zone,
although their dynamics remained below average compared to
the region as a whole. The Netherlands returned to a robust,
strong growth path.

According to the Statistical Office of the European Union (Euro-
stat), employment increased by 1% in the euro zone in 2015.
The unemployment rate dropped to 10.4% by December, but
showed broad regional differences (December 2014: 11.4%).
Unemployment was still high and 16.8 million people were with-
out jobs at the end of 2015 (end of 2014: 18.3 million), primarily
in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. The economy in the euro
zone rebounded steadily, but was slowed despite the strong
monetary policy and lower oil prices by increasing uncertainty
over the development in important export markets, the esca-
lation of the crisis in the Middle East and the flow of refugees.
Industrial production faltered at its current level over the course
of the year and therefore increased by a mere 1.4%. Capa city
utilisation increased only slightly in this market environment
and reached 81.4% in the fourth quarter of 2015 (end of 2014:
80.5%). The investment rate barely improved year on year.

Intact upswing in Germany –
strong consumption and robust investment spending
According to the Federal Statistical Office Destatis, German
GDP grew strongly by 1.7% in real terms in 2015 (2014: 1.6%).
The upswing remained intact despite the difficult international

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015
Economic Report

environment. Government consumption rose by 2.8%, partly
due to the influx of refugees, and private consumption increased
by 1.9%. Drivers included low energy costs, higher real wages
and the past ten years of employment growth. Furthermore,
investment activity gradually increased and gross fixed capital
formation grew by 1.7%. Exports gained momentum over the
course of the year and rose by 5.4%, buoyed by the low euro
exchange rate, but also by higher demand from the euro zone.

The economic development gained strength to start with in 2015,
but lost momentum at the end of the year. Despite good financing
terms, construction investments stagnated at a high level (+0.2%).
Lively exports and good consumer demand further increased
investment in equipment and machinery, how ever. According to
Destatis, equipment investment rose by 3.6% (2014: 4.5%). By the
fall, industrial production had experienced robust growth, but the
mood became cloudy due to growing international risks and the
industry began to falter again. Capa city utilisation decreased by
30 basis points to 84.4% in the fourth quarter compared to the
summer, according to Eurostat’s data, and was thus only slightly
higher than a year ago (84.1%) at the end of 2015.

Engineering globally weak and heterogeneous –
production stagnates in Germany
The global engineering industry lost momentum in the wake
of the global economic slowdown. According to the industry
association VDMA, real sales growth of only 1% (2014: 5%)
was achieved in 2015 on a worldwide basis. In China, sales
increased by 2% in real terms while the US market stagnated.
Industry sales fell by double digits in Latin America, by 15% in
Brazil alone. By contrast, India (+7%), Malaysia (+8%), the Phil-
ippines (+6%), Japan and South Korea (both +1%) experienced
growth. Europe posted no growth in total. The markets in Rus-
sia (−17%) and Switzerland (−10%) collapsed quite significantly.
The EU posted growth of only 1% (UK −10%), however sales
increased in the euro zone by 2% in real terms, while stagnation
was observed in France and only a slight increase of 1% in Italy.

The extremely export-oriented German mechanical engineering
industry was unable to increase production in real terms in 2015
(2014: +1.1%) considering the difficult international environment.
Sinking exports to China and Russia stood opposed to higher
exports to the US and Europe. In the first eleven months of
2015, real exports rose moderately by 0.6% (imports: +0.9%).
Domestic business was without impetus. Sales of German man-
ufacturers rose nominally by nearly 3% to EUR 218 billion (real:
+2%) in 2015, according to the VDMA. At the end of the year,
the order situation had improved with a strong push, however.
This was due to large orders from overseas and higher orders
from the EU. For the year as a whole, the engineering industry
posted a 1% increase in incoming orders in 2015 (Germany and
abroad: +1% respectively).

Automotive industry records moderate global growth –
upturn in Western Europe
According to LMC Automotive, the automotive industry manu-
factured 88.6 million passenger vehicles (passenger cars, light

trucks) worldwide in 2015. This is a slight 1.6% increase in pro-
duction (sales: +1.2%). The German industry association VDA
estimates that sales rose only moderately by 1% to 76.9 million
passenger cars in the more narrowly defined global passen-
ger car market. The regional market trends varied greatly with
respect to the global market. The single largest market China
got off to a weak start, but later received strong support from
government incentives. According to the Chinese association
CA AM, production (+5.8%) and sales of passenger cars (+7.3%)
increased in 2015. With respect to commercial vehicles in China
(production: −10%, sales: −9%), however, the negative market
trend caused by the economic downturn continued. The US
light vehicle market benefitted from strong consumption and
low fuel prices and remained on a growth course. According to
the VDA, sales in the US rose again by 5.8% in 2015. Car sales
in India rose by 7.9%. Japan, Russia and Brazil all recorded
double-digit losses.

Europe’s car market gained more momentum and expanded
dynamically in 2015. According to the European association
ACE A, production increased by 6.2% to 15.9 million units and
sales by 9.2% to 14.2 million passenger cars (EU28 + EF TA).
The sales increase was 9.0% for Western Europe and 12.1% for
the Eastern European countries. Among the higher volume mar-
kets, both Spain (+20.9%) and Italy (+15.8%) showed extremely
strong growth. France (+6.8%) and the UK (+6.3%) also achieved
strong growth rates. In Germany, new registrations rose by al-
most twice as much as in the previous year, rising by 5.6% to
3.2 million units. Despite a recent decline in foreign demand,
German manufacturers managed to increase exports by 3% in
2015, according to the VDA. Domestic production increased by
2% to 5.7 million cars while foreign production rose by 1% to
9.45 million vehicles.

According to the ACE A’s figures, sales of trucks and buses on
the European market increased by 12.3% in 2015 to 2.2 million
commercial vehicles, by 11.5% in Western Europe and by 20.4%
in the Eastern European countries. Significant growth was
achieved in Spain (+36.4%), Italy (+13.2%) and the UK (+16.7%).
Sales also increased in France (+3.1%) and Germany (+4.3%).
All commercial vehicle market segments recorded double-digit
growth in Europe in 2015. The volume segment of light com-
mercial vehicles up to 3.5 tons increased by 11.6% to 1.8 million
units. Sales of other commercial vehicles (over 3.5 tons and
heavy trucks over 16 tons) rose by 15.5% and 18.6%. The bus
segment grew by 17.1%.

Europe’s construction industry on course for recovery –
Germany stagnates at a high level
The European construction industry continued its recovery, but
with regional differences. According to the joint estimates of the
industry network Euroconstruct and the Ifo Institute, construc-
tion output rose by 1.6% in 2015 (2014: 1.3%). In Western Eu-
rope, growth increased to 1.3% (2014: 1.1%). In Eastern Europe,
the output even rose by 6.0% (2014: +4.7%). The highest gains
in Western Europe were achieved in Ireland, the Netherlands,
Sweden and the UK. Besides slight declines in Switzerland and

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Finland, France’s construction output fell slightly. As a result of
the subdued investment climate in Europe, commercial con-
struction lacked impetus. Growth was driven by civil engineering
(+3.3%) and slightly stronger residential construction.

According to Destatis, German investments increased by only
0.2% in real terms in 2015 (previous year: +2.9%). Construction
was weaker at the beginning of the year compared to last year
due to the weather conditions. Commercial construction was af-
fected by burgeoning economic risks in 2015. Construction out-
put revived in the summer months and returned to its expansion
course overall. According to the IfW, investment in commercial
(−2.1%) and public construction (−1.9%) failed to reach last year’s
high level year round. Only residential construction was able to
post robust growth (+2.7%) once again. According to the esti-
mates of the industry associations ZDB and HDB, the construction
trade’s sales increased nominally by 1.0% to EUR 100.3 billion
in 2015. The order situation in the industry has continued to im-
prove. In 2015, orders rose by 3.7% in real terms (nominal: +5.2%).

SIG NIFICA NT DE VELOPMENTS IN 2015

Personnel changes in the Management Board
Dr. Michael Schneider took office as a member of the Manage-
ment Board of NORMA Group SE on 1 July 2015. He succeeds
the former CFO, Dr. Othmar Belker, who stepped down at the
end of March 2015, and is responsible for the divisions Finance,
Controlling, Treasury, IT and Investor Relations.

Restructuring of financing
In December 2015, NORMA Group adjusted the credit line that
the Company had renegotiated in September 2014 and thus
received better conditions. By adjusting the credit line and di-
viding it into a euro and a US dollar tranche, NORMA Group
has taken its growing US business into account.  Financial
management, p. 63.

A C T U A L B U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T C O M PA R E D T O F O R E C A S T

T 0 14

Group sales
(in EUR millions)

Growth of
Group sales

Adjusted cost of
materials ratio

Results in
2014 1

Forecast
March
2015

Forecast
May
2015

Forecast
August
2015

Forecast
November
2015

Results
2015 1

694.7

n / a

889.6

6.5% plus
EUR 22.0 million
from acquisitions

solid organic growth of around 4% to 7%,
in addition approximately EUR 110 million
from acquisitions

no
adjustment

3.7% organic growth,
additionally EUR 115.4
million from acquisitions

41.7%

around the same as in the previous year

Adjusted personnel
cost ratio

27.1%

Adjusted
EBITA margin

17.5%

around the same as in the previous year

sustainable at the same level as in
previous years of more than 17.0%

no
adjustment

no
adjustment 40.8%

no
adjustment

no
adjustment 26.3%

no
adjustment

no
adjustment 17.6%

Financial result
(in EUR million)

−14.5 (unadjusted)
−9.1 (adjusted)

up to EUR −18.0 million

no
adjustment

no
adjustment −17.2 (unadjusted)

Adjusted tax ratio

33.3%

around 33% to 35%

Earnings per share
(in EUR)

2.24 (adjusted)
1.72 (unadjusted) solid increase

no
adjustment

no
adjustment 32.1%

no
adjustment

2.78 (adjusted)
2.31 (unadjusted)

Operating net cash
flow (in EUR million)

103.2 2
109.2 3

slightly higher than the level of previous years
(2013: EUR 103.9 million, 2014: EUR 103.2 million)

no
adjustment

no
adjustment 134.7 4

Investments in R&D
(related to EJT sales) 5.3%

Investment rate
(without acquisitions) 5.7%

Dividend (in EUR)
Payout ratio

0.75
33.4%

around 5%

operationally
around 4.5%

approx. 30% to 35% of
adjusted annual Group earnings

no
adjustment

no
adjustment 4.7%

no
adjustment

no
adjustment 4.7%

no
adjustment

0.90 5
32.3%

1 The adjustments refer to one-off effects from acquisitions.  Notes, adjustments, p. 130.
2 Adjusted for acquisition-related effects.
3 Adjusted for currency and acquisition-related effects.

4 Adjusted for currency effects.
5 In accordance with the Management Board’s proposal for the appropriation of net

profit, subject to the approval by the Annual General Meeting on 2 June 2016.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Economic Report

GENER AL STATEMENT BY THE

M A N AGEMENT BOAR D ON COURSE

OF BUSINES S A ND ECONOMIC SITUATION
Financial year 2015 was essentially in line with the Management
Board’s expectations. With Group sales of EUR 889.6 million
and adjusted net profit of EUR 88.7 million, the Group developed
in line with the forecast.

At 3.7%, organic growth was at the lower end of the predicted
value, but still satisfactory in light of the persistently difficult
economic conditions. Acquisition-related sales that were mainly
related to NDS, the company acquired at the end of 2014, de-
veloped very positively in the reporting year and amounted to
EUR 115.4 million, which means they contributed 16.6% to the
growth of Group sales. Currency effects, in particular in connec-
tion with the appreciation of the US dollar, also made a positive
contribution to the growth of Group sales of 7.7%.

In terms of sales distribution by segments, slight shifts occurred
compared with the forecast. While organic growth in the Ameri-
cas region was slightly weaker than expected due to the decline
in business in the area of commercial vehicles and agricultural
machinery in the reporting year and the persistently difficult
economic conditions in Brazil, the EMEA region posted organic
growth that was slightly above expectations. The Asia-Pacific
region grew strongly all year, as had been predicted.

The main cost positions, personnel costs and costs of materials
ratio, were also in line with the forecast. Both improved in the
reporting year 2015. Adjusted EBITA increased by 28.6% to
EUR 156.3 million. The resulting adjusted EBITA margin was
maintained at a sustainable high level of 17.6%.

All in all, the Management Board is satisfied with how busi-
ness developed in 2015. Most of the ambitious objectives set
for 2015 were achieved. In particular, the integration of the
water expert NDS progressed well during the reporting year.
The Management Board considers the economic situation
of NORMA Group to be stable and sustainable. This assess-
ment is based on the results of the balance sheet and NORMA
Group SE’s separate financial statements for 2015 and takes
business development up until the drawing up of the Group
management report 2015 into consideration. Business devel-
opment through the start of 2016 has been in line with the
Management Board’s expectations up until this Annual Report
was prepared.

E AR NINGS, AS SE TS A ND FIN A NCIAL POSITION

Adjustments
In financial year 2015, expenses related to the acquisition of
NDS were adjusted.

Expenses in the amount of EUR 3.6 million in total (2014: EUR
6.9 million) were adjusted within EBITDA (earnings before inter-
est, taxes, depreciation of tangible assets and amortisation of
intangible assets). The adjustments reflect material expenses
(EUR 2.5 million) resulting from the valuation of acquired invento-
ries performed within the purchase price allocation of the acqui-
sition of National Diversified Sales, Inc. Furthermore, expenses
for the integration of the acquired company were adjusted within
the other operating expenses (EUR 0.6 million) as well as within
the expenses for employee benefits (EUR 0.5 million).

Besides the adjustments described, the depreciation of fixed
assets in the amount of EUR 2.2 million (2014: EUR 1.3 million)
and intangible assets in the amount of EUR 17.3 million (2014:
EUR 10.1 million) from purchase price allocations has been ad-
justed as in previous years.

In financial year 2015, no adjustments were made to the finan-
cial result (2014: EUR 5.4 million). Fictitious income taxes that
arise from adjustments are calculated using the tax rates of the
respective affected local companies and included in adjusted
earnings after tax.  Notes, p. 130.

The following table shows the adjustments in a simplified form.

A D J U S T M E N T S *

T 0 15

in EUR millions

2015 adjusted

Adjustments

2015 reported

Group sales

EBITDA

EBITDA margin (in %)

EBITA

EBITA margin (in %)

EBIT

Financial income

Profit for the period

EPS (in EUR)

889.6

177.5

20.0

156.3

17.6

147.9

−17.2

88.7

2.78

* Deviations may occur due to commercial rounding.

3.6

5.8

23.1

14.9

0.47

889.6

173.9

19.5

150.5

16.9

124.8

−17.2

73.8

2.31

As of 31 December 2015, the order book remained at a good
level of EUR 295.8 million (2014: EUR 279.6 million), which sug-
gests that 2016 is off to a good start. The Management Board
therefore believes that NORMA Group will be able to continue
to pursue its course of growth in the current year.

Sales and earnings performance
The development shown below describes the changes in the
essential items of the income statement during the year adjust-
ed for the special effects mentioned. For comparison purposes,
adjustments will be discussed separately in certain cases. All
other adjustments are explained in the notes.  Notes, p. 130.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Sales development

Group sales growth strengthened by acquisitions
and currency effects
NORMA Group’s revenue in financial year 2015 amounted to
EUR 889.6 million and was thus 28.0% higher than in the previ-
ous year (2014: EUR 694.7 million). At 3.7%, organic growth was
lower than in the previous year (2014: 6.5%). The reasons for this
include the weak demand in the area of trucks and agricultural
machinery in the USA and the consequent decline in the EJT
business in the Americas region. Furthermore, the environment
in some markets such as Brazil and Russia continued to be
difficult, which had a negative impact on the local demand for
NORMA Group products.

The revenue from acquisitions in the amount of EUR 115.4 mil-
lion (2014: EUR 22.0 million), which was attributable to NDS,
the company acquired at the end of 2014, was a growth driver,
on the other hand. It contributed 16.6% (2014: 3.5%) to Group
sales growth in 2015. In addition, currency effects, mainly due
to the development of the US dollar, contributed 7.7% to Group
sales growth (2014: −0.6%).

D E V E L O P M E N T O F S A L E S I N 2 0 15

G 0 11

in EUR millions

H1: 353.0

H2: 341.7

694.7

2014

2015

The Americas region experienced just the opposite with a
good first quarter and a significantly weaker rest of the year.
The causes for this included lower sales of commercial vehi-
cles and agricultural machinery. Furthermore, the persistently
weak economic situation in Brazil had a negative impact on
local sales.

The Asia-Pacific region grew solidly all year by posting dou-
ble-digit organic sales growth compared to the previous year.

Organic growth in the area of EJT;
DS business bolstered by acquisitions
NORMA Group generated total sales of EUR 540.3 million in
the EJT unit in financial year 2015, an increase of 12.3% over
the previous year (2014: EUR 481.0 million). While sales growth
in the area of EJT increased significantly in the EME A region
over the course of the year after getting off to a slow start, the
development with respect to commercial vehicles and agricul-
tural machinery weakened in the Americas due to the problems
referred to earlier. The Asia-Pacific region achieved strong or-
ganic growth all year despite continued weak economic growth
in China.

Revenues in the Distribution Services unit amounted to EUR
344.1 million in 2015 and were thus 62.7% higher than in the
previous year (2014: EUR 211.5 million). This growth is largely
due to acquisitions and to the good sales performance of NDS,
the company that specialises in water that was acquired at the
end of 2014.

H1: 454.3

H2: 435.3

S A L E S D I S T R I B U T I O N B Y D I S T R I B U T I O N C H A N N E L S G 0 12

500

1.000

889.6

in %

E F F E C T S O N G R O U P S A L E S

T 0 16

39 DS

Sales 2014

Organic growth

Acquisitions

Currency effects

Sales 2015

in EUR millions

Share in %

694.7

25.9

115.4

53.5

889.6

3.7

16.6

7.7

28.0

EJT 61

Heterogeneous developments in the various regions
Sales developed rather heterogeneously in the various regions in
financial year 2015. At the beginning of the year, the consequences
of a general slowdown in economic activity in the euro zone could
still be felt in the EMEA region, therefore sales in the first quarter
of 2015 still showed a decline in this region. Sales growth picked
up considerably in the EMEA region as the year progressed, how-
ever, as a result of the economic recovery in the euro zone. This
resulted in solid organic growth starting in the second quarter.

D E V E L O P M E N T O F S A L E S C H A N N E L S

T 0 17

EJT

2015

2014

2015

2014

Group sales (in EUR millions)

540.3

481.0

344.1

211.5

Growth (in %)

Share of sales (in %)

12.3

9.1

62.7

11.8

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Economic Report

Development of earnings

Adjusted cost of materials ratio improved –
higher gross margin
Thanks to targeted procurement management and the building
of an effective Group purchasing structure, partly lower com-
modity prices and a lower material usage ratio at NDS, NORMA
Group managed to improve its adjusted cost of materials ratio
again in financial year 2015. With adjusted costs of materials
amounting to EUR 362.9 million (2014: EUR 289.9 million), the
adjusted materials ratio amounted to 40.8% in 2015 (2014:
41.7%). After deducting changes in inventories (EUR 3.6 million)
and other own work capitalised (EUR 2.7 million) from sales,
NORMA Group reported adjusted gross profit of EUR 533.1
million, an increase of 31.4% compared to the previous year
(EUR 405.6 million). In relation to sales, this resulted in an im-
proved adjusted gross margin of 59.9% (2014: 58.4%).

C O S T O F M AT E R I A L S A N D C O S T O F
M AT E R I A L S R AT I O ( A D J U S T E D )

G 0 13

Materials used (in EUR millions)

– Cost of materials ratio (in %)

362.9

289.9

41.7

40.8

400

300

200

100

2014

2015

Shift in the cost ratios – adjusted operational results increased
The cost ratios in the Group shifted slightly in the past year due
to the acquisition of NDS. In relation to sales, adjusted personnel
expenses increased disproportionately by 24.3% to EUR 234.1
million in 2015 (2014: EUR 188.3 million). The resulting adjusted
personnel expense ratio has thus improved and amounted to
26.3% (2014: 27.1%). This can be attributed to the nature of the
products that the newly acquired company NDS offers, which
are mainly standardised DS products that require less R&D ef-
fort than the EJT business requires. Secondly, NDS relies on ex-
ternal logistics partners. Consequently, the adjusted personnel
expenses decreased in the reporting period relative to sales.

On the other hand, adjusted other income and expenses
(EUR 121.5 million) increased by 54.1% and thus amounted to
13.7% of sales (2014: 11.4%), mainly due to external logistics
costs at NDS in the reporting year.

The more significant financial control parameter for NORMA
Group, adjusted EBITA, amounted to EUR 156.3 million in 2015,
which is 28.6% higher than the adjusted EBITA of the previ-
ous year (EUR 121.5 million). The resulting adjusted operating
EBITA margin was 17.6% (2014: 17.5%). This means that NORMA
Group’s business was sustainably profitable again in 2015.

A D J U S T E D E B I TA A N D A D J U S T E D E B I TA M A R G I N

G 0 14

Adjusted EBITA (in EUR millions)

– Adjusted EBITA margin (in %)

156.3

17.6

121.5

17.5

160

120

2014

2015

Financial result
The financial result for financial year 2015 came to EUR −17.2
million (2014: EUR −14.5 million). This was mainly influenced
by interest charges and expenses from the measurement of
derivatives. Furthermore, the financial result includes positive
currency effects, which resulted mainly from the appreciation
of the US dollar.  Notes, p. 130. No adjustments were made
to the financial result in the reporting year (2014: adjustments
of EUR 5.4 million).

Adjusted net income after tax increased significantly
Adjusted net income after tax for the period amounted to EUR
88.7 million in 2015, and thus increased by 24.2% compared
to the previous year (2014: EUR 71.5 million). Adjusted income
taxes amounted to EU R 41.9 million, resulting in an effec-
tive tax rate of 32.1% (2014: 33.3%). Unadjusted net income
in 2015 amounted to EUR 73.8 million and was thus 34.6%
higher than in 2014 (EUR 54.9 million). Overall, the adjustment
effect after taxes amounted to EUR 14.9 million.  T 015: Ad-
justments, p. 130.

With an unchanged number of 31,862,400 million shares com-
pared to last year, this resulted in adjusted earnings per share
of EUR 2.78 (2014: EUR 2.24). Unadjusted earnings per share
amounted to EUR 2.31 (2014: EUR 1.72).

Financial position

This resulted in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depre-
ciation and amortisation (adjusted EBITDA) for the financial year
of EUR 177.5 million, an increase of 28.2% over the previous
year (EUR 138.4 million).

Total assets
Total assets amounted to EUR 1,167.9 million as of 31 De-
cember 2015 and were thus 8.3% higher than in the previous
year (EUR 1,078.4 million). They were mainly influenced by
currency effects.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Non-current and current assets
Non-current assets increased by 5.2% compared to the pre-
vious year to EUR 793.6 million (2014: EUR 754.3 million). The
main reasons for this were the increase in fixed assets (EUR
15.4 million) and the increase in goodwill by EUR 19.3 million.
The latter is mainly due to positive currency effects, particularly
in relation to the US dollar. Furthermore, the other intangible
assets increased by EUR 8.5 million mainly also due to currency
effects.  Notes, p. 138.

Current assets, on the other hand, increased by 15.5% from
EUR 324.1 million as of 31 December 2014 to EUR 374.3 million.
This increase is mainly due to an increase in cash and cash
equivalents of EUR 15.7 million, the increase in inventories (EUR
15.0 million) and in receivables for goods and services (EUR
15.1 million).

The share of non-current assets to total assets at the end of
2015 amounted to 68.0%. Consequently, current assets ac-
counted for a share of 32.0%.

Working capital
(Trade) working capital (inventories plus receivables minus
liabilities, both primarily from trade payables and trade re-
ceivables) was EUR 151.9 million as of 31 December 2015,
and thus 7.1% higher than in the previous year (2014: EUR
141.8 million). The increase resulted primarily from an increase
in activities compared to last year. In relation to sales, trade
working capital amounted to 17.1% on the balance sheet date
(2014: 20.4%).

Increased equity ratio
Consolidated equity amounted to EUR 429.8 million as of 31 De-
cember 2015 and thus rose by 16.8% compared to the previous
year (2014: EUR 368.0 million). This increase resulted mainly
from the net profit for the period of EUR 73.8 million and posi-
tive currency translation differences in the amount of EUR 18.0
million. In contrast, the dividends paid in the second quarter in
the amount of EUR 23.9 million reduced equity. The equity ratio
had thus improved to 36.8% at the end of financial year 2015
compared to the previous year (2014: 34.1%).

Net debt decreased
Net debt at the end of the reporting period was EUR 360.9 mil-
lion (included herein are derivative financial instruments in the
amount of EUR 3.4 million), and thus 3.3% lower than in the pre-
vious year (2014: EUR 373.1 million). The increase in cash and
cash equivalents had a particularly positive effect. Gearing (net
debt in relation to equity) was 0.8 (2014: 1.0).  Notes, p. 161.

Non-current and current liabilities
Non-current liabilities amounted to EUR 575.4 million as of
31 December 2015 (2014: EUR 555.1 million) and were thus
around 49.3% of total assets. This reflects in particular the in-
crease in long-term debt of EUR 408.2 million at the end of 2014
to EUR 443.7 million as of the balance sheet date in 2015, which
can be attributed to the adjustment of financing by renegotiating
the syndicated credit line. Furthermore, the long-term provisions
increased by 74.7% in the reporting period to EUR 10.8 million.
The main reason for this is the conversion of the Matching Stock
Programme for the Management Board from being a settlement

A S S E T A N D C A P I TA L S T R U C T U R E

in EUR millions

Assets

2015

2014

794

754

274

100

240

Non-current assets

Current assets

Liquid assets

Equity and liabilities

430

2015

2014

368

Equity

575

163

555

155

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

G 0 15

1,168

1,078

1,168

1,078

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Economic Report

in equity instruments to cash payments. In contrast, derivative
financial liabilities decreased by 86.2% to EUR 2.5 million as of
the balance sheet date. This is due to the repayment of portions
of hedging derivatives related to the renegotiation of the syndi-
cated loans.  Financial management, p. 63.

Current liabilities amounted to EUR 162.6 million at the end of
2015 (2014: EUR 155.3 million) and thus rose by 4.7% compared
to the previous year. This was influenced by the scheduled re-
payment of loan liabilities. By contrast, trade liabilities increased
by 24.8% to EUR 100.9 million.

of credit in the amount of EUR 50 million and a loan facility in the
amount of EUR 100 million. The latter consists of two tranches,
whereby the first tranche is EUR 20 million and the second
tranche EUR 80 million. The second tranche was converted
into US dollars the day after the contract took effect. As of the
reporting date 31 December 2015, no use was made of the re-
volving line. In order to achieve maximum flexibility, a so-called
accordion facility was also negotiated in the loan agreement.
This enables NORMA Group to take out loans from other banks
up to a maximum volume of EUR 250 million and thus extend
the overall credit line.

Unrecognised intangible assets
NORMA Group’s rights to the brands it owns, if acquired exter-
nally, are recognised in the balance sheet as intangible assets
together with its patents as well as customer relationships. How-
ever, the reputation of these brands and how well known they
are among its customers also play important roles in its suc-
cess, as does consumer confidence in NORMA Group’s prod-
ucts. Well-established customer relationships that are based on
NORMA Group’s distribution network that has continually grown
over the course of many years are equally important. The know-
how and experience of NORMA Group employees also play
important roles in the Company’s success. The many years of
research and development expertise and project management
know-how are also seen as competitive advantages for NORMA
Group. These values are not recognised in the balance sheet.

Financial management

Financial measures and capital costs
Risks from changes in exchange rates are continuously moni-
tored and limited by using derivative structures among others.
Furthermore, NORMA Group generally strives to achieve a di-
versification of its financing instruments in order to reduce risk.
These also include prolongation of repayment obligations and
an even distribution of the maturity profile. Most of the supply
and service relationships between individual currencies are
simul taneously hedged over the course of the year.

In financial year 2015, NORMA Group took further steps toward
improving its financial structure. For this purpose, the credit line
that was last renegotiated in September 2014 was revised again
in December 2015, whereby the conditions have improved.
Further more, the credit line was increased by approximately
20% and divided into a euro and a US dollar tranche to account
for NORMA Group’s growing US business. The new syndicated
loan has a term of five years (with a double extension option)
and a total volume of EUR 150 million. It includes a revolving line

The syndicated loan, of which approximately 80% was granted
in US dollars, does justice to NORMA Group’s local cash flows so
that the US dollar currency risks have now been reduced quite
significantly. The tranches granted both completely on a variable
euro basis as well as a variable US dollar basis were not inter-
est-secured due to the low interest rates on the balance sheet
date. NORMA Group considers the risk of a significant short-
term increase in interest rates to be manageable  Risk and Op-
portunity Report, p. 83. Should this assessment change, inter-
est rate risk will be limited by using the appropriate instruments.

The overall funding mix from the two promissory notes I (2013)
and II (2014) and the syndicated credit line (2015) was as follows
on 31 December 2015:

M AT U R I T Y P R O F I L E B Y C U R R E N C Y

G 0 16

in EUR millions

1 4

Euro

USD

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

120

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

M AT U R I T Y P R O F I L E B Y F I N A N C I A L I N S T R U M E N T S

G 0 17

Syndicated credit line

Promissory note I

Promissory note II

in EUR millions

110

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

120

As of the balance sheet date in 2015, NORMA Group complied
with all of the conditions contained in the loan contracts (finan-
cial covenants: debt in relation to the consolidated EBITA and
change of control).

Future concrete financing steps will depend on the current
changes in the financing markets and acquisition potentials.

Development of cash flow

Net operating cash flow
In 2015, NORMA Group achieved net operating cash flow of EUR
134.7 million 1, which means it was significantly higher than in
the previous year (2014: EUR 109.2 million 2). This was mainly
due to significantly higher adjusted EBITDA year on year and
improved working capital management. Investments increased
only slightly over the previous year to EUR 42.2 million (2014:
EUR 39.6 million).

Cash flow from operating activities
Cash flow from operating activities in financial year 2015
amounted to EUR 128.2 million (2014: EUR 96.4 million). In
particular non-cash income from foreign currency translation,
external financing liabilities and intragroup monetary items to-
talling EUR −11.7 million (2014: EUR −4.4 million) were included
therein. In addition, non-cash expenses from the stock option
programme in the amount of EUR 0.1 million (2014: EUR 0.5
million) and non-cash interest expenses in the amount of EUR
1.6 million (2014: EUR 2.5 million) were reflected in other cash
expenses and income. Furthermore, share-based payments of

1 Adjusted for currency effects.
2 Adjusted for currency and acquisition-related effects.

EUR 2.3 million (2014: EUR 0.0 million) are shown in the cash
flow from operating activities as well as the effects of the reverse
factoring programme and the Asset Backed Securities (ABS)
programme.

Cash flow from investing activities
Cash flow from investing activities amounted to EUR −44.5 mil-
lion (2014: EUR −265.1 million) in financial year 2015. The sig-
nificant reduction over the previous year is due to the fact that
no new acquisitions were made in the reporting year. The net
payments for acquisitions of EUR 52 thousand (2014: EUR 232.2
million) reported pertain to payments made for acquisitions in
previous years. In financial year 2015, cash flow from investing
activities, on the other hand, was substantially affected by the
outflow of funds for the procurement of non-current assets in
the amount of EUR 44.8 million. This includes EUR 2.6 million in
investments from the year 2014. The investment ratio (tangible
and intangible assets) thus amounted to 4.7% of sales.

Investment analysis
NORMA Group invests the funds from its operating cash flow in
its continued growth. Investments made in the reporting year
2015 pertained to investments in production facilities and ex-
pansion of capacities mainly in the US, Serbia, France, Germany
and China.  Production and Logistics, p. 66.

Cash flow from financing activities
Cash flow from financing activities amounted to EUR −70.4 mil-
lion in 2015 (2014: EUR 57.7 million). This included, among other
items, proceeds from borrowings, repayment of borrowings, pay-
ments in connection with the repayment of hedging derivatives,
the payment of the dividend and the cash flows from interest paid.

Proceeds from borrowings in the amount of EUR 99.7 million
resulted from the partial renegotiation of the syndicated loan in
the fourth quarter. Outflows of EUR 83.2 million mainly resulted
from the payout of the adjusted financing and in connection
therewith repayment of hedging derivatives in the amount of
EUR 23.5 million but also scheduled principal payments total-
ling EUR 9.6 million. Furthermore, disbursements from currency
hedging derivatives totalling EUR 14.3 million are also included.
The dividend payment in the amount of EUR 23.9 million and
EUR 13.9 million in interest payments are also shown.

To improve the working capital, NORMA Group uses among
others a supplier-side reverse factoring programme. An at-
tempt is also made to optimise working capital on the customer
side using the appropriate instruments, for example, an Asset
Backed Securities (ABS) programme.  Notes, p. 162.

SEGMENT R EPORTING
By developing new markets in line with its continuing strategy of
internationalisation of NORMA Group, the share of sales realised
internationally increased from 72.2% to 78.3%.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Economic Report

The distribution of sales across the three segments EME A
(Europe, Middle East, and Africa), the Americas (North, Central
and South America) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) changed slightly
in financial year 2015 due to currency effects and acquisitions
from the previous year and is now as follows:

B R E A K D O W N O F S A L E S B Y S E G M E N T

G 0 18

in %

2014 in brackets

Adjusted EBITDA in the EMEA region increased by 4.0% to EUR
88.0 million (2014: EUR 84.6 million). At 19.8%, the adjusted
EBITDA margin remained at a sustained high level (2014: 20.1%).
In addition, the adjusted EBITA of EUR 75.0 million in the pre-
vious year has increased to EUR 78.1 million. In the report-
ing year, adjusted EBITA margin correspondingly amounted to
17.5% (2014: 17.8%).

Asia-Pacific 9 (9)

Assets decreased slightly by 1.5% to EUR 489.2 million com-
pared to last year (EUR 496.4 million).

Investments amounted to EUR 14.4 million, and were thus high-
er than last year (EUR 13.1 million). The funds were invested
primarily in production facilities for the purpose of capacity ex-
pansion at the Serbian site, but also in Germany and France.
 Production and Logistics, p. 66.

47 (57) EME A

Americas 44 (34)

Due to the fact that financing as a whole is controlled centrally
and financing is exclusively available through approved exter-
nal credit facilities by the central functions of NORMA Group,
the Company forgoes publishing a separate list of financing by
segments. In every segment, the aim is to achieve an investment
ratio and cash generation that is in line with the Group average
in the medium-term.  Goals regarding the financial and liquidity
management, p. 53.

EMEA
External sales in the EME A region amounted to EUR 416.0 mil-
lion in 2015, and thus increased by 5.5% over the previous year
(2014: EUR 394.5 million). While the region shrank slightly in
the first quarter due to the weak economy in the euro zone, it
experienced solid organic growth through the end of the year
due to the economic upturn and the positive development of
the European automotive industry. The EME A region’s share of
total sales declined compared to the previous year from 57%
to 47% due to currency effects and the acquisitions made in
the previous years.

Americas
The Americas segment generated EUR 395.3 million in external
sales in 2015 and thus growth of 66.3% over the previous year
(EUR 237.8 million). Here, particularly the acquisition-related
sales of NDS in the amount of EUR 115.4 million had a positive
effect. Furthermore, currency effects also contributed to growth.
Nevertheless, this growth was slowed down in the Americas
by the drop in demand for commercial vehicles and agricul-
tural machinery, and the generally weak economic situation in
Brazil. These factors resulted in negative organic growth in the
region starting in the second quarter of the year, which, despite
positive organic growth in the fourth quarter, could not be fully
compensated for. Due to the acquisition and the positive sales
trend at NDS, the share of sales of the Americas region of total
sales increased significantly to 44% (2014: 34%).

Adjusted EBITDA for the Americas region was EUR 87.6 million
in 2015, and thus 77.8% higher than the previous year’s level
(2014: EUR 49.3 million). Due to the good sales performance of
NDS and the economies of scale related to the acquisition, this
results in a significantly improved EBITDA margin of 21.7% com-
pared to the previous year (2014: 20.1%). Similarly, the adjusted
EBITA of EUR 44.7 million in the previous year has increased
by 78.2% to EUR 79.7 million. This results in an adjusted EBITA
margin of 19.8% (2014: 18.3%).

D E V E L O P M E N T O F S E G M E N T S

T 0 18

EME A

Americas

Asia-Pacific

in EUR millions

2015

2014

∆

2015

2014

∆

2015

2014

∆

Total segment sales

External sales

Contribution to consolidated sales (in %)

Adjusted EBITDA 1

Adjusted EBITDA margin (in %) 2

445.2

416.0

88.0

19.8

420.6

394.5

84.6

20.1

5.9%

5.5%

4.0%

403.4

395.3

87.6

21.7

244.6

237.8

49.3

20.1

64.9%

66.3%

77.8%

81.0

78.2

10.1

12.5

25.5%

25.1%

32.0%

64.6

62.5

7.7

11.9

1 The adjustments are described in the notes.  Notes, p. 130.
2 In relation to segment sales.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Assets increased compared to the previous year, mainly due to
currency effects, and amounted to EUR 636.3 million at the end
of the year (2014: EUR 574.9 million).

Investments of EUR 17.8 million were also above the previous
year’s level (2014: EUR 16.2 million). Investment focused on NDS
as well as the other plants in the US and in Monterrey, Mexico.
 Production and Logistics, p. 66.

Asia-Pacific
External sales in the Asia-Pacific region amounted to EUR 78.2
million in 2015 and were thus 25.1% higher compared to the
previous year (2014 EUR 62.5 million). The region once again
experienced a very dynamic development with solid organic
growth despite the decreasing economic output of China.

Adjusted EBITDA rose by 32.0% to EUR 10.1 million (2014: EUR
7.7 million). The adjusted EBITDA margin increased to 12.5%
(2014: 11.9%). At the same time, adjusted EBITA increased to
EUR 7.7 million (2014: EUR 5.7 million), which resulted in an
increase in the adjusted EBITA margin of 9.5% (2014: 8.8%).

Assets increased from EUR 71.9 million by 17.4% to EUR 84.4
million in the reporting period. This is mainly due to the continu-
ing growth of the operating business in the region.

Investments, which amounted to EUR 5.6 million (2014: EUR
5.8 million) in 2015, were mainly used to expand the two sites
in China.  Production and Logistics, p. 66.

SUSTA IN ABLE VALUE CRE ATION
NORMA Group considers reconciling the effects of its business
activities with the needs of society as part of its corporate re-
sponsibility. The management therefore takes the principles of
responsible management and sustainable conduct into consid-
eration in making company decisions.

Corporate Responsibility (CR), NORMA Group’s responsibility to
society and the environment, is therefore an integral component
of the corporate strategy. The CR steering committee under the
leadership of CEO Werner Deggim is responsible for setting
and formulating long-term goals for CR and coordinates the
respective cross-divisional activities and the dialogue with the
stakeholder representatives.

Five key areas of Corporate Responsibility
NORMA Group pursues a comprehensive CR strategy and fo-
cuses its CR goals and measures on five areas of activity:

• Responsible Management
• Business Solutions
• Employees
• Environment
• Community

The main focuses of each area of activity, relevant develop-
ments and performance indicators are described in more
detail on NORMA Group’s Corporate Responsibility website
@ http://www.normagroup.com/cr and discussed in the re-
spective chapters of this management report.

The first roundtable discussion in which NORMA Group em-
ployees from the management level actively exchanged ideas
on the topics of Corporate Responsibility and sustainability with
stakeholders from the worlds of business, politics and science
as well as associations and non-profit organisations was held in
July 2015. Ideas on further developing the Corporate Respon-
sibility strategy were discussed and activities were defined at
this event. The results have been incorporated into the 2018 CR
Roadmap, which will serve as the framework for the next three
years. The new CR Roadmap was published in January 2016 on
NORMA Group’s CR website. @ http://www.normagroup.com/cr.

As a transparent Company, N OR M A Group communicates
regularly on current developments and the objectives of its
Corporate Responsibility. NORMA Group will publish its next
Sustainability Report for the financial year 2015 later in 2016.

PRODUCTION A ND LOGISTICS
N O R M A Group manufactures and markets approximately
35,000 different products and has 22 production sites all over
the world. Furthermore, the Company has a network consist-
ing of numerous distribution, sales and competence centres
that supply to its customers in the respective regions.  G 001:
NORMA Group Production and Distribution Sites, Back cover.

NORMA Group closed its representative office in Vietnam for
economic reasons in the reporting year 2015. The customers
located here will be served by the employees of other Asian
sites in the future.

Production and capacity utilisation
The capacity utilisation of NORMA Group’s manufacturing and
storage facilities varies from site to site. In markets such as the
emerging countries of Asia and South America, where NORMA
Group’s business is still being developed, the area-related util-
isation of production plants is currently relatively low. This can
be attributed to the fact that investment decisions are planned in
advance to ensure that sufficient production space is available
to be able to expand production capacity in a flexible manner.
In industrial nations and the markets in which NORMA Group
already has an established market position and the plants are
largely working to capacity, an attempt is made to avoid in-
vesting in additional manufacturing space whenever possible.
Instead, the goal is to optimise the current manufacturing pro-
cesses by improving efficiency in order to be able to use the
existing space to create additional capacity. This was also the
focus in the reporting year 2015. The extension of extrusion
and injection moulding capacity by optimising the machines
has helped to increase value addition for the Company and
the current production areas. Furthermore, logistics and duty
costs were reduced by localising production closer to where the

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Economic Report

relevant customers are based. This concentration then helped
to strengthen the margins, improve working capital and ulti-
mately contributed to organic growth.

The capacity utilisation of manufacturing plants can be ramped
up flexibly to suit customer demand and the order situation.
Within each product category, a wide variety of different prod-
ucts with different specifications can be manufactured at the
existing plants by performing only minor conversion measures.
Thus, production can be optimally adapted to suit customer
demand.

Investment in capacity expansion
NORMA Group has again invested in expanding its capacity
during the reporting year. The main investments are shown in
the  table 019.

Continuous optimisation of the entire value chain
At NORMA Group, all internal processing steps in the value
chain are constantly analysed for optimisation potential. The
Global Operational Excellence Management System represents
an essential tool here that helps to analyse existing processes,
identify potential for improvements, introduce the appropriate
measures for implementation and realise cost saving projects.
As a result, many processes have already been automated and
standardised in recent years, so that significant economies of
scale have been achieved.

By introducing the NORMA Group Production System (NPS)
at the beginning of 2014, yet another step towards becoming
a value-oriented company has been taken. The NPS and the
implementation of lean manufacturing associated with it are
both aimed at making production even more efficient, increasing

productivity and achieving further cost savings. NORMA Group
also relies on lean methods of process optimisation that are
similar to the Toyota Production System. This includes, for
example, the 5S methodology for optimising workplaces, the
introduction of standardised work, the visualisation of various
KPIs and the daily Gemba Walk. Furthermore, the optimisation
of material flow (K ANBAN) and setup time (SMED) as well as pre-
ventive maintenance (TPM) were introduced during the reporting
year. In addition, in 2015 Operational Excellence Leaders, who
are familiar with lean management were hired at all of NORMA
Group’s production plants to advance local implementation of
the NPS system. Thus a culture of continuous improvement is
promoted within NORMA Group.

A uniform, Group-wide ERP system that was implemented start-
ing in 2012 provides software-based support for all important
business processes. The system was expanded step by step
at further NORMA Group sites and divisions in 2013 and 2014.
The group-wide roll-out is not yet completed and will be con-
tinued in the future. By using a standardised system, NORMA
Group is able to harmonise and integrate all processes, which
is particularly important in light of the Group’s rapid growth and
its many acquisitions in recent years.

Customer focus and secure supply chain
In order to optimise its logistics costs, NORMA Group always
strives to keep the geographical distances in the value chain
as short as possible and avoid non value-adding intermediate
steps via other NORMA Group sites. The goal is therefore to
always manufacture in the regions that its customers are based
in. This not only optimises working capital and lowers logistics
costs, but also minimises delivery risks and reduces negative
impacts on the environment.

I N V E S T M E N T H I G H L I G H T S I N 2 0 15

T 0 19

Country

Site

Description

Germany

Maintal

Modernisation of machinery and equipment for the improvement of quality and productivity

Gebershausen Expansion of the Eurocoupler capacity

France

Briey

Expansion of the multi-layer extrusion process to take advantage of long-term opportunities in product development,
Expansion of production lines for new customer projects

Czech Republic Hustopece

Investment in a clean room for manufacturing of joining solutions for the biotech and pharmaceutical industry,
Introduction of a robotized cell for preparing turbocharger applications

Sweden

Anderstorp

Modernisation of machinery and equipment for the improvement of quality and productivity

United Kingdom Newbury

Modernisation of machinery and equipment for the improvement of quality and productivity

Poland

Serbia

China

Malaysia

India

USA

Pilica

Investment in new injection moulding capacity

Subotica

Investment in new injection moulding capacity

Changzhou

Investment in production equipment for Couplers, QRC and Gemi products

Ipoh

Pune

Expansion of the electrical infrastructure to allow for additional injection moulding machines to be used

Modernisation of machinery and equipment for the improvement of quality and productivity

Pennsylvania

Expansion of capacity to manufacture the Power Seal clamp, investment in equipment for manufacturing bolts

Fresno

St. Clair

Expansion of the extrusion capacity for irrigation products,
Extension of the injection moulding capacity for irrigation and rain management products

Extension of the injection moulding capacity

Mexico

Monterrey

Establishment of extrusion and injection moulding capacity

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Despite these efforts, cross-border deliveries are still indispens-
able for NORMA Group in many places, therefore optimised and
secure customs processes are extremely important in order to
flexibly react to customer requirements. For this reason, NORMA
Group participates in various customs and trade partnership
programmes, e.g. in the US, China and the EU. By participat-
ing in an export control programme that is part of the global
compliance programme, NORMA Group ensures that its supply
chain meets all of the legal requirements. By reviewing all of its
business partners at least once a year, NORMA Group is able
to rule out deliveries to legally sanctioned third parties. In ad-
dition, compliance with the relevant legal regulations on export
control is ensured through internal organisational procedures
and regular checks.

QUALIT Y M A N AGEMENT
The products that NORMA Group supplies are often critical to
the ability of its customers’ end products to function properly.
It is therefore extremely important for NORMA Group to ensure
that it delivers outstanding quality. In order to be able to offer
the same high quality all over the world, the quality standards
ISO 9001, TS 16949 are observed throughout the entire Group,
with the exception of NDS. Two sites that supply to the aviation
industry have also been certified in accordance with EN 9100,
and various product cate gories have been approved especially
for the shipping and construction industry. Sites that are not yet
connected to the quality management are to be initially certified
by ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification.

Because customer needs vary in the many different regions
and markets, regional standards and customer requirements
are also taken into consideration in production. This know-how
is shared inside the Group through close collaboration between
the various sites and gradual implementation of quality manage-
ment (CAQ) software.

The key metrics for measuring customer satisfaction in 2015
were at approximately the same level as last year. The number
of returned parts per million (PPM) increased slightly to 21 com-
pared to the previous year (2014: 17). The average number of
quality-related complaints per month amounted to 8, the same
figure as last year.

NORMA Group received additional awards in 2015, the Platinum
Supplier Status Award from General Motors for its US plant
in St. Clair, in addition to the 50 PPM Award from the vehicle
manufacturer PACCAR for its sites in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and
Juarez, Mexico. These awards reflect how satisfied customers
are with the high quality of NORMA Group’s products.

PURCH ASING A ND SUPPLIER M A N AGEMENT
Material costs represent the highest cost position for NORMA
Group next to personnel costs. Because they significantly af-
fect the Group’s profits, purchasing and supplier management
both play a decisive role in the success of the Group. The most
important goal for the purchasing department is to reduce price
risk and leverage economies of scale within the Group through

proactive management of the direct and indirect costs of ma-
terials and services purchased.

Purchasing and supplier management at NORMA Group is or-
ganised primarily on the basis of the following three higher level
commodity groups:

• Steel and metal components (various grades / materials)
• Granules, plastic and rubber products
• Capital goods, non-production materials and services

The commodity organisation is integrated into the NORM A
Group plants worldwide in the form of a matrix structure. Ad-
ditional commodity responsibilities emerged in recent years in
purchasing and supplier management, particularly in the areas
of water infrastructure and pharmaceutical biotechnology, due
to the Company’s continued growth, acquisitions and the relat-
ed expansion into new markets.

M AT E R I A L P U R C H A S I N G T U R N O V E R I N 2 0 15
A C C O R D I N G T O M AT E R I A L G R O U P S

G 0 19

in %

Alloy surcharges 7

Various 9

17 Steel, wire

Indirect 25

materials

14 Metal

components

5 Rubber moulded

parts

Electronic 1

components

13 Granules

9
Plastic parts

Global Group structure and regional expertise
NORMA Group has further expanded its high-performance
Group purchasing structure in recent years. Besides purchasing
of production materials, procurement of non-production materi-
als and services, including IT, has been expanded even further.

Purchasing at NORMA Group is controlled centrally for all do-
mestic and foreign Group companies, while regional or local
teams contribute their specific knowledge of local market con-
ditions and typical regional cost drivers. Due to the high degree
of professionalism and the combination of global, regional and
local purchasing management, resources and services can be
purchased much more competitively; therefore the costs can be
reduced quite significantly. Furthermore, the recent introduction
of the new e-procurement solutions have made reporting easier
and now even allow for more efficient purchasing management.
This is also reflected in an improved adjusted material usage
ratio of 40.8% in financial year 2015 (2014: 41.7%).  Economic
Report, p. 56.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Economic Report

D E V E L O P M E N T O F N I C K E L P R I C E S A N D T H E A L L OY S U R C H A R G E 1. 4 3 0 1 I N 2 0 15

– Alloy surcharge of flat products 1.4301 X5CrNi18-10 Europe in EUR

G 0 2 0

– Nickel LME in EUR

1,500

1,400

1,300

1,200

1,100

1,000

900

800

20,000

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

Jan 2015

Apr 2015

Jul 2015

Oct 2015

Jan 2016

Development of material prices and prices of
non-production materials
The price of the raw material nickel, which is used for alloy-
ing austenitic stainless steels, and is of importance to NORMA
Group, dropped significantly in financial year 2015. Due to the
fact that the purchasing volume of this material group is of sig-
nificance to NORMA Group, the decline in nickel prices in the
reporting year resulted in lower spending on alloy surcharges.
The base prices for stainless steels, on the other hand, re-
mained relatively constant in Europe. They increased slightly
in North America due to the fact that steelworks work at high
capacity at the beginning of the year.  G 020: Development of
the Prices of Nickel and the Alloy Surcharge.

The alloy surcharges of ferritic materials developed less volatile
and remained relatively stable throughout the year. The average
of the quotations changed only slightly over the previous year.

With respect to the purchase of plastics, declining oil prices
affected the cost of procurement positively, especially for poly-
propylenes. These are used in plastic components in the water
infrastructure sector, in particular.

defined, detailed supplier evaluation system is used by all of
the production plants each year. It serves to measure the per-
formance of local suppliers, to monitor the future development
of suppliers, and to ensure that new business is awarded on a
sound basis for making decisions.

By establishing a globally valid Code of Conduct for Suppliers
in 2015, NORMA Group expressed its expectations with respect
to the sustainable economic activity of its suppliers. Consider-
ation of sustainability criteria such as compliance with human
and employee rights, workplace safety and environmental and
ethical aspects as part of the contractual arrangements will help
to ensure that all parties act responsibly throughout the entire
value creation chain. @ http://normagroup.com/cr.

The newly introduced e-procurement solutions will also be used
in supplier management in the future. Standardised shopping
processes and transparent and clearly structured supplier inter-
action processes, which are subject to the compliance principles
of NORMA Group, will help to ensure a fair procurement process
and encourage sustainable relationships with suppliers. The new
processes were shared with suppliers at the end of 2015.

Furthermore, improved commodity management led to more
competitive conditions with respect to certain polyamide ma-
terial groups.

By establishing regional and local structures, it was also possi-
ble to improve the supply and service conditions in the area of
non-production materials, which had a positive impact on the
lower materials ratio in the reporting year.

Based on the supplier evaluation system, two suppliers were
recognised with the Supplier Recognition Award for their out-
standing achievements at the regional level in the reporting year.
NEIDA Products Engineering Limited received the award for its
outstanding achievements and results in the EMEA region while
McMasters Koss Co. was recognised in the Americas region.
Both suppliers were honoured for their many years of reliable
service to NORMA Group.

Supplier management
Constantly optimising the selection of suppliers is yet another
key task of purchasing. This is done not only solely on the basis
of traditional criteria such as quality, price, delivery times and
loyalty, but also takes important aspects of risk management
and sustainable development into consideration. A centrally

Supplier structure
Total production materials turnover amounted to approximately
EUR 194 million in 2015. The top 10 suppliers accounted for
roughly 29%, while the Company’s top 50 suppliers accounted
for nearly 61% of the total volume. Thus there are no excessive
dependencies on individual suppliers.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

EMPLOYEES

C O R E W O R K F O R C E B Y S E G M E N T

T 0 2 0

Personnel development
NORMA Group employed a staff (core workforce including tem-
porary staff) of 6,306 in total at the end of December 2015 and
thus 6% more people than in the previous year (2014: 5,975).
There were 1,185 temporary workers on this date (2014: 1,147).
This equates to around 19% of the total workforce.

EME A

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Total

2015

in %

2014

in %

2,899

1,462

760

5,121

2,803

1,315

710

4,828

T 0 2 1

NORMA Group recorded the highest increase in employees in
the Americas region in 2015. The permanent workforce here
grew by 11% to 1,462 employees. This was due to the 85 tem-
porary workers who were hired in Michigan and California, as
well as the construction of another distribution center.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the number of employees rose
by 7% to 760 permanent employees. This can be attributed
for the most part to the start of GEMI Clamp production at
the plant in Changzhou, China, and the establishment of the
global RE-Engineering Center, which was founded to adapt
existing products to suit local market conditions, among its
other tasks.

In the EMEA region, the number of employees increased by 3%
to 2,899 permanent employees at the end of the year. This was
due to the expansion of capacities at the site in Serbia.

P E R S O N N E L D E V E L O P M E N T AT N O R M A G R O U P

5,121

4,828

4,134

3,759

3,415

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

A G E S T R U C T U R E O F
N O R M A G R O U P E M P L OY E E S *

< 30 years

30 to 50 years

> 50 years

average age

25%

54%

21%

38.9

* 5,054 employees in total (98.7% of permanent staff in total). For legal reasons,

reporting on employees’ ages is not possible for all Group companies.

L E N G T H O F S E R V I C E O F
N O R M A G R O U P E M P L OY E E S

T 0 2 2

up to 5 years

> 5 years

> 10 years

average

56%

17%

27%

7.1 years

Stable share of employee groups
The total number of employees (permanent staff including
temporary workers) in the reporting year consisted of 3,307
direct employees (2014: 3,167), 1,374 indirect employees (2014:
1,336) and 1,625 salaried employees (2014: 1,472). The propor-
tion of the various groups of employees in relation to the total
number of employees remained virtually unchanged compared
to the previous year. While direct employees are individuals
who are involved in the manufacturing process, indirect em-
ployees are employees who work in production-related areas
such as the quality department, for example. The group of
salaried employees refers mainly to employees who hold ad-
ministrative positions.

1,185

1,147

813

726

837

G 0 2 1

6,306

5,975

4,947

4,485

4,252

Core workforce

Temporary staff

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015
Economic Report

B R E A K D O W N O F E M P L OY E E S B Y G R O U P

G 0 2 2

in %

Salaried employees 26

22
Indirect employees

52
Direct
employees

Qualified permanent workforce
The employees of NORMA Group are well trained and obtain
their qualifications by earning school and university degrees, and
participating in professional and supplementary training. Thus,
NORMA Group has a high qualification level with respect to its
permanent workforce in all areas and according to regional spec-
ificities. As of the reporting date, NORMA Group employed 1,207
employees who have a doctorate, a university or college degree.
The ratio of university graduates in relation to permanent staff
is thus at around 24%. Another 1,911 employees have a master
craftsman or technician certificate or other qualifying education.

Human resources work supports the growth strategy
During the reporting year, the initiative ‘HR Invent’ was con-
tinued to align the area of personnel with NORM A Group’s
growth and acquisition strategy. As part of this initiative, a staff
organisation that includes the competence centers ‘Learning
& Development,’ ‘Compensation & Benefit,’ and ‘Workforce
Planning’ was defined. In addition, the Company was working
on unifying its standard processes worldwide. NORMA Group
therefore makes use of HRIS (Human Resources Information
System) software to further optimise its personnel management.

Employer branding programme
As part of the ‘HR Invent’ initiative, an employer brand was
developed to strengthen the Company’s identity and position
NORMA Group clearly on the labour market. By interviewing
employees at all of its sites, experiences and opinions on the
perceived corporate culture and on NORMA Group as an em-
ployer were collected and merged with the assumptions and
expectations of the Management Board. The following core
values were identified based on the results, which are to serve
as a basis for the conduct of all employees in the future:

• Change readiness – We drive change
• Team spirit – We empower people
• Open mindset – We share ideas and information
• Strong ties – We develop partnerships

Supporting diversity and internationality
NORMA Group’s employees come from 40 different nations and
have various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. People with 19
different nationalities work at Company headquarters in Maintal
alone. By signing the ‘Charter of Diversity’ in 2013, NORMA
Group reaffirmed its position on diversity. The mission state-
ment ‘Diversity that connects’ emphasises the view that diver-
sity extends beyond aspects such as gender or nationality. In
order to systematically encourage diversity and the exchange
of ideas at work, NORMA Group’s aim is to create a working
environment free from prejudice and discrimination. The Group
therefore has three regional diversity officers who help maintain
a culture of mutual appreciation, respect and equal opportuni-
ties. Furthermore, the global Diversity Day, which takes place
once a year and invites everyone to experience diversity, is a
fixed date in NORMA Group’s calendar. Maintaining diversity
also means ensuring that all parties can find their way around in
their respective environments. For this reason, NORMA Group is
committed to successful integration through cooperation.

Female expertise
One objective of NORMA Group’s diversity strategy is to in-
crease the share of female employees in management positions
(up to the fourth level of management). On 31 December 2015,
the Group employed 1,782 female employees, which equates
to roughly 35% of its total workforce. Women hold 21% of all
management positions.

Inclusion of the handicapped
At NORMA Group, people who have handicaps are also given
the chance to take part in normal work life. The Group employed
52 men and women with disabilities in financial year 2015.

Performance Management

Rewarding performance
NORMA Group strives to attract and retain qualified and com-
mitted employees. For this reason, particular importance is
placed on fair remuneration. By holding regular benchmarks,
NORMA Group ensures that its employees are paid market-ori-
ented salaries and wages based on their responsibilities. The
remuneration system also contains variable remuneration
elements to encourage employees to take an interest in the
further development of the Company and share in its economic
success. Furthermore, we ensure that all of the remuneration
and social contributions paid satisfy at least the local statutory
standards. For tariff and non-tariff employees in Germany, this
is based on important financial performance indicators, for ex-
ample. Moreover, the personal achievements of employees also
play a role in remuneration. All of the remuneration and social
contributions that NORMA Group pays satisfy at least the local
statutory standards.

Knowledge as a resource
In order to maintain its high degree of innovative capabilities
and ensure that the Group continues its successful develop-
ment in the future, NORMA Group invests heavily in the further

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

education and training of its employees. The goal is to recruit
as many expert employees from its own youth as possible and
thus lower its dependence on the external job market.

Numerous training opportunities for career entrants
Training its young people represents an elementary compo-
nent of NORMA Group’s personnel policy. In keeping with its
global focus, the Company’s training and further education pro-
grammes also have an international focus. Young employees
participate in traineeships and exchange programmes at other
national companies in order to prepare them for working in in-
ternational teams at an early point in time.

NORMA Group has been giving its people the chance to obtain
a combination of practical training and university studies in the
fields of industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, mecha-
tronics, and business administration since 2006. In addition,
NORMA Group trains young people in various technical and
commercial areas and offers internships for students in all of its
departments and regions.

In 2015, NORMA Germany employed 40 trainees, three of whom
pursued dual studies. NORMA Group gave all of these trainees
who successfully completed their training or studies in 2015
permanent employment.

Due to the increasing complexity of Group structures and the
need for qualified young people in the area of information tech-
nology, trainees were hired in cooperation with Microsoft in 2015
for the maintenance and development of the ERP system Micro-
soft Dynamics A X used at NORMA Group.

Broad continued education offerings for employees
NORMA Group’s success is also dependent on how quickly and
effectively the Company can react to its customers’ changing
technical requirement and external influencing factors. For this
reason, NORMA Group must be able to ensure that its employ-
ees are always up-to-date in all relevant areas. The Company
therefore supports comprehensive measures on the continued
personal development of its employees and works closely with
universities such as the Frankfurt School of Finance and Manage-
ment as well as with the University of Darmstadt, Germany, for
example. NORMA Group has been supporting three students
of the Technical University of Darmstadt since 2015 as part of
the German Scholarship programme and sponsors a junior pro-
fessorship at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.

Each and every employee who works for NORMA Group was
able to benefit from an average of 29 hours of additional occu-
pational training in the reporting year 2015 (2014: 35 hours).
90% of its employees (2014: 92%) participated in at least one
training activity. NORMA Group’s goal is to increase the num-
ber of annual training hours per employee to an average of 30.

to hold an assessment and qualification conversation with each
individual employee at least once a year in order to be able to
evaluate their staff’s performances, specialised knowledge and
development potential. During these meetings, personal goals
are set for the next year.

Furthermore, NORMA Group introduced so-called Assessment
Centers in the reporting year that will help fill management posi-
tions and be used to identify further development activities in
a targeted manner.

Exchanges of personnel:
More communication, better understanding
NORMA Group will continue to grow internationally in the future,
both organically and through acquisitions. In order to be able
to integrate new parts of the Group and for the individual sites
to work together efficiently, communication that functions well
is essential at all levels. To encourage this, NORMA Group of-
fers several exchange programmes for its employees, from one
to three-month so-called ‘Bubble-Assignments’ (2015: 38) to
‘Long-Term-Assignments.’ Expert personnel and managers who
participate in this initiative bring special skills and experience to
the new sites and, at the same time, benefit from the know-how
that their new colleagues have. Through these projects, NORMA
Group promotes the internal transfer of knowledge, intercultural
awareness, the establishment of networks and the individual
development of the participants.

Feedback culture – employees express their opinions
NORMA Group has been conducting employee surveys on a
regular basis since 2008 that are used to systematically analyse
its strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of its em-
ployees and now represent the most important feedback instru-
ment at the organisational level. The survey makes it possible to
identify challenges and respond by initiating important change
processes. To be able to focus on implementing improvement
measures between surveys more actively, NORMA Group has
decided to conduct employee surveys at 3-year intervals in the
future. Furthermore, supervisors were given the opportunity to
experience 360° feedback during the reporting year. So-called
day-to-day feedback was also introduced to strengthen the core
values and thus the team spirit.

The fluctuation rate (voluntary departures) of 7.7% on a Group-
wide basis in the reporting year suggests that employees are
generally quite satisfied. In the medium term, NORMA Group
hopes to achieve a fluctuation rate of 3% to 5% at all sites
with the exception of China, India and Malaysia. Here, the goal
will be to achieve fluctuation of under 20% due to the special
conditions in these regions such as cultural peculiarities, high
competition and low employer loyalty.

The absence rate 3 was 2.9% for the Group as a whole in 2015,
compared to 2.5% in 2014.

Targeted search for talent
The development of its technical and managerial personnel is
of high priority to NORMA Group. All supervisors are required

3 Without NDS

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Economic Report

Healthy team – healthy company
A productive company like NORMA Group depends on having
healthy and satisfied employees. For this reason, N O R M A
Group contributes to its employees’ health by conducting var-
ious activities, such as skin screening, intraocular pressure and
blood fat measurements, tests on lung function, cardiovascu-
lar disease prevention and flu vaccinations. Furthermore, each
and every workplace is analysed with respect to all possible
work-related healthcare risks by conducting tours of all facilities
on a regular basis.

In addition, NORMA Group in Germany cooperates with an ex-
ternal healthcare consultancy, whose doctors, psychologists,
social advisors and legal advisors are available to assist em-
ployees and their immediate family members around the clock
and throughout the year to help them with any health-related,
mental, social or family problems they might be having. NORMA
Group has also launched an Employee Assistant Programme
(E AP) for its employees in the US. Furthermore, additional vol-
untary health insurance is also offered in certain countries, in-
cluding Poland and Russia, for example.

Occupational health and safety is of the highest priority
In order to prevent any potential hazards to its employees at
work, NORMA Group invests heavily and systematically in the
area of occupational health and safety. Thus the Company com-
plies with all applicable laws and regulations that pertain to en-
vironmental health and occupational safety. In addition, NORMA
Group also sees to it that all workplaces ensure maximum safe-
ty and avoid accidents where possible through complementary
policies and programmes.

NORMA Group has been certifying the safety management
systems at its sites in accordance with OHSAS 18001 (Occu-
pational Health and Safety Assessment Series), and thus guar-
antees a high standard of safety within the Group. Currently 22
sites were already rated accordingly (2014: 20). Certification of
the remaining sites is planned for 2015.

In 2015, NORMA Group extended the Value-Based Safety Pro-
gramme which has already been introduced in the US-Amer-
ican sites in 2012 to 23 locations (2014: 20). In the context of
this programme, the employees’ activities at work are analysed
and potentially dangerous behaviours are determined as part
of weekly security checks. The deficits found are permanently
corrected using standardized and team-oriented problem solv-
ing methods.

Incident rate on a sustainable low level
NORMA Group constantly monitors and analyses its incident
rate. The number of occupational accidents is collected on a
Group-wide basis each month and the trend is monitored using
various key performance indicators (KPI). The incident rate,
which reflects the number of accidents per 1,000 employees,
represents the most important indicator in this regard. The fig-
ure was 5 for the 2015 reporting year, which means that it sig-
nificantly improved compared to the previous year (2014: 10).

NORMA Group’s goal with respect to the current initiatives is to
have an accident-free working environment.

I N C I D E N T R AT E

Incidents / 1,000 employees

G 0 2 3

2015

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

EN VIRONMENTAL PROTECTION A ND

ECOLOGICAL M A N AGEMENT
As a manufacturing company, NORMA Group is well aware of its
environmental, economic, and social responsibility. Environmen-
tally compatible and sustainable economic activity is therefore
a central element of its corporate strategy. For this reason, the
Company considers it important to systematically include envi-
ronmental aspects in its business decisions. NORMA Group’s
goal is to increase the efficiency of its production processes,
lower its energy consumption over the long term, and reduce
waste. The long-term cost savings associated with this con-
tribute to the economic efficiency of the Group. The core ele-
ments of NORMA Group’s environmental strategy and measures
pertaining to their implementation were published in January
in the 2018 CR Roadmap. @ http://www.normagroup.com/cr.

Group-wide environmental management system
In 2015, NORMA Group continued with the introduction of the
Group-wide Environmental Management System that the Com-
pany had first introduced in 2013. At the end of the reporting
period, 21 production sites had been certified according to ISO
14001. In financial year 2015, the site of NORMA Brazil was con-
nected to the environmental management system. The remain-
ing plant in Changzhou, China, and the new acquisition in the
year 2014 (NDS) are scheduled to receive certification in 2016.

Reduction of CO2 emissions
NORMA Group has been using a Group-wide reporting tool to
record and track resource consumption, emissions and waste
since 2013. As part of consistent implementation of its sustain-
ability strategy, the Company succeeded in further reducing its
CO 2 emissions in 2015. Measures that have made a significant
contribution to this cause include continuous optimisation of
transportation routes, the improvement of production processes

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

S P E C I F I C E N V I R O N M E N TA L I N D I C AT O R S

T 0 2 3

CO 2 emissions from the consumption of electricity and gas
(kg / EUR thousands of production activity)

Water consumption (t / EUR thousands of production activity)

2015

74.2

0.17

Change over
previous year

2014

2013

−3.8%

–

77.1

0.17

79.7

0.18

and manufacturing procedures, automatic switch-off of com-
pressed air when it is not in use and the optimisation of the
heating control system.

to address the local market conditions and consumer habits in
the respective regions and markets. The regional marketing units
are then responsible for executing the various activities and syn-
chronising them with the operative objectives of NORMA Group.

These and other measures have helped to reduce CO 2 emis-
sions from electricity and gas consumption in relation to pro-
duction activity by 3.8% compared to the previous year. The
water consumption related to the costs of manufacturing re-
mained stable compared to 2014.

NORMA Group’s objective in the years to come is to reduce CO 2
emissions by 9% and water consumption by 6% (respectively
relative to the manufacturing costs) compared to 2015.

M A R KE TING
In order to further increase awareness of N OR M A Group’s
pro ducts all over the world, boost product sales, strengthen
its customer relationships and thus contribute to the Group’s
growth, the implementation of the long-term marketing strategy
was the central focus of the Group’s marketing activities in 2015.
These were largely supported by on-line and digital instruments.
NORMA Group’s marketing strategy focuses on achieving the
following long-term objectives:

• Building a strong NORMA Group image
• Decentralisation of marketing activities
• Optimisation of the brand portfolio
• Optimisation of marketing tools

In order to be able to focus on its end markets and customers as
much as possible, NORMA Group aligns its marketing activities

Marketing focus in 2015
One key marketing focus in 2015 was to further roll-out the new
brand strategy worldwide, bringing a clear brand positioning
and image and a simpler product allocation with increased user
friendliness. Therefore completely new information material has
been created for each brand in order to convey its values in
either a digital form or at the point of sales. This was supported
by regional teams of strategic brand and product management.

Beside this, the image of the EJT business unit has been devel-
oped further to emphasize NORMA Group’s innovative product
solutions and their added values for the customer, supported
by a new application for mobile devices. Regional micro web-
sites for EJT solutions are planned to be launched in the first
quarter of 2016.

In 2015, NORMA Group focused on increasing awareness, de-
mand and brand preference primarily for water management
products and solutions for the US market. And, in fact, the user
traffic driven to the NDS brand website and the resulting pur-
chase orders saw increases.

Major efforts have been done to interlink the different marketing
tools that are improving NORMA Group’s sales and marketing
processes and the way to the market. The integration of the
Print-on-Demand system into the existing DAM system (Digital

M A R K E T I N G E X P E N D I T U R E S 2 0 15 B Y S E G M E N T

G 0 24

M A R K E T I N G E X P E N D I T U R E S 2 0 15 B Y A C T I V I T Y

G 0 2 5

in %

16 EME A

Corporate 29

29 DS

Asia-Pacific 8

8 EJT

47 Americas

Water management 34

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Supplementary Report | Forecast Report

Asset Management), the webshop, the websites and the mobile
applications, provides a good base to further increase NORMA
Group’s digital presence.

NORMA Group also attended a number of exhibitions again
last year. In total, the Company participated in 62 international
industry trade fairs (2014: 63).

Marketing expenditures
Marketing expenditures amounted to EUR 4.7 million in total
in 2015, compared to EUR 3.2 million in 2014, and were thus
around 47% higher than in the previous year. The increase of
EUR 1.5 million is mainly attributed to the new water manage-
ment activities of NDS.

Supplementary Report

As of the date of publication of this report, no events were
known that would have influenced the assets, financial and
earnings position of NORMA Group.

Forecast Report

GENER AL ECONOMIC A ND

INDUSTRY- SPECIFIC CONDITIONS

Global economy gains momentum –
upswing in the euro zone continues on
In January 2016, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered
its forecasts on economic growth once again in its latest report.
The fund currently projects that the global economy will pick up
gradually in 2016 and 2017; nevertheless, the recovery will lack
momentum and remain fragile at rates of most likely 3.4% and
3.6% for the years covered by the forecast. The main negative
factors are the slowing of growth in China and increases in in-
terest rates in the US. Both developments could exert significant
pressure on emerging and developing countries, in particular,
in the event of a continued appreciation of the dollar, because
these countries are mostly financed in US dollars. Furthermore,
the decline in oil and commodity prices poses a problem for the
producer countries. The IMF sees yet another risk for the world
economy in higher financial market volatility. Uncertainties also
arise from the conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, as
well as the refugee crisis.

China’s economic output is expected to continue to decline.
For 2016 and 2017, the IMF expects growth rates of 6.3% and
6.0% for this country. The ASE AN-5 countries are expected to
experience only slightly stronger growth of 4.8% to start with
before they grow at a higher rate of 5.1% in 2017. The region is
expected to benefit from investments and the slight recovery in
the industrialised nations. India’s economy is expected to grow
steadily at a rate of 7.5% per year in the IMF’s forecast years and
thus more strongly than in recent times thanks to infrastructure
projects. Latin America is expected to shrink again in 2016 due
to structural problems and the recession in Brazil. Slight growth
is not expected here until 2017, and stagnation is forecast for
Brazil. The economic output in Russia is projected to decline
again by 1.0% in 2016 and post only a moderate increase in
2017. Overall, the IMF expects the emerging and developing na-
tions to recover slightly at a rate of 4.3% (2016) and 4.7% (2017),
but not to achieve the dynamic growth they had in the past.

The IMF expects the established industrial nations to continue
to grow more strongly in 2016. According to their projections,
growth is expected to accelerate from 1.9% the previous year to
2.1% in 2016. The following year, this rate is projected to remain

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

stable at 2.1%. The fund estimates the prospects for the US to
be robust with strong demand from the private sector. The US
monetary policy will remain expansionary despite rate reversals.
The appreciation of the dollar and low oil prices will continue
to dampen industrial output and investments, however. The US
economy is expected to grow stably by 2.6% in both years,
according to the IMF, but without gaining momentum. Cana-
da’s economy is projected to gradually grow stronger. Japan is
expected to show somewhat more dynamic growth of 1.0% in
2016 due to monetary and fiscal stimulus only to drop to 0.3%
in 2017. Stable growth of 2.2% is projected for the UK due to
currency and interest rates.

The euro zone is expected to continue its upswing. The IMF
and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) forecast a
slight 1.7% acceleration of growth for 2016. While the IMF is
projecting 1.7% growth again in 2017, the IfW forecasts 2.0%
growth. Both institutes expect the pace of expansion to increase
in France and Italy in 2016. Spain is expected to continue to
grow strongly. Overall, the growth rates of the countries in the
monetary union are looking quite similar. The ECB has indicated
that it will stick to its expansionary monetary policy despite the
US interest rate reversal and, if necessary, even loosen it further.
The weaker euro and gradually revived global demand are stim-
ulating exports and industrial activity. At the beginning of 2016,
capacity utilisation in the euro zone was at 81.3% according to
Eurostat (Q1 2015: 80.2%). The favourable financing conditions
should therefore continue to boost investment activity in 2016.
In this environment, the IfW expects an increase in gross fixed
investment of 2.5%. For Germany, the Kiel Institute estimates
that the economy will continue to gain momentum, grow dy-
namically by 2.2% in 2016 and 2.3% in 2017 and hence again
be the growth engine in the euro zone. Consumption remains
strong and higher investments in equipment and construction
are supporting the upswing.

The overall economic prospects for 2016 provide the basis for
NORMA Group’s forecast and outlook.

F O R E C A S T S F O R G D P G R O W T H ( R E A L )

T 0 24

in %

World

USA

China

Euro zone

Germany 1

2015

2016e

2017e

+3.1

+2.4

+6.9

+1.5

+1.7

+3.4

+2.6

+6.3

+1.7

+2.2

+3.6

+2.6

+6.0

+1.7

+2.3

Sources: IMF, 1 Institute for the World Economy (IfW)

Conditions generally quite positive for
important customer industries of NORMA Group
The expected moderate recovery of the international eco nomy in
2016 and 2017 will also improve the overall climate and the pros-
pects for important customer industries that NORMA Group serves.

Engineering industry
Due to the difficult international environment for engineering,
the German industry association VDMA expects a somewhat
weaker development in 2016. Worldwide machine sales are
expected to rise by only 1% in real terms. The VDMA predicts
only moderate growth for the two most dominant markets
China (+1%) and the USA (+1%). Stagnant sales are expected
for Russia and a further decline of 2% for Brazil. Sales in Asia,
on the other hand, are expected to recover despite zero growth
in Japan, with partly robust growth rates (7% each in India and
South Korea). In the euro zone and Europe as a whole, sales are
therefore likely to increase by 1% in 2016 in real terms. Although
orders have picked up most recently in Germany (2015: +1% in
real terms) and the low euro is likely to support exports outside
Europe, the VDMA calculates only with zero growth in real pro-
duction in 2016 due to the weak business climate. Industry sales
are thus expected to increase by close to 1% in nominal terms
to EUR 220 billion (+0% in real terms). The industry is hoping
to see impulses from the lifting of sanctions against Iran and
stronger investments in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

E N G I N E E R I N G : R E A L C H A N G E
I N I N D U S T R Y S A L E S

T 0 2 5

in %

China

USA

Euro zone

World

Source: VDMA

2014

2015

2016e

Automobile industry
In an environment marked by low oil prices and a slightly im-
proved global economy, sustained growth can be expected for
the automotive industry. LMC Automotive expects to see more
dynamic growth than in the previous year. A global increase
in production of 4.2% to 92.3 million vehicles is predicted for
2016 for the broad passenger vehicle market (passenger cars,
light trucks). Sales are expected to rise by 3.7%. IHS Auto-
motive expects to see sales increase by 2.7%. The German
association VDA projects an increase of 2% to 78.1 million
vehicles for the narrowly defined passenger car market. The
three main markets, China, the USA and Western Europe, will
thus continue to grow, but only moderately. An increase of
2% in passenger cars is projected for China, while the VDA
expects growth of only 1% for the USA (light vehicles). The
European association ACE A expects car sales to increase by
around 2% in the EU, while the VDA expects to see an increase
of 1% in total for Western Europe. Following some very strong
growth rates, the pace is projected to slow down in the vol-
ume markets in the UK, Italy, France and Germany in 2016.
For Germany, the VDA expects growth of 1% for exports and
domestic manufacturing. Foreign manufacturing is projected
to increase by 3% in 2016.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Forecast Report

A U T O M O T I V E I N D U S T R Y: G L O B A L P R O D U C T I O N A N D
D E V E L O P M E N T O F S A L E S ( PA S S E N G E R V E H I C L E S )

T 0 2 6

in %

2014

2015

2016e

2017e

Production

Sales

2.9

3.5

1.6

1.2

4.2

3.9

2.1

2.8

Source: LMC Automotive

Construction industry
The forecast by the Ifo Institute and the industry network Euro-
construct presents a positive outlook for Europe’s construc-
tion industry. The industry environment for new construction,
modernisation and maintenance remains positive. Thus, experts
predict that growth will accelerate with respect to European
construction output to 3.0% in real terms (2015: 1.6%). Three
quarters of the total growth will then be attributable to the main
markets (Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Poland). Eu-
rope’s construction output is also expected to expand strongly
by 2.7% in real terms in 2017 and continue its growth in 2018
(+2.0% in real terms). Consistent growth in the areas of residen-
tial, commercial and underground construction are assumed
through 2018. The IfW predicts high growth in construction in-
vestments in Germany in 2016 by 3.0% in real terms (previous
year: +0.2%) and 3.3% in 2017. Residential construction, the
largest segment, continues to drive the economy by achiev-
ing increases of 3.6% (2016) and 4.0% (2017). Furthermore,
public construction is also projected to grow significantly. The
German trade associations (ZDB, HDB) are optimistic for 2016
and calculate with an increase in construction-related sales of
a nominal 3.0% to EUR 103.2 billion. Here, building construc-
tion and civil engineering are both projected to grow by 3.0%.
Assuming stable sales in the area of commercial construction,
the forecast projects significant growth in residential (+5.0%)
and public construction (+4.0%).

C O N S T R U C T I O N I N D U S T R Y: D E V E L O P M E N T O F
E U R O P E A N C O N S T R U C T I O N O U T P U T

T 0 2 7

in %

2014

2015

2016e

2017e

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Europe

1.1

4.7

1.3

6.0

1.6

2.9

5.1

3.0

2.5

6.2

2.7

Sources: Euroconstruct / Ifo Institute (19 core markets in total)

FUTUR E DE VELOPMENT OF NOR M A GROUP
N O R M A Group currently has no plans to make significant
changes to either its goals or its strategy. The main focus will
continue to be on diversifying the business with respect to end
markets, regions and customers in the future as well. Further
acquisitions cannot be explicitly ruled out. As in the past, the
main focus of M&A activities will continue to be on companies
that either contribute to market consolidation or enable the
Company to enter new high-margin markets.

In addition, further internationalisation and expansion of activ-
ities in the Asia-Pacific region in particular continue to be key
objectives. The Company thus hopes to be able to take advan-
tage of the opportunities this important growth market offers
and relocate value creation to the respective region and country.

The area of Research and Development will continue to play an
important role for the long-term preservation of the Company’s
innovation capability. The focus of development activities will
again be on innovative products that help solve industrial cus-
tomers’ problems.

Furthermore, with the adoption of the CR Roadmap 2018,
NORMA Group laid the foundation for the Company to pursue
sustainability to an even greater extent.

Sales growth in 2016
For 2016, the NORMA Group Management Board currently
(March 2016) expects the global economy to grow moderately,
slightly above last year’s level, and essentially be driven by the
industrial nations and emerging Asian countries. Geopolitical
crises, the ongoing volatile growth in China, increases in interest
rates in the US, declines in oil and raw material prices, as well
as structural problems in Latin America pose potential risks.

Due to its broad diversification, the NORMA Group Management
Board believes the Company to be well positioned and therefore
able to continue to benefit from the growth trends in various end
markets and regions.

NORMA Group expects to see the EMEA region develop slightly
positively overall due to increased investments and consump-
tion. Low oil prices and the lower euro exchange rate should
result in additional positive impulses and economic growth. The
end markets that NORMA Group is active in should also benefit
from this development. The automobile industry in particular can
be expected to increase its production volumes due to higher
exports as a result of the lower euro exchange rate. NORMA
Group also expects to see positive effects in the medium-term
because of new country specific fleet-based measures for pas-
senger vehicles that will require more advanced technology and
higher engine efficiency in the future. All in all, NORMA Group
expects the EME A region to achieve solid organic growth in
financial year 2016 compared to the previous year.

Growth in the Americas region and the US, in particular, was
unchanged compared to the previous year. NORMA Group be-
lieves this growth will continue in 2016 as well and be reflect-
ed in end markets of relevance to the Group. NORMA Group
therefore expects to see solid organic growth in the current
financial year.

Despite the slightly weaker growth forecasts for China in 2016,
the Asia-Pacific region’s dynamics will continue and also be
driven by stricter emission regulations for cars and trucks.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Due to increasing business activities in the region, the Company
expects to achieve double-digit organic growth again in 2016.

gross debt for which the average interest rate is approximately
2.5% to 3.0% as well as expenses for currency hedges and
transaction costs.

The distribution of sales for the two sales channels EJT and
DS shifted in 2015 due to the acquisition of NDS because the
sales share of the DS area increased by the share of the water
business of NDS. NORMA Group expects to see solid growth
in 2016 for both DS and EJT.

Higher adjusted earnings per share
Adjusted earnings per share will show solid growth in financial
year 2016. Sales growth, a sustainable margin and a slightly
improved financial result will contribute to this.

In light of these assumptions and the current market volatilities,
NORMA Group projects that it will achieve solid organic Group
sales growth in financial year 2016 of around 2% to 5% com-
pared to 2015. Currency effects can have either a positive or
a negative effect on this growth, depending on the exchange
rates to the euro.

Adjustments to earnings
NORMA Group expects adjustments for write-offs from pur-
chase price allocations of approximately EUR 19 million on de-
preciable tangible and intangible assets from the acquisitions
made in prior years.

Development of the main cost positions
NORMA Group assumes that the main relative cost positions
(material and personnel expenses) will develop in a stable
manner compared to the previous year.

The continuous increase in the degree of professionalism in
purchasing, the conclusion of long-term contracts, and the
achievement of economies of scale have led to a continuous im-
provement in the cost of materials ratio in recent years. NORMA
Group believes it can maintain the current high level through
2016 as well and expects the cost of materials ratio to remain
at approximately the same level as in previous years.

Thanks to the Group’s ongoing growth and the fact that activ-
ities in the Asia-Pacific region have been intensified, NORMA
Group expects personnel costs to rise constantly in relation to
sales in 2016. This will result in a stable personnel cost ratio at
the same level of recent years.

Investment in Research and Development
NORMA Group plans to invest 5% of its EJT sales in order to
maintain its innovativeness and its ability to compete over the
long term. The main focus of R&D activities will continue to be
on developing innovative products that help meet its customers’
industrial challenges.

Adjusted EBITA margin
Maintaining its high level of profitability represents an important
focus for NORMA Group. All business activities are therefore
strategically aligned toward achieving this objective. Main-
taining a strong margin also plays a significant role in acquir-
ing new companies. Due to the many internal measures and
ongoing opti misation processes in all areas, NORMA Group
firmly believes that the sustained high level of its margin can
be maintained again in 2016. The goal is to have an adjusted
EBITA margin at the same level as in previous years of more
than 17.0%.

Financial result of up to EUR −15 million expected
In total, NORMA Group expects a financial result of up to EUR
−15 million. This will include interest expenses on the Group’s

Tax ratio of between 32% and 34%
The tax ratio will remain constant compared to the previous year
at between 32% and 34%.

Investment rate of around 4.5% the goal
For financial year 2016, NORMA Group plans to invest around
4.5% of Group sales. By doing so, the Company will be finan-
cing both maintenance investments and investments on ex-
panding its business. One main focus will be on expanding
activities in the Asia-Pacific region in particular and expanding
the new plants located in China and Serbia as planned.

Net operating cash flow
Due to higher sales and a sustainable margin, but also strict
working capital management and a consistent investment rate,
NORMA Group expects net operating cash flow to be slightly
higher than last year’s level.

Sustainable dividend policy
To the extent that the future economic situation allows, NORMA
Group plans to pursue a long-term dividend policy that is orien-
tated towards a pay-out ratio of approx. 30% to 35% of the
adjusted Group net profit.

Market penetration and innovative capability
The extent of market penetration is reflected in the Group’s
organic growth in the medium term.  Sales forecast, p. 77.
Ensuring that it remains innovative is essential to N OR M A
Group’s competitiveness and future. In order to secure its
innovations, these are protected by patents. Here, NORMA
Group strives to maintain its new patent registrations at more
than 80 per year.

Problem-solving behaviour of its employees
NORMA Group employs key performance indicators, such as
defective parts per million (PPM) and number of quality-related
customer complaints, to measure and control its problem-solv-
ing behaviour. Independent of the product group, the Company
strives to achieve a value of approximately 20 for the indicator
PPM. The goal for 2016 is to lower the number of customer
complaints even further despite the low level that has already
been achieved.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Forecast Report

Sustainable company development
(Corporate Responsibility)
NORMA Group published its CR Roadmap 2018 in January
2016. The objective is to continue to achieve the goals stated
therein in a consistent manner and lay even more important
milestones for managing the Company more sustainably in
2016.

GENER AL STATEMENT BY THE M A N AGEMENT BOAR D

ON THE PROBABLE DE VELOPMENT
At the time that the management report 2015 was prepared, the
Management Board expected NORMA Group to achieve solid
growth again in 2016. The Company’s management expects
the economic situation to improve slightly in the EME A region.
Steady impulses for sales growth are expected to come from
the US market in particular due to the current economic de-
velopment. Due to its dynamic growth, the Asia-Pacific region

will make an important contribution to the growth of the Group.
Currency effects can have either a positive or a negative effect
on growth, depending on the exchange rates to the euro. In total
and on the basis of its current forecast, the Management Board
expects solid organic growth in sales in 2016.

As a result of the ongoing optimisation of the processes in all
areas of the Group, the Management Board expects its main
cost positions to experience a stable development in relation to
sales with yet another high adjusted EBITA margin of more than
17.0% in financial year 2016.

Constantly observing the market and strategically searching
for new acquisition targets continues to be an important com-
ponent of the Company strategy, therefore the Management
Board does not explicitly rule out further acquisitions in financial
year 2016.

2 0 16 F O R E C A S T

T 0 2 8

Consolidated sales

solid organic growth of around 2% to 5%

EME A:

solid organic growth

Americas: solid organic growth

APAC:

over 10%, i.a. driven by stricter emission regulations

DS:

EJT:

solid growth

roughly at the same level as in previous years

sustainable at the same level as in previous years of more than 17.0%

up to EUR −15 million

around 32% to 34%

Cost of materials ratio

Personnel cost ratio

Adjusted EBITA margin

Net financial income

Adjusted tax rate

Adjusted earnings per share

solid increase

Investment rate (without acquisitions)

operationally around 4.5%

Operating net cash flow

slightly higher than the level of the previous year (2015: EUR 134.7)

Dividend

approximately 30% to 35% of adjusted annual Group earnings

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Risk and Opportunity Report

NORMA Group is exposed to a wide variety of risks and op-
portunities which can have a positive or negative short-term
or long-term impact on its financial position and performance.
For this reason, opportunity and risk management represents
an integral component of corporate management for NORMA
Group SE, at both the Group management level and at the level
of the individual companies and individual functional areas. Due
to the fact that all corporate activities are associated with risks
and opportunities, NORMA Group considers identifying, assess-
ing, and managing opportunities and risks to be a fundamental
component of executing its strategy, securing the short and
long-term success of the Company and sustainably increasing
shareholder value. In order to achieve this over the long-term,
NORMA Group encourages its employees in all areas of the
Company to remain conscious of risks and opportunities.

RISK A ND OPPORTUNIT Y M A N AGEMENT SYSTEM
NORM A Group defines risks and opportunities as possible
future developments, changes, or events that could have a
positive or negative impact on the Group’s ability to meet its
targets and achieve its business objectives. Analogous to the
medium-term planning, the management’s focus with respect
to possible deviations in specific risks and opportunities covers
a period of five years. Opportunities and risks that affect the
Company’s success beyond this period of time are recorded
and managed at the Group management level and taken into
consideration in the Company’s strategy. Analogous to the me-
dium-term planning, the focus with respect to the measurement
of specific risks and opportunities covers a period of five years.

management system. The Supervisory Board is responsible
for monitoring the effectiveness of the Group risk management
system. Checking compliance with the Group’s internal risk
management rules in the individual companies and functional
areas is also integrated in the Internal Revision department’s
periodic audits.

Risks are recorded on a Group-wide basis every quarter and
categorised according to functional areas and individual com-
panies and then reported to the individuals responsible for these
functions and segment management, the Management Board
and the Supervisory Board. Furthermore, risks that are identified
during a quarter whose expected value will have a significant
effect on the results of group divisions are reported to the Man-
agement Board on an ad hoc basis and, if necessary, even to
the Supervisory Board. Operational opportunities are identified
during monthly meetings held at the local and regional level,
but also by the Management Board, and then documented and
analysed. Measures aimed at capitalising on strategic and op-
erational opportunities through local and regional projects are
approved during these meetings. Regular forecasts are devel-
oped as part of periodic reporting to record how successfully
potential opportunities are taken advantage of. Strategic oppor-
tunities are recorded and evaluated as part of annual planning.
NORMA Group uses a systematic assessment procedure to
evaluate the opportunities and risks that were identified, both
in terms of their financial impact, i.e. gross and net impact on
planned financial indicators, and their probability of occurrence.

The Management Board of N OR M A Group SE is responsi-
ble for maintaining an effective Group risk and opportunity

In order to analyse NORMA Group’s overall risk situation and ini-
tiate suitable countermeasures, individual risks of local business
units and Group-wide risks are aggregated in a risk portfolio.

R I S K M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M O F N O R M A G R O U P

G 0 2 6

Track reporting

Identification

Risk management

Risk identification

Risk reporting

Risk culture
Risk strategy
Methods
Technologies

Risk assessment

Supervisory Board &
Management Board

Risk analysis

Risk aggregation

Countermeasures

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Risk and Opportunity Report

Here, the scope of consolidation in the area of risk management
equates to the group of companies covered by the con soli dated
financial statements. In addition, NORMA Group categorises
risks according to type and the functional area they affect.
This makes it possible to aggregate individual risk titles into
risk groups in a structured manner. This aggregation enables
NORMA Group to identify and control not only individual risks,
but also trends and Company-specific types of risks and thus
sustainably influence and reduce the risk factors with certain
types of risks. Provided that not indicated differently, the risk
assessment applies for all regional segments.

NORM A Group’s risk management officers are responsible
for checking on a regular basis whether all material risks have
been identified, adjusting the risk identification procedure when
required, analysing the risk portfolio and developing and im-
plementing suitable countermeasures to mitigate risks. These
comprise strategies to avoid, reduce or hedge against risk, i.e.
measures that minimise the financial impact of risks as well as
their probability of occurrence. Risks are managed in accor-
dance with the principles of the risk management system as de-
scribed in the Group risk management guidelines. The internal
control system also safeguards the effectiveness of the risk man-
agement system. The work of those individuals who are respon-
sible for risks, the risk portfolio and the evaluation of risks and
activities is reviewed by holding quarterly risk steering sessions.

INTER N AL CONTROL A ND RISK M A N AGEMENT SYSTEM

WITH R EG AR D TO THE GROUP ACCOUNTING PROCES S
NORMA Group’s internal control and risk management system
with regard to accounting and external financial reporting can
be described using the following main characteristics: The pur-
pose of this system is to identify, analyse, evaluate and man-
age risks as well as monitor these activities. The Management
Board is responsible for ensuring that this system meets the
Company’s specific requirements. Based on the allocation of
responsibilities within the Company, the CFO is responsible for
the Finance and Accounting divisions, which are, in turn, re-
sponsible for accounting. These functional areas define and
review the Group-wide accounting standards within the Group
and compile the information used to produce the consolidated
financial statements. Significant risks for the accounting process
result from the need to provide accurate and complete informa-
tion within predefined timeframes. Because of this, requirements
must be clearly communicated and the affected units must be
put in a position to meet these requirements.

Risks for the accounting process can for instance result from
posting transactions inaccurately or in the wrong accounting
period as well as from errors in applying accounting standards.
In order to avoid errors, the accounting process consis tently
includes segregation of duties and plausibility checks. The
preparation of the financial statements of those entities, which
are to be included in the consolidated financial statements, as
well as the consolidation entries are characterised by consis-
tent observance of the 'four eyes-principle.' Comprehensive and
detailed checklists must be completed before the respective

financial statement deadlines. The accounting process is fully
integrated into NORMA Group’s risk management system. This
ensures that accounting risks are identified early and the Com-
pany is able to implement risk provisioning and countermea-
sures without delay.

The internal control system ensures the accuracy of NORMA
Group’s financial reporting with respect to its accounting process.
The Internal Revision department reviews the accounting pro-
cesses on a regular basis to ensure that the internal control and
risk management system is effective. External specialists also
support these efforts. Furthermore, the auditor conducts audit
procedures during the audit of the annual financial statements
based on the risk-based audit approach, whereby material errors
and violations are to be detected with reasonable assurance.

The applicable IFRS accounting principles are summarised in an
accounting manual. All companies in the Group must base their
accounting processes and policies on the standards described
in the accounting manual. The accounting manual contains
binding definitions of important measurement methods, such as
those used in the measurement of inventories and receivables in
accordance with IFRS. The Group also has system-supported
reporting mechanisms to ensure that identical transactions are
treated in a standardised way across the Group.

The consolidated financial statements and group management
report are prepared according to a uniform time schedule for
all companies. Each company in the Group prepares its sepa-
rate financial statements in accordance with the applicable local
accounting standards and IFRS. Intra-Group transactions are
recorded in separately designated accounts by the Group com-
panies. The net balances of Intra-Group offsetting accounts are
reconciled on the basis of defined guidelines and schedules by
means of balance confirmations. The companies in the Group use
the COGNOS reporting system for financial reporting. In accor-
dance with NORMA Group’s regional segmentation, responsibility
for the finance area is shared by both the financial officers in the
Group companies as well as by the regional CFO for the respec-
tive segment. They are included in the quality assurance of the
financial statements of the Group companies included in the con-
solidated financial statements. The comprehensive quality assur-
ance of the financial statements of the Group companies included
in the consolidated financial statements is carried out by Group
Finance & Reporting, which is responsible for preparing the con-
solidated financial statements. In addition, the financial data and
disclosures of the Group companies as well as the consolidation
measures necessary for the preparation of the consolidated finan-
cial statements are verified through audit procedures conducted
by external auditors under consideration of the associated risks.

The various IT systems that individual NORMA Group companies
use to perform financial accounting are in the progress of be-
ing standardised. All systems have tiered access authorisation
systems. The type and design of these access authorisations
and authorisation policies are decided by local management in
coordination with the Group’s Head of IT.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

RISK A ND OPPORTUNIT Y PROFILE OF NOR M A GROUP
As part of the preparation and monitoring of its risk and op-
portunities profile, NORMA Group assesses risks and oppor-
tunities based on their financial impact and their probability of
occurrence. The financial impact of risks and opportunities are
assessed based on their relation to EBITA. The following five
categories were used here:

• Insignificant: up to 1% of current EBITA
• Minor: more than 1% and up to 5% of current EBITA
• Moderate: more than 5% and up to 10% of current EBITA
• Significant: more than 10% and up to 25% of current EBITA
• High: more than 25% of current EBITA

The interval of the risk’s or the opportunity’s impact relates to
the EBITA of the Group or segment provided that an individual
risk or opportunity solely relates to a specific segment. The
assessment of opportunities and risks whose financial impact
has an effect on line items in the statement of comprehensive
income below EBITA is also performed in relation to EBITA.
The presented impact always reflects the effects of initiated
(counter)-measures.

The probability of occurrence of individual risks and opportuni-
ties is quantified based on the following five categories:

• Very unlikely: up to 3% probability of occurrence
• Unlikely: more than 3% and up to 10 % probability

of occurrence

• Possible: more than 10% and up to 40% probability

of occurrence

• Likely: more than 40% and up to 80% probability

of occurrence

• Very likely: more than 80% probability of occurrence

Financial risks and opportunities
NORMA Group is exposed to several financial risks, including
default, liquidity and market risks. The Group’s financial risk
management strategy concentrates on the identification, evalua-
tion and mitigation of risks, focusing on minimising the potential
negative impact on the Company’s financial performance. To
hedge particular risk items derivative financial instruments are
used. The financial risk management strategy is implemented
by Group Treasury. Group management defines the areas of
responsibility and necessary controls related to the risk man-
agement strategy. Group Treasury is responsible for defining,
evaluating and hedging financial risks in close consultation with
the Group’s operating units.

Capital risk management
NORMA Group’s objective when it comes to managing its capital
is primarily the long-term servicing of its debts and remaining
financially stable. In connection with its financing agreements,
the Company is obliged to maintain the financial covenant, total
net debt cover (debt divided by adjusted consolidated EBITDA).
This key figure and its maintenance, but also net debt and the
maturity structure of financial debt, are continually monitored.

Default risks
Default risks are risks that contractual partners of NORM A
Group do not meet their obligations arising from business and
financial transactions. Due to the nature of the respective assets
and business relationships, as well as the soundness of its cur-
rent banking partners, default risks with respect to deposits
and other transactions concluded with credit and financial in-
stitutions currently do not represent a major risk category for
NORMA Group.

Relevant default risks can arise, however, with respect to busi-
ness relationships with customers and relate to outstanding
receivables and committed transactions. NORMA Group reviews
the creditworthiness of new customers to minimise the risk of
default on trade receivables. In addition, the Company only
supplies to customers whose credit ratings are below Group
standards or who show significant overdue receivables if they
pay in advance. A diversified customer portfolio reduces the
financial repercussions of default risks. Default risks are con-
sidered to be possible despite the measures referred to above.
The potential financial effects of default risks have been reduced
compared to the previous year considering the relevant factors,
such as bad debt losses experienced in the past, and due to the
countermeasures taken, and are no longer classified as minor,
but rather as insignificant.

Liquidity risks and opportunities
Prudent liquidity risk management requires NORMA Group to
hold sufficient cash funds and marketable securities, have suf-
ficient financing from committed lines of credit and be able to
settle open market positions. Due to the dynamic nature of
the underlying business, Group Treasury aims to maintain flex-
ibility in financing by keeping committed credit lines available.
Therefore, NORMA Group’s primary objective is to ensure the
uninterrupted solvency of all Group companies. Group Trea-
sury is responsible for liquidity management and therefore for
minimising liquidity risks. As of 31 December 2015, NORMA
Group’s liquid assets (cash and cash equivalents) amounted to
EUR 100.0 million (2014: EUR 84.3 million). Furthermore, NORMA
Group has a high level of financial flexibility thanks to a total of
EUR 50 million in committed revolving credit lines with national
and international credit institutions. These lines were not drawn
down at all as of 31 December 2015. In addition, NORMA Group
has a so-called accordion facility in the amount of up to EUR
250 million that offers additional financial flexibility.

Financial opportunities are seen, among other things, in NORMA
Group’s high creditworthiness as well as its solid financial po-
sition, financial performance and cash flows, which enable the
Company to gradually reduce its capital costs. The current bank
loans were further optimised in 2015 and thus provide increased
financial flexibility for NORMA Group. Besides extending the
credit line by one year, the Company now works with two more
banking partners. Furthermore, the possibility of being able to
take out credit lines in US dollars if necessary, has been ex-
tended. Considering how important the US dollar is to NORMA
Group, this has also helped to reduce NORMA Group’s risk

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Risk and Opportunity Report

profile and offers opportunities to continue financing business
activities in this currency region. The liquidity-related opportu-
nities are therefore considered to be possible, especially due to
the Company’s good reputation on the capital market. In light
of the refinancing measures carried out in the recent past, by
which the cost of debt has already been reduced quite consid-
erably, the potential financial effects of liquidity-related oppor-
tunities on NORMA Group’s earnings are considered to be only
minor rather than moderate compared to last year.  Financial
position, p. 61.

The Group’s financing agreements contain typical terms for
credit lines (financial covenants). If NORMA Group does not
adhere to these terms, the banks would be entitled to re-eval-
uate the agreements and demand early repayment. Failure to
comply with these loan covenants would have high potential
financial repercussions. For this reason, NORMA Group contin-
uously monitors its compliance with the financial covenants in
order to implement suitable measures in advance and prevent
the terms from being violated. By increasing NORMA Group’s
financial flexibility compared to the previous year, the likelihood
of liquidity risks negatively impacting the Company’s opera-
tions have been further minimised. The risk of non-compliance
with financial covenants is still considered to be very unlikely
due to NORMA Group’s high profitability and strong operating
cash flow.

Foreign currency trends
As an internationally operating Company, NORMA Group is ac-
tive in more than 100 countries and is thus exposed to foreign
currency risks. The US dollar, British pound, Chinese renminbi,
Indian rupee, Polish złoty, Swedish krona, Swiss franc, Serbian
dinar and Singapore dollar are regarded to be the main risky
currency positions.

Foreign currency risks that cannot be offset against each other
are hedged using futures and options whenever necessary
(including the US dollar, Swedish krona, Japanese yen, Swiss
franc and British pound). The high volatility of many major
currencies and the particular influence of the US dollar on the
Group’s financial position and performance represent a con-
siderable risk that can be hedged only partially and only for
a short-term period. In the medium term, NORMA Group will
reduce foreign currency risks by localising production more and
more.  Production and Logistics, p. 66.

Because the Group’s subsidiaries operate in the most import-
ant countries with currencies other than the euro, it has suffi-
cient cash-in and cash-out capabilities to absorb short-term
exchange rate fluctuations by actively managing the timing of
payments. The optimisation of the bank loans renegotiated in
2015, which now also offers the possibility of utilising credit lines
in US dollars, results in more congruent payment profiles in US
dollars. In addition, currency risk is monitored in the Group and
transferred to the euro over time on a rolling basis by means of
derivative hedging instruments if the risk exposure becomes too

significant. Translation risks, i.e. the risk of fluctuations in the val-
ue of the net assets of Group companies as a consequence of
changes in exchange rates, will be hedged using hedging instru-
ments due to its increased importance to the Group following
the acquisition of National Diversified Sales, Inc. The resulting
liquidity risks are continuously monitored by Group Treasury.
Here, the Company will make sure that sufficient liquidity and
approved credit lines are always available to cover any possible
cash outflows. Translation effects from items in the statement of
financial position and income statement of subsidiaries in for-
eign currency areas on NORMA Group’s consolidated financial
statements prepared in euros are unavoidable.

The potential financial effects of opportunities and risks re-
lated to exchange rate changes are considered to be moderate
based on the sensitivity analyses that have been performed.
The probability of the incidence of these risks and opportu-
nities is assessed to be possible in light of recent exchange
rate fluctuations and the uncertainties with regard to the further
development of relevant exchange rates. Last year, the proba-
bility of currency risks due to the then prevailing outlook for the
exchange rate development was still considered likely.

Changes in interest rates
Changes in global market interest rates affect future interest
payments for variable interest liabilities and can therefore have
an adverse effect on the Group’s financial position, financial
performance and cash flows. NORMA Group’s interest change
risk arises in particular from long-term loans.

Many of the current loans have fixed interest rates and are there-
fore not subject to interest rate risk. Loans that initially had
variable interest rates were synthetically converted into fixed in-
terest rate positions with derivative instruments. NORMA Group
currently has an interest rate risk with respect to the bank loan
renegotiated in the reporting period in the amount of EUR 100
million and for the revolving credit facility (EUR 50 million) that
has not yet been drawn on and with respect to the promissory
note issued in 2014 (EUR 13 million). Nevertheless, this interest
rate risk is to be limited in the short term by using derivative
instruments. NORMA Group will seek to hedge approximately
80% of the interest change risk arising from future medium-term
utilisation of the committed revolving credit facility.

Due to the fact that there are currently no signs of a more
restric tive monetary policy in the euro region, NORMA Group
regards the risk of interest rate hikes in the short term to be
rather unlikely; however, the risk of higher interest rates is con-
sidered to be possible in the medium term. This would only have
a minor financial impact due to NORMA Group’s financing struc-
ture, however. Due to the currently low interest rate level, the
potential for opportunities that can arise from a falling interest
rate level is considered to be unlikely. In light of the measures
already implemented on optimising financing, the financial ef-
fects associated with these opportunities are considered to be
insignificant (previous year: minor).

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Economic and cyclical opportunities and risks
The success of NORMA Group depends heavily on macro-
economic trends on its sales markets and its customers’ sales
markets. Therefore, indicators for economic development world-
wide are taken into account both in planning as well as in risk
and opportunities management. In order to gauge the macro-
economic trend, NORMA Group mainly uses the forecasts of
widely regarded institutions such as the IMF, the Bundesbank
and repu table economic research institutes. Accordingly, global
growth of 3.4% can be expected in 2016. A positive develop-
ment over and above this level is regarded to be an opportunity.
As a result of its flexible production structures, NORMA Group
can expand its capacities on short notice and thereby react to a
general increase in demand. The Company considers it possible
for the economic situation worldwide to improve considerably
and thus have a moderately positive impact on earnings.

Nevertheless, NORMA Group sees risks that can offset these
forecasts, which is reflected in the Group-wide risk man-
agement. These risks include mainly geopolitical crises, the
economic development in China and Latin America and the
potential impact of an increase in interest rates in the United
States on the economic development in emerging countries. A
negative deviation of the global economy from the planning as-
sumptions is currently considered to be possible (previous year:
unlikely) even if these risks are also taken into consideration.
Nevertheless, should these factors have an adverse effect on
global demand, the financial deviations from planning are still
regarded to be moderate.

Industry-specific and technological opportunities and risks
Industry-specific opportunities and risks can arise for NORMA
Group in particular due to technological and competitive
changes. The increasing importance of new technologies, such
as environmentally-friendly drivetrain technologies, could also
lead to increased competitive pressure and greater price pres-
sure. NORMA Group counters these risks with continuous ini-
tiatives to safeguard and expand its position as a technological
and innovative leader as well as by focusing on customers and
markets.  Research and Development, p. 54.

NORMA Group focuses its product development on innovative
solutions to the challenges its industrial customers face, which
result from global megatrends. NORMA Group considers the
demand for ‘green’ technologies that results from increased
environ mental consciousness and ever stricter emissions re-
quirements to be an opportunity. It can be assumed that further
regulatory measures such as the EURO-6 standard on emis-
sions and fleet-based programmes will also be established,
which will lead to increased demand for environmentally-friendly
technologies and products. Furthermore, with the acquisitions
of the previous years in the area of water management, NORMA
Group is systematically addressing business opportunities that
result from the increasing scarcity of water that can be observed
in many regions of the world and the necessity of making re-
sponsible use of this important resource.

NORMA Group’s strong diversification in terms of customers in
different industries is another element of the Company’s risk and
opportunity management. NORMA Group counters long-term,
industry-specific risks and opportunities through consistent in-
novation policy and regular market analyses.

In light of the discussions concerning compliance with emis-
sion standards for diesel vehicles, NORMA Group sees slight-
ly higher risks compared to the previous year with respect
to demand for product solutions for these types of vehicles.
The industry-specific and technological risks are therefore
assessed to be possible with a moderate financial impact.
Last year, these were still considered to be unlikely with only
a minor financial impact.

In an industry-specific and technological field, opportunities may
also arise for NORMA Group from a possible further tightening
of emission standards for diesel vehicles. Due to the ongoing
efforts to tighten environmental standards, NORMA Group con-
siders the probability of future positive developments in this
area, which extend beyond budget, to be possible. This would
have a moderate impact on the Company’s success.

Risks and opportunities associated with corporate strategy
In 2015, the Group’s strategic orientation was advanced
through investments in growth markets, the expansion of ex-
isting markets and the further integration of National Diversi-
fied Sales, Inc., which was acquired in the fourth quarter of
2014. By acquiring NDS, a leading US supplier of solutions
for storm water management and landscape irrigation as well
as joining components for infrastructure in the area of water,
NORMA Group continued its expansion course in the area of
water management.

The goal of these investments and acquisitions is to expand
the Company’s presence in existing markets and to develop
new end markets with attractive growth potential. Furthermore,
as a result of its global orientation, NORMA Group can set up
production processes that entail a more labour-intensive as-
sembly in countries with lower wage costs, thereby securing
and further increasing its profitability. The Company will also
continue to observe the markets and identify opportunities
for strategic acquisitions or equity holdings to complement its
organic growth. NORMA Group uses targeted acquisitions to
continuously strengthen its position as a technology leader,
exploit market opportunities, improve the services it offers its
customers and expand its product range.

In addition, N O R M A Group works together closely with its
customers across all business processes. New products are
created already in the product and application development
phases in constant coordination with the customers. The two
distribution channels, Engineered Joining Technology (EJT) and
Distribution Services (DS), are oriented toward the customer’s
special needs. NORMA Group will continue to develop its mar-
kets in collaboration with its customers in the future.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Risk and Opportunity Report

NORMA Group invests around 5% of EJT sales in research and
development every year. As a result of this focus on develop-
ing new technologies, products and solutions, as well as on
improving existing ones, NORMA Group is able to consolidate
its competitive position as a technology leader and increase its
innovative capacity, and thereby realise cost advantages in the
medium term.

This strategic orientation is considered to be the basis for cre-
ating long-term potential for opportunities. Therefore, NORMA
Group estimates the intermediate impact of its strategy to be
moderate and expects a potential positive deviation from the
plan to be possible.

Nevertheless, misjudgement with respect to the Group’s stra-
tegic orientation and its market potential or customer rejection
of newly developed products cannot be ruled out and can have
a negative effect on NORMA Group’s competitive position and
sales volume. In order to avoid strategic risks, NORMA Group
observes its market environment and its competitors and con-
ducts customer and supplier surveys for continual improvement.
 Purchasing and Supplier Management, p. 68. Therefore, stra-
tegic risks are considered to be unlikely, whereas the potential
financial effects are regarded as moderate.

The corporate strategy is adjusted in the individual segments to the
individual market conditions; nevertheless, the general appraisal
of strategic risks and opportunities in the regions is identical.

Performance-related opportunities and risks

Commodity prices
The materials that NORMA Group uses, in particular the raw
materials steel and plastics, are subject to the risk of price
fluctuations. The price trend is also influenced indirectly by the
further development of the world economic situation as well
as by institutional investors. NORMA Group limits the risk of
rising purchase prices through systematic material and supplier
management. Thanks to a powerful global Group purchasing
structure, economies of scale are being used to purchase the
most important product materials steel, metal components,
polyamides and rubber as competitively as possible. This Group
purchasing structure also enables NORMA Group to balance
out the risks of individual segments with each other. NORMA
Group also constantly strives to secure permanently competi-
tive procurement prices by continuously optimising its selection
of suppliers and applying the best-landed-cost-approach. The
Company also tries to reduce dependency on individual materi-
als through constant technological advances and tests of alter-
native materials. Protection against commodity price volatility is
done by forming procurement contracts with a term of up to 12
months, whereby material supply risks are minimised and price
fluctuations can be better calculated.

Although NORMA Group considers it possible for prices to rise
based on the positive growth forecasts for the global economy,
this would only have a minor financial effect as a result of the

countermeasures initiated. Since the Company can transfer a
portion of changes in material prices to the customers through
the structure of its contractual documents, falling commodity
prices are also not a significant performance factor. Therefore,
NORMA Group estimates the opportunities arising from falling
commodity prices to be minor, whereby a declining global com-
modity price trend is possible due to the increasingly deterio-
rating economic outlook in China.

Suppliers and dependencies on key suppliers
The loss of suppliers and dependencies on single suppliers can
lead to material shortages and thus to negative impacts on the
Group’s activities. In order to minimise this risk, NORMA Group
only works with reliable and innovative suppliers who meet its
high quality requirements. The ten most important suppliers are
responsible for approximately 29% of the purchasing volume.
 Purchasing and Supplier Management, p. 68. These and other
key suppliers are regularly observed and assessed as part of
quality management. If the loss of a supplier appears imminent,
NORMA Group evaluates alternatives immediately. As a result,
the loss of suppliers is considered possible, but the potential
financial impact is regarded as minor. However, NORMA Group
also sees opportunities in this area as a result of its proactive
approach both in terms of existing supplier relationships as well
as identification of new suppliers and raw materials. But since
an optimisation in the area of Purchasing is anticipated in the
medium term, NORMA Group estimates the potential of the im-
plemented measures for a positive deviation from planning to
be possible with a minor impact.

Quality and processes
NORMA Group’s products are often mission-critical with respect
to the quality, performance and reliability of the final product.
Quality defects can lead to legal disputes, liability for damages
or the loss of a customer. Therefore, the reliable guarantee of
product quality is a key factor to ensuring NORMA Group’s long-
term success, so that its products provide crucial added value
for its customers. Maintaining the right balance between cost
leadership and quality assurance is a constant challenge. To
reduce this risk, far-reaching quality assurance measures and
Group-wide quality standards are used.  Quality Management,
p. 68. Furthermore NORMA Group focuses on innovative and
value added joining solutions tailored to meet customer require-
ments. For this reason, the Company believes that it is possible
for quality risks to occur, while the potential financial repercus-
sions would be minor due to the existing insurance coverage.

NORMA Group takes every opportunity to realise cost advan-
tages to improve its competitive position. Thus the Company
develops and implements initiatives focused on cost discipline,
the continuous improvement of processes in all functions and
regions and optimisation of supply chain management and
production processes. These initiatives are expected to have
a positive impact on NORMA Group’s business.  Production
and Logistics, p. 66. Since NORMA Group pursues a continuous
process of improvement, there are opportunities over and above
planning for positive deviations in the area of these processes.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

This applies for all regions in which NORMA Group is active.
The Company estimates the likelihood of cost-savings to be
possible. Since planning already allows for continuous optimis-
ation of production processes and NORMA Group’s processes
are already extremely efficient, the short-term financial impact
of a deviation from the plan as a result of improved production
processes is minor.

Customers
Customer risks result from a company being dependent on
important buyers for a significant proportion of its sales. They
could take advantage of their bargaining power, which can lead
to increased pressure on NORMA Group’s margins. Decreases
in demand from these customers or the loss of these customers
can have a negative impact on the Company’s earnings. For this
reason, NORMA Group continuously monitors incoming orders
and customer behaviour so as to identify customer risks early.
Due to its diversified customer portfolio, financial repercussions
of customer risks are reduced. Accordingly, no single customer
generated more than 5% of sales in 2015. Therefore, it is possi-
ble that customer risks could have a negative impact on NORMA
Group’s business, but the financial effects would be minor due
to the diversified customer structure.

However, based on NORMA Group’s strategy and the goal of
further expanding its markets, the Company managed to ex-
pand its customer portfolio compared to the previous year. As
a result of its innovative solutions, new customers in all regions
could be convinced of its products. Therefore, NORMA Group
estimates the opportunities for positive deviations from planning
to be possible with a minor impact on earnings based on a
growing number of customers.

Opportunities and risks of personnel management
NORMA Group’s success is largely dependent on its employ-
ees’ enthusiasm, commitment to innovation, expertise and in-
tegrity. The Group’s personnel management serves to retain
and expand this core expertise. The exit of employees with
crucial skills as well as a shortage of suitable workers can have
a negative impact on operations. The competition for the most
talented employees as a result of demographic developments
and the shortage of skilled labour in Western industrial nations
is becoming more and more intense.

NORMA Group counters these risks with far-reaching basic
and advanced training as well as employee development pro-
grammes. NORMA Group also encourages its employees to
focus on the Company’s success through variable remuneration
systems. In return, the employees contribute to the continu-
ous further development of the Company in connection with
employee surveys and improvement initiatives. Comprehen-
sive representation rules and a division of responsibilities that
promote mutual exchange secure the Group from risks that
can arise due to the departure of employees. When identifying
potential new employees that can make a crucial contribution
to performance, NORMA Group seeks the advice of external
human relations advisors.

R I S K A N D O P P O R T U N I T Y P O R T F O L I O O F N O R M A G R O U P *

Financial risks and opportunities

Default risk

Liquidity

Currency

Change in interest rates

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Economic and cyclical risks and opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Industry-specific and technological risks and opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Risks and opportunities associated with corporate strategy

Risks

Opportunities

Operative risks and opportunities

Commodity pricing

Suppliers

Quality and processes

Customers

Risks and opportunities of personnel management

Risks

Opportunities

IT-related risks and opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Legal risks and opportunities

Disregard to standards

Social and environmental standards

Property rights

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Probability

Impact

unlikely

possible

likely

insignificant

minor

moderate

significant

high

very

likely

Change

in 2015

very

unlikely

•

T 0 2 9

Change

in 2015

•

* Provided that not indicated differently, the risk assessment applies for all regional segments.

unchanged

higher

lower

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

R I S K A N D O P P O R T U N I T Y P O R T F O L I O O F N O R M A G R O U P *

Financial risks and opportunities

Default risk

Liquidity

Currency

Change in interest rates

Economic and cyclical risks and opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Industry-specific and technological risks and opportunities

Risks and opportunities associated with corporate strategy

Risks and opportunities of personnel management

Operative risks and opportunities

Commodity pricing

Suppliers

Quality and processes

Customers

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

IT-related risks and opportunities

Legal risks and opportunities

Disregard to standards

Social and environmental standards

Property rights

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

Risks

Opportunities

very
unlikely

•

Risk and Opportunity Report

Probability

Impact

unlikely

possible

likely

very
likely

Change
in 2015

insignificant

minor

moderate

significant

high

T 0 2 9

Change
in 2015

•

* Provided that not indicated differently, the risk assessment applies for all regional segments.

unchanged

higher

lower

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Since NORMA Group’s personnel policy is practiced worldwide,
the risks and opportunities are consistent across the regions.
Thus, the Company regards the probability of personnel risks
occurring as possible, whereas the potential financial impact is
insignificant due to the sustainable personnel policy.

ERP systems to new and uniform systems for the entire Group
continued in 2015. The opportunities that arise from this stream-
lining measure are increasingly being taken into account in the
Company’s planning and are thus no longer considered to be
very likely as in the previous year, but rather only likely. The
related financial effects are expected to be minor.

In addition, there are opportunities from the consistent fur-
ther development of the employees. NORMA Group fosters its
employees and offers them incentives to further develop their
personal expertise through numerous educational and training
opportunities as well as the targeted search for talent within the
Group. Furthermore, NORMA Group offers its employees flexible
and family-friendly working time models. These measures as a
whole contribute to high employee satisfaction – as measured
by a regularly conducted employee survey – and a turnover rate
of only 7.7% across the Group.  Employees, p. 70.

Through the above-mentioned measures, NORMA Group ac-
tively supports the preservation and collection of knowledge
within the Company, which will thus offer opportunities for the
future development of NORMA Group. Due to the fact that these
opportunities are increasingly being included in the Company’s
planning, however, the occurrence of these opportunities is no
longer considered very likely, but rather likely, compared to last
year. The financial contribution of these opportunities is con-
sidered to be minor.

IT-related opportunities and risks
Maintaining and exchanging complete, timely and appropriate
information as well as being able to utilise functional and power-
ful IT systems are of central importance for an innovative and
global company such as NORMA Group. An extensive computer
system failure could disrupt the Company’s operations or ex-
pose sensitive corporate information. Therefore, NORMA Group
has implemented appropriate measures to avoid and reduce this
type of risk. These measures are collectively embedded in the
IT risk management process and are adjusted in this context
to changing conditions. NORMA Group controls identifiable IT
risks, for example, by mirroring the database, maintaining de-
centralised data and outsourcing data archiving to a certified ex-
ternal provider. The Group’s data processing centre in Frankfurt
is also used by other Group companies for their ERP systems.
Another data centre is located in the USA, with smaller backup
systems in Asia. The access of employees to sensitive informa-
tion is ensured by means of authorisation systems customised
for the respective positions, taking into account the principle of
separation of functions. IT systems used in the area of produc-
tion are being doubled in order to reduce risks. Potential risks
are also taken into account through early planning as well as by
creating suitable transition solutions.

Based on global standards, NORMA Group estimates the prob-
abilities of IT-related risks occurring in all regions to be possible
and the potential financial impact to be minor. Opportunities
in the area of IT arise in particular from the potential of pro-
cess standardisation and optimisation across all companies of
NORMA Group. For example, the gradual transition from old

Legal opportunities and risks

Risks related to violations of standards and contracts
Future changes to legislation and requirements, especially com-
mercial law, liability law, environmental law, tax law, customs
law and labour law, as well as changes in related standards,
could have a negative impact on NORMA Group’s develop-
ment. Violations of laws and regulations, but also of contrac-
tual agreements, can lead to penalties, regulatory requirements
or claims from injured parties. Conversely, NORMA Group can
be adversely affected by contractual breaches by third parties.
Furthermore, defective products can lead to legal disputes and
claims for damages.

NORMA Group uses the existing compliance and risk manage-
ment systems to ensure that it complies with constantly chang-
ing laws and regulations and meets its contractual obligations.
NORMA Group counters the risk of product defects through
its Group-wide quality assurance programme. Consequently,
NORMA Group considers risks related to violations of intellectual
property rights as unlikely to occur and the potential financial
impact to be moderate.

Any legal risks that NORMA Group is aware of are taken into
account through provisions recognised in the consolidated
finan cial statements.

Social and environmental standards
Violating social and environmental standards could damage the
reputation of NORMA Group and result in restrictions, claims for
damages or disposal obligations. NORMA Group has therefore
implemented Corporate Responsibility as an integral part of
the Group strategy. In this context, a systematic environmental
management system was introduced at NORMA Group so that
corporate decisions can always be evaluated also considering
the goal of avoiding emissions and conserving resources. The
Company also invests in the area of occupational health and
safety for its continuous improvement.  Employees, p. 70.
Consequently, NORMA Group believes that the probabilities of
occurrence of negative developments remain unlikely as a result
of social and environmental risks and that the potential financial
effects would be moderate.

However, the investments in the area of Corporate Responsibil-
ity serve not only to ward off risks. The measures and initiatives
are also seen as having the potential to positively impact both
the business environment as well as NORMA Group and its
stakeholders. Therefore, NORMA Group estimates the opportu-
nities in this area to be possible and assumes that the measures
and initiatives will have a minor impact on its planning.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Risk and Opportunity Report

Intellectual property
N O R M A Group’s position as a technology and innovation
leader means that violations of its intellectual property rights
could lead to lost sales and reputation. For this reason, the
Company ensures that its technologies and innovations are
legally protected. NORMA Group also minimises the poten-
tial impact by developing customer-specific solutions and
through its speed of innovation. At the same time, it is also
possible for NORMA Group to violate the intellectual property
of third parties. For this reason, developments for potential
patent violations are reviewed at an early stage. Therefore,
it is considered possible for the intellectual property to be
violated. Due to the countermeasures that NORMA Group has
implemented, the potential impact of an intellectual property
violation is regarded to be minor. In addition, NORMA Group
also sees opportunities as possible that can lead to a minor
deviation from the medium term plan as a result of the con-
sistent defence of the intellectual property and the expansion
of legal unique selling points.

occurring and their potential financial impact as well as in light
of the current business outlook, NORMA Group’s Management
Board does not believe that there is any individual risk or group
of risks with the potential to jeopardise the continued existence
of the Group or individual Group companies as a going con-
cern. Taking the aggregated opportunities into account, NORMA
Group is in an excellent position with respect to both the me-
dium and long terms to further expand its market position and
grow globally. This assessment is reinforced by the good oppor-
tunities to cover the financing requirements. Therefore, NORMA
Group has not made any effort to obtain a rating from a leading
rating agency.

General economic risks remain for NORMA Group in all areas,
which is why setbacks on the way towards long-term realisation
of the growth and profitability targets cannot be ruled out. In
contrast, there are clear opportunities that NORMA Group is
taking advantage of through its strategy and consistent oppor-
tunity management, so that it is possible to even exceed the
profitability targets.

AS SES SMENT OF THE OVER ALL PROFILE

OF RISKS A ND OPPORTUNITIES

BY THE M A N AGEMENT BOAR D
The Group’s overall situation results from the aggregation of
individual risks and opportunities from all categories of the busi-
ness units and functions. After assessing the likelihood of risks

The changes in the individual opportunities and risks shown
in the overview have no significant impact on NORMA Group’s
overall risk profile. NORMA Group has therefore concluded that
the Group’s overall profile has not changed significantly com-
pared to the previous year.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Remuneration Report for the
Management and Supervisory Boards

R EMUNER ATION OF THE M A N AGEMENT BOAR D

Outline of the remuneration system
for the Management Board
The purpose of NORMA Group’s remuneration system is to
provide the members of the Management Board with adequate
remuneration for their activities and areas of responsibility as
well as their personal performance in accordance with appli-
cable legislation and to provide them with a long-term incen-
tive to commit themselves to the success of the Company.
In addition to the criteria of the Company’s performance and
future prospects, the decision as to what level of remuneration
is appropriate is also based on the general levels of remuner-
ation paid by comparable companies and NORMA Group’s
remuneration structure.

In accordance with the recommendations of the German Cor-
porate Governance Code in the version dated 5 May 2015, the
remuneration comprises a fixed element and variable elements.

The basic remuneration is a fixed cash payment for the entire
year based on the respective Management Board member’s
area of responsibility. This basic remuneration is paid in the
form of a monthly salary.

The variable compensation is designed differently depending
on the time when a Board member took office. With the Board
members who took office before 2015, it consists of the follow-
ing components:

1. The annual bonus is a variable cash payment calculated on
the basis of the quantifiable performance of the Company in
the previous financial year. The parameters taken into con-
sideration are whether or not the Company reaches its target
for an earnings component (adjusted EBITA) and a liquidity
component (operating free cash flow before external use).
Each of the two indicators is calculated for a financial year
based on figures taken from the Company’s consolidated
financial statements and compared to the target set in ad-
vance by the Supervisory Board. The annual salary of the
Management Board member is multiplied by a percentage
between 0% and 200%, depending on the extent to which
the targets for the components were met. The range limits
the annual bonus to 50% of the member’s annual salary. It
can be reduced to EUR 0 if the Company performs poorly.

2. The Company’s Long-Term Incentive (LTI) plan is a com-
ponent of a variable remuneration element designed to
maximise the Company’s long-term performance. The LTI
plan also comprises an EBITA component and an operat-
ing free cash flow before external use (FCF) component,
each of which are observed over a period of three years

(performance period). A new three-year performance period
begins every year. Both components are calculated by multi-
plying the average annual (adjusted) EBITA and FCF values
actually achieved in the performance period by the (adjust-
ed) EBITA and FCF bonus percentages specified in the em-
ployment contract. In a second step, the actual value of a
component is compared to the medium-term plan approved
by the Supervisory Board to evaluate the Company’s per-
formance and adjustments are made to the LTI plan. The
LTI plan is limited to two and a half times the amount that
would be arrived at on the basis of the figures in the Com-
pany’s medium-term plan. If the actual value is lower than
the planned value, the LTI plan is reduced on a straight-line
basis down to a minimum of EUR 0 if the three-year targets
are missed by a significant amount.

3. The Matching Stock Programme (MSP) provides a share
price-based long-term incentive to commit to the success
of the Company. The MSP is a stock option programme.

To this end, the Supervisory Board specifies a number of
stock options to be allotted each financial year with the pro-
viso that the Management Board member makes a corre-
sponding personal investment in the Company.

The MSP is split into tranches. The first tranche was allotted
on the day of the initial public offering (8 April 2011). The
other tranches will be allotted on 31 March each following
year. The stock options relate to those shares allotted or
acquired and qualified under the MSP as specified in the
Management Board contract. The number of stock options
is calculated by multiplying the qualified shares (for 2012,
2013 and 2014: 108,452 shares per year, for 2015: 85,952
shares) held at the allotment date by the option factor speci-
fied by the Supervisory Board. The option factor is re-deter-
mined for each tranche and amounts to 1.5 for each of the
tranches in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Therefore, 162,679
share options are to be considered in financial years 2012
to 2014 and 128.927 in financial year 2015. Every tranche
will be recalculated taking changes in the influencing factors
into consideration and balanced pro rata temporis over the
vesting period.

The vesting period is four years and ends on 31 March in
2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively for the 2012, 2013,
2014 and 2015 tranches. The options in a tranche can only
be exercised within a period of two years after the vesting
period expires. As a precondition for exercising the options,
the share price must exceed the exercise threshold when the
options are exercised (basis: weighted average of the last
ten exchange trading days before exercising the option). The
exercise threshold is set by the Supervisory Board when the
respective tranche is allocated and equals at least 120% of
the strike price. The exercise threshold was set at 120% of
the strike price for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 tranches.
In determining the exercise price of the tranches starting
in 2012, the weighted average of the closing prices of the

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Remuneration Report for the Management and Supervisory Boards

Company’s share on the last 60 trading days that immediate-
ly preceded allocation of each tranche is to be applied. Divi-
dend payments by the Company during the vesting period
are to be deducted from the exercise price of each tranche.

The value of the stock options is calculated based on gen-
erally accepted business valuation models.

The Company is free to decide at the time of exercise whether
compensation for the option is to be offered in the form of
shares or a cash settlement. NORMA Group has opted for
a settlement in equity instruments in previous years. In April
2015, the MSP was changed to a cash settlement by reso-
lution of the Supervisory Board for the 2011 tranche. Due to
this decision and the history it forms, the remaining tranches
were changed in terms of their classification from a settle-
ment in equity instruments to compensation in the form of a
cash payment. Due to the change in classification of the stock
options, the proportional fair values of the options were re-
calculated at the time that the estimate was changed. Please
refer to the notes for more information.  Notes, p. 151.

O V E R V I E W O F T H E M AT C H I N G S T O C K
P R O G R A M M E ( M S P ) A S O F T H E A L L O T M E N T D AT E

T 0 3 0

Tranches

Option factor

Number of
options

Exercise
price in EUR

End of the
vesting period

2015

2014

2013

2012

1.5

128,928

162,679

44.09

40.16

23.71

17.87

2019

2018

2017

2016

When entering service in the reporting year, the variable com-
pensation of the Management Board consists of the following
components:

1. The annual bonus is a variable compensation component,
which refers to the average (adjusted) Group EBT (earnings
before income taxes) of the last three financial years. The
Management Board receives a percentage of the amount of
the three-year average. The annual bonus is capped at twice
the fixed annual salary. The annual bonus for the previous
financial year is to be paid after approval of the consolidated
financial statements by the Supervisory Board the following
year. If the Management Board member has not worked for
the Company for a full twelve months in a financial year, the
annual bonus will be reduced accordingly.

2. The Long-Term Incentive Programme is designed to be a
so-called NORMA Value Added Bonus and represents a
part of the variable remuneration of the Management Board
aligned toward sustained positive business development.
This LTI provides a long-term incentive for the Management
Board to work hard to make the Company successful. The
LTI is an appreciation bonus that is based on the Group’s
performance. The Board member receives a percentage of

the calculated increase in value. The NORMA Value Added
Bonus corresponds to the percentage of the average in-
crease in value from the current and the two previous finan-
cial years. The annual increase in value is calculated using
the following formula:

NORMA Value Added =

(EBIT × (1 − s))

− (WACC × capital invested).

The calculation of the first component is based on the (adjust-
ed) consolidated earnings before interest and taxes (Group
EBIT) for the financial year and the average corporate tax
rate. The second component is calculated from the Group’s
weighted average cost of capital (WACC) multiplied by the
capital invested. The NORMA Value Added Bonus is limited
to a fixed annual salary. 75% of the amount attributable to the
LTI is paid to each Management Board member the following
year. The Company then uses the remaining 25% attributable
to the LTI to purchase shares of NORMA Group SE in the
name and on behalf of the individual Board members. Alter-
natively, the Company may pay out this balance to the Board
member. In this case, the Management Board obligates itself
to purchase shares of NORMA Group SE with the balance of
this amount within 120 days after the annual financial state-
ments are approved at the Supervisory Board meeting. The
Management Board member may not dispose of the shares
for four years. Dividends and subscription rights are to be
made freely available to the Management Board member.
If a Board member takes office in the current financial year
or does not work for the Company for a full twelve months
in a financial year, the LTI is to be reduced proportionally
(pro rata). Upon termination of the employment contract, a
Management Board member may dispose of his shares only
after 12 months of leaving the Company. Upon termination of
his appointment to a body at the request of the Management
Board or for another important reason, no future rights to
variable components of the LTI shall be granted.

Furthermore, when taking office in the reporting year, a Man-
agement Board member is entitled to a pension, which is mea-
sured as a percentage of the pensionable income. The pension
entitlement arises when the contract has expired, but not before
reaching the age of 65, or if that individual is unable to work.
The percentage depends on the number of years of service
as a Management Board member. The percentage amounts
to 4% of the last annual fixed salary prior to leaving for each
completed year of service. The percentage can increase to a
maximum of 55%. Furthermore, a survivor’s pension is to be
provided as well.

In case of early termination of the employment contract without
good cause, the payments to the Management Board to be
agreed to should not exceed two years’ pay and a maximum of
the value of the compensation for the remaining term of the em-
ployment contract (see Section 4.2.3. of the German Corporate
Governance Code). If a special right of termination is to be made
use of in the event of a change of control, the Management

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Board shall receive severance pay in the amount of three years’
remuneration, but no more than the amount of compensation
for the remaining term of the employment contract (see Sec-
tion 4.2.3. of the German Corporate Governance Code). The
annual compensation includes the current fixed annual salary
and short and long-term variable components of the financial
year just ended.

The members of the Management Board are additionally com-
pensated with a company car which they can also use for per-
sonal purposes. Furthermore, Management Board members
are reimbursed for any expenses and travel costs incurred
while performing their duties for the Company in accordance
with the Company’s respectively applicable guidelines. Inven-
tor’s bonuses are also granted. The members of the Man-
agement Board arrange private insurance or are personally
responsible for the statutory deductible of 10% of the loss for
the D&O insurance policy carried for the Managing Directors
of NORMA Group.

Remuneration of the Management Board
in the 2015 financial year
The remuneration for the Management Board totalled EUR 4.6
million in fiscal year 2015 (2014: EUR 3.2 million) according to
§ 315a in connection with § 315 para. 2 no. 4 and § 314 para. 1
no. 6 German Commercial Code (HGB). This figure comprises
fixed elements in the amount of EUR 1.3 million (2014: EUR 1.4
million) and variable elements in the amount of EUR 3.2 million
(2014: EUR 1.8 million) and, for the first time, pension expenses
in the amount of EUR 0.1 million (2014: EUR 0.0 million).

In addition to the remuneration mentioned above, EUR 6.3 mil-
lion were recognised as expenses in accordance with the Ger-
man Commercial Code (HGB) as part of converting the Matching
Stock Programme (MSP) for the Management Board of NORMA
Group SE.

The variable elements comprise the shor t-term per for-
mance-based annual bonus and the two long-term perfor-
mance-based LTI respectively NORMA Value Added Bonus and
MSP schemes.

A provision was recognised for the variable compensation ele-
ments. The stock options as part of the MSP have been contin-
ually assessed since the reporting year and recognised as an
expense in other provisions. They were recognised in the capital
reserve over the vesting period before they were converted into
cash compensation.

The Annual General Meeting held on 6 April 2011 resolved not
to disclose the remuneration for individual Management Board
members between 2011 and 2015 in accordance with sen ten-
ces 5 to 9 of section 314 (1) no. 6 letter a) of the German Com-
mercial Code (HGB).

In accordance with the German Corporate Governance Code in
its version dated 5 May 2015, which draws a distinction between
remuneration that is being granted for the year under review and
inflow in or for the year under review, the remuneration of the
Management Board is as follows:

R E M U N E R AT I O N G R A N T E D T O T H E
M A N A G E M E N T B O A R D

T 0 31

in EUR thousands

Entire Management Board

2014

2015

2015
(min)

2015
(max)

Fixed remuneration

1,300

1,248

Benefits

Sum

1,368

1,299

One-year variable remuneration

325

461

Multi-year variable remuneration

LTI tranche 2015–2017

LTI tranche 2014–2016

Other multi-year remuneration

MSP 2015–2019

MSP 2014–2018

Sum

Pension expenses

Total remuneration

933

669

960

150

906

1,927

2,478

849

2,754

150

3,014

6,766

137

3,295

3,914

1,436

8,203

I N F L O W F R O M M A N A G E M E N T B O A R D
M E M B E R R E M U N E R AT I O N

T 0 3 2

in EUR thousands

2014

2015

Entire Management Board

Fixed remuneration

Benefits

Sum

One-year variable remuneration

Multi-year variable remuneration

LTI tranche 2012–2014

LTI tranche 2011–2013

MSP 2011–2015

Sum

Pension expenses

Total remuneration

1,300

1,368

438

1,698

2,136

3,504

1,248

1,299

461

682

2,265

3,409

137

4,845

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Remuneration Report for the Management and Supervisory Boards

R EMUNER ATION OF THE SUPERVISORY BOAR D
The remuneration for the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of
the Supervisory Board was calculated separately in accordance
with the recommendations of the German Corporate Gover-
nance Code in the version dated 5 May 2015. The Chairman
is paid double the remuneration of the other members of the
Supervisory Board, and the Deputy Chairman is paid one and
a half times this amount. In addition, the Chairman and mem-
bers of the Supervisory Board’s committees are remunerated
separately.

The Supervisory Board members will be remunerated for their
activities on the day after the 2016 Annual General Meeting as
follows:

R E M U N E R AT I O N O F T H E S U P E R V I S O R Y B O A R D

T 0 3 3

Supervisory Board
member

Membership / Chairmanship
of a committee

Remuner-
ation

Dr. Stefan Wolf

Chairman of the Supervisory Board

110,000

Chairman of the General and
Nomination Committees

Lars M. Berg

Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board

95,000

Member of the Audit Committee

Member of the General and
Nomination Committees

Günter Hauptmann Not a member of a committee

Knut J. Michelberger Member of the Audit Committee

Dr. Christoph Schug Chairman of the Audit Committee

Member of the General and
Nomination Committees

Erika Schulte

Not a member of a committee

Gesamt

50,000

60,000

95,000

50,000

460,000

No remuneration was paid to Supervisory Board members in
financial year 2015 for services personally rendered (in particular
advisory and brokerage services).

Furthermore, the Supervisory Board members are reimbursed
for any expenses and travel costs incurred while performing
their duties for the Company in accordance with the Company’s
respectively applicable guidelines. The members of the Super-
visory Board will either bear or privately insure the statutory
deductible of 10% of the damage sum of the D&O insurance
that NORMA Group took out for both the Management and the
Supervisory Board.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

Other Legally Required Disclosures

An overview of the information required under section 315 (4)
of the German Commercial Code (Handelsgesetzbuch, HGB)
is presented below:

Section 315 (4) no. 1 HGB
NORMA Group SE’s share capital totalled EUR 31,862,400.00 on
31 December 2015. This is divided into 31,862,400 registered
shares with no par value. Each share entitles the bearer to one
vote. There are no other classes of shares. NORMA Group SE
holds no treasury shares.

Section 315 (4) no. 2 HGB
The Management Board of NORMA Group SE is not aware of
any restrictions affecting voting rights or the transfer of shares
or any agreements between shareholders which could result in
such restrictions.

Section 315 (4) no. 3 HGB
There are no direct or indirect capital holdings exceeding one
tenth of the voting rights other than those voting rights listed in
the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Section 315 (4) no. 4 HGB
There are no shares in NORMA Group SE that confer special
control rights to the holder.

Section 315 (4) no. 5 HGB
There are no employee share schemes through which em-
ployees can acquire shares of NORMA Group SE. Employees
with shareholdings in NORMA Group SE exercise control rights
in the same way as other shareholders in accordance with appli-
cable legislation and the Articles of Association.

Section 315 (4) no. 6 HGB
Management Board members are appointed and dismissed in
accordance with section 84 et seq. of the German Stock Cor-
poration Act (Aktiengesetz, AktG). The Articles of Association
of NORMA Group SE do not contain any provisions related to
this issue that contradict the applicable legislation. The Super-
visory Board is responsible for determining the actual num-
ber of members on the Management Board. It can nominate a
Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Management Board or a
Management Board spokesperson and a deputy spokesperson.

Changes to the Articles of Association are made by the Annual
General Meeting in accordance with section 179 (1) AktG. In
accordance with section 179 (1) sentence 2 AktG, the Annu-
al General Meeting can authorise the Supervisory Board to
make changes which affect only the wording of the Articles of
Association. The Annual General Meeting of NORMA Group
SE has chosen to do so: According to article 14 (2) of the Ar-
ticles of Association, the Supervisory Board is authorised to
make changes to the Articles of Association which only affect
their wording. In accordance with article 20 sentence 3 of the

Articles of Association, a simple majority of votes submitted is
sufficient for a resolution on changing the Articles of Associa-
tion if at least half of the share capital is represented when the
resolution is adopted and a different majority is not required
under the law.

The Supervisory Board is authorised to amend the wording of
article 6 of the Articles of Association to reflect the issue of the
new shares from the Conditional Capital 2015. The same will
apply insofar as the authorisation to issue convertible bonds,
bonds with warrants, and / or participation rights with or without
conversion or option rights or conversion or option obligations in
accordance with the Annual General Meeting’s resolution of 20
May 2015 is not exercised during the term of the authorisation
or the corresponding option or conversion rights or option or
conversion obligations have lapsed because the exercise peri-
ods have expired or for another reason.

The Supervisory Board is authorised to amend the wording of
article 5 of the Articles of Association in accordance with the
issuance of new shares from the Authorised Capital 2015 and,
provided that the Authorised Capital 2015 has not been utilised
or not been fully utilised by 19 May 2020, adjust the authorisa-
tion after that deadline has expired.

The Management Board may determine that the share capital
is to remain unchanged in the event that shares are to be with-
drawn and, instead, be increased by withdrawing a percentage
of the remaining shares in the share capital pursuant to section
8 (3) German Stock Corporation Act. In this case, the Manage-
ment Board is authorised to adjust the number of shares in the
Articles of Association.

Section 315 (4) no. 7 HGB

Authorised Capital 2015
In accordance with the resolution passed at the Annual General
Meeting on 20 May 2015, the Management Board is autho-
rised, with the Supervisory Board’s consent, to increase the
Company’s share capital once or repeatedly by up to a total
of EUR 12,744,960 on or before 19 May 2020 by issuing up to
12,744,960 new registered shares against cash and / or non-
cash contributions (Authorised Capital 2015).

The Authorised Capital 2011 / II which was resolved by the
Annual General Meeting on 6 April 2011 has thus been can-
celled by resolution of the Annual General Meeting on 20 May
2015. Article 5 of the Articles of Association of NORMA Group
SE has been changed accordingly.

The Management Board is authorised, with the Supervisory
Board’s consent, to exclude the shareholders’ subscription
rights wholly or in part, once or repeatedly, in accordance with
the following provisions:

• to exclude the shareholders’ subscription rights for fractional

amounts;

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Other Legally Required Disclosures

• if and to the extent that it is necessary to grant the bearers
or creditors of conversion or option rights and / or the bearers
or creditors of financing instruments carrying conversion or
option obligations which were or are issued by the NORMA
Group SE, or by a domestic or foreign company in which
NORMA Group SE holds directly or indirectly the majority of
the votes and capital;

• in the case of a capital increase against cash contributions
pursuant or according to section 186 (3), sentence 4 German
Stock Corporation Act if the par value of the new shares is
not substantially lower than the stock exchange price of the
already listed shares in the Company and if the new shares
which were issued under exclusion of the subscription right
do not exceed a proportional amount of 10% of the share
capital in total;

• in case of capital increases against non-cash contributions,
in particular for the purpose of acquiring enterprises, parts of
enterprises or interests in enterprises.

Conditional Capital 2015
The Management Board is authorised to issue, with the Super-
visory Board’s consent, once or repeatedly on or before 19 May
2020, bearer or registered convertible bonds and / or bonds with
warrants and / or participation rights carrying a conversion or
option right and / or conversion or option obligation (or a com-
bination of these instruments) in a total nominal amount of up
to EUR 200,000,000 with or without a limited maturity term
(hereinafter referred to collectively as 'Bonds') and to grant the
creditors of Bonds conversion / option rights and / or lay down
for the creditors of Bonds conversion / option obligations to sub-
scribe to a total of up to 3,186,240 new registered shares of
the Company with a pro rata amount of the share capital of a
total of up to EUR 3,186,240 in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the Bonds.

The share capital of the Company is conditionally increased by
up to EUR 3,186,240 through an issuance of up to 3,186,240
new registered shares (Conditional Capital 2015).

The authorisation of the Management Board to issue warrants
and convertible bonds and participation rights with warrants
and convertible rights and the Conditional Capital 2011 resolved
by the Annual General Meeting on 6 April 2011 were cancelled
by shareholder resolution on 20 May 2015. Article 6 of the Ar-
ticles of Association of NORMA Group SE has been amended
accordingly.

The purpose of the Conditional Capital 2015 is to issue shares
to the creditors of convertible bonds and / or bonds with war-
rants and / or participation rights carrying an option / conversion
right and / or a conversion / option obligation (or a combination of
such instruments), which will be issued based on the authorisa-
tions granted by the Annual General Meeting of NORMA Group
SE on 20 May 2015 or domestic or foreign companies in which
NORMA Group SE directly or indirectly holds the majority of the
votes and the capital.

New shares are issued at the conversion or option price to be
determined in each case in accordance with the respective au-
thorisation. The conditional increase in capital will be performed
only insofar as the bearers of conversion or option rights based
on the aforementioned Bonds or participation rights exercise
their conversion or option rights or conversion or option obli-
gations that are based on such Bonds are fulfilled, and insofar
as the conversion or option rights and / or conversion or option
obligations are not satisfied through own shares, shares from
authorised capital or other consideration.

The new shares will participate in the profit as of the beginning
of the financial year in which they are issued; notwithstanding
the above, the Management Board may, if permitted by law,
resolve with the consent of the Supervisory Board that the new
shares be able to participate in the profit as of the beginning of
an earlier financial year for which, at the time of their issue, the
Annual General Meeting has not yet resolved on the appropri-
ation of the net retained profit.

Authorisation to acquire own shares
Pursuant to the resolution of the Annual General Meeting on
20 May 2015, NORMA Group SE is authorised to acquire up to
a total of 10% of its own share capital at the time at which the
resolution was adopted or – in the event that this value is lower
– at the time that the authorisation is exercised via the stock
exchange or via a public purchase offer on or before 19 May
2020 for any permissible purpose. This authorisation may be
exercised by NORMA Group SE in whole or in partial amounts,
once or repeatedly, in pursuit of one or more purposes, but also
be carried out by companies that are dependent on NORMA
Group SE or in which NORMA Group SE holds a majority of the
shares, or on its or their account. If the shares are acquired on
the stock exchange, the equivalent value per share that is paid
(without ancillary acquisition costs) may not exceed the price of
the share in NORMA Group SE in the Xetra trading system (or a
comparable successor system), as determined on the trading
day in Frankfurt / Main by the opening auction, by more than
10% and not fall below it by more than 20%. If the acquisition is
effected by way of a public purchase offer, the purchase price
offered or the threshold values of the purchase price margin
(without ancillary acquisition costs) may not exceed the closing
price of the NORMA Group SE share in the Xetra trading system
(or a comparable successor system) on the third trading day in
Frankfurt / Main prior to the day of the public announcement of
the offer by more than 10% and not fall below it by more than
20%. Should the relevant price vary by a not inconsiderable
extent following the publication of the public purchase offer, the
offer may be adjusted. In this case, the closing price on the third
trading day in Frankfurt / Main prior to the public announcement
will be based on any adjustment that has been made.

The Management Board is authorised to use shares of the Com-
pany for any legal purpose, once or repeatedly, in whole or in
part, and also through dependent or majority-owned NORMA
Group SE related companies or through third parties acting on

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

their behalf or on behalf of NORMA Group SE. In particular, the
shares acquired may be redeemed without such redemption or
its implementation requiring a shareholder resolution. The cancel-
lation leads in principle to a capital reduction. The Management
Board may alternatively determine that the share capital is to re-
main unchanged upon redemption. In addition, the Management
Board is expressly authorised to use the shares acquired under
this authorisation on one or more occasions, in whole or in part,
individually or jointly, and also by dependent or majority-owned
NORMA Group SE related companies or, on their account or third
parties acting on the account of NORMA Group SE as follows:

of shareholders to these own shares is excluded in the event
of an appropriate use.

NORMA Group SE is authorised to acquire its own shares with-
in the framework of the aforementioned, related to the share
capital limits, and by using derivatives such as put options, call
options, forward purchases or a combination of these instru-
ments and to take out derivative transactions. The acquisition of
shares by using derivatives is limited to a number of shares that
does not exceed a proportionate amount of 5% of the existing
share capital at the time.

• for sale against cash, provided that the price is not significantly
below the stock market price of shares of the Company at
the time of sale (simplified exclusion of subscription rights in
accordance with §§ 186 para. 3 sentence 4, 71 para. 1 no. 8
sentence 5 half-sentence 2, German Stock Corporation Act,
is limited to a maximum of 10% of the share capital),

Section 315 (4) no. 8 HGB
NORMA Group’s financing agreements including the contracts
for the promissory notes include the typical Change of Control
Clause. In the event of a takeover by a third party, the possibility
that NORMA Group wouldn’t be able to finance itself at similarly
favourable terms and conditions cannot be ruled out.

• for sale against payment in kind, particularly for the acquisition of
companies, parts of companies or participations in companies,
• to meet obligations under conversion or option rights or obli-

gations to act or option,

• to issue in connection with share-based payments and em-
ployee share participation programmes. The purchase right

Section 315 (4) no. 9 HGB
In the event of a change of control, NORMA Group SE has
reached compensation agreements with the Management
Board, but not with its workforce. Please see the  Remunera-
tion Report, p. 90 for further details.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Report on Transactions with Related Parties

Report on Transactions
with Related Parties

Apart from the reported, there were no significant transactions
with related parties in financial year 2015.

Maintal, 10 March 2016

NORMA Group SE

The Management Board

Werner Deggim

Dr. Michael Schneider

Bernd Kleinhens

John Stephenson

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

Consolidated Management Report

BRAZIL
The South American country with the
highest population is one of the world’s
emerging economies. NORMA Group
has been present here with a sales and
development centre in Santo André since
2011. NORMA Brazil was then founded in
2013 and opened its own production
site in 2014.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

EURO
5

V - B A N D C L A M P W I T H S T C C L O S U R E

V-profile clamps are reliable and time-saving connection elements for use in industrial and automotive
applications. These products are manufactured to meet customer requirements and can be
supplied with various profiles and band widths, as well as a cost-effective STC closure. The V-band
clamp is manufactured for the Brazilian market, among others.

NORMA Brazil is the main starting point for NORMA
Group’s sales activities in the entire South American
region. The connectors, fluid systems and profile and
exhaust pipe clamps that are produced here are
sold to customers in the automotive and commercial
vehicle industries.

EURO
5

E M M I S S I O N G A S S T A N D A R D

Binding in Brazil since 2013. NORMA Group helps to meet the requirements
of the automotive industry to build lighter cars, prevent leakages
and reduce CO 2 with its joining elements such as the V-band clamp.

S
T
N
E
T
N
O
C

S
R
E
D
L
O
H
E
R
A
H
S

R
U
O

O
T

T
R
O
P
E
R

T
N
E
M
E
G
A
N
A
M

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 5

104
Consolidated Financial Statements

171
Responsibility Statement

172
Auditor’s Report

173
Further Information

173 Glossary
177 List of Graphics
178 List of Tables
181 Overview by Quarter 2015
182 Multi-year Overview

104 Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
106 Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
107 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
108 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
110 Segment Reporting

112
Notes to the
Consolidated Financial Statements

132 Notes to the Consolidated Statement of

Comprehensive Income

136 Notes to the Consolidated Statement

of Financial Position

162 Other Notes

168
Appendix to the Notes to the
Consolidated Financial Statements

168 Voting Right Notifications
170 Corporate Bodies

S
T
N
E
M
E
T
A
T
S

L
A

C
N
A
N

D
E
T
A
D

L
O
S
N
O
C

104

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

A S S E T S

in EUR thousands

Non-current assets

Goodwill

Other intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Other non-financial assets

Income tax assets

Deferred income tax assets

Current assets

Inventories

Other non-financial assets

Other financial assets

Derivative financial assets

Income tax assets

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

T 0 3 4

Note

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

(19)

(20)

(25)

(17)

(18)

(24)

(25)

(26)

(22)

(17)

(23)

(36)

343,829

271,009

169,939

234

458

8,105

793,574

129,902

13,711

3,856

248

3,772

122,865

99,951

374,305

324,496

262,460

154,490

782

933

11,137

754,298

114,877

10,545

2,198

4,505

107,717

84,271

324,116

Total assets

1,167,879

1,078,414

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

105

E Q U I T Y A N D L I A B I L I T I E S

T 0 3 4

in EUR thousands

Note

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Equity attributable to equity holders of the parent

Subscribed capital

Capital reserves

Other reserves

Retained earnings

Equity attributable to shareholders

Non-controlling interests

Total equity

Liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Retirement benefit obligations

Provisions

Borrowings

Other non-financial liabilities

Other financial liabilities

Derivative financial liabilities

Deferred income tax liabilities

Current liabilities

Provisions

Borrowings

Other non-financial liabilities

Other financial liabilities

Derivative financial liabilities

Income tax liabilities

Trade and other payables

Total liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

(27)

(29)

(30)

(31)

(32)

(33)

(22)

(18)

(30)

(31)

(32)

(33)

(22)

(17)

(34)

31,862

210,323

21,128

165,600

428,913

898

429,811

11,951

10,842

443,711

1,368

681

2,510

104,380

575,443

9,972

7,056

28,653

6,019

876

9,172

100,877

162,625

738,068

31,862

216,468

2,496

116,218

367,044

969

368,013

12,271

6,207

408,225

1,790

3,763

18,177

104,647

555,080

8,142

22,721

26,015

2,445

2,043

13,126

80,829

155,321

710,401

1,167,879

1,078,414

Consolidated Financial Statements
106

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

Note

Q4 2015

Q4 2014

2015

2014

T 0 3 5

(8)

217,025

in EUR thousands

Revenue

Changes in inventories of finished goods and work in progress

Other own work capitalised

Raw materials and consumables used

Gross profit

Other operating income

Other operating expenses

Employee benefits expense

Depreciation and amortisation

Operating profit

Financial income

Financial costs

Financial costs – net

Profit before income tax

Income taxes

PROFIT FOR THE PERIOD

Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax

Other comprehensive income that can be reclassified
to profit or loss, net of tax

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Cash flow hedges

Other comprehensive income that cannot be reclassified
to profit or loss, net of tax

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(19, 20)

(13)

(16)

(27)

(22, 27)

Remeasurements of post employment benefit obligations, net of tax

(27, 29)

Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE PERIOD

Profit attributable to

Shareholders of the parent

Non-controlling interests

Total comprehensive income attributable to

Shareholders of the parent

Non-controlling interests

Undiluted earnings per share (in EUR)

Diluted earnings per share (in EUR)

(15)

781

914

−88,354

130,366

2,488

−34,864

−57,543

−12,909

27,538

280

−3,830

−3,550

23,988

−5,503

18,485

7,169

6,607

562

−401

6,768

25,253

18,510

−25

18,485

25,327

−74

25,253

0.58

176,204

−4,333

2,195

−72,259

101,807

4,106

−27,544

−50,033

−9,777

18,559

474

569

19,128

−7,556

11,572

2,696

2,751

−55

−1,166

1,530

13,102

11,553

11,572

13,103

−1

13,102

0.36

889,613

3,622

2,748

−365,373

530,610

11,408

−133,514

−234,616

−49,094

124,794

500

−17,709

−17,209

107,585

−33,738

73,847

18,599

18,017

582

−401

18,198

92,045

73,680

167

73,847

91,911

134

92,045

2.31

694,744

−2,907

3,647

−292,073

403,411

9,355

−92,739

−188,508

−33,675

97,844

407

−14,876

−14,469

83,375

−28,500

54,875

16,208

14,181

2,027

−1,166

15,042

69,917

54,722

153

54,875

69,909

69,917

1.72

1.70

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income | Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

107

T 0 3 6

in EUR thousands

Note

Q4 2015

Q4 2014

2015

2014

Operating activities

Profit for the period

Depreciation and amortisation

Gain (−) / loss (+) on disposal of property, plant and equipment

Change in provisions

Change in deferred taxes

Change in inventories, trade account receivables and
other receivables, which are not attributable to investing
or financing activities

(19, 20)

(30)

(18)

(23, 24,
25, 26)

Change in trade and other payables, which are not attributable
to investing or financing activities

(32, 33, 34)

Change in reverse factoring liabilities

Payments for share based payments

Interest expenses of the period

Expenses due to measurement of derivatives within a hedge

Other non-cash expenses (+) / income (−)

(36)

Net cash provided by operating activities

thereof interest received

thereof income taxes

Investing activities

18,485

12,909

150

2,000

−6,237

11,572

9,777

345

−923

73,847

49,094

1,374

−7,158

54,875

33,675

174

−1,911

12,338

24,880

−19,474

−5,437

−6,953

−3,946

2,740

2,732

−1,993

32,225

−2,861

−2,997

2,902

−3,429

39,267

10,559

5,690

−2,265

13,599

12,610

−9,789

128,159

−6,033

7,721

9,958

4,683

−1,377

96,361

275

−21,788

−10,446

−44,228

−37,360

Payments for acquisitions of subsidiaries, net

(36, 40)

−226,404

−52

−232,190

Investments in property, plant and equipment
and intangible assets

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

(19, 20)

−15,975

−75

−9,346

−44,793

378

−33,175

305

Net cash used in investing activities

−16,050

−235,709

−44,467

−265,060

Financing activities

Payments for shares in a subsidiary

Interest paid

Dividends paid to shareholders

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests

Proceeds from borrowings

Repayment of borrowings

Repayment of hedging derivatives

Repayment of lease liabilities

(27)

(31)

−4,536

−55

99,247

−83,658

−22,619

−72

Net cash used in / provided by financing activities

(36)

−11,693

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year

Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period

4,482

94,965

504

99,951

−865

−15

229,553

−7,258

−3,011

−77

218,327

21,885

62,482

−96

84,271

−13,926

−23,897

−205

99,703

−94,076

−37,751

−294

−70,446

13,246

84,271

2,434

99,951

−907

−9,492

−22,304

−43

229,870

−129,257

−9,901

−287

57,679

−111,020

194,188

1,103

84,271

Consolidated Financial Statements

108

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

in EUR thousands

Note

Subscribed capital

Capital reserve

Other reserves

Retained earnings

Total

Non-controlling interests

Total equity

Attributable to
equity holders of the parent

Attributable to

equity holders of the parent

Balance as of 31 December 2013

Changes in equity for the period

Result for the period

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Cash flow hedges, net of tax

Remeasurements of post employment benefit obligations, net of tax

Total comprehensive income for the period

Stock options

Dividends paid

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests

Total transactions with owners for the period

Balance as of 31 December 2014

Changes in equity for the period

Result for the period

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Cash flow hedges, net of tax

Remeasurements of post employment benefit obligations, net of tax

Total comprehensive income for the period

Stock options

Dividends paid

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests

Total transactions with owners for the period

Balance as of 31 December 2015

(22)

(27, 29)

(28)

(27)

(22)

(27, 29)

(28)

(27)

31,862

215,927

−13,857

541

31,862

216,468

31,862

−6,145

210,323

84,966

54,722

−1,166

53,556

−22,304

116,218

73,680

−401

73,279

−23,897

165,600

318,898

54,722

14,326

2,027

−1,166

69,909

541

−22,304

−21,763

367,044

73,680

18,050

582

−401

91,911

−6,145

−23,897

−30,042

428,913

14,326

2,027

16,353

2,496

18,050

582

18,632

21,128

1,004

153

−145

−43

969

167

−33

134

−205

898

T 0 3 7

319,902

54,875

14,181

2,027

−1,166

69,917

541

−22,304

−43

−21,806

368,013

73,847

18,017

582

−401

92,045

−6,145

−23,897

−205

−30,247

429,811

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

109

T 0 3 7

in EUR thousands

Note

Subscribed capital

Capital reserve

Other reserves

Retained earnings

Total

Non-controlling interests

Total equity

Attributable to

equity holders of the parent

Attributable to
equity holders of the parent

Balance as of 31 December 2013

Changes in equity for the period

Result for the period

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Cash flow hedges, net of tax

Remeasurements of post employment benefit obligations, net of tax

Total comprehensive income for the period

Stock options

Dividends paid

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests

Total transactions with owners for the period

Balance as of 31 December 2014

Changes in equity for the period

Result for the period

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Cash flow hedges, net of tax

Remeasurements of post employment benefit obligations, net of tax

Total comprehensive income for the period

Stock options

Dividends paid

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests

Total transactions with owners for the period

(22)

(27, 29)

(28)

(27)

(22)

(27, 29)

(28)

(27)

Balance as of 31 December 2015

31,862

216,468

541

−6,145

210,323

31,862

215,927

−13,857

14,326

2,027

16,353

2,496

18,050

582

18,632

21,128

84,966

54,722

−1,166

53,556

−22,304

116,218

73,680

−401

73,279

−23,897

165,600

318,898

54,722

14,326

2,027

−1,166

69,909

541

−22,304

−21,763

367,044

73,680

18,050

582

−401

91,911

−6,145

−23,897

−30,042

428,913

1,004

153

−145

−43

969

167

−33

134

−205

898

319,902

54,875

14,181

2,027

−1,166

69,917

541

−22,304

−43

−21,806

368,013

73,847

18,017

582

−401

92,045

−6,145

−23,897

−205

−30,247

429,811

Consolidated Financial Statements

110

Segment Reporting

EME A

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Total segments

Central functions

Consolidation

Consolidated Group

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

Total revenue

thereof inter-segment revenue

445,188

29,171

420,571

26,116

403,418

8,071

244,625

6,868

81,047

2,798

64,595

2,063

929,653

40,040

729,791

35,047

31,620

27,591

−71,660

−62,638

889,613

694,744

Revenue from external customers

416,017

394,455

395,347

237,757

78,249

62,532

889,613

694,744

889,613

694,744

T 0 3 8

Contribution to consolidated group
sales

Gross profit1

Adjusted EBITDA 2

Depreciation without
PPA depreciation3

Adjusted EBITA 2

Assets4

Liabilities5

CAPE X

Number of employees6

47 %

261,322

88,025

−9,964

78,061

489,161

136,903

14,425

2,756

57 %

246,872

84,643

−9,603

75,040

496,433

145,082

13,057

2,636

44 %

237,376

87,571

−7,872

79,699

636,294

358,563

17,752

1,399

34 %

131,113

49,266

−4,544

44,722

574,897

346,317

16,215

1,270

9 %

36,762

10,133

−2,463

7,670

84,422

30,805

5,597

767

9 %

29,414

7,678

−1,992

5,686

71,893

23,116

5,757

653

1 Adjusted in 2015 and 2014 ( Note 7).
2 For details regarding the adjustments, refer to  Note 7.
3 Depreciation from purchase price allocations.
4 Including allocated goodwill; taxes are shown within the column “consolidation.”
5 Taxes are shown within the column “consolidation.”
6 Number of employees (average headcount). The change in employees of the central functions compared to prior year relates to employees, who are allocated to the region EME A

from 2015 on. In 2014, this affected 124 employees, who were then already working for the region EME A.

100 %

535,460

185,729

−20,299

165,430

1,209,877

526,271

37,774

4,922

100 %

407,399

141,587

−16,139

125,448

1,143,223

514,515

35,029

4,559

n / a

−8,017

−884

−8,901

404,821

556,760

4,392

n / a

−1,682

−805

−2,487

316,412

476,205

4,559

188

−2,378

−233

−446,819

−344,963

n / a

−1,778

−1,462

−381,221

−280,319

n / a

533,082

177,479

−21,183

156,296

1,167,879

738,068

42,166

5,006

405,621

138,443

−16,944

121,499

1,078,414

710,401

39,588

4,747

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Segment Reporting

111

T 0 3 8

EME A

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Total segments

Central functions

Consolidation

Consolidated Group

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

Total revenue

thereof inter-segment revenue

445,188

29,171

420,571

26,116

403,418

8,071

244,625

6,868

81,047

2,798

64,595

2,063

929,653

40,040

729,791

35,047

31,620

27,591

−71,660

−62,638

889,613

694,744

Revenue from external customers

416,017

394,455

395,347

237,757

78,249

62,532

889,613

694,744

889,613

694,744

Contribution to consolidated group

sales

Gross profit1

Adjusted EBITDA 2

Depreciation without

PPA depreciation3

Adjusted EBITA 2

Assets4

Liabilities5

CAPE X

Number of employees6

47 %

261,322

88,025

−9,964

78,061

489,161

136,903

14,425

2,756

57 %

246,872

84,643

−9,603

75,040

496,433

145,082

13,057

2,636

44 %

237,376

87,571

−7,872

79,699

636,294

358,563

17,752

1,399

34 %

131,113

49,266

−4,544

44,722

574,897

346,317

16,215

1,270

9 %

36,762

10,133

−2,463

7,670

84,422

30,805

5,597

767

9 %

29,414

7,678

−1,992

5,686

71,893

23,116

5,757

653

100 %

535,460

185,729

−20,299

165,430

1,209,877

526,271

37,774

4,922

100 %

407,399

141,587

−16,139

125,448

1,143,223

514,515

35,029

4,559

n / a

−8,017

−884

−8,901

404,821

556,760

4,392

n / a

−1,682

−805

−2,487

316,412

476,205

4,559

188

−2,378

−233

−446,819

−344,963

n / a

−1,778

−1,462

−381,221

−280,319

n / a

533,082

177,479

−21,183

156,296

1,167,879

738,068

42,166

5,006

405,621

138,443

−16,944

121,499

1,078,414

710,401

39,588

4,747

Consolidated Financial Statements

112

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

1. GENER AL INFOR M ATION
NORMA Group SE is the ultimate parent Company of NORMA
Group. Its headquarters are located at 63477 Maintal, Edison
strasse 4 in the vicinity of Frankfurt, Germany, and the Com
pany is registered in the commercial register of Hanau under the
number HRB 94473. NORMA Group SE and its affiliated Group
subsidiaries operate in the market as ‘NORMA Group.’

NORMA Group has been listed in the Prime Standard of Frank
furt Stock Exchange’s Regulated Market since 8 April 2011. For
a detailed overview of NORMA Group’s shareholdings, please
refer to the  appendix to the notes: ‘Voting Rights.’

NORMA Group SE was established in 2006 as a result of the
merger of Rasmussen GmbH and the ABA Group. Rasmussen
was founded in 1949 as Rasmussen GmbH in Germany. It man
ufactured connecting and retaining elements as well as fluid
conveying conduits such as monolayer and multilayer tubes and
corrugated tubes. All products were marketed globally under the
NORMA brand. ABA Group was founded in 1896 in Sweden. The
Group has since developed into a leading multinational Com
pany specialising in the design and production of hose and pipe
clamps, as well as connectors for many worldwide applications.

In 2007, NORMA Group acquired Breeze Industrial Products
Corporation (USA) to strengthen its foothold in the Americas.
Breeze had expanded its product offering to include a wide
range of wormdrive, Tbolt and Vclamps for the commercial
and passenger vehicle, heavyduty vehicle, aircraft and further
industrial markets. In 2010, NORMA Group acquired two further
companies in America, R.G.RAY Corporation and Craig Assem
bly Inc., to become one of the country’s leading suppliers of fas
tening and fixing products. In the financial years 2012 and 2013,

more acquisitions were made in accordance with our acquisition
strategy. In 2012, acquisitions were made in the regions of EMEA
and AsiaPacific. In 2013, NORMA Group focused on the regions
EME A, Americas and AsiaPacific. On 31 October of financial
year 2014, NORMA Group acquired National Diversified Sales,
Inc. (NDS). By acquiring NDS, one of the leading US suppliers of
storm water management, landscape irrigation and connecting
flow management components for water infrastructure, NORMA
Group is continuing its expansion course in the area of water
management.

In past decades, NORMA Group has, driven by its successful
acquisitions and continuous technological innovation with prod
ucts and operations, developed into a group of companies of
global importance. Today, NORMA Group markets its products
to its customers via two different market channels: Engineered
Joining Technologies (EJT) and Distribution Services (DS).

For Engineered Joining Technology (EJT) customers, NORMA
Group offers tailormade solutions and special engineered join
ing systems. To effectively fulfil special requirements, NORMA
Group builds on extensive industry and application knowledge,
a successful track record of innovation and longstanding re
lationships with all its key customers. As a result, many joining
systems and fluid conveying conduits have been developed in
close cooperation with global OEMs and NORMA Group.

For Distribution Services (DS) customers, NORMA Group of
fers a wide range of standard fastening and fixing products.
Furthermore, NORMA Group offers a broad technological and
innovative product portfolio which includes brands like ABA ®,
Breeze®, ClampAll®, Connectors®, FISH ®, Five Star®, Gemi®,
NDS ®, NORMA ®, R.G.RAY®, Serflex®, TERRY® and TORCA ®.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015113

2 . BASIS OF PR EPAR ATION
The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of
these Consolidated Financial Statements are set out below.
These policies have been consistently applied to all the years
presented, unless otherwise stated.

The Consolidated Financial Statements of NORMA Group have
been prepared in accordance with International Financial Re
porting Standards and the relevant interpretations as adopted
by the EU (IFRS) as well as with the regulations under commer
cial law as set forth in Section 315a of the German Commercial
Code (HGB) for the year ended 31 December 2015.

The Consolidated Financial Statements of NORMA Group are
being filed with and published in the German Federal Gazette
(Bundesanzeiger).

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS
requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also
requires management to exercise its judgement in the process
of applying the Group’s accounting policies. The areas involving
a higher degree of judgement or complexity or areas where
assumptions and estimates are significant to the Consoli dated
Financial Statements are disclosed in  Note 6 ‘Critical Ac
counting Estimates and Judgements.’

The Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income has
been prepared in accordance with the total cost method.

The Consolidated Financial Statements of NORMA Group SE
were prepared by the Management Board on 10 March 2016
and released for publication after they were approved by the
Supervisory Board on 21 March 2016.

New and amended standards adopted by the Group for
the first time in 2015
The following new standards or amendments to standards
which are applied for the first time for the financial year be
ginning 1 January 2015 did not have a material impact on
NORMA Group’s financial positions, cash flows and financial
performance.

N E W A N D A M E N D E D S TA N D A R D S A D O P T E D B Y T H E G R O U P F O R T H E F I R S T T I M E

T 0 3 9

New or revised
standards

Amendments

IFRIC Interpretation 21:
Levies

The new standard is applicable to all levies other than outflows that are within the scope of other standards (e.g., IAS 12
Income Taxes) and fines or other penalties for breaches of legislation. The interpretation clarifies that an entity recognises a
liability for a levy when the activity that triggers payment, as identified by the relevant legislation, occurs. It also clarifies that
a levy liability is accrued progressively only if the activity that triggers payment occurs over a period of time, in accordance
with the relevant legislation. For a levy that is triggered upon reaching a minimum threshold, the interpretation clarifies that
no liability is recognised before the specified minimum threshold is reached.

Annual Improvements to
IFRSs: 2011–2013 Cycle

The IASB published, as part of its annual improvements project, Annual Improvements to IFRSs: 2011–2013 Cycle, which
include different amendments to several International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). The amendments are intend
ed to clarify the requirements and not to change the accounting practice.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements114

Standards, amendments and interpretations of existing
standards that are not yet effective and have not been
adopted early by the Group
The following standards and amendments to existing standards
have been published and application is mandatory for all ac
counting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2016. The
Group has decided against an early adoption.

1) Standards, amendments and interpretations to existing
standards that have already been endorsed by the EU
(with reference to each respective EU effective date):

S TA N D A R D S , A M E N D M E N T S A N D I N T E R P R E TAT I O N S T O E X I S T I N G S TA N D A R D S
T H AT H AV E A L R E A D Y B E E N E N D O R S E D B Y T H E E U

T 0 4 0

New or revised
standards

EU endorse
ment date

Amendments

Amendments to IAS 19:
Defined Benefit Plans:
Employee Contributions

17 Dec 14

Amendments to IFRS 11:
Accounting for
Acquisition of Interests
in Joint Operations

24 Nov 15

2 Dec 15

Amendments to
IAS 16 and IAS 38:
Clarification of Acceptable
Methods of Depreciation
and Amortisation

IAS 19 requires an entity to consider contributions from employees or third parties when accounting for defined
benefit plans. The amendments clarify that, if the amount of the contributions is independent of the number of
years of service, an entity is permitted to recognise such contributions as a reduction in the service cost in the
period in which the service is rendered, instead of allocating the contributions to the periods of service. The
amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 February 2015. The Group does not expect
a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements from these amendments.

This amendment provides new guidance on how to account for the acquisition of an interest in a joint venture
operation that constitutes a business. The amendments require an investor to apply the principles of busi
ness combination accounting when it acquires an interest in a joint operation that constitutes a ‘business.’ The
amendments are applicable to both the acquisition of the initial interest in a joint operation and the acquisition of
additional interest in the same joint operation. However, a previously held interest is not remeasured when the
acquisition of an additional interest in the same joint operation results in retaining joint control. The amendments
apply prospectively for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2016. The Group does not expect a ma
terial impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements from these amendments.

This amendment clarifies that the use of revenuebased methods to calculate the depreciation of an asset is not
appropriate because revenue generated by an activity that includes the use of an asset generally reflects factors
other than the consumption of the economic benefits embodied in the asset. This has also clarified that revenue
is generally presumed to be an inappropriate basis for measuring the consumption of the economic benefits em
bodied in an intangible asset. The presumption may only be rebutted in certain limited circumstances. These are
where the intangible asset is expressed as a measure of revenue; or where it can be demonstrated that revenue
and the consumption of the economic benefits of the intangible asset are highly correlated. The amendments ap
ply prospectively for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2016. The Group does not expect a material
impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements from these amendments.

Amendments to IAS 1:
Presentation of financial
statements

18 Dec 2015 On 18 December 2014, the IASB issued Amendments to IAS 1: Presentation of financial statements. The amend
ments emphasise the concept of materiality to avoid several application issues. The amendments clarify that an
entity must not reduce the understandability of its financial statements by obscuring material information with
immaterial information or by aggregating material items that have different natures or functions. The aim of these
clarifications is to relieve IFRS financial statements of nonessential information while promoting the exchange
of relevant information. Furthermore, the understandability of financial statement information shall not be limited
by summarising relevant and irrelevant information or by aggregating main items with different characteristics or
functions. The amendments result in the deletion of a model structure of the notes towards consideration of com
panyspecific relevance, whereby it is explicitly clarified that companies should take the impact on the readability
and comparability of their IFRS financial statements into account in determining the structure of their notes. Fur
thermore, companies are expected to take the nature of their business and the methods by which the addressees
most likely expect to receive information into consideration in determining the accounting policies to be listed.
The amended standard also contains explanations on aggregation and disaggregation of items in the balance
sheet and the income statement, and clarification as to how shares of other comprehensive income of companies
to be accounted for using the equity method are to be presented in the statement of comprehensive income. The
amendments are effective in reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2016. Earlier application is permit
ted. The Company is currently assessing the impact of application of the amendments to its financial statements.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015115

In December 2014, as part of its annual improvements project,
the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued An
nual Improvements to IFRSs: 2010–2012 Cycle, which propose
amendments to several International Financial Reporting Stan
dards (IFRSs). The Annual Improvements to IFRSs: 2010–2012
Cycle was endorsed on 17 December 2014 and are effective
for annual periods beginning on or after 1 February 2015. The
amendments are intended to clarify the requirements and not
to change the accounting practice.

Annual Improvements to IFRSs: 2012–2014 Cycle, which contain
five amendments to four standards, excluding consequential
amendments. The Annual Improvements to IFRSs: 2012–2014
Cycle was endorsed on 15 December 2015 and are effective
for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2016. The
amendments are intended to clarify the requirements and not to
change the accounting practice. The Group therefore does not
expect a material impact on its Consolidated Financial State
ments from these amendments

In September 2014, as part of its annual improvements project,
the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued

2) Standards, amendments and interpretations to existing

standards that have not been endorsed by the EU:

S TA N D A R D S , A M E N D M E N T S A N D I N T E R P R E TAT I O N S T O E X I S T I N G S TA N D A R D S
T H AT H AV E N O T B E E N E N D O R S E D B Y T H E E U

T 0 41

New or revised
standards

IFRS 9:
Financial Instruments

IFRS 15:
Revenue from Contracts
with Customers

Amendments

In July 2014, the IASB finalised the reform of financial instruments accounting and issued IFRS 9, which will supersede IAS
39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement. The completed IFRS 9 contains the requirements for the classifi
cation and measurement of financial assets and liabilities, the impairment methodology, and the general hedge accounting.

Classification and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities
IFRS 9 retains but simplifies the mixed measurement model and establishes three primary measurement categories for
financial assets: amortised cost, fair value through OCI and fair value through P&L. The basis of classification depends
on the entity’s business model and the contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial asset. Investments in equity
instruments are required to be measured at fair value through profit or loss with the irrevocable option at inception to pres
ent changes in fair value in OCI not recycling. There is now a new expected credit losses model that replaces the incurred
loss impairment model used in IAS 39. For financial liabilities, there were no changes to classification and measurement
except for the recognition of changes in own credit risk in other comprehensive income, for liabilities designated at fair
value through profit or loss.

Impairment methodology
The impairment model under IFRS 9 reflects expected credit losses, as opposed to incurred credit losses under IAS 39.
Under the impairment approach in IFRS 9, it is no longer necessary for a credit event to have occurred before credit losses
are recognised. Instead, an entity always accounts for expected credit losses and changes in those expected credit losses.

Hedge accounting
IFRS 9 relaxes the requirements for hedge effectiveness by replacing the bright line hedge effectiveness tests. It requires
an economic relationship between the hedged item and hedging instrument and for the ‘hedged ratio’ to be the same as
the one management actually uses for risk management purposes. Contemporaneous documentation is still required but
is different to that currently prepared under IAS 39.

The new standard is effective for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The
Group is currently assessing the impact of adopting IFRS 9 on the Group’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In May 2014, IFRS 15 was issued which established a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for
revenue arising from contracts with customers. IFRS 15 will supersede the current revenue recognition guidance. The core
principle of IFRS 15 is that an entity should recognise revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to a
customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods
or services. Specifically, the Standard introduces a 5step approach to revenue recognition: 1. Identify the contract(s) with
a customer; 2. Identify the performance obligations in the contract; 3. Determine the transaction price; 4. Allocate the
transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; 5. Recognise revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a
performance obligation. Under IFRS 15, an entity recognises revenue when (or as) a performance obligation is satisfied,
i.e. when control of the goods or services underlying the particular performance obligation is transferred to the customer.

Key changes to current practice are:

• Any bundled goods or services that are distinct must be recognised separately, and any discounts or rebates on the

contract price must generally be allocated to the separate elements.

• Revenue may be recognised earlier than under current standards if the consideration varies for any reasons (such as for

incentives, rebates, performance fees, royalties, success of an outcome etc).

• The point at which revenue is able to be recognised may shift: some revenue which is currently recognised at a point in

time at the end of a contract may have to be recognised over the contract term and vice versa.

• There are new specific rules e.g. on licenses, warranties, nonrefundable upfront fees and consignment arrangements.

Furthermore, extensive disclosures are required by IFRS 15. In September 2015, the IASB issued amendments to this
standard, which move the effective date to accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018. Early adoption is per
mitted. The Group is currently assessing the impact of adopting IFRS 15 on the Group’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements116

New or revised
standards

Amendments

Amendments to
IFRS 10, IFRS 12 and IAS 28:
Investment Entities: Applying
the Consolidation Exception

IFRS: 16 Leases

On 18 December 2014, the IASB issued Amendments to IFRS 10, IFRS 12 and IAS 28: Investment Entities: Applying the
Consolidation Exception, which address several application issues regarding the consolidation exception for investment
entities. Furthermore, the ISAB amends IFRS 12 to clarify that an investment entity that prepares financial statements in
which all of its subsidiaries are measured at fair value through profit or loss have to present the disclosures required by
IFRS 12 for investment entities. The amendments apply retrospectively for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January
2016. The Group does not expect a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements from these amendments.

The IASB issued the new leasing standard IFRS 16, Leases on 13 January 2016, which replaces the previous leases stan
dard IAS 17 and related interpretations. IFRS 16 sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and
disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract, i.e. the customer (‘lessee’) and the supplier (‘lessor’). The new standard
affects particularly lessees, as almost all leases will be recognised on the lessee’s balance sheet. The lessor accounting
requirements in IAS 17 will be substantially carried forward by IFRS 16. IFRS 16 eliminates, with only few exceptions, the dis
tinction between finance and operating leases for lessees. Instead, the standard adopts a single lessee accounting model.
Applying that model, a lessee is required to recognise a rightofuse asset and a lease liability and depreciation of lease
assets separately from interest on lease liabilities in the income statement. The lease liability includes the present value of
the outstanding future lease payments plus residual value guarantees. Exceptions exist for leases with a term of less than
12 months and leases with an underlying asset of low value (primarily “small IT equipment”). Those leases are recognised
according to the existing operating leases. A lessor continues to classify its leases as operating or finance leases, and to
account for those two types of leases differently.

The new standard is effective for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019. Early adoption is permitted.
The Group is currently assessing the impact of adopting IFRS 16 on the Group’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

The IASB issued various other pronouncements. These recently
adopted pronouncements as well as pronouncements not yet
adopted will not have a material impact on NORMA Group’s
Consolidated Financial Statements.

net assets. The Group measures the noncontrolling interest
in the acquiree at the noncontrolling interest’s proportionate
share of the acquiree’s net assets.

3 . SUMM ARY OF SIG NIFICA NT

ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

1. Consolidation

(a) Subsidiaries
Subsidiaries are all entities (including structured entities) over
which the Group has control. The Group controls an entity when
the Group is exposed to, or has rights to, variable returns from
its involvement with the entity and has the ability to affect those
returns through its power over the entity. Consolidation of an in
vestee begins from the date the Group obtains control of the in
vestee and ceases when the Group loses control of the investee.

The Group uses the acquisition method of accounting to ac
count for business combinations. The initial value for the acqui
sition of a subsidiary is recognised at fair value of the assets
transferred, the liabilities incurred and the equity interests issued
by the Group. The initial value recognised includes the fair value
of any asset or liability resulting from a contingent consideration
arrangement. On the acquisition date, the fair value of contin
gent consideration is recognised as part of the consideration
transferred in exchange for the acquiree. Acquisitionrelated
costs are expensed as incurred. Identifiable assets acquired and
liabilities and contingent liabilities assumed in a business combi
nation are measured initially at their fair value on the acquisition
date. According to IFRS 3 (revised), for each business combi
nation the acquirer shall measure any noncontrolling interest in
the acquiree either at fair value (full goodwill method) or at the
noncontrolling interest’s proportionate share of the acquiree’s

The excess of the consideration transferred, the amount of any
noncontrolling interest in the acquiree and the acquisition date
fair value of any previous equity interest in the acquiree over
the fair value of the Group’s share of the identifiable net assets
acquired, is recorded as goodwill. If this is less than the fair
value of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired in the case of
a bargain purchase, the difference is recognised immediately
in the statement of comprehensive income.

In a business combination achieved in stages, the Group remea
sures its previously held equity interest in the acquiree at its
acquisition date fair value and recognises the resulting gain or
loss, if any, in profit or loss.

Intercompany transactions, balances and unrealised gains or
losses on transactions between Group companies are elimi
nated. Accounting policies of subsidiaries have been changed
where necessary to ensure consistency with the policies adop
ted by the Group.

(b) Non-controlling interests
Noncontrolling interests have a share in the earnings of the re
porting period. Their interests in the shareholders’ equity of sub
sidiaries are reported separately from the equity of the Group.

The Group treats transactions with noncontrolling interests that
do not result in a loss of control as transactions with equity
owners of the Group. For purchases from noncontrolling in
terests, the difference between any consideration paid and the
relevant share acquired of the carrying value of net assets of
the subsidiary is recorded in equity.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015117

(c) Disposal of subsidiaries
When the Group ceases to have control, any retained interest
in the subsidiary is remeasured at its fair value, with the change
in the carrying amount recognised in profit or loss. The initial
carrying amount is the fair value for the purposes of subse
quently accounting for the retained interest as an associate, joint
venture or financial asset. In addition, any amounts previously
recognised in other comprehensive income in respect of that
entity are accounted for as if the Group had directly disposed
of the related assets or liabilities. This may mean that amounts
previously recognised in other comprehensive income are re
classified to profit or loss.

2. Valuation methods
The following table shows the most important valuation methods:

VA L U AT I O N M E T H O D S

T 0 4 2

Position

Assets

Goodwill

Valuation method

Impairmentonly approach

Other intangible assets (except goodwill) – finite useful lives

Amortised costs

Other intangible assets (except goodwill) – indefinite useful lives

Impairmentonly approach

Property, plant and equipment

Derivative financial assets:

Classified as cash flow hedge

Classified as fair value hedge

Without hedge accounting

Inventories

Other nonfinancial assets

Other financial assets

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Liabilities

Pensions

Other provisions

Borrowings

Other nonfinancial liabilities

Other financial liabilities (categories IAS 39):

Financial liabilities at cost (FLAC)

Derivative financial liabilities:

Classified as cash flow hedge

Classified as fair value hedge

Without hedge accounting

Contingent consideration

Trade and other payables

Amortised costs

At fair value in other comprehensive income

At fair value through profit or loss

Lower of cost or net realisable value

Amortised costs

Nominal amount

Projected unit credit method

Present value of future settlement amount

Amortised costs

At fair value in other comprehensive income

At fair value through profit or loss

Amortised costs

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements118

3. Fair value estimation
The amendment to IFRS 7 for financial instruments that are
measured in the statement of financial position at fair value
in accordance with IFRS 13 requires disclosure of fair value
measurements by level using the following fair value measure
ment hierarchy:

Foreign exchange gains and losses that relate to borrowings
and cash and cash equivalents are presented in profit or loss
within ‘financial income / costs.’ All other foreign exchange gains
and losses are presented in profit or loss within ‘other operating
income / expenses.’

Level 1: Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for iden

tical assets or liabilities,

Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level
1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either
directly (that is as prices) or indirectly (that is derived
from prices) and

Level 3: Inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on
observable market data (that is unobservable inputs).

The level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value
measurement is categorised in total is determined on the basis
of the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value mea
surement in total. The different hierarchy levels demand different
amounts of disclosure.

On 31 December 2015 and 2014, the Group’s derivative financial
instruments carried in the statement of financial position at fair
value (i.e. trading derivatives and derivatives used for hedging)
are categorised in total within level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
The fair value of interest rate swaps and crosscurrencyswaps
is calculated as the present value of the estimated future cash
flows. The fair value of forward foreign exchange contracts is
determined using a present value model based on forward ex
change rates.

Contingent considerations, recognised in the balance sheet as
of 31 December 2015 and 2014, measured at fair value, are
within level 3 of the fair value hierarchy ( Note 21 ‘Financial
Instruments’).

4. Foreign currency translation

(a) Functional and presentation currency
Items included in the financial statements of each of the Group’s
entities are measured using the currency of the primary eco
nomic environment in which the entity operates (‘the functional
currency’). The Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared
in ‘euros’ (EUR), which is NORMA Group SE’s functional and the
Group’s presentation currency.

(b) Transactions and balances
Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional
currency using the actual exchange rates on the dates of the
transactions or valuation where items are remeasured. Foreign
exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such
transactions and from the translation at yearend exchange
rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign
currencies are recognised in profit or loss.

(c) Group companies
The results and financial position of all the Group entities (none
of which has the currency of a hyperinflationary economy) that
have a functional currency different from the presentation cur
rency are translated into the presentation currency as follows:

• Assets and liabilities for each Consolidated Statement of Fi
nancial Position presented are translated at the closing rate on
the date of that Consolidated Statement of Financial Position;
• income and expenses are translated at average exchange
rates (unless this average is not a reasonable approximation of
the cumulative effect of the rates prevailing on the transaction
dates, in which case income and expenses are translated at
the actual rate on the dates of the transactions); and

• all resulting exchange differences are recognised as a sepa

rate component of equity.

Goodwill and fair value adjustments arising through the acquisi
tion of a foreign entity are treated as assets and liabilities of the
foreign entity and translated at the closing rate.

The exchange rates of the currencies affecting foreign currency
translation are as follows:

E X C H A N G E R AT E S

T 0 4 3

Spot rate

Average rate

per EUR

Australian dollar

Brazilian real

Chinese renminbi
yuan

Swiss franc

Czech koruna

31 Dec
2015

31 Dec
2014

2015

2014

1.4897

4.3117

7.0608

1.0835

1.4829

3.2207

7.5358

1.2024

1.4773

3.6935

6.9747

1.0679

1.4726

3.1233

8.1872

1.2145

27.0230

27.7350

27.2832

27.5355

British pound sterling

0.7340

0.7789

0.7262

0.8063

Indian rupee

72.0215

76.7190

71.1975

81.0565

Japanese yen

131.0700

145.2300

134.3315

140.3813

South Korean won

1,280.7800

1,324.8000 1,256.0469

1,398.6418

Malaysian ringgit

4.6959

4.2473

4.3318

4.3459

Mexican peso

Polish złoty

Serbian dinar

Russian ruble

Swedish krona

Singapore dollar

Thai baht

Turkish lira

US dollar

18.9145

17.8679

17.6063

17.6665

4.2639

4.2732

4.1827

4.1857

121.5970

121.0000

120.6521

117.2599

80.6736

72.3370

67.9736

50.9998

9.1895

1.5417

9.3930

1.6058

9.3539

1.5251

9.1011

1.6826

39.2480

39.9100

38.0130

43.1518

3.1765

1.0887

2.8320

1.2141

3.0231

1.1100

2.9068

1.3286

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

119

5. Intangible assets

(a) Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition
over the fair value of the Group’s share of the net identifiable
assets of the acquired subsidiary on the date of acquisition.
Goodwill on acquisitions of subsidiaries is included in ‘intangible
assets.’ Goodwill is tested annually for impairment and carried
at cost less accumulated impairment losses. Impairment losses
on goodwill are not reversed. Gains and losses on the disposal
of an entity include the carrying amount of goodwill relating to
the entity sold.

Goodwill is allocated to cashgenerating units for the pur
pose of impairment testing. The allocation is made to those
cashgenerating units or groups of cashgenerating units that
are expected to benefit from the business combination in which
the goodwill arose.

(b) Development costs
Costs of research activities undertaken with the prospect of
gaining new scientific or technical knowledge and understand
ing are expensed as incurred. Costs for development activities,
whereby research findings are applied to a plan or design for
the production of new or substantially improved products and
processes, are capitalised if

• development costs can be measured reliably,
• the product or process is technically and commercially feasible,
• future economic benefits are probable.

Furthermore, NORMA Group intends, and has sufficient resourc
es, to complete development and use or sell the asset. The
costs capitalised include the cost of materials, direct labour
and other directly attributable expenditure that serves to pre
pare the asset for use. Such capitalised costs are included in
profit or loss in line ‘own work capitalised.’ Capitalised devel
opment costs are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation
and impairment losses with an amortisation period of generally
three to five years. Development costs which did not meet the
requirements are expensed as incurred.

(c) Other intangible assets
Separately acquired other intangible assets are shown at his
torical cost less accumulated amortisation. Intangible assets
acquired in a business combination are recognised at fair value
on the acquisition date. Other intangible assets which have a
finite useful life will be amortised over their estimated useful
life. Amortisation is calculated using the straightline method
to allocate their cost. Other intangible assets which are deter
mined to have indefinite useful lives as well as intangible assets
not yet available for use are not amortised, but instead tested
for impairment at least annually. Furthermore, other intangible
assets which are determined to have indefinite useful life and
therefore are not amortised, will be reviewed each period to de
termine whether events and circumstances continue to support
an indefinite useful life assessment for these assets.

In general, the Group’s other intangibles are not qualifying as
sets in accordance with IAS 23 and borrowing costs eligible for
capitalisation therefore do not exist.

The useful lives of other intangible assets acquired in a business
combination are estimates based on the economics of each
specific asset which were determined in the process of the
purchase price allocation. The major part of these assets are
brand names and customer lists.

The estimated useful lives for other intangible assets are as
follows:

• Patents: 5 to 10 years
• Customer lists: 4 to 20 years
• Technology: 10 to 20 years
• Licences, rights: 3 to 5 years
• Trademarks: indefinite or 20 years
• Software: 3 to 5 years
• Development costs: 3 to 5 years

Other intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are essentially
brand names, for which the end of usability is not foreseeable
and therefore indeterminable. These brand names result from
acquisitions. For these brand names an indefinite useful life is
assumed. Based on a market perspective there are no clear
indications for a definite useful life of these brand names as
they have been wellestablished in the market for many years.

6. Property, plant and equipment
All property, plant and equipment are stated at historical cost
less depreciation and impairment loss, if substantial. Historical
cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to the ac
quisition of the items and, if any, the present value of estimated
costs for dismantling and removing the assets, restoring the site
on which it is allocated. Borrowing costs eligible for capitalisa
tion in the sense of IAS 23 were not available.

Subsequent costs are included in the asset’s carrying amount
or recognised as a separate asset, as appropriate, only when
it is foreseeable that future economic benefits associated with
the item will flow to the Group and the cost of the item can be
measured reliably. The carrying amount of the replaced part
is derecognised. All other repairs and maintenance expenses
are charged to profit or loss during the financial period in which
they are incurred.

Land is not depreciated. Depreciation on other assets is calcu
lated using the straightline method to allocate their cost to their
residual values over their estimated useful lives.

The assets’ residual values and useful lives are reviewed, and
adjusted if appropriate, on each balance sheet date.

An asset’s carrying amount is written down to its recoverable
amount if the asset’s carrying amount is greater than its esti
mated recoverable amount.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements120

Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing the
proceeds with the carrying amount and are recognised within
‘other operating income / expenses.’

In the current and in the previous financial year, all financial
assets, except for derivative financial instruments, are classified
to the category loans and receivables.

The estimated useful lives for property, plant and equipment
are as follows:

• Buildings: 8 to 33 years
• Machinery and technical equipment: 3 to 18 years
• Tools: 3 to 10 years
• Other equipment: 2 to 20 years
• Land is not depreciated

7. Impairment of non-financial assets
Assets that have an indefinite useful life, for example goodwill,
are not subject to amortisation and are tested annually for im
pairment, as well as whenever there are indications that the
carrying amount of the cashgenerating unit (CGU) is impaired. If
the impairment loss recognised for the CGU exceeds the carry
ing amount of the allocated goodwill, the additional amount of
the impairment loss is recognised through a prorata reduction
of the carrying amount of the assets allocated to the CGU. As
sets that are subject to amortisation are reviewed for impairment
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the
carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is
recognised for the amount by which the asset’s carrying amount
exceeds its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is the
higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell and value in use.
For the purposes of assessing impairment, assets are grouped
at the lowest levels for which there are separately identifiable
cash flows (cashgenerating units). Nonfinancial assets other
than goodwill that suffered impairment are reviewed for possible
reversal of the impairment on each reporting date.

8. Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realisable value.
Net realisable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary
course of business, less the estimated costs of completion and
the estimated variable selling costs. Cost is determined using
the weightedaveragemethod. The cost of finished goods and
work in progress comprises of design costs, raw materials,
direct labour, other direct costs and related production over
heads (based on normal operating capacity). Inventories of the
Group are not qualifying assets in accordance with IAS 23, so
that the acquisition or production costs do not include being
capitalised borrowing costs.

9. Financial instruments

Financial assets

Classification
The Group classifies its financial assets in the following cate
gories: at fair value through profit or loss, loans and receiv
ables, availableforsale and held to maturity. The classification
depends on the purpose for which the financial assets were
acquired. Management determines the classification of its fi
nancial assets at initial recognition.

Loans and receivables are nonderivative financial assets with
fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active
market. They are included in current assets, except for ma
turities greater than 12 months after the balance sheet date.
These are classified as noncurrent assets. The Group’s loans
and receivables comprise ‘trade and other receivables’ ( para
graph 12) and ‘cash and cash equivalents’ ( paragraph 13) in
the statement of financial position.

Recognition and measurement
Regular purchases and sales of financial assets are recognised
on the tradedate – the date on which the Group commits to pur
chase or sell the asset. Financial assets are initially recognised
at fair value plus transaction costs for all financial assets not
carried at fair value through profit or loss. Financial assets are
derecognised when the rights to receive cash flows have expired
or have been transferred and the Group has transferred substan
tially all risks and rewards of ownership. Loans and receivables
are carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Impairment of financial assets carried at amortised cost
The Group assesses at the end of each reporting period whether
there is objective evidence that a financial asset or group of
financial assets is impaired. A financial asset or a group of finan
cial assets is impaired and impairment losses are incurred only
if there is objective evidence of impairment as a result of one
or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the
asset (a ‘loss event’) and that loss event (or events) has (have)
an impact on the estimated future cash flows of the financial
asset or group of financial assets that can be reliably estimated.

The criteria that the Group uses to determine if there is objective
evidence of an impairment loss include:

• Financial difficulty of the issuer or obligor;
• A breach of contract, such as a default or delinquency in

interest or principal payments;

• The Group, for economic or legal reasons relating to the
borrower’s financial difficulty, granting to the borrower a
concession that the lender would not otherwise consider;
• It becomes probable that the borrower will enter bankruptcy

or other financial reorganisation;

• Observable data indicating that there is a measurable de

crease in the estimated future cash flows from a portfolio of
financial assets since the initial recognition of those assets,
although the decrease cannot yet be identified with the indi
vidual financial assets in the portfolio, including:

ii.

Adverse changes in the payment status of borrowers
in the portfolio; and
National or local economic conditions that correlate
with defaults on the assets in the portfolio.

The Group first assesses whether objective evidence of impair
ment exists.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

121

The amount of the loss is measured as the difference between
the asset’s carrying amount and the present value of estimated
future cash flows (excluding future credit losses that have not
been incurred) discounted at the financial asset’s original effec
tive interest rate. The asset’s carrying amount is reduced and
the amount of the loss is recognised in profit or loss. If a loan
has a variable interest rate, the discount rate for measuring any
impairment loss is the current effective interest rate determined
under the contract.

If, in a subsequent period, the amount of the impairment loss
decreases and the decrease can be related objectively to an
event occurring after the impairment was recognised (such
as an improvement in the debtor’s credit rating), the reversal
of the previously recognised impairment loss is recognised in
profit or loss.

Impairment testing of trade receivables is described in  para
graph 12.

Financial liabilities
Financial liabilities primarily include trade payables, liabilities
to banks, derivative financial liabilities ( paragraph 11) and
other liabilities.

a) Financial liabilities that are measured at amortised cost
After initial recognition, financial liabilities are carried at amor
tised cost using the effective interest method. In this category, in
particular, trade payables, liabilities to banks and other financial
liabilities are classified.

b) Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss
Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss include
derivative financial instruments unless they are designated as
hedges and contingent purchase price liabilities. Gains or losses
on financial liabilities that are measured at fair value through
profit or loss are included in profit or loss.

10. Offsetting financial instruments
Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amount is
reported in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
when there is a legally enforceable right to offset the recognised
amounts and an intention to settle on a net basis, or realise the
asset and settle the liability simultaneously. At NORMA Group,
arrangements exist which do not meet the criteria for netting
in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position according
to IAS 32.42, as they allow netting only in the case of future
events such as default or insolvency on the part of the Group
or the counterparty.

The following table presents the recognised financial instru
ments that are offset, or subject to enforceable master netting
arrangements and other similar agreements but not offset, as
of 31 December 2015.

O F F S E T T I N G O F F I N A N C I A L I N S T R U M E N T S

T 0 4 4

31 December 2015
in EUR thousands

Financial assets

Derivative financial instruments (b)

Trade and other receivables (a)

Other financial assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Total

Financial liabilities

Borrowings

Derivative financial instruments (b)

Trade and other payables (a)

Other financial liabilities

Total

Gross
amounts of
financial assets /
financial liabilities

Gross amounts of
financial assets /
financial liabilities
offset in the
statement of
financial positions

Net amounts
recognised in
the statement
of financial
positions

Amounts that
are not offset in
the statement of
financial positions

Financial
instruments

Net amount

248

123,195

3,856

99,951

227,250

450,767

3,386

101,207

6,700

562,060

330

248

122,865

3,856

99,951

226,920

450,767

3,386

100,877

6,700

561,730

248

122,865

3,856

99,951

226,672

450,767

3,138

100,877

6,700

561,730

As of 31 December 2014, no financial instruments were netted
in the balance sheet or subject to an enforceable master netting
arrangement.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

122

(a) Offsetting arrangements
NORMA Group gives volumebased rebates to selected custom
ers. Under the terms of the supply agreements, the amounts
payable by NORMA Group are offset against receivables from
the customers and only the net amounts are settled. The relevant
amounts have therefore been presented net in the balance sheet.

is recognised in profit or loss; the ineffective portion of a cash
flow hedge is recognised immediately in profit or loss. Amounts
accumulated in other comprehensive income are reclassified
to profit or loss in the periods when the hedged item affects
profit or loss.

(b) Master netting arrangements – not currently enforceable
Agreements with derivative counterparties are based on an ISDA
Master Agreement and other corresponding national master
agreements, such as the corresponding German Framework
Agreement. These arrangements do not meet the offsetting
criteria, because they allow netting only in the case of future
events such as default or insolvency on the part of the Group
or the counterparty. The table above shows the impact on the
Group’s balance sheet if all setoff rights were exercised.

11. Derivative financial instruments and hedging activities
Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a de
rivative contract is entered into and are subsequently remeasured
at their fair value. The method of recognising the resulting gain or
loss depends on whether the derivative is designated as a hedg
ing instrument, and if so, the nature of the item being hedged.

(a) Derivative financial instruments

not designated as hedges

Gains and losses from derivatives that are not designated as
hedges (trading derivatives) are recognised in profit or loss.
Trading derivatives are classified as noncurrent assets or lia
bilities in accordance with IAS 1.68 and 1.71 if they are due after
more than one year; otherwise they are classified as current.

(b) Derivative financial instruments designated as hedges
Derivatives included in hedge accounting are generally desig
nated as either:

• Hedges of the fair value of recognised assets or liabilities or

firm commitments (fair value hedge);

• Hedges of a particular risk associated with a recognised
asset or liability or a highly probable forecast transaction
(cash flow hedge); or

• Hedges of a net investment in a foreign operation

(net investment hedge).

The entities of NORMA Group use derivative financial instru
ments for the hedging of future cash flows and for intragroup
monetary items, which are between two Group entities that
have different functional currencies. Derivatives such as swaps
and forwards are used as hedging instruments. The accounting
treatment of a change in the fair value of hedging instruments
depends on the nature of the hedging relationship. In the case
of hedges of future cash flows (cash flow hedges), the hedging
instruments are measured at fair value. Gains and losses from
remeasurement of the effective portion of the derivatives are
initially recognised in the other reserves within equity, and are
only recognised in the income statement when the hedged item

In the case of a hedge against foreign exchange rate gains and
losses on intragroup monetary items, which are not fully elim
inated on consolidation (fair value hedges), gains and losses
from the remeasurement of the hedging instruments as well as
foreign exchange rate gains and losses of the hedged item are
recognised in profit or loss.

At the inception of the transaction, the relationship between
the hedging instrument and hedged item is documented, as
well as the risk management objectives and strategy for under
taking the hedging transaction. The Group also documents its
assessment, both at hedge inception and on an ongoing basis,
of whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions
are highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows of
hedged items.

The full fair value of a hedging derivative is classified as a
noncurrent asset or liability when the remaining maturity of
the hedged item is more than 12 months and as a current asset
or liability when the remaining maturity of the hedged item is
less than 12 months.

The fair values of derivative financial instruments used for hedg
ing purposes and of those held for trading are disclosed in
 Note 22 ‘Derivative Financial Instruments.’ Movements on the
hedging reserve in equity are shown in  Note 22 and 27 ‘Equity.’

12. Trade receivables
Trade receivables are amounts due from customers for mer
chandise sold or services performed in the ordinary course of
business. If collection is expected within one year or less, they
are classified as current assets. If not, they are presented as
noncurrent assets. Trade receivables are classified as loans
and receivables in accordance with IAS 39 and recognised ini
tially at fair value and subsequently measured at amortised cost
using the effective interest method, less provision for impair
ment. An allowance for doubtful accounts of trade receivables is
established when there is objective evidence that the Group will
not be able to collect all amounts due according to the original
terms of the receivables. Significant financial difficulties of the
debtor, the probability that the debtor will enter bankruptcy or
financial reorganisation, and default or delinquency in payments
are considered indicators that the trade receivable is impaired.
The amount of the allowance is the difference between the
asset’s carrying amount and the present value of estimated
future cash flows, discounted at the original effective interest
rate. In addition to the required individual bad debt allowances,
the Group will determine a portfoliobased bad debt allowance
considering the aging structure for trade receivables to cover
general credit risk if this is applicable.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015123

13. Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents are measured at their nominal value
and include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, and
other shortterm highly liquid investments with original maturities
of three months or less and which are subject only to insignifi
cant risk of change in value. Bank overdrafts are shown within
borrowings in current liabilities on the Consolidated Statement
of Financial Position.

14. Trade and other payables
Trade payables are obligations to pay for goods or services that
have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from
suppliers. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if
payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented
as noncurrent liabilities.

Trade payables are recognised initially at fair value and subse
quently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest
method.

to situations in which applicable tax regulation is subject to
interpretation. It establishes provisions where appropriate on
the basis of amounts expected to be paid to the tax authorities.

Deferred income tax is recognised, using the liability method, on
temporary differences arising between the tax bases of assets
and liabilities and their carrying amounts in the Consolidated
Financial Statements and on tax losses carried forward and not
yet used tax credits. Deferred income tax is determined using
tax rates (and laws) that have been enacted or substantially
enacted by the balance sheet date and are expected to apply
when the related deferred income tax asset is realised or the
deferred income tax liability is settled.

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are offset when there
is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets against
current tax liabilities and when the deferred income tax assets
and liabilities relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation
authority on either the taxable entity or different taxable entities
where there is an intention to settle the balances on a net basis.

The Group participates in a reverse factoring programme as well
as in an ABS programme. The payments to the factor and from
the ABS programme are included in trade and other payables,
as this represents the economic substance of the transactions.

A surplus of deferred income tax assets is recognised only to the
extent that it is probable that future taxable profit will be avail
able against which the temporary differences can be utilised.

15. Borrowings
Borrowings are recognised initially at fair value, net of directly
attributable transaction costs incurred. Borrowings are subse
quently stated at amortised cost; any difference between the
proceeds (net of transaction costs) and the redemption value
is recognised in profit or loss over the period of the borrowings
using the effective interest method.

Fees paid on the establishment of loan facilities are recognised
as transaction costs of the loan to the extent that it is probable
that some or all of the facility will be drawn down. In this case,
the fee is deferred until the drawdown occurs. To the extent
there is no evidence that it is probable that some or all of the
facility will be drawn down, the fee is capitalised as a prepay
ment for liquidity services and amortised over the period of the
facility to which it relates.

Borrowings are classified as current liabilities unless the Group
has an unconditional right to defer settlement of the liability for
at least 12 months after the balance sheet date.

16. Current and deferred income tax
The tax expenses for the period are comprised of current and
deferred tax. Tax is recognised in profit or loss, except to the
extent that it relates to items recognised in other comprehen
sive income or directly in equity. In this case, the tax is also
recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity,
respectively.

The current income tax charge is calculated on the basis of
the tax laws enacted on the balance sheet date in the coun
tries where the Group’s subsidiaries operate. Management
periodically evaluates positions taken in tax returns with respect

For taxable temporary differences arising on investments in sub
sidiaries and associates, deferred tax liabilities are recognised,
except where the timing of the reversal of the temporary dif
ference is controlled by the Group and it is probable that the
temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

17. Employee benefits

(a) Pension obligations
Group companies operate different pension schemes. NORMA
Group has both defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the
Group pays fixed contributions to a separate entity. The Group
has no legal or constructive obligations to pay further contribu
tions if the fund does not hold sufficient assets to pay all em
ployees the benefits relating to employee service in the current
and prior periods. A defined benefit plan is a pension plan that
is not a defined contribution plan. The major defined benefit plan
is the German benefit plan which defines the amount of pension
benefit that an employee will receive on retirement to depend
on years of service and compensation.

The liability recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Finan
cial Position with respect to defined benefit pension plans is the
present value of the defined benefit obligation on the balance
sheet date less the fair value of plan assets. The defined ben
efit obligation is calculated annually by independent actuaries
using the projected unit credit method. The present value of the
defined benefit obligation is determined by discounting the es
timated future cash outflows using interest rates of highquality
corporate bonds that are denominated in the currency in which
the benefits will be paid and that have terms to maturity approx
imating the terms of the related pension liability.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements124

Remeasurement gains and losses arising from experience ad
justments and changes in actuarial assumptions, as well as
returns on plan assets, which are not included within the net
interest on the defined benefit liability, are recognised within
retained earnings in the other comprehensive income (OCI).

19. Provisions
Provisions are recognised when the Group has a present legal or
constructive obligation to third parties as a result of past events;
it is probable that an outflow of resources will be required to set
tle the obligation; and the amount has been reliably estimated.

Past service costs are recognised fully in the period of the re
lated plan amendment.

For defined contribution plans, the Group pays contributions to
publicly or privately administered pension insurance plans on
a mandatory, contractual or voluntary basis. The Group has no
further payment obligations once the contributions have been
paid. The contributions are recognised as employee benefits ex
pense when they are due. Prepaid contributions are recognised
as an asset to the extent that a cash refund or a reduction in the
future payments is available.

(b) Termination benefits
Termination benefits are payable when employment is terminat
ed by the Group before the normal retirement date, or whenever
an employee accepts voluntary redundancy in exchange for
these benefits. The Group recognises termination benefits as a
liability and expense on the earlier date of: (a) when the entity
can no longer withdraw the offer of those benefits; or (b) when
the entity recognises costs for a restructuring that is within the
scope of IAS 37 and involves the payment of termination bene
fits. Benefits falling due more than 12 months after the balance
sheet date are discounted to their present value.

(c) Short-term employee benefits
Employee benefits with shortterm payment dates include wag
es and salaries, social security contributions, vacation pay and
sickness benefits and are recognised as liabilities at the repay
ment amount as soon as the associated job has been performed.

(d) Provisions for other long-term employee benefits
Provisions for obligations similar to pensions (such as anniversa
ry allowances and death benefits) are comprised of the present
value of future payment obligations to the employee less any
associated assets measured at fair value. The amount of pro
visions is determined on the basis of actuarial opinions in line
with IAS 19. Gains and losses from the remeasurement are rec
ognised in profit or loss in the period in which they are incurred.

18. Share-based payment
Sharebased payment plans issued in NORMA Group are ac
counted for in accordance with IFRS 2 “Sharebased payment.”
In accordance with IFRS 2, NORMA Group in principle distin
guishes between equitysettled and cashsettled plans. The
financial interest from equitysettled plans granted on grant date
is generally allocated over the expected vesting period against
equity until the exit event occurs. Expenses from cashsettled
plans are generally also allocated over the expected vesting
period until the exit event occurs, but against accruals. A de
scription of the plans existing within the NORMA Group can be
found in  Note 28 ‘Sharebased Payments.’

Where there are a number of similar obligations, the likelihood
that an outflow will be required in settlement is determined by
considering the class of obligations as a whole. A provision is
recognised even if the likelihood of an outflow with respect to any
one item included in the same class of obligations may be small.

Provisions are measured at the present value of the expendi
tures expected to be required to settle the obligation taking into
account all identifiable risks. Provisions are discounted using
a pretax rate that reflects current market assessments of the
time value of money and the risks specific to the obligation. The
increase in the provision due to passage of time is recognised
as interest expense.

In addition to the expected amount of cash outflows, uncertain
ties also exist regarding the time of outflows. If it is expected
that the outflows will take place within one year, the relevant
amounts are reported in the shortterm provisions.

When the Group expects a refund for a provision, this refund is
recognised in accordance with IAS 37.53 as a separate asset.
If the refund is in a close economic relationship with the rec
ognised provision, the expenses from the provision are netted
with the income from the corresponding refund in profit or loss.

Income from the release of nonutilised provisions from prior
years are recorded within other operating income.

20. Revenue recognition
Revenue comprises the fair value of the consideration received
or receivable for the sale of goods and services in the ordi
nary course of the Group’s activities. Revenue is shown net
of valueadded tax, returns, rebates and discounts and after
eliminating sales within the Group.

Sale of goods
The Group recognises revenue when the amount of revenue can
be reliably measured, it is probable that future economic benefits
will flow to the entity and when the significant risks and rewards,
associated with ownership of the goods sold, have been trans
ferred to the buyer. The above criteria are regularly fulfilled if the
beneficial ownership has been transferred to the customer in ac
cordance with the agreed Incoterms. The amount of revenue is not
considered to be reliably measurable until all contingencies relating
to the sale have been resolved. The Group bases its estimates on
historical results, taking into consideration the type of customers,
the type of transaction and the specifics of each arrangement.

Development contracts
Revenues from customerspecific fixed price development con
tracts are recognised with the percentage of completion method

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015125

(PoC method) in accordance with IAS 11 if the outcome can be
reliably measured. The stage of completion is calculated on the
basis of the proportional of contract costs incurred to the esti
mated total contract costs. An expected loss on a construction
contract is expensed immediately.

The percentage of completion method places considerable
importance on accurate estimates of the extent of progress
towards completion and may involve estimates on the scope
of deliveries and services required for fulfilling the contractu
ally defined obligations. These estimates include total con
tract costs, total contract revenues, contract risks, including
technical risks and other judgments. Under the percentage
of completion method, changes in estimates may lead to an
increase or decrease in revenue. The creditworthiness of our
customers is taken into account in estimating the probability
that economic benefits associated with a contract will flow to
the Company.

21. Leases
Leases in which a significant portion of the risks and rewards of
ownership are retained by the lessor are classified as operating
leases. Payments made under operating leases (net of any in
centives received from the lessor) are charged to profit or loss
on a straightline basis over the period of the lease.

Leases where the Group has substantially all the risks and re
wards of ownership are classified as finance leases. Finance
leases are capitalised at the lease’s commencement at the less
er of the fair value of the leased property and the present value
of the minimum lease payments.

Each lease payment is allocated between the liability and fi
nance charges so as to achieve a constant periodic rate of
interest on the finance balance outstanding. The corresponding
rental obligations, net of finance charges, are included in other
financial liabilities. The interest element of the finance cost is
charged to profit or loss over the lease period. The property,

plant and equipment acquired under finance leases is depre
ciated over the shorter of the useful life of the asset and the
lease term.

The Group’s leases include both, operating leases and finance
leases, which relate mainly to property and equipment.

22. Government grants
Government grants are not recognised until there is reasonable
assurance that the conditions attached to them are complied
with and that the grants will be received.

Government grants for the compensation of expenses incurred
are recognised in profit or loss as part of the other operating
income on a systematic basis over the periods in which the
related costs are expensed that the grants are intended to com
pensate for.

Grants related to nondepreciable assets are recognised in prof
it or loss as part of the other operating income over the periods
that bear the cost of meeting the obligations.

Grants related to depreciable assets are recognised in profit
or loss over the periods that bear the expense related to the
depreciation of the underlying assets and are recognised as
deferred income in the statement of financial positions. The
deferred income is recognised in profit or loss on a straightline
basis over the expected useful life of the underlying asset and
reported as part of other operating income.

4. SCOPE OF CONSOLIDATION
With NORMA Group SE, the Consolidated Financial Statements
contain all domestic and foreign companies which NORMA
Group SE controls directly or indirectly.

The Consolidated Financial Statements of 2015 include seven
domestic (31 December 2014: seven) and 38 foreign (31 De
cember 2014: 39) companies.

The composition of the Group changed as follows:

C H A N G E I N S C O P E O F C O N S O L I D AT I O N

T 0 4 5

As of 1 January

Additions

of which newly founded

of which acquired

Disposals

of which no longer consolidated

As of 31 December

2015

2014

Total Domestic

Foreign

Total

Domestic

Foreign

In 2015, Nordic Metalblok S.r.l. was liquidated and thus decon
solidated.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
126

For a detailed overview of NORM A Group’s shareholdings,
please refer to the following chart:

L I S T O F G R O U P C O M PA N I E S O F N O R M A G R O U P A S O F 3 1. D E C E M B E R 2 0 15

T 0 4 6

No. Company

Central Functions

NORMA Group SE

NORMA Group APAC Holding GmbH

NORMA Group Holding GmbH

Segment EME A

Registered address

Maintal, Germany

NORMA Distribution Center GmbH

Marsberg, Germany

DNL GmbH & Co KG

NORMA Germany GmbH

NORMA Türkei Verwaltungs GmbH

DNL France S.A.S

Maintal, Germany

Briey, France

NORMA Distribution France S.A.S.

La Queue En Brie, France

NORMA France S.A.S.

DNL UK Ltd.

NORMA UK Ltd.

NORMA Italia SpA

Briey, France

Newbury, Great Britain

Gavardo, Italy

Groen Bevestigingsmaterialen B.V.

Purmerend, Netherlands

NORMA Netherlands B.V.

NORMA Polska Sp. z o.o.

Delft, Netherlands

Slawniów, Poland

NORMA Group Distribution Polska Sp. z.o.o.

Krakow, Poland

NORMA Group CIS LLC

DNL Sweden AB

NORMA Sweden AB

Togliatti, Russian Federation

Stockholm, Sweden

Connectors Verbindungstechnik AG

Tagelswangen, Switzerland

NORMA Grupa Jugoistocna Evropa d.o.o.

Fijaciones NORMA S.A.

NORMA Czech, s.r.o.

Subotica, Serbia

Barcelona, Spain

Hustopece, Czech Republic

NORMA Turkey Baglanti ve Birlestirme Teknolojileri
Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi

Besiktas, Istanbul, Turkey

Segment Americas

Craig Assembly Inc.

NORMA Michigan Inc.

NORMA US Holding LLC

NORMA Pennsylvania Inc.

R.G.R AY Corporation

National Diversified Sales, Inc.

St. Clair, USA

Auburn Hills, USA

Saltsburg, USA

Auburn Hills, USA

Woodland Hills, USA

NORMA do Brasil Sistemas De Conexão Ltda.

São Paulo, Brazil

NORMA Group México S. de R.L. de C.V.

Monterrey, Mexico

NORMA Distribution and Services S. de R.L. de C.V. Juarez, Mexico

Segment Asia-Pacific

NORMA Pacific Pty. Ltd.

Guyco Pty Limited

NORMA China Co., Ltd.

NORMA EJT (Changzhou) Co., Ltd.

NORMA Group Products India Pvt. Ltd.

NORMA Japan Inc.

NORMA Products Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
(vormals Chien Jin Plastic Sdn. Bhd.)

NORMA Korea Inc.

Melbourne, Australia

Adelaide, Australia

Qingdao, China

Changzhou, China

Pune, India

Osaka, Japan

Ipoh, Malysia

Seoul, Republic of Korea

NORMA Group Asia Pacific Holding Pte. Ltd

Singapore, Singapore

NORMA Pacific Asia Pte. Ltd.

NORMA Pacific (Thailand) Ltd.

Singapore, Singapore

Chonburi, Thailand

Share in %

held
by

direct
parent
company

of
NORMA
Group SE

Cur
rency

Equity 1

Result 1

−2

0 2

−2

629

679

−1,746

−406

6,264

1,609

1,229

462

513

14,218

1,653

39,655

1,892

100.00

kEUR

106,814

94.80

100.00

94.90

100.00

60.00

90.00

100.00

kEUR

kGBP

kEUR

kPLN

2,175

6,543

56,306

31,462

4,332

3,147

3,384

31,793

5,852

1,406

4,644

5,100

116,525

33,302

99.96

100.00

kRUR

110,504

100.00

kSEK

kCHF

78,062

172,847

9,231

100.00

kRSD 2,335,283

−18,068

100.00

kEUR

kCZK

4,550

894

343,596

56,206

100.00

kTRL

2,734

801

100.00

97.80

99.40

99.00

kUSD

kBRL

kUSD

100.00

kMXN

100.00

99.99

60.00

100.00

60.00

kAUD

kCNY

kINR

kJPY

34,360

71,723

24,138

116,275

91,433

199,033

30,109

6,366

819

14,001

6,550

131,629

26,974

339,025

145,662

7,407

3,189

−1,350

1,903

9,161

22,131

−9,733

3,094

692

−2,020

1,479

30,088

−8,818

−3,304

23,067

100.00

kMYR

27,363

5,011

100.00

kKRW

494,287

339,599

100.00

kSGD

kTHB

60,066

−73

−428

95,603

22,918

1 Reported values according to IFRS as of 31 December 2015; except for NORMA Group Holding GmbH, NORMA Germany GmbH, NORMA Distribution Center GmbH and DNL GmbH & Co.
KG; these values are prepared according to German GA AP as of 31 December 2015 but not yet finally audited. The values are translated with the exchange rates according to  Note 3.4.

2 A profitpoolingcontract exists.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 20155. FIN A NCIAL RISK M A N AGEMENT

1. Financial risk factors
The Group’s activities expose it to a variety of financial
risks, including market risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. The
Group’s financial risk management focuses on the unpredict
ability of financial markets and seeks to minimise its potential
adverse effects on the Group’s financial performance. The
Group uses derivative financial instruments to hedge certain
risk exposures.

Financial risk management is carried out by a central treasury
department (Group Treasury). The necessary responsibilities
and controls associated with risk management are determined
by Group management. Group Treasury identifies, evaluates
and hedges financial risks in close cooperation with the Group’s
operating units.

Market risk

(i) Foreign exchange risk
NORMA Group operates internationally in around 100 different
countries and is exposed to foreign exchange risk arising from
the exposure to various currencies – primarily with respect to
the US dollar, the British pound sterling, the Chinese renminbi
yuan, the Indian rupee, the Polish złoty, the Swedish krona, the
Swiss franc, the Serbian dinar and the Singapore dollar.

The effects of changes in foreign exchange rates are analysed
below for financial assets and liabilities denominated in foreign
currencies.

F O R E I G N E X C H A N G E R I S K

T 0 47

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

in EUR thousands

+10% −10%

+10%

−10%

Currency relation

EUR / USD – Profit before tax

−1,293

1,580

−1,346

EUR / GBP – Profit before tax

1,101

−1,346

EUR / CNY – Profit before tax

−406

EUR / INR – Profit before tax

EUR / PLN – Profit before tax

EUR / SEK – Profit before tax

EUR / CHF – Profit before tax

EUR / RSD – Profit before tax

EUR / SGD – Profit before tax

−95

545

279

−161

−132

497

116

−667

−341

−86

197

161

1,646

−799

418

168

653

−342

−137

2,071

−2,532

−615

403

−229

752

−108

−492

280

The Group Treasury’s risk management policy is to hedge about
50%–90% or more of anticipated operational cash of the signi
ficant foreign currency exposures.

NORMA Group has certain investments in foreign operations
whose net assets are exposed to foreign currency translation
risks. This translation risk is primarily managed through borrow
ings in the relevant foreign currency.

127

(ii) Interest rate risk
NORMA Group’s interest rate risk arises from longterm borrow
ings with variable interest rates. Borrowings issued at variable
interest rates expose the Group to cash flow interest rate risk
which is partially offset by hedges (interest rate swaps). The
Group’s policy is to maintain approximately 75% of its medi
umterm borrowings in fixed rate instruments. NORMA Group
uses the flexibility of floating instruments for extraordinary re
payments without any additional cost.

Below, the effects of changes in interest rates are analysed
for bank borrowings, which bear variable interest rates, and
for interest rate swaps included in hedwge accounting. Bor
rowings that bear fixed interest rates are excluded from this
analysis.

Due to the current low level of interest rates in those markets
that are relevant for NORMA Group’s funding, the likelihood of
rising interest rates is higher than that of declining interest rates
– this has been addressed in the sensitivity analysis.

In financial year 2015, if interest rates on eurodenominated
borrowings had been 100 basis points (BPS) (2014: 100 BPS)
higher with all other variables held constant, profit before tax for
the year would have been EUR 133 thousand lower (2014: EUR 9
thousand lower) and other comprehensive income would have
been EUR 2,074 thousand higher (2014: EUR 4,115 thousand
higher with 100 BPS shift).

In financial year 2015, if interest rates on eurodenominated
borrowings had been 50 basis points (2014: 100 BPS) lower with
all other variables held constant, profit before tax for the year
would have been EUR 518 thousand lower (2014: EUR 0 thou
sand higher). This effect of higher interest payments with lower
rates can be explained as the behaviour of hedges and hedged
items is not fully identical with interests below zero. Other com
prehensive income would have been EUR 4,016 thousand lower
(2014: EUR 4,158 thousand lower with 100 BPS shift).

(iii) Other price risks
As NORMA Group is not exposed to any other material eco
nomic price risks, such as stock exchange prices or commodity
prices, an increase or decrease in the relevant market prices
within reasonable margins would not have an impact on the
Group’s profit or equity. Hence, the Group’s exposure to other
price risks is regarded as not material.

Credit risk
The credit risk incurred by the Group is the risk that counterpar
ties fail to meet their obligations arising from operating activities
and from financial transactions. Credit risk arises from cash
and cash equivalents and deposits with banks and financial
institutions, as well as credit exposures to customers, including
outstanding receivables and committed transactions.

Credit risk is monitored on a Group basis. To minimise credit
risk from operating activities and financial transactions, each

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
128

counterparty is assigned a credit limit, the use of which is mon-
itored regularly. Default risks are continuously monitored in the
operating business.

The aggregate carrying amounts of financial assets represent
the maximum default risk. For an overview of past-due receiv-
ables, please refer to  Note 23 ‘Trade and Other Receivables.’
Given the Group’s heterogeneous customer structure, there is
no risk concentration.

Liquidity risk
Prudent liquidity risk management implies maintaining suffi-
cient cash and marketable securities, the availability of funding
through an adequate amount of committed credit facilities and
the ability to close out market positions. Due to the dynamic
nature of the underlying businesses, Group Treasury maintains
flexibility in funding by maintaining availability under committed
credit lines.

With NORMA Group’s IPO in April 2011, all bank borrowings
were refinanced with syndicated bank facilities in the amount
of EUR 250 million, of which EUR 178 million had been repaid
before 31 December 2014. In September 2014, the existing syn-
dicated bank facilities were renegotiated with the result of an
updated loan amount of EUR 100 million. In December 2015,
another renegotiation of the syndicated bank facilities led to
a further improved interest profile and now better reflects the
currency of NORMA Group’s cash flows after the NDS acquisi-
tion (mainly USD and EUR). The facility now consists of a EUR
20.0 million and USD 87.9 million. (31 December 2015: EUR
80.8 million) term loan including an option of an additional Ac-
cordion Facility in the amount of EUR 250 million and a ma-
turity of up to seven years. In addition, a borrowing facility in
the amount of EUR 50 million is available for future operating
activities and to settle capital commitments, which was not yet
drawn on 31 December 2015.

Furthermore, in July 2013, NORMA Group issued a promissory
note valued at EUR 125 million with 5, 7 and 10 year terms. In
the fourth quarter of 2014, an additional promissory note was
issued with euro tranches in the amount of EUR 106 million with
3, 5, 7 and 10 year terms and USD tranches in the amount of
USD 128.5 million with 3, 5 and 7 year terms.

Liquidity is monitored on an ongoing basis with regard to the
Group’s business performance, planned investment and re-
demption of capital.

The amounts disclosed in the table below are the contractual,
undiscounted cash flows. Financial liabilities denominated in
foreign currencies are translated at the closing rate on the bal-
ance sheet date. Interest payments on financial instruments with
variable interest rates are calculated on the basis of the interest
rates applicable as of the reporting date.

M AT U R I T Y S T R U C T U R E O F
N O N - D E R I VAT I V E F I N A N C I A L L I A B I L I T I E S

T 0 4 8

31 December 2015

in EUR thousands

up to
1 year

> 1 year
up to
2 years

> 2 years
up to

5 years > 5 years

Borrowings

15,656

48,957

327,888

108,878

Trade and other payables

100,877

Finance lease liabilities

Other financial liabilities

147

5,880

138

511

122,560

49,606

327,921

108,878

31 December 2014

in EUR thousands

up to
1 year

> 1 year
up to
2 years

> 2 years
up to

5 years > 5 years

Borrowings

30,533

82,096

208,739

161,462

Trade and other payables

80,829

Finance lease liabilities

211

207

Other financial liabilities

1,274

3,460

112,847

85,763

208,789

161,517

The maturity structure of the derivative financial instruments
based on cash flows is as follows:

M AT U R I T Y S T R U C T U R E O F
D E R I VAT I V E F I N A N C I A L I N S T R U M E N T S

T 0 4 9

As of 31 December 2015

in EUR thousands

Derivative receivables
– gross settlement

Cash outflows

Cash inflows

Derivative liabilities
– gross settlement

Cash outflows

Cash inflows

Derivative liabilities
– net settlement

Cash outflows

up to
1 year

> 1 year
up to
2 years

> 2 years
up to

5 years > 5 years

−41,919

42,167

−104,582

103,706

−626

−1,254

−932

−992

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015129

As of 31 December 2014

in EUR thousands

Derivative receivables
– gross settlement

Cash outflows

Cash inflows

Derivative liabilities
– gross settlement

Cash outflows

Cash inflows

Derivative liabilities
– net settlement

Cash outflows

up to
1 year

> 1 year
up to
2 years

> 2 years
up to

5 years > 5 years

−2,500

2,503

−102,811

100,768

−677 −16,265

−1,160

−2,717 −16,265

−1,160

−75

2. Capital risk management
The Group’s objectives when managing capital are to ensure
that it will continue to be able to repay its debt and remain
financially sound.

The Group is subject to the financial covenant total net debt
cover, which is monitored on an on-going basis. This finan-
cial covenant is based on the Group’s Consolidated Financial
Statements as well as on special definitions of the bank facility
agreements. There were no covenant breaches in 2015 and
2014.

In the case of a covenant breach, the facility agreement in-
cludes several ways to remedy a potential breach by rules of
exemption or shareholder actions. If a covenant breach occurs
and is not remedied, the syndicated loans may be, but are not
required to be, withdrawn.

6. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIM ATES

A ND JUDGEMENTS

Estimates and judgments are continually evaluated and are
based on historical experience, and expectations regarding
future events that are believed to be reasonable under the
circumstances.

The Group makes estimates and assumptions concerning the
future. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition,
seldom equal the respective actual results. The estimates and
assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material
adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities with-
in the next financial year are addressed below.

Estimated impairment of goodwill
NORMA Group tests annually whether goodwill has suffered any
impairment, in accordance with the accounting policy stated in
 Note 3.5. The recoverable amounts of cash-generating units
have been determined based on fair-value-less-costs-to-sell cal-
culations. These calculations are based on discounted cash flow
models, which require the use of estimates ( Note 19 ‘Goodwill
and Other Intangible Assets’).

In 2015 and 2014, no impairment of goodwill, which amounted
to EUR 343,829 thousand on 31 December 2015 (31 Decem-
ber 2014: EUR 324,496 thousand), was necessary. Even if the
discount rate would increase by +2% and the terminal value
growth rate would be 0%, the change of these key assumptions
would not cause the carrying amount to exceed its recoverable
amount in any CGU.

Income taxes
The Group is subject to income taxes in numerous jurisdictions.
Significant judgements are required in determining the world-
wide provision for income taxes. There are transactions and
calculations for which the ultimate tax determination is uncer-
tain. The Group recognises liabilities for anticipated tax audit
issues based on estimates of whether additional taxes will be
due. Where the final tax outcome of these matters differs from
the amounts that were initially recorded, such differences will
impact the current and deferred income tax assets and liabili-
ties in the period in which such determination is made. On 31
December 2015, income tax liabilities were EUR 9,172 thousand
(31 December 2014: EUR 13,126 thousand) and deferred tax
liabilities were EUR 104,380 thousand (31 December 2014: EUR
104,647 thousand).

Pension benefits
The present value of the pension obligations depends on a num-
ber of factors that are determined on an actuarial basis using a
number of assumptions. The assumptions used in determining
the net cost (income) for pensions include the discount rate. Any
changes in these assumptions will impact the carrying amount
of pension obligations.

The present value of the defined benefit obligation is calculated
by discounting the estimated future cash outflows using the
interest rates of high-quality corporate bonds.

The Group determines the appropriate discount rate on the bal-
ance sheet date. In determining the appropriate discount rate,
the Group considers the interest rates of high-quality corporate
bonds that are denominated in the currency in which the bene-
fits will be paid, and that have terms to maturity approximating
the terms of the related pension liability.

Other key assumptions for pension obligations are based in part
on current market conditions. Additional information is disclosed
in  Note 3.17.

Pension liabilities amounted to EUR 11,951 thousand on 31 De-
cember 2015 (31 December 2014: EUR 12,271 thousand).

Useful lives of property, plant and equipment
and intangible assets
The Group’s management determines the estimated useful lives
and related depreciation / amortisation charges for its property,
plant and equipment and intangible assets. This estimate is
based on projected lifecycles. These could change as a result
of technical innovations or competitor actions in response to

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements130

severe industry cycles. Management will increase the deprecia-
tion charge where useful lives are less than previously estimated
lives, or it will write-off or write-down technically obsolete or
non-strategic assets that have been abandoned or sold.

7. AD JUSTMENTS
Certain expenses are adjusted for operational management pur-
poses. Hence, the following results which are adjusted by these
expenses, reflect the management perspective.

In the financial year 2015, expenses amounting to EUR 3,591
thousand (2014: EUR 6,924 thousand) were adjusted with-
in EBITDA (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amor tisation).

These adjustments within the EBITDA are related in the amount
of EUR 2,472 thousand to expenses for raw materials and con-
sumables used, which are a result of the remeasurement of
acquired inventories within the purchase price allocation for the
acquisition of National Diversified Sales, Inc. (NDS). Further-
more, expenses associated with the integration of the acquired
entity in the amount of EUR 578 thousand were adjusted within

other operating expenses and in the amount of EUR 541 thou-
sand within employee benefits expense.

Besides the adjustments described, depreciation in the amount
of EUR 2,237 thousand (2014: EUR 1,289 thousand) and amorti-
sation in the amount of EUR 17,257 thousand (2014: EUR 10,132
thousand) from purchase price allocations were adjusted as in
previous years.

In the financial year 2014, acquisition related expenses amount-
ing to EUR 4,513 thousand, particularly associated with the ac-
quisition of NDS, were adjusted within other operating expenses
and in the amount of EUR 201 thousand within the employee
benefits expenses. Furthermore, in 2014, an adjustment related
to the repayment of the syndicated bank facilities in January
2014 in the amount of EUR 5,406 thousand was made within
the financial result. In 2015, no adjustments were made within
the financial result.

The theoretical taxes resulting from the adjustments are calcu-
lated using the respective tax rate of each Group entity and are
considered within the adjusted earnings after taxes.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015131

The following table shows profit or loss net of these expenses:

P R O F I T A N D L O S S N E T O F A D J U S T M E N T S

T 0 5 0

in EUR thousands

Revenue

Changes in inventories of finished goods
and work in progress

Other own work capitalised

2015
unadjusted

Note

(8)

889,613

3,622

2,748

Raw materials and consumables used

(9)

−365,373

Gross profit

530,610

Other operating income and expenses

(10, 11)

−122,106

Employee benefits expense

(12)

−234,616

EBITDA

Depreciation

EBITA

Amortisation

Operating profit (EBIT)

Financial costs – net

Profit before income tax

Income taxes

Profit for the period

Non-controlling interests

Profit attributable to shareholders of the parent

Earnings per share (in EUR)

(13)

173,888

−23,420

150,468

−25,674

124,794

−17,209

107,585

−33,738

73,847

167

73,680

2.31

Step-up
effects from
purchase price
allocations

Integration
costs

Total
adjustments

2015
adjusted

2,472

578

541

3,591

2,237

5,828

17,257

23,085

−8,210

14,875

578

541

1,119

−397

722

2,472

2,237

4,709

17,257

21,966

−7,813

14,153

722

14,153

14,875

889,613

3,622

2,748

−362,901

533,082

−121,528

−234,075

177,479

−21,183

156,296

−8,417

147,879

−17,209

130,670

−41,948

88,722

167

88,555

2.78

Notes

2014
unadjusted

Finance
renegotiation

M&A
related costs

Step-up
effects from
purchase price
allocations

Total
adjustments

2014
adjusted

in EUR thousands

Revenue

Changes in inventories of finished goods
and work in progress

Other own work capitalised

(8)

694,744

−2,907

3,647

Raw materials and consumables used

(9)

−292,073

Gross profit

Other operating income and expenses

(10, 11)

403,411

−83,384

Employee benefits expense

(12)

−188,508

EBITDA

Depreciation

EBITA

Amortisation

Operating profit (EBIT)

Financial costs – net

Profit before income tax

Income taxes

Profit for the period

Non-controlling interests

Profit attributable to shareholders of the parent

Earnings per share (in EUR)

131,519

−18,233

113,286

−15,442

97,844

(13)

−14,469

83,375

−28,500

54,875

153

54,722

1.72

5,406

−1,632

3,774

4,513

201

4,714

−1,422

3,292

2,210

1,289

3,499

10,132

13,631

−4,113

9,518

3,774

3,292

9,518

16,584

2,210

4,513

694,744

−2,907

3,647

−289,863

405,621

−78,871

201

−188,307

6,924

1,289

8,213

10,132

18,345

5,406

23,751

−7,167

16,584

138,443

−16,944

121,499

−5,310

116,189

−9,063

107,126

−35,667

71,459

153

71,306

2.24

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

132

Notes to the Consolidated Statement
of Comprehensive Income

10. OTHER OPER ATING INCOME
Other operating income comprised the following:

O T H E R O P E R AT I N G I N C O M E

T 0 5 3

8 . R E VENUE
Revenue recognised during the period related to the following:

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

R E V E N U E B Y C AT E G O R Y

T 0 51

Reversal of provisions

Currency gains operational

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Engineered Joining Technology (EJT)

Distribution Services (DS)

Other revenue

540,336

344,108

5,169

889,613

481,010

211,489

2,245

694,744

Grants related to
employee benefits expense

Reimbursement of vehicle costs

Other income from disposal of fixed assets

Foreign exchange derivatives

Government grants

Others

6,741

1,169

177

624

449

2,099

11,408

3,814

1,996

252

612

173

514

1,994

9,355

Revenue for 2015 (EUR 889,613 thousand) was 28.0% above
revenue for 2014 (EUR 694,744 thousand).

The position “others” includes income from the reversal of ac-
cruals for outstanding invoices and variable components of re-
muneration for employees.

The increase in revenue results from the inclusion of NDS, from
positive currency effects and from organic growth. Revenues
from NDS are fully allocated to Distribution Services.

11. OTHER OPER ATING E XPENSES
Other operating expenses comprised the following:

NDS, which was acquired in the fourth quarter of 2014, contrib-
uted EUR 137,976 thousand to revenue (2014: 13,918 thousand).

O T H E R O P E R AT I N G E X P E N S E S

T 0 5 4

In 2015, EUR 1,298 thousand in revenues from construction
contracts are included (2014: EUR 162 thousand).

Consulting and marketing

−16,232

−14,996

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

For the analysis of sales by region, please refer to  Note 37
‘Segment Reporting.’

9. R AW M ATERIALS A ND CONSUM ABLES USED
Raw materials and consumables used comprised the following:

R A W M AT E R I A L S A N D C O N S U M A B L E S U S E D

T 0 5 2

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Cost of raw materials,
consumables and supplies

Cost of purchased services

−333,548

−264,387

−31,825

−27,686

−365,373

−292,073

The raw materials and consumables used increased dispropor-
tionately lower in relation to revenues leading to a ratio of 41.1%
(2014: 42.0%). Also in relation to the total value, raw materials
and consumables used are, with a ratio of 40.8%, below last
year’s level (2014: 42.0%). The change in the relation in compar-
ison to the prior year period is due to the contribution of NDS,
which was acquired in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Expenses for temporary workforce
and other personnel-related costs

Freights

IT and telecommunication

Rentals and other building costs

Travel and entertainment

Currency losses operational

Research & development

Vehicle costs

Maintenance

Commission payable

Non-income-related taxes

Insurances

Other administrative expenses

Others

−24,602

−22,431

−11,499

−10,159

−9,566

−6,955

−2,567

−3,875

−3,928

−6,307

−2,382

−2,527

−4,896

−5,588

−13,657

−12,940

−9,200

−7,480

−7,043

−3,328

−2,691

−2,912

−2,675

−3,355

−1,818

−2,006

−4,545

−4,093

−133,514

−92,739

Other operating expenses for 2015 (EUR 133,514 thousand)
were 44.0% higher than other operating expenses for 2014
(EUR 92,739 thousand). The increase in comparison to the prior
year is due to the integration of NDS acquired in the fourth quar-
ter of 2014 and currency effects. In relation to the total value,
other operating expenses increased disproportionately higher
with a ratio of 14.9% (2014: 13.3%). The change in the relation in
comparison to the prior year period is due to the contribution of
NDS, which was acquired in the fourth quarter of 2014.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

133

12 . EMPLOYEE BENEFITS E XPENSE
Employee benefits expense comprised the following:

E M P L OY E E B E N E F I T S E X P E N S E

T 0 5 5

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Wages and salaries
and other termination benefits

Social security costs

Pension costs – defined contribution plans

Pension costs – defined benefit plans

−193,174

−154,289

−29,456

−11,645

−341

−23,402

−10,381

−436

−234,616

−188,508

In 2015, employee benefits expense amounted to EUR 234,616
thousand compared to EUR 188,508 thousand in 2014. The in-
crease of 24.5% is mainly due to an acquisition-related increase
in the average headcount in 2015 compared to 2014. Further-
more, currency effects contributed to the increase in employee
benefits expense. In relation to the total value, employee bene-
fits expense increased disproportionately lower with a ratio of
26.2% (2014: 27.1%). The change in the relation in comparison
to the prior year period is due to the contribution of NDS, which
was acquired in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Average headcount was 5,006 in 2015 (2014: 4,747).

13 . FIN A NCIAL INCOME A ND COSTS
Financial income and costs comprised the following:

F I N A N C I A L I N C O M E A N D C O S T S

T 0 5 6

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Financial costs

Interest expenses

Bank borrowings incl. hedging instruments

−15,144

−12,418

Finance lease

Expenses for interest accrued on provisions

Expenses for interest accrued on pensions

Foreign exchange result
on financing activities

Losses on evalution of derivatives

Other financial cost

−25

−22

−165

11,683

−12,998

−1,038

−38

−201

−266

5,314

−6,368

−899

are related to interest expenses from hedging derivatives (2014:
EUR 2,454 thousand). Adjusted for the one-off expenditures
from the early repayment of the syndicated bank facilities in
the first quarter of 2014, net interest expenses in financial year
2014 amounted to EUR 11,180 thousand. Hence, net interest ex-
penses in financial year 2015 increased by EUR 3,964 thousand
compared to the adjusted previous year amount, mainly due to
the loans used to finance the acquisition of NDS.

Due to positive foreign exchange rate change effects, the for-
eign exchange result on financing activities shows in financial
year 2015 income in the amount of EUR 11,683 thousand in
comparison to EUR 5,314 thousand in financial year 2014.

Losses from the evaluation of derivatives amount to EU R
12,998 thousand and increased by EUR 6,630 thousand com-
pared to financial year 2014 (EUR 6,368 thousand). In finan-
cial year 2014, one-time losses in the amount of EUR 4,169
thousand relating to the early repayment of the syndicated
loans are included. Adjusted by these effects, losses from the
evaluation of derivatives amount to EUR 2,199 thousand in
financial year 2014.

The increase in losses on evaluation of derivatives as well as in
foreign exchange result on financing activities results from the
hedging of the USD financial liabilities relating to the financing of
the acquisition of NDS. The hedging relationship is classified as
a fair value hedge, hence the evaluation effects of the derivatives
and of the financial liabilities are both reflected in the financial
result. The net effect is disclosed in  Note 14 ‘Net Foreign
Exchange Gains / Losses.’

Transaction costs in connection with financing are netted with
the bank borrowings in accordance with IAS 39.43. They are
amortised over the financing period of the respective debt using
the effective interest method. The value of transaction costs
recognised in the balance sheet and amortised over the matur-
ities of the bank borrowings amounted to EUR 1,293 thousand
(2014: EUR 2,565 thousand).

14. NE T FOR EIG N E XCH A NGE G AINS / LOS SES
The exchange differences recognised in profit or loss are as
follows:

−17,709

−14,876

N E T F O R E I G N E X C H A N G E G A I N S / L O S S E S

T 0 5 7

Finanzerträge

Interest income on short-term bank deposits

Gains on evaluation of derivatives

Other financial income

389

500

276

131

407

Net financial cost

−17,209

−14,469

The interest expenses from bank borrowings, including hedg-
ing instruments, include in 2015 EUR 11,944 thousand from
borrowings (2014: EUR 9,964 thousand), EUR 3,200 thousand

in EUR thousands

Note

2015

2014

Currency gains
operational

Currency losses
operational

Foreign exchange result
on financing activities

Result from foreign
exchange rate derivatives

(10)

(11)

(13)

6,741

3,814

−6,955

−3,328

11,683

5,314

(13, 22)

−13,008

−1,539

−1,937

3,863

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

134

In the prior year notes, the result from foreign exchange rate
derivatives was shown within the foreign exchange result on
financing activities.

15. E AR NINGS PER SH AR E
Earnings per share are calculated by dividing net income for
the period attributable to NORMA Group’s shareholders by the
weighted average number of shares issued during the period
under review. NORMA Group has only issued common shares.
In 2015, as in the previous year, the average weighted number
of shares was 31,862,400.

Options issued out of the Matching Stock Programme (MSP) for the
Board of NORMA Group had dilutive effects on earnings per share
in financial year 2014. A detailed description of the MSP can be
found in  Note 28 ‘Share-based Payments.’ The dilutive effect on
earnings per share is calculated using the treasury stock method.

The MSP tranche from 2011 was settled in cash in June 2015.
Due to this payment, the classification of the outstanding
tranches changes from equity settlement to cash settlement.
For this reason, no dilutive stock options resulted from the re-
maining MSP tranches as of 31 December 2015 and therefore
also no dilutive effects on earnings per share.

Earnings per share in 2015 and 2014 were as follows:

E A R N I N G S P E R S H A R E

T 0 5 8

Q4 2015

Q4 2014

2015

2014

Profit attributable to shareholders of the parent (in EUR thousands)

18,510

11,553

73,680

54,722

Number of weighted shares

Effect of dilutive share-based payment

Number of weighted shares (diluted)

Earnings per share undiluted (in EUR)

Earnings per share diluted (in EUR)

31,862,400

244,104

31,862,400

32,106,504

31,862,400

32,106,504

0.58

0.36

2.31

1.72

1.70

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

135

16. INCOME TA XES
The breakdown of income taxes is as follows:

I N C O M E TA X E S

T 0 5 9

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

The income tax expense of the Group actually reported differs
from the theoretical income tax expense based on the German
combined income tax rate of 30.1% for 2015 as follows:

TA X R E C O N C I L I AT I O N

T 0 6 0

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Current tax expenses

Deferred tax income

Total income taxes

−41,482

7,744

−33,738

−29,836

1,336

Profit before tax

−28,500

Group tax rate

The combined income tax rate for the German companies for
2015 amounted to 30.1% (2014: 30.2%), comprising corporate
income tax at a rate of 15%, the solidarity surcharge of 5.5%
on corporate income tax, and trade income tax at an average
rate of 14.3%. Due to the involvement of NORMA Group SE
into the German Tax Group in 2015, the combined tax rate
decreased by 0.1%.

Expected income taxes

Tax effects of:

Tax losses and tax credits from actual
year for which no deferred income tax
is recognised

Effects from deviation of Group tax rate
resulting mainly from different foreign
tax rates

Non-deductible expenses for
tax purposes

Tax expenses recognised in equity

Utilisation of tax losses and tax credits
from prior year for which no deferred
income tax asset was recognised

Other tax-free income

Tax effect of changes in tax rates

Income taxes related to prior years

Impairment of tax assets

Other

Income taxes

107,585

30.1%

−32,383

83,375

30.2%

−25,179

−1,333

−2,666

−516

−830

1,336

1,164

276

−268

−676

−508

−1,680

173

157

−494

1,488

−82

−284

−33,738

−28,500

The item ‘Tax expenses recognised in equity’ relates to the
switch over of the MSP for the Management Board of NORMA
Group and the corresponding recognition of the pro rata fair
value of the options in equity  Note 28 ‘Share-based Payments.’

The item ‘Income taxes related to prior years’ consists regarding
2014 in particular of the release of not-utilised tax provisions
and regarding 2015 of the capitalisation of provisions for tax
risk related to prior years.

The item ‘Other’ consists in 2015 and 2014 mainly of other in-
come-based taxes (e.g., withholding tax).

The income tax charged / credited directly to other comprehen-
sive income during the year is as follows:

I N C O M E TA X C H A R G E D / C R E D I T E D T O O T H E R C O M P R E H E N S I V E I N C O M E

T 0 6 1

2015

2014

in EUR thousands

Before tax
amount

Tax charge /
credit

Net-of-tax
amount

Before tax
amount

Tax charge /
credit

Net-of-tax
amount

Cash flow hedges gains / losses

Remeasurements of post employment
benefit obligations

Other comprehensive income

895

−491

404

−313

−223

582

−401

181

2,989

−1,619

1,370

−962

453

−509

2,027

−1,166

861

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

136

Notes to the
Consolidated Statement
of Financial Position

17. INCOME TA X AS SE TS A ND LIABILITIES
Due to changes in German corporate tax laws (“SE-Steuerge-
setz” or “SEStEG,” which came into effect on 31 December
2006) an imputation credit asset (“Körperschaftsteuerguthaben
gem. § 37 KStG”) has been set up. As a result, an unconditional
claim for payment of the credit in ten annual instalments from
2008 through 2017 has been established. The resulting receiv-
able arising from corporation and trade taxes is included in
income tax assets and amounted to EUR 901 thousand on 31
December 2015 (31 December 2014: EUR 1,327 thousand). In
2015, EUR 391 thousand are classified as non-current (31 De-
cember 2014: EUR 850 thousand).

18 . DEFER R ED INCOME TA X
The analysis of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities
due to maturity is as follows:

The movement in deferred income tax assets and liabilities
during the year is as follows:

M O V E M E N T I N D E F E R R E D TA X
A S S E T S A N D L I A B I L I T I E S

T 0 6 3

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Deferred tax liabilities (net)
– as of 1 January

Deferred tax income

Tax charged to other comprehensive income

Foreign exchange rate differences

Acquisition of subsidiaries

Deferred tax liabilities (net)
– as of 31 December

93,510

−7,744

223

10,286

25,455

−1,336

509

5,198

63,684

96,275

93,510

The analysis of deferred income tax assets and deferred income
tax liabilities, without taking into consideration the offsetting of
balances within the same tax jurisdiction, is as follows:

D E F E R R E D I N C O M E TA X A S S E T S

T 0 6 4

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

D E F E R R E D TA X A S S E T S A N D
D E F E R R E D TA X L I A B I L I T I E S

Intangible assets

T 0 6 2

Property, plant and equipment

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax assets to be recovered
after more than 12 months

Deferred tax assets to be recovered
within 12 months

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

Deferred tax liabilities to be recovered
after more than 12 months

Deferred tax liabilities to be recovered
within 12 months

Deferred tax liabilities

Deferred tax liabilities (net)

Other assets

Inventories

Trade receivables

Retirement benefit obligations /
pension liabilities

Provisions

Borrowings

Other liabilities, incl. derivatives

Trade and other payables

Tax loss carry forward and tax credits

Deferred tax assets
(before valuation allowances)

Valuation allowance

1,383

6,722

8,105

1,061

10,076

11,137

104,276

102,090

104

104,380

96,275

2,557

Deferred tax assets (before offsetting)

104,647

Offsetting effects

93,510

Deferred tax assets

4,168

430

1,810

2,733

941

1,694

1,326

3,551

3,729

329

3,514

3,501

240

768

1,607

472

1,630

952

6,202

4,304

396

3,648

24,225

−2,017

22,208

−14,103

8,105

23,720

−2,458

21,262

−10,125

11,137

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

D E F E R R E D I N C O M E TA X L I A B I L I T I E S

T 0 6 5

The Group did recognise the following tax losses:

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

E X P I R Y O F R E C O G N I S E D TA X L O S S E S

T 0 6 6

137

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Other assets

Inventories

Trade receivables

Borrowings

Provisions

Other liabilities, incl. derivatives

Untaxed reserves

Deferred tax liabilities (before offsetting)

Offsetting effects

Deferred tax liabilities

Deferred tax liabilities (net)

95,855

15,800

4,070

177

532

577

161

111

1,200

118,483

−14,103

104,380

96,275

90,410

13,048

3,013

1,038

853

859

114,772

−10,125

104,647

93,510

Deferred income tax assets are recognised for all deductible
temporary differences to the extent that it is probable that fu-
ture taxable profits will be available against which the deduct-
ible temporary difference can be utilised. As of 31 December
2015 and also in the previous year, deferred tax assets were
recognised for all deductible temporary differences, because
sufficient taxable income will most likely be available to utilise
these deductible temporary differences.

In 2015 and prior years, the Group had tax losses at several
subsidiaries in several countries.

Deferred income tax assets are recognised for tax loss carry
forwards as far as it is expected that the deferred tax assets
would be utilised in the foreseeable future.

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Expiry within 1 year

Expiry in 2–5 years

Expiry later than 5 years

5,486

Unlimited carry forward

Total

326

3,157

2,813

6,296

297

3,336

1,692

5,325

The Group did not recognise deferred income tax assets in
respect of loss carry forwards amounting to EUR 11,031 thou-
sand on 31 December 2015 (31 December 2014: EUR 13,241
thousand).

The expiration of loss carry forwards not recognised for tax
purposes is as follows:

E X P I R Y O F N O T R E C O G N I S E D TA X L O S S E S

T 0 6 7

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Expiry within 1 year

Expiry in 2–5 years

Expiry later than 5 years

Unlimited carry forward

Total

270

932

3,781

6,048

11,031

875

2,746

9,620

13,241

Regarding taxable temporary differences amounting to EUR
218,660 thousand on 31 December 2015 (31 December 2014:
EUR 175,920 thousand) associated with investments in sub-
sidiaries, no deferred tax liabilities are recognised since the
respective parent is able to control the timing of the reversal of
the temporary difference and it is probable that the temporary
difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

138

19. GOODWILL A ND OTHER INTA NGIBLE AS SE TS
The acquisition costs as well as accumulated amortisation and
impairment of intangible assets consist of the following:

D E V E L O P M E N T G O O D W I L L A N D O T H E R I N TA N G I B L E A S S E T S

T 0 6 8

in EUR thousands

Acquisition costs

Goodwill

Customer lists

Licenses, rights

Software

Trademarks

Patents & technology

Internally generated intangible assets

Intangible assets, other

Total

Amortisation and Impairment

Goodwill

Customer lists

Licenses, rights

Software

Trademarks

Patents & technology

Internally generated intangible assets

Intangible assets, other

Total

in EUR thousands

Acquisition costs

Goodwill

Customer lists

Licenses, rights

Software

Trademarks

Patents & technology

Internally generated intangible assets

Intangible assets, other

Total

Amortisation and Impairment

Goodwill

Customer lists

Licenses, rights

Software

Trademarks

Patents & technology

Internally generated intangible assets

Intangible assets, other

Total

As of
1 Jan 2015

Additions

Deductions

Transfers

Changes in
consolidation

Currency
effects

As of
31 Dec 2015

357,441

206,967

2,059

23,496

49,249

36,322

8,017

12,482

696,033

32,945

22,749

1,072

11,859

7,221

21,519

1,827

9,885

2,611

716

2,213

2,858

8,402

13,398

371

4,279

1,229

3,466

1,747

1,184

109,077

25,674

−39

−20

−61

−120

−39

−20

−1

−52

−112

129

105

−272

−35

−256

22,391

21,951

519

5,588

3,366

−410

288

379,576

228,921

2,091

26,735

54,837

40,404

9,925

15,295

−256

53,725

757,784

2,802

2,025

233

801

2,217

167

35,747

38,172

1,374

16,351

9,251

27,201

3,666

11,184

8,307

142,946

As of
1 Jan 2014

Additions

Deductions

Transfers

Changes in
consolidation

Currency
effects

As of
31 Dec 2014

263,309

60,918

1,884

15,103

20,138

30,791

5,127

15,180

412,450

30,070

15,242

732

8,497

5,150

16,487

965

9,158

254

3,124

692

2,823

1,859

8,759

6,010

381

3,187

1,318

2,844

808

894

86,301

15,442

−44

−10

−13

−67

−44

−10

−13

−67

−45

4,539

−4,295

77,949

135,404

242

25,562

1,270

16,183

10,638

498

3,549

3,569

−249

357,441

206,967

2,059

23,496

49,249

36,322

8,017

12,482

244

240,427

34,220

696,033

2,875

1,497

185

753

2,188

−154

7,401

32,945

22,749

1,072

11,859

7,221

21,519

1,827

9,885

109,077

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015139

G O O D W I L L A N D O T H E R I N TA N G I B L E A S S E T S –
C A R R Y I N G A M O U N T S

T 0 6 9

Carrying amounts

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Goodwill

Customer lists

Licenses, rights

Software

Trademarks

Patents & technology

Internally generated intangible assets

Intangible assets, other

Total

343,829

190,749

717

10,384

45,586

13,203

6,259

4,111

324,496

184,218

987

11,637

42,028

14,803

6,190

2,597

614,838

586,956

The item ‘Patents & technology’ on 31 December 2015 consists
of patents worth EUR 1,903 thousand (31 December 2014: EUR
3,331 thousand) and technology worth EUR 11,300 thousand
(31 December 2014: EUR 11,472 thousand).

The item ‘Intangible assets, other’ consists mainly of prepay-
ments.

Internally generated intangible assets mainly include technol-
ogies.

The change in goodwill from EUR 324,496 thousand to EUR
343,829 thousand results from positive foreign exchange differ-
ences, mainly from the US dollar area and from the change of
the initial purchase price allocation of NDS.  Note 40 ‘Business
Combinations.’

The change in goodwill is summarised as follows:

C H A N G E I N G O O D W I L L

T 0 7 0

in EUR thousands

Balance as of 31 December 2014

Change in purchase price of NDS

Currency effect

Balance as of 31 December 2015

324,496

−256

19,589

343,829

In 2015 and 2014, no material impairments for intangible assets
or write ups were recognised.

acquisition of NDS in 2014. From a market perspective, NORMA
Group assumed an indefinite useful life for these acquired trade-
marks, which mainly include the corporate brand NDS ®, because
these brands have been established in the market for a number of
years and there is no foreseeable end to their useful life, therefore
useful lives are indefinite. Trade marks with indefinite useful lives
are fully allocated to the cash-generating unit (CGU) Americas.

On 31 December 2015 and 2014, the intangible assets are un-
secured.

Impairment tests for goodwill
Goodwill is allocated to the Group’s cash-generating units
(CGUs) identified according to geographical areas. A summary
of the goodwill allocation is presented below.

G O O D W I L L A L L O C AT I O N P E R S E G M E N T

T 0 71

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

CGU EME A

CGU Americas

CGU Asia-Pacific

155,035

183,294

5,500

343,829

154,273

164,606

5,617

324,496

Goodwill for the CGUs EMEA, Americas and Asia-Pacific partic-
ulary changed in 2015 due to currency effects. Within the CGU
Americas the goodwill changed additionally in the amount of
EUR 256 thousand due to the adjustment of the initial purchase
price allocation in the second quarter of 2015.

The recoverable amount of a CGU is determined based on fair-
value-less-costs-to-sell, which is calculated by discounting pro-
jected cash flows. Based on the inputs used for this valuation
technique, fair values are classified as level 3 fair values ( Note
3.3 ‘Fair Value Estimation’). These calculations use cash flow
projections based on financial budgets approved by the man-
agement covering a five-year period. Cash flows beyond the
five-year period are extrapolated using the estimated growth
rates stated below. The growth rate does not exceed our ex-
pectations for the long-term average growth rate for the geo-
graphical area of the respective CGU.

The discount rates used are after-tax-rates and reflect the
specific risk of each CGU. The respective before-tax-rates
are 10.38% (2014: 11.54%) for the CGU EME A, 10.79% (2014:
12.26%) for the CGU Americas and 10.49% (2014: 11.22%) for
the CGU Asia-Pacific.

Besides the goodwill, there are intangible assets within trade-
marks with an indefinite useful life in the amount of EUR 29,301
thousand (2014: EU R 26,275 thousand) resulting from the

The key assumptions used for fair-value-less-costs-to-sell cal-
culations are as follows:

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

140

G O O D W I L L P E R S E G M E N T – K E Y A S S U M P T I O N S

T 0 7 2

31 December 2015

CGU
EME A

CGU
Americas

CGU
Asia-Pacific

Terminal value growth rate

Discount rate

Costs to sell

1.50%

8.11%

1.00%

1.50%

7.25%

1.00%

1.50%

8.32%

1.00%

31 December 2014

CGU
EME A

CGU
Americas

CGU
Asia-Pacific

The assumptions are based on management’s expectations
regarding future developments.

Even if the discount rate would increase by +2% and the ter-
minal value growth rate would be 0%, the change of these key
assumptions would not cause the carrying amount to exceed
its recoverable amount in any CGU.

Terminal value growth rate

Discount rate

Costs to sell

1.50%

8.88%

1.00%

1.50%

8.17%

1.00%

20. PROPERT Y, PL A NT A ND EQUIPMENT
The acquisition and manufacturing costs as well as accumu-
lated depreciation of property, plant and equipment consist of
the following:

1.50%

8.80%

1.00%

D E V E L O P M E N T P R O P E R T Y, P L A N T A N D E Q U I P M E N T

T 0 7 3

in EUR thousands

Acquisition costs

Land and buildings

Machinery & tools

Other equipment

Assets under construction

Total

Depreciation and Impairment

Land and buildings

Machinery & tools

Other equipment

Assets under construction

Total

in EUR thousands

Acquisition costs

Land and buildings

Machinery & tools

Other equipment

Assets under construction

Total

Depreciation and Impairment

Land and buildings

Machinery & tools

Other equipment

Assets under construction

Total

As of
1 Jan 2015

Additions

Deductions

Transfers

Changes in
consolidation

Currency
effects

As of
31 Dec 2015

100,925

224,425

52,875

14,816

393,041

43,016

155,801

39,535

199

1,663

13,993

3,665

14,443

33,764

2,843

16,481

4,082

−163

−5,998

−2,773

−101

−9,035

−271

−5,779

−2,534

238,551

23,420

−8,584

889

6,136

610

−7,635

−98

215

−215

1,819

6,741

523

534

105,133

245,297

54,900

22,057

9,617

427,387

385

3,261

399

45,875

169,979

41,580

4,061

257,448

As of
1 Jan 2014

Additions

Deductions

Transfers

Changes in
consolidation

Currency
effects

As of
31 Dec 2014

87,008

195,465

49,019

11,367

342,859

40,559

149,704

37,049

180

7,209

6,443

3,828

13,408

30,888

2,491

11,911

3,831

−21

−8,356

−1,650

4,512

6,426

898

−123

−12,080

1,083

19,229

386

1,320

1,134

5,218

394

924

100,925

224,425

52,875

14,816

−10,150

−244

22,018

7,670

393,041

−25

−8,276

−1,526

−1

−10

2,462

182

43,016

155,801

39,535

199

2,653

238,551

227,492

18,233

−9,827

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015141

P R O P E R T Y, P L A N T A N D E Q U I P M E N T
– C A R R Y I N G A M O U N T S

T 0 74

Machinery includes the following amounts where the Group is
a lessee under a finance lease:

Carrying amounts

F I N A N C E L E A S E S – M A C H I N E R Y

T 0 7 6

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Land and buildings

Machinery & tools

Other equipment

Assets under construction

Total

59,258

75,318

13,320

22,043

169.939

57,909

68,624

13,340

14,617

154.490

Cost – capitalised finance leases

Accumulated depreciation

Net carrying amount

265

−179

321

−143

178

Other equipment includes the following amounts where the
Group is a lessee under a finance lease:

On 31 December 2015, the item ‘Machinery & tools’ includes
tools valued at EUR 17,820 thousand (31 December 2014: EUR
18,196 thousand).

No material impairment and no material write ups were recog-
nised on property, plant and equipment in 2015 and 2014.

On 31 December 2015 and 2014, property, plant and equip-
ment, except for finance lease assets, are unsecured.

Land and buildings includes the following amounts where the
Group is a lessee under a finance lease:

F I N A N C E L E A S E S – L A N D A N D B U I L D I N G S

T 0 75

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Cost – capitalised finance leases

Accumulated depreciation

Net carrying amount

630

−25

605

591

−12

579

F I N A N C E L E A S E S – O T H E R E Q U I P M E N T

T 0 7 7

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Cost – capitalised finance leases

Accumulated depreciation

Net carrying amount

−21

300

−256

The Group leases various property, machinery, technical and
IT equipment under non-cancellable finance lease agreements.
The lease terms for machinery and other equipment are be-
tween three and ten years, the lease terms for land and building
are up to 50 years.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

142

21. FIN A NCIAL INSTRUMENTS
Financial instruments according to classes and categories were
as follows:

F I N A N C I A L I N S T R U M E N T S – C L A S S E S A N D C AT E G O R I E S

T 0 7 8

Measurement basis IAS 39

Category
IAS 39

Carrying
amount
31 Dec 2015

Amortised
Cost

Fair value
through profit
or loss

Derivatives
used for
hedging

Measurement
basis
IAS 17

Fair value
31 Dec 2015

in EUR thousands

Financial assets

Derivative financial instruments
– held for trading

Foreign exchange derivatives

FAHf T

Derivative financial instruments
– hedge accounting

Foreign exchange derivatives
– cash flow hedges

Foreign exchange derivatives
– fair value hedges

Trade and other receivables

Other financial assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities

Borrowings

Derivative financial instruments
– held for trading

n / a

LaR

143

122,865

3,856

99,951

3,856

99,951

FL AC

450,767

Foreign exchange derivatives

FLHf T

Derivative financial instruments
– hedge accounting

Interest rate swaps

Foreign exchange derivatives
– cash flow hedges

Foreign exchange derivatives
– fair value hedges

Trade and other payables

Other financial liabilities

Contingent considerations

Other liabilities

Finance lease liabilities

Totals per category

Financial assets held for trading (FAHf T)

n / a

FL AC

n / a

FL AC

n / a

2,510

761

100,877

3,472

2,939

289

Loans and receivables (LaR)

226,672

Financial liabilities held for trading (FLHf T)

Financial liabilities at amortised cost (FL AC)

554,583

143

2,510

761

3,472

2,939

289

143

122,865

3,856

99,951

461,867

2,510

761

100,877

3,472

2,939

292

226,672

565,683

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

143

Measurement basis IAS 39

Category
IAS 39

Carrying
amount
31 Dec 2014

Amortised
Cost

Fair value
through profit
or loss

Derivatives
used for
hedging

Measurement
basis
IAS 17

Fair value
31 Dec 2014

in EUR thousands

Financial assets

Derivative financial instruments
– hedge accounting

Foreign exchange derivatives

Trade and other receivables

Other financial assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities

Borrowings

Derivative financial instruments
– hedge accounting

Interest rate swaps

Cross-currency swaps

Foreign exchange derivatives

Trade and other payables

Other financial liabilities

Contingent considerations

Other liabilities

Finance lease liabilities

n / a

LaR

107,717

2,198

84,271

2,198

84,271

FL AC

430,946

n / a

FL AC

n / a

FL AC

n / a

2,554

15,623

2,043

80,829

3,314

2,445

449

2,554

15,623

2,043

80,829

2,445

3,314

449

107,717

2,198

84,271

442,614

2,554

15,623

2,043

80,829

3,314

2,445

459

194,186

525,888

Totals per category

Loans and receivables (LaR)

Financial liabilities at amortised cost (FL AC)

194,186

514,220

194,186

514,220

Financial instruments, that are recognised in the balance sheet
at amortised cost and for which the fair value is stated in the
notes, are also allocated within a three step fair value hierarchy.

As of 31 December 2014, other financial liabilities also include a
contingent considerations in the amount of EUR 316 thousand
resulting from the acquisition of Guyco Pty. Limited.

The fair value calculation of the fixed-interest promissory note
that is recognised at amortised cost and for which the fair value
is stated in the notes, was based on the market yield curve ac-
cording to the zero coupon method considering credit spreads
(level 2). Interests accrued on the reporting date are included.

Trade and other receivables and cash and cash equivalents
have short-term maturities. Their carrying amounts at the re-
porting date equal their fair values, as the impact of discounting
is not significant.

Trade and other payables and other financial liabilities have
short times to maturity; therefore the carrying amounts reported
approximate the fair values. On 31 December 2015, contingent
considerations measured at fair value in the amount of EUR
3,472 thousand (31 December 2014: EUR 2,998 thousand) re-
sulting from the acquisition of the business activities of Five Star
Clamps, Inc. in the second quarter of 2014 are included in the
position other financial liabilities.

Furthermore, this position includes liabilities from the acquisition
of National Diversified Sales, Inc. in the fourth quarter of 2014 in
the amount of EUR 1,622 thousand (2014: EUR 969 thousand).

The fair values of finance lease liabilities are calculated as the pres-
ent values of the payments associated with the debts based on the
applicable yield curve and NORMA Group’s credit spread curve.

Derivative financial instruments held for trading and those used
for hedging are carried at their respective fair values. They have
been categorised entirely within level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

None of the financial assets that are fully performing were re-
negotiated last year.

The tables below provide an overview of the classification of
financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value in the fair
value hierarchy under IFRS 13 as of 31 December 2015 as well
as 31 December 2014:

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

144

F I N A N C I A L I N S T R U M E N T S – FA I R VA L U E H I E R A R C H Y

in EUR thousands

Level 1 1

Level 2 2

Level 3 3

Recurring fair value measurements

Assets

Foreign exchange derivatives – held for trading

Foreign exchange derivatives – cash flow hedges

Foreign exchange derivatives – fair value hedges

Total

Liabilities

Interest rate swaps – cash flow hedges

Foreign exchange derivatives – held for trading

Foreign exchange derivatives – cash flow hedges

Foreign exchange derivatives – fair value hedges

Other financial liabilities

Total

in EUR thousands

Recurring fair value measurements

Assets

Foreign exchange derivatives – hedge accounting

Total

Liabilities

Cross-currency swaps – cash flow hedges

Interest rate swaps – cash flow hedges

Foreign exchange derivatives – cash flow hedges

Foreign exchange derivatives – fair value hedges

Other financial liabilities

Total

T 0 7 9

Total as of
31 Dec 2015

143

248

2,510

761

3,472

6,858

143

248

2,510

761

3,386

3,472

Level 1 1

Level 2 2

Level 3 3

Total as of
31 Dec 2014

15,623

2,554

172

1,871

20,220

3,314

15,623

2,554

172

1,871

3,314

23,534

1 Fair value measurement based on quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for these or identical assets or liabilities.
2 Fair value measurement for the asset or liability based on inputs that are observable on active markets either directly (i.e. as priced) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices).
3 Fair value measurement for the asset or liability based on inputs that are not observable market data.

No transfers between the different levels occurred in 2015
and 2014.

The fair value of interest swaps and cross-currency swaps
is calculated as the present value of estimated future cash
flows. The fair value of forward foreign exchange contracts
is determined using a present value model based on forward
exchange rates.

Level 3 includes fair values of financial liabilities from contingent
consideration resulting from the acquisition of the business
activities of Five Star Clamps, Inc.

The agreement on the contingent consideration related to the
acquisition of the business activities of Five Star Clamps, Inc.
commits NORMA Group to pay an amount depending on certain
revenues made by Five Star in financial year 2015 compared
with certain revenues posted in financial year 2012. If the ratio
of the revenues is below 100%, the contingent consideration
will be reduced linearly by the calculated difference. Further-
more, the agreement includes an appropriate market interest
on the contingent consideration. The fair value of the contin-
gent consideration was determined on the acquisition date while
taking into account the budget of the Company and setting
the maximum value at EUR 2,998 thousand (the contingent

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

145

consideration is due in US dollars, therefore the amount in eu-
ros will vary without P&L effects). The parameter for which no
observable market data is available is shown below:

thousand (2014: EUR 549 thousand) were recognised in other
comprehensive income.

Assumed revenue ratio: > 100%

In accordance with IFRS 7.20 (a), net gains and losses from
financial instruments by measurement category are as follows:

A decrease in the estimated revenue ratio to a value below 100%
would lead to a lower value of the contingent consideration.

F I N A N C I A L I N S T R U M E N T S –
N E T G A I N S A N D L O S S E S

The contingent consideration related to the acquisition of Guyco
Pty Limited existing on 31 December 2014 in the amount of EUR
316 thousand, which was settled with a payment of EUR 316 thou-
sand in the first quarter of 2015. The payment was equal to the
outstanding fair value of the liability calculated on 30 June 2014.

in EUR thousands

Loans and receivables (LaR)

Financial instruments held for trading
(FAHf T and FLHf T)

Financial liabilities at cost (FL AC)

T 0 8 1

2014

−419

−10,109

−10,528

2015

−2,023

−1,799

−11,959

−15,781

The development of the financial assets that are recognised at
fair value and assigned to level 3 of the fair value hierarchy is
stated below:

F I N A N C I A L I N S T R U M E N T S –
C H A N G E S I N L E V E L 3 I N S T R U M E N T S

T 0 8 0

in EUR thousands

Contingent consideration in
business combinations

Total

Balance as of 1 January 2015

3,314

Gains and losses recognised
in profit (−) or loss (+)

Payments

Currency effects

Balance as of
31 December 2015

Total gains or losses for the
period included in profit (−) or
loss (+), under ‘Financial result’

140

−316

334

140

−316

334

3,472

140

In 2015, EUR 140 thousand (2014: EUR 0 thousand) in interest
expenses were recognised in profit or loss for financial liabil-
ities categorised in level 3, which are held on 31 December
2015. Currency effects on this liability amounting to EUR 334

Net gains and losses of loans and receivables comprise impair-
ment of trade receivables, and interest income on short-term
bank deposits. Net gains and losses of financial liabilities at cost
comprise interest expenses and fees from borrowings.

Net gains and losses of financial instruments held for trading
result from the dynamic protection concept described in  Note
22 ‘Derivative Financial Instruments.’

In prior year notes net gains and losses of loans and receivables
comprise currency effects from these instruments in the amount
of EUR 486 thousand. Within the net gains and losses from
financial liabilities at costs, currency effects amounting to EUR
3,377 thousand as well as effects from related hedging deriv-
atives in the amount of EUR −2,454 thousand were included.

Currency effects from the translation of financial assets and
liabilities according to IAS 21 are shown within  Note 14 ‘Net
Foreign Exchange Gains / Losses.’

22 . DERIVATIVE FIN A NCIAL INSTRUMENTS
The derivative financial instruments were as follows:

D E R I VAT I V E F I N A N C I A L I N S T R U M E N T S

T 0 8 2

in EUR thousands

Assets

Liabilities

Assets

Liabilities

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Cross-currency swaps – cash flow hedges

Interest rate swaps – cash flow hedges

Foreign exchange derivatives – held for trading

Foreign exchange derivatives – cash flow hedges

Foreign exchange derivatives – fair value hedges

Total

Less non-current portion

Cross-currency swaps – cash flow hedges

Interest rate swaps – cash flow hedges

Non-current portion

Current portion

143

248

2,510

761

3,386

2,510

876

15,623

2,554

172

1,871

20,220

15,623

2,554

18,177

2,043

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

146

Foreign exchange derivatives
On 31 December 2015, foreign exchange derivatives with a
positive market value of EUR 43 thousand and with a negative
market value of EUR 41 thousand were classified as cash flow
hedges. The notional principal amounts were EUR 5,957 thou-
sand and EUR 3,017 thousand. Furthermore, foreign exchange
derivatives with a positive market value of EUR 143 thousand
and a negative value of EUR 761 thousand and a notional princi-
pal amounts of EUR 24,565 thousand and EUR 77,772 thousand
were classified as fair value hedges.

exchange derivatives resulting from the described dynamic pro-
tection concept are classified as held for trading. On 31 Decem-
ber 2015, this led to foreign exchange derivatives with a positive
market value of EUR 62 thousand (notional principal amount of
EUR 11,397 thousand) and a negative market value of EUR 74
thousand (notional principal amount of EUR 22,917 thousand).

Interest rate swaps and cross-currency swaps
In order to avoid interest rate fluctuations, NORMA Group has
hedged parts of the loans against changes in the interest rates.

Foreign exchange derivatives classified as cash flow hedges are
used to hedge foreign currency risk within the operative busi-
ness. The foreign exchange derivatives classified as fair value
hedges are used to hedge foreign currency risk of external debt
and intragroup monetary items.

The notional principal amount of the interest rate swaps amount
to EUR 117 million (31 December 2015: EUR 110 million). The
cross-currency swaps outstanding as of 31 December 2014
were fully repaid in 2015 (notional principal amount as of 31
December 2014: EUR 73 million).

As part of its financial risk management, NORMA Group not
only employs traditional approaches, such as using so-called
natural hedges to reduce US dollar exposure and rolling hedging
with foreign currency derivatives, but has also delegated certain
parts of its exposure to banking partners. The purpose of this
instrument is to protect NORMA Group against any unfavourable
exchange rate developments while at the same time letting the
Company take advantage of positive developments in foreign
exchange markets. A dynamic protection concept with vari-
able rate hedging is used here that analyses market trends on
the basis of quantitative models and implements these findings
in a technical security model. All activities must always follow
the strict requirements of internal risk management. Foreign

On 31 December 2015, the hedged fixed interest rate was be-
tween 1.178% and 2.0025%; the variable interest rate was the
3-month LIBOR and the 6-month EURIBOR.

The maximum exposure to credit risk on the reporting date is
the fair value of the derivative assets in the Consolidated State-
ment of Financial Position.

In financial year 2015 and 2014, no ineffective portion of cash
flow hedges was recognised in profit or loss.

The effective part recognised in other comprehensive income
excluding taxes developed as follows:

C H A N G E I N H E D G I N G R E S E R V E B E F O R E TA X

in EUR thousands

Balance as of 1 January 2014

Foreign currency translation effects

Reclassification in profit or loss

Net fair value changes

Balance as of 31 December 2014

Foreign currency translation effects

Reclassification in profit or loss

Net fair value changes

Balance as of 31 December 2015

Foreign exchange
derivatives

Interest rate
swaps

Cross-currency
swaps

−3

−80

−109

−3

110

−4,223

4,146

−2,481

−2,554

1,544

−1,498

−2,508

−2,229

−143

2,263

−607

−716

−67

783

T 0 8 3

Total

−6,369

−142

6,329

−3,197

−3,379

−70

2,437

−1,472

−2,484

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015147

Amounts due to interest rate swaps recognised in the hedging
reserve in equity on 31 December 2015 will be released in profit
or loss until the repayment of the loans. Amounts due to for-
eign exchange derivatives recognised in the hedging reserve in
equity on 31 December 2015 are current and will therefore be
released in profit or loss within the one year.

23 . TR ADE A ND OTHER R ECEIVABLES
Trade and other receivables were as follows:

T R A D E R E C E I VA B L E S A N D O T H E R R E C E I VA B L E S

T 0 8 5

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

An overview of the gains and losses arising from the hedging of
fair value changes that were recognised in the financial result is
shown in the following overview:

Trade receivables

122,781

107,536

thereof receivables from POC

Other receivables

1,460

181

122,865

107,717

G A I N S A N D L O S S E S FA I R - VA L U E - H E D G E S

T 0 8 4

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Gains (+) on hedged items

Loss (−) on hedging instruments

11,124

−11,220

−96

1,844

−1,830

On the balance sheet date, trade receivables are as follows:

T R A D E R E C E I VA B L E S

T 0 8 6

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Trade receivables

Less: allowances for doubtful accounts

126,100

−3,319

122,781

109,457

−1,921

107,536

All trade receivables are due within one year. The following table
shows the maturity analysis for overdue trade receivables and
other current receivables that are not impaired:

T R A D E R E C E I VA B L E S – M AT U R I T Y A N A LY S I S

T 0 8 7

As of 31 December 2015
in EUR thousands

Trade receivables

Other receivables

As of 31 December 2014
in EUR thousands

Trade receivables

Other receivables

Not past due

< 30 days

30–90 days

91–180 days

181 days–
1 year

> 1 year

Total

99,408

12,888

99,475

12,889

5,959

5,975

2,034

1,831

632

122,752

122,836

Not past due

< 30 days

30–90 days

91–180 days

181 days–
1 year

> 1 year

Total

80,308

179

80,487

15,484

6,829

3,347

993

995

542

107,503

181

107,684

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

148

On 31 December 2015 and 2014, there was no indication that
trade receivables that were not impaired could be irrecoverable.

The amount of receivables that were impaired was as follows:

T R A D E R E C E I VA B L E S – I M PA I R M E N T S

T 0 8 8

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

The creation and release of allowances for doubtful accounts
have been included in ‘other operating income / expenses’ in the
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income. Amounts
charged to the allowance account are generally written off,
when there is no expectation of recovering additional cash.

The other classes within trade and other receivables do not
contain impaired assets.

Trade receivables impaired and provided for

Allowances for doubtful accounts

3,348

−3,319

1,954

−1,921

The maximum exposure to credit risk on the reporting date is
the carrying amount of each class of receivables mentioned
above. The Group does not hold any collateral as security.

The carrying amounts of the Group’s trade and other receiv-
ables are denominated in the following currencies:

On 31 December 2015 and 2014, the trade and other receiv-
ables are unsecured.

T R A D E R E C E I VA B L E S –
C A R R Y I N G A M O U N T P E R C U R R E N C Y

T 0 8 9

Receivables of EUR 29 thousand (2014: EUR 770 thousand)
were sold in a factoring contract.

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Euro

US dollar

Chinese renminbi

British pound

Australian dollar

Swedish krona

Swiss franc

Indien rupee

Malaysian ringgit

Thai baht

Russian ruble

Other currencies

39,428

59,465

10,137

3,656

3,009

918

584

1,330

1,264

493

332

33,707

54,051

6,508

3,435

3,020

788

871

1,105

943

460

515

2,249

122,865

2,314

107,717

All trade receivables were impaired by specific valuation allow-
ances. There have been no general allowances. Movements
on the Group provision for impairment of trade receivables are
as follows:

T R A D E R E C E I VA B L E S –
D E V E L O P M E N T I M PA I R M E N T S

T 0 9 0

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

ABS programme
In 2014, NORMA Group entered into a revolving asset purchase
agreement (Receivables Purchase Agreement) with Weinberg
Capital Ltd. (special purpose entity). Within the agreed struc-
ture, NORMA Group sold trade receivables in the context of an
ABS transaction which was successfully initiated in December
2014. Receivables are sold by NORMA Group to a special pur-
pose entity.

As of 31 December 2015, domestic NORMA Group entities had
sold receivables in an amount of EUR 13.9 million (31 December
2014: EUR 11.9 million) under this asset-backed securities (ABS)
programme with a maximum volume of EUR 25 million. From
the receivables sold, EUR 3.6 million (31 December 2014; EUR
1.9 million) were retained as loss reserves and were not paid
out. These assets were recognised as other financial assets.
The basis for this transaction is the transfer of trade receivables
of individual NORMA Group subsidiaries to a special purpose
entity with a framework of undisclosed assignment. This special
purpose entity (SPE) is not consolidated under IFRS 10, because
neither the power over the SPE is attributable to the NORMA
Group nor the NORMA Group has an essential self-interest and
no connection between power and variability of the returns of
the special purpose entity exists.

As of 1 January

Additions

Amounts used

Reversals

Currency effects

As of 31 December

1,921

1,359

−202

−54

295

3,319

1,638

445

−178

−20

1,921

The requirements for a receivables transfer according to IAS
39.15 are met, since the receivables are transferred accord-
ing to IAS 39.18 a). Verification in accordance with IAS 39.20
shows that substantially all risk and rewards were neither
transferred nor retained. Therefore, according to IAS 39.30,
NORMA Group’s continuing involvement must be recognised.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

149

This continuing involvement in the amount of EUR 251 thousand
(31 December 2014: EUR 320 thousand) includes the maximum
amount that NORMA Group could conceivably have to pay back
under the default guarantee and the expected interest pay-
ments until the payment is received for the carrying amount of
the receivables transferred. The fair value of the guarantee / in-
terest payments to be assumed has been estimated at EUR 1
thousand (31 December 2014: EUR 4 thousand), taken through
profit or loss and recognised under other liabilities.

Receivables from construction contracts
Trade receivables include the following receivables from cus-
tomer-specific contract production recognised using the per-
centage of completion method:

On 31 December 2015, impairments were made on inventories
amounting to EUR 3,957 thousand (31 December 2014: EUR
2,415 thousand).

On 31 December 2015 and 2014, the inventories are not col-
lateralised with the exception of the customary business res-
ervations of title.

25. OTHER NON - FIN A NCIAL AS SE TS
Other non-financial assets were as follows:

O T H E R N O N - F I N A N C I A L A S S E T S

T 0 9 4

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

R E C E I VA B L E S F R O M C O N S T R U C T I O N C O N T R A C T S

T 0 9 1

Deferred costs

VAT assets

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec. 2014

Receivables against factor

Production costs, including result from
construction contracts

Payments received on account

1,460

162

−699

−537

Receivables from construction contracts include customer-spe-
cific contract production with an asset-side balance, whose
production costs, taking account of profit shares and loss-
free valuation, exceed the payments received on account. The
amounts due to customers in financial year 2014 are included
in payments received.

Prepayments

Reimbursement insurance contracts

Other assets

3,575

5,836

324

2,635

170

1,405

1,558

5,115

222

2,557

170

1,705

13,945

11,327

26. OTHER FIN A NCIAL AS SE TS
Other financial assets were as follows:

O T H E R F I N A N C I A L A S S E T S

T 0 9 5

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

The following table shows the gross amounts of the construc-
tion contracts as of 31 December 2015 and 2014:

Receivables from the ABS programme

Other assets

3,593

263

3,856

1,866

332

2,198

G R O S S A M O U N T C U S T O M E R C O N T R A C T S

T 0 9 2

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Receivables from the ABS programme include reserves for the
trade receivables sold  Note 23 ‘Trade and Other Receivables.’

Amounts due from customers
for contract work

Amounts due to customers
for contract work

24. IN VENTORIES
Inventories were as follows:

I N V E N T O R I E S

1,460

−537

T 0 9 3

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Raw materials

Work in progress

Finished goods and goods for resale

31,484

20,266

78,152

30,418

16,163

68,296

129,902

114,877

27. EQUIT Y

Subscribed capital
The subscribed capital of the Company on 31 December 2014
and 2013 amounted to EUR 31,862 thousand and was fully paid
in. It is divided into 31,862,400 shares with no par value and
a notional value of EUR 1. The liability of the shareholders for
the obligations of the Company to its creditors is limited to this
capital. The amount of the subscribed capital is not permitted
to be distributed by the Company to its shareholders.

Authorised and conditional capital
The Management Board is entitled to increase the share capital
by up to EUR 12,744,960.00 until 19 May 2020 by issuing up to
12,744,960 new no-par value registered shares in exchange for
cash and / or contributions in kind either once or several times
by resolution of the Annual General Meeting held on 20 May

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

150

2015, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, whereby the
subscription rights of shareholders may be restricted (authorised
capital 2015).

Capital reserve
The capital reserve contains:

The share capital is being increased by up to EUR 3,186,240.00
by resolution of the Annual General Meeting on 20 May 2015
by issuing up to 3,186,240 new no-par value registered shares
to grant convertible bonds and / or bonds with warrants (con-
ditional capital 2015).

The resolutions of the Annual General Meeting of 6 April 2011, au-
thorised capital 2011 and conditional capital 2011, were repealed.

• amounts (premiums) received for the issuance of shares,
• premiums paid by shareholders in exchange for the granting

of a preference for their shares,

• amounts resulting from other capital contributions of the

owners.

Management incentive schemes
In the second quarter of 2015, the Matching Stock Programme
(M S P) for the Management Board of N O R M A Group was
switched over to cash settlement by resolution of the Super-
visory Board. Due to the change in classification, EUR 6,278
thousand were recognised directly in equity as a reduction of
the capital reserve against a corresponding provision.

Retained earnings
Retained earnings consisted of the following:

D E V E L O P M E N T R E TA I N E D E A R N I N G S

in EUR thousands

Balance as of 31 December 2013

Profit for the year

Dividends paid

Effect before taxes

Tax effect

Balance as of 31 December 2014

Profit for the year

Dividends paid

Effect before taxes

Tax effect

Retained
earnings

87,956

54,722

−22,304

120,374

73,680

−23,897

Remeasure-
ments of post
employment
benefit
obligations

IPO costs
directly netted
with equity

Reim-
bursement
IPO-costs by
shareholder

Acquisition
of non-
controlling
interest

Effects
from the
application
of IAS 19R

−1,441

−4,640

4,681

−2,429

839

−1,619

453

T 0 9 6

Total

84,966

54,722

−22,304

−1,619

453

−2,607

−4,640

4,681

−2,429

839

116,218

−491

73,680

−23,897

−491

Balance as of 31 December 2015

170,157

−3,008

−4,640

4,681

−2,429

839

165,600

A dividend of EUR 23,897 thousand (EUR 0.75 per share) was
paid to the shareholders of NORMA Group after the Annual Gen-
eral Meeting in May 2015, which reduced the retained earnings.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

151

Other reserves
Other reserves consisted of the following:

D E V E L O P M E N T O T H E R R E S E R V E S

T 0 9 7

in EUR thousands

Foreign
exchange rate
differences on
translating for-
eign operations

Cash flow
hedges

Total

Balance as of 1 January 2014

−4,370

−9,487 −13,857

Currency translation

Effect before taxes

Tax effect

Balance as of
31 December 2014

Currency translation

Effect before taxes

Tax effect

Balance as of
31 December 2015

2,989

−962

14,326

2,989

−962

−2,343

4,839

2,496

18,050

895

−313

895

−313

−1,761

22,889

21,128

28 . SH AR E- BASED PAYMENTS

Management incentive schemes

The Matching Stock Programme
The Matching Stock Programme (MSP) for the Management
Board provides a long-term incentive to commit to the success
of the Group. The MSP is a share-based option. To this end,
the Supervisory Board specifies a number of share options to
be granted each financial year with the proviso that the Man-
agement Board member makes a corresponding personal in-
vestment in the Group.

The shares involved in the share options are those shares al-
located or acquired and qualified as part of the MSP defined in
the Management Board contract. The number of share options
is calculated by multiplying the qualified shares (2015: 85,953;
2014: 108,452) held at the time of allotment by the option fac-
tor specified by the Supervisory Board. A new option factor is

set for every tranche (the option factor for 2015 is 1.5; 2014:
1.5). The first tranche was allocated on the day of the IPO. The
other tranches will be allocated on 31 March each following
year. There are therefore 128,929 share options in the 2015
financial year (2014: 162,679 share options). The holding pe-
riod is four years (on 31 March 2019 for the 2015 tranche, on
31 March 2018 for the 2014 tranche, on 31 March 2017 for
the 2013 tranche and on 31 March 2016 for the 2012 tranche).
Non-forfeitable claims out of the options are earned pro rata
over the respective performance period. The exercise price for
the outstanding tranches will be the weighted average of the
respective closing price of the Group’s share on the 60 trading
days directly preceding the allocation of each tranche. Dividend
payments by the Group during the vesting period are deducted
from the exercise price of each tranche.

The options of a tranche can only be exercised within a period
of two years following the expiration of the holding period. In
order for an option to be exercised, the weighted average of the
last ten trading days must be at least 1.2 times of the exercise
price. The pay-out is limited to 2% of the average (adjusted)
EBITA (tranches 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015) during the holding
period. When the option is exercised, the Group can decide
whether to settle the option in shares or cash.

In the second quarter of 2015, the MSP for the Management
Board of NORMA Group was switched over to cash settlement
by resolution of the Supervisory Board. Due to the change in
classification of the stock options from being a settlement in
equity instruments to a cash settlement, the proportional fair
value of the options were recalculated at the time of the change
in estimates. The proportional expenses for the year 2015 up
to the date of change in the amount of EUR 135 thousand were
recognised within the capital reserve through profit or loss. The
pro rata fair value on the date of the change in the assessment
in the amount of EUR 6,278 thousand was recognised directly
in equity as a reduction of the capital reserve against a corre-
sponding provision.

The Group used the following parameters at the date of transition
for its evaluation of the proportional fair value of the tranches:

PA R A M E T E R S M S P

T 0 9 8

Expected duration until exercise in years

Exercise price in EUR

Risk-free interest rate in %

Expected volatility of share price in %

Expected dividend payment in %

Proportional fair value per “share unit” in EUR

Fair value per “share unit” in EUR as of 31 März 2015

Expected cap (2% of the average EBITA during the holding period)

Share price as of 31 March 2015 in EUR

Tranche
MSP 2011

Tranche
MSP 2012

Tranche
MSP 2013

Tranche
MSP 2014

n / a

19.05

n / a

1.2

15.92

−0.25

32.00

2.00

2.2

22.36

−0.24

32.00

2.00

3.2

39.46

−0.20

32.00

2.00

2,265,310

2,040,151

1,527,790

444,581

13.93

46.87

13.95

14.65

46.87

12.84

18.17

46.87

5.88

17.30

46.87

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

152

The determination of fair value, which is the basis for determin-
ing the pro rata provision on the balance sheet date, was carried
out using a Monte-Carlo-Simulation. The expected volatilities
are set to be the historical volatility of the three-year period
before the valuation date. Due to the cash settlement, the op-
tions are valued at each balance sheet date and the resulting
changes in fair value are recognised through profit or loss,
whereby the prorated expenses were ratably recognised over
the performance period.

The option rights granted under the MSP changed as follows in
the 2015 and 2014 financial years:

D E V E L O P M E N T O F T H E M S P O P T I O N R I G H T S

T 0 9 9

Tranche
MSP 2011

Tranche
MSP 2012

Tranche
MSP 2013

Tranche
MSP 2014

Tranche
MSP 2015

Expected duration until exercise in years

n / a

0.42

1.42

2.42

3.42

Proportional fair value per outstanding “share units” in EUR
as of 31 December 2015

Fair value per “share unit” in EUR as of 31 December 2015

Exercise price in EUR

n / a 2,395,798.00 2,049,470.00

840,766.00

354,391.00

n / a

19.05

15.73

15.17

15.39

21.61

8.25

38.71

7.03

44.09

Balance as of 31 December 2013

Tentatively granted “share units”

Exercised

Lapsed

162,679

Balance as of 31 December 2014

162,679

Balance as of 31 December 2014

Tentatively granted “share units”

Exercised

Lapsed

162,679

8,438

16,875

25,313

128,929

Balance as of 31 December 2015

154,241

145,804

137,366

128,929

In the financial year 2015, expenses in the amount of EUR 1,762
thousand (2014: EUR 541 thousand) resulting from the MSP
were recognised in employee benefits expense against a corre-
sponding addition within the provisions. The total provision for
the MSP amounts to EUR 5,640 thousand as of 31 December
2015 (31 December 2014: EUR 0 thousand).

year prior to the grant date. Once four years have elapsed, the
number of share units granted at the start of the performance
period is adjusted based on the performance the Company
has achieved, incorporating both the targets defined during
the performance period and the Company / regional factor.

Long-Term Incentive Plan
In financial year 2013, NORMA Group installed a share-based,
long-term, variable compensation component for executives
and certain other groups of employees (Long-Term Incentive
Plan). The Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTI) is a share-based pay-
ment, cash settled plan that takes into account both the per-
formance of the Company and the share price development.

The participants receive a preliminary number of share units
(virtual shares) at the start of the performance period based on
a percentage of the respective base salary multiplied by a con-
version rate. The conversion rate is determined based on the av-
erage share price of the previous 60 trading days of the calendar

The goal achievement factor, measured by adjusted EBITA,
as well as the Company / regional factor are applied as per-
formance targets. The goal achievement factor is based on
the adjusted EBITA of NORMA Group. The absolute adjusted
EBITA target is determined for every year of the performance
period based on the budgeted value. After conclusion of the
four-year-period, the yearly recorded adjusted EBITA values are
defined as a percentage in relation to the target values and
averaged out over the four years. Allocation occurs above a
goal achievement ratio of 90%. Between 90% and 100% goal
achievement, every percentage point amounts to 10 percentage
points of goal achievement factor. Between 100% and 200%
goal achievement, the goal achievement factor grows by 1.5
percentage points per percentage point of goal achievement.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015The company factor is determined by the Group Senior Man-
agement based on the Company’s development, as well as the
development in relation to comparable companies. In addition
to this, the development of free cash flows is taken into account
when determining the factor. At the discretion of the Group
Senior Management, unanticipated developments can also be
taken into account and the company factor corrected either
downward or upward accordingly. The factor can assume values
between 0.5 and 1.5.

The regional factor is defined by the Group Senior Management
prior to pay-out and can assume a value between 0.5 and 1.5.
The factor takes into account the results of the region, as well
as any region-specific aspects.

The value of the share units is then determined at the end
of the fourth calendar year based on the average share price
of the last 60 days of trading in this fourth year. In case the
calculated Long-term Incentive pay-out exceeds 250% of the
initial grant value, the maximum pay-out is capped at 250%.
The value determined is paid out to the participants in cash in
May of the fifth year.

The LTI is a group-wide and global compensation instrument
with a long-term orientation. Due to the coupling to the devel-
opment not only of the stock price, but also the Company’s
performance, the LTI provides an additional incentive to cre-
ate value through value-based action, aligned with the goals of
NORMA Group.

The determination of fair value, which is the basis for determining
the pro rata provision on the balance sheet date, was performed
using a Monte-Carlo-simulation. Due to the cash settlement of
the virtual share units, the fair value is measured on each bal-
ance sheet date and the resulting changes in the fair value are
recognised in income or loss. The allocation of the expenses is
made on a pro rate basis over the performance period.

153

The share units granted under the LTI changed as follows in the
2015 and 2014 financial years:

D E V E L O P M E N T LT I

T 10 0

in EUR thousands

Expected duration until exercise
in years

Fair value per “share unit” in EUR
as of 31 December 2015

Share price when granted in EUR

1st Tranche
LTI 2013

2nd Tranche
LTI 2014

3rd Tranche
LTI 2015

1.00

2.00

3.00

45.29

20.68

48.43

36.40

46.60

36.89

Balance as of 31 December 2014

31,884

23,385

Tentatively granted “share units”

Exercised

Lapsed

726

39,726

1,241

1,670

Balance as of 31 December 2015

31,158

22,144

38,056

in EUR thousands

Expected duration until exercise
in years

Fair value per “share unit” in EUR
as of 31 December 2014

Share price when granted in EUR

1st Tranche
LTI 2013

2nd Tranche
LTI 2014

2.00

3.00

35.30

20.68

36.72

36.40

Balance as of 31 December 2013

37,122

Tentatively granted “share units”

Exercised

Lapsed

24,768

5,238

1,383

Balance as of 31 December 2014

31,884

23,385

In financial year 2015, expenses resulting from the LTI in the
amount of EUR 1,178 thousand (2014: EUR 492 thousand) were
recorded under personnel expense and within a correspond-
ing provision. In total, the provision for the LTI amounts to
EUR 1,955 thousand as of 31 December 2015 (2014: EUR 777
thousand).

2 9. R E TIR EMENT BENEFIT OBLIG ATIONS
Retirement benefit obligations result mainly from two German
pension plans and a Swiss post-employment benefit plan.

The German defined benefit pension plan for NORMA Group
employees was closed for new entrants in 1990 and provides
benefits in case of retirement, disability, and death as life-long
pension payments. The benefits entitlements depend on years
of service and salary. The portion of salary that is above the
income threshold for social security contribution leads to higher
benefit entitlements compared to the portion of the salary up to
that threshold. Although the plan was closed in 1990, NORMA

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements154

Group is still exposed to certain actuarial risks associated with
defined benefit plans, such as longevity and compensation in-
creases. Due to the amount of the obligation and the composi-
tion of the plan participants, approximately 95% are pensioners,
a significant change in the actuarial assumptions would have
no significant effects on NORMA Group. Employees hired after
1990 are eligible under a defined contribution scheme. The con-
tributions are paid into an insurance contract providing lump
sum payments in case of retirements and death.

Furthermore, in fiscal year 2015, a plan for members of the
Management Board was established. This second German de-
fined benefit plan is based on a direct commitment to an annual
retirement payment to for members of the Management Board
of NORMA Group. The annual retirement payment is measured
as a percentage of the pensionable income. The pension en-
titlement arises when the contract has expired, but not before
reaching the age of 65, or if that individual is unable to work.
The percentage depends on the number of years of service as a
Management Board member. The percentage amounts to 4% of
the last monthly fixed salary prior to leaving for each completed
year of service. The percentage can increase to a maximum of
55%. Furthermore, a survivor’s pension is to be provided as
well. The obligations arise from the plan are subject to certain
actuarial risks associated with defined benefit plans, such as
longevity and compensation increases.

Besides the German plans, there is a further benefit plan in
Switzerland resulting from the Swiss “Berufliches Vorsorgege-
setz” law (BVG). According to the BVG, each employer has to
grant post-employment benefits for qualifying employees. The
plan is a capital-based plan under which the Company has to
make contributions equivalent to at least the limits specified in
the plan conditions for employee contributions. These plans are
administered by foundations that are legally separated from the
entity and are subject to the BVG. The Group has outsourced
the investment process to the Foundation, which sets the stra-
tegic asset allocation in its group life portfolio. All regulatory
granted obligations out of the plan are reinsured by an insurance
company. This covers risks of disability, death and longevity.
Furthermore, there is, for the retirement assets invested, a 100%
capital and interest guarantee. In the case of a shortfall, the
employer and plan participants’ contribution might be increased
according to decisions of the relevant foundation board. Strate-
gies of the foundation boards to make up for potential shortfalls
are subject to approval by the regulator.

Besides the plans described in Germany and Switzerland,
NORMA Group also participates in a multi-employer pension
plan in the US for the benefit of employees of one of its US
based plants. NORMA Group’s obligation to participate in the
fund arises from the agreement with the employees’ labor
orga nisation. The multi-employer pension plan is governed by

US federal law under which the plan funds are held in trust and
the plan administration and procedures substantially governed
by federal regulation. The multi-employer pension plan is a de-
fined benefit plan, and would normally be treated as such based
on its associated actuarial estimates; however the plan trustees
do not provide the participating employers with sufficient infor-
mation to individually account for the plan (or their portioned
participation therein) as a defined benefit plan. For this reason,
the plan is being treated in accordance with the rules for defined
contribution pension plans (IAS 19.34). The share of contribu-
tions that NORMA Group paid to the pension schemes in the
previous financial year amounts to EUR 1.2 million (2014: EUR
0.9 million). Contributions to the plan are recognised directly in
personnel expenses for the period. Future changes to the con-
tributions, if any, would be determined through negotiations with
the workers’ organisation, as they may be slightly modified from
time to time by regulation, and except for which NORMA Group
has no other fixed commitment to the plan. Conditionally, in the
unlikely event that NORMA Group withdraws from the fund or a
significant employer in the fund experiences a major solvency
event, additional future contribution payment obligations could
arise. The funded status of the multi-employer plan is re ported
annually by the US Department of Labor, and is influenced by
various factors, including investment performance, inflation,
changes in demographics and changes in the participants’
levels of performance. Based on the information provided by
the plan administrator the plan is undercapitalised. The value
of the undercapitalisation amount to USD 833.9 million for all
plan participants (approximately 155 companies). The portion
of NORMA Group to this shortfall is 2.1% (based on provided
information for 2014). NORMA Group has formed a provision
of EUR 0 thousand (31 Dec. 2014: EUR 172 thousand) for ex-
pected increases in contribution rates that arise from events
in past periods. The expected employer contributions to the
pension schemes for the following year 2016 amount to EUR
1,277 thousand.

Reconciliation of defined benefit obligations (DBO)
and plan assets
The amounts included in the Group’s Consolidated Financial
Statements arising from its post-employment defined benefit
plans are as follows:

C O M P O N E N T S P E N S I O N L I A B I L I T Y

T 10 1

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Present value of obligations

Fair value of plan assets

Liability in the balance sheet

15,785

3,834

11,951

15,130

2,859

12,271

The reconciliation of the net defined benefit liability (liability in
the balance sheet) is as follows:

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015
155

R E C O N C I L I AT I O N O F T H E
N E T D E F I N E D B E N E F I T L I A B I L I T Y

T 10 2

R E C O N C I L I AT I O N O F C H A N G E S
I N T H E FA I R VA L U E O F P L A N A S S E T S

T 10 4

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

As of 1 January

Current service cost

Past service cost

Administration costs

Interest expenses

Remeasurments:

Return on plan assets excluding amounts
included in net interest expenses

Actuarial (gains) losses from changes
in demographic assumptions

Actuarial (gains) losses from changes
in financial assumptions

Experience (gains) losses

Employer contributions

Benefits paid

Settlement payments

Foreign currency translation effects

536

−195

165

−240

−181

902

−228

−628

−591

121

1,236

307

−19

−176

−776

12,271

10,869

As of 1 January

436

Interest income

266

Remeasurements:

Return on plan assets excluding amounts
included in net interest expenses

Employer contributions

Plan participants contributions

Benefits paid

Foreign currency translation effects

Fair value of plan assets at end of year

2,859

240

228

536

−384

303

3,834

2,038

−95

176

989

−344

2,859

Disaggregation of plan assets
The allocation of the plan assets of the benefit plans is as follows:

D I S A G G R E G AT I O N O F P L A N A S S E T S

T 10 5

As of 31 December

11,951

12,271

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

A detailed reconciliation for the changes in the DBO is provided
in the following table:

Asset class

Insurance contracts

Cash deposit

R E C O N C I L I AT I O N O F C H A N G E S I N T H E D B O

T 10 3

Equity securities

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Total

3,787

2,822

3,834

2,859

As of 1 January

Current service cost

Past service cost

Administration costs

Interest expenses

Remeasurments:

Actuarial (gains) losses from changes in
demographic assumptions

Actuarial (gains) losses from changes in
financial assumptions

Experience (gains) losses

Plan participants contribution

Benefits paid

Settlement payments

Foreign currency translation effects

As of 31 December

15,130

12,907

536

−195

217

436

312

Cash deposits and equity securities have quoted prices in ac-
tive markets. The values for insurance contracts represent the
redemption value. No quoted prices in an active market are
available for these.

Actuarial assumptions
The principal actuarial assumptions are as follows:

−181

1,236

A C T U A R I A L A S S U M P T I O N S

T 10 6

902

536

−1,012

−591

424

15,785

307

−19

989

−1,120

15,130

in %

Discount rate

Inflation rate

Future salary increases

Future pension increases

2015

2014

1.40

1.62

2.30

1.61

1.62

1.71

2.34

1.70

The total defined benefit obligation at the end of financial year
2015 includes EUR 7,221 thousand for active employees, EUR
80 thousand for former employees with vested benefits and EUR
8,484 thousand for retirees and surviving dependents.

Settlement payments in the amount of EUR 591 thousand relate
to the liquidation of Nordic Metalblok, Italy, in financial year 2015.

A detailed reconciliation of the changes in the fair value of plan
assets is provided in the following table:

The biometric assumptions are based on the 2005 G Heubeck
life-expectancy tables for the German plan and on the life-ex-
pectancy tables of the BVG 2010 G for the Swiss plan.

Sensitivity analysis
If the discount rate was to differ by +0.25% / −0.25% from the
interest rate used on the balance sheet date, the defined ben-
efit obligation for pension benefits would be an estimated EUR
513 thousand lower or EUR 545 thousand higher. If the future
pension increase used was to differ by +0.25% / −0.25% from
management’s estimates, the defined benefit obligation for

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

156

pension benefits would be an estimated EUR 185 thousand
higher or EUR 174 thousand lower. The reduction / increase of
the mortality rates by 10% results in an increase / deduction of
life expectancy depending on the individual age of each ben-
eficiary. That means, for example, that the life expectancy of a
male NORMA Group employee age 55 years as of 31 December
2015 increases / decreases by approximately one year. In order
to determine the longevity sensitivity, the mortality rates were
reduced / increased by 10% for all beneficiaries. The effect on
DBO as of 31 December 2015 due to a 10% reduction / increase
in mortality rates would result in an increase of EUR 812 thou-
sand or a decrease of EUR 839 thousand.

When calculating the sensitivity of the defined benefit obligation
to significant actuarial assumptions, the same method (present
value of the defined benefit obligation calculated with the pro-
jected unit credit method) has been applied as when calculat-
ing the post-employment benefit obligation recognised in the
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position. Increases and
decreases in the discount rate or rate of pension progression
which are used in determining the DBO do not have a symmet-
rical effect on the DBO due to the compound interest effect
created when determining the net present value of the future
benefit. If more than one of the assumptions are changed si-
multaneously, the combined impact due to the changes would
not necessarily be the same as the sum of the individual effects
due to the changes. If the assumptions change at a different
level, the effect on the DBO is not necessarily in a linear relation.

Future cash flows
Employer contributions expected to be paid to the post-employ-
ment defined benefit plans in financial year 2016 are EUR 274
thousand (2014: EUR 222 thousand).

Expected payments from post-employment benefit plans are
as follows:

E X P E C T E D PAY M E N T S F R O M
P O S T- E M P L OY M E N T B E N E F I T P L A N S

in EUR thousands

Expected benefit payments

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021 – 2025

in EUR thousands

Expected benefit payments

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020 – 2024

T 10 7

2015

819

802

787

771

753

3,702

2014

793

779

764

750

736

3,485

The weighted average duration of the defined benefit obligation
is 11.8 years (2014: 10.9 years).

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

157

3 0. PROVISIONS
The development of provisions is as follows:

D E V E L O P M E N T O F P R O V I S I O N S

T 10 8

in EUR thousands

Guarantees

Severance

Early retirement

Other personnel-related obligations

Outstanding credit notes

Outstanding invoices

Others

Total provisions

in EUR thousands

Guarantees

Severance

Early retirement

Other personnel-related obligations

Outstanding credit notes

Outstanding invoices

Others

Total provisions

As of
1 Jan 2015

Additions

Amounts
used

Unused
amounts
reversed

Interest
accrued

Transfers

Foreign
currency
translation

As of
31 Dec
2015

1,391

1,004

3,321

4,206

1,285

1,049

2,093

14,349

340

618

1,986

10,693

842

773

1,261

16,513

−147

−723

−1,919

−3,447

−434

−1,049

−1,274

−8,993

−380

−5

−627

−24

−133

−1,169

−7

−19

1,226

899

3,410

11,481

1,072

798

1,928

20,814

As of
1 Jan 2014

Additions

Amounts
used

Unused
amounts
reversed

Interest
accrued

Transfers

Foreign
currency
translation

As of
31 Dec
2014

2,144

549

2,883

3,963

1,391

802

1,886

13,618

173

955

1,717

1,749

985

1,010

1,005

7,594

−206

−472

−1,390

−1,817

−616

−307

−619

−739

−34

−466

−541

−216

111

−30

247

−9

1,391

1,004

3,321

4,206

1,285

1,049

2,093

−5,427

−1,996

201

217

142

14,349

P R O V I S I O N S – S P L I T C U R R E N T / N O N - C U R R E N T

T 10 9

in EUR thousands

Guarantees

Severance

Early retirement

Other personnel-related obligations

Outstanding credit notes

Outstanding invoices

Others

Total provisions

31 December 2015

31 December 2014

Total

1,226

899

3,410

11,481

1,072

798

1,928

20,814

thereof
current

thereof
non-current

940

899

4,588

1,072

798

1,675

9,972

286

3,410

6,893

253

10,842

Total

1,391

1,004

3,321

4,206

1,285

1,049

2,093

14,349

thereof
current

thereof
non-current

1,085

1,004

1,830

1,285

1,049

1,889

8,142

306

3,321

2,376

204

6,207

Early retirement contracts
Employees at NORMA Group in Germany can in general en-
gage in an early retirement contract (“Altersteilzeit”). In the first
phase, the employee works 100% (“Arbeitsphase”). In the sec-
ond phase, he / she is exempt from work (“Freistellungsphase”).
The employees receive half of their payment for the total early
retirement-phase as well as top-up payments (including social
security costs paid by the employer). The duration of the early
retirement has a maximum of six years.

The accounting for early retirement (“Altersteilzeit”) is based on
actuarial valuations taking into account assumptions such as
a discount rate of 0.61% (2014: 0.61%) as well as the 2005
G Heubeck life-expectancy tables. For signed early retirement
contracts, a liability has been recognised. The liability includes
top-up payments (“Aufstockungsbeträge”) as well as deferred
salary payments (“Erfüllungsrückstände”).

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

158

Guarantees
Provisions for guarantees include provisions due to circum-
stances where a final agreement has not yet been achieved
and provisions based on experience (customer claim quota,
amount of damage, etc.). Future price increases are considered
if material.

Severance payments
Provisions for severance payments include expected severance
payments for NORMA Group employees due to circumstances
where a final agreement has not yet been reached. The pro-
visions will be paid out in the following financial year and are
therefore reported under the current provisions.

Other personnel-related provisions
Other personnel-related provisions are as follows:

P R O V I S I O N S – O T H E R P E R S O N N E L- R E L AT E D

T 110

31 December 2015

31 December 2014

in EUR thousands

Notes

Total

thereof
current

thereof
non-current

LTI – Board Members

LTI – Management

STI – Board Members

Matching stock programme (MSP)

Jubilee provisions

Other personnel related

(28)

1,758

1,955

460

5,640

770

898

11,481

958

460

2,396

774

4,588

800

1,955

3,244

770

124

6,893

Total

1,562

777

380

675

812

4,206

thereof
current

thereof
non-current

687

380

763

1,830

875

777

675

2,376

The Company’s Long-Term Incentive (LTI) of the Management
Board consists of two different long-term compensation ele-
ments. The variable compensation is designed differently de-
pending on the time when a Board member took office. With
the Board members occurred before 2015, it consists of an
EBITA component and an operating free cash flow before ex-
ternal use (FCF) component, each of which are observed over
a period of three years (performance period). A new three year
performance period begins every year. Both components are
calculated by multiplying the average annual adjusted EBITA
and FCF values actually achieved in the performance period
by the adjusted EBITA and FCF bonus percentages specified
in the employment contract. In the second step, the actual
value of a component is compared to the medium-term plan
approved by the Supervisory Board to evaluate the Company’s
performance and adjustments are made to the LTI plan. The LTI
plan is limited to two and a half times the amount that would
be arrived at on the basis of the figures in the Company’s me-
dium-term plan. If the actual value is lower than the planned
value, the LTI plan is reduced on a straight-line basis down to
a minimum of EUR 0 if the three year targets are missed by a
significant amount. Due to the calculation of the variable re-
muneration based on future results of the Group, uncertainties
exist regarding the amount of the future outflows. Parts of the
long-term compensation component will be paid out in the first

half of the following financial year and are therefore reported
under the current provisions.

When entering service in the reporting year, the variable
compensation of the Management Board consists of the
NORMA-VA-Bonus. This variable remuneration, for the mem-
bers of the Management Board which are not part of the MSP,
provides a long-term incentive for the Management Board to
work hard to make the Company successful. The LTI is an ap-
preciation bonus that is based on the Group’s performance. The
Board member receives a percentage of the calculated increase
in value. The NORMA Value Added Bonus corresponds to the
percentage of the average increase in value from the current
and the two previous financial years. The annual increase in
value is calculated using the following formula:

NORMA Value Added =

(EBIT × (1 − s))

− (WACC × invested capital).

The calculation of the first component is based on the consoli-
dated earnings before interest and taxes (Group EBIT) for the
financial year and the average corporate tax rate (s). The sec-
ond component is calculated from the Group cost of capital
(WACC) multiplied by the capital invested. The NORMA Value
Added Bonus is limited to a fixed annual salary. 75% of the

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

159

amount attributable to the LTI is paid to each Management
Board member the following year. The Company then uses the
remaining 25% attributable to the LTI to purchase shares of
NORMA Group SE in the name and on behalf of the individual
Board members. Alternatively, the Company may pay out this
balance to the Board member. In this case, the Management
Board obligates itself to purchase shares of NORMA Group SE
with the balance of this amount within 120 days after the annu-
al financial statements are approved at the Supervisory Board
meeting. The Management Board member may not dispose of
the shares for four years. Dividends and subscription rights are
to be made freely available to the Management Board member.
If a Board member takes office in the current financial year or
does not work for the Company for a full twelve months in a
financial year, the LTI is to be reduced proportionally (pro rata).
Upon termination of the employment contract, a Management
Board member may dispose of his shares only after 12 months
of leaving the Company.

The LTI for Management (Long-Term Incentive Plan) is a vari-
able compensation component based on the share price of the
NORMA Group. A detailed description can be found in  Note
28 ‘Share-based Payments.’

The STI of the Management Board (Short-Term Incentive Plan)
results from short term variable cash payment. A description
can be found within the Remuneration Report for the Manage-
ment and Supervisory Boards.

In the second quarter of 2015, the Matching Stock Programme
(MSP) for NORMA Group’s Management Board was changed
to cash settlement by decision of the Supervisory Board. The
accounting treatment has been modified accordingly  Note 28
‘Share-based Payments.’ This leads to an increase in provisions
by EUR 6,278 thousand at the date of change, of which EUR
2,265 thousand were paid out in the second quarter of 2015.
As of December 2015, the provisions out of the MSP amounts
to EUR 5,640 thousand (2014: EUR 0 thousand).

Jubilee provisions are based on actuarial valuations taking into
account assumptions such as a discount rate of 1.45% p.a. as
well as the 2005 G Heubeck life-expectancy tables.

Furthermore, other personnel-related provisions mainly includes
payable income tax and social security contributions in foreign
countries and other personnel-related provisions.

Other non-personnel related provisions
Provisions for outstanding credit notes in the amount of EUR
1,072 thousand (2014: 1,285 thousand) include obligations for
subsequent price adjustments for past periods due to ongoing
negotiations with customers. There are uncertainties regarding
the amount and timing of the outflows. However, it is expected
that this results within a year in payments.

uncertainties regarding the amount and timing of the outflows.
However, it is expected that this results within a year in payments.

Other provisions include mainly obligations for long-term cus-
tomer bonus agreements. The amount of the provisions de-
pends on future sales volumes, therefore uncertainties exist
regarding the amount of the final obligation.

31. BOR ROWINGS
The borrowings were as follows:

B O R R O W I N G S

T 111

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Non-current

Bank borrowings

Current

Bank borrowings

Other borrowings
(e.g. factoring and reverse-factoring)

Total borrowings

443,711

408,225

6,994

21,478

7,056

1,243

22,721

450,767

430,946

Bank borrowings
As of 31 December 2015, NORMA Group’s financing consists
in the amount of EUR 20.0 million and USD 87.9 million of syn-
dicated bank facilities (2014: EUR 92.8 million, USD 0). The ad-
justed syndicated bank facilities in December 2015 led to a
further improved interest profile and now reflects the currency
of NORMA Group’s cash flows after the NDS acquisition much
better. Both tranches are due in 2020 but include two options
to prolongate until 2021 and 2022 respectively. In financial year
2015, the repayment of the syndicated bank facilities amounts to
EUR 92.8 million (2014: EUR 123.0 million). On the opposite side,
the borrowing in the adjusted term loan was EUR 100 million.

Furthermore, NORMA Group issued a promissory note valued
at EUR 125.0 million with 5, 7 and 10 year terms in 2013. Addi-
tionally, NORMA Group issued a second promissory note valued
at EUR 106.0 million with 3, 5, 7 and 10 year terms and at USD
128.5 million (value in EUR on 31 December 2015: 118.0 million,
2014: 105.8 million) with 3, 5, and 7 year terms in the fourth
quarter of 2014.

The maturity of the syndicated bank facilities and the promissory
note on 31 December 2015 is as follows:

M AT U R I T Y B A N K B O R R O W I N G S 2 0 15

T 112

2015
in EUR thousands

up to
1 year

> 1 year
up to
2 years

> 2 years
up to

5 years > 5 years

Provisions for outstanding invoices in the amount of EUR 789
thousand (2014: EUR 1,049 thousand) include expected obliga-
tions for the audit of the annual financial statements. There are

Bank borrowings, net

5,038

90,681

Promissory note, net

33,789

214,168

101,074

Total

5,038

38,827

304,849

101,074

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
160

The maturity of the syndicated bank facilities and the promissory
note on 31 December 2014 is as follows:

32 . OTHER NON - FIN A NCIAL LIABILITIES
Other non-financial liabilities are as follows:

M AT U R I T Y B A N K B O R R O W I N G S 2 0 14

T 113

O T H E R N O N - F I N A N C I A L L I A B I L I T I E S

T 114

2014
in EUR thousands

up to
1 year

> 1 year
up to
2 years

> 2 years
up to

5 years > 5 years

Bank borrowings, net

19,200

73,600

Promissory note, net

185,926

150,914

Total

19,200

73,600

185,926

150,914

Costs directly attributable to financing were netted with the
bank borrowings in accordance with IAS 39.43. They are am-
ortised over the financing period using the effective interest
method. The total amount, which was amortised over the re-
maining financing period, amounts to EUR 1,293 thousand as
of 31 December 2015 (2014: EUR 2,565 thousand).

The syndicated bank facilities will be hedged shortly against
interest rate changes. Furthermore, the maturity of tranches
of the promissory note with variable interest rates are hedged
against interest rate changes. The derivative liability was de-
creased from EUR 18,177 thousand on 31 December 2014 to
EUR 2,510 thousand on 31 December 2015 due to the repay-
ment of the cross currency interest rate swap linked to the old
syndicated loan.

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Non-current

Government grants

Other liabilities

Current

Non-income tax liabilities

Social liabilities

Personnel-related liabilities
(e.g. holiday, bonus, premiums)

Other liabilities

Deferred income

Total other non-financial liabilities

1,316

1,368

1,559

3,547

21,544

890

1,113

28,653

30,021

1,756

1,790

2,337

3,929

17,588

917

1,244

26,015

27,805

NORMA Group received government grants, of which EUR 1,316
thousand were not recognised in profit or loss. They consist of
grants in cash as well as land. The grants are bound to capital
expenditures and employees. NORMA Group recognises the
government grants as income over the period in which related
expenses occur. In 2015, EUR 449 thousand were recognised
as income (2014: EUR 514 thousand).

The bank borrowings are unsecured on 31 December 2015 and
2014.

3 3 . OTHER FIN A NCIAL LIABILITIES
Other financial liabilities were as follows:

Factoring
NORMA Group has sold a portion of its receivables (2015: EUR
29 thousand; 2014: EUR 770 thousand) to a factor. NORMA
Group still bears the opportunities and risks resulting from the
receivables. The transactions are therefore shown as financial
liabilities.

O T H E R F I N A N C I A L L I A B I L I T I E S

T 115

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Non-current

Lease liabilities

Acquisition liability

Other liabilities

Current

Lease liabilities

Outstanding credit notes

Acquisition liability

Other liabilities

Total other financial liabilities

150

531

681

139

225

5,094

561

6,019

6,700

248

2,998

517

3,763

201

227

1,286

731

2,445

6,208

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

161

The future aggregate minimum lease payments under non-can-
cellable finance leases and their respective present values are
as follows:

31 December 2014
in EUR thousands

up to
1 Jahr

> 1 year
up to
2 years

> 2 years
up to

5 years > 5 years

F U T U R E M I N I M U M L E A S E PAY M E N T S
N O N - C A N C E L L A B L E F I N A N C E L E A S E S

T 116

Borrowings

22,721

71,883

185,514

150,828

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Gross finance lease liabilities
– minimum lease payments

Up to 1 year

Later than 1 year and up to 5 years

Later than 5 years

Future finance charges on finance lease

Present value of finance lease liabilities

Up to 1 year

Later than 1 year and up to 5 years

Later than 5 years

147

151

298

139

150

289

211

258

469

201

248

449

Lease liabilities are effectively secured because the rights to
the leased assets will revert to the lessor in the event of default.

3 4. TR ADE A ND OTHER PAYABLES
Trade and other payables were as follows:

Trade and other payables

Finance lease liabilities

80,829

202

200

Other financial liabilities

2,243

3,460

105,995

75,543

185,561

150,884

Net debt of NORMA Group is as follows:

N E T D E B T

T 119

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Bank borrowings, net

Derivative financial liabilities
– hedge accounting

Derivative financial liabilities
– held for trading

Other borrowings
(e.g. factoring and reverse-factoring)

Finance lease liabilities

Other financial liabilities

Financial debt

Cash and cash equivalents

450,705

429,703

3,312

20,220

289

6,411

460,853

99,951

360,902

1,243

449

5,759

457,374

84,271

373,103

T R A D E A N D O T H E R PAYA B L E S

Net debt

T 117

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Trade payables

Reverse factoring liabilities

79,768

21,109

100,877

65,410

15,419

80,829

All trade and other payables are due to third parties within one
year. For information regarding trade and other payables, please
refer to  Note 3.14.

3 5. FIN A NCIAL LIABILITIES A ND NE T DEBT
The financial liabilities of NORMA Group have the following
maturity:

M AT U R I T Y F I N A N C I A L L I A B I L I T I E S

T 118

31 December 2015
in EUR thousands

up to
1 Jahr

> 1 year
up to
2 years

> 2 years
up to

5 years > 5 years

The financial debt of NORMA Group increased by 0.8% from
EUR 457,374 thousand as of 31 December 2014 to EUR 460,853
thousand as of 31 December 2015. The increase within the
bank borrowings is due to effects from changes in the exchange
rates on the US dollar portion of the promissory note issued
in financial year 2014. An opposite effect within the derivative
financial liabilities results from the repayment of the cross-cur-
rency swap in financial year 2015. Furthermore, the financial
debt is influenced by the scheduled repayment of parts of the
syndicated bank facilities and the cash in- and outflows from
the renegotiation of the syndicated bank facilities described in
 Note 5 ‘Financial Risk Management.’

Compared to 31 December 2014 (EUR 373,103 thousand), net
debt decreased by EUR 12,201 thousand or 3.3%. An increase
of EUR 15,680 thousand in cash and cash equivalents positively
influenced the net debt, whereby effects from the development
of the exchange and market interest rates had negative effects
on net debt.

Borrowings

7,056

38,276

304,426

101,009

Trade and other payables

100,877

Finance lease liabilities

Other financial liabilities

139

5,880

137

511

113,952

38,924

304,459

101,009

The increase in cash and cash equivalents results from the
increase of net cash provided by operating activities which
overcompensated cash outflows from investing and financing
activities.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

162

Other Notes

3 6. INFOR M ATION ON THE CONSOLIDATED

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

In the statement of cash flows, a distinction is made between
cash flows from operating activities, investing activities and
financing activities.

Net cash provided by operating activities is derived indirectly
from profit for the period. The profit for the period is adjusted to
eliminate non-cash expenses from depreciation and amortisa-
tion as well as expenses for which the cash effects are investing
or financing cash flows and to eliminate other non-cash expens-
es and income. Net cash provided by operating activities of
EUR 128,159 thousand (2014: EUR 96,361 thousand) represents
changes in current assets, provisions and liabilities (excluding
liabilities in connection with financing activities).

The Group participates in a reverse factoring programme as
well as in an ABS programme. The payments to the factor and
from the ABS programme are included in cash flows from op-
erating activities, as this represents the economic substance
of the transactions. The total amount of trade receivables sold
within the ABS programme, as well as the amount of trade
payables which are part of the reverse factoring programme
can be found within  Note 23 ‘Trade and Other Receivables’
or  Note 34 ‘Trade and Other Payables.’

Net cash provided by operating activities includes in 2015 cash
outflows from the payments of the cash settled share-based
payments of the MSP tranche 2011 for the Management Board
of NORMA Group in the amount of EUR 2,265 thousand (2014:
EUR 0 thousand).

The correction of expenses due to measurement of derivatives
within a hedge in the amount of EUR 12,610 thousand (2014:
EUR 4,683 thousand) relates to fair value gains and losses rec-
ognised within the income statement assigned to the cash flows
from financing activities

Non-cash income (−) / expenses (+) in net cash provided by op-
erating activities in financial year 2015 mainly include foreign
exchange rate gains and losses on external debt and intragroup
monetary items in the amount of EUR −11,683 thousand (2014:
EUR −4,398 thousand).

Furthermore, other non-cash income (−) / expenses (+) included
non-cash expenses from the stock option programme amount-
ing to EUR 135 thousand (2014: EUR 541 thousand) and non-
cash interest expenses from the amortisation of accrued costs,
directly attributable to the refinancing, amounting to EUR 1,570
thousand (2014: EUR 2,498 thousand).

Cash flows resulting from interest paid are disclosed as cash
flows from financing activities.

Cash flows from investing activities include transactions relat-
ing to the acquisition and disposal of non-current assets in the
amount of EUR 44,415 thousand (2014: EUR 32,870 thousand),
including the repayment of liabilities from prior year investments
in property, plant and equipment and intangible assets amount-
ing to EUR −2,627 thousand (2014: EUR −6,413 thousand). From
the investments in non-current assets of EUR 42,166 (2014: EUR
39,588 thousand), expenditures in the amount of EUR 23,893
thousand (2014: EUR 27,194 thousand) relate to growth and
expenditures amounting to EUR 18,273 thousand (2014: EUR
12,394 thousand) to maintenance and continuous improve-
ments.

Furthermore, net payments for acquisitions of subsidiaries in the
amount of EUR 52 thousand are included in the cash flows from
investing activities, which result from the payment in the amount
of EUR 316 thousand made in the first quarter of 2015 for the
contingent considerations in connection with the acquisition of
Guyco Pty. Limited and from the payment received in the sec-
ond quarter of 2015 in the amount of EUR 264 thousand due to
the final trade working capital adjustment in the context of the
acquisition of NDS. In 2014, net payments for the acquisition of
the business activities of Five Star Clamps, Inc. in the amount of
EUR 4,587 thousands and for the acquisition of NDS amounting
to EUR 225,262 thousand were recognised.

The net payments for acquisitions of subsidiaries in 2015 and
2014 were as follows:

N E T PAY M E N T S F O R A C Q U I S I T I O N S O F S U B S I D I A R I E S T 12 0

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Acquisition liability at the
beginning of the period

Payment obligations from acquisitions

Acquired cash and cash equivalents

Other changes

Less acquisition liability at the
end of the period

Less payments for shares in a subsidiary 1

Net payments for acquisitions
of subsidiaries

1 Net cash provided by / used in financing activities

4,284

862

5,094

3,500

244,588

−11,139

432

4,284

907

232,190

Cash flows from financing activities comprise proceeds from
borrowings (2015: EUR 99,703 thousand, 2014: EUR 229,870
thousand), outflows resulting from repayment of hedging de-
rivatives in the amount of EUR 37,751 thousand (2014: EUR
9,901 thousand), which were entered to hedge interest rate
and foreign currency translation risk; repayments of borrow-
ings (2015: EUR −94,076 thousand; 2014: EUR −129,257 thou-
sand), the dividend payment (2015: EUR −23,897 thousand,
2014: EUR −22,304 thousand), as well as cash flows resulting
from interest paid (2015: EUR −13,926 thousand, 2014: EUR
−9,492 thousand).

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

163

Repayments of borrowings in financial year 2015 include primarily
payments related to the adoption of the syndicated loan in Q4
2015 in the amount of EUR 83,200 thousand and repayment of
the re lated hedging derivatives in the amount of EUR 20,907
thousand as well as cash outflows from the scheduled repayment
of parts of the syndicated loan, up to the adjustment in the fourth
quarter 2015, in the amount of EUR 9,600 thousand and cash
outflows from the related hedging derivatives in the amount of
EUR 2,565 thousand. Furthermore, cash outflows in the connec-
tion with foreign currency derivatives in the amount of EUR 14,279
are shown in cash flows from financing activities. By contrast,
EUR 99,703 thousand for the adjusted debt were presented as
proceeds from borrowings in cash flow from financing activities.

The repayments of borrowings in 2014 mainly include the cash
outflows from the repayment of parts of the syndicated bank
facilities in the amount of EUR 123,000 thousand and the asso-
ciated derivative financial liabilities in the amount of EUR 8,007
thousand. Furthermore, borrowing facilities in the amount of
EUR 5,500 thousand were repaid in the third quarter of 2014.

In addition, dividend payments to non-controlling interests in
the amount of EUR 205 thousand (2014: EUR 43 thousand), and
repayments from finance lease liabilities in the amount of EUR
294 thousand (2014: EUR 287 thousand) are disclosed as cash
flows from financing activities.

In 2014, payments for shares in a subsidiary in the amount of
EUR 907 thousand are disclosed as cash flows from financing
activities.

The changes in balance sheet items that are presented in the
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows cannot be derived di-
rectly from the balance sheet, as the effects of currency transla-
tion are non-cash transactions and changes in the consolidated
Group are shown directly in net cash used in investing activities.

Cash is comprised of cash on hand and demand deposits of
EUR 99,828 thousand on 31 December 2015 (31 December
2014: EUR 84,047 thousand), as well as cash equivalents with
a value of EUR 123 thousand (2014: EUR 224 thousand).

Cash from China, India, Russia, Brazil and Malaysia (31 Decem-
ber 2015: EUR 5,816 thousand, 31 December 2014: EUR 3,904
thousand) cannot currently be distributed due to restrictions on
capital movements.

37. SEGMENT R EPORTING
NORMA Group segments the Group at a regional level. The
reportable segments of NORMA Group are EME A, the Ameri-
cas and Asia-Pacific. NORMA Group’s vision includes regional
growth targets. Distribution Services are focused regionally and
locally. EMEA, the Americas and Asia-Pacific have linked region-
al intercompany organisations of different functions. As a result,
the Group’s management reporting and controlling system has a
regional focus. The product portfolio does not vary significantly
between these segments.

Revenues of each segment are generated from the three pro-
duct categories clamps (CL AMP), joining elements (CONNECT)
and fluid systems / connectors (FLUID).

NORMA Group measures the performance of its segments
through profit or loss indicators which are referred to as “ad-
justed EBITDA” and “adjusted EBITA.”

“Adjusted EBITDA” comprises revenue, changes in inventories
of finished goods and work in progress, other own work capi-
talised, raw materials and consumables used, other operating
income and expenses, and employee benefits expense, ad-
justed for material one-time effects. EBITDA is measured in a
manner consistent with that used in the statement of compre-
hensive income.

“Adjusted EBITA” includes, in addition to the EBITDA, the depre-
ciation adjusted for depreciation from purchase price allocations.

In 2015, acquisition related expenses, mainly in connection with
the acquisition of National Diversified Sales, Inc., in the amount
of EUR 3,591 thousand were adjusted within EBITDA and the
EBITA. Adjustments in the amount of EUR 2,472 thousand are
related to expenses for raw materials and consumables used,
resulting from the valuation of the inventories as part of the
purchase price allocation in connection with the acquisition of
NDS. Furthermore, expenses due to the integration of the ac-
quired entity in the amount of EUR 578 thousand were adjusted
within other operating expenses and in the amount of EUR 541
thousand within employee benefits expenses. Besides, EBITA
was adjusted by depreciation from purchase price allocations
as in prior years.  Note 7 ‘Adjustments.’

Inter-segment revenue is recorded at values that approximate
third-party selling prices.

Segment assets comprise all assets less (current and deferred)
income tax assets. Taxes are shown in the reconciliation. Seg-
ment assets and liabilities are measured in a manner consistent
with that used in the Statement of Financial Position. Assets of
the “Central Functions” include mainly cash and inter company
receivables.

Segment liabilities comprise all liabilities less (current and de-
ferred) income tax liabilities. Taxes are shown in the consolida-
tion. Segment assets and liabilities are measured in a manner
consistent with that used in the Statement of Financial Position.
Liabilities of the “Central Functions” include mainly borrowings.

Capex equals additions to non-current assets (property, plant
and equipment and other intangible assets).

Current and deferred tax assets and liabilities are shown in the
consolidation. On 31 December 2015, EUR 18,562 thousand
(31 December 2014: EUR 22,942 thousand) tax assets and EUR
111,002 thousand (31 December 2014: EUR 115,345 thousand)
tax liabilities were shown in the consolidation.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements164

External sales per country, measured according to the place
of domicile of the company which manufactures the products,
are as follows:

E X T E R N A L S A L E S P E R C O U N T R Y

T 12 1

Operating lease commitments
The Group leases various vehicles, property and technical
equipment under non-cancellable operating lease agreements.
The lease terms are between 1 and 15 years. The Group also
leases various technical equipment under cancellable operating
lease agreements.

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Germany

USA, Mexico, Brazil

Other countries

193,150

395,347

301,116

192,957

237,757

264,030

889,613

694,744

NORMA Group has significant operating lease arrangements with
annual lease payments of more than EUR 200 thousand, con-
cerning the leasing of land and buildings. Except for usual renew-
able options, the lease contracts do not comprise other options.
The lease arrangements are held by the following companies:

The non-current assets per country include non-current assets
less deferred tax assets, derivative financial instruments, and
shares in consolidated related parties and are as follows:

• NORMA UK Ltd. (Great Britain): lease-term from 2006 to 2016,

prolonged to 2028, soonest termination in 2021,

• NORMA Pacific Pty Ltd. (Australia): lease-term from 2013 to

N O N - C U R R E N T A S S E T S P E R C O U N T R Y

T 12 2

• NORMA Michigan Inc. (USA): lease-term from 2013 to 2019,

2017, soonest termination in 2017,

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

• NORMA Pennsylvania Inc. (USA): lease-term from 2011 to

soonest termination in 2019,

in EUR thousands

Germany

USA, Mexico, Brazil

Sweden

Other countries

Consolidation

115,695

490,440

50,779

144,269

−15,714

118,018

450,402

51,804

136,376

−13,439

785,469

743,161

2016, soonest termination in 2016,

• Connectors Verbindungstechnik AG (Switzerland): lease-term

from 2012 to 2017, soonest termination in 2017,

• National Diversified Sales, Inc. (USA): lease-terms from 2012
to 2016, soonest termination in 2016; 2013 to 2018, soonest
termination in 2018; 2013 to 2020, soonest termination in
2020; 2014 to 2016, soonest termination in 2016; 2014 to
2017, soonest termination in 2017 and 2015 to 2018, soonest
termination in 2018,

• R.G.RAY Corporation (USA): lease-term from 2014 to 2019,

soonest termination in 2019.

3 8 . CONTINGENCIES
The Group has contingent liabilities in respect of legal claims
arising in the ordinary course of business.

NORMA Group does not believe that any of these contingent
liabilities will have a material adverse effect on its business or
any material liabilities will arise from contingent liabilities.

Lease expenditure (including non-cancellable and cancellable
operating leases) amounting to EUR 9,449 thousand in 2015
(2014: EUR 8,737 thousand) is included in profit or loss in ‘other
operating expenses.’

3 9. COMMITMENTS

Capital commitments
Capital expenditure (nominal value) contracted for on the bal-
ance sheet date but not yet incurred is as follows:

The following table shows the future aggregate minimum lease
payments (nominal value) under non-cancellable operating
leases:

C O M M I T M E N T S

T 12 3

F U T U R E M I N I M U M L E A S E PAY M E N T S O F
N O N - C A N C E L L A B L E O P E R AT I N G L E A S E S

T 124

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

in EUR thousands

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

Property, plant and equipment

Inventory

Service contracts

3,183

817

3,358

No later than 1 year

Later than 1 year and no later than 5 years

Later than 5 years

4,085

3,358

6,694

10,540

1,824

19,058

6,113

12,638

6,356

25,107

There are no material commitments concerning intangible assets.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

165

40. BUSINES S COMBIN ATIONS

Changes of the initial purchase price allocation of National
Diversified Sales, Inc. acquired in the fourth quarter of 2014
The purchase price allocation was adjusted in the second
quarter of 2015 based on the final determination of the Trade
Working Capital Adjustment. The following table summarises
the consideration paid and the amounts of the assets acquired
and liabilities assumed recognised on the acquisition date and
on 31 December 2015:

P U R C H A S E P R I C E A L L O C AT I O N N D S

T 12 5

in EUR thousands

Initial
purchase price
allocation

Corrections
within the
evaluation period

Adjusted
purchase price
allocation

Consideration on 31 October 2014

140,991

−256

140,735

Acquisition-related costs (included in other operating expenses in the
consolidated financial statement of comprehensive income)

Recognised amounts of identifiable assets acquired
and liabilities assumed

Cash and cash equivalents

Property, plant and equipment

Trademarks

Customer lists

Patented technology

Software

Inventory

Trade and other receivables

Trade payables and other liabilties

Loans

Finance lease liabilities

Personnel related liabilities

Tax assets

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilties

Total identifiable net assets

Goodwill

4,162

11,139

21,338

25,321

132,005

1,270

242

27,472

17,737

−9,867

−87,065

−793

−10,285

777

4,852

−68,536

65,605

75,386

140,991

4,162

11,139

21,338

25,321

132,005

1,270

242

27,472

17,737

−9,867

−87,065

−793

−10,285

777

4,852

−68,536

65,605

75,130

140,735

−256

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
166

41. R EL ATED - PART Y TR A NSACTIONS

Sales and purchases of goods and services
In 2015 and 2014, no management services were bought from
related parties.

Beside the provisions above a defined benefit obligation exists
for the Management Board. The present value of the obligation
amounts to EUR 96 thousand as of 31 December 2015.

Details regarding the compensation of the Management Board
can be found on  pages 90 to 93.

There are no material sales or purchases of goods and services
from non-consolidated companies, from the shareholders of
NORMA Group, from key management or from other related
parties in 2015 and 2014.

42 . ADDITION AL DISCLOSURES PURSUA NT

TO SECTION 315A (1) OF THE

GER M A N COMMERCIAL CODE (HGB)

Compensation of members of the Management Board
Compensation of the members of the Management Board ac-
cording to IFRS is as follows:

Compensation of board members
The remuneration of the Management Board and Supervisory
Board of NORMA Group GmbH was as follows:

C O M P E N S AT I O N O F M E M B E R S O F
T H E M A N A G E M E N T B O A R D

T 12 6

C O M P E N S AT I O N O F B O A R D M E M B E R S

T 12 8

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Short-term benefits

Other long-term benefits

Termination benefits

Share-based payment

Total compensation according to IFRS

1,969

729

1,763

4,557

1,689

1,005

541

3,235

In addition to the compensation above, EUR 6,278 thousand
were recognised directly in equity as a reduction of the capital
reserve against a corresponding provision in the context of the
change in classification of the Matching Stock Programme (MSP)
for the Management Board of NORMA Group  Note 28 ‘Share-
based Payments.’

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Total Management Board

Total Supervisory Board

4,557

460

5,017

3,235

460

3,695

Fees for the auditor
Fees for the auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers AG Wirtschafts-
prüfungsgesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main were expensed as
follows:

F E E S F O R T H E A U D I T O R

T 12 9

in EUR thousands

2015

2014

Provisions for the compensation of the members of the Man-
agement Board are as follows:

Audit-related fees

Other fees

Audit fees

562

664

531

106

661

P R O V I S I O N S F O R C O M P E N S AT I O N
O F T H E M A N A G E M E N T B O A R D M E M B E R S

T 12 7

Headcount
The average headcount breaks down as follows:

in EUR thousand

Notes

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2014

AV E R A G E H E A D C O U N T

T 13 0

LTI – Management Board

STI – Management Board

Matching Stock Programme
(MSP)

Total

(30)

(28)

1,758

460

5,640

7,858

1,562

380

1,942

Details regarding the individual provisions can be found in the
respective notes.

Number

Direct labour

Indirect labour

Salaried

2015

2014

2,319

1,123

1,564

5,006

2,205

1,167

1,375

4,747

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

167

The category ‘direct labour’ consists of employees who are
directly engaged in the production process. The numbers fluc-
tuate according to the level of output. The category ‘indirect
labour’ consists of personnel that do not directly produce prod-
ucts, but rather support production. Salaried employees are
employees in administrative / sales / central functions.

Consolidation
Name, place of domicile and share in capital pursuant to section
313 (2) No. 1 HGB of the consolidated group of companies is
presented in  Note 4 ‘Scope of Consolidation.’

Proposal for the distribution of earnings
The Management Board proposes that a dividend of EUR 0.90
be paid as a dividend per bearer of shares, leading to a total
dividend payment of EUR 28,676,160.

Corporate governance (Section 161 AktG)
The Management Board and Supervisory Board have issued a
corporate governance declaration pursuant to section 161 of
the German Stock Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz) and made
it available to shareholders on the website of NORMA Group.
@ http://investors.normagroup.com

4 3 . E XEMP TIONS UNDER SECTION 26 4, PAR AGR APH 3

OF THE GER M A N COMMERCIAL CODE (HGB)

In 2015, the following German subsidiaries made use of disclo-
sure exemptions pursuant to Section 264, Paragraph 3 of the
German Commercial Code (HGB):

• NORMA Group Holding GmbH, Maintal
• NORMA Distribution Center GmbH, Marsberg
• NORMA Germany GmbH, Maintal

4 4. E VENTS AF TER THE BAL A NCE SHEE T DATE
As of 10 March 2016, no events were known that would have led
to a material change in the disclosure or valuation of the assets
and liabilities as of 31 December 2015.

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements168

Appendix to the Notes to the
Consolidated Financial Statements

V O T I N G R I G H T N O T I F I C AT I O N S

Notifying party

Achievement of

Notification

voting rights

limit

in %

Shares Pursuant to section 22 WpHG

T 131

VOTING RIGHT NOTIFICATIONS
According to section 160 (1) no. 8 AktG, information regarding
voting rights that have been notified to the company pursuant
to section 21 (1) or (1a) of the German Securities Trading Act
(Wertpapierhandelsgesetz – WpHG) have to be disclosed.

The following sheet gives an overview of all voting rights that
have been sent to the company as of 10 March 2016. It contains
the information of the last notification of each shareholder and
the percentage and shares may have changed in the meantime.

All notifications of voting rights by the company in the reporting
period and up until 10 March 2016 are available on the website
of NORMA Group @ http://investors.normagroup.com.

Allianz Global Investors Europe GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

21 January 2014 5% Exceedance

5.02 1,601,001 thereof 0.50% (157,764 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

Ameriprise Financial Inc., Minneapolis, USA 1

9 May 2013

10% Shortfall

9.96 3,172,259 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Ameriprise International Holdings GmbH, Zug, Switzerland 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Atlantic Value General Partner Limited, London, United Kingdom

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Atlantic Value Investment Partnership LP, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

A X A S.A., Paris, France

18 February 2016 5% Exceedance

5.02 1,599,240 4

BlackRock Advisors Holdings, Inc., New York, USA 2

26 November 2014

5% Shortfall

4.98 1,586,933

according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA 2

29 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.99

951,730

voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BlackRock Group Limited, London, United Kingdom 2

1 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.97

945,263

(643,625 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA 2

29 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.99

951,730

voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA 2

1 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.97

946,475

(643,625 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, London, United Kingdom 2

30 March 2015

3% Shortfall

2.98

950,898

according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BlackRock, Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA 2

29 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.99

951,730

voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BNP Paribas Asset Management SAS, Paris, France

25 June 2015 3% Exceedance

3.01

960,377

§ 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

BNP Paribas Investment Partners S.A., Paris, France

17 April 2014 3% Exceedance

3.15 1,004,048

(349,923 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BR Jersey International Holdings, L.P., St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands 2

1 April 2015

3% Shortfall

946,475

(643,625 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

Capital Research and Management Company, Los Angeles, CA, USA

7 March 2014 3% Exceedance

973,100 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

Columbia Management Investment Advisers LLC, Boston, USA

Columbia Wanger Asset Management LLC, Chicago, USA

Delta Lloyd Asset Management N.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands

19 June 2012 3% Exceedance

3.25 1,036,183 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

26 August 2015 3% Exceedance

985,999 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

13 March 2015

3% Shortfall

935,848 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

thereof 0.87% (278,692 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 0.0003%

(106 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 2 WpHG and 4.10% (1,307,837 voting rights)

thereof 1,50% (477.777 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 1,49% (475.526

thereof 0.95% (301,638 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 2.02%

thereof 1.50% (477,777 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 1.49% (475,526

thereof 0.95% (302,850 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 2.02%

thereof 0.94% (299,854 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG, 2.04% (651,044

voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG and 0.99% (316,878 voting rights)

thereof 1.50% (477,777 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 1.49% (475,526

thereof 1.14% (363,840 voting rights) directly and 1.87% (596,537 voting rights) according to

thereof 2.05% (654,125 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and also 1.1%

thereof 0.95% (302,850 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 2.02%

Delta Lloyd N.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands

DL AM Holding B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands

George Loening, USA 3

MIPL Group Limited, London, United Kingdom

MIPL Holdings Limited, London, United Kingdom

Mondrian Investment Partners Limited, London, United Kingdom

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

1 The voting rights attributed to the notifying party are held by the following share-

holder whose share in the voting rights in NORMA Group SE amounts to 3% or more:

Select Equity GP, LLC., Wilmington, DE, USA

Select Equity Group, L.P., Wilmington, DE, USA

SMALLCAP World Fund, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Threadneedle Investment Funds ICVC.

T. Rowe Price International Discovery Fund, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, USA

2 The total amount does not necessarily equal the sum of the detailed attributed hold-
ings. This results from voting rights having multiple attributions within the BlackRock

Group structure.

TAM UK Holdings Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

TC Financing Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

3 The total amount does not necessarily equal the sum of the detailed attributed

The Capital Group Companies, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA

7 March 2014 3% Exceedance

3.05

973,100 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 and 3 WpHG

holdings. This results from voting rights having multiple attributions within the Select

Equity Group structure.

4 The voting rights attributed to the notifying party are held by the following share-

Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings SARL, Luxembourg 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

holder whose share in the voting rights in NORMA Group SE amounts to 3% or more:

Threadneedle Asset Management Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

A X A Investment Managers S.A. (4.53% of voting rights).

5 The voting rights attributed to the notifying party are held by the following share-

holder whose share in the voting rights in NORMA Group SE amounts to 3% or more:

Threadneedle Holdings Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Threadneedle Investment Funds ICVC, London, United Kingdom

17 October 2013

5% Shortfall

4.94 1,575,121

T. Rowe Price International Ltd (3.11% of voting rights).

Threadneedle Investment Services Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

17 October 2013

5% Shortfall

4.94 1,575,121 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

2.97

3.05

3.09

2.94

2.93

3.05

3.11

2.88

13 March 2015

3% Shortfall

935,848

sent. 2 and 3 WpHG and 2.20% (702,459 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG

thereof 2.94% (935,848 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with

13 March 2015

3% Shortfall

935,848 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 and 3 WpHG

13 October 2015

3% Shortfall

2.93

934,555

sent. 2 WpHG and 0.92% (294,289 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG

thereof 2.93% (934,555 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

13 October 2015

3% Shortfall

934,555

sent. 2 WpHG

13 October 2015

3% Shortfall

934,555 thereof 2.93% (934,555 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

thereof 2.93% (934,555 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with

30 October 2014 3% Exceedance

24 February 2016 3% Exceedance

7 April 2015

3% Shortfall

970,940

990,078 5

916,078

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015
V O T I N G R I G H T N O T I F I C AT I O N S

Notifying party

Achievement of
voting rights

Notification
limit

Share
in %

Shares Pursuant to section 22 WpHG

169

T 131

Allianz Global Investors Europe GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

21 January 2014 5% Exceedance

5.02 1,601,001 thereof 0.50% (157,764 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

Ameriprise Financial Inc., Minneapolis, USA 1

9 May 2013

10% Shortfall

9.96 3,172,259 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Ameriprise International Holdings GmbH, Zug, Switzerland 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Atlantic Value General Partner Limited, London, United Kingdom

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Atlantic Value Investment Partnership LP, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

A X A S.A., Paris, France

18 February 2016 5% Exceedance

5.02 1,599,240 4

BlackRock Advisors Holdings, Inc., New York, USA 2

26 November 2014

5% Shortfall

4.98 1,586,933

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA 2

29 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.99

951,730

thereof 0.87% (278,692 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 0.0003%
(106 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 2 WpHG and 4.10% (1,307,837 voting rights)
according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

thereof 1,50% (477.777 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 1,49% (475.526
voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BlackRock Group Limited, London, United Kingdom 2

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA 2

1 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.97

945,263

thereof 0.95% (301,638 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 2.02%
(643,625 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

29 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.99

951,730

thereof 1.50% (477,777 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 1.49% (475,526
voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA 2

1 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.97

946,475

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, London, United Kingdom 2

30 March 2015

3% Shortfall

2.98

950,898

thereof 0.95% (302,850 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 2.02%
(643,625 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

thereof 0.94% (299,854 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG, 2.04% (651,044
voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG and 0.99% (316,878 voting rights)
according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BlackRock, Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA 2

29 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.99

951,730

thereof 1.50% (477,777 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 1.49% (475,526
voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

BNP Paribas Asset Management SAS, Paris, France

25 June 2015 3% Exceedance

3.01

960,377

BNP Paribas Investment Partners S.A., Paris, France

17 April 2014 3% Exceedance

3.15 1,004,048

thereof 1.14% (363,840 voting rights) directly and 1.87% (596,537 voting rights) according to
§ 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

thereof 2.05% (654,125 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and also 1.1%
(349,923 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

1 April 2015

3% Shortfall

7 March 2014 3% Exceedance

2.97

3.05

946,475

thereof 0.95% (302,850 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG and 2.02%
(643,625 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connections with sent. 2 WpHG

973,100 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

19 June 2012 3% Exceedance

3.25 1,036,183 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

26 August 2015 3% Exceedance

13 March 2015

3% Shortfall

13 March 2015

3% Shortfall

13 March 2015

3% Shortfall

3.09

2.94

985,999 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

935,848 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

935,848

thereof 2.94% (935,848 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with
sent. 2 and 3 WpHG and 2.20% (702,459 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG

935,848 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 and 3 WpHG

13 October 2015

3% Shortfall

2.93

934,555

thereof 2.93% (934,555 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with
sent. 2 WpHG and 0.92% (294,289 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Mondrian Investment Partners Limited, London, United Kingdom

6 November 2015

5% Shortfall

4.85 1,543,895 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

13 October 2015

3% Shortfall

13 October 2015

3% Shortfall

30 October 2014 3% Exceedance

24 February 2016 3% Exceedance

7 April 2015

3% Shortfall

2.93

3.05

3.11

2.88

934,555

thereof 2.93% (934,555 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with
sent. 2 WpHG

934,555 thereof 2.93% (934,555 voting rights) according to § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

970,940

990,078 5

916,078

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

7 March 2014 3% Exceedance

3.05

973,100 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 and 3 WpHG

Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings SARL, Luxembourg 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Threadneedle Asset Management Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

Threadneedle Holdings Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

4 August 2015 5% Exceedance

5.20 1,655,410 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 in connection with sent. 2 WpHG

Threadneedle Investment Funds ICVC, London, United Kingdom

17 October 2013

5% Shortfall

4.94 1,575,121

Threadneedle Investment Services Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

17 October 2013

5% Shortfall

4.94 1,575,121 § 22 (1) sent. 1 no. 6 WpHG

BR Jersey International Holdings, L.P., St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands 2

Capital Research and Management Company, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Columbia Management Investment Advisers LLC, Boston, USA

Columbia Wanger Asset Management LLC, Chicago, USA

Delta Lloyd Asset Management N.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands

Delta Lloyd N.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands

DL AM Holding B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands

George Loening, USA 3

MIPL Group Limited, London, United Kingdom

MIPL Holdings Limited, London, United Kingdom

Select Equity GP, LLC., Wilmington, DE, USA

Select Equity Group, L.P., Wilmington, DE, USA

SMALLCAP World Fund, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, USA

T. Rowe Price International Discovery Fund, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, USA

TAM UK Holdings Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

TC Financing Limited, London, United Kingdom 1

The Capital Group Companies, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
170

Corporate Bodies

MEMBERS OF THE M A N AGEMENT BOAR D:

MEMBERS OF THE SUPERVISORY BOAR D:

Werner Deggim
Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering,
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Dr. Stefan Wolf (Chairman)
• Chief Executive Officer of ElringKlinger AG,

Dettingen, Germany

Dr. Michael Schneider
PhD in Economics, Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
(since 1 July 2015)

Dr. Othmar Belker
PhD in Economics, Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
(up until 31 March 2015)

Bernd Kleinhens
Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering,
Managing Director Business Development

• Member of the Supervisory Board of Allgaier Werke GmbH,

Uhingen, Germany

• Member of the Supervisory Board of Fielmann AG,

Hamburg, Germany (up until 9 July 2015)

Lars M. Berg (Deputy Chairman)
• Independent Consultant
• Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Net Insight AB,

Stockholm, Sweden

• Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Greater Than AB,

Stockholm, Sweden (since 5 February 2016)

• Member of the Supervisory Board of BioElectric Solutions AB,

Stockholm, Sweden

John Stephenson
Master of Science, Chief Operating Officer (COO)

• Member of the Supervisory Board of OnePhone Holding AB,

Stockholm, Sweden (up until 23 September 2015)

Günter Hauptmann
• Independent Consultant
• Member of the Supervisory Board of Geka GmbH,

Bechhofen, Germany

• Chairman of the Advisory Board of GIF GmbH,

Alsdorf, Germany

Knut J. Michelberger
• Member of the Management Board of Kaffee-Partner-

Holding GmbH and its subsidiaries, Osnabrück, Germany
• Member of the Supervisory Board of Rena Technologies

GmbH, Gütenbach, Germany

Dr. Christoph Schug
• Entrepreneur
• Member of the Supervisory Board of BCG Baden-Baden

Cosmetics Group AG, Baden-Baden, Germany
(up until the end of May 2015)

• Member of the Board of Directors of AMEOS Gruppe AG,

Zurich, Switzerland

Erika Schulte
• Managing Director of Hanau Wirtschaftsförderung GmbH and
Liquidator of Technologie- und Gründerzentrum Hanau GmbH

• No seats on other boards or comparable committees

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015171

Responsibility Statement

To the best of our knowledge, and in accordance with the applicable reporting principles, the consoli-
dated financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit
or loss of the Group, and the Group Management Report includes a fair review of the development
and performance of the business and the position of the Group, together with a description of the
principal opportunities and risks associated with the expected development of the Group.

Maintal, 10 March 2016

NORMA Group SE
The Management Board

Werner Deggim

Dr. Michael Schneider

Bernd Kleinhens

John Stephenson

Consolidated Financial StatementsNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements172

Auditor’s Report

We have audited the consolidated financial statements prepared by the NORMA Group SE, com-
prising the Statement of Financial Position, the statement of comprehensive income, statement
of changes in equity, cash flow statement and the notes to the consolidated financial statements,
together with the group management report for the business year from January 1 to December 31
2015. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements and the group management report
in accordance with the IFRSs, as adopted by the EU, and / or the additional requirements of German
commercial law pursuant to § (Article) 315a Abs. (paragraph) 1 HGB (“Handelsgesetzbuch”: German
Commercial Code) is the responsibility of the parent Company’s Board of Managing Directors. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on the consolidated financial statements and on the group
management report based on our audit.

We conducted our audit of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with § 317 HGB
and German generally accepted standards for the audit of financial statements promulgated by the
Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer (Institute of Public Auditors in Germany) (IDW). Those standards require
that we plan and perform the audit such that misstatements materially affecting the presentation of
the net assets, financial position and results of operations in the consolidated financial statements in
accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework and in the group management report
are detected with reasonable assurance. Knowledge of the business activities and the economic
and legal environment of the Group and expectations as to possible misstatements are taken into
account in the determination of audit procedures. The effectiveness of the accounting-related internal
control system and the evidence supporting the disclosures in the consolidated financial statements
and the group management report are examined primarily on a test basis within the framework of
the audit. The audit includes assessing the annual financial statements of those entities included in
consolidation, the determination of the entities to be included in consolidation, the accounting and
consolidation principles used and significant estimates made by the Company’s Board of Managing
Directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements and
the group management report. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Our audit has not led to any reservations.

In our opinion based on the findings of our audit the consolidated financial statements comply with
the IFRSs as adopted by the EU and the additional requirements of German commercial law pursuant
to § 315a Abs. 1 HGB and give a true and fair view of the net assets, financial position and results of
operations of the Group in accordance with these requirements. The group management report is
consistent with the consolidated financial statements and as a whole provides a suitable view of the
Group’s position and suitably presents the opportunities and risks of future development.

Frankfurt am Main, March 10, 2016

PricewaterhouseCoopers
Aktiengesellschaft
Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

Dr. Ulrich Störk
Wirtschaftsprüfer
(German Public Auditor)

[ppa.] Benjamin Hessel
Wirtschaftsprüfer
(German Public Auditor)

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Further Information

Glossary

173

Glossary

3 6 0° FEEDBACK
Method for assessing the competence and performance of
experts and executives from different perspectives.

CAQ SOF T WAR E
Software for quality assurance.

5S ME THOD OLOGY
5S is a method for organising a work space for efficiency and
effectiveness in order to reduce industrial accidents.

A F TER M ARKE T SEGMENT
The market concerned with the maintenance / repair of invest-
ment goods or long-life final goods (e.g. vehicles) or the sale
of replacement parts or complementary parts for the goods.
This involves the sale of services and / or parts that are directly
related to the previous sale of the goods.

AS SES SMENT CENTER
Structured personnel review procedures for the assessment of
(potential) employees.

APAC
Abbreviation for the region Asia-Pacific.

CODE OF CONDUCT
A set of policies which can / should be applied in a wide range
of contexts and environments depending on the situation. In
contrast to a rule, the target audience is not obliged to always
comply with the Code of Conduct. A Code of Conduct is more
of a personal commitment to follow or abstain from certain
patterns of behaviour and ensure that nobody gains an unfair
advantage by circumventing these patterns.

COMPLIA NCE
Conforming to rules: companies adhering to codes of conduct,
laws and guidelines.

COR POR ATE GOVER N A NCE
A set of all international and national rules, regulations, values
and principles which apply to companies and determine how
these companies are to be managed and monitored.

AS SE T BACKED SECURITIES (ABS) PROGR A MME
A specific way of converting payment claims into negotiable
securities by way of a financing company.

COR POR ATE R ESPONSIBILIT Y
A form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business
model by taking societal and environmental aspects into ac-
count.

AUSTENITIC STEEL
Austenitic steel is a stainless steel that normally contains an
alloy of 15–20% chromium and 5–15% nickel.

COVER AGE
The regular assessment of the economic and financial situation
of a listed company by banks or financial research institutions.

BEST L A NDED COST
Assessment of the total costs of a product including the price of
the product as well as the charges for the shipping, taxes and /
or duties.

CROS S - CURRENCY SWAP
A financial derivative in which two parties exchange interest and
principal payments in different currencies.

BUBBLE AS SIG NMENT
Short-term exchange programme for employees to promote inter-
nal knowledge transfer, intercultural awareness, the development
of networks and the individual development of the participants.

CROS S - SELLING EFFECTS
The action or practice of selling an additional product or service
to an existing customer.

174

DISTRIBUTION SERVICES (DS)
One of NORMA Group’s two ways to market, which provides a
wide range of high-quality, standardised joining products for a
broad range of applications and customers.

ENGINEER ED JOINING TECHNOLOGY (E JT )
One of NORMA Group’s two ways to market. It provides custom-
ised, highly engineered joining technology products primarily,
but not exclusively, for industrial OEM customers.

E- PROCUR EMENT
Electronic procurement system.

E AR NINGS BEFOR E INTER EST,

TA XES A ND A MORTISATION (EBITA )
Earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation of intangible
assets.

E AR NINGS BEFOR E INTER EST, TA XES,

DEPR ECIATION A ND A MORTIZ ATION (EBITDA )
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation (of property, plant
and equipment) and amortisation (of intangible assets). It is a
measure of a company’s operating performance before invest-
ment expenses.

EDI (ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCH A NGE )
Collective term for the exchange of data using electronic trans-
fer processes.

EL ASTOMERS
Stable but elastic plastics which are used at a temperature
above their glass transition temperature. The plastics can de-
form under tensile load or compressive load, but then return to
their original undeformed shape.

EME A
Abbreviation for the economic area of Europe (made up of West-
ern and Eastern Europe), the Middle East and Africa.

EMPLOYER BR A NDING
Corporate strategic measure to represent the company as an
attractive employer and for positioning in the labor market.

EURIBOR
Reference rate for time deposits in the interbank business
(currency: EUR).

EUROPE A N M AR KE T INFR ASTRUCTUR E

R EGUL ATION (EMIR)
An EU regulation that regulates the over-the-counter market
with derivative products. The main stipulation of this regulation
obligates market participants to clear their over-the-counter
standard derivative transactions through a central counterpart
and report these transactions to a transaction registry.

FER RITIC STEEL
Ferritic chromium steel is a stainless steel that normally cannot
be hardened. It is magnetisable and is used in environments
containing little or no chloride.

FR EE CASH FLOW
Indicates the amount of money that is available to pay dividends
to shareholders and / or repay loans.

GEMBA WALK
Daily walk through the production halls in order to inspect in-
dividual processes in the opposite order of the workflow and
analyse potential opportunities for improvements.

GLOBAL E XCELLENCE PROGR A MME
A cost optimisation programme that was started in 2009. It
coordinates and manages all of NORMA Group’s sites and busi-
ness units.

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING (IPO)
First offering of shares of a company on the organised capital
market.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015
Further Information

Glossary

175

INNOVATION ROADM APPING
Systematic approach to adapt company-specific product in-
novations to future market and technological developments.

INNOVATION SCOUTING
Structured observation of changes, potentials and relevant
knowledge of technological developments and processes.

INTER N ATION AL SECURITIES

IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (ISIN)
12-digit alphanumerical code used to identify a security traded
on the stock market.

ISO 140 01
An international environmental management standard that
specifies the internationally accepted requirements for an en-
vironmental management system.

ISO 9 0 01
International standard that defines the fundamentals of quality
management systems.

ISO / TS 16 9 49
An international standard that combines the existing general
demands on quality management systems of the (mostly North
American and European) automotive industry.

LONG -TER M AS SIG NMENT
Long-term exchange programme for employees to promote
internal knowledge transfer, intercultural awareness, the de-
velopment of networks and the individual development of the
participants.

N ATION AL BUR E AU OF STATISTICS (NBS)
Chinese Bureau of Statistics.

OHSAS 18 0 01
Abbreviation for Occupational Health and Safety Assessment
Series; used in many countries as a basis for certification of
occupational health and safety management systems. The
structure is closely linked to the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001
standards.

ORIGIN AL EQUIPMENT M A NUFACTUR ER (OEM)
A company that retails products under its own name.

PRIME STA NDARD
A segment of the regulated stock market with higher inclu-
sion requirements than the General Standard. It is the pri-
vate law segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with the
highest transparency standards. All companies listed in the
DA X, MDA X, TecDA X and SDA X must be included in the Prime
Standard.

K AIZEN
Kaizen refers to activities that continually improve all functions. It
also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics that
cross organisational boundaries into the supply chain.

PRINT ON DEM A ND SYSTEMS
Publication process by which print templates are not created
until the first order has been received.

K A NBA N
Method of production process control for the reduction of local
stocks of precursors.

R E- ENGINEERING CENTER
Engineering redesign of existing products to adapt to changing
market conditions.

LE A N M A NUFACTURING
A systematic method for the elimination of waste within a manu-
facturing process.

R E VERSE FACTORING
A financing solution initiated by the ordering party in order to
help his suppliers to finance their receivables more easily and
at a lower interest rate than they would normally be offered.

176

ROADSHOW
Series of corporate presentations made to investors by an is-
suer at various financial locations to attract investment in the
company.

SOCIE TAS EUROPAE A (SE )
Legal form for stock companies in the European Union and the
European economic area. With the SE, the EU started allowing
for companies to be founded in accordance with a largely uni-
form legal framework at the end of 2004.

SELECTIVE CATALY TIC R EDUCTION (SCR)
Selective catalytic reduction is a method to reduce particle and
nitrogen oxide emissions.

SENIOR FACILIT Y AGR EEMENT (SFA )
Loan agreement.

SIX SIGM A
Management system for process improvement using ana lytical
and statistical tools.

ECONOMIES OF SCALE
Defined in business economics’ production theory and micro-
economics as the connection between the scale of a com-
pany’s output and the number of factors of production that
it uses.

SMED (SINGLE MINUTE E XCH A NGE OF DIE )
Optimisation of set up times of processes through both orga-
nisational and technical measures.

THER MOPL ASTS (ALSO K NOWN AS PL ASTOMERS)
Plastics which become elastic (thermoplastic) in a particular
temperature range, whereby this process is reversible.

TPM ( TOTAL PRODUCTIVE M AINTEN A NCE )
Program for continuous improvement in all areas of a company
with the goal of zero defects, failures, quality losses, accidents
etc. The main focus is in the field of production.

SECURITIES ID NUMBER ( WK N)
A six-character combination of numbers and letters used in
Germany to identify securities.

XE TR A
An electronic trading system operated by Deutsche Börse AG
for the spot market.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015
Further Information

List of Graphics

177

List of Graphics

COVER

G R A P H I C
G 001

NORMA Group Production
and Distribution Sites

TO OUR SH AR EHOLDERS

P A G E

Back cover

P A G E

26
27
27
28

CONSOLIDATED M A N AGEMENT R EPORT (CONT.)

G R A P H I C
G 010 Strategic Goals of NORMA Group
G 011 Development of Sales in 2015
G 012 Sales Distribution by Distribution Channels
G 013

Cost of Materials and Cost of Materials Ratio
(adjusted)

G 014 Adjusted EBITA and adjusted EBITA Margin
G 015 Asset and Capital Structure
G 016 Maturity Profile by Currency
G 017 Maturity Profile by Financial Instruments
G 018 Breakdown of Sales by Segment
G 019

Material Purchasing Turnover in 2015
according to Material Groups
Development of Nickel Prices and the
Alloy Surcharge 1.4301 in 2015
G 021 Personnel Development at NORMA Group
G 022 Breakdown of Employees by Group
G 023
G 024 Marketing Expenditures 2015 by Segment
G 025 Marketing Expenditures 2015 by Activity
G 026 Risk Management System of NORMA Group

Incident Rate

G 020

P A G E
51
60
60

61
61
62
63
64
65

69
70
71
73
74
74
80

G R A P H I C
G 002

Index-Based Comparison of NORMA Group’s Share
Price Performance 2015 with the MDAX and DAX

G 003 Distribution of Trading Activity in 2015
G 004 Free Float by Region
G 005 Analyst Recommendations
Share Price Development
G 006
since the IPO in 2011

CONSOLIDATED M A N AGEMENT R EPORT

G R A P H I C
G 007
NORMA Group (simplified Structure)
G 008 Organisational Structure of NORMA Group
G 009 Sales by End Markets in 2015

P A G E
47
48
48

178

List of Tables

COVER

CONSOLIDATED M A N AGEMENT R EPORT (CONT.)

TA B L E
T 001 Overview of Key Figures 2015

P A G E
Front cover

TO OUR SH AR EHOLDERS

TA B L E
T 002 Overview of Voting Right Notifications
T 003 Analysts covering NORMA Group
T 004

Key Figures of the NORMA Group Share
since the IPO

T 005 Directors’ Dealings 2015
T 006

Other Mandates of the
Supervisory Board Members

CONSOLIDATED M A N AGEMENT R EPORT

TA B L E
T 007 Overview of Endmarkets and Brands by Segment
Regulation of Average Emissions (CO2)
T 008
for Vehicle Fleets

T 009 Financial Control Parameters
T 010 Non-Financial Control Parameters
T 011 R&D Key Figures
T 012

Important New Developments
in Financial Year 2015

T 013 GDP Growth Rates (Real)
T 014

Actual Business Development
compared to Forecast

T 015 Adjustments
T 016 Effects on Group Sales
T 017 Development of Sales Channels
T 018 Development of Segments
T 019
T 020 Core Workforce by Segment
T 021 Age Structure of NORMA Group Employees
T 022 Length of Service of NORMA Group Employees
T 023 Specific Environmental Indicators

Investment Highlights in 2015

P A G E
27
28

29
38

P A G E
49

50
53
53
55

55
56

58
59
60
60
65
67
70
70
70
74

TA B L E
T 024 Forecasts for GDP Growth (Real)
T 025 Engineering: Real Change in Industry Sales
T 026

Automotive Industry: Global Production
and Development of Sales (Passenger Vehicles)
Construction Industry: Development of
European Construction Output

T 027

T 028 2016 Forecast
T 029 Risk and Opportunity Portfolio of NORMA Group
T 030

Overview of the Matching Stock
Programme (MSP) as of the Allotment Date

91
T 031 Remuneration Granted to the Management Board 92
T 032

Inflow from Management Board
Member Remuneration

T 033 Remuneration of the Supervisory Board

CONSOLIDATED FIN A NCIAL STATEMENTS

TA B L E
T 034 Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
T 035

Consolidated Statement of
Comprehensive Income

T 036 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
T 037 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
T 038 Segment Reporting
T 039

New and Amended Standards
Adopted by the Group for the First Time
Standards, Amendments and Interpretations
to existing Standars that have already been
Endorsed by the EU
Standards, Amendments and Interpretations
to existing Standars that have not been
Endorsed by the EU

T 040

T 041

T 042 Valuation Methods
T 043 Exchange Rates
T 044 Offsetting of Financial Instruments
T 045 Change in Scope of Consolidation

P A G E
76
76

77
79
87

92
93

P A G E
104

106
107
108
110

113

114

115
117
118
121
125

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Further Information

List of Tables

179

CONSOLIDATED FIN A NCIAL STATEMENTS (CONT.)

P A G E

TA B L E

TA B L E
T 046

List of Group Companies of NORMA Group
as of 31 December 2015

T 047 Foreign Exchange Risk
T 048

Maturity Structure of
Non-Derivative Financial Liabilities
Maturity Structure of
Derivative Financial Instruments

T 049

T 050 Profit and Loss Net of Adjustments
T 051 Revenue by Category
T 052 Raw Materials and Consumables Used
T 053 Other Operating Income
T 054 Other Operating Expenses
T 055 Employee Benefits Expense
T 056 Financial Income and Costs
T 057 Net Foreign Exchange Gains / Losses
T 058 Earnings Per Share
T 059
T 060 Tax Reconciliation
T 061

Income Tax Charged / Credited to
Other Comprehensive Income

Income Taxes

T 062 Deferred Tax Assets and Deferred Tax Liabilities
T 063 Movement in Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities
T 064 Deferred Income Tax Assets
T 065 Deferred Income Tax Liabilities
T 066 Expiry of Recognised Tax Losses
T 067 Expiry of Not Recognised Tax Losses
Development Goodwill and
T 068
Other Intangible Assets
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets –
Carrying Amounts

T 069

T 070 Change in Goodwill
T 071 Goodwill Allocation Per Segment
T 072 Goodwill Per Segment – Key Assumptions
T 073 Development Property, Plant and Equipment
T 074

Property, Plant and Equipment –
Carrying Amounts

126
127

128

128
131
132
132
132
132
133
133
133
134
135
135

135
136
136
136
137
137
137

138

139
139
139
140
140

141

P A G E

141
141
141
142
144

145

145
145
146
147
147
147
147
148

T 075 Finance Leases – Land and Buildings
T 076 Finance Leases – Machinery
T 077 Finance Leases – Other Equipment
T 078 Financial Instruments – Classes and Categories
T 079 Financial Instruments – Fair Value Hierarchy
T 080

T 081

Financial Instruments –
Changes in Level 3 Instruments
Financial Instruments -
Net Gains and Losses
T 082 Derivative Financial Instruments
T 083 Change in Hedging Reserve Before Tax
T 084 Gains and Losses Fair-Value-Hedges
T 085 Trade Receivables and Other Receivables
T 086 Trade Receivables
T 087 Trade Receivables – Maturity Analysis
T 088 Trade Receivables – Impairments
T 089

Trade Receivables –
Carrying Amount Per Currency

Inventories

148
148
T 090 Trade Receivables – Development Impairments
149
T 091 Receivables from Construction Contracts
149
T 092 Gross Amount Customer Contracts
149
T 093
149
T 094 Other Non-Financial Assets
149
T 095 Other Financial Assets
150
T 096 Development Retained Earnings
151
T 097 Development Other Reserves
151
T 098 Parameters MSP
152
T 099 Development of the MSP Option Rights
153
T 100 Development LTI
T 101 Components Pension Liability
154
T 102 Reconciliation of the Net Defined Benefit Liability 155
155
T 103 Reconciliation of Changes in the DBO
T 104

Reconciliation of Changes in the
Fair Value of Plan Assets

T 105 Disaggregation of Plan Assets
T 106 Actuarial Assumptions

155
155
155

180

CONSOLIDATED FIN A NCIAL STATEMENTS (CONT.)

TA B L E
T 107

Expected Payments from
Post-Employment Benefit Plans

T 108 Development of Provisions
T 109 Provisions – Split Current / Non-Current
T 110 Provisions – Other Personnel-Related
T 111 Borrowings
T 112 Maturity Bank Borrowings 2015
T 113 Maturity Bank Borrowings 2014
T 114 Other Non-Financial Liabilities
T 115 Other Financial Liabilities
T 116

Future Minimum Lease Payments
Non-Cancellable Finance Leases

T 117 Trade and Other Payables
T 118 Maturity Financial Liabilities
T 119 Net Debt
T 120 Net Payments For Acquisitions of Subsidiaries
T 121 External Sales Per Country
T 122 Non-Current Assets Per Country
T 123 Commitments
T 124

Future Minimum Lease Payments of
Non-Cancellable Operating Leases

T 125 Purchase Price Allocation NDS
T 126

Compensation of Members of the
Management Board
Provisions for Compensation of the
Management Board Members

T 127

T 128 Compensation of Board Members
T 129 Fees for the Auditor
T 130 Average Headcount
T 131 Voting Right Notifications

FURTHER INFOR M ATION

TA B L E
T 132 Overview by Quarter 2015
T 133 Multi-Year Overview

P A G E

156
157
157
158
159
159
160
160
160

161
161
161
161
162
164
164
164

164
165

166

166
166
166
166
168

P A G E
181
182

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015Further Information

Overview by Quarter 2015

181

Overview by Quarter 2015 1

Q1 2015

Q2 2015

Q3 2015

Q4 2015

T 13 2

221.5

133.1

39.2

17.7

36.2

22.9

0.72

17.9

0.56

10.3

11.6

−10.5

−12.2

232.9

138.5

42.1

18.1

41.3

23.6

0.74

20.0

0.63

41.5

37.7

−7.9

−41.3

218.3

131.1

39.3

18.0

38.4

20.8

0.65

17.4

0.55

44.1

42.8

−10.0

−5.2

217.0

130.4

35.6

16.4

34.6

21.5

0.68

18.5

0.58

32.2

42.4

−16.1

−11.7

31 Mar 2015

30 Jun 2015

30 Sep 2015

31 Dec 2015

1,185.4

1,157.9

1,156.3

1,167.9

413.4

34.9

411.8

395.5

34.2

395.5

404.6

35.0

366.7

429.8

36.8

360.9

EUR millions

EUR

EUR millions

EUR

EUR millions

Income statement

Revenue

Adjusted gross profit 2

Adjusted EBITA 2

Adjusted EBITA margin 2

EBITA

Adjusted profit for the period 2

Adjusted EPS 2

Profit for the period

EPS

Cash flow

Cash flow from operating activities

Operating net cash flow 3

Cash flow from investing activities

Cash flow from financing activities

Balance sheet

Total assets

Equity

Equity ratio

Net debt

1 Deviations may occur due to commercial rounding.
2 Adjustments are described in the Notes.  Notes, p. 130.
3 Adjusted for currency effects.

182

Multi-Year Overview 1

Order situation

Order book (31 Dec.)

Income statement

Revenue

thereof EME A

thereof Americas

thereof Asia-Pacific

EJT

Gross profit

Adjusted EBITA 2

Adjusted EBITA margin 2

EBITA

Adjusted profit for the period 2

Profit for the period

Adjusted EPS 2

EPS

Financial result

Tax rate

R&D expenses

R&D ratio (in relation to EJT sales)

Cost of materials 2

Cost of materials ratio 2

Personnel expenses 5

Cash flow

Cash flow from operating activities

Operating net cash flow

Cash flow from investing activities

Cash flow from financing activities

Balance sheet

Total assets

Equity

Equity ratio

Net debt

Working capital

Working capital ratio

Employees

Core workforce

Total workforce incl. temporary staff

Number of shares (weighted)

Number of shares (year-end)

2015 2

2014 2

2013

2012 3

2011

2010

T 13 3

EUR millions

295.8

279.6

236.7

215.4

218.6

188.0

EUR millions

889.6

416.0

395.3

78.2

540.3

344.1

694.7

394.5

237.8

62.5

481.0

211.5

EUR millions

533.12

405.6 2

EUR millions

% of sales

EUR millions

EUR

156.3

17.6

150.5

88.7

73.8

2.78

2.31

EUR millions

−17.2

EUR millions

% of EJT sales

32.1

25.4

4.7

121.5

17.5

113.3

71.5

54.9

2.24

1.72

−14.5

33.3

−25.7

5.3

635.5

388.0

191.6

56.0

443.9

193.6

371.4

112.6

17.7

112.1

62.1

55.6

1.95

1.74

−15.6

32.6

−21.9

4.9

604.6

367.5

193.3

43.8

427.6

174.5

344.4

105.4

17.4

105.1

61.8

56.6

1.94

1.78

−13.2

30.3

−22.1

5.1

581.4

372.7

173.0

35.7

411.5

170.3

322.6

102.7

17.7

84.7

57.6

35.7

1.92

1.19

−29.6

30.0 4

−16.8

4.1

490.4

336.6

123.8

30.0

323.6

168.3

274.7

85.4

17.4

64.9

48.2

30.3

1.93

1.21

−14.9

27.0

−16.6

5.1

EUR millions

−362.9

−289.9

−269.4

−263.5

−262.3

−220.5

% of sales

EUR millions

40.8

234.1

128.2

134.76

−44.5

−70.4

41.7

188.3

96.4

109.27

−265.1

57.7

EUR millions

1,167.9

1,078.4

EUR millions

% of sales

429.8

36.8

360.9

151.9

17.1

5,121

6,306

368.0

34.1

373.1

141.8

20.4

4,828

5,975

42.4

43.6

45.1

45.0

−169.7

−156.5

−143.7

−124.4

115.4

103.9

−43.4

51.7

823.7

319.9

38.8

153.5

110.8

17.4

4,134

4,947

96.1

81.0

−58.1

−34.1

691.8

289.2

41.8

199.0

115.9

19.2

3,759

4,485

71.7

66.8

−33.7

−0.5

648.6

256.0

39.5

198.5

106.2

18.3

3,415

4,252

62.1

51.7

−56.6

−3.1

578.8

78.4

13.5

344.1

86.7

17.7

3,028

3,830

31,862,400

30,002,126

24,862,400

31,862,400

24,862,400

1 Key figures prior to the IPO in 2011 are not shown due

to lack of comparability between HGB and IFRS.

2 In 2014 and 2015 adjustments were made which espe-
cially relate to the acquisition of NDS. These adjustments
are described in the Notes.  Notes, p. 130.

3 2012: The accounting rules changed in 2013 due to the
first-time use of IAS 19R. In order to better compare the

4 Adjusted by deferred tax liabilities of EUR 2.8 million re-

sulting from 2007.

earnings, assets and financial positions, the 2012 figures

5 From 2008 to 2011 and 2014 and 2015 adjusted by one-

have been adjusted to suit the new accounting rules and
may therefore deviate from the figures published in the

2012 Annual Report.

off effects.

6 Adjusted for currency effects.
7 Adjusted for acquisition related and currency effects.

NORMA Group SE Annual Report 2015

Annual Review

J A N U A R Y – M A R C H 2 0 1 5

A P R I L – J U N E 2 0 1 5

Large order receipt for NORMAQUICK PS3
quick connectors for a German
supplier to the automotive industry

Large order receipt for NORMAQUICK PS3
quick connectors from a Chinese-European
automobile manufacturer

NORMA Group is issued Platinum Supplier
Status by General Motors

Opening of the first cleanroom for the
manufacturing of joining solutions for biotech
and pharmaceutical industries at the
Czech production site in Hustopeče

w
e

v
e
R

a
u
n
n
A

p
u
o
r

G
A
M
R
O
N

J U LY – S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

O C T O B E R – D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

New Chief Financial Officer
Dr. Michael Schneider takes office

NORMA Group expands its worldwide
testing laboratory capacities

Large order receipt for NORMAQUICK PS3
quick connectors and NORMAPL AST SV
hose and pipe connectors for a German
automobile manufacturer

Production sites in Auburn Hills, USA and
Juarez, Mexico receive PACCAR 50 PPM-Award

Large order receipt for NORMACL AMP
V PP and V 2PP profile clamps for a Korean
automobile manufacturer

Annual Review

NORMA Group Worldwide

N O R M A G R O U P P R O D U C T I O N A N D D I S T R I B U T I O N S I T E S G 0 0 1

E M E A
Czech Republic (P)
France (P, D)
Germany (P, D)
Italy (D)
Poland (P, D)
Russia (P, D)
Serbia (P)
Spain (D)
Sweden (P, D)
Switzerland (D)
The Netherlands (D)
Turkey (D)
United Kingdom (P, D)

P = Production sites
D = Sales and distribution centres

A M E R I C A S
Brazil (P, D)
Mexico (P)
USA (P, D)

A S I A - P A C I F I C
Australia (D)
China (P, D)
India (P, D)
Indonesia (D)
Japan (D)
Malaysia (P, D)
Philippines (D)
Singapore (D)
South Korea (D)
Thailand (P)

Financial Calendar 2016

23.03.2016

Publication of Full Year Results 2015

04.05.2016

Publication of Q1 Interim Results 2016

02.06.2016

Annual General Meeting 2016 in Frankfurt/Main

03.08.2016

Publication of Q2 Interim Results 2016

02.11.2016

Publication of Q3 Interim Results 2016

The financial calendar is constantly updated. Please visit the Investor Relations
section on the Company website @ www.normagroup.com for up-to-date information.

Contact and Imprint

If you have any questions regarding NORMA Group or would like to be included in
the distribution list, please contact the Investor Relations team:

E-mail: ir@normagroup.com

Andreas Trösch
Vice President Investor Relations
Phone: + 49 6181 6102 741 | Fax: + 49 6181 6102 7641
E-mail: andreas.troesch@normagroup.com

E D I TO R
NORMA Group SE
Edisonstraße 4
63477 Maintal, Germany

Vanessa Wiese
Senior Manager Investor Relations
Phone: + 49 6181 6102 742 | Fax: + 49 6181 6102 7642
E-mail: vanessa.wiese@normagroup.com

Phone: + 49 6181 6102 740
E-mail: info@normagroup.com
www.normagroup.com

Dana Feuerberg
Manager Investor Relations
Phone: + 49 6181 6102 748 | Fax: + 49 6181 6102 7648
E-mail: dana.feuerberg@normagroup.com

C O N C E P T A N D L AYO U T
3st kommunikation, Mainz

P R I N T
Woeste Druck, Essen

compensated

Id-No. 1653973
www.bvdm-online.de

Note on the Annual Report
This Annual Report is also available in German. If there are differences between the two, the German version takes priority.

Note on rounding
Please note that slight differences may arise as a result of the use of rounded amounts and percentages.

Forward-looking statements
This Annual Report contains certain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented statements include all statements which do not relate to historical
facts and events and contain future-oriented expressions such as “believe”, “estimate”, “assume”, “expect”, “forecast”, “intend”, “could” or “should”or
expressions of a similar kind. Such future-oriented statements are subject to risks and uncertainties since they relate to future events and are based
on the Company’s current assumptions, which may not in the future take place or be fulfilled as expected. The Company points out that such future-
oriented statements provide no guarantee for the future and that the actual events including the financial position and profitability of NORMA Group SE
and developments in the economic and regulatory fundamentals may vary substantially (particularly on the down side) from those explicitly or implicitly
assumed in these statements. Even if the actual assets for NORMA Group SE, including its financial position and profitability and the economic and
regulatory fundamentals, are in accordance with such future-oriented statements in this Annual Report, no guarantee can be given that this will
continue to be the case in the future.

NORMA Group SE
Edisonstraße 4
63477 Maintal, Germany

Phone: +49 6181 6102 740
E-mail:
info@normagroup.com
Internet: www.normagroup.com