• Sales increase by 11.6 percent to 3,890 million euros
• Organic sales growth of 6.8 percent
• Share of sales of growth regions: plus 3 percentage points to 41 percent
• Adjusted operating profit: plus 54.5 percent to 476 million euros
• Adjusted EBIT margin: plus 3.5 percentage points to 12.2 percent
• Adjusted earnings per preferred share (EPS): plus 97.1 percent to 0.73 euros

Fungi, yeasts and bacteria – for some they may sound like a list of the most feared of pathogens, but for others they constitute living mini-factories capable of producing substances such as enzymes, citric acid and, lately, biosurfactants. “White Biotechnology” is the scientific term for industrial-scale production of substances with micro-organisms in closed systems. Indeed, without this technology, laundry and home care products would be significantly different than what we see today – because it is being used to an ever increasing degree in the manufacture of their key ingredients.

Henkel’s Corporate Report, comprising its annual report and its sustainability report, counts among the best in the world, according to a ranking of the 100 best corporate reports recently presented by the League of American Communications Professionals (LACP). Henkel came in 11th overall, receiving a platinum award.

Between June 30 and July 2, the Board of Trustees for Sustainability at Arizona State University (ASU), USA met with international experts from industry, the sciences and the political scene for a conference and exchange of views, knowledge and experience. The topics discussed ranged from the role of multinational companies and political programs to sustainability science in higher education.

In recognition of his outstanding doctorate thesis investigating the physico-chemical properties of foams, Dr. Enda Carey of Ireland received from Henkel the “Laundry and Home Care Research Award” conferred by the company for the first time, carrying a monetary prize of  3,000 euros.

For the second year in a row, US retail giant Walmart has selected Henkel to receive the Walmart Sustainability Award. Henkel was recognized again as the company demonstrating the most comprehensive commitment to sustainability, thus making a substantial contribution to Walmart’s own sustainability strategy.

• Sales increase by 7.8 percent to 3,512 million euros
• Organic sales growth of 8.8 percent
• Adjusted operating profit: plus 79.1 percent to 421 million euros
• Adjusted EBIT margin: plus 4.8 percentage points to 12.0 percent
• Adjusted earnings per preferred share (EPS): plus 93.5 percent

“Henkel has made a good start to the fiscal year, with all our business sectors contributing. Despite the persistently challenging environment, Laundry & Home Care and Cosmetics/Toiletries continued their successful development of recent quarters, while Adhesive Technologies also returned to robust rates of sales growth,” said Kasper Rorsted, Chairman of the Henkel Management Board, adding: “Once again our strong brands made a further major contribution to Henkel’s gratifying Q1 results. However, this very good performance is also down to our efforts in adapting our structures and reducing our costs, coupled with the good progress we have made in the implementation of our strategic priorities. Now we are looking forward to a noticeable improvement in our results of more than 15 percent for the full fiscal year versus 2009.”

For the fourth year in a row, Henkel is acting as an official sponsor of the IIHF World Championship. The company will be prominent with its corporate brand, its detergent brand Persil and its building technology brands Ceresit and Thomsit in the ice hockey arenas of Gelsenkirchen, Cologne and Mannheim.

Henkel has been included in the list of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” for the third year in a row. The ranking prepared by the US Ethisphere Institute recognizes companies from around the globe for their exemplary ethical approach to corporate governance and their commitment to sustainable development.

• 25 percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions*
• 26 percent lower energy consumption*
• 37 percent lower water consumption*
• 12 percent less waste*

• Laundry & Home Care has substantially higher earnings
• Cosmetics/Toiletries continues very successful performance
• Adhesive Technologies shows strong recovery throughout the year
• Adjusted return on sales in Q4/2009 is 12.4 percent
• Net debt reduced by 1 billion euros
• Proposed dividends kept at prior-year levels

It all starts with an idea. A sudden thought. A solution to a recognized problem. But that is not enough. Those wishing to qualify for the ‘Fritz Henkel Award for Innovation’ have to implement that idea in practice – and prove its commercial viability in the marketplace. These are the criteria against which, each year, Henkel confers this much-coveted commendation on three winning teams of employees for the best product innovations.

Sustainability is fundamental to Henkel’s business DNA. However, affirmation of this through specific forms of recognition from industrial and retail customers is as important as it is gratifying. Three times in 2009, Henkel’s ‘Year of the Customer’, major international business partners awarded the company for special contributions made to their own efforts in the sustainability domain.