Statement from the CEO S W u e s a ta re in n a ow bility – a p st r e e p r p e i q ng ui u s p it o e u f r or g pa ro ce w f t o h r an m d or p e rof- i s t u a s b ta il i i n t a y ble society Ahlsell has seen positive business development during the year and continues to operate at a fast pace. Customer focus, committed employees and solid climate and sustainability efforts have been a recipe for success. I look forward to joining our customers and employees in taking Ahlsell into 2022 with the same energy – hopefully with more face-to-face meetings. Another year of the pandemic 2021 was another year marked by the coronavirus pandemic, which continued to affect everyone’s lives and business operations. Ahlsell has nevertheless continued to work well overall. We have avoided significant spread of infection and continued to run and further develop business operations without major obstacles. Like many other companies, we have been hit by raw material price increases and challenges in our transport and supply chains as a result of the pandemic. The spread of infection in ports and closed borders have affected the supply of raw materials, and customer demand has in some places been more unpredictable. Extra work and more transports have been necessary to manage the supply of goods to Ahlsell and distribution to our customers. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all employees who took responsibility for ensuring their own health and that of others while maintaining our business and level of service. A good financial year Financially, Ahlsell experienced positive development in 2021. Net sales amounted to SEK 36.9 (32.8) billion, equivalent to growth of 12 (1) per cent, of which 11 per cent was organic. The profit trend has been impressive with an EBITA of SEK 3.9 billion, an increase of almost 30 per cent. During the year, our markets have shown a rapid recovery as society has opened up. High underlying demand in the wake of the pandemic has resulted in high activity and strong growth, as well as major price increases. It is pleasing that we have managed to cope well with both the pandemic and subsequent market recovery in all our geographic areas, with great commitment and flexibility within our organisation and in keeping the customer in focus at all times. This is also the basis for our excellent financial performance. In Sweden and Norway, our growth has been particularly strong and during the year we increased our operating profit and profitability in all our geographical segments. It is especially pleasing to see the development in Norway, where over the past two years we have more than tripled our profit, and in Sweden, where we have continuously improved our market position through our own initiatives and acquisitions. During the year, we also made a number of acquisitions in line with our strategy for sustainable growth. In 2021, the main focus was on supplementary acquisitions that strengthen our existing offering. A couple of examples are Vent Group Nordic AB, a Swedish ventilation specialist for professional installers and Ducatel 3 Ahlsell Sustainability Report 2021
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