PR_fiscal-year-2016PR_fiscal-year-2016In the 2016 financial year, Mercateo AG once again continued the growth trend of the previous years. Sales totalled 228.0 million euros, a 14 percent rise compared to the previous year (2015: 200.0 million euros). Gross profits were up by 26 percent. Since 1999, Mercateo has operated Europe’s largest B2B marketplace and since early 2017, the B2B networking platform Mercateo Unite in Germany. The company operates in 14 European countries and employs more than 450 employees, including 21 trainees.
2016 was another year of profitable growth for Mercateo. “Half of our sales were made with customers who systematically integrated our system for use as a purchasing solution. In other words whose purchasing systems are connected to Mercateo and who therefore have strong links to the company and offer greater sales potential”, explains Peter Ledermann, Director of Personnel and Finance at Mercateo AG. “We were able to significantly increase this customer segment and will continue to do so in future.” Business abroad was also further expanded. Subsidiaries were set up in Spain and Italy and the marketplace in Switzerland was launched.
Mercateo also continued to grow in its workforce. “We recorded strong growth in the past financial year, hiring 50 new employees. We continue to have a very low employee turnover rate,which is a great testimony to our sustainable human resource strategy”, says a satisfied Peter Ledermann. This quality has also been recognised outside the company: Mercateo received the awards “Top-Ausbildungsbetrieb 2016” (“Top Training Company 2016”) and “Familienfreundliches Unternehmen 2016″ (” Family-friendly Business 2016″). In the past financial year, preparations have gotten underway to expand the office space at the Köthen and Leipzig locations. This will gradually provide room for 350 additional jobs. The strategy for the current 2017 financial year is clear.
Peter Ledermann explains, “we will continue our profitable growth and establish our new Mercateo Unite networking platform on the market. In addition to exciting marketing and sales developments, we will continue to drive forward the Mercateo Unite technology to offer new features for our users. This will facilitate easier businesses’ access to digital services in commerce and support diversity and cooperation.”