Matth. Hohner AG

Committees of the Company
Supervisory Board
Heinz Michael Meier
lugano/ Switzerland
(Chairman of the Supervisory Board
of Matth. Hohner AG)
Dr. Bernd Rabald
Munich/ Germany
(Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board
of Matth. Hohner AG)
Kun S. Chen
Taipeh/ Taiwan
Fu Y. Hsieh
Taipeh/ Taiwan
Wu H. Hsieh
Taipeh/ Taiwan
Prof. Dr. Hans Marutschke
Hagen/ Germany
Board of Management
Manfred Stöhr
Trossingen/ Germany
(left)
Stefan Althoff
Münster/ Germany
(right)
letter to Shareholders
Dear ladies and Gentlemen,
We are pleased to announce in this annual report
that we have closed another successful year for the
HOHnER Group. In the past business year 2010/2011,
HOHnER was still competitive despite a difficult
market environment due to the worldwide economic
and financial crisis. The Group was able to benefit
from the emerging recovery of the global economy
and increased its total sales by 10.2% from 58.0 m€
to 63.9 m€ compared to prior year.
In the business year 2010/2011, characterized by
many challenges, the company succeeded in generating
a positive result. The targets were reached by the
intensification and further development of international
business relations and by the high commitment and
the flexibility of the employees. After thorough
examination and consideration as well as intensive
discussions the Supervisory Board and Management
Board propose to distribute a dividend for the business
year 2010/2011, to be voted by the shareholders on
this year’s Shareholders’ Meeting.
In the first month of the new business year
2011/2012 the main indicators developed positively
in all segments. Sales only marginally decreased in the
segment wind instruments due to delivery bottlenecks.
The market demand in this area is on a high level
and has increased compared to the previous year.
In the segment stringed instruments, the strongest
growth could be reached in the first quarter. After the
segment percussion instruments was most affected
by the crisis in the previous year, encouraging growth
was also reached in this segment in the first quarter
of the new business year.
The corporate identity of HOHnER was completely
renewed and presented for the first time on the
Frankfurt Music Fair 2011 with a new booth and a new
concept. The innovative Marine Band Thunderbird is
among the special product highlights in the area of
harmonica, which sets standards in the low keys. The
Essential Roots Western Guitars build on HOHnER’s
big success with music styles like blues, country and
folk, and got an outstanding response from musicians
and the specialized press. The “HOHnER Squeeze Box
App”, which simulates a Corona Classic accordion
on the iPad, made the first place in the Colombian
iTunes charts. lanikai was able to further extend its
position as one of the leading brands of the current
Ukulele boom and even the renowned Time Magazine
reported about it. Order income could significantly
be increased with the new POP sales displays for
melodicas, guitars and harmonicas.
In the area of Orff / Education SOnOR improved
the middle class series Primary and introduced the
instruments on the market in spring 2010. Besides
better sound qualities and a significantly enlarged
product range, one of the most important marketing
features is the FSC-Certification which includes
social, economic and ecologic aspects. Considering
a very environmentally conscious target group, this
currently gives SOnOR an outstanding unique selling
proposition in the area of Orff instruments.
On the Frankfurt Music Fair SOnOR presented itself
with a new, extraordinary booth design. In the area
of drums, the customers gave a positive response
to the four new series. The novelties in the area of
percussion and marching also contributed to the
better order income.
4 COMMITTEES OF THE COMPAnY
lETTER TO SHAREHOlDERS
5