Forbo Annual Report 2013

connect.
Forbo Holding Ltd
Lindenstrasse 8
CH-6340 Baar
Forbo International SA
Lindenstrasse 8
CH-6340 Baar
Phone + 41 58 787 25 25
Fax + 41 58 787 20 25
info@forbo.com
www.forbo.com

Annual Report 2013

Creativity.
Dynamism.
Forbo – in every day life

Creativity
Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters.
­Darum gestalten wir unsere hochwertig
produzierten Designböden nach den
Wünschen unserer Kunden.

Publisher: Forbo Holding Ltd, Baar/Concept and design: Hotz Brand Consultants, Steinhausen/Zug
Photos: Luxwerk, Zurich/Layout, lithography, and printing: Neidhart + Schön AG, Zurich
Our Annual Report appears in German language and in English translation and can be downloaded fromour website www.forbo.com. The printed German version is authoritative.
All statements in this report that do not refer to historical facts are forward-looking statements which areno guarantee of future performance. They are based on assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties aswell as other factors beyond the control of the company.

1

Inspiration can draw on many different sources. Thanks to our large range of­attractive floorings, we set no limits toour customers’ design choices, enablingthem to create distinctive and original
spaces.

2

Performance, endurance, and flexibility:
three indispensable factors ensuring
perfectly ­coordinated processes. We develop
our power transmission and conveyor
belts precisely to meet these criteria – forreliable, uncompromising ­processes.

3

Dynamism

4

Dr. Albert Gnägi

This E. Schneider

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO‘2013 was yet another successful year
in a challenging market environment. By
launching high-margin collections and­in­novative products and by penetrating
new markets outside the public sector, we
significantly strengthened our earning
power and further improved the company’s
profitability, amid stable sales.’Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Letter to shareholders

5

To ourshareholders
Dear Madam, dear Sir,
Forbo again performed well in a challenging and mixed market environment. Flooring Systems to a large
extent offset the slump in demand in the public sector and in individual European markets by opening up
new market segments. Movement Systems increased sales in all regions and successfully compensatedfor what was in some cases strong depreciation of currencies in its markets, especially in Japan. After Groupsales decreased slightly in the first half, it increased again in the second six months of the year.
The successful launch of high-margin and innovative products and collections, new market opportunities
outside the public sector, and further productivity gains enabled Forbo to substantially increase its earning
power and profitability, amid stable sales. Both divisions significantly raised both their gross margin andtheir operating margin on the strength of higher value added and more efficient processes in production
and logistics.

Sales at previous year’s level
Forbo compensates for weaker demand in the public sector and for currency effects
In the year under review, Forbo generated net sales of CHF 1,199.7 million, about the same as the previous year
(previous year: CHF 1,201.1 million). In local currency terms, this reflects a gain of 0.3%, while in the corporate
currency it equates to a slight decrease of 0.1%.
Net sales at Flooring Systems came to CHF 873.5 million, just a shade off the previous year’s figure (previous
year: CHF 873.9 million); this marked a small decline of 0.4% in local currencies and 0.1% in the corporate currency. The division compensated to a large extent for the decrease in net sales in the public sector by opening
up new market segments in the private sector and new geographic markets. Flooring Systems saw its sales
decline in the first half of the year but they increased in the second half compared with the prior-year period.
Movement Systems generated gratifying sales growth of CHF 326.2 million (previous year: CHF 327.2 million),
which came to a gain of 2.4% in local currencies. In the corporate currency, though, net sales decreased slightly
by 0.3% owing to negative currency effects, especially in Japan.

Significant increase in operating profit
Strategic focus confirmed
In order to reduce our dependence on public spending and take even greater advantage of the potential in
the growth markets, Forbo has launched a number of strategic projects in recent years. Their purpose was to
add high-margin products to the product portfolio and to open up new sales channels outside the existing
market segments and established geographic markets. In these areas, Forbo posted significantly higher sales
growth, especially in the second half of the year.
The focus on high-margin products and the extension of the portfolio have led to a further improvement in
the gross margin.

6

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Letter to shareholders

Special effect from accounting restatement
The first-time application of the revised accounting standard IAS 19 in the 2013 business year led to changes
in the reporting of pension fund liabilities, and as a result the previous year’s figures had to be restated.
Accordingly, operating profit (EBIT) increased in the year under review by CHF 1.0 million (previous year: CHF
6.3 million). At the same time land and buildings were recognized at amortized cost. Operating profit (EBIT)
accordingly rose by CHF 2.6 million in 2013 (previous year: CHF 2.6 million).
The above-mentioned restatements resulted in an aggregate increase in operating profit (EBIT) in the year
under review of CHF 3.6 million (previous year: CHF 8.9 million) and an aggregate increase in Group profit of
CHF 2.8 million (previous year: CHF 6.0 million).
Substantial improvement in operating profit
After factoring out the above-mentioned restatement effects, both divisions substantially improved both
operating profit before depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and operating profit (EBIT). The Group’s EBITDA
rose by 6.5%, while EBIT was up by 12.7%. The EBITDA margin rose by 0.9 percentage points to 14.3%, while
the EBIT margin increased by 1.3 percentage points and came to 11.3%.
After application of these restatements, Group EBITDA came to CHF 172.1 million (previous year restated,without special items: CHF 166.9 million), while EBIT stood at CHF 135.7 million (previous year restated, without
special items: CHF 126.1 million).

Significant increase in Group profit
Above-average financial result
Forbo’s strong balance sheet enables it to invest some of its surplus liquidity in the capital markets. The strong
capital markets were instrumental in Forbo’s financial profit of CHF 5.2 million (previous year CHF – 5.5 million).
On the back of the considerably improved operating result plus the gratifying financial result, Group profit
from continuing operations rose significantly by 19.2% prior to the application of the revised accounting
standard. After the restatements, Group profit from continuing operations came to CHF 110.2 million (previous
year restated, without special items: CHF 96.1 million).

Strong balance sheet
Net cash and equity ratio increase further
In the year under review, Forbo increased net cash from CHF 258.3 million to CHF 306.9 million. In addition,
as at December 31, 2013, Forbo held treasury shares valued at CHF 165.6 million at the year-end share price. The
equity ratio rose significantly to 69.8% (previous year restated: 60.1%).
Strong foundation for growth opportunities
With our focused market leadership, our sound balance sheet and our systematically implemented strategy,
we are well placed to force the pace of expansion in growth markets while also taking advantage of external
growth opportunities in order to position Forbo more strategically. However, we will make acquisitions only
if we can thereby create added value for our shareholders. For the time being, we are holding the liquidity as a
strategic reserve. The high level of net cash, plus cash generated in future from operations, enable the Boardof Directors to make further share buybacks without restricting the Group’s scope for future acquisitions.

7

Proposals to the Ordinary General Meeting
The Ordinance against Excessive Remuneration in Listed Public Companies entered into force on January 1,
2014. The ordinance allows a transition period until the end of 2015. The Board of Directors has decided topresent a comprehensive amendment of the Articles of Association at the Ordinary General Meeting on April
25, 2014. The amendment of the articles of association and the implementation of the ordinance will affectthe course of the forthcoming Ordinary General Meeting.
Change in the Chair of the Board of Directors
As announced a year ago, Dr. Albert Gnägi, who has been Chairman of the Board of Directors for the past nine
years, will not stand for re-election at the Ordinary General Meeting in spring 2014 as he will have then reached
the statutory age of retirement. The Board of Directors proposes to the Ordinary General Meeting the electionof This E. Schneider, who has been Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO for the past ten years, as Executive
Chairman of the Board.
Elections to the Board of Directors
At the same time, the Board of Directors proposes electing Claudia Coninx-Kaczynski as a new member ofthe Board of Directors. She has a degree in law from the University of Zurich and a Master of Law from theLondon School of Economics. Amongst others, Claudia Coninx-Kaczynski is also a member of the Board of
Directors of Tamedia AG.
All the other current members of the Board of Directors are proposed for re-election for a term of one year.
Increase in the dividend from CHF 12 to CHF 14
The Board of Directors will propose to the Ordinary General Meeting the distribution of a dividend of CHF 14
per share for 2013 (previous year: CHF 12). This dividend will be paid out to shareholders as a tax-exempt
distribution from capital contribution reserves.
Share buyback program
The Board of Directors will propose to the Ordinary General Meeting that the treasury shares that have been
repurchased on the SIX Swiss Exchange via the second trading line be destroyed. The Board of Directors will
also propose that over the next three years further treasury shares up to 10 percent of the total share capital be
repurchased in order to reduce capital. The repurchase shall take place via a second trading line on the SIX
Swiss Exchange or via some other means.

Strengthened for 2014
Long-term succession planning
In connection with the change of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Stephan Bauer was appointed as
the new CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Forbo Group starting on January 1, 2014. He joined
our company in September 2013 and has spent this time preparing in depth for his new role. The divisionof responsibilities between the Executive Chairman of the Board and the CEO is described on page 49 of thisAnnual Report.
Outlook for 2014
On balance, we anticipate a slightly improved, though very mixed, economic environment in the coming
business year. Our two divisions are very well positioned, and we can call on the necessary resources to enable
us to implement our strategy systematically and to focus on achieving operational excellence and an impressively strong market performance.

8

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Letter to shareholders

Barring any significant change in the current economic conditions, especially with regard to exchange rates
and raw material prices, we expect a slight increase in sales and somewhat higher Group profit from continuing
operations in the 2014 business year compared with the year 2013.

Thank youThanks to employees, business partners, and shareholders
Owing to close cooperation at all levels, we succeeded in taking advantage of opportunities in growth markets
and new customer segments. Our sincere thanks to all our employees whose firm commitment has made thispossible.
We also wish to thank our customers and business partners for their professionalism and the confidence they
have placed in our company.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board, we thank you, too, dear shareholders, for the deep
trust and loyalty you show to Forbo.

Baar, March 2014

Dr. Albert Gnägi
Chairman of the Board of Directors

This E. Schneider
Delegate of the Board of Directors

Financial calendar
Ordinary General Meeting:
Publication of Half-Year Report 2014:
Publication of Annual Report 2014:

April 25, 2014
August 19, 2014
March 17, 2015

9

Annual report2013
At a glance11
Forbo in figures
Profitability much stronger amid stable sales
Sustainable value creation

14
18
24

Activity report29
Two divisions with leading market positions
31
Flooring Systems:
34
A successful second half in 2013
Movement Systems:
40
Significant increase in profitability
Organization45

Executive BoardGroup structure 
Board of Directors

46
49
50

The Forbo share53
Corporate governance report57
Forbo Group financial report75

Consolidated balance sheet
76
Consolidated income statement
77
Comprehensive income statement
78
Consolidated shareholders’ equity
79
Consolidated cash flow statement
80
Notes – accounting principles
81
Notes93
Group companies
132
Report of the statutory auditor
136
Consolidated income statements 2009 – 2013
138
Consolidated balance sheets 2009 – 2013
139

Financial statements for Forbo Holding Ltd141
Income statement
Balance sheet
Notes to the financial statements
Proposal for appropriation of available earnings
Report of the statutory auditor

142
143
144
151
152

10

11

At a glance

Forbo in figures
Profitability much stronger amid stable sales
Sustainable value creation

14
18
24

12

2013 at a glance

13

FORBO IS A LEADINGPRODUCER OF FLOOR
COVERINGS, building and CONSTRUCTION ADHESIVES,AS WELL AS POWER
TRANSMISSION AND
CONVEYOR BELT­SOLUTIONS.

The company employs more than 5,000 people and has an international network of 24 production and distribution ­companies, 6 assembly operations and 40 sales organizations in a total of 36 countries. Forbo is
headquartered in Baar in the canton of Zug, Switzerland.

14

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – At a glance

Forbo in figures

Forbo is a global player, and its two divisions supply a wide range of industries.
The Group’s global reach means that itis close to dynamic markets, making Forbo
the first choice as a local partner for customers that have similar global requirements. The quality, longevity, and perfor­
mance of our products and systems reflect
the quality and stability of our relations
with our business partners.

Flooring Systems
15 production facilities in 6 countries and distribution
companies in 22 countries. Sales offices in Europe,
North, Central and South America as well as Asia/
Pacific.
Floor coverings
Building and construction adhesives
Movement Systems
9 production sites and 6 assembly operations in 9
countries and distribution companies in 29 countries.
300 sales and service offices worldwide Production facilities andassembly operations

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – At a glance

Net sales 	
EBIT 		EBIT margin
Group profit
from continuing operations

15

 CHF 1,199.7 m

CHF 135.7 m
11.3%

CHF 110.2 m

16Forbo Annual Report 2013 – At a glance

Net sales by division
Change on previous year
CHF m 2013
873.5
326.2
1,199.7

Flooring Systems
Movement Systems
Total

in %
– 0.1
– 0.3
– 0.1

in localcurrencies in %
– 0.4
2.4
0.3

In % of total
72.8
27.2
100.0

27.2%
Movement Systems

72.8%
Flooring Systems

Employees by division

Number 2013
3,030
1,976
41
5,047

Flooring Systems
Movement Systems
Corporate Functions
Total

39.2%
60.0%

Movement Systems

Flooring Systems

0.8%
Corporate Functions

Change onprevious year in %
– 0.1
2.6
0.0
0.9

In % of total
60.0
39.2
0.8
100.0

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – At a glance

17

Financial overview Group
2013

2012

2013

2012

1)

restated1)

prior torestatements1)

prior torestatements1)

Income statement
Net sales
Flooring Systems
Movement Systems
EBITDA
EBITGroup profit from continuing operations
Group profit

CHF m
1,199.7
873.5
326.2
172.1
135.7
110.2
117.6

CHF m
1,201.1
873.9
327.2
166.92)
126.12)96.12)
213.3

CHF m
1,199.7
873.5
326.2
171.1
132.1
107.4
114.8

CHF m
1,201.1
873.9
327.2
160.62)117.22)90.12)
197.2

Balance sheet
Total assets
Operating assets
Shareholders’ equity
Net cash

CHF m
1,127.0
788.4
786.8
306.9

CHF m
1,213.3
792.5
729.2
258.3

CHF m
1,245.6
907.0
876.5
306.9

CHF m
1,333.9
913.7
817.4
258.3

Cash flow statement
Cash flow from operating activities
Cash flow from investing activities7)
Free cash flow

CHF m
128.1
52.9
181.0

CHF m
106.3
183.5
289.8

CHF m
128.1
52.9
181.0

CHF m
106.3
183.5
289.8

Key ratios
ROS (EBITDA/net sales)
Equity ratio (shareholders’ equity/total assets)
Gearing (net debt/shareholders’ equity)

%
14.3
69.8
– 39.0%13.9
60.1– 35.4%14.3
70.4– 35.0%13.4
61.3– 31.6

Number
5,047

Number5,000

Number
5,047

Number5,000

Ratios per share, from continuing operations
Earnings per share (undiluted)6)
Equity (undiluted)
Dividend

CHF
53.21
379.9
14.03)

CHF
58.73
329.4
12.04)

CHF
51.85
423.2
14.03)

CHF
56.06
369.3
12.04)

Stock market capitalization (as at December 31)
Stock market capitalization5)

CHF m
1,714.5

CHF m
1,462.5

CHF m
1,714.5

CHF m
1,462.5

1) The first-time application of the revised accounting standard IAS
19 in the 2013 business year led to changes in the reporting ofpension fund liabilities, and as a result the previous year’s figures
had to be restated. Accordingly, operating profit (EBIT) increasedin the year under review by CHF 1.0 million (previous year: CHF 6.3
million). At the same time land and buildings were recognized atamortized cost. Operating profit (EBIT) accordingly rose by CHF 2.6
million in 2013 (previous year: CHF 2.6 million).

2) Without special items

Employees (as at December 31)
Total employees

The above-mentioned restatements resulted in an aggregate increase in operating profit (EBIT) in the year under review of CHF 3.6
million (previous year: CHF 8.9 million) and an aggregate increasein Group profit of CHF 2.8 million (previous year: CHF 6.0 million).

3) The Board of Directors proposes to the Ordinary General Meetingof April 25, 2014, the distribution of a dividend in the amount of
CHF 14 per registered share.
4) Approval of a dividend of CHF 12 per registered share at theOrdinary General Meeting of April 26, 2013.
5) Total number of shares multiplied by year-end share price.
6) See note 15 ‘Earnings per share’ on page 101 of the financial r­ eport.
7) As of 2012, ‘Cash flow from investing activities’ also contains interest received.

18

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – At a glance

Profitability muchstronger amid
stable sales
2013 was yet another successful businessyear in a challenging and mixed market environment. The Flooring Systems divisionby and large compensated for the decline indemand in the public sector and in individual European markets by opening up newmarket segments and launching attractive
collections. The Movement Systems division increased net sales in all regions andsuccessfully offset what was in some cases
strong depreciation of currencies in its
markets, especially in Japan. After declining slightly in the first half, Group sales
picked up again in the second six months ofthe year.
The successful launch of high-margin andinnovative products and collections combined with new market opportunities outside the public sector and further productivity gains enabled Forbo to substantially
increase its earning power and profitability
amid stable sales.
With our strong market positions, oursound balance sheet and our systematically
implemented strategy, we are well placed
to force the pace of expansion in growthmarkets.

Sales at previous year’s level
In the year under review, Forbo generated sales of
CHF 1,199.7 million, about the same as the previous
year (CHF 1,201.1 million). In local currency terms, thisreflects a gain of 0.3%, while in the corporate currency
it equates to a slight decrease of 0.1%.
In order to reduce our dependence on public spending
and take even greater advantage of the potential in
growth markets, Forbo has launched and implemented
a number of strategic projects in recent years. Their aim
is to add high-quality products to the product portfolio
and open up new sales channels outside existing market segments and established geographic markets.
These projects began to have an increasingly noticeable impact in the second half of the reporting year.
In 2013, the Flooring Systems division generated net
sales of CHF 873.5 million, about the same as the previous year (CHF 873.9 million), though in local currencies
sales decreased by 0.4%. The downturn in demand in
the public sector and in individual markets with a weak
construction industry was successfully offset by sales inprivate sector customer segments.
The Movement Systems division generated net salesof CHF 326.2 million in the year under review (previous
year: CHF 327.2 million), which reflects an increase of
2.4% in local currency terms. In the corporate currency,
however, sales declined marginally by 0.3% owing tonegative currency effects, especially in Japan. All regions contributed to this performance, although thesales in individual markets were very mixed, with somecountries reporting declines.

19

Net sales by geographic area
Change on previous year

North, Central, and South America
FranceAsia/Pacific and Africa
Germany
Benelux
Great Britain/Ireland
Scandinavia
Eastern Europe
Southern Europe
Switzerland
Total

%
18.3
14.0
13.4
11.8
10.8
10.1
9.5
5.4
4.4
2.3
100.0

in %
– 0.7
– 1.2
– 3.0
3.6
– 8.7
4.7
1.4
5.3
6.9
3.3
– 0.1

in local currencies in %
1.0
– 3.2
3.5
1.5
– 10.6
7.1
– 0.6
6.2
4.8
3.3
0.3

Special effect from accounting restatement
The first-time application of the revised accounting
standard IAS 19 in the 2013 business year led to changes in the reporting of pension fund liabilities, and as
a result the previous year’s figures had to be restated.
Accordingly, operating profit (EBIT) increased in theyear under review by CHF 1.0 million (previous year:
CHF 6.3 million). At the same time, land and buildings
were recognized at amortized cost. Operating profit(EBIT) accordingly rose by CHF 2.6 million in 2013 (previous year: CHF 2.6 million).
The above-mentioned restatements resulted in an aggregate increase in operating profit (EBIT) in the year
under review of CHF 3.6 million (previous year: CHF 8.9
million) and an aggregate increase in Group profit of
CHF 2.8 million (previous year: CHF 6.0 million).
Significant increase in operating profit
After factoring out the effects of changes to the accounting standards (restatements), both divisions substantially improved both operating profit before depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and operating
profit (EBIT).

2013
CHF m
219.6
167.4
160.4
141.7
129.5
121.7
114.1
64.6
53.2
27.5
1,199.7

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

225

EBITDA at Group level rose by 6.5%, while at Flooring
Systems it was up by 2.8% and at Movement Systems
by a strong 7.5%. The EBITDA margin of the Group rose
by 0.9 percentage points, while it was up by 0.4 percentage points at Flooring Systems and by 0.9 percentage points at Movement Systems.
When the restatements are factored in, Group EBITDA
increased to CHF 172.1 million (previous year restated,without special items: CHF 166.9 million), while Flooring Systems’ EBITDA came to CHF 138.8 million (pre­vious year restated, without special items: CHF 137.6
million) and Movement Systems reported EBITDA of
CHF 41.6 million (previous year restated: CHF 38.7 million). The Group increased its EBITDA margin to 14.3%(previous year restated: 13.9%), Flooring Systems to
15.9% (previous year restated: 15.7%), and Movement
Systems to 12.8% (previous year restated: 11.8%).

20

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – At a glance

EBITDA by division

Flooring Systems
Movement Systems
Corporate

2013
CHF m
138.8
41.6
– 8.3

Change onpre­vious year in %1) – 25 0
2.8
7.5
32.0

25

50

75

1) Prior to special effects due to change in accounting standards (restatements).

Group operating profit (EBIT) increased to CHF 135.7
million (previous year restated, without special items:
CHF 126.1 million), an increase of 12.7%, which is substantially higher than the previous year, after factoringout the restatement effects. The Group improved its
EBIT margin to 11.3% (previous year restated: 10.5%).
Before application of the restatements, however, theEBIT margin increased by 1.3 percentage points.
Owing to the substantial improvement in operating
profit and the gratifying result for financial income,Forbo significantly increased Group profit from continuing operations by 19.2%, before the changes tothe accounting standards are factored in. When therestatements are factored in, Group profit from continuing operations came to CHF 110.2 million (pre­vious year restated, without special items: CHF 96.1
million).

Taxes and financial income
The tax rate in the year under review was 21.8%, which
was more or less the same as the previous year (pre­vious year restated: 21.6%).
Financial expenses declined to CHF 5.7 million (pre­vious year: CHF 11.2 million) mainly due to the complete repayment of the CHF 150 million bond issued
on July 6, 2009, that matured on July 31, 2013. On theother hand, the Forbo Group posted financial incomeof CHF 10.9 million, due in particular to the ­investmentof excess liquidity in a very firm market environment.
On balance, the financial result came to CHF 5.2 million(previous year: CHF – 5.5 million).

100

125

150

21

Free cash flow
Cash flow from operating activities
Cash flow from investing activities
Free cash flow

2013
CHF m
128.1
52.9
181.0

2012
CHF m 0
106.3
183.5
289.8

Cash flow from operating activities increased
In 2013, cash flow from operating activities came to
CHF 128.1 million, which was CHF 21.8 million higher
than the previous year (CHF 106.3 million), the main
factor being the increase in EBITDA. Cash flow from­investments came to CHF 52.9 million, which was substantially lower than the previous year (CHF 183.5 million) because the prior-year figure contained one-off
cash proceeds from the sale of the industrial adhesives
activity. Free cash flow thus amounted to CHF 181.0
million (previous year: CHF 289.8 million).

50

100

150

200

250

300

Strong balance sheet
Total assets as at December 31, 2013, stood at CHF
1,127.0 million (previous year: CHF 1,213.3 million). Net
liquidity came to CHF 306.9 million (previous year: CHF
258.3 million). Despite the share buyback, shareholders’equity as at the end of December 2013 rose to CHF
786.8 million (previous year: CHF 729.2 million). The­equity ratio rose significantly to 69.8% (previous year
restated: 60.1%).

22

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – At a glance

Investment focus on strategic activities
The Forbo Group’s investment activity in the year under review focused on important operations and strategic projects designed to support market expansion,
product technology, and efficiency gains. Accordingly,
investments in fixed assets in 2013 came to CHF 34.6
million, an increase in investment volume totaling
2.7% over the previous year’s figure of CHF 33.7 million.
In the reporting period, Flooring Systems invested CHF
27.1 million, which was more than the previous year
(CHF 23.7 million). The investments encompassed inparticular a new packaging plant for the manufactureof high-quality vinyl designer floors. With the new line,
all process steps from cutting the tiles and planks rightup to packaging are automated. The division also built
a new, modern European logistics center from which
floor coverings from different production sites can becoordinated and combined into a single delivery forthe customer. At Movement Systems, investments in
fixed assets came to CHF 7.1 million, which was lower
than the previous year (CHF 9.2 million). The sums werespent primarily on developing and expanding newmarkets and product segments as well as expanding
and renewing production plants.

Investments 2009 – 2013

2013
2012
2011
2010
2009

Flooring
Systems
CHF m

Movement
Systems
CHF m

Corporate
CHF m

Total
CHF m

27
24
24
22
19

7
9
7
6
12

1
1
1
0
1

35
34
32
28
32

10

20

30

40

23

Workforce development
At year-end 2013, the Forbo Group employed 5,047
people. This is altogether 47 employees more than at
the end of the previous year. For 2013, the changes
in workforce produce a picture similar to that in theprevious year. The percentage decrease in headcountin the Netherlands, in Switzerland, Great Britain, France,

Scandinavia and southern Europe stems from thestructural adjustments undertaken in these markets.
The increases in Eastern Europe and Asia/Pacific reflect
mainly the expansion of the sales and distribution­organizations in these regions as well as the takeoverof the former distributor of Movement Systems in In­
donesia.

Employees by geographic area
Benelux
North, Central, and South America
Asia/Pacific and Africa
Germany
Great Britain/Ireland
FranceEastern Europe
Switzerland
Scandinavia
Southern Europe
Total

%
21.7
13.8
13.4
12.2
12.1
9.0
8.7
3.7
3.3
2.1
100.0

Change onpre­vious year in %
– 1.3
1.0
8.2
0.2
– 2.3
– 0.9
9.1
– 4.5
– 2.2
– 2.5
0.9

2013
1,094
694
677
615
612
452
437
185
166
115
5,047

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

24

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – At a glance

Sustainablevalue creation
A responsible attitude towards the man­agement of resources is one of the fundamental values at Forbo. We are committed
to protecting the environment and contin­
uously investing in a sustainable future. As
a manufacturer and employer consciousof its responsibilities, Forbo sets very highstandards for health, safety, environment,
and quality.
Social dimension
Forbo cultivates a high-performance culture to fulfill
the high demands of our customers and business partners as well as our own demands on ourselves. This is
why we promote the necessary capabilities and competences on all organizational levels and support thisinternally with seminars and further training activities.
This means that the divisions provide internal training
in a wide range of areas regarding products and appli-

cations, sales and marketing, finance, operations, pro­
ject management, strategy implementation, and theForbo values. On the Group level Forbo has successfully established an internal management training program in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen,
other external partners and internal experts. This practice-oriented advanced training program for senior
managers as well as persons in key positions consistsof a first training week that includes various modules
from management, sales and marketing as well as operations. A second training week building on this contains additional leadership modules, and focuses on
strategic implementation and leadership themes suchas dealing with organizational and team changes aswell as performance management.
Ecological dimension
Protection of the environment and the generation of
ecological added-value are important factors in all of
Forbo’s development and investment decisions. Our
customers also demand efficient and sustainable products and services.

25

Both divisions have purely natural products in theirproduct portfolio. With linoleum, Flooring Systems offers a floor covering made of 97 percent renewable
raw materials. Linoleum is made from the natural raw
materials linseed oil, natural resin, wood flour, andlimestone dust as well as jute and pigments. A natural
product through and through which, in view of its
long service life and positive ecological balance, is regarded as the most environmentally friendly resilient
floor covering available. At the end of its long service
life it can be composted, as it is biodegradable.
With the BioBelt, Movement Systems is the first conveyor belt manufacturer worldwide to develop a biodegradable conveyor belt whose physical and dynamic properties are equal to standard belts. The same
applies to its performance and long service life. In BioBelt products, oil-based raw materials and synthetictechnical materials have been largely substituted bymaterials from renewable, plant-based raw materials.
In order to maximize environmental compatibility andat the same time increase the product advantages,
Movement Systems patented a special coating (AmpMiser) that significantly reduces the friction between

the underside of the belt and the slider bed comparedwith conventional conveyor belts. Conveyor belts
coated with AmpMiser display their advantages mostclearly where goods are being continuously conveyed
and many belts are in use, for example at airports
or in logistics and distribution centers. For this type of­application, energy savings for the overall systems of
up to 40 percent are achieved.
With these two innovative products Movement Systems won the silver medal at the prestigious SolVin
Award, an international competition that takes place
every three years to honor the most innovative PVC
solutions.
We have also made it our aim to continually shape ourown activities more sustainably and efficiently. We do
this by using less material and energy to realize equivalent or even better solutions. Both divisions are working constantly on the optimization of production processes in terms of water and energy consumption,
reduction of emissions, reuse of heat generated in the
production process, and in the reduction, and the efficient recycling of waste material in order to reduce the26

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – At a glance

Sustainablevalue creation
burden on the environment. At the same time, we areworking on innovative ideas regarding the materials
used in the production process as well as new application techniques.
FLOORING SYSTEMS
Flooring Systems focuses its sustainability activities on
the four terms: reduce, renew, reuse, and recycle. Reducing the amount of material used and the energy
consumed in a production process as well as keeping
waste material as low as possible make the greatest
impact. At present, 97 percent of the electricity consumed at our production locations comes from renewable energy sources. In the reporting year, just under
80 percent of the waste material from our own production processes was reused as raw material or recycled(by Forbo itself for other product groups or by external
third parties as a raw material). Viewed over all productgroups, the proportion of material reused and recycled
is 24 percent. For some years now increasing attention
is being paid to the reuse of sections of waste material
left over after the installation of the flooring. At present
such recycling programs are offered in the Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, and North America. In thereporting year, for example, more than 140 metric tonsof flooring material found their way back into the production process.
In order to be able to apply a measurement value
to the sustainability of its products, Flooring Systems
works with the life cycle assessment method. This is amethod used to measure the environmental impact invarious impact categories of a product per square meter from production, through the usage phase, rightup to disposal.
MOVEMENT SYSTEMS
Movement Systems’ resources management is basedon the continuous improvement of consumption efficiency by the development and the targeted implementation of measures for the optimization of elec­
tricity, gas, and water consumption. Alongside savingenergy, energy recovery is an important factor, i.e. theuse of energy released in the downstream incineration
plant for the purposes of heating and/or power generation. In order to reduce water consumption and avoid
unnecessary waste, Movement Systems is increasingly
using closed water circulation systems. Some of the27

used water can be used in another production step inorder to minimize water requirements. In Germany it
was thus possible to significantly reduce the annual
water consumption per square meter of finished material. The optimization of a cooling water plant with a
newly programmed control system led to savings ofaround 60 percent in terms of kilowatt-hours. The reduction and productive reuse of waste material is increasingly the focus of sustainability initiatives. Cut-offs
from the belts we produce in Germany and in Switzerland are sold to other companies to be reused in theirproduction. The locations in North America collectsanding dust in filters which is then processed as material by external partners in their production. Some of
the waste from plastic modular belts and polyurethane
offcuts are recycled back into our own production.
Various certifications and calculations on lifecycle costs
are the central factors in the decision to purchase our
products.
Another ever-present issue at Forbo is safety in theworkplace, which is generally founded on three pillars:
work methods, processes, and employees. Various ini-

tiatives were also launched in this regard in the reporting year in order to refocus attention on a wide range
of issues. Examples include the 5S work organization
concept, which optimizes all areas of work organization in production and finishing, and the reporting of
small incidents or near-misses, which can reveal hidden uncertainties and possible hazards.
Economic dimension
As a listed company, Forbo is also concerned with theeconomic dimension of sustainability. Compliance isenormously important for the reputation and posi­
tioning of a company. Forbo has continued its efforts,
among other things, with regard to training in thecode of conduct, competition law and anti-corruption
principles, as well as further reinforcing the risk management processes.

28

29

Activity report

Two divisions with leading market positions
Flooring Systems:
A successful second half in 2013
Movement Systems:
Significant increase in profitability

31
34
40

30

CREATIVITY

DYNAMISM

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Activity report

31

Two divisions
with leading
market positions
Forbo aims to operate primarily in businessareas in which it has or can achieve a lead­ing global market position – something it
has achieved for both Flooring Systems andMovement Systems.

Flooring Systems

Strategic directions

The Flooring Systems division offers a broad and attractive range of environmentally friendly linoleum, highquality vinyl floors, entrance flooring systems for cleaning and drying shoes, carpet tiles, needle felt, and­Flotex, the washable textile flooring. Thanks to their­excellent technical properties and attractive design,these flooring products are invariably the first choicefor public buildings, department stores, hospitals, andother healthcare facilities, schools, libraries, commercial
and office spaces, leisure centers, shops, hotels, restaurants, and cafeterias as well as for applications in theresidential market. With a market share of over 65 percent, Forbo is the world leader in linoleum.

To be successful in the market place as a Group withdifferently aligned operations, the individual divisions
act independently and flexibly, but always along thestrategic directions defined for the Group as a whole:

Flooring Systems also provides ready-made adhesives
for flooring installations and ceramic tiles as well as leveling compounds for the construction industry under
the trade name Eurocol.

Movement Systems
Movement Systems is a global industry leader for sophisticated con­veyor and processing belts, synthetic
modular belts, top-quality power transmission belts, aswell as timing and flat belts made of synthetic materials. These products are known under the brand name
Siegling. They are used in a wide range of applicationsin industry, trade, and the service sector, including
conveyor and processing belts in the food ­industry,treadmill belts in fitness studios, and flat belts in maildistribution centers.

–– based on a pronounced customer focus, a highlevel of service, innovation, and a strong global
brand, we are creating global leadership positionsin clearly defined market segments–– due to a strong market orientation, we shapemarkets and drive profitable growth–– we are developing significant positions ingrowth markets–– we are acquiring companies to extend our productrange, to consolidate and/or reinforce market access–– we are developing a high-performance culture
and providing the relevant skills and competences
at all levels

32

Flooring
Systems33

Creativity

Lasting­inspiration
Linoleum is a pure natural product, 150 years young,that not only combines outstanding properties andgenuine sustainability but also creates an atmosphereof well-being in which trends, aesthetics, and design all
flourish. Our collections feature an outstanding varietyof colors and patterns – unleashing the full creativityof our customers’ wishes.

34

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Activity report

Flooring Systems:
A successful second half in 2013

‘Faced with a changing market environ­ment, we reinforced our distribution struc­tures and enlarged our innovative productportfolio for private sector customer seg­ments. This had a marked impact in thesecond half of the year. We successfullycompensated for the downturn in demandin the public sector and in individual mar­kets where the construction industry wasin a slump. In the reporting year, we devel­
oped 13 new collections, for which we opti­
mized designs and colors for various app­lications, perfected product specifications
and formulations, and further increased the
proportion of recycled material we use inorder to promote sustainability and life cy­
cle analyses. Side by side with these invest­
ments designed to drive future growth, we
significantly increased operating profit on
the strength, in particular, of high-margin
offerings and a number of efficiency-boost­ing measures along the entire value chain.
Given this solid foundation, we are confi­
dent that we can further consolidate ourmarket position as a leading systems sup­plier in the commercial segment and buildon the positive sales trend.’
The Flooring Systems division generated net sales of
CHF 873.5 million in the 2013 business year (previous
year: CHF 873.9 million). This is equivalent to a slightdecline of 0.4% in local currencies. The division’s shareof Group sales came to 72.8%. The overriding factor
governing the sales trend was, once again, cost-cuttingin the public sector because our flooring business isdependent, directly or indirectly, on public spending.
On the upside, however, sales in the second half of2013 were higher than in the first six months. The main
reason for this was that Forbo posted stronger turnoverin private sector customer segments, which helped offset the weak demand in the public sector and in individual markets where the construction industry was inMatthias P. Huenerwadel
Executive Vice President
Flooring Systems

a slump. Measures to increase efficiency along the entire value chain had a positive impact on operating
profit (EBIT), which rose to CHF 113.3 million (previous
year restated, without special items: CHF 109.1 million).
Adjusted for the restatement effect, this comes to anincrease of 6.5% over the previous year. After adjustment for the restatement effect, the EBIT margin was
13.0%, or 0.8 percentage points higher than the previous year.
Flooring Systems offsets weaker demandin the public sector
The division’s efforts to adjust the strategy to thechanged circumstances – by reinforcing distribution
channels and strengthening new customer segments
outside the public sector such as shop fittings, offices,
hotels, and restaurants – are now having a significant
impact. In this way, Flooring Systems offset weakersales in high-revenue customer segments such as
healthcare and education while at the same time largely making up for faltering demand in individual European markets.
Europe has not yet experienced a market reboundacross the board, and to some extent this reflects the
weakness of the construction industry in certain countries. There was a significant downturn in demand­especially in the Netherlands and somewhat later inFrance. By contrast, Russia posted double-digit growthagain, while the Germany/Austria/Switzerland region
and Great Britain performed well amid a challenging
environment. North America continued to feel the im-35pact of spending cuts in segments that are crucial for
us such as education and healthcare. Canada gener­
ated gratifying growth because Forbo has become a­direct market player since taking over our Canadian­distributor in 2012. The Asia/Pacific markets reported
mixed results. On the whole, sales were more or lesson a par with the previous year. Some countries suchas China, South Korea, and India posted double-digit
growth, driven by major customer installations, whileothers such as Japan and Australia saw a dip in demandowing to the overall economic situation.
The building and construction adhesives activity reported net sales that were only slightly below the previous year on balance, despite the weak constructionindustry and a corresponding strong decline in demand in the Benelux countries, which account for thelion’s share of turnover. The reason for this was the verysatisfactory sales upturn in Russia and stable demandin Germany.
Premium-quality vinyl designer floors post further
gains in a highly competitive market
The product portfolio with its extensive range of flooring collections showed mixed trends. The trendy,
high-quality vinyl designer floors again posted double-digit growth rates, an impressive performancebased on new designs, forms, and formats that expand
the scope for design freedom. Sales of vinyl floorings
for the commercial sector, of needle felt collections
and of Flotex – the washable textile flooring – also outperformed the previous year. Linoleum – which is
widely used in the healthcare and education sectors
where investments in new builds and renovations often depend on publicly available funding – has not yet
found its way back to the growth path. Demand forentrance flooring systems and carpet tiles was on thewhole flat compared to the previous year. Owing tostrategic portfolio adjustments, sales of floor coverings
for the residential segment again decreased in the year
under review.
Investments in innovative collections
and automation
To mark the 150th anniversary of linoleum, Flooring Systems launched a new generation of attractive linoleum
products in the spring of 2013. The broad range of new
design options coupled with an impressive palette ofcolors opens up new applications in shop fittings, of-fices, hotels, restaurants, and leisure facilities, in addition to traditional segments. In the year under review,the division developed 13 new collections across all
product groups that are being launched in the firstquarter of 2014, meeting customer needs in a range ofsegments from senior care facilities to modern learning
environments. The collections are outstanding for theiruse of new materials, color combinations, and designs.
On the operational side, the division focused on optimizing its processes. Efficiency in the production plant
for high-quality vinyl designer floorings was further increased by the installation of a new packaging facility
that automates all process steps from cutting the tiles
and planks right up to packaging. In the Netherlands,
a new European logistics center was built from which
floor coverings from various production sites can becoordinated and combined into a single delivery forthe customer. The processes are supported by IT so­lutions that enhance customer service and optimize
transport routes.
The requirements for profitable
growth are in place
In 2014 we want to lock into the positive sales momentum in the second half of 2013 by exploiting to the fullthe market opportunities that are opening up. The new
global linoleum collection launched in the reporting
year along with the new product launches in 2014 will
support this effort. In the coming year the division will
push ahead with investments in innovative and sustainable product portfolios and actively pursue measures toboost operating efficiency.
Flooring Systems will place great emphasis in 2014 on
expanding its activities in growth markets. One focal
point is Russia, where in the year under review welaunched a new vinyl collection for the local market
and expanded the sales organization from Moscow all
the way to Novosibirsk. Another focal point is the expansion of our sales organizations in Turkey, Brazil, andAsia/Pacific, especially China. In the saturated markets,
we anticipate additional growth stimuli from America,
where we now offer a comprehensive solution for thecommercial sector that enables us to deliver turnkey
projects to customers with floors that are professionally laid by certified floor layers.

36

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Activity report

Modular designer
flooring gains
market share
With every change to the product line andevery new development, Flooring Systems
focuses on making its products and pro­
cesses more sustainable and environmen­
tally friendly. Forbo floorings combine at­
tractive and innovative design with long lifeand high product quality. In the year underreview, Forbo once again set benchmarks
with new and varied trends.

Linoleum – trendy even after 150 years
To mark the 150th anniversary of linoleum, Flooring Systems in the reporting year launched a new generationof trendy linoleum globally, featuring traditional andfresh new color combinations. Linoleum is made of­renewable natural materials such as linseed oil, resin,sawdust, and chalk, in other words a completely natural
product. In functional terms, this flooring classic has always enjoyed popular acclaim because its formulation
lends it a whole raft of positive features and options.
The new surface coating Topshield 2 makes linoleum
ideally suited for everyday use in high-intensity contexts, reduces maintenance, and prolongs the product’s life cycle.
There is a growing trend in flooring toward modular
designer floors. Compared with reel material, suchfloors are easier to transport, simpler to install, havefewer waste, and can readily be replaced in the eventof wear and tear. Flooring Systems’ product portfoliowith carpet tiles and high-quality vinyl design tiles already meets these exacting demands. The range now

37

also features a highly versatile and flexible collection ofmodular linoleum, which will be available starting inthe spring of 2014. These products offer a wide rangeof layout and design options with countless rectangular and square shapes and sizes as well as innumerable
colors, opening up a host of new applications for shop
fittings, offices, hotels, catering and leisure facilities.

tiles and planks are available in new sizes and designs,
they feature new structures and natural embossing,and they are marketed in different thicknesses to enable customers to optimize sound absorption. With environmental considerations in mind, all new collections
contain recycled material and are also available as aclick system.
A vinyl collection in tile and plank format has now also

‘UNLIMITED been designed for the residential sector. It encompasses wood and stone decors, and its completely natural
DESIGN OPTIONS’ design makes it perfect for spatial concepts in which
the original material would require too much maintenance or is otherwise unsuitable.

Enlarged offering of vinyl design tiles
For years, the fastest growing product group in the fieldof resilient flooring has been high-quality vinyl design
tiles. Their highly realistic wood, stone, and metal designs offer architects, interior designers, and planners
a vast gamut of creative spatial concepts. In the year
under review, new collections were developed that expand the product range and diversity even further. The

38

Movement
Systems

39

Dynamism

Top per­formance
Performance can only be distinctive and unique if it
is adapted to specific needs and then translated intofunctional results. That’s why the solutions we develop
for our customers are tailor-made and long-term. Our
products combine reliable quality with cost effectiveness and safety – that’s our promise, worldwide.

40

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Activity report

Movement Systems:
Significant increase in profitability‘We look back on a solid and successful
year. Although business conditions werevery challenging in some local markets, we
increased sales revenue in all regions. Key
factors in this uptrend were a double-digit
increase in sales in most growth markets
coupled with double-digit growth in plastic
modular belts. Our customers are enthu­
siastic about our innovative, application-­
specific product portfolios featuring prop­
Jean-Michel Wins
erties that generate added value in the
production or logistics process, and they’re Executive Vice President
Movement Systems
impressed by the application know-how of
our employees. Optimization along the en­tire global value chain has been instru­ crease in its sales revenue amid a challenging businessmental in the significant increase in our environment. Europe, too, reported marginal growth­operating profit. Holding fast to our strate­ on the whole, although the revenue picture in this region was quite mixed. Germany, an important pillar
gic focus, we will systematically pursue our of sales, posted a slight downturn in demand, whilegoals as we seek to further strengthen and Bene­lux and southern Europe turned in an impressive
increase in sales. The remaining countries were more
expand our market position.’
The Movement Systems division generated net sales of
CHF 326.2 million in the year under review (previous
year: CHF 327.2 million), which marked an increase of
2.4% in local currency terms. All regions contributed tothis performance, although sales in individual markets
were very mixed, with some countries reporting declines. In the corporate currency, however, sales declined marginally by 0.3% owing to negative currency
effects, especially in Japan. The division’s share of Groupsales came to 27.2%. Measures to increase efficiency,
especially in production and assembly processes, had
a positive impact on operating profit (EBIT), which rose
substantially to CHF 31.7 million (previous year restated: CHF 27.6 million). Adjusted for the restatement effect, this comes to an increase of 15.2% over the previous year. After adjustment for the restatement effect,
the EBIT margin was 9.7%, or 1.3 percentage points
higher than the previous year.
All regions on the growth path
In the year under review, all three regions contributed
to sales growth, even though some markets saw turnover decrease. North America posted a respectable in-or less flat compared with the previous year. Despite
Japan and Australia, Asia/Pacific reported gratifying
sales growth. For one thing, growth markets where
we have strengthened and enlarged the local organizations in recent years turned in double-digit sales increases. For another, the main market China enjoyedmore buoyant demand.
In the reporting year, the division continued the strategic and sustainable development and expansionof its organization in growth markets by reinforcing existing companies in the areas of sales and assembly.
In South Korea, we enlarged the new organizationthat we had developed the previous year. In order tostrengthen the attractive market in Indonesia, we took
over a distributor so that we can now offer the division’s entire product portfolio. In Thailand, preliminary
work for servicing the local market has been completed, and the goal is for the division to operate its own
company here in 2014.
Double-digit growth for plastic modular belts
The Prolink plastic modular belt product group, which
the division has developed globally through focused
efforts in recent years, again posted double-digit sales

41

growth rates in the year under review. The products
have been acclaimed by customers, especially for applications in the food industry and in the automotive
and tire industries.
The strategic customer segments turned in a mixed
performance. Demand for various belt types for the
food-processing industry was very satisfactory in all regions, and this uptrend was no doubt due to innovative product line extensions that feature high-quality
properties. Demand for professional applications in thelogistics sector was restrained towards the beginningof the year, but gained significant momentum in thesecond half. In the tobacco industry, project businesswith original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) was instrumental in driving sales growth. The textiles and raw
materials customer segments turned in an impressive
performance on the back of specific range extensions
and the launch of new products in the previous year.
The industrial production, sports treadmills and paper/
printing segments were either flat or slightly weakerowing to the general business conditions.
Impressive product innovations
In the year under review, the division again made substantial investments in developing and completing its
product portfolio, especially for plastic modular belts.
In close cooperation with its partners and customers,
Movement Systems developed other belt types withdifferent kinds of surface structures and properties.
They can be used especially in applications where thegoods have relatively little contact with the surface ofthe belt and nevertheless a consistent grip is essential
at all times. They are ideal for conveying tires, bags,
packaging, oily foodstuffs and bread upwards or downwards and for funneling goods or separating them ifthey have become jammed. For the food-processing
industry, we have developed new belt solutions designed especially to convey either water-treated or adhesive products such as lettuces or other leafy goods
such as spinach and cabbage or frozen foods. These
innovations have advantages for water drainage andequipment ventilation, and they stand out for their excellent cleaning properties.
Flat belts also play an important role in the food-­
processing industry. Box-folding belts with grey rubber
coating now ensure gentler and smoother handlingof cardboard boxes, corrugated cardboard, and sanitary

tissue. With the new friction coating, these belts are approved for direct contact with unpackaged foodstuffs
and ideal for use in hygiene-critical areas. This is always
important if the inside of the carton is in contact withthe belt and afterwards in contact with the unpackaged foodstuff. The belts not only need no re-tensioning but they are also durable, abrasion-resistant andhave strong edges, which ensures that the equipment
has a long service life without unnecessary downtimes
for our customers.
Focus on growth markets andoperational excellence
In the 2014 business year, the division will continue topush ahead with its strategic initiatives. We will again
focus on investing our resources in the development
and expansion of growth markets. The division will concentrate in particular on Asia/Pacific, Turkey, and Eastern Europe, where we see better-than-average growthpotential and intend to build up sales and service
teams and our assembly competencies.
In larger, established markets such as America, Ger­
many, or Japan, we aim to generate additional sales
growth by offering attractive and innovative products,
convincing applications and reliable, top-notch services.
Our goal in production and assembly and in the procurement and supply chain is to streamline our global
processes and work methods so that our greater ef­
ficiency produces operational excellence for our customers.

42

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Activity report

New sector-specificproducts win acclaim
Though not always visible, Movement Sys­
tems is present almost everywhere, ensur­
ing optimum process reliability. Again in
the year under review, Forbo stood out asa professional partner in the developmentof sector-specific, future-oriented solutions
for drives, transport, and manufacturing.

Innovation for pizza production
The quartz sand conveyor belt recently developed byMovement Systems combines problem-free grip withperfect release properties, which is all made possibleby the hard surface layer with a new quartz sand pattern. These product features have paid off, especiallyfor pizza dough. Once rolled out and flattened, the pizza dough has good adhesion to the belt, which meansthat the dough doesn’t contract and it retains the desired shape. Nevertheless, once the dough rolls reachthe point where they are transferred from the belt tothe oven, they release easily so that spraying the beltwith oil to improve the release isn’t necessary. Moreover, any impurities can easily be removed from thebelt, and the belt is also simple to clean. The belt has
a fray-free – and hence fluff-free – design, and its blue
color ensures a strong contrast so that the foods can
be clearly distinguished. This is ideal for hygiene-criticalapplications.

43

Additionally, the quartz sand pattern helps reduce
flour dust, and this in turn cuts down on the amountof flour used and improves working conditions.

cially for conveying products that are treated with­water or have good adhesion, for instance lettuces orother leafy goods such as spinach or cabbage and frozen foods as well.

‘APPLICATIONS New belt types have been created especially for applications where the goods have relatively little contact
THAT STAND with the belt surface and nevertheless a consistentgrip is essential at all times. They are ideal for conveyFOR RELIABILITY ing tires, bags, packaging, oily foodstuffs and bread
upwards or downwards and for funneling goods or
AND QUALITY’ separating them if they have become jammed.
Versatile plastic modular belts
Owing to their construction, conventional conveyor
belts are not entirely suitable for some conveyanceand process tasks. So Movement Systems is focusing
on expanding its range of plastic modular belts asa perfect complement to conveyor belts. In the year
under review, it launched various new products thatboast numerous advantages. For the food-processing
industry, a new application has been developed espe-

In the automotive industry – where ‘just in time’ manufacturing and delivery are essential – heavy-duty worker belts are used because they must withstand hightensile forces, ensure high availability of the installation,and ensure long conveyor lines: after all, heavy vehicles
have to be transported on these robust belts over several processing steps. With the new, roughened surface
structure, employees will find kneeling on the softer
belt much more pleasant than on the old anti-slip belts
with their harder profile.

44

45

Organization

Executive BoardGroup structure
Board of Directors

46
49
50

46

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Organization

Executive Board

Jean-Michel Wins, Stephan Bauer, This E. Schneider, Andreas Spreiter, Matthias P. Huenerwadel

47This E. Schneider

Stephan Bauer

This E. Schneider was born in 1952 and is a Swiss citizen. He studied economics at the University of St. Gallen (lic. oec. HSG) and at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, California, USA. After various
management functions in Europe and the USA, hejoined the Executive Board of Schmidt Agency, where
he was responsible for strategic planning, operations,and logistics from 1984 to 1990. From 1991 to 1993 he
was Chairman and CEO of the publicly listed company
SAFAA, Paris. In 1994, he became a member of the­Executive Board of Valora, with responsibility for thecanteen and catering division. From 1997 to 2002, he
was Delegate and Vice President of the Board of Directors of Selecta Group. This E. Schneider has been Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO of the ForboGroup since March 2004. He is also a member of theBoard of Directors of Galenica SA, Rieter Holding AG,
and Autoneum Holding AG.

In view of the plan to elect This E. Schneider as executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Board of
Directors has appointed Stephan Bauer as the new CEO
and Chairman of the Executive Board of the ForboGroup, effective January 1, 2014. He joined our com­pany in September 2013.

Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO

Dr. Albert Gnägi, who has been Chairman of the Boardof Directors for the past nine years, will not stand for
re-election at the Ordinary General Meeting in spring2014 as he will have then reached the statutory ageof retirement. In the interest of continuity and forward-looking succession planning, the Board of Directors has expressed the wish that This E. Schneider
should continue to play an important role in the development of Forbo. The Board of Directors will therefore
propose the election of This E. Schneider as executive
Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Ordinary
General Meeting on April 25, 2014.

Chief Executive Officer (effective January 1, 2014)

Stephan Bauer was born in 1961 and is a German citizen. He took a degree in Engineering and Management
at the Munich University of Applied Sciences (FH) andbegan his professional career at BMW in Munich in1987 as a project manager for the launch of new vehicle models. From 1991 to 2008 he worked for Siemens
VDO Automotive AG (which became Continental Automotive in 2007) in various regional and global management positions in the field of sales and marketing andgeneral management. In 2004 he was appointed CEO
of Diesel Systems. From 2008 to 2013 Stephan Bauer
was CEO and President Control Products & Systems at
the Siemens Building Technologies division, where he
was responsible for the entire product spectrum.

Andreas Spreiter
Chief Financial Officer

Andreas Spreiter was born in 1968 and is both a Swissand a British citizen. He studied at the Federal Instituteof Technology (ETH) in Zurich where he was awarded
his engineering degree in plant production and en­gineering. From 1993 to 1998 he was Business Unit
Controller at Landis + Gyr (Europe) AG. He then joined
Siemens Metering AG, where he was Head of Financeand Controlling for two years and was then appointed
to head the Electronic Meters Competence Center.
From 2002 to 2012 he was Executive Vice President andGroup Chief Financial Officer of Landis + Gyr AG. He isa member of the Board of Directors at Reichle & DeMassari AG. Andreas Spreiter joined the Forbo Groupin January 2013 as a member of the Executive Board
and Chief F­ inancial Officer.

48

Matthias P. Huenerwadel

Jean-Michel Wins

Matthias P. Huenerwadel was born in 1968 and is a
Swiss citizen. He studied engineering at the Federal­Institute of Technology (ETH), specializing in manufacturing technologies and technology management. He
began his professional career as assistant to the Executive Board of Franke Holding AG. In 1996, he moved to
the USA, where he was responsible for logistics, information technology, and customer service with Federal
Home Products, Ruston. From 1999, he held various
managerial positions for Franke Foodservice Systems
and managed its European operations from 2002 to
2005. Matthias P. Huenerwadel joined the Forbo Group
as a member of the Executive Board in October 2005
where he was appointed head of the Movement Systems division. He has been Head of the Flooring Systems division since January 1, 2013.

Jean-Michel Wins was born in 1967 and is a Belgian
citizen. He studied business administration and languages at the IPET in Nivelles, Belgium, and began his
professional career in Germany at Calberson GmbH,
where he held various specialist functions. He thenmoved to Simut Sicherheit GmbH for two years, where
he was in charge of sales and marketing. From 1992
to 1996 he was Export Manager at Brabus GmbH andfrom 1996 to 2002 he held various sales and managerial functions at Hirschmann Electronics. In 2002 heswitched to Grammer AG, headquartered in Germany,
where he held a number of international sales and senior management positions; in 2009 he was appointed
Vice President responsible for the Offroad Seating­Business Unit. As a member of the Executive Board,
Jean-Michel Wins took over management of the Movement Systems division in January 2013.

Executive Vice President Flooring Systems

Executive Vice President Movement Systems

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Organization

49

Group structure

Forbo has performed better than average in recent years compared with other listed companies. With its two
focused divisions, the Group is now a world leader in its markets, free of debt and in possession of significant
resources for further strategic development. The task Forbo is facing now is, on the one hand, to maintain its
successful performance of recent years and, on the other, to reinforce and expand its positions in the global
market with the means available through strong organic growth and acquisitions.
Whereas Forbo has been managed over the past ten years by the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO
in a dual function, the forthcoming change will redefine the tasks and responsibilities of the highest executive
by appointing a separate Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors and a CEO.

BOD / HRNC / RC / AFC
Chairman of Board of Directors/Delegate of the Board of Directors(Designated Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors as of 25.4.2014)
	Tasks of the Executive
Chairman of the Board of Directors– Leading the Board of Directors– Preparing the decisions of theBoard of Directors and ensuring
they are executed– Representing and positioning
the Group in the public– Overall management of strategy­development and involvement inrealizing key strategic projects– Management of relationships withkey accounts and business, sector
and capital market partners
	Tasks of the Chief Executive Officer– Operational management of the Group– Leading the Executive Board– Development and operational
implementation of the strategies– Implementation and monitoring ofmulti-year planning and budgets– Supporting the Executive Chairmanof the Board of Directors in preparing
important projects relating tostrategy, personnel, and finances fordiscussion and decision-taking by
the Board of Directors

Board of Directors Office
Investor Relations
Corporate Communications
Internal Audit
CEO

Corporate HR
Corporate Development

Executive Vice President
Flooring Systems

Executive Vice President
Movement Systems

CFO

Sales and Marketing

EuropeSupply Chain

Americas

Corporate Controlling
and Reporting

Business Development

Asia/PacificFinance

Operations

Building and Construction
Adhesives

QualityMember of the Executive Board

Corporate Tax
Risk Management
Corporate Legal Services

IT

Business andProduct Development

Human Resources

Marketing

M&A

Process Development

Finance

F & A Managers
Group CompaniesIT
BOD Board of Directors
HRNC Human Resources and Nomination Committee
RC Remuneration Committee
AFC Audit and Finance Committee

Corporate Treasury

Plastic Modular Belts

Corporate IT

50

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Organization

Board of Directors

Dr. Reto Müller, Vincent Studer, Michael Pieper, Dr. Albert Gnägi, This E. Schneider, Dr. Peter Altorfer

51

Dr. Albert Gnägi
Chairman/Elected until 2014.1)

Member and until 2010 Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sanitas Hospital, Kilchberg.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of SAM Group Holding AG, Zurich.
Member of other Boards of Directors or Boards of Trustees.

Michael Pieper

Vice Chairman/Elected until 2016.1)
Owner of the Artemis Holding AG (formerly Franke Holding AG), Aarburg.
Chairman of the Management Board of Artemis Management AG (formerly Franke Holding AG), Aarburg.
Member of the Board of Directors of Hero AG, Lenzburg.
Member of the Board of Directors of advalTech Holding AG, Niederwangen near Berne.
Member of the Board of Directors of Berenberg Bank (Schweiz) AG, Zurich.
Member of the Board of Directors of Rieter Holding AG, Winterthur.
Member of the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding AG, Winterthur.

This E. Schneider

Delegate and CEO/Elected until 2014.1)
Member of the Board of Directors of Galenica SA, Berne.
Member of the Board of Directors of Rieter Holding AG, Winterthur.
Member of the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding AG, Winterthur.

Dr. Peter Altorfer
Member/Elected until 2014.1)

Partner at the law firm Wenger & Vieli AG, Zurich.
Member of the Board of Directors of Huber + Suhner AG, Herisau.
Member of the Board of Directors of agta record ag, Fehraltorf.
Member of the Board of Directors of Abegg Holding AG, Zurich.
Member of the Board of Directors of Altin AG, Baar.
Member of the Board of Trustees of Werner Abegg Fonds, Zurich.
Member of the Board of other private and foreign banks and non-listed investment and real-estatecompanies in Switzerland.

Dr. Reto Müller
Member/Elected until 2015.1)

Full-time Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helbling Holding AG, Zurich.
Member of the Council of SWISSMEM, Zurich.
Member of other Boards of Directors.

Vincent Studer
Member/Elected until 2015.1)

Partner and member of Management of T + R AG, Gümligen near Berne.
Member of the Board of Directors of Bank EEK AG, Berne.
Member of other Boards of Directors or Boards of Trustees.
1) With the entry into force of the Ordinance against Excessive Remuneration in Listed Public Companies (OaER) on January 1, 2014, the term ofoffice of all members of the Board of Directors ends in 2014. With the exception of Dr. Albert Gnägi, who will reach the statutory retirement
age in the spring of 2014 and will therefore step down from the Board of Directors, all members of the Board of Directors will be proposed
for re-election for one year at the Ordinary General Meeting on April 25, 2014.

52

53

The Forbo share

54

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – The Forbo share

The Forbo share

The Swiss Performance Index (SPI) rose by more than 25% in the first five months of 2013. However, the market
then corrected sharply, shedding within about one month more than half of the performance gains made in theprevious five months. Calm eventually returned to the market, and the SPI again posted significant gains in
the final months of the year, closing 2013 with a positive performance of 24.6%.
The price of the Forbo share rose from its year-end-2012 level of CHF 585 to close to CHF 650 by the springof 2013, but by June 2013 it had fallen slightly below its year-end-2012 level again. In the following months,
the Forbo share price posted significant gains and by year-end 2013 it had once again outperformed the SPI.
The share closed the year at CHF 762, equivalent to an increase of 30.3%.

The Forbo share in comparison to the SPIForbo share
SPI
800
750
700
650
600
550
500
450
400
350
300
250

135%
115%
95%
75%
55%
35%
15%
– 5%
– 25%
31.12.2010

31.12.2011

31.12.2012

31.12.2013

55

Share capital
Issued registered shares1)
Thereof:
Shares outstanding
Share buyback second line
Other treasury shares
Reserve shares (without dividend rights)

2013
Number2,250,000

2012
Number2,500,000

2011
Number2,500,000

2010
Number2,713,152

2009
Number2,713,152

2,032,703
99,47096,40821,4192,052,740
250,000
175,841
21,4192,298,758
179,823
21,4192,339,162
213,152
139,419
21,4192,266,593
213,152
211,988
21,419CHF
225,000

CHF
250,000

CHF
250,000

CHF
271,315

CHF
271,315203,270
9,947
9,641
2,142

205,274
25,00017,5842,142

229,876
17,982
2,142

233,916
21,315
13,942
2,142

226,659
21,31521,199
2,142

CHF
380
56.8
14.03)
1.84)
2.44)
26

CHF
329
96.4
12.0
1.84)
2.54)
13

CHF
349
62.8
12.0
1.74)
3.54)
19

CHF
320
71.6
12.0
2.04)
3.54)
17

CHF
301
33.7
6.0
1.84)
4.34)
18

CHF
769
580
762
1,730
1,305
1,715

CHF
685
484
585
1,712
1,210
1,463

CHF
713
343
493
1,782
857
1,232

CHF
595
343
590
1,614
931
1,601

CHF
343
140
340
931
380
922

Issued nominal capital
Total
Thereof:
Shares outstanding
Share buyback second line
Other treasury shares
Reserve shares (without dividend rights)

Data per share
Group shareholders’ equity per share6)
Group profit per share2) 6)
Gross dividend and cash distribution
Gross dividend yield (in %)

High
Low

Payout ratio5) (in %)Stock market statistics
Share priceMarket capitalization (m)7)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

High
Low
Year-end
High
Low
Year-end

Par value per share in 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009: CHF 0.10
See note 15 ‘Earnings per share‘ on page 101 of the financial report.
Proposal of the Board of Directors to the Ordinary General Meeting.
Calculated on the basis of a cash distribution in the form of a dividend.
Gross cash distribution as a percentage of Group profit.
Based on the weighted average of the number of shares as set out in note 15‘Earnings per share’ on page 101 of the financial report.
7) Total number of shares multiplied by the corresponding share price.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Corporate governance reportCorporate
governance report

58

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Corporate governance report

Corporate
governance report
At Forbo, the concept of corporate governance encompasses the entire set of principles andrules on organization, conduct, and transparency designed to protect shareholders’ interests. Forbo’s aim is to strike a careful balance between management and control. The central rules are contained in the Articles of Association, the Organizational Regulations, andthe regulations of the committees of the Board of Directors. The following information is set
out in line with the Directive on Information relating to Corporate Governance (Directiveon Corporate Governance ‘DCG’) and the relevant publications of SIX Swiss Exchange.

Group structure and shareholders
Group structure
Forbo Holding Ltd, domiciled at Lindenstrasse 8, 6340 Baar, is a limited company under Swiss law. The holding
company holds all subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, that belong to the Forbo Group. The operational structure of
the Group is shown in the organizational chart on page 47. The scope of consolidation of Forbo Holding Ltd does
not include any listed companies. The unlisted companies within the scope of consolidation of Forbo Holding Ltd
are listed under ‘Group companies’ starting on page 132 of the financial report. The company name and domicile,share capital, and percentage of participation along with information relating to the allocation of the Group
company to the Group’s businesses can also be found in that section of this Annual Report.
Significant shareholders
As of December 31, 2013, 1,937 shareholders were listed in the share register of Forbo Holding Ltd, or 227 (10%)
fewer than in the previous year. As of December 31, 2013, Forbo Holding Ltd knew of the following significant
shareholders with a holding of more than 3%:

Michael Pieper1)
Forbo Holding Ltd2)This E. Schneider
UBS Fund Management (Switzerland) AG
Norges Bank

31.12.2013
as a percentage
30.30
9.66
3.84
3–5
3–5

1) Michael Pieper holds his interest directly and indirectly through Artemis Beteiligungen I AG.
2) – First trading line 5.24%, second trading line 4.42%.
– Forbo Holding Ltd holds its interest directly and indirectly through Forbo International SA and Forbo Finanz AG.

Disclosure of significant shareholders and significant shareholder groups and their holdings is effected in accordance with the disclosures made in the year under review pursuant to Article 20 of the Federal Act on Stock­Exchanges and Securities Trading (SESTA) and the provisions of the Ordinance of the Swiss Financial Market­Supervisory Authority on Stock Exchanges and Securities Trading (SESTO-FINMA).
UBS Fund Management (Switzerland) AG reported to Forbo Holding Ltd on January 8, 2013, that it had exceeded
the threshold of 3% and held a total of 99,447 registered shares of Forbo Holding Ltd, equivalent to 3.98% of thevoting rights.

59

Forbo Holding Ltd reported on January 22, 2013, that, as a result of the implementation of the capital reductionthat had been approved by the Extraordinary General Meeting of Forbo Holding Ltd on November 5, 2012, it had
fallen below the threshold of 10% as at January 22, 2013, and that it held, directly or indirectly through Forbo­International SA, Baar (CH) and Forbo Finanz AG, Baar (CH), 196,117 of its own shares, equivalent to 8.716% of thevoting rights. In addition, Forbo Holding Ltd had granted 30,601 purchase rights for 30,601 registered shares ofForbo Holding Ltd, equivalent to 1.36% of the voting rights.
Norges Bank reported to Forbo Holding Ltd on May 23, 2013, that it had exceeded the threshold of 3% and helda total of 67,741 registered shares of Forbo Holding Ltd, equivalent to 3.01% of the voting rights.
No other disclosures were made in 2013.
For further information on significant shareholders or shareholder groups, we refer the reader to the table on
page 58 and to page 146 of the financial report (duty of disclosure pursuant to Article 663c, Swiss Code of Obligations).
Cross-shareholdings
Forbo Holding Ltd has not entered into any cross-shareholdings with mutual capital shareholdings or voting
rights.

Capital structure
Share capital
As of December 31, 2013, Forbo Holding Ltd had a fully paid up share capital of CHF 225,000, which was divided
into 2,250,000 listed registered shares, each with a par value of CHF 0.10. Of this amount:–– 68.88% were registered in the name of 1,911 shareholders with voting rights–– 23.76% were shares of banks or of SIX SIS AG pending registration of transfer–– 7.35% were registered in the share register without voting rights
The shares of Forbo Holding Ltd (security number 000354151/ISIN CH0003541510) are listed on SIX Swiss Exchange. No different categories of shares exist. Each share entitles the owner to one vote. Further information on
Forbo shares can be found on pages 54 and 55. Further information on the rights of participation associated withshares can be found on pages 70 and 71 of this Annual Report.
At the Extraordinary General Meeting of Forbo Holding Ltd of November 5, 2012, the Board of Directors was authorized to buy back own shares up to a maximum of 10% of the share capital over a period of three years either
on a second trading line at the SIX Swiss Exchange or otherwise, with the purpose of extinguishing them at alater stage. The Board of Directors reserves the right to interrupt or terminate the share buyback program if thisshould become necessary in order to finance external growth. The Board of Directors opted for a two-stage procedure in which the shareholders took the basic decision at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Forbo Holding
Ltd on November 5, 2012, and will be asked to approve the cancellation of the repurchased shares at one of theforthcoming General Meetings. By December 31, 2012, Forbo Holding Ltd had repurchased 99,470 shares via thesecond trading line, equivalent to 4.42% of share capital.
Conditional and authorized capital
Pursuant to Paragraph 6 of the Articles of Association, Forbo Holding Ltd has a maximum conditional capital of
CHF 16,645, corresponding to 166,450 registered shares to be paid up in full with a par value of CHF 0.10 each.

60

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Corporate governance report

The capital increase takes place in accordance with the Articles of Association through the exercise of option andconvertible rights granted in connection with the bonds issued by the company or one of its subsidiaries, or
through the exercise of option rights granted to shareholders. Except for shareholder options, shareholders haveno right of subscription. Holders of option or convertible rights are entitled to subscribe to new share issues. The
registration of new shares is subject to the general restriction set out in Paragraph 4 of the Articles of Association,
which stipulates that shareholders are entered in the share register with voting rights only if they declare expressly that they have acquired the shares in their own name and for their own account.
There is no authorized capital.
Changes in capital
In 2013, except for the implementation of the decision of the Extraordinary General Meeting of November 5,
2012, there was no change to the capital of Forbo Holding Ltd.
The Extraordinary General Meeting of Forbo Holding Ltd on November 5, 2012, decided, based on the audit­report of an accredited auditor, to reduce the ordinary share capital of the company by CHF 25,000 from
CHF 250,000 to CHF 225,000 by extinguishing 250,000 shares with a par value of CHF 0.10 each. It was further
decided to amend the Articles of Association accordingly.
The Ordinary General Meeting of Forbo Holding Ltd on April 29, 2011, decided, based on the audit report of an
accredited auditor, to reduce the ordinary share capital of the company by CHF 21,315.20 from CHF 271,315.20
to CHF 250,000 by extinguishing 213,152 shares with a par value of CHF 0.10 each. It was further decided toamend the Articles of Association accordingly.
Participation certificates and ‘Genussscheine’ (non-voting equity securities)
Forbo Holding Ltd has issued neither participation certificates nor non-voting equity securities.
Limitations on transferability and nominee registrations
Forbo Holding Ltd does not have any percentage limitations on voting rights. The Board of Directors may only
refuse to register stock in the share register if the purchaser of the stock does not expressly declare at the company’s request that he/she has acquired the shares in his/her own name and for his/her own account.
Pursuant to Paragraph 4 of the Articles of Association, nominees may be entered in the share register with voting
rights for up to a maximum of 0.3% of the registered share capital entered in the Commercial Register. Over andabove this limit, nominees are only entered provided the name, address, and shareholding of those persons aredisclosed for whose account the nominee holds a total of 0.3% or more of the registered share capital entered in
the Commercial Register.
Resolutions on the amendment or abrogation of the clause on the registration of registered shares require amajority of two-thirds of the votes represented at the General Meeting and the absolute majority of the parvalue of the shares represented.
No statutory privileges exist and there is no restriction on the transferability of the shares of Forbo Holding Ltd.
Convertible bonds and warrants/options
Forbo Holding Ltd has no outstanding convertible bonds nor has it issued any marketable warrants/options. Information on the option program available to the Executive Board can be found on page 69, as well as on pages
109 and 110 of this Annual Report.

61

Board of Directors
Members of the Board of Directors
The cutoff date for the following information is December 31, 2013.
With the exception of This E. Schneider, Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO, none of the members of theBoard of Directors listed below has or has had any operational management tasks for Forbo Holding Ltd or its
Group companies. With the exception of This E. Schneider, none of the members of the Board of Directors sat on
the Executive Board of Forbo Holding Ltd or the management of its Group companies in the three business years
preceding the period under review. There are no essential business relationships between the members of theBoard of Directors and Forbo Holding Ltd or its Group companies.
Dr. Albert Gnägi, Chairman
Albert Gnägi, born in 1944, is a Swiss citizen. He studied law at the Universities of Zurich and Rome and holds a
doctorate in law (Dr. iur.). He practices law in Zurich, specializing in commercial, company, and inheritance law.
He was Chairman of the Board of Selecta Group from the IPO in 1997 until the takeover by the British company
Compass Group in early 2001. From 1982 to 1997, he was a member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of
Immuno International AG, a manufacturer of biological pharmaceuticals which went public in Zurich in 1989.
Albert Gnägi has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sanitas Hospital in Kilchberg since 1980 and was
its Chairman until 2010. He has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of SAM Group Holding AG, Zurich, since2007. He holds additional board memberships in other companies and foundations. He has been Chairman of
the Board of Directors of Forbo Holding Ltd since March 2005.
Michael Pieper, Vice Chairman
Michael Pieper, born in 1946, is a Swiss citizen. Michael Pieper took a degree in economics (lic. oec. HSG) at the
University of St. Gallen. He has been with the Artemis Group (formerly Franke Group) since 1988 and its owner and
CEO since 1989. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Hero AG, advalTech Holding AG, Berenberg Bank
(Schweiz) AG, Autoneum Holding AG and Rieter Holding AG. He was first elected to the Board of Directors ofForbo Holding Ltd in 2000.
This E. Schneider, Delegate and CEO
For the curriculum vitae of This E. Schneider, please see page 47 of this report.
Dr. Peter AltorferPeter Altorfer, born in 1953, is a Swiss citizen. He studied law at the University of Zurich and holds a doctorate inlaw (Dr. iur.). He attended the PED program at the IMD, Lausanne. Until 1988, he worked at Bank Leu AG andsubsequently joined the law firm Wenger & Vieli in Zurich, where he is now a partner, specializing in bank andcompany law. Peter Altorfer is a member of the Board of Directors of various companies, including Huber +Suhner AG in Herisau, agta record ag in Fehraltorf, Abegg Holding AG in Zurich, Altin AG in Baar, Werner Abegg
Fonds in Zurich, and of private and foreign banks and unlisted investment and real estate companies in Switzerland. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of Forbo Holding Ltd since March 2005.
Dr. Reto Müller
Reto Müller, born in 1951, is a Swiss citizen. He took a first degree in economics and completed his doctorate(Dr. oec. HSG) at the University of St. Gallen. He also completed the Stanford Executive Program and additional
training at IMD, INSEAD, and the Harvard Business School. He is a founding partner of the Helbling Group, forwhich he has worked since 1984, from 2000 to 2011 as Chairman of the Board and CEO. In July 2011, he wasappointed full-time Chairman of the Board of Helbling Holding AG. Between 2002 and 2010, Reto Müller waseither a member or Chairman of the Zurich Regional Economic Advisory Board (Zurich) of the Swiss National

62

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Corporate governance report

Bank. He has been a member of the Council of SWISSMEM since 2008 and he holds additional board memberships in other companies. He became a member of the Board of Directors of Forbo Holding Ltd in April 2011.
Vincent Studer
Vincent Studer, born in 1962, is a Swiss citizen. He completed the Advanced School of Economics and Business
Administration in Berne and trained as a Swiss certified public accountant. In addition, he has attended various
national and international training courses. From 1991 to 2008, Vincent Studer worked at Ernst & Young AG in
Berne as an external auditor and was head auditor for the statements of national and international companies invarious industries. In 2001 he was appointed a partner in the area of auditing. Since 2008 he has been a partnerand member of the management of the accountancy and auditing firm T + R AG, Gümligen/Berne, where heheads the Auditing business unit. Vincent Studer is a member of the Board of Directors of Bank EEK AG in Berneand holds additional board memberships in other companies and foundations. He has been a member of theBoard of Directors of Forbo Holding Ltd since April 2009.

Board of Directors of Forbo Holding Ltd
at December 31, 2013
FirstelectedElecteduntil OGM1)

AFC

HRC

Chairman
Dr. Albert Gnägi
Non-executive director

2005

2014

M

C

Vice Chairman
Michael Pieper
Non-executive director

2000

2016

–

M

2004

2014

–

–

2005

2014

M

M

2011

2015

M

–

2009

2015

C

–

Members
This E. Schneider
Delegate of the Board of Directors and executive director
Dr. Peter Altorfer
Non-executive director
Dr. RETO MÜLLER
Non-executive director
Vincent Studer
Non-executive director
Secretary of the Board
Nicole GRAF
Non-member

OGM: Ordinary General Meeting
AFC: Audit and Finance Committee
HRC: Committee for Human Resources and Remuneration
C: 		 Chair
M: 		 Member

1) With the entry into force of the Ordinance against Excessive Remuneration in Listed Public Companies (OaER) on January 1, 2014,
the term of office of all members of the Board of Directors ends in2014. With the exception of Dr. Albert Gnägi, who will reach thestatutory retirement age in the spring of 2014 and will therefore
step down from the Board of Directors, all members of the Boardof Directors will be proposed for re-election for one year at theOrdinary General Meeting on April 25, 2014.

63

Elections and terms of office
The members are elected by the General Meeting for a term of three years. A year is defined as the period­between two Ordinary General Meetings. The first term of office after the first election of a member to the Boardof Directors is designed so that every year roughly one-third of all members have to be elected or re-elected.
Members may be re-elected several times. At the Ordinary General Meeting on April 26, 2013, Dr. Albert Gnägi
and Michael Pieper were re-elected for a term of office of one and three years respectively in individual elections.
Further details on the terms of office of the other members of the Board of Directors are contained in the tableon page 62. As of 2014, all members of the Board of Directors will be elected in individual votes for a one-year
term of office, in accordance with the Ordinance against Excessive Remuneration in Listed Public Companies(OaER). In accordance with the Organizational Regulations of Forbo Holding Ltd, members who have reached
the age of 70 resign from the Board of Directors at the Ordinary General Meeting of the following year. In determining the composition of the Board of Directors, importance is attached to the election of independent individuals with international experience in industrial companies as well as in the financial and consultancy sectors.
Internal organizational structure
The allocation of tasks within the Board of Directors and the composition of the Board committees are shown in
the table on page 62.
Decisions are as a general rule taken by the full Board of Directors. The Board constitutes two standing committees from its own ranks – the Audit and Finance Committee (AFC) and the Committee for Human Resources andRemuneration (HRC) – to deal with clearly defined subject areas of overriding importance. These two committees
have mainly advisory and control functions. In addition, the HRC is empowered to determine the compensation
paid to members of the Executive Board. The compensation of the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO
is determined by the full Board of Directors. The members of these two committees are elected by the Boardof Directors on an annual basis and can be dismissed at any time.
As a rule, the Chairman of the Board of the Directors chairs the meetings of the Board and the General Meeting.
He plans and conducts the meetings of the Board and the General Meeting. The meetings of the Board and therelevant items on the agenda are prepared by the Chairman in consultation with the CEO. The Chairman monitors the execution of the measures adopted by the Board and is in regular contact with the CEO for this purpose.
He is the direct superior of the CEO. In addition, the Chairman, in consultation with the CEO, represents the Board
vis-à-vis the public, the authorities, and the shareholders.
The Vice Chairman is tasked with deputizing for the Chairman should the latter be prevented from attending for
any reason. In accordance with the Organizational Regulations and actual practice, the Vice Chairman has nofurther duties.
The Delegate of the Board of Directors is also CEO and as such is responsible for the operational management of
the company and for the tasks delegated to him by the Board of Directors. The CFO and the Executive Vice Presidents of the two divisions report to him for this function.
The Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Delegate (CEO) are elected by the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors meets on being convened by the Chairman as often as business requires but at least fourtimes a year. When the Board is convened, the items on the agenda must be announced at least five working days
before the day of the meeting. This notification period may be shortened in urgent cases. In 2013, the Board of
Directors met seven times, the meetings usually lasting a whole day.

64

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Corporate governance report

After mutual consultation, the Chairman and the CEO may invite members of the Executive Board or other senior
employees to attend Board meetings for individual items. Regular use is made of this option. External consultants
participate in the meetings of the Board of Directors, the AFC or the HRC only in exceptional circumstances todeal with particular items. As a rule, however, the meetings are held without external consultants.
Audit and Finance Committee
The Audit and Finance Committee (AFC) advises the Board of Directors in respect of its duties on behalf of thecompany in the areas of financial reporting, the accounting standards and systems used, and decisions withsignificant financial implications. The AFC monitors the activities of the internal auditors and the external auditors. Moreover, it establishes the audit program of the internal auditors and proposes to the Board of Directors
the choice of the external auditors for the attention of the General Meeting. The CEO and the CFO are regularly
requested to attend meetings in an advisory capacity, while the internal and external auditors may attend on
special invitation.
The AFC convenes as often as business requires, but at least twice a year. In the 2013 business year, three meetings were held, each lasting about half a day. The external auditors were present for some items on the agendaof the AFC’s meeting on the financial statements, while the Ernst & Young representatives responsible for internal
auditing attended all meetings held to discuss the internal audit reports.
Committee for Human Resources and Remuneration
The Committee for Human Resources and Remuneration (HRC) advises the Board of Directors in respect of its
human resources duties on behalf of the Group, in particular as regards the Board itself and senior management
personnel. The HRC prepares proposals for the attention of the Board of Directors regarding the selection of themembers of the Board and of the CEO, and it assesses and approves the proposals of the CEO regarding theemployment of the Executive Board members. It prepares recommendations for the Board of Directors regarding
the compensation of the Board, the Chairman, the Committee members, and the CEO. The CEO is regularly­involved in an advisory capacity. Agenda items and matters affecting the function or the person of the CEO are
deliberated in his absence.
The HRC convenes as often as business requires. In the 2013 business year, two meetings were held, each lasting
about half a day.
Areas of responsibility
The Board of Directors bears ultimate responsibility for the management of Forbo Holding Ltd. The main dutiesof the Board of Directors are the following non-transferable and inalienable tasks pursuant to the Swiss Code ofObligations and the Articles of Association:–– ultimate management of the company and issuing the necessary directives–– definition of the organization–– organization of accounting, financial controlling, and financial planning–– appointment and dismissal of persons entrusted with the management of the company–– preparation of the Annual Report and of the General Meeting and implementation of its resolutions–– notification of the court in the event of over-indebtedness

65

The Board of Directors bears ultimate responsibility for supervising and monitoring the management of thecompany and is responsible for the corporate strategy. It issues guidelines for business policy and is regularly
briefed on the current state of business.
Business to be dealt with by the Board of Directors is regularly submitted in advance to the AFC, HRC, ad hoc
committees or individual members, depending on the subject, for review or an opinion. With the exception of
its non-transferable and inalienable tasks, the Board of Directors may transfer tasks and responsibilities in full orin part to individual members of the Board or to third parties.
The Board of Directors is empowered to take decisions on all matters which are not reserved or transferred to theGeneral Meeting or another body of Forbo by law, the Articles of Association, or regulations.
Management of the company has been delegated entirely to the CEO. Accordingly, the CEO is responsible for theoperational management of the Group.
In carrying out his tasks, the CEO is supported by the members of the Executive Board, who report to him. The
Executive Board comprises the CEO, CFO, and the Executive Vice Presidents of the two divisions. It is responsible
for the long-term success and market-driven management of the Forbo Group. This involves preparing the bases
for decision-making for the Board of Directors regarding:–– corporate strategy, corporate targets, business policy, medium-term plans, and budgets–– corporate organization–– organization of accounting, financial controlling, and financial planning–– financing and treasury principles–– human resources and compensation policy
The members of the Executive Board are responsible for their particular area of activity and also bear co-responsibility for safeguarding the interests of the Group and achieving the financial Group result.
Information and control instruments vis-à-vis the Executive Board
The Executive Board meets as often as business requires, normally once a month. In the 2013 business year,
eleven meetings were held, each lasting from half a day to a full day.
At the meetings of the Board of Directors, any member may request information about any matter concerning
the Forbo Group. Outside the meetings, such requests for information are to be addressed to the Chairman. The
CEO and the other members of the Executive Board inform the Board of Directors at each regular meeting about
the current state of business, important business events, and significant deviations from the budget.
The Chairmen of the AFC and HRC report at the Board meetings on the activities of their committees and express
the opinions and recommendations of the AFC or HRC on the business items on which decisions are to be taken.
Each member of the Board of Directors has the right to inspect the minutes of the AFC and HRC meetings. The
Executive Board reports to the AFC through the CFO in consultation with the CEO; it reports to the HRC throughthe CEO.

66

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Corporate governance report

The Board is also regularly briefed outside meetings about events and challenges facing the Group and the general performance of the divisions. In addition, the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and CEO are in regular contact when
essential policy issues are involved. For important, particularly urgent events, the CEO informs the Chairman andthe other members of the Board immediately.
The Delegate of the Board, who is at the same time CEO, conducts the meetings of the Executive Board. For­details concerning the participation of members of the Executive Board in meetings of the Board of Directors andits committees, see the sections on internal organization, the AFC, and the HRC on pages 63 and 64.
The Board of Directors furthermore fulfills its supervisory and monitoring obligations by means of financial­reporting and its role in the planning cycle. The internal and external auditors also assist the Board in this task.
Neither the external auditors nor the internal auditors, however, were invited to any meetings of the Board of
Directors in 2013 as there were no special incidents or topics for discussion.
As part of financial reporting, the Board of Directors is informed as a rule once a month in writing about the company’s current business performance and earnings situation by means of annotated income statements, key­ratios, and deviation analyses.
The Board of Directors is, moreover, involved in the company’s planning cycle. As a rule, the existing strategy is
subjected to a thorough review by the Board of Directors in the first half of the year. The revised strategy is quantified in the three-year medium-term plan, which is approved at mid-year by the Board of Directors. Based on themedium-term plan, the Board of Directors sets the budget objectives for the coming business year. These budget
objectives are the basis for the detailed budget, which is discussed and adopted by the Board of Directors in the
fourth quarter.
The current business year is assessed in a first estimate always at the end of April and in a second estimate at theend of September. On completion of the business year, the extent to which the budget has been reached ischecked and deviations are analyzed. This analysis is used to derive appropriate measures, which are then implemented in the next planning cycle.
Internal auditing is effected by Ernst & Young, which has been commissioned for this purpose. Internal auditing
is administratively subordinated to the CFO and is functionally independent. It reports to the AFC.
The audits are conducted in accordance with an annual plan approved by the AFC. A distinction is made b­ etween
ordinary and special engagement audits. The latter consist of limited reviews, follow-up reviews, compliance
audits, and other special engagements. Where necessary, the risks and weaknesses identified in these audits areminimized or eliminated by measures adopted by management and are constantly monitored.
In 2013, a total of six internal audits were conducted. The internal audits were restricted to individual businessprocesses. In its review of audited Group companies, Internal Audit included any issues that had been definedin the framework of the internal control system (ICS). Internal audits also involved various compliance reviews
related to these processes. Lastly, additional risks and controls in connection with the above-mentioned businessprocesses were analyzed in the audit. Three companies in each division were audited in the course of the internal
audits.
By means of self-assessments and management controls by division management, the implementation and reliability of the controls introduced with the ICS were examined to ensure that deviations were identified and thatappropriate corrective measures were implemented.

67

Risk management
The ongoing and systematic evaluation of current and future risks invariably involves identifying and capitalizingon opportunities. Forbo regards risk management as a managerial and working tool designed, among otherthings, to safeguard the tangible and intangible assets of the company.
Forbo has a risk-based insurance coverage in line with industry practice and has appropriately insured in particular operational risks such as property damage, business interruption, and liability. The risks specifically in the­areas of property damage and business interruption are examined in the context of periodic risk engineering
reports by external experts. For this purpose, production companies are visited at regular intervals, and comprehensive surveys are worked through with local management. Action plans are drawn up and implemented
based on the risks identified. These risk engineering audits have been prepared since 1990.
As regards business risks, Forbo addresses strategic risks as well as market and financial risks. In the area of market
risks, interest and currency risks are monitored centrally and hedged in certain cases. The liquidity and financing
of subsidiaries are also monitored centrally. Please also refer to pages 127 to 131 of the financial report for more
information on this subject.
With regard to the risk management process pursuant to Article 663b section 12 of the Swiss Code of Obligations,the reader is referred to the relevant explanations on pages 127 to 131 (note 37 ‘Risk assessment and financial risk
management’).

Executive Board
Members of the Executive Board, other activities, and vested interests
The members of the Executive Board, their nationality, function, training and professional career as well as otheractivities, and vested interests are set out on pages 47 and 48 of this Annual Report.
Changes on the Executive Board
Matthias P. Huenerwadel, who headed the Movement Systems division with great success for seven years, took
over the Flooring Systems division as of January 1, 2013. Movement Systems has been headed by Jean-Michel
Wins since the start of the year under review. Andreas Spreiter took over the expanded CFO function as of January 1, 2013.
Stephan Bauer was appointed as the new CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Forbo Group as per
January 1, 2014. It is planned that This E. Schneider, Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO, will take over as
Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors in the spring of 2014, replacing Dr. Albert Gnägi, who will reach thestatutory retirement age in the spring of 2014 and will therefore step down from the Board of Directors.
Management contracts
Forbo Holding Ltd has concluded no management contracts with third parties.

68

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Corporate governance report

Compensation, shareholdings, and loans
CONTENT AND METHODOLOGY OF DETERMINING THE COMPENSATION AND SHAREHOLDING PROGRAMS
Board of Directors
The amount of compensation paid to the Board of Directors is worked out by the HRC in the spring for the current year and submitted to the full Board of Directors at its April meeting for approval. In order to determine theremuneration, the compensation paid to Board members of Forbo Holding Ltd is compared with that paid to
Board members of comparable industrial companies based on information that is available from publicly­accessible sources or is known to Board members from their experience of office in similar companies. Industrial
companies are regarded as comparable if and when they are similar to Forbo in terms of sector, structure, size,and complexity. No external consultants are co-opted for determining the compensation.
The members of the Board of Directors receive a fixed compensation, the amount of which is gradated according
to whether the member is Chairman or a simple member of the Board and whether he is a member of the AFC
or HRC. 40 percent of the consideration is distributed to the Board of Directors as Forbo stock. These shares arelocked-up for a period of three years. The shares are valued by taking the average price in the ten trading days
after distribution of a dividend or repayment of par value. If no dividend is distributed or no repayment of parvalue is made, the average price during the first ten trading days in June of the relevant business year applies.
Payment and distribution of the shares takes place in December.
The amount of compensation for each Board member in the year under review, along with the details of thevaluation of the shares, can be found on pages 126 and 147 of the financial report.
Executive Board
The amounts of the fixed compensation and the target bonus for the Executive Board are set by the HRC in thefall for the following year; members of the Executive Board are excluded from the deliberations. In determining
the compensation, the HRC takes into consideration criteria such as function, responsibility, and experience andit compares the compensation paid to Forbo Executive Board members with that paid to executive board members in comparable industrial companies based on information that is available from publicly accessible sources
or is known to the members from their experience of office in similar companies. Industrial companies are­regarded as comparable if similar to Forbo in terms of sector, structure, size, and complexity. No external consultants are co-opted for determining the compensation.
The compensation of the members of the Executive Board consists of a fixed base salary plus a performance-­
related bonus, which is determined in March on completion of the business year, and based on individual andcompany target achievement.
The variable component (performance-related bonus) is tied to financial (quantitative) and qualitative targets
which are defined in accordance with the responsibility of the Executive Board member in question. The qualitative targets are geared to the company’s long-term sustainable development and may account for up to 25%of the total variable component; the remaining portion of the variable component is a function of the achievement of financial (quantitative) targets. Depending on the function of the Executive Board member in question,these may be Group and/or divisional objectives and refer in particular to net sales, free cash flow and EBIT. The
financial (quantitative) targets for Executive Board members who are in charge of a division are net sales, free
cash flow, EBIT, and the net current assets of the division, as well as EBIT at Group level. The financial (quantitative) targets of Executive Board members with corporate functions are consolidated net sales, free cash flow and69

EBIT of the Group. The variable component can be a maximum of 200% of the fixed compensation, dependingon the function and individual’s target achievement.
The bonus payment is linked to the Management Investment Plan (MIP), which was introduced in 2006 and revised in 2012. According to this plan, at least 50% of the annual bonus of Executive Board members is paid into
the MIP. Under the previous plan, 25% of the payments were invested in options and 75% in shares of Forbo
Holding Ltd. The shares and options were locked-up for a period of three years, and the lifetime of the options
was five years. As can be seen from the table below, the options issued in connection with the MIP come tomaturity no later than April 21, 2017. Following the revision of the MIP, the sums paid into the MIP are no longer
invested in options and shares as of January 1, 2013, but solely in shares of Forbo Holding Ltd. These shares are
subject to a lock-up period of three years.
Of special note with regard to the options issued before the revision of the MIP is the treatment of these optionsin the event of termination of the employment contract, disability, or retirement. If notice is given terminating
the employment contract during the lock-up period, the MIP participants may either buy back the options (therepurchase price then corresponds to the difference between the strike price of the option and the average
price of the shares during the last five trading days before the employment contract was terminated) or they
may keep the options and sell or exercise them after the lock-up period during their remaining lifetime. In theevent of disability or retirement (including early retirement), the options – regardless of whether or not they arestill subject to a lock-up period – may be sold during the entire remaining period to maturity from the moment
the disability or retirement begins.
As of the balance sheet date of December 31, 2013, the Executive Board held the following options:

Allocation
2010
2011
2012

No. ofregisteredshares
565
2,033
3,051

Term
15.03.2010 – 16.03.2015
01.04.2011 – 02.04.2016
20.04.2012 – 21.04.2017

Locked-up until
15.03.2013
01.04.2014
20.04.2015

Subscription ratio
1:1
1:1
1:1

Strike price (CHF)
434.75733.25616.33

The amount of the compensation for the Executive Board in the year under review, along with the details of thevaluation and distribution of the shares and options, can be found on pages 109, 110, 126, 127 as well as 147 of
the financial report. This compensation consists of the base salary, a performance-related bonus, private use of
the company car, employer contributions to the pension funds, and other usual social insurance benefits.
No severance payments have been agreed with Executive Board members.

70

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Corporate governance report

Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO
The Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO has a separate compensation model which is independent ofthat of the Board of Directors and Executive Board; he is also not a participant in the Management Investment
Plan (MIP).
With effect from January 2009, the employment contract with the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO
was extended until April 30, 2013. Compensation is being paid mainly in stock. These shares were locked-up
until December 31, 2013. The modalities are similar to a very large extent to the provisions of the first contract. In
addition to the share package, the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO draws an annual cash compensation, which is used for settlement of employee contributions to the pension fund and to social security. With theshare package and the cash remuneration, all compensations such as bonuses, inflation, adjustments, options,etc. are settled. No severance payment was agreed.
The employment contract with the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO, which ended on April 30, 2013,
was extended until December 31, 2016. The total compensation was described in detail in the 2012 Annual
Report. The bulk of the compensation will again be paid in locked-up shares which have lock-up periods ofthree, four, and five years respectively, and in a cash payment for taxes and for employee contributions to social
security. With this share package and this cash remuneration, all compensations such as bonuses, inflation, salary adjustments, options, etc. are settled. This share package may not be either pledged or assigned. The last
third of the locked-up shares will be available on May 1, 2018, at the earliest. This compensation model is thus
geared to long-term and sustainable corporate development and is fully consistent with the interests of thecompany and its shareholders.
The Ordinance against Excessive Remuneration in Listed Public Companies (OaER) entered into force on January
1, 2014. According to Article 28 of this ordinance, employment contracts must be adjusted to the OaER by nolater than December 31, 2015. Consequently, all payments that had been agreed and were paid out for 2016 haveto be reversed by December 31, 2015, at the latest. In order to comply with and implement the provisions of the
OaER, Forbo and the Delegate of the Board of Directors have agreed that he will repay Forbo in cash the amountof his fixed compensation for the period from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, plus interest from May 1,
2013, to December 31, 2013. The repayment was made before year-end 2013. The compensation package andthe relevant agreements were adjusted accordingly.
The relevant figures for this compensation model are found on pages 126 and 147 of the financial report.

Shareholders’ participation
Voting right restriction and representation
The registration of shares with voting rights in the share register requires the consent of the Board of Directors.
Such consent may be withheld if the purchaser does not expressly declare that he/she has acquired and is holding the shares in his/her own name and for his/her own account. Pursuant to the Articles of Association, nominees may be entered in the share register with voting rights for up to a maximum of 0.3% of the registered sharecapital entered in the Commercial Register. The restriction also applies to shares that are subscribed or acquired
through exercise of a subscription, option or convertible right. Resolutions on the amendment or abrogation of
the clause on the registration of registered shares require a majority of two-thirds of the votes represented at theGeneral Meeting and the absolute majority of the par value of the shares represented.

71

Deviating from Article 689 Paragraph 2 Swiss Code of Obligations, shareholders who are unable to attend theGeneral Meeting in person may not be represented by any third party of their choosing. They may only be represented by a member of a corporate body of the company, the independent proxy or another shareholder who isregistered in the share register.
Statutory quorums
Pursuant to Paragraph 13 of the Articles of Association, resolutions on the amendment or abrogation of theprovisions regarding the moving of the company’s domicile, conversion of registered shares into bearer shares,
registration of registered shares, representation of shares at the General Meeting, the dissolution or merger of thecompany, and amendment of Paragraph 13 Section 4 of the Articles of Association require the approval of twothirds of the votes represented at the General Meeting and the absolute majority of the par value of the shares
represented.
Convening of the General Meeting
The General Meeting is convened in accordance with the statutory provisions.
AgendaShareholders who represent shares with a par value of at least 1% of the share capital may request that an item
be placed on the agenda. This request must be communicated to the Board of Directors in writing, indicating the
proposals, at least 45 days before the date of the General Meeting.
Entry in the share register
Pursuant to the Articles of Association, shareholders’ rights of participation and representation at the General
Meeting are determined by the status of the share register on the fourth day before the General Meeting.

Changes in control and defense measures
Duty to make an offer
The Articles of Association of Forbo Holding Ltd do not contain an opting-up clause or an opting-out clausepursuant to Article 32 and 22 SESTA. However, as regards the determination of the minimum price, the Articles of
Association deviate from Article 32 Paragraph 4 SESTA in that, in the event of a compulsory offer, the offer pricemust at least correspond to the share price and may not be lower than the highest price which the bidder paidin the last twelve months for shares of the company.
Clause on changes of control
As per year-end 2013, no clauses on changes of control existed in agreements or plans involving members of
the Board of Directors, the Executive Board, or other members of management.

Auditors
Duration of the mandate and term of office of the head auditor
PricewaterhouseCoopers has been the Forbo Group’s auditors since 1987. The predecessor company of Price­waterhouseCoopers had been Forbo’s auditors since 1928. The auditors are elected every year by the Ordinary
General Meeting on a proposal by the Board of Directors. As the Auditor in Charge has to be changed at least
every seven years, Daniel Ketterer took over the function of Auditor in Charge as of the 2009 business year.

72

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Corporate governance report

Auditing fees
The auditing fees levied by the Group’s auditors for auditing the consolidated financial statements, including thestatutory audit of the individual financial statements of the holding company and the consolidated subsidiaries,
amounted to CHF 0.9 million in the year under review.
Additional fees
The additional consultancy fees that were invoiced by the auditing company amounted to CHF 0.4 million in
2013. These fees consist in the main of general tax advice.
Information instruments of the external auditors
The external auditors prepare for the CEO and the CFO an annual management letter on their work and the results of their audit at Group level in the year under review. The key points are submitted to the Board of Directors
in the form of a comprehensive report. The external auditors also prepare management letters on the subsidiaries
they have audited. The AFC assesses and evaluates the proposals and statements it has received and appraises
the corrective measures taken by management. At the AFC’s invitation, representatives of the external auditors
attend the AFC meetings in an advisory capacity. The Chairman of the AFC reports on the activities of the AFC
and its assessment of the external auditors at the meetings of the Board of Directors. Any member of the Boardof Directors may inspect the minutes of the AFC meetings.
At its meetings, the AFC assesses the performance and fees of the external auditors as well as their independence
in both their auditing and their non-auditing capacities. This evaluation is based on the documents prepared by
the external auditors and the discussions held with the external auditors in the meetings. It also draws on theevaluation of the CFO, who obtains the opinion of local management with regard to the audit work for the subsidiaries. The criteria for the evaluation of the external auditors are, in particular, their technical and operational
competency, their independence and objectivity, delivery of the audit reports on time, scope and focus of theaudits, and the ability to provide effective and practical recommendations. This assessment by the AFC forms thebasis for the proposal made by the Board of Directors to the Ordinary General Meeting regarding the choice ofthe external auditors.

Information policy
Transparency for investors
Forbo provides objective and periodic communication with shareholders, the capital market, the media, and the
public by reporting in timely fashion on business trends and activities relevant to the company. Both the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the CEO can be contacted directly for such information.
Shareholders receive summary reports on the business year as well as half-year reports. The Annual Report, likeall other published documents, is available in printed form as well as on the Internet at www.forbo.com. The
General Meeting is an additional source of information. Periodic publication of media releases, the annual media
and analysts’ conference, as well as road shows are further information tools for the media and the capital market.

73

Ad hoc communication
The push and pull links for the dissemination of ad hoc releases in accordance with the guideline on ad hoc
publicity of the SIX Swiss Exchange are available at the following addresses:
www.forbo.com � Medien Center � Medienmitteilungen � Subscription Service
www.forbo.com � Media Center � Media Releases � Subscription Service
Communications to registered shareholders are sent by ordinary mail to the addresses stated in the share register.
The company’s official publication is the Swiss Commercial Gazette.
A financial calendar with the key dates can be found on page 8 of this Annual Report. Further information on the
Forbo share is printed on pages 52 and 53 of this Annual Report.
Publications may be ordered by e-mail, fax, or telephone.
E-mail: communications@forbo.com
Phone + 41 58 787 25 25
Fax + 41 58 787 20 25
The contact address for Investor Relations is:
Forbo International SA
Urs Christen, Head Corporate Development & Investor Relations
Lindenstrasse 8
P.O. Box 1339
CH-6341 Baar
Phone + 41 58 787 25 25
The contact address for press information is:
Forbo International SA
Karin Marti, Head Corporate Communications
Lindenstrasse 8
P.O. Box 1339
CH-6341 Baar
Phone + 41 58 787 25 25

Financial report

Forbo Group financial report75
Consolidated balance sheet
76
Consolidated income statement
77
Comprehensive income statement
78
Consolidated shareholders’ equity
79
Consolidated cash flow statement
80
Notes – accounting principles
81
Notes93
Group companies
132
Report of the statutory auditor
136
Consolidated income statements 2009 – 2013
138
Consolidated balance sheets 2009 – 2013
139
Financial statements for Forbo Holding Ltd141
Income statement
142
Balance sheet
143
Notes to the financial statements
144
Proposal for appropriation of available earnings
151
Report of the statutory auditor
152

76

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated balance sheet

31.12.2013
Assets
CHF m
Non-current assets
Property, plant, and equipment
Intangible assets
Deferred tax assets
Investments in associates and othernon-current assets
Current assets
Assets held for sale
Inventories
Trade receivables
Other receivables
Deferred income and prepaid charges
Other current financial instruments
Cash and cash equivalents
Total assets
Shareholders’ equity and liabilities
CHF m
Shareholders’ equity
Share capital
Treasury shares
Reserves and retained earnings
Non-current liabilities
Non-current financial debt
Employee benefit obligations
Non-current provisions
Deferred tax liabilities
Current liabilities
Trade payables
Current provisions
Accrued expenses
Current financial debt
Current tax liabilities
Other current liabilities
Liabilities directly associated with assets held for sale
Total liabilities
Total shareholders’ equity and liabilities

Note

21
22

1.1.2012(restated)(restated)

408.2
232.3
146.4
29.3
0.2

410.4
233.8
149.2
27.2
0.2

412.9
235.5
153.5
22.7
1.2

718.8

802.9

213.4
148.8
29.2
18.3
68.1
241.0
1,127.0

218.6
150.2
28.9
11.8
142.1
251.3
1,213.3

950.1
346.0
219.6
159.2
24.8
8.0
0.1
192.4
1,363.0

786.8
0.2
– 0.1
786.7
99.1
1.2
51.8
26.1
20.0
241.1
87.2
17.3
88.5
0.7
14.5
32.9

729.2
0.3
– 0.1
729.0
105.0
2.6
51.1
35.8
15.5
379.1
84.7
16.4
96.5
132.5
26.6
22.4

340.2
1,127.0484.1
1,213.3

16
17
14
18

31
19
20

31.12.2012

24

26
27
28
14

28
29
30

31

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

715.4
0.3
– 0.1
715.2
242.5
144.5
39.0
39.5
19.5
405.1
86.1
18.3
106.7
47.5
27.6
26.6
92.3
647.6
1,363.0

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

77

Consolidated income statement

2013
CHF m
Continuing operations
Net sales
Cost of goods sold
Gross profit
Development costs
Marketing and distribution costs
Administrative costs
Other operating expenses
Other operating income
Operating profit
Financial income
Financial expenses
Group profit before taxes
Income taxes
Group profit for the year from continuing operations
Group profit for the year from discontinued operations after taxes
Group profit for the year

Note

6

7
8
9
10
12
13
14
31

2012
(restated)

1,199.7– 747.3
452.4– 16.4– 197.1– 90.7– 19.3
6.8
135.7
10.9
– 5.7
140.9
– 30.7
110.2
7.4
117.6

1,201.1– 761.2
439.9– 16.3– 194.0– 96.6– 25.3
63.8
171.5
5.7
– 11.2166.0– 35.9
130.1
83.2
213.3

Earnings per share, total
CHF
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

15
15

56.78
56.76

96.36
96.31

Earnings per share from continuing operations
CHF
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

15
15

53.21
53.19

58.73
58.70

Earnings per share from discontinued operations
CHF
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

15
15

3.57
3.57

37.63
37.61

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

78

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Comprehensive income statement

2013
CHF m
Group profit for the year
Items that will not be reclassified to the income statement:
Remeasurements of employee benefit obligations, net of taxes
Items that may be subsequently reclassified to the income statement:
Translation differences
Translation differences reclassified to the income statement
Fair value adjustments of cash flow hedges
Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax
Total comprehensive income

The items under ‘Other comprehensive income forthe year, net of tax’ include income tax effects, which
are described in note 14 ‘Income taxes’.

2012(restated)

117.6

213.3

0.9

– 62.5

– 8.2

– 6.5
41.2
1.7
– 26.1
187.2

– 7.3
110.3

The accompanying notes are an integral part of theconsolidated financial statements.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

79

Consolidated shareholders’ equity

2013

CHF m
December 31, 2012 (restated)
Group profit for the year
Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax
Total comprehensive income
Share-based payments
Treasury shares
Dividend payment
December 31, 2013

SharecapitalTreasuryshares

0.3

– 0.1

– 0.1

0.0

0.2

– 0.1

Share
capitalTreasuryshares

0.3

– 0.1

0.3

– 0.1

Reserves

965.6
117.6
0.9
118.5
3.1
– 30.8– 24.91,031.5

Revaluation
reserve

Reserves
fromcash flow
hedgesTranslationdifferences

0.0

0.0

– 236.6
– 8.2
– 8.2

0.0

0.0

– 244.8

Revaluation
reserve

Reserves
fromcash flow
hedgesTranslationdifferences

Total

729.2
117.6
– 7.3
110.3
3.1
– 30.9– 24.9786.8

2012 (restated)

CHF mJanuary 1, 2012 (published)
Restatement
January 1, 2012 (restated)
Group profit for the year
Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax
Total comprehensive income
Share-based payments
Treasury shares
Dividend payment
December 31, 2012 (restated)

0.3

– 0.1

Reserves

978.2
10.0
988.2
213.3
– 62.5150.8
2.0– 147.9– 27.5965.6

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

128.0– 128.0
0.0

0.0

– 1.7
– 1.7

– 289.4
18.1– 271.3

1.7
1.7

34.7
34.7

0.0

– 236.6

Total

815.3
– 99.9715.4
213.3– 26.1187.2
2.0– 147.9– 27.5729.2

80

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated cash flow statement

2013

2012

Cash flow from operating activities
CHF mGroup profit for the year
Tax expense
Group profit before taxes
Financial result
Depreciation and impairment of property, plant, and equipment
Amortization and impairment of intangible assets
Profit from disposal of discontinued operations
Share-based payments
Income tax paid
Decrease in provisions and employee benefit obligations
Increase in other current assets
Decrease in net operating working capital1)
Net cash flow from operating activities

117.6
30.7
148.3
– 5.2
33.3
3.1
– 7.4
3.1
– 24.9– 5.7– 17.8
1.3
128.1

213.3
35.9
249.2
5.5
33.5
7.3
– 83.22.0– 30.5– 71.8– 15.4
9.7
106.3

Cash flow from investing activities
CHF m
Purchase of business operations net of cash acquired
Sale of Group companies net of cash disposed ofPurchase of non-current assets
Proceeds from the disposal of non-current assets
Purchase of current financial instruments
Sale of current financial instruments
Interest received
Net cash flow from investing activities

– 0.3
0.0
– 34.6
1.6
– 0.8
86.2
0.8
52.9

– 12.4368.0– 32.70.3– 141.6
0.0
1.9
183.5

Cash flow from financing activities
CHF m
Repayment of current financial debt
Repayment of non-current financial debt
Interest paid
Purchase of treasury shares
Proceeds from sale of treasury shares
Dividend payment
Net cash flow from financing activities– 132.4– 1.4– 5.5– 62.237.4– 24.9– 189.0– 46.2– 12.7– 8.8– 162.0
13.1– 27.5– 244.1

Change in cash and cash equivalents
CHF m
Decrease (–)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
Translation differences on cash and cash equivalents
Total cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
Total cash and cash equivalents at year-end

– 8.0
– 2.3
251.3
241.0

45.7
0.3
205.3
251.3

1) Net operating working capital includes the items ‘Trade receivables’, ‘Inventories’, and ‘Trade payables’.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

(restated)Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

81

Notes – accounting principles

1 General information
Forbo Holding Ltd (the company) and its subsidiaries(together with the company constituting the Group)
manufacture floorings, construction adhesives, anddrive and conveyor technology. The Group has a glo­
bal network of locations with production and distri­bution as well as pure sales companies.
The company is a public limited company under Swisslaw, domiciled in Baar, Switzerland. It is listed on the SIX
Swiss Exchange.
These financial statements were approved by the Boardof Directors on March 12, 2014, and released for pub­lication on March 18, 2014. The report is subject to­approval by the Ordinary General Meeting of April 25,
2014.
2 Summary of significant accounting policies
The principal accounting policies applied in the prep­
aration of these consolidated financial statements are
set out below. These policies have been consistently
applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise
stated.
Basis of preparation
The consolidated financial statements of Forbo Holding Ltd were prepared in accordance with the Inter­national Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and incompliance with Swiss law. They were drawn up on
the basis of the audited financial statements of thesubsidiaries prepared according to uniform corporate
accounting policies. The reporting date for all Group
companies is December 31.
The consolidated statements were prepared in accordance with the principle of historical purchase andproduction costs with the exception of available-forsale financial assets (securities), non-consolidated investments, and derivative financial instruments, which
are measured at fair value. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management
to make estimates and assumptions that can affect reported revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements. If the estimates and assumptions made bymanagement at the date of the financial statements tothe best of their knowledge differ from the actual circumstances, the original estimates and assumptions
will be adjusted in the reporting year in which the circumstances have changed. The comparable data fromthe consolidated financial statements of the prior year
were, where necessary, restated, supplemented, andthe presentation adjusted.

Scope and principles of consolidation
The subsidiaries of Forbo Holding Ltd are all domestic
and foreign companies in which the company holds,
directly or indirectly, more than 50% of voting rights
or in which it bears managerial responsibility for theiroperations and financial policies. Subsidiaries are fully
consolidated from the date on which control is transferred to the Group. They are deconsolidated from thedate that control ceases.
The purchase method of accounting is used to account for the acquisition of subsidiaries. The value ofthe transferred consideration in a business combination is recognized at the fair value on the acquisition
date. The consideration includes cash payments andthe fair value of the assets transferred, liabilities incurred or assumed, and equity instruments issued by
the acquirer on the transaction date. Liabilities dependent on future events which are based on agreementson contingent considerations are accounted for attheir fair value in the accounting treatment of the­acquisition. Directly distributable acquisition costs arereported in the income statement in the period inwhich they are incurred. At the acquisition date, theacquirer recognizes the acquired identifiable assets,
liabilities, and any non-controlling interest in the acquiree. The acquired identifiable assets and liabilities
assumed are recognized at their fair value. Provided
the acquirer does not acquire a 100% share in the acquiree, the non-controlling interest is as a general rule
recognized as the proportionate share of the fair valueof the net assets acquired. Goodwill is the excess ofthe consideration of the business combination andthe amount of the non-controlling interest over theidentifiable net assets assessed at fair value. If the­accounting for a business combination can be determined only provisionally by the end of the period inwhich the combination is effected, provisional values
are used. During the measurement period, the provisional values are adjusted retroactively. Further assets
and liabilities can be recognized in order to include
new information about facts and circumstances at theacquisition date which would have influenced themeasurement of the amounts recognized had they
been known at the time. The measurement period
does not last more than twelve months from the dateof acquisition. Goodwill is not written off but is tested
for impairment at least after each reporting date or
earlier if there are any indications of a possible impairment.

82

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Inter-company transactions, balances, and unrealized
gains or losses on transactions between Group companies are eliminated. Accounting policies of subsidiaries have been changed, where necessary, to ensure
consistency with the policies adopted by the Group.
Associates are all entities over which the Group hassignificant influence but not control, generally accom­
panied by a shareholding of between 20% and 50%of the voting rights. Investments in associates are accounted for using the equity method of accounting
and are initially recognized at cost. The Group’s investments in associates include goodwill identified on acquisition, net of any accumulated impairment loss.
The Group’s share of its associates’ post-acquisition
profits or losses is recognized in the income statement,
and its share of post-acquisition changes in reserves isrecognized in reserves. The cumulative post-acquisition movements are offset against the carrying amountof the investment. When the Group’s share of losses inan associate equals or exceeds its interest in the associate, the Group does not recognize further losses, unless it has incurred obligations or made payments onbehalf of the associate.
The subsidiaries included in the group of consolidated
companies are listed under ‘Group companies’ (frompage 132 of this report).

Foreign currency translation
The individual companies generally prepare their financial statements in their functional currency, which
generally corresponds to the local currency. The functional currency is the currency of the primary eco­nomic environment in which the company operates.
Foreign currency transactions are translated into thefunctional currency using the exchange rates prevailing at the dates of transaction or the dates of valuation
where items are remeasured. Foreign exchange gains
and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions and from the translation at year-end exchange
rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominatedin foreign currencies are recognized in the income
statement, unless recognized in other comprehensive
income as qualifying cash flow hedges and qualifying
net investment hedges. Translation differences on
non-monetary financial assets and liabilities whosechanges in fair value are recognized in income are reported in the income statement. However, translationdifferences on non-monetary financial assets whosechanges in fair value are recognized in comprehensive
income are taken to other comprehensive income.
The consolidated financial statements are preparedin Swiss francs. The Swiss franc is both the functional
currency and the reporting currency of the company.
Unless otherwise noted, all sums are stated in millionsof Swiss francs (CHF m) and are generally rounded to
one decimal place. The annual statements of foreign
Group companies stated in foreign currencies aretranslated into Swiss francs as follows: assets and liabilities at year-end exchange rates; the income statement
and cash flow statement at average exchange rates forthe year. Currency translation differences arising fromthe different translation of balance sheets and income
statements and from equity capital transactions arerecognized in other comprehensive income and taken
to profit or loss for the period (reclassified) in the eventthe company is disposed of.
On consolidation, exchange differences arising fromthe translation of net investments in independent foreign operations are recognized in other comprehensive income. The same applies to borrowings and other currency instruments designated as hedges of suchinvestments. When a foreign operation is disposedof, these exchange differences in profit or loss for the­period are transferred to the income statement as partof the gain or loss on sale.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

83

The following exchange rates against the Swiss franc
have been applied for the most important currencies
concerned:
Income statement (averageexchange rates for the year)

Exchange rates
Euro zone
USA
Great Britain
Japan
China
Sweden

EUR
USD
GBP
JPY
CNY
SEK

Current and non-current classification
Assets are designated current assets if they are realized
or consumed in the Group’s ordinary business cycle
within one year or if they are held for trading purposes.
All other assets are assigned to non-current assets.
All obligations which the Group intends to settle within the ordinary business cycle using operating cash
flows or which are due within one year of the reporting
date are assigned to current liabilities. All other obli­
gations are assigned to non-current lia­bilities.
Segment information
Segment reporting discloses financial and descriptive
information on the reportable segments. The reportable segments are operating segments and combi­
nations of operating segments that meet specific criteria. Operating segments are components of a company
for which separate financial information is available
that is regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision-maker concerned in order to determine how resources are to be allocated and performance assessed.
Generally speaking, financial information must be reported on the basis of internal controlling throughwhich the performance of the operating segments is
assessed and decisions are taken on how to allocate
the resources to the operating segments.
The reportable segments apply the same accounting
policies as the Group. The provision of services among
the reportable segments is transacted at arm’s length,
and the prices applied are therefore comparable tothose that would have applied in a transaction with athird party.

1
1
1
100
100
100

Balance sheet(year-end exchange rates)

2013

2012

2013

2012

1.23070.92711.4494
0.951715.0800
14.23281.20520.93791.4862
1.176614.8629
13.84991.2256
0.89151.46980.847814.6900
13.6790

1.20870.91071.47301.059214.6000
14.0143

Segment result is determined on operating profit level(EBIT). Allocation of interest and taxes to the individual
divisions and Corporate is not appropriate owing to
the highly centralized Finance and Tax functions.
Discontinued operations
Discontinued operations are recognized separately if
a component of the Group has either already been
discontinued or been classified as held for sale. A component of the Group is either a separate major line ofbusiness, a geographic area of operations, or is part ofa single coordinated plan to dispose of a separate major line of business or geographic area of operations,or a subsidiary acquired exclusively with a view to resale. A component of the Group can be clearly distinguished from the rest of the Group, both operationallyand for accounting purposes. The prior-year figures
affecting the income statement are adjusted accordingly (as if the operation had been discontinued at the
beginning of the prior year) and are also presented
separately. Associated assets are carried in the balance
sheet under ‘Assets held for sale’ and associated liabil­ities under ‘Liabilities directly associated with assets
held for sale’. In accordance with IFRS 5, however, no
adjustment was made to the prior year for these items.
Information associated with the discontinued operation is disclosed separately in the notes.

84

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Net sales and revenue recognition
Net sales include the fair value of the consideration received or to be received for the sale of goods and services as part of ordinary business activity. Net sales arereported net of revenue reductions such as sales tax,
returns, discounts, and rebates and after elimination of
intra-Group sales.
The Group recognizes revenue when the amount of
the revenue can be reliably determined and when it issufficiently likely that the company will derive an economic benefit. The amount of the revenue can be reliably determined when all contingencies concerning
the sale have been settled. The Group makes estimates on the basis of historical data, taking into account features specific to customers, transactions, andagreements. Appropriate provisions are made for expected warranty claims.
Research and development
All research costs are posted directly to the income
statement in the period in which they are incurred.
Development costs must be capitalized if all the recognition criteria have been met, the research phasecan be clearly distinguished from the development
phase, and costs can be clearly allocated to individual
project phases without any overlap. Development expenses that do not meet these criteria are taken to theincome statement.
Share-based payments
Equity-settled share-based payments to employees
are valued at the fair value of the equity instrumenton the date on which the instruments are granted. The
fair value of the share options is determined by theBlack-Scholes model. The anticipated life of the option
used in the model is adjusted on the basis of best estimates with regard to the effects of non-transferability,
restrictions on exercise, and conduct. The fair value determined on granting equity-settled share-based payments is recognized in the income statement over thevesting period and is included in personnel expenses.

Income taxes
Income taxes constitute the total of current and deferred income taxes.
Current income taxes are determined on the basis oftaxable profits and the applicable tax laws of the individual countries. They are recognized as an expense in
the accounting period in which the profits are made.
The profit on which taxes are to be paid differs fromthe profit or loss for the year in the income statement
since it excludes expenses and revenues that will only
be taxable or tax-deductible in subsequent years if at
all. The Group’s liability for current income taxes is calculated on the basis of applicable tax rates.
Deferred tax liabilities are recognized for temporary
differences between assets and liabilities in the balance sheet, and their tax bases if they will result in taxable income in future. Deferred tax assets are reported
for temporary differences that will result in deductible
amounts in future periods and for tax effects from unused tax losses and tax credits, but only to the extent
as it is probable that sufficient taxable profits will beavailable against which these differences can be offset. Deferred tax liabilities are not recognized if temporary differences arise from the initial recognition of
goodwill.
Deferred tax assets and tax liabilities are measured at
the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period
in which the asset will be realized or the liability will
be settled based on enacted rates. Current and deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when theyarise from the same tax reporting group, relate to thesame tax authority, the legal right to offset exists, andthey are intended to be settled net or realized simultaneously.
Current and deferred income taxes are recognized as
an income tax benefit or expense in the income statement, with the exception of items posted directly toequity or recognized in other comprehensive income.
In this case, the corresponding tax effect is also to berecognized directly in shareholders’ equity or in othercomprehensive income.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Deferred income tax is recognized on temporary differences arising on investments in subsidiaries and associates, except where the timing of the reversal of thetemporary difference is controlled by the Group and it
is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.
Property, plant, and equipment
Property is recognized at cost on acquisition. Property
is not amortized by the straight-line method, but allowances are set aside for impairments that have occurred. All other fixed assets such as machines, ve­hicles
and operational assets are reported at cost on acqui­sition less accrued depreciations and impairments.
Depreciation is calculated according to the straightline method over the following estimated useful life:
Land 
no depreciation
Buildings
20 to 40 years
Modifications and installations
5 to 10 years orduration of rental contract
Machines and tools
Other operational assets
VehiclesIT
Assets under construction

5 to 10 years
3 to 10 years
5 years
3 to 5 years
no depreciation

The profit or loss arising from the sale of property, plantor equipment is defined as the difference between thesale proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset andis recognized in income. If the carrying amount of anasset is greater than its estimated recoverable amount,
it is written down immediately to the recoverable
amount (see note 16 ‘Property, plant, and equipment’).
Assets which are held in financial leasing arrangements
are depreciated over their estimated useful life in thesame way as assets belonging to the company or, if thisis shorter, over the life of the underlying lease agreement. The costs of short-term leasing are charged directly to the income statement. The corresponding liabilities are disclosed in the notes (see note 33 ‘Leasing’).

85

Intangible assets
Goodwill is the excess of the consideration paid or payable of a business combination and the amount of the
non-controlling interest over the identifiable net assets
assessed at fair value. Goodwill derived in a businesscombination is included in ‘Intangible assets’. Goodwill
is tested at least annually for impairment and carried atcost less accumulated impairment losses. Impairment
losses on goodwill may not be reversed. Gains andlosses on the disposal of an entity include the carrying
amount of goodwill relating to the entity that is disposed of.
For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill is allocated to cash-generating units. The allocation is madeto those cash-generating units or groups of cash-generating units that are expected to benefit from thebusiness combination in which the goodwill arose.
Trademarks, licenses, customer relationships, and technologies acquired in a business combination are recognized at fair value at the acquisition date. Trademarks carried in the balance sheet with an indefinite
useful life are not subject to amortization but are tested for impairment at least annually. Any impairment isrecognized as an expense in the income statement.
Certain trademarks, licenses, customer relationships,
and technologies have a finite useful life and are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Amortization is calculated using the straight-line method: trademarks 20 years, customer relations between 5 and 25
years, and technologies 30 years.
Acquired computer software licenses are capitalizedon the basis of the costs incurred to acquire and bringto use the specific software. These costs are amortizedover an estimated useful life of three years.
Development costs that are directly attributable tothe design and testing of identifiable software products controlled by the Group generally do not meetthe criteria for intangible assets on the balance sheet.
These costs are recognized as an expense in the period
in which they are incurred. Development costs previously recognized as an expense are not capitalized ina subsequent period.

86

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Impairment of non-financial assets
Assets that have an indefinite useful life, such as goodwill and certain trademarks, are not subject to regularamortization. They are tested for impairment at least
annually. Assets that are subject to amortization are
reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes
in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount
may no longer be recoverable. An impairment loss isrecognized 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 valueless costs to sell and value in use. For the purposes ofassessing impairment, assets are grouped at the lowest levels for which there are separately identifiable
cash flows (cash-generating units). Non-financial assets other than goodwill that have suffered an impairment in the past are reviewed for possible reversal of
the impairment at each reporting date.

(b) Loans and receivables
Loans and receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are notquoted in an active market. They are included in current assets except for maturities greater than twelve
months after the end of the reporting year, in whichcase they are classified as non-current assets. The
Group’s loans and receivables are reported in the balance sheet under ‘Trade receivables’, ‘Other receivables’,and ‘Cash and cash equivalents’.

Financial assets
CLASSIFICATION
Financial assets are classified in the following categories: financial assets at fair value through profit or loss,
loans and receivables, and financial assets availablefor-sale. The classification depends on the purpose forwhich the financial assets were acquired. Management
determines the classification of its financial assets at
initial recognition.

RECOGNITION AND MEASUREMENT
Purchases and sales of financial assets are basically recognized as soon as the Group becomes a contractual
party. In the case of regular purchases or sales (purchases or sales under a contract whose terms requiredelivery of the asset within the time frame generally
established by regulation or convention in the market
concerned), the settlement date is relevant for the initial recog­nition and derecognition. Financial assets notclassified as being at fair value through profit or loss are
initially recognized at fair value plus transaction costs.
Financial assets which are carried at fair value throughprofit or loss are initially recognized at fair value, andtransaction costs are expensed in the income statement. Financial assets are derecognized when therights to receive cash flows from the investments have
expired or have been transferred and the Group has
transferred substantially all risks and rewards incidental
to ownership.

(a) Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss
Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss arefinancial assets held for trading. A financial asset is classified in this category if acquired principally for the purpose of selling in the short term. Derivatives are alsoclassified in this category unless they are designated ashedges. Assets in this category are classified as ‘Other
receivables’.

(c) Financial assets available-for-sale
Available-for-sale financial assets are non-derivative
financial assets that are either designated in this category or not classified in any of the other categories.
The Group’s available-for-sale financial assets and other assets are reported under ‘Marketable securities’ inthe balance sheet.

Available-for-sale financial assets and assets in the category ‘Financial assets at fair value through profit orloss’ are carried at fair value after their initial recognition. Loans and receivables are carried at amortizedcost using the effective interest method.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Gains or losses arising from financial assets in the category ‘Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss’
are recognized in the income statement in the ­period
in which they are incurred. Dividend income from financial assets classified as at fair value through profit orloss is recognized in the income statement when theGroup’s right to receive payments is established.
Changes in the fair value of monetary and non-monetary securities classified as available-for-sale are recognized in other comprehensive income. When securities classified as available-for-sale are sold or impaired,
the accumulated fair value adjustments previously
recognized in other comprehensive income are reclassified in the income statement. Dividends on available-for-sale financial assets are recognized in the income statement when the Group’s right to receive
payments is established. The fair value of listed sharesis determined by the current stock market price.
The Group assesses at the end of each reporting year
whether there is objective evidence that a financial
asset or a group of financial assets is impaired. In thecase of equity investments classified as available-forsale financial assets, a significant or prolonged decline
in the fair value of the equity investments below theircost is also regarded as evidence that the equity investments are impaired. If any such evidence exists foravailable-for-sale financial assets, the cumulative loss
– measured as the difference between the acquisition
cost and the current fair value, less any previous impairment losses on that financial asset – is reclassified
in the income statement. Impairment losses on equity
instruments recognized in the income statement are
not reversed through profit and loss. Impairment testing of trade receivables is described in note 20 ‘Trade
receivables’.

87

Derivative financial instruments andhedging activities
The Group uses derivative financial instruments solely
to manage financial risks and not for the purpose of
speculation. The derivatives used are accounted for on
the day the trade is conducted. Derivative financial instruments are recognized, in accordance with IAS 39,
at market value in the balance sheet under ‘Other current financial instruments’ or under ‘Liabilities from current financial debt’.
To hedge its currency risks, the Group uses mainly currency spot transactions, forward currency contracts,
and currency swap transactions. The fair values of thevarious derivative instruments used for hedging purposes are disclosed in note 34 ‘Additional information
on financial instruments’.
Assets held for sale and liabilities directly
associated with assets held for sale
Current and non-current financial assets and directly
associated liabilities are classified as ‘held for sale’ andrecognized separately in the balance sheet under ‘Assets held for sale’ and ‘Liabilities directly associated withassets held for sale’ if their carrying amount is more likely to be realized by sale than by use. This is conditional
upon the sale being highly probable and the assets
being ready for immediate sale on the reporting date.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost includes direct material and, if appli­
cable, other direct costs and related production overheads to the extent that they are incurred in bringing
the inventories to their present location and condition.
The net realizable value constitutes the estimated sales
price less all estimated costs up to completion, as wellas the costs of marketing, sales, and distribution.
Inventories are for the greater part measured at av­
erage cost. Adjustments are made for unsaleable in­ventories and inventories with insufficient turnover.
Inter-company profits on intra-Group deliveries are
eliminated in the income statement.

88

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Trade receivables
Trade receivables are stated invoiced amounts less allowances for doubtful risks. Allowances for doubtful
risks are established based on the maturity structureand discernible solvency risks. In addition to individual
allowances for specific identifiable risks, allowances
are also made on the basis of statistically determined
default risks.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents are stated at nominal value.
They include cash on hand, postal and bank accounts,and fixed-term deposits with maturities of up to threemonths.
Shareholders’ equity
Registered shares are classified as share capital at theirpar value. Payments by shareholders above the par value are credited to reserves.
Treasury shares are deducted at their par value fromshare capital. The acquisition costs in excess of par value arising on the acquisition of treasury shares are debited to reserves. On the sale of treasury shares, gains
or losses compared with the par value are credited ordebited to reserves.
Dividends are debited to equity in the period in which
the resolution on their distribution is adopted.
Current and non-current financial debt
Current and non-current financial debt consists mainlyof bonds, bank loans, and finance lease obligations. It is
stated at amortized cost (less transaction costs).
Financial debt is assigned to current debt, except if theGroup has to settle the obligation twelve months after
the reporting date or enjoys unlimited right to postpone payment of the debt by at least twelve months
after the reporting date.

Employee pension plans
The Group maintains various pension plans designed
as defined contribution and defined benefit plans.
These pension plans are established in accordancewith the local conditions in each country. The plans
are funded either by contributions to legally autonomous pension funds and insurance plans or by recognition of the pension plan liabilities in the financial
statements of the respective companies.
For defined contribution plans, the costs incurred in
the relevant period correspond to the agreed employer contributions.
For defined benefit plans, the pension liabilities are assessed annually by independent actuaries according
to the projected unit credit method. The liabilities correspond to the present value of the expected future
cash flows. The plan assets are stated at market value.
Current service costs incurred in the relevant period,
less employee contributions, are stated as personnel
expenses in the income statement. Past service costs
resulting from changes in pension plans are recognized in the income statement on a straight-line basis
over the remaining average period until an active employee acquires a vested pension right, or are immediately posted to the income statement if the employee
has already retired. Profits resulting from pension plancurtailments or settlements are immediately taken to
the income statement.
Actuarial gains and losses are reported in the statement of comprehensive income under ‘Other com­prehensive income for the year, net of tax’, with due­account being taken of deferred taxes.
Provisions
Provisions are recognized if the Group has a current
legal or constructive obligation as a result of a past
event, it is probable that an outflow of resources will
be required to settle the obligation, and a reliable estimate of the amount can be made. No provisions are
made for future operating losses. The provision is thebest estimate on the reporting date of the amount­required to meet the current obligation, taking into
­account the risks and uncertainties underlying the obligation.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

A provision for restructuring expenses is reported if
the Group has defined a detailed, formalized restructuring plan which has created a valid expectation
among those affected that the restructuring will be
carried out as a result of the plan’s implementation being initiated or essential parts being announced.
Trade payables
Trade payables are non-interest-bearing and are disclosed at nominal value.
3 Critical judgements, estimates andappraisals by management
CRITICAL ASSUMPTIONS AND ESTIMATESREGARDING ACCOUNTING AND MEASUREMENT
The application of the measurement and accounting
principles requires that circumstances and estimates
be assessed and assumptions be made with respect
to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities. The
estimates and the underlying assumptions are basedon past experience and other factors regarded as­relevant, including expectations of future events thatappear reasonable in the given circumstances. The
actual results may, of course, deviate from the estimates and assumptions of management.
The following are the main areas in which a significant
risk exists in the coming business year involving a significant adjustment of the carrying value of assets andliabilities.
Impairment of non-financial assets
Along with the regular periodic review of goodwill andintangible assets with an indefinite useful life, the carrying amounts of fixed and intangible assets with a­finite useful life are also always reviewed if theseamounts can no longer be realized due to changed
circumstances or events. If such a situation occurs, therecoverable amount is determined based on expected
future revenues. This corresponds to either the discounted expected values in use or the expected net
sales price. If these are less than the current carrying
amount, the value is impaired to the recalculated figure. This impairment is recognized as an expense in theincome statement. Important assumptions in these89

calculations include growth rates, margins, estimatesand management’s expectations of the future development of net working capital, and discount rates. The
actual cash flows may deviate from the planned discounted ­future values. Likewise, the useful lives may
be shortened or non-current assets impaired in theevent of a change in the use of buildings, machineryand facil­ities, change or abandonment of locations, or
lower-than-expected revenues over the medium term.
Further information on this topic can be found in note
16 ‘Property, plant, and equipment’ and note 17 ‘Intangible assets’.
Employee pension schemes
Various employee pension plans and schemes exist for
employees of the Group. In order to measure liabilities
and costs, it is first of all necessary to determine whether a plan is a defined contribution or a defined benefit
plan from an economic perspective. In the case of defined benefit plans, actuarial assumptions are made toestimate future developments. These include assumptions and estimates relating to the discount rate, theinflation rate as well as assumptions for future wage
trends. In their actuarial calculations for determining
employee benefit obligations, the actuaries also use
statistical information such as mortality tables and staff
turnover rates. If these parameters change owing toa change in the economic situation or market conditions, the subsequent results may deviate considerablyfrom the actuarial reports and calculations. These deviations may have a significant medium-term effect on
expenses and income from the employee pension
schemes and on the comprehensive income statement. Further information on this topic can be foundin note 27 ‘Employee benefit obligations’.
Provisions
In the conduct of ordinary business activities, a liabilityof uncertain timing and/or amount may arise. Pro­
visions are determined using available information
based on reasonably expected cash outflows. Claims
against the Group may arise that may not be covered,or are covered only in part, by provisions or insurance
benefits. Further information on this topic can befound in note 28 ‘Provisions’.

90

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Income taxes
The Group is obliged to pay income taxes in various
countries. Certain key assumptions are necessary inorder to determine income tax in the relevant countries. There are business events which have an impact
on taxation and taxable profit. Hence, the amount of
the final taxation cannot be determined definitively.
The measurement of current tax liabilities is subject
to the interpretation of tax regulations in the relevant
countries. The adequacy of this interpretation is assessed by the tax authorities in the course of the final
assessment or tax audits. This may result in materialchanges to tax expenses. Where the definitive taxationof these business events deviates from the previous
assumptions, this will have an impact on the current
and deferred taxes in the period in which the taxation
is definitively determined. Furthermore, determining
whether tax losses carried forward can be capitalized
requires a critical estimate of the probability that they
can be offset against future profits. This assessment
depends on a number of different factors and developments. Further information on this topic can befound in note 14 ‘Income taxes’.
CRITICAL JUDGEMENT IN THE APPLICATION OF
ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES
Cash-generating units
If a non-financial asset itself does not generate independent cash flows, the impairment test must be performed for the cash-generating unit that contains thisasset. A cash-generating unit is defined as the smallest
identifiable group of assets generating cash flows thatare largely independent of the cash flows of other assets or other groups of assets. In particular, the goodwill acquired with a business combination does not
generate cash flows that are independent from otherassets or groups of assets. The identification and defi­
nition of cash-generating units requires judgementby management. As a rule, the Group defines the
cash-generating units on the basis of geographicallycohesive markets, the technologies used, or the sales
generated by the brands concerned.

Currency translation of intercompany
financial items
The Group finances its Group companies with intercompany loans. Balances that are denominated in­another currency than the functional currency of the­reporting unit have to be translated at the exchange
rate on the balance sheet date. The recognition of­currency differences to profit and loss or to other comprehensive income depends on management’s assessment as to whether these loans are to be consideredpart of net investment or not. A monetary item forwhich repayment is neither planned nor likely in theforeseeable future constitutes part of the net investment in a foreign operation. Therefore, management
must make an appraisal judgement of intercompany
loans with regard to whether repayment is planned or
likely.
4 Application of new or revised
accounting standards
Applied new and revised standards
The following new or revised standards and interpretations of the International Accounting Standards Board(IASB) were applied for the first time in the businessyear that began on January 1, 2013:–– IAS 1 (revised)  ‘Presentation of financial statements’–– IAS 19 (revised)
‘Employee benefits’–– IFRS 7 (revised) ‘Financial instruments: disclosures’–– IFRS 10 (new) ‘Consolidated financial statements’–– IFRS 11 (new)
‘Joint arrangements’–– IFRS 12 (new)  ‘Disclosure of interests in other entities’–– IFRS 13 (new) ‘Fair-value measurement’
The first-time application of the IFRS standards 7 (revised), 10, 11, and 12 had no effect on the Annual Report presented here.
IFRS 13 affects primarily how the fair value of certain
assets and liabilities is measured and introduces a number of new disclosures that are presented in note ‘34
Additional information on financial instruments’.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

IAS 1 (revised) requires companies to group together
items of other comprehensive income according towhether they can be reclassified to the income statement if the prerequisites are met or whether they cannot be reclassified, together with the relevant income
tax effects. The changes are to be applied retroactively,
i.e. the presentation of other comprehensive income in
the prior-year period was restated accordingly.
The first-time adoption of IAS 19 (revised) led tochanges in the accounting of employee benefit obligations. The expected return on plan assets and theinterest cost previously recognized in the pension
costs were replaced by recognition of net interest expense/income calculated on net liabilities or net assets. The impact of the implementation of IAS 19­(revised) is presented in note 5 ‘Restatement due tochanges in accounting and valuation principles’ andnote 27 ‘Employee benefit obligations’.

91

The Forbo Group has not early adopted standards, interpretations or amendments that have been published but are not yet mandatory.
Standards approved but not yet applied
The following new or revised standards and interpre­
tations had been published, though they had not yet
become effective by the time the consolidated financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors. Since their impact on the consolidated financial
statements has not yet been systematically analyzed,
the anticipated effects shown in the notes to the tablebelow represent an estimate by management.

Standards
Standard/Interpretation
IAS 32 (revised) – ‘Offsetting Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities’
IAS 36 (revised) – ‘Recoverable Amount Disclosures for Non-Financial Assets’IAS 39 (revised) – ‘Novation of Derivatives and Continuation of Hedge Accounting’IAS 19 (revised) – ‘Defined benefit plans: Employee contributions’
IFRS 9 (new) – ‘Financial instruments’* No significant impact on the consolidated financial statements is expected.

Moreover, various adjustments to the standards were
published as part of the Annual Improvement Projectthat will be applied for the first time in the businessyear beginning on January 1, 2014. Since they have little impact on the financial statements, no detailed listof the changes is given.

*
*
*
*
*

Date effective
January 1, 2014
January 1, 2014
January 1, 2014
July 1, 2014
January 1, 2015

Plannedapplication2014 business year
2014 business year
2014 business year
2014 business year
2015 business year

92

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

5 Restatement due to changes in accounting
and valuation principles
The accounting principles applied to employee ben­efits and to property, plant, and equipment werechanged in the year under review and the previous
year’s figures have been restated accordingly.
The first-time application of IAS 19 (revised) resulted
in changes to the reporting of employee benefit obligations (see note 27 ‘Employee benefit obligations’).
Furthermore, land and buildings have now been recognized at amortized cost and no longer at fair value

at the date of revaluation, less cumulative depreciations and impairments. The retrospective applications
required an adjustment to the opening balance as atJanuary 1, 2012, as if the valuation method had always
been applied (see Note 16 ‘Property, plant, and equipment’). As a result of applying the cost method, theForbo Group’s financial figures can now be compareddirectly with those of similar companies.
The application of IAS 19 (revised) and the change inthe valuation method for land and buildings had thefollowing effects on the consolidated financial statements:

2013

2012

Restatements

CHF m
Effect on consolidatedbalance sheet
Property, plant and equipment
Shareholders’ equity
Employee benefit obligations
Deferred tax assets/liabilities (–), net

Restatement
IAS 8 –
change ofvaluation
method31.12. before
restatement

350.9
876.5
51.8
– 19.6

Restatement
IAS 8 –
change ofvaluation
methodRestatement
IAS 19 –revisedstandard– 118.6– 89.728.9

31.12.
published

31.12. before
restatement

232.3
786.8
51.8
9.3

355.0
817.4
54.8
– 17.7

Restatement
IAS 19 –revisedstandard
31.12.
restated– 121.2– 91.2
30.1

3.0
– 3.7
– 0.7

2013

233.8
729.2
51.1
11.7

2012

Restatements

CHF m
Effect on consolidated
income statement
Costs of goods sold
Administrative costs
Operating profit
Income taxes
Group profit for the year fromcontinuing operations
Group profit for the year fromdiscontinued operations after taxes
Group profit for the year
Earnings per share
Earnings per share (diluted)

Restatement
IAS 8 –
change ofvaluation
methodbeforerestatement– 749.3– 92.3132.1– 29.9
107.4

2.0
0.6
2.6
– 0.6
2.0

1.0
1.0
– 0.2
0.8

7.4
114.8
55.42
55.40

2.0
0.97
0.97

Restatement
IAS 8 –
change ofvaluation
methodRestatement
IAS 19 –revisedstandard

0.8
0.39
0.39

published

beforerestatement– 747.3– 90.7135.7– 30.7110.2– 763.2– 103.4
162.6– 33.0
124.1

2.0
0.6
2.6
– 1.4
1.2

7.4

73.1

10.1

117.6
56.78
56.76

197.2
88.58
88.54

11.3
5.46
5.45

Restatement
IAS 19 –revisedstandard
after
restatement

6.3
6.3
– 1.5
4.8

– 761.2– 96.6171.5– 35.9
130.1
83.2

4.8
2.32
2.32

213.3
96.36
96.31

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

93

Notes

6 Segment reporting
The Group is a global producer of Flooring Systems
and Movement Systems. The divisions correspond to
the internal management structure and are run sepa­
rately because the products they manufacture, distrib­ute, and sell differ fundamentally in terms of produc­tion, distribution, and marketing.
In the Flooring Systems division, the Group develops,
produces, and sells Forbo linoleum, vinyl floorings,­entrance flooring systems, carpet tiles, needle felt floor
coverings, and building and construction adhesives aswell as the various accessory products required for lay­ing, processing, cleaning, and care of flooring. In the
Movement Systems division, the Group develops, pro­duces, and sells high-quality conveyor and processing

belts, as well as plastic modular belts, and drive, timing
and flat belts made of synthetic materials. Corporate
includes the costs of the Group headquarters and cer­tain items of income and expenses that are not directly
attributable to a specific business.
The Flooring Systems and the Movement Systems di­visions are reportable segments. The identification of
the reportable segments is based on internal manage­
ment reporting to the Chief Executive Officer of theGroup and hence on the financial information used toreview the performance of the operational units in or­
der to reach a decision on the allocation of resources.
Segment information on the reportable segments forthe reporting year:

2013
CHF m
Total net sales
Inter-segment sales
Net sales to third parties
EBIT
Operating assets
Number of employees (December 31)

Flooring
Systems
873.5
– 0.0
873.5
113.3
552.6
3,030

Movement
Systems
326.2

Flooring
Systems
874.3
– 0.4
873.9
109.1
45.4
154.5
559.1
3,034

Movement
Systems
327.2

Corporate/
Elimination
0.0

326.2
31.7
206.8
1,976

– 9.3
29.0
41

Total
1,199.7
0.0
1,199.7
135.7
788.4
5,047

Segment information on the reportable segments forthe prior year:
2012 (restated)
CHF m
Total net sales
Inter-segment sales
Net sales to third parties
EBIT before special items
Special items
EBIT
Operating assets
Number of employees (December 31)

Corporate/
Elimination
– 0.4
0.4

327.2
27.6

– 10.6

27.6
209.1
1,925

– 10.6
24.3
41

Total
1,201.1
1,201.1
126.1
45.4
171.5
792.5
5,000

94

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

The special items in the Flooring Systems division in
the previous year contained the gain from the settle­
ment of the Dutch pension plan amounting to CHF
45.4 million. For further details, see Note 27 ‘Employee
benefit obligations’.

Inter-segment sales are transacted at arm’s length.
The segments apply the same accounting principles
as the Group. Sales to third parties, as they are report­
ed to the Chief Executive Officer, are identical with thesales reported in the income statement.

Management reporting and the internal control sys­
tem are based on the same accounting principles asexternal reporting.

Reconciliation of segment results to the income state­ment and balance sheet:

The Chief Executive Officer assesses the performanceof the reportable segments based on their operating
result (EBIT). The financial result is not allocated to thesegments since it is Corporate Treasury that mainly
exercises central control over the financial result.
2013
CHF m
Segment result (EBIT)
Financial result
Group profit before taxes

CHF mOperating assets
Non-operating assets
Total assets

2012(restated)

135.7
5.2
140.9

171.5
– 5.5
166.0

31.12.2013

31.12.2012(restated)

788.4
338.6
1,127.0

792.5
420.8
1,213.3

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

95

Third-party sales and operating assets broken down by
region in the reporting year and the prior year:

2013
Third-party sales

2012
Third-party sales

27.5
167.4
141.7
129.5
121.7
114.1
64.6
53.2
819.7
219.6
160.4
1,199.7

26.7
169.4
136.7
141.9
116.1
112.6
61.3
49.8
814.5
221.2
165.4
1,201.1

31.12.2013
Operating assets

31.12.2012
Operating assets

CHF m
Switzerland (domicile)
FranceGermany
Benelux
Great Britain and Ireland
Scandinavia
Eastern Europe
Southern Europe
EuropeNorth, Central, and South America
Asia/Pacific and Africa
Total net sales to third parties

CHF m
Switzerland (domicile)
FranceGermany
Benelux
Great Britain and Ireland
Scandinavia
Eastern Europe
Southern Europe
EuropeNorth, Central, and South America
Asia/Pacific and Africa
Total operating assets

In the reporting year, no customer accounted for sales
that exceeded 10% of the Group’s total sales.
7 Development costs‘Development costs’, which mainly comprise productdevelopment, amounted to CHF 16.4 million in thereporting year (2012: CHF 16.3 million).

(restated)

32.7
77.0
85.0
207.0
161.8
26.3
22.8
19.2
631.8
83.9
72.7
788.4

29.9
82.0
81.6
201.2
161.1
27.2
25.6
19.2
627.8
88.6
76.1
792.5

8 Administrative costs
This item consists of the usual expenses related to­administrative activities.

96

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

9 Other operating expenses

10 Other operating income‘Other operating expenses’ comprises primarily en­
vironmental expenditure, structural measures, legal
costs, warranties, costs for consulting and auditing,insurance costs, taxes on capital, and levies based on
local legislation.

‘Other operating income’ resulted mainly from the re­lease of provisions and the sale of material for recycling
purposes and also contained the gain on the settle­
ment of the Dutch pension plan in the previous year
amounting to CHF 45.4 million (note 27 ‘Employee
benefit obligations’).

11 Personnel expenses
2013
Personnel expenses
CHF mSalaries and wages
Social security contributions
Employee benefit expenses for defined benefit plans
Total personnel expenses

As at December 31, 2013, the headcount was 5,047(2012: 5,000). The average headcount over the year
was 5,072 (2012: 4,990).

2012(restated)

278.9
61.4
6.5
346.8

276.2
57.8
12.3
346.3

Salaries and wages include share-based payments ex­penses of CHF 3.1 million (2012: CHF 2.0 million). A
bonus program is available for around 120 managers,which is linked to achieving financial targets set for
the Group, the divisions, and individual objectives.

12 Financial income

Financial income
CHF mInterest income
Gains on sale of available-for-sale financial assets
Increase in fair value of financial assets classified as being at fair value through profit and loss
Total financial income

The improvement in financial income in the year un­
der review was due to price gains and income fromsecurities.

2013

2012

0.8
3.2
6.9
10.9

1.9
1.3
2.5
5.7

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

97

13 Financial expenses

Financial expenses
CHF mInterest expenditure from financial liabilities valued at amortized cost
Reduction in fair value of financial assets classified as being at fair value through profit and loss
Amortization of issuance costs for private placement and bondForeign exchange losses net
Other financial expenses
Total financial expenses

Interest expenses decreased in the reporting year ow­
ing to the complete repayment of the CHF 150.0 mil­lion bond issued on July 6, 2009 with maturity on July

2013

2012

3.4

8.9
0.9
0.3
0.5
0.6
11.2

0.2
1.7
0.4
5.7

31, 2013. The average interest rate on interest-bearing
debt in 2013 was 4.1% (2012: 4.5%).

14 Income taxes
2013
Income taxes
CHF mCurrent income taxes
Deferred income taxes
Total income taxes

2012(restated)

32.1
– 1.4
30.7

37.3
– 1.4
35.9

98

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Analysis of tax expense
The following reconciliation explains the difference
between the expected and the effective tax expense.
2013
CHF m
Group profit before taxes
Tax expense at the expected tax rate
Tax effects of:
Non-tax-deductible expenses and tax-exempt income
Tax losses for which no deferred tax assets have been capitalized
Utilization of tax losses not capitalized in previous years
Previous-year and other positions
Effective income tax expenses

Since the Group operates in various countries with dif­ferent tax laws and rates, the expected and effective
tax expense depends every year on the origin of therevenues or losses in each country. The expected tax
expense is the sum of the expected individual tax in­come/expense of all subsidiaries. The expected indi­

2012(restated)

140.9– 32.5166.0– 43.3

– 1.8
2.0
0.2
1.4
– 30.7

– 0.6
1.7
13.8
– 7.5
– 35.9vidual tax income/expense in a country is calculated
by multiplying the individual profit/loss by the tax rateapplicable in the country concerned. The expected
tax rate in the year under review was 23.1% (2012:
26.1%).

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

99

Tax loss carry forwards capitalized and not capitalized
as deferred tax assets, broken down by expiry dates:
2013
CHF m
Expiry after:
1 year
2 years
3 years
4 years
5 years
More than 5 years
Total tax loss carry forwards

2012
CHF m
Expiry after:
1 year
2 years
3 years
4 years
5 years
More than 5 years
Total tax loss carry forwards

In 2013, CHF 0.5 million (2012: CHF 3.7 million) of un­used tax loss carry forwards expired. The non-capital­
ized tax losses increased in the year under review ow­
ing to definitive tax assessments.

Not capitalized

Capitalized

Total

0.2
0.4
0.3
1.8
1.4
120.5
124.6

1.9

0.4
33.5
35.8

2.1
0.4
0.3
1.8
1.8
154.0
160.4

Not capitalized

Capitalized

Total

0.1
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.4
77.3
78.5

2.2
1.9

2.3
2.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
112.1
117.4

34.8
38.9

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are offset
when they relate to the same tax jurisdiction, provided
that the legal right to offset exists, and they are intend­
ed either to be settled net or to be realized simulta­
neously. The following amounts are shown in the bal­ance sheet:
31.12.2013

CHF m
Deferred tax assets
Deferred tax liabilities
Deferred tax assets, net

31.12.2012(restated)

29.3– 20.09.3

27.2– 15.511.7

100 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Deferred tax assets and liabilities, tax credits, and tax
charges from deferred taxes (gross):
Deferred tax assets

CHF m
As at December 31, 2012 (published)
Restatement
As at December 31, 2012 (restated)
Increase/decrease (–) in deferred tax assets
As at December 31, 2013

Inventories
6.4

Property,plant, andequipment
2.5

Provisions
13.0

Loss carryforwards
10.6

6.4
– 1.0
5.4

2.5
1.2
3.7

13.0
– 5.1
7.9

10.6
– 0.9
9.7

Employeebenefitobligations
11.7
0.7
12.4
– 2.8
9.6

Provisions
7.3

Intangible
assets
18.9

Other
8.2

7.3
– 1.4

18.9
– 0.5

8.2
– 6.9

Total
71.0
– 28.7
42.3
– 8.2

5.9

18.4

1.3

34.1

Other
9.1
9.1
– 2.0
7.1

Total
53.3
0.7
54.0
– 10.6
43.4

Deferred tax liabilities

CHF m
As at December 31, 2012 (published)
Restatement
As at December 31, 2012 (restated)
Increase/decrease (–) in deferred
tax liabilities

3.4
0.0

Property,plant, andequipment
33.2– 28.7
4.5
0.6

3.4

5.1

Inventories
3.4

As at December 31, 2013
Decrease in deferred tax assets, net
Of which recognized in othercomprehensive income

– 2.4
– 1.2

Of which recognized in the income
statement

1.4

Of which deferred tax expense of
discontinued operations– 2.6

As at December 31, 2013, no deferred tax liabilities
on undistributed profits from consolidated companies
have been recognized, since this income is deemed tohave been reinvested for an indefinite period. Should
there be a distribution, withholding and other taxes

might be incurred, which upon decision may be pro­vided for accordingly.
Tax expense and income recognized directly in theother comprehensive income statement:
2013

CHF m
Actuarial gains/losses (–) on pension obligations
Cash flow hedges
Translation differences
Other comprehensive income

2012

Before tax

Tax expense(–)/income

After tax

Before tax

1.3

– 0.4

0.9

– 7.4
– 6.1

– 0.8
– 1.2

– 8.2
– 7.3

– 83.01.7
36.5– 44.8Tax expense(–)/income

20.5
– 1.8
18.7

(restated)
After tax

– 62.5
1.7
34.7– 26.1

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 101

15 Earnings per share
Undiluted earnings per share are calculated by di­viding the net profit or loss for the year attributableto registered shareholders by the weighted average
number of registered shares issued and outstanding
during the year, less the average number of treasury
shares. The 250,000 registered shares cancelled in thereporting year as part of the reduction in share capital
had no effect on the earnings per share in the year
under review as they were already included as trea­sury shares in the previous year.

Weighted average number of shares
Amount of shares adjusted for stock option plans
Weighted average number of shares used to calculate diluted earnings per share

The figure for diluted earnings per share also takes
into account the potential dilution effects if all issued
and in-the-money share options were to be exercised.
The calculations are based on the following share in­formation:

2013
2,070,986
734
2,071,720

2012
2,213,669
1,125
2,214,794

102 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

16 Property, plant, and equipment

Cost on acquisition
CHF m
As at December 31, 2011 (published)
Restatement
As at January 1, 2012 (restated)
Acquisition
Additions
Disposals
Transfers
Translation differences
As at December 31, 2012 (restated)
Acquisition
Additions
Disposals
Transfers
Translation differences
As at December 31, 2013

Machineryandequipment

Other
property,plant, andequipment

Assetsunderconstruction

661.0

120.5

10.6

120.5
0.1
3.2
– 2.6
3.8
– 1.0
124.0

10.6

1.8
– 1.9
6.9
– 3.0
131.5

661.0
0.2
6.7
– 1.8
14.3
– 4.3
676.1
0.1
7.5
– 9.3
16.5
1.1
692.0

Land andbuildings

Land andbuildings

261.2– 133.7
127.5

2.2
– 2.2
3.1
– 0.3
126.8

– 26.50.2
7.8

1,053.3– 133.7
919.6
0.3
33.7
– 4.7
0.0
– 9.9
939.0
0.1
34.4
– 13.4
0.0
– 2.0
958.1

Machineryandequipment

Other
property,plant, andequipment

Assetsunderconstruction

Total
property,plant, andequipment

15.5
– 9.4
6.1
7.3
– 0.3

564.7

111.7

1.6

564.7
21.9
– 1.6

1.6

– 3.2
9.9
6.9
– 0.7
– 0.4
– 1.9
13.8

– 3.8
581.2
21.7
– 9.0
0.9
594.8

111.7
4.3
– 2.5
– 0.2
– 0.8
112.5
4.7
– 2.1
0.4
0.1
115.6

1.6

693.5
– 9.4
684.1
33.5
– 4.4
– 0.2
– 7.8
705.2
33.3
– 11.8
0.0
– 0.9
725.8

117.8
117.7

94.9
97.2

11.5
11.2

9.6
6.2

233.8
232.3

3.3
– 0.3
1.8
– 4.6
127.7

Accumulated depreciation and impairments
CHF m
As at December 31, 2011 (published)
Restatement
As at January 1, 2012 (restated)
Depreciation
Disposals
Transfers
Translation differences
As at December 31, 2012 (restated)
Depreciation
Disposals
Transfers
Translation differences
As at December 31, 2013
Net carrying amountAs at December 31, 2012 (restated)
As at December 31, 2013

Total
property,plant, andequipment

20.5– 19.9
11.2
22.9

1.6

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 103

Land and buildings are recognized at amortized costand no longer at fair value at the date of revaluation,less cumulative depreciations and impairments. The
impairments previously reported in conjunction withthe revaluation remained unchanged because theywould also have had to be recognized under amor­
tized cost. The impact of the restatement on the con­solidated balance sheet and income statement for2013 and 2012 is presented in note 5 ‘Restatements
due to changes in accounting and valuation princi­
ples’.

Property, plant, and equipment also include leased
assets with a net book value of CHF 0.1 million (2012:
CHF 1.3 million).
The insured value of buildings, machinery, equipment,
and inventories was CHF 1,718.8 million (2012: CHF
1,688.4 million).
Maintenance and repair costs amounted to CHF 20.1
million (2012: CHF 21.4 million). The depreciation ex­pense of CHF 33.3 million (2012: CHF 33.5 million) is
included in the items ‘Cost of goods sold’, ‘Devel­
opment costs’, ‘Marketing and distribution costs’, and­‘Administrative costs’.

104 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

17 Intangible assets

Cost on acquisition
CHF m
As at December 31, 2011
Acquisition
Additions
Disposals
Translation differences
As at December 31, 2012
Additions
Disposals
Translation differences
As at December 31, 2013

Accumulated amortization and impairments
CHF m
As at December 31, 2011
Amortization
Impairments
Disposals
Translation differences
As at December 31, 2012
Amortization
Disposals
Translation differences
As at December 31, 2013
Net carrying amountAs at December 31, 2012
As at December 31, 2013

Intangible assets with an indefinite useful life (good­
will and trademarks) are subject to an annual impair­ment test at cash-generating unit level. The test is car­ried out using a standardized method with discounted
cash flow for calculating the value in use. Cash flow
for the five years is estimated on the basis of the plan
approved by management (detailed planning period).
Cash flows beyond the detailed planning period are
extrapolated to the terminal value by means of using
sustainable earnings. During the detailed planning

Goodwill

Trademarks

92.5

37.7

– 0.3
92.2

– 3.8
0.1
34.0

0.5
92.7

Other
intangible assets

83.7
1.7
0.5

Total

0.7
86.6
0.2

213.9
1.7
0.5
– 3.8
0.5
212.8
0.2

– 0.1
33.9

– 0.3
86.5

0.1
213.1

Goodwill

Trademarks

Otherintangible assets

8.2

29.1

1.8
– 0.4
9.6

0.5
– 3.8
0.0
25.8

0.1
9.7

82.6
83.0

23.1
3.3
1.7

Total

0.1
28.2
3.1

60.4
3.3
4.0
– 3.8
– 0.3
63.6
3.1

0.0
25.8

– 0.1
31.2

0.0
66.7

8.2
8.1

58.4
55.3

149.2
146.4

period, relatively constant EBITDA margins are as­
sumed, which are around 17% for Flooring Systems
and around 13% for Movement Systems. The discountrate corresponds to the total weighted cost of capital
before taxes including an average risk charge esti­
mated by management, which lies between 9.8% and11.4% (previous year between 8.0% and 12.1%). The
intangible assets with an indefinite useful life werealso subject to impairment testing in the form of sen­sitivity analyses.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 105

Goodwill is distributed among the following groups ofcash-generating units:31.12.2013
79.0
4.0
83.0

Flooring Systems
Movement Systems

The goodwill in Flooring Systems as at December 31,
2013, comprises mainly the goodwill acquired in con­nection with the acquisition of Bonar Floors in 2008.
The item ‘Brands’ includes mainly the trademarks ac­
quired as part of the acquisition of Bonar Floors. ‘Other
intangible assets’ consists mainly of the customer re­lations and technologies as part of the acquisition of
Bonar Floors, as well as acquired software.
The annual impairment test of goodwill yielded a val­ue in use that was greater than the carrying amount.
In the previous year, an impairment of CHF 1.8 million
in the Flooring Systems division was taken to ‘Other
operating expenses’.

31.12.2012
78.5
4.1
82.6

The impairment tests conducted in connection withtrademarks are based on the sales turnover achieved
with these trademarks. The relief-from-royalty meth­od was used, in which the economic benefit of
the trademark holder is determined by means of the
discounted royalty savings. The cash flow forecasts
during the detailed planning period are based on ex­pected royalty savings of between 1% and 2% of net
sales. In the year under review, no impairment wasdetermined. In the previous year, the Flooring Sys­
tems division had taken an impairment of CHF 2.2
million to ‘Other operating expenses’ owing to thelower expectations regarding the probable future
sales associated with the trademark Westbond andthe related adhesive techno­logy.
As in the previous year, no development costs were
capitalized in the year under review.

18 Investments in associates and othernon-current assets

Investments in associates and other non-current assets
CHF m
Investments in associates
Other non-current financial assets
Total investments in associates and other non-current assets

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

0.0
0.2
0.2

0.0
0.2
0.2

106 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

19 Inventories

Inventories
CHF m
Raw materials and supplies
Work in progress
Finished goods
Valuation allowance for inventories
Total inventories

Valuation allowances for inventories amounted to
CHF 29.6 million (2012: CHF 29.0 million).

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

39.8
67.7
135.5
– 29.6
213.4

42.3
66.4
138.9
– 29.0218.6

Expenses for inventories (cost of goods sold) recog­
nized in the reporting year came to CHF 480.8 million(2012: CHF 498.7 million).

20 Trade receivables

Trade receivables
CHF m
Accounts receivable
Notes receivable
Allowance for doubtful trade receivables
Total trade receivables

As a rule, no default interest is charged for receivables
past due. As at the reporting date, there was no indi­
cation that debtors would fail to meet their payment
obligations in respect of trade receivables for which
no allowance was made or which were past due. Val­uation allowances are made in the form of specific31.12.2013

31.12.2012

135.9
20.0
– 7.1
148.8

134.2
23.0
– 7.0
150.2

valuation allowances. A specific valuation allowanceis required if the debtor is unable to pay, if the debt
has been past due for more than 90 days, or if the
debtor has given notice of payment difficulties. Valua­tion allowances take due account of default risks.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 107

Trade receivables recognized as at the balance sheet
date:

CHF m
Total trade receivables, gross
Of which not due
Of which past due for:Less than 30 days
Between 31 and 90 days
Between 91 and 180 days
Between 181 days and 1 year
Over 1 year
Allowance for doubtful trade receivables
Total trade receivables

Of the total of CHF 21.9 million in trade receivables
past due as at December 31, 2013 (2012: CHF 24.3
million), CHF 16.3 million (2012: CHF 19.8 million) was
not subjected to a valuation allowance. Overall, valu­

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

155.9
134.0

157.2
132.9

10.7
5.6
2.9
2.0
0.7
– 7.1
148.8

12.9
5.8
3.4
2.0
0.2
– 7.0
150.2

ation allowances were made for receivables with anominal value of CHF 25.2 million (2012: CHF 29.4
million).

Gross value of trade receivables by currency:

CHF m
CHF
EUR
USD
GBP
JPY
CNY
SEK
Other
Total trade receivables, gross31.12.2013

31.12.2012

1.6
76.6
15.9
14.4
12.5
9.0
5.8
20.1
155.9

1.3
74.1
15.9
13.4
15.5
8.1
5.9
23.0
157.2

2013

2012

– 7.0
– 1.5
0.6
0.6
0.2
– 7.1

– 8.1
– 1.5
0.8
1.6
0.2
– 7.0

Changes in valuation allowances for doubtful trade re­ceivables during the reporting year:

CHF m
As at January 1
Additions
ReleaseUse
Translation differences
As at December 31

108 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Allowances of CHF 2.2 million were made for tradereceivables not yet due and of CHF 4.9 million for
trade receivables past due.
The creation and release of allowances for doubtful
trade receivables are included in ‘Marketing and distri­bution costs’ in the income statement.

21 Other current financial instruments
The item ‘Other current financial instruments’ contains
mainly securities (stocks, bonds, and funds) as wellas fixed-term deposits with a maturity between three
and twelve months. For further details, see note 34‘Additional information on financial instruments’.

22 CashCash and cash equivalents
CHF m
Cash
Bank accounts
Short-term deposits with banks
Total cash and cash equivalents

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

0.1
215.7
25.2
241.0

0.2
157.6
93.5
251.3

There were no significant pledged or assigned assets.

divided into 2,250,000 registered shares with a par val­ue of CHF 0.10 each. Thereof 21,419 registered shares
without voting or dividend rights are at the disposalof the Board of Directors. Consequently, 2,228,581 reg­istered shares were eligible for dividends as at Decem­
ber 31, 2013.

24 Share capital

Change of shares issued and outstanding:

The change in cash and cash equivalents can be foundin the consolidated cash flow statement.
23 Pledged or assigned assets

As at December 31, 2013, the share capital of Forbo
Holding Ltd stood at CHF 225,000 (2012: CHF 250,000),

Total shares outstanding
Treasury shares
Shares with dividend rights:
Treasury shares
Share buyback programs
Shares with no dividend rights
Total treasury shares
Total shares issued and outstanding

At the extraordinary General Meeting of Forbo Hold­
ing Ltd held on November 5, 2012, the shareholders
approved a capital reduction from CHF 250,000 to
CHF 225,000 by cancellation of the shares acquiredin connection with the share buyback program ap­
proved at the Ordinary General Meeting on April 29,
2011, and the corresponding amendment to the Arti­cles of As­sociation. Following the legally mandatory
notice to creditors, the capital reduction was enteredin the Commercial Register on January 17, 2013. The

31.12.2013
Number2,250,000

ChangeNumber– 250,000

31.12.2012
Number2,500,000

96,40899,47021,419217,297
2,032,703– 79,433– 150,530
0– 229,963– 20,037

175,841
250,000
21,419447,260
2,052,740

Board of Directors was furthermore authorized to buyback the company’s own shares, over a period of three
years, for the purpose of subsequent cancellation of
the share certificates, up to a maximum of 10% of theshare capital. In the framework of this new share buy­back program approved at the extraordinary general
meeting of Forbo Holding Ltd on November 5, 2012,
99,470 shares had been repurchased by the end of theyear under review.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 109

25 Employee participation plan
Variable compensation for the Executive Board is linked
with the Management Investment Plan (MIP), which
was introduced in 2006 and amended in 2012. The
Board of Directors and the Delegate of the Board and
CEO are not party to the MIP. According to this plan, atleast 50% of the annual variable compensation of Ex­
ecutive Board members is paid into the MIP. Under theprevious plan, 25% of the payments were invested in
options and 75% in shares of Forbo Holding Ltd. The
shares and options were subject to a three year lock-up
period and the term of the options was five years. The
options issued under the MIP will come to maturity by
April 21, 2017, at the latest. Following the amendmentof the MIP, all the sums paid into it will be invested
in shares of Forbo Holding Ltd as of Jan­uary 1, 2013.
These shares, too, are subject to a three year lock-up
period. The shares and options issued under the MIP
are equity-settled.

The share-based portion of the variable compensationis recognized at fair value, offset by equity instruments
and entered as a corresponding increase in equity. The
shares that were distributed under the MIP up to andincluding 2012 were issued at the average market
price for the first 14 trading days in January of the cur­rent year. The shares that were distributed starting in2013 are issued at the unweighted average closing
price of the Forbo share for the first 14 trading days in
January of the year in which they are distributed.
The options were issued on the basis of a valuation
by an independent bank, whereby the valuation was
based on the average market price of the shares in thefirst 14 trading days in January of the respective year.
Options
Change in the number of outstanding options andtheir weighted average strike price:

2013

Options outstanding as at January 1
GrantedExercised
ExpiredOptions outstanding as at December 31

Weighted
averagestrike pricein CHF

Numberof options

675

31,744

435
822
674

– 3,612– 6,044
22,088In the year under review, no expense was charged tothe income statement, whereas in application of IFRS
2 the expense for equity-settled options amounted to
CHF 1.2 million in the previous year.

2012
Weighted
averagestrike pricein CHF

Numberof options

568
616
232
565
675

32,4389,047– 8,823– 918
31,744Of the 22,088 options outstanding (2012: 31,744), 847
are exercisable as at December 31, 2013 (2012: 6,044).
The exercise of 3,612 options (2012: 8,823) resulted in
the issue of 3,612 Forbo Holding shares (2012: 8,823) ata weighted average issue price of CHF 435 (2012: CHF
232). The weighted average share price on the exercise
days was CHF 625 (2012: CHF 628).

110 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Information on the outstanding options as at Decem­
ber 31, 2013:

Series
2010
2011
2012
Total options outstanding

In the year under review, no equity-settled options
were issued under the MIP (2012: 9,047).
SharesIn the year under review, 368 shares of Forbo Holding
Ltd were issued under the MIP (2012: 1,213). A further
112 shares were allocated to Executive Board mem­bers in the reporting year as part of base remuneration.
The share price at valuation date was CHF 606 (2012:
CHF 630).
The Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO iscompensated primarily with shares. With effect fromJanuary 2009, the employment contract with the Del­egate of the Board of Directors and CEO was extended
to encompass the period until the end of April 2013.
The remuneration was again paid mainly in shares and,in accordance with IFRS 2, had to be recognized on a
pro rata basis.

Strike price
(CHF)

435
733
616

Number ofoutstanding
options

Averageremainingterm (years)

Number of
exercisable
options

847
12,194
9,047
22,088

1.2
2.3
3.4

847

The employment contract with the Delegate of theBoard of Directors and CEO, which ended on April 30,
2013, was extended until December 31, 2016. The de­tailed information and figures for this compensation
model can be found on pages 126 and 147. Compen­
sation is again being paid mainly in shares and, in ac­
cordance with IFRS 2, had to be recognized on a pro
rata basis.
In the year under review, the amount charged to theincome statement in application of IFRS 2 for sharesissued to the Executive Board and the Board of Direc­
tors came to CHF 3.1 million (2012: CHF 0.8 million).

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 111

26 Non-current financial debt
31.12.2013

31.12.2012

0.0
0.0
0.0
1.3
– 0.1
1.2

132.4
– 0.2
132.2
2.6
– 132.2
2.6

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

0.1
0.1
0.2
0.8
1.2

1.2
0.2
0.1
1.1
2.6

Numberof contracts

Gross value
hedgedCHF mFair value
CHF m

6
2

1.9
0.1

0.0
0.2

CHF m
Outstanding private placement and bondUnamortized issuance cost
Total outstanding private placement and bondLease obligations
Less current portion
Total non-current financial debt

Maturities of non-current financial debt
CHF m
After 1 year
After 2 years
After 3 years
5+ years
Total non-current financial debt

In the year under review Forbo Holding Ltd repaid infull the CHF 150.0 million bond issued on July 6, 2009,that matured on July 31, 2013.

Derivatives:
Financial derivatives

Derivative financial instruments as at December 31, 2012
Derivative financial instruments as at December 31, 2013

112 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

27 Employee benefit obligations
The Group has established several pension plans on
the basis of the specific requirements of the countries
in which it operates. Both defined contribution anddefined benefit plans exist in the Group that insure
employees against the risks of death and invalidity
and provide old-age pensions.
The liabilities and assets under the main defined benefit plans are assessed annually by independent actuaries using the projected unit credit method. Following
the conversion of the Dutch Forbo plan into a defined
contribution plan in the previous year, the Group’s
main defined benefit plans are in the United Kingdom
and Switzerland.
Pension plans in the United Kingdom
The Group has two defined benefit pension plansin the United Kingdom. The main one is the Forbo­Superannuation Fund (the FSF), which accounts forabout 65% of the Group’s total pension liabilities. The
FSF is a pension plan whose benefits are based on the
final salary and which pays out a guaranteed pension
for life to its members. The FSF is closed to new entrants, but benefits continue to accrue for a small
number of existing members. The composition of thepension liabilities is as follows: 6% to active employees, 37% to deferred members and 57% to current
beneficiaries. New employees in the United Kingdom
who meet certain criteria are now offered a defined
contribution plan.
The FSF operates under trust law and is managed andadministered by the trustees on behalf of the members in accordance with the terms of the Trust Deed
and Rules and relevant legislation. The FSF’s assets areheld by the trust. Responsibility for governance of the
FSF – including investment decisions and contribution schedules – lies jointly with the company and thetrustees. The board of the trustees must be composedof representatives of the company and plan participants in accordance with the FSF’s regulations andBritish pension law.

The pension plan follows an investment strategy thatis geared to the structure of the pension liabilities(LDI – liability-driven investment approach). The coreelements of this strategy are:–– Hedging of liabilities: 60% of the assets of the fundare held in physical form in corporate bonds and afurther 10% in funds geared to the pension liabilities.
This approach hedges a substantial portion of interest rate and inflation risks. The target hedge ratio is
80% of the assets held by the FSF.
–– Return-seeking assets: 30% of the assets of the FSF
are held in the form of diversified growth investment
funds.
The use of any surplus is not subject to any restriction
under the FSF’s articles of incorporation and may be
used freely by the Group. These surpluses are therefore recognized in the balance sheet as assets in accordance with IAS 19 revised.
Switzerland
The Group pays contributions to an independent pension fund as part of the occupational pension pro­vision (known in Switzerland as the ‘second pillar’). As
a minimum benefit, this independent pension fundmust provide the beneficiary with an old-age pension
at the time of retirement. This pension is paid out of
the retirement savings capital at the start of the pension. The Group meets these liabilities through agreements with pension funds that cover the pension liabilities in full.
The pension liabilities of the Swiss Group companies
account for about 16% of the Group’s entire pension
liabilities. 94% of the liabilities are to active members
and 6% to retired beneficiaries.
The Swiss pension system includes guarantees that
expose the company to the risk that it may have toprovide additional financing. Such a situation may occur, for instance, if the pension fund is unable to meetits obligations or decides to end the insurance re­lationship. The pension fund guarantees a minimum
return and is responsible for the payment of a pension
for life once the insurance benefits fall due. As a resultof these guarantees, Swiss pension plans are treatedas defined benefit plans under IFRS, even though they
contain essential elements of defined contributionplans.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 113

The company cannot participate in any surplus of thepension plan. According to Swiss pension law, all surpluses belong to the pension plan and hence to its
members.
OthersThe Group has a number of other, smaller defined contribution and defined benefit plans in other countries,
in accordance with the legal provisions for employees.
The main plans exist in France, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the USA. The previous year’s figures
include the defined benefit plan in the Netherlands,
which was converted into a defined contribution plan
on January 1, 2013, so that this pension plan no longer
presents any actuarial risks for the Group in future. The
derecognition of the corresponding liability and of theassets belonging to the defined benefit pension planin the Netherlands resulted in a gain of CHF 45.4 million after inclusion of the lump sum payment of CHF
18.0 million (EUR 15.0 million) in connection with theconversion. This gain was recognized in the previous
year in ‘Other operating income’.

The latest actuarial valuations of the present values ofdefined benefit liabilities and of service costs were
performed as at December 31, 2013, by independentactuaries using the projected unit credit method.
The fair value of the plan assets was determined as at
December 31, 2013, based on the information available when the annual financial statements were prepared. The average duration of the pension plans until
payment of benefits (plan duration) is 14.8 years for
the United Kingdom, 18.1 years for Switzerland, and15.0 years for the other regions.
The principal assumptions underlying the actuarial calculations are summarized as follows.

2013
Actuarial Assumptions
Discount rate (in %)Future increases in salaries (in %)Inflation rate (in %)Life expectancy at age of 65 (in years)
Year of birth 1948
Men
Women
Year of birth 1963
Men
Women

2012

Switzerland

UK

Other

Weighted

Switzerland

UK

Other

Weighted

2.4
2.0
1.5

4.3
4.2
3.5

3.1
2.6
1.6

3.8
3.6
2.9

2.0
2.0
1.0

4.3
3.7
2.9

2.7
2.3
1.5

3.8
3.2
2.4

21
24

22
24

19
23

21
24

22
24

19
23

23
25

23
26

21
24

23
25

23
25

21
24

The amounts reported in the consolidated income
statement and in equity can be summarized as follows:114 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Pension costs for defined benefit plans:
2013
Pension costs
CHF mCurrent service cost, net
Interest costs
Interest income on plan assets
Curtailments and settlements
Total actuarial net periodic
pension costs/income (–)

2012(restated)

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

2.5
1.2
– 0.9

0.6
9.2
– 9.4

2.3
1.3
– 0.3

5.4
11.7
– 10.6

2.5
1.5
– 1.2

0.0
9.7
– 10.2

2.8

0.4

3.3

6.5

2.8

– 0.5

8.1
17.6
– 15.7– 45.4– 35.4

10.6
28.8– 27.1– 45.4– 33.1

Changes in pension liabilities under the defined benefit plans:
2013
Benefit obligations
CHF m
As at January 1
Current service cost, net
Employee contributions
Interest costs
Benefits paid
Actuarial gains (–)/losses
Curtailments and settlements
Translation differences
As at December 31

2012(restated)

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

59.0
2.5
1.0
1.2
– 8.5
– 4.6

222.7
0.6
0.0
9.2
– 9.6
– 1.1

48.7
2.3
0.0
1.3
– 2.0
– 1.4

330.4
5.4
1.0
11.7
– 20.1
– 7.1

58.2
2.5
1.6
1.5
– 8.2
3.4

198.7
0.0
0.0
9.7
– 8.9
21.1

50.6

– 0.6
221.2

– 0.7
48.2

– 1.3
320.0

59.0

2.1
222.7

323.7
8.1
2.9
17.6
– 11.390.4– 378.0
– 4.7
48.7

580.6
10.6
4.5
28.8
– 28.4114.9– 378.0
– 2.6
330.4

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 115

Changes in plan assets of the defined benefit plans atfair value:
2013
Plan assets
CHF m
As at January 1
Interest income on plan assets
Employer contributions
Employee contributions
Return on pension assets (excluding
amounts in interest income)
Benefits paid
Curtailments and settlements
Translation differences
As at December 31

2012(restated)

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

46.0
0.9
1.7
1.0
– 0.2

226.1
9.4
0.1
0.0
– 5.9

7.2
0.3
2.0
0.0
0.3

279.3
10.6
3.8
1.0
– 5.8

49.7
1.2
1.7
1.6
0.0

212.0
10.2
0.0
0.0
10.5

279.9
15.7
34.2
2.9
21.4

541.6
27.1
35.9
4.5
31.9

– 8.5

– 9.6

– 2.0

– 20.1

– 8.2

– 8.9

40.9

– 0.6
219.5

7.8

– 0.6
268.2

46.0

2.3
226.1

– 11.3– 332.6– 3.0
7.2– 28.4– 332.6
– 0.7
279.3

In the reporting period there were no plan curtailments or settlements. There were also no changes occurring as a result of changes to the scope of consolidation.

The present value of defined benefit pension liabilities
and plan assets as at year-end:

31.12.2013
CHF m
Present value of defined benefit liabilities
Fair value of plan assets
Net liabilities recognized in the balance sheet

320.0– 268.2
51.8

Actuarial gains and losses are recognized in the balance sheet under ‘Pension liabilities’ and accounted
for directly in the other comprehensive income.

31.12.2012

31.12.2011(restated)(published)

330.4– 279.3
51.1

584.3– 541.6
42.7

31.12.2010

31.12.2009

599.9– 525.2
74.7

635.5– 566.9
68.6

Most of the pension plans are financed in full or in partvia outsourced funds. Pension liabilities amounting to
CHF 32.1 million (2012: CHF 33.4 million) out of a totalof CHF 320.0 million (2012: CHF 330.4 million) are unfunded.

116 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Changes in the net liabilities of defined benefit plans
recognized in the balance sheet:2013
Net liabilities
CHF m
As at January 1
Pension income/costs
Employer contributions
Actuarial gains (–)/losses
Translation differences
Net liabilities as at December 31

2012(restated)

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

13.0
2.8
– 1.7
– 4.4

– 3.4
0.4
– 0.1
4.8
1.7

51.1
6.5
– 3.8
– 1.3
– 0.7
51.8

8.5
2.8
– 1.7
3.4

9.7

41.5
3.3
– 2.0
– 1.7
– 0.7
40.4

– 13.3
– 0.5
0.0
10.6
– 0.2
– 3.4

43.8
– 35.4– 34.2
69.0
– 1.7
41.5

39.0
– 33.1– 35.9
83.0
– 1.9
51.1

13.0

Gains and losses of defined benefit pension plans offset in the comprehensive income statement for all divisions:
2013
Recognized gains and losses
CHF mActuarial losses (–)/gains
in the current period:

2012(restated)

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

Switzerland

UK

Other

Total

5.1

– 6.7

0.7

– 0.9

– 3.4

– 20.9– 90.4– 114.7

– 0.2

1.3

Based on adjustment ofdemographic assumptions

1.5

Based on adjustment of
economic assumptions

3.6

– 6.7

0.9

– 2.2

Experience adjustment
Return on pension assets (excluding
amounts in interest income)

– 0.5
– 0.2

7.8
– 5.9

0.7
0.3

8.0
– 5.8

Total gains/losses (–) recognizedin the comprehensive income
statement

4.4

– 4.8

1.7

1.3

0.1
– 3.4

– 3.4

0.1

– 21.0– 90.4– 114.8

– 0.2
10.5

21.4

– 0.2
31.9

– 10.6– 69.0– 83.0Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 117

Change in the present value of defined benefit liabil­ities:+ 0.5%
Sensitivities
CHF m
Discount rate
Rate of salary increase
Inflation rate
Interest credits on retirement assets– 0.5%

Switzerland

UK

Other

Switzerland

UK

Other

– 4.3
1.5
1.3
1.3

– 15.2
0.5
8.3

– 2.9
2.3
3.1

4.8
– 1.3
– 1.0
– 1.1

17.0
– 0.4
– 7.6

3.1
– 2.3
– 2.5

The above table describes the effect of the principal
actuarial assumptions on pension liabilities. The tableshows the effect of an isolated change of a single parameter, assuming that all other parameters remainunchanged. The table illustrates the overall effect foreach region. However, sensitivities may differ for in­dividual plans within the regions. Sensitivity analysis
aims to visualize the uncertainty in valuating pension
liabilities under market conditions at the date of val­uation. The results cannot be extrapolated owing topossible non-linear effects in the event of changes tothe actuarial assumptions. Moreover, the analysis cannot say anything about the likelihood of these changes occurring, nor can it present the view of the Group
regarding anticipated future changes in pension liabilities. Any measures taken by management to reduce the risks inherent in pension liabilities are also
not taken into account in the analysis.

Weighted average asset allocation of the defined
benefit plan assets as at December 31:%
Shares
Bonds
Real estate
Cash and other investments
Total plan assets as at December 31

Cash and other investments amounting to 40.8% consist of listed investments (25.5%) and unlisted investments (15.3%). The shares, bonds, and real estate are alllisted investments. The plan assets do not include any
shares or other securities of the Forbo Group.
Future contributions to defined benefit plans are estimated in the following year on the basis of the period
under review.
The expense for the contributions to defined contribution plans, which is included in personnel expenses,
amounted to CHF 10.2 million in 2013 (2012: CHF 4.3
million).

2013

2012

2.2
56.8
0.2
40.8
100.0

3.4
75.8
2.9
17.9
100.0

Other non-current benefits
The Group does not finance any other non-current
benefits. The plans for long-service bonuses and otherbenefits related to years of service are negligible or
do not qualify as plans for other non-current benefits.
Partial retirement agreements with employees in Germany no longer exist, and there is only a negligible
provision for earlier benefit promises.

118 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

28 Provisions

Provisions
CHF m
As at January 1
Additions
Used during the year
Reversed during the year
Translation differences
As at December 31
Of which current provisions
Of which non-current provisions

Other
provisions

Total
2013

Total
2012

15.7
4.5
– 3.6
– 4.6

0.0
12.1

15.6
1.4
0.0
– 3.0
– 0.1
13.9

12.0

7.8
0.1
– 0.3
– 4.6
0.1
3.1

52.2
8.4
– 4.7
– 12.5
0.0
43.4

57.8
7.9
– 4.6
– 8.9
0.0
52.2

0.0
12.1

1.5
12.4

11.9
0.1

1.9
1.2

17.3
26.1

16.4
35.8

Environmental
provisions

1.7
1.7
– 0.8
– 0.3
0.0
2.3

11.4
0.7

2.0
0.3

Warranty provisions are linked to product sales and are
based on past experience. The provisions for legal
claims relate mainly to product liability claims in which
the Group is involved in the course of its normal business. The personnel provisions include in particular
the bonus programs, provisions for paid leave, andseverance payments.

Provisions
for legal
claims

Personnel
provisions

Warranty
provisions

Of the original provision of CHF 21.0 million made inconnection with the sale of the industrial adhesives
activity, including synthetic polymers, CHF 10.0 million
was released in the year under review owing to the­expiry of warranty deadlines: CHF 3.0 million for legal
claims, CHF 3.0 million for personnel and CHF 4.0 million for other. The remaining provisions of CHF 11.0
million are kept for anticipated cash outflows in connection with risks in the areas of environmental (CHF
7.0 million), legal claims (CHF 3.0 million) and other(CHF 1.0 million).

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 119

29 Accrued expenses

Accrued expenses
CHF m
Accrued expenses for compensation and employee benefits
Other accrued expenses
Total accrued expenses

Accrued expenses for compensation and employee
benefits mainly comprise overtime accruals and pro­visions. Other accrued expenses include accrued vol-31.12.2013

31.12.2012

36.1
52.4
88.5

40.7
55.8
96.5

ume rebates, commissions, premiums, interest andaccrued warranty costs, and similar items.

30 Current financial debt

Current financial debt
CHF mCurrent bank loans and overdrafts
Current portion of non-current debt
Total current financial debt

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

0.6
0.1
0.7

0.3
132.2
132.5

120 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

31 Discontinued operations and assets held
for sale as well as liabilities directly associatedwith assets held for sale
Forbo signed a contract with H.B. Fuller Company on
December 21, 2011, regarding the sale of its industrial
adhesives business, including synthetic polymers, belonging to the former Bonding Systems division. The
sale price was CHF 384.7 million. On fulfillment of allconditions, the transaction was successfully closed on
March 5, 2012.
In the consolidated balance sheet, the assets and liabilities of the discontinued operations were reported
as at December 31, 2011, under the items ‘Assets held
for sale’ and ‘Liabilities directly associated with assets
held for sale’. Since land and buildings in the present
consolidated balance sheet are no longer recognizedat fair value at the date of revaluation, less cumulative
depreciations and impairments, but rather reported
at amortized cost, the opening balance was adjusted
retroactively as at January 1, 2012, as if the valuation
method had always been applied.

The property, plant, and equipment and the deferred
tax liabilities of the discontinued operations based onthem are therefore shown in the opening balance as
at January 1, 2012, at CHF 15.4 million respectively CHF
5.3 million lower. The profit from the sale of the discontinued operations, restated in the prior-year period,
was consequently CHF 10.1 million higher. The restatement did not affect either cash flows of the discon­tinued operations or the cash flow from the disposal.
Owing to the release of provisions, that had been accrued for risks in connection with the sale of the in­dustrial adhesives activity, including synthetic polymers (see also note 28 ‘Provisions’), a profit of CHF 10.0
million before tax, or CHF 7.4 million after tax, was generated in the reporting year from the sale of the discontinued operations.

Cash flows from discontinued operations:

CHF mCash flow from operating activities
Cash flow from investment activities
Cash flow from financing activities

The balance sheet items ‘Assets held for sale’ and ‘Liabilities in connection with assets held for sale’ were re-

2013

2012

0.0
0.0
0.0

4.4
– 2.2
0.1

stated in the opening balance as at January 1, 2012 asfollows:
1.1.2012

CHF m
Property, plant, and equipment
Other assets
Total assets of discontinued operations

31.12.2011(restated)

68.5
277.5
346.0

83.9
277.5
361.4

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 121

1.1.2012
CHF m
Deferred taxes
Other liabilities
Total liabilities directly associated with assets held for sale

31.12.2011(restated)

12.0
80.3
92.3

17.3
80.3
97.6

Group profit from discontinued operations:
2013
CHF m
Net sales
Cost of goods sold
Gross profit
Other functional costs and other operating expenses
Operating profit
Profit before taxes
Related income taxes
Profit after taxes
Profit from the sale of the discontinued operations before taxes
Related income taxes
Profit from the sale of the discontinued operations after taxes
Group profit from discontinued operations

2012(restated)

0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
10.0
– 2.6
7.4
7.4

90.2
– 73.616.6– 11.1
5.5
5.5
– 0.5
5.0
83.7
– 5.5
78.2
83.2

The profit before tax from the sale can be determined
as follows:
2013
CHF m
Sales price in cash
Compensation for loans to discontinued operations
Net assets disposed of
Cumulative translation differences
Transaction costs
Profit from sale before taxes

2012(restated)

0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0

384.7
– 186.0– 71.0– 41.2– 2.8
83.7

122 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

The restated outgoing net assets are distributed
among the following asset categories:
2012
CHF m
Property, plant, and equipment
Intangible assets
Other non-current assets
Inventories
Receivables and other current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Total assets of discontinued operations
Financial debt
Employee benefit liabilities, provisions, and other non-current liabilities
Trade payables
Provisions and other current liabilities
Total liabilities in connection with discontinued operations
Total net assets of the discontinued operations

The sale resulted in proceeds of CHF 368.0 million,
which is made up of the difference between the saleprice in cash amounting to CHF 383.2 million less cash
and cash equivalents of the divested subsidiaries(restated)

66.2
107.1
13.1
68.2
90.5
15.2
360.3
186.0
27.5
54.4
21.4
289.3
71.0

(CHF 15.2 million). As at December 31, 2013, Forbo still
had a receivable of CHF 1.5 million from H.B. Fuller
Company arising from the sale.

32 Contingent liabilities

CHF mContingent liabilities

The item ‘Contingent liabilities’ refers to sureties andguarantees in favor of third parties.
Furthermore, as announced in a media release on July
3, 2013, the activity of Forbo Flooring Systems in
France is being investigated by the French competi-

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

0.6

2.2

tion authorities. The investigation affects the flooringmarket in France and was instituted on suspicion ofanti-competitive practices by leading manufacturers.
As the investigation is ongoing, the Group is unable toprovide any further information at present or estimate
the possible repercussions.

33 Leasing

Leasing
CHF mOperating leasing liabilities:
Up to 1 year
2 – 5 years
More than 5 years
Total operating leasing liabilities

2013

2012

8.1
15.4
3.2
26.7

8.4
18.9
2.9
30.2

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 123

Expenses for operating leasing and rentals charged to
the 2013 income statement totaled CHF 21.4 million(2012: CHF 20.4 million). The Group has no individually significant operational leasing contracts.

Finance lease liabilities stood at CHF 1.3 million at
year-end 2013 (2012: CHF 2.6 million) and appear under ‘Non-current financial debt’.

34 Additional information on
financial instruments–– Level 3: input factors for the asset or liability that are
not based on observable market data (non-observable inputs).
–– The Group held the following financial instrumentson the balance sheet date: there were no significant
financial instruments in the fair value hierarchy level3 nor was there any regrouping between the levelsof the fair-value hierarchy. There were also no non-­recurring fair-value measurements of financial instruments. The financial instruments held at the balance
sheet date fall into the following categories:

Financial instruments that are valued at fair value areclassified in a three-level hierarchy as follows:–– Level 1: listed market prices in an active market for
identical assets and liabilities.
–– Level 2: input factors other than market prices included in level 1 that are observable for the asset
or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly(i.e. derived from prices).

As at
December 31, 2013

Level 1

Level 2

Listed market prices

Significant otherobservable input factors

Fair-value measurement of financial instruments
using the method of the fair-value hierarchy
CHF mAssetsFinancial instruments valued at amortized cost:
Trade receivables and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial instruments valued at fair value:
Other current financial instruments
Derivative financial instruments
Total

CHF m
Shareholders’ equity and liabilities
Financial instruments valued at amortized cost:
Interest-bearing debt
Trade payables and other payables
Financial instruments valued at fair value:
Derivative financial instruments
Total

178.0
241.0
67.9
0.2
487.1

67.9
67.9

0.2
0.2

0.0

0.0

1.3
97.2
0.0
98.5

124 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

As at December 31, 2013
CHF mAssetsTrade receivables and other receivables
Other financial non-current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Other current financial instruments
Derivative financial instruments
Total

CHF m
Liabilities
Interest-bearing debt
Derivative financial instruments
Trade payables and other payables
Total

Cash andcash equivalents

Loans andreceivables

Derivatives used
for hedging

Financial assets
available-for-sale

178.0
241.0
67.9
241.0

178.0

0.2
0.2

67.9

Financial liabilities
at amortized costs

Derivatives used
for hedging

Financial
instruments held
for trading

1.3

0.0

97.2
98.5

0.0

0.0

Cash andcash equivalents

Loans andreceivables

Derivatives used
for hedging

Financial assets
available-for-sale

As at December 31, 2012
CHF m
AssetsTrade receivables and other receivables
Other financial non-current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Other current financial instruments
Derivative financial instruments
Total

CHF m
Liabilities
Interest-bearing debt
Derivative financial instruments
Trade payables and other payables
Total

179.2
251.3
142.1
251.3

179.2

0.1
0.1

142.1

Financial liabilities
at amortized costs

Derivatives used
for hedging

Financial
instruments held
for trading

135.2
95.4
230.6

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 125

35 Acquisition of operations
The Group acquired the assets of CV-Wisma Belt-Indodomiciled in Bandung, Indonesia, effective March 22,
2013. CV-Wisma Belt-Indo was a distributor selling conveyor belts and flat belts in the Indonesian market. The
acquired assets of CV-Wisma Belt-Indo were integrated
in the newly established PT Forbo Siegling Indonesia
in Bandung and are reported as part of the Movement
Systems division.

The cost of the acquisition was CHF 0.3 million, and it
was paid in cash. The identifiable assets and liabilities
valued at fair value at the date of acquisition are divided equally between fixed assets and inventories. No
goodwill was generated. The purchase price and thevalues of the acquired assets are definitive. The transaction costs were recognized in the income statement.
The takeover had only a negligible effect on Group
profit.

126 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

36 Related party transactions
Compensation paid to members of the Board of Directors and Executive Board:
Executive Board
CHF mRemuneration
Employer contributions to the pension scheme
Share-based payments
Total payments

2013
1.2
0.2
0.9
2.3

2012
2.2
0.4
0.2
2.8

Board of Directors
2013
1.1
0.2
2.2
3.51)

2012
0.9
0.2
1.5
2.61)

1) This amount includes payments made to the Board of Directors
and to the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO.

The remuneration paid to the Executive Board in thereporting year consists of the gross base salary, private
use of the company car, and social security payments
made by the company. The decrease compared withthe previous year is due to changes on the Executive
Board. Employer contributions to the pension fundare reported separately. Share-based payments tothe Executive Board consist of the proportion of thegross base salary of CHF 0.3 million, which is paid inshares of Forbo Holding Ltd, and the estimated performance-based variable remuneration within theframework of the MIP (see note 25 ‘Employee parti­
cipation plan’) for the reporting year, amounting to
CHF 1.3 million (payable in spring 2014) less the difference, amounting to CHF 0.7 million, between the bonuses deferred at the end of the previous year (payable in equity instruments) and the value of the equity
instruments actually issued in the year under review.
The remuneration paid to the Board of Directors includes CHF 0.45 million (2012: CHF 0.3 million) for theDelegate of the Board of Directors and CEO. This includes annual amounts of CHF 0.26 million (2012: CHF
0.15 million) for employee contributions to the pension fund and social insurance payments, and of CHF
0.19 million (2012: CHF 0.15 million) for private use of
the company car, employer contributions to other usual social insurances plus accident and daily benefits
insurance. Employer contributions to the pension fundare reported separately. Current payment benefits for
non-executive Board members of Forbo Holding Ltd
totaled CHF 0.6 million (2012: CHF 0.6 million).

With effect from January 2009, the employment contract with the Delegate of the Board of Directors and
CEO was extended to encompass the period until theend of April 2013. The remuneration is again being
paid mainly in shares. The modalities are very similar tothe provisions of the first contract. The 29,775 shareswere vested until December 31, 2013.
The 2012 Annual Report described in detail the totalcompensation of the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO from the period from May 1, 2013, to December 31, 2016. The bulk of the compensation willagain be paid in locked up shares which have lock-up
periods of three, four, and five years respectively, andin an annual cash payment of CHF 310,000 to be used
for taxes and for employee contributions to the pension fund and social security payments. The underlying
share price used to calculate the number of shares is
the weighted average price of the first and last fivedays on which Forbo Holding shares were traded on
the stock market in 2012 (CHF 522.12), less the discount as a result of the shares being locked up. The
share package corresponds to annual compensationof CHF 2,200,000 (5,314 shares). With this share package and the cash remuneration, all benefits such as
bonuses, inflation, salary adjustments, options, etc. aresettled. This share package may not be either pledged
or assigned. The last third of the locked up shares will
be available on May 1, 2018, at the earliest. This compensation model is thus geared to long-term and sustainable corporate development and is fully consistent
with the interests of the company and its shareholders.
The total compensation was approved by a 98 percent
majority in a consultative vote at the Ordinary General
Meeting of April 26, 2013.

Total
2013
2.3
0.4
3.1
5.8

2012
3.1
0.6
1.7
5.4

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 127

The Ordinance against Excessive Remuneration in Listed Public Companies (OaER) entered into force on
January 1, 2014. According to Article 28 of this Ordinance, employment contracts must be adjusted to
OaER no later than December 31, 2015. Consequently,
all payments that had been agreed and were paid out
for 2016 have to be reversed by December 31, 2015, atthe latest. The amount of the fixed compensation of
the Delegate of the Board of Directors for 2016 comesto CHF 2,200,000. In order to comply with and implement the provisions of OaER, the Group and This E.
Schneider have agreed that he will repay Forbo in
cash the amount of his fixed compensation for the­period from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016,
plus interest of 0.5% from May 1, 2013, to December
31, 2013. The repayment was made before year-end
2013. The compensation package and the relevant
agreements were adjusted accordingly.
Included in the share-based payments to the Board of
Directors is the pro rata share of the Forbo Holding Ltd
stock allocated to the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO in the amount of CHF 0.4 million (2012:
CHF 1.1 million) from the employment contract until
end of April 2013 and CHF 1.4 million from the new
employment contract valid as of May 1, 2013, which, in
accordance with IFRS 2, must be recognized on a pro
rata basis.
Moreover, the share-based payments made to theBoard of Directors includes the 627 Forbo Holding Ltd
shares allocated to the non-executive Board members
in 2013 (2012: 588 shares) with a market value of CHF
0.4 million (2012: CHF 0.4 million).
Further details relating to the compensation paid to
the Executive Board and the Board of Directors can befound in note 19 ‘Disclosure of compensation paid to
the Board of Directors and the Executive Board pursuant to Articles 663bbis and 663c of the Swiss Code ofObligations’ in the financial statements for Forbo Holding Ltd.
As at December 31, 2013 and 2012, Forbo had no significant receivables due from or liabilities to relatedparties.

37 Risk assessment and financial
risk management
The tasks of the Board of Directors include identifying
risks, determining suitable measures, and implementing those measures or having them implemented. The
Board of Directors of Forbo Holding Ltd conducted aGroup-wide risk assessment in the reporting year andalso determined the risks to be managed by particularmanagement levels. The Board of Directors is closely
involved in the assessment of strategic risks and, in
consultation with the Executive Board, ensures that
operational risks are dealt with appropriately and thatthey are duly reported. This approach gives the Board
a complete overview of the key risks and measures.
This broad overview enables the Group to set priorities and allocate the necessary resources.
Financial risk management
In its day-to-day operations, the Forbo Group uses
­derivative and non-derivative financial instruments tomanage the risks and opportunities arising from fluctuations in exchange rates and interest rates. The various risks associated with existing assets and liabilities
as well as planned and anticipated transactions aremonitored and managed centrally – with due regard
to the Group’s overall risk exposure. In line with theGroup’s hedging policy, Corporate Treasury constantly
monitors both the risk exposure and the effectivenessof the hedging instruments and issues recommen­
dations with regard to partial or complete hedging ofexisting risks.
The Group’s financial risk management policy does not
permit the use of derivative financial instruments for
speculation. In order to manage counterparty risk, derivative financial transactions are concluded only with
first-class banks. The creditworthiness of these institutions is assessed on the basis of evaluations by leading
rating agencies.
Derivatives include instruments used by the company
to manage foreign currency and interest risks or combinations thereof.

128 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Foreign exchange risk management
Risks arising from short-term currency exposure cre­ated by purchases and sales of goods and services(transaction risks) are identified, and selective hedging
strategies are implemented in line with an on­going­assessment of exchange rate movements. The Group
uses only foreign exchange forward and option contracts with maturities of up to 15 months to hedge
against transaction risk.
Furthermore, risks associated with the translation ofassets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies (translation risks) are managed by establishing anappropriate financing policy.

Sensitivity analysis of existing foreign exchange
positions on the balance sheet date
The following table shows the sensitivity of profit before tax to changes in the exchange rate of the US
dollar, the euro, and the pound sterling against the
Swiss franc. The table only displays sensitivity in relation to transaction risks from financial instruments.
Translation risks and the effects of loans that qualify
as net investments are not taken into account. Except
for the effect on profit, the same change in exchange
rates with a sensitivity of +/– 5% has no effect on equity.

2013
Change inexchange rate5%
– 5%

Impact on profit
before tax
0.5
– 0.5

USD/CHF

5%
– 5%

0.2
– 0.2

EUR/USD

5%
– 5%

0.0
0.0

GBP/USD

5%
– 5%

0.1
– 0.1

Change inexchange rate5%
– 5%

Impact on profit
before tax
0.4
– 0.4

USD/CHF

5%
– 5%

0.1
– 0.1

EUR/USD

5%
– 5%

0.0
0.0

GBP/USD

5%
– 5%

0.0
0.0

CHF m
EUR/CHF

2012
CHF m
EUR/CHF

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 129

Management of interest rate risks
Interest-rate risks arise from changes in the fair valueof interest-bearing assets and liabilities caused by fluctuations in interest rates. Since these risks may have anegative effect on net financial profit and shareholders’equity, the Group uses derivatives to manage them ona case-by-case basis. The table below shows only thesensitivity of profit before tax to the stated changes
in interest rates for cash and cash equivalents, inter-est-bearing debt, and financial derivatives. Except for
the effect on profit, the same change in interest rates
of +/– 50 bp has no effect on equity.
An average figure calculated from the opening andclosing balance has been used for cash and cash
equivalents since the final amount is not appropriate
for calculating interest-rate sensitivity.

2013
Change ininterest rate
50 bp
– 50 bp

Impact on profit
before tax
0.2
– 0.2

USD

50 bp
– 50 bp

0.1
– 0.1

CHF

50 bp
– 50 bp0.7– 0.7

Change ininterest rate
50 bp
– 50 bp

Impact on profit
before tax
0.2
– 0.2

USD

50 bp
– 50 bp

0.0
0.0

CHF

50 bp
– 50 bp

0.5
– 0.5

CHF m
EUR

2012
CHF m
EUR

130 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Management of liquidity risksGroup companies need sufficient cash in order tomeet their commitments. Corporate Treasury is responsible for managing liquidity surpluses. The shareof the aggregate cash and cash equivalents and securities managed by Corporate Treasury was around 73%
on December 31, 2013. The Group has sufficient liq­
uidity reserves (as at December 31, 2013 these stoodat CHF 241.0 million in cash and CHF 68.1 million incurrent financial instruments) to be able to meet its

commitments at any time. At present, the Group regards a cash level of roughly CHF 50 million as sufficient to meet its payment obligations at all times.
The maturity structure of the existing financial liabilities is shown in the following table. These liabilities correspond to contractually agreed maturities and represent nominal payment outflows. Inflows and outflows
of funds from derivative financial instruments areshown separately.

As at December 31, 2013

CHF m
Interest-free liabilities
Leasing contract liabilities
Liabilities from bonds
Cash outflow from financial derivatives
Cash inflow from financial derivatives

Remaining term
to maturity up to
1 year
97.2
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.2

Remaining term
to maturity
1 – 2 years

Remaining term
to maturity
2 – 5 years

Remaining term
to maturity
over 5 years

0.1

0.3

0.8

Remaining term
to maturity up to
1 year
95.1
1.3
137.8
1.9
2.0

Remaining term
to maturity
1 – 2 years
0.2
0.2

Remaining term
to maturity
2 – 5 years

Remaining term
to maturity
over 5 years
0.1

As at December 31, 2012

CHF m
Interest-free liabilities
Leasing contract liabilities
Liabilities from private placements and bonds
Cash outflow from financial derivatives
Cash inflow from financial derivatives

Management of credit risks
Credit risks arise from the possibility that customers
may not be able to meet their agreed commitments.
To manage this risk adequately, the financial creditworthiness of various customers is constantly monitored. Credit risks are diversified by the company’s
broad customer base in various business segments

1.5

and geographic regions. With regard to counterparty
risk exposure to banks, Group-wide directives stipulatethat financial investments and other financial transactions are to be made only with first-class banks. Given
the credit ratings of these counterparties, the Group
does not anticipate any defaults.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 131

Capital management
For the Group, capital management means both optimizing the capital employed and managing consolidated shareholders’ equity, which consists of paid-up
share capital, treasury shares, reserves, and translationdifferences. As at December 31, 2013, shareholders’equity stood at CHF 786.8 million. The objectives ofcapital management are to ensure that the Group remains a going concern, to preserve its financial flexibility for investments, and to achieve a risk-adjusted
return on equity for investors.
Changes in economic conditions may require adjustments to the Group’s shareholders’ equity. These adjustments can take the form of dividend distributions,capital repayments or increases, or share buybacks.

38 Events after the balance sheet date
Between the balance sheet date and the date of publication of this annual report no event occurred that
could have a significant effect on the 2013 consoli­
dated financial statements.

132 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Group companies(as at December 31, 2013)

Currency

Share capital

Equityinterest

AUD
AUD

1,400,000
6,000,000

100%
100%

S

ViennaViennaEUR
EUR

73,000330,000

100%
100%

S

Belgium
Forbo Flooring N.V.

Groot-Bijgaarden

EUR

250,000

100%

S

BrazilForbo Pisos Ltda.
Forbo Siegling Brasil Ltda.

São PauloSão Paulo

BRL
BRL

2,000,000
7,008,746

100%
50%

S

CanadaForbo Flooring Canada Corp.
Forbo Siegling Canada Corp.

Halifax
Halifax

CAD
CAD

500,200
501,000

100%
100%

S

Chile
Forbo Siegling Chile S.A.

Santiago

CLP

335,631,092

50%

Czech Republic
Forbo Siegling Ceska republika s.r.o.
Forbo s.r.o.

Liberec
PragueCZK
CZK100,000
500,000

100%
100%

Denmark
Forbo Flooring A/SForbo Siegling Danmark A/S

Glostrup
Brøndby

DKK
DKK

500,000
32,200,000

100%
100%

Finland
Forbo Flooring Finland Oy

HelsinkiEUR

33,638

100%

FranceForbo Château-Renault S.A.S.
Forbo Participations S.A.S.
Forbo Reims SNC
Forbo Sarlino S.A.S.
Forbo Siegling France S.A.S.

Château-Renault
Reims
Reims
Reims
Lomme

EUR
EUR
EUR
EUR
EUR

1,000,000
5,000,000
3,879,810
6,400,000
819,000

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

Company

Registered office

Australia
Forbo Floorcoverings Pty. Ltd.
Forbo Siegling Pty. Ltd.

Wetherill Park, NSW
Wetherill Park, NSW

Austria
Forbo Flooring Austria GmbH
Forbo Siegling Austria Ges.m.b.H.

S Sales
MS Manufacturing and Sales
H Holding/Services
N Not consolidated as at December 31, 2013
D Direct participation of Forbo Holding Ltd

D

N

N

D

Flooring
Systems

Movement
Systems

Holding/Services

S

S

MS

S

S

S
S

S
MS

H

MS
H
MS
S
S

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 133

Currency

Share capital

EUR
EUR
EUR
EUR
EUR

15,400,000
2,050,000
500,000
10,230,000
100,000

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

Hong Kong

HKD

1

100%

Pune

INR

26,000,000

100%

S

Indonesia
PT Forbo Siegling Indonesia

Kabupaten Bandung

IDR

2,883,900,000

100%

S

Ireland
Forbo Ireland Ltd.

DublinEUR125,000

100%

S

Segrate (Milan)
Paderno Dugnano(Milan)EUR
EUR

60,000120,000

100%
100%

S

Japan
Forbo Siegling Japan Ltd.

Tokyo

JPY

330,000,000

100%

Jersey, C.I.
Forbo Invest Ltd.

Saint Helier

GBP

25,000100%

Malaysia
Forbo Siegling SDN. BHD.

Johor Bahru

MYR

2,500,002

100%

S

MexicoForbo Siegling, S.A. de C.V.

Tlalnepantla

MXN

24,676,404

100%

MS

Netherlands
Forbo Eurocol B.V.
Forbo Flooring B.V.
Forbo Flooring Coral N.V.
Forbo NL Holding B.V.
Forbo-Novilon B.V.
Forbo Siegling Nederland B.V.

Zaanstad
Krommenie
Krommenie
Krommenie
Coevorden
Spankeren

EUR
EUR
EUR
EUR
EUR
EUR

454,000
11,350,000
1,944,500
13,500,000
3,624,000
113,445

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

Company

Registered office

Germany
Forbo Beteiligungen GmbH
Forbo Erfurt GmbH
Forbo Flooring GmbH
Forbo Siegling GmbH
Realbelt GmbH

LörrachErfurtPaderborn
Hanover
LörrachHong Kong
Forbo International Hong Kong Ltd.
India
Forbo Siegling Movement Systems
India Pvt. Ltd.

Italy
Forbo Resilienti S.r.l.
Forbo Siegling Italia S.p.A.

S Sales
MS Manufacturing and Sales
H Holding/Services
N Not consolidated as at December 31, 2013
D Direct participation of Forbo Holding Ltd

D

D

Flooring
Systems

Movement
Systems

Equityinterest

Holding/Services

H
MS
S
MS
S

H

S

MS

H

MS
MS
MS
H
MS
S

134 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Currency

Share capital

Equityinterest

NZD

650,000

100%

NOK

1,000,000

100%

S

Shanghai
Shenyang

CHF
USD

4,000,000
16,221,000

100%
100%

S

Portugal
Forbo-Revestimentos, S.A.

Maia (Porto)

EUR

74,850100%

S

Romania
Forbo Siegling Romania S.R.L.

Bucharest

RON

38,000100%

RussiaOOO ‘Forbo Flooring‘
OOO ‘Forbo Kaluga‘
OOO ‘Forbo Stroitech‘
ZAO ‘Forbo Siegling‘

Moscow
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Saint Petersburg

RUB
RUB
RUB
RUB

500,000
158,313,780
187,181,000
400,000

100%
100%
100%
100%

Slovakia
Forbo Siegling s.r.o.

Malacky

EUR

15,281,639

100%

South Korea
Forbo Korea Ltd.

Seoul

KRW

900,000,000

100%

S

Barcelona
Montcada i Reixac(Barcelona)

EUR
EUR

60,101
1,532,550

100%
100%

S

SEK
SEK
SEK

8,000,000
50,000,000
1,000,000

100%
100%
100%

S

Company

Registered office

New Zealand
Forbo Siegling Ltd.

AucklandNorwayForbo Flooring AS

Asker

People’s Republic of China
Forbo Shanghai Co., Ltd.
Forbo Siegling (China) Co., Ltd.

Spain
Forbo Pavimentos, S.A.
Forbo Siegling Iberica, S.A.

SwedenForbo Flooring AB
Forbo Project Vinyl AB
Forbo Siegling Svenska AB

S Sales
MS Manufacturing and Sales
H Holding/Services
N Not consolidated as at December 31, 2013
D Direct participation of Forbo Holding Ltd

Gothenburg
GothenburgKållered (Gothenburg)

D

D
D

Flooring
Systems

Movement
Systems

Holding/Services

S

MS
MS

S

S
MS
MS
S

MS

S

S

H
S

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 135

Currency

Share capital

D
D
D
D
D

CHF
CHF
CHF
CHF
CHF

100,000
10,000,000
250,000
100,000
100,000

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

D

THB

9,000,000

100%

S

Istanbul

TRY

1,000,000

100%

S

United Kingdom
Forbo Flooring UK Ltd.
Forbo-Nairn Ltd.
Forbo Siegling (UK) Ltd.
Forbo UK Ltd.
Westbond Ltd.

Kirkcaldy
Derbyshire
Dunkinfield
Derbyshire
Derbyshire

GBP
GBP
GBP
GBP
GBP

3,609,990
8,000,000
50,77449,500,000
400,000

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

USA
Forbo America Inc.
Forbo America Services Inc.
Forbo Flooring, Inc.
Forbo Siegling, LLC

Wilmington, DE
Wilmington, DE
Wilmington, DE
Wilmington, DE

USD
USD
USD
USD

19,957,259
50,0003,517,000
15,455,000

100%
100%
100%
100%

Company

Registered office

Switzerland
Forbo Financial Services AG
Forbo Finanz AG
Forbo Finanz II AG
Forbo-Giubiasco SA
Forbo International SA

Baar
Baar
Baar
Giubiasco
Baar

Thailand
Forbo Siegling Thailand Co. Ltd.

Bangkok

TurkeyForbo Siegling Hareket Sistemleri Ticaret
Limited Şirketi

S Sales
MS Manufacturing and Sales
H Holding/Services
N Not consolidated as at December 31, 2013
D Direct participation of Forbo Holding Ltd

D

Flooring
Systems

Movement
Systems

Equityinterest

Holding/Services

H
H
H
MS
MS

MS

H

H
H
S
H
H

H
H
S
MS

136 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Report of the statutory auditor

Report of the statutory auditor to the General Meetingof Forbo Holding Ltd, Baar
Report of the statutory auditor on the consolidated financial statements
As statutory auditor, we have audited the consolidated financial statements of Forbo Holding AG, which comprisethe consolidated balance sheet, consolidated income statement, comprehensive income statement, consoli­
dated shareholder’s equity, consolidated cash flow statement and notes (pages 76 to 131), for the year ended
December, 31, 2013.
Board of Directors’ responsibility
The Board of Directors is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the requirements of Swisslaw. This responsibility includes designing, implementing and maintaining an internal control system relevant to
the preparation and fair presentation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. The Board of Directors is further responsible for selecting and applying­appropriate accounting policies and making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances.
Auditor’s responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We
conducted our audit in accordance with Swiss law and Swiss Auditing Standards as well as the International
Standards on Auditing. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the
consolidated financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including theassessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud
or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers the internal control system relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control system. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of theaccounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made, as well as evaluating theoverall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have­obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
OpinionIn our opinion, the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2013 give a true and fairview of the financial position, the results of operations and the cash flows in accordance with the International
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and comply with Swiss law.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 137

Report on other legal requirements
We confirm that we meet the legal requirements on licensing according to the Auditor Oversight Act (AOA) andindependence (article 728 CO and article 11 AOA) and that there are no circumstances incompatible with our
independence.
In accordance with article 728a paragraph 1 item 3 CO and Swiss Auditing Standard 890, we confirm that an­internal control system exists which has been designed for the preparation of consolidated financial statements
according to the instructions of the Board of Directors.
We recommend that the consolidated financial statements submitted to you be approved.
PricewaterhouseCoopers AG

Daniel Ketterer
Audit expert
Auditor in charge

Zurich, March 12, 2014

Reto Tognina
Audit expert

138 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated income statements
2009 – 2013
2013
CHF m
Net sales
Cost of goods sold
Gross profit
Development costs
Marketing and distribution costs
Administrative costs
Other operating expenses
Other operating income
Operating profit
Financial income
Financial expenses
Group profit before taxes
Income taxes
Group profit for the year from continuing operations
Group profit for the year from discontinued operations after taxes
Group profit for the year

The distinction between continuing and discontinued operations is shown only for the years 2010 to
2013.

2012

2011

2010

2009

1,203.8– 745.1
458.7– 16.0– 192.5– 96.6– 17.8
13.1
148.9
30.1
– 11.7167.3– 29.9
137.4
9.1
146.5

1,291.2– 785.6505.6– 17.6– 213.3– 103.9– 12.1
10.0
168.7
44.3
– 15.0198.0– 48.8
149.2
14.1
163.3

1,782.4– 1,200.4
582.0– 27.9– 270.0– 128.3– 46.4
12.4
121.8
4.3
– 24.7101.4– 25.3(restated)

1,199.7– 747.3
452.4– 16.4– 197.1– 90.7– 19.3
6.8
135.7
10.9
– 5.7
140.9
– 30.7
110.2
7.4
117.6

1,201.1– 761.2
439.9– 16.3– 194.0– 96.6– 25.3
63.8
171.5
5.7
– 11.2166.0– 35.9
130.1
83.2
213.3

The consolidated income statement for 2009 therefore contains both the continuing and discontinued
operations.

76.1

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Consolidated financial statements 139

Consolidated balance sheets
2009 – 201331.12.2013
Assets
CHF m
Non-current assets
Property, plant, and equipment
Intangible assets
Deferred tax assets
Investments in associates and other non-current assets
Current assets
Assets held for sale
Inventories
Trade receivables
Other receivables
Deferred income and prepaid charges
Other current financial instruments
Cash and cash equivalents
Total assets

Shareholders’ equity and liabilities
CHF m
Shareholders’ equity
Share capital
Treasury shares
Reserves and retained earnings
Non-current liabilities
Non-current financial debt
Employee benefit obligations
Non-current provisions
Deferred tax liabilities
Current liabilities
Trade payables
Current provisions and accrued expenses
Current financial debt
Current tax liabilities
Other current liabilities
Liabilities directly associated with assets held for sale
Total liabilities
Total shareholders’ equity and liabilities

31.12.2012

31.12.2011

31.12.2010

31.12.2009

743.9
450.2
270.4
17.6
5.7
750.3

885.7
549.9
309.1
20.5
6.2
859.7

260.9
220.8
28.4
21.4
47.4
171.4
1,494.2

261.0
237.1
33.1
30.1
100.2
198.2
1,745.4(restated)

408.2
232.3
146.4
29.3
0.2
718.8

410.4
233.8
149.2
27.2
0.2
802.9

213.4
148.8
29.2
18.3
68.1
241.0
1,127.0

218.6
150.2
28.9
11.8
142.1
251.3
1,213.3

536.4
359.8
153.5
21.9
1.2
965.5
361.4
219.6
159.2
24.8
8.0
0.1
192.4
1,501.9

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

31.12.2011

31.12.2010

31.12.2009

815.3
0.3
– 0.1
815.1
276.2
144.5
42.7
39.5
49.5
410.4
86.1
125.0
47.5
27.6
26.6
97.6
686.6
1,501.9

729.7
0.3
– 0.1
729.5
360.8
196.5
74.7
35.3
54.3
403.7
135.7
140.3
65.9
31.0
30.8

679.6
0.3
– 0.1
679.4
720.2
550.1
68.6
38.8
62.7
345.6
123.3
158.2
3.4
24.7
36.0

764.5
1,494.2

1,065.8
1,745.4(restated)

786.8
0.2
– 0.1
786.7
99.1
1.2
51.8
26.1
20.0
241.1
87.2
105.8
0.7
14.5
32.9

729.2
0.3
– 0.1
729.0
105.0
2.6
51.1
35.8
15.5
379.1
84.7
112.9
132.5
26.6
22.4

340.2
1,127.0484.1
1,213.3

Financial report

Financial statements for Forbo Holding Ltd141
Income statement
142
Balance sheet
143
Notes to the financial statements
144
Proposal for appropriation of available earnings
151
Report of the statutory auditor
152

142 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company

Income statementfor Forbo Holding Ltd
IncomeCHF
Financial income:From investments in and advances to Group companies
From securities and current investments
Other income
Total income

Expenses
CHF
Administrative expenses
Financial expenses:
From investments in and advances from Group companies
From securities and current investments
Taxes
Total expenses
Net profit for the year

2013

2012

60,692,036
65,132
1,383,828
62,140,996

77,450,515
13,166,813
24,097,417
114,714,745

2013

2012

4,715,876
8,790,210
7,685,713
1,104,497– 668,068
12,838,018
49,302,978

5,479,595
13,541,862
13,541,862

Note

2
3
4

Note

5
6

2,573,682
21,595,139
93,119,606

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company 143

Balance sheet for Forbo Holding Ltd(before appropriationof available earnings)
AssetsCHF
Non-current assets
Shareholdings in Group companies
Advances to Group companies
Current assets
Other receivables from Group companies
Other receivables from third parties
Deferred income and prepaid expenses
Marketable securities
Cash and cash equivalents
Total assets

Shareholders’ equity and liabilities
CHF
Shareholders’ equity
Share capital
Statutory reserves:
General reserves
Capital contribution reserves
Reserves for treasury shares
Capital contribution reserves for treasury shares
Other reserves
Available earnings:
Retained earnings
Net profit for the year
Liabilities
Bond
Other liabilities to Group companies
Current liabilities to third parties
Accrued expenses
Total shareholders’ equity and liabilities

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

475,500,490
385,089,092
90,411,398
158,913,180
1,006,558
14,602
851,802
96,372,683
60,667,535
634,413,670

478,600,868
385,089,092
93,511,776
288,215,153
1,220,310
342,320
289,547
229,051,468
57,311,508
766,816,021

31.12.2013

31.12.2012

11418,574,519
225,000

541,720,769
250,000

14
14
13

15,600,000
102,225,080
117,957,511

15,600,000
72,064,159
172,575,649
55,610,149
19,542,995

133,263,950
49,302,978215,839,151

112,958,211
93,119,606
225,095,251
150,000,000
70,177,261
20,422
4,897,568
766,816,021

Note

7
8

9
10

Note

15
16

204,694,758
20,422
11,123,971
634,413,670

144 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company

Notes to the financial statements
for Forbo Holding Ltd
1 Accounting

4 Other income

Applying the transitional provisions of the new accounting law, these financial statements have been
prepared in accordance with the provisions on accounting and financial reporting of the Swiss Code ofObligations effective until December 31, 2012.

This item includes mainly proceeds from the sale ofshareholdings and brand rights belonging to the industrial adhesives activity, including synthetic polymers.

2 Financial income from investments in andadvances to Group companies
Income from investments in and advances to Group
companies consists of interest and dividend income
and amounted to CHF 60.7 million (2012: CHF 77.5
million).
3 Financial income from securities andcurrent investments
Financial income from securities and short-term investments, which came to CHF 0.1 million (2012:
CHF 13.2 million) in the year under review, fell because Forbo’s treasury shares were valued in the pre­vious year at fair value and in the reporting year atcost on acquisition (see note 6 ‘Financial expenses
from securities and current investments’ and note 9‘Marketable securities’).

5 Financial expenses from investments in andadvances to Group companies
The item financial expenses includes losses on foreign
currency accounts, losses from forward currency contracts, losses from securities transactions and interest
expense for liabilities to Group companies.
6 Financial expenses from securities andcurrent investments
The item ‘Financial expenses from securities and current investments’ primarily consists of an unrealized
loss due to a change in valuation of treasury shares.
7 Investments in Group companies
As at December 31, 2013, Forbo Holding Ltd held thefollowing direct investments:

Investments in Group companies
Currency

Share capitalin 1,000

Equityinterest

Holding/Services
Holding/Services
Services
Holding/Services
Holding/Services
Sales
Sales
Sales
Manufacturing and Sales
Services, Manufacturing,and Sales

USD
EUR
CHF
CHF
CHF
AUD
SEK
NOK
CHF
CHF

19,957
15,400100
10,000
250
1,400
8,000
1,000
100
100

100%
100%
100%
100%
53.6%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

Services
Holding/Services
Services
Sales

GBP
EUR
SEK
THB

25
5,000
50,000
9,000

50%
100%
100%
99.8%

Company

Registered office

Activity

Forbo America Inc.
Forbo Beteiligungen GmbH
Forbo Financial Services AG
Forbo Finanz AG
Forbo Finanz II AG
Forbo Floorcoverings Pty. Ltd
Forbo Flooring AB
Forbo Flooring AS
Forbo-Giubiasco SA
Forbo International SA

US-Wilmington, DE
DE-Lörrach
CH-Baar
CH-Baar
CH-Baar
AU-Wetherill Park, NSW
SE-Gothenburg
NO-Asker
CH-Giubiasco
CH-BaarForbo Invest Ltd.
Forbo Participations S.A.S.
Forbo Project Vinyl AB
Forbo Siegling Thailand Co. Ltd.

JE-Saint Helier
FR-Reims
SE-Gothenburg
TH-Bangkok

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company 145

8 Advances to Group companies
Advances to Group companies are denominated in
Swiss francs and foreign currencies.
9 Marketable securities
The item ‘Marketable securities’, amounting to CHF
96.4 million (2012: CHF 229.1 million) includes treasury
shares in Forbo Holding Ltd. This item was valued atfair value as at December 31, 2012, and was revalued
at cost of acquisition as at December 31, 2013. Thechange in valuation resulted in a loss, which was recognized in the income statement in ‘Financial expenses from securities and current investments’.
10 Cash and cash equivalents
This item consists of bank deposits and cash equivalents with initial maturities of three months or less.
11 Share capital
As at December 31, 2013, the share capital of Forbo
Holding Ltd totaled CHF 225,000 (2012: CHF 250,000),
divided into 2,250,000 registered shares with a par value of CHF 0.10 each. 21,419 registered shares without
voting or dividend rights are at the disposal of theBoard of Directors.
At the extraordinary General Meeting of Forbo Holding
Ltd held on November 5, 2012, the shareholders approved a capital reduction from CHF 250,000 to CHF
225,000 by cancellation of the shares acquired in connection with the share buyback program approved at
the Ordinary General Meeting of April 29, 2011, andthe corresponding amendment to the Articles of As­
Treasury shares
As at January 1, 2013
Additions
Disposals
As at December 31, 2013sociation. Following the legally mandatory notice tocreditors, the capital reduction was entered in theCommercial Register on January 17, 2013.
The Board of Directors was furthermore authorized tobuy back the company’s own shares, over a period of
three years, for the purpose of subsequent cancellation of the share certificates, up to a maximum of 10%of the share capital. In the framework of this new sharebuyback program approved at the extraordinary general meeting of Forbo Holding Ltd on November 5,
2012, 99,470 shares had been repurchased by the endof the year under review.
12 Conditional capital
Originally, conditional capital of CHF 8,500,000 for the
exercise of shareholder options and warrants in connection with a bond issue was created by a resolutionof the Annual General Meeting held on April 27, 1994.
Following the exercise of options in 1994, 1995 and1997 and reductions in the par value by CHF 22 pershare in 2003, CHF 8 per share in 2004, CHF 6 per sharein 2007, CHF 10 per share in 2008, and CHF 3.90 per
share in 2009, the conditional capital on December 31,
2013, remained unchanged against the previous year
at CHF 16,645.
13 Reserve for treasury shares
The ‘Reserve for treasury shares’ in Forbo Holding Ltd
amounting to CHF 118.0 million on the balance sheet
date corresponds to the value of all treasury shares valued at cost. The treasury shares held by Forbo Holding
Ltd and its subsidiaries developed as follows over thereporting year:

Cost
CHF
228,185,799
71,143,500
181,371,788
117,957,511

Number ofregistered shares
447,260
99,470329,433
217,297

146 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company

14 General reserves

17 Contingent liabilities

General reserves totaled CHF 117.8 million (previous
year: CHF 87.7 million) and consist of general reserves(CHF 15.6 million) and general capital contribution reserves (CHF 102.2 million).

Guarantees and letters of support to third parties infavor of Group companies amounted to CHF 7.5 million at year-end (2012: CHF 8.2 million), of which CHF
2.6 million (2012: CHF 3.1 million) was utilized.

15 Bond18 Significant shareholders

Forbo Holding Ltd repaid in full in the year under review the CHF 150.0 million bond issued on July 6, 2009,
with a maturity of July 31, 2013.

According to information available to the Board of Directors, the following shareholders or groups of shareholders with restricted voting rights constituted significant shareholders in the company pursuant to Article
663c Swiss Code of Obligations as at the reportingdate:

16 Other liabilities to Group companies‘Other liabilities to Group companies’ as at December
31, 2013, included in particular advances from Forbo
Finanz AG in connection with its cash pool.

Michael Pieper, Hergiswil, and Artemis Beteiligungen I AG, Hergiswil
Forbo Holding Ltd, Baar, together with its two subsidiaries
Forbo International SA, Baar, and Forbo Finanz AG, Baar

Number of shares
681,719
217,297

As percentage
30.30%
9.66%

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company 147

19 Disclosure of compensation to the Boardof Directors and Executive Board pursuant
to Article 663bbis and Article 663c of the Swiss
Code of Obligations
Compensation
For the year 20131)
Base compensation

Variablecompensation

Cash
Name and function

Dr. Albert Gnägi, Chairman
Michael Pieper, Vice Chairman
Dr. Peter Altorfer, member
Dr. Reto Müller, member
Vincent Studer, member
Non-executive members of the Board of Directors2)
This E. Schneider,
Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO3)4)
Board of Directors
Executive Board5)

SharesCash, shares

CHF

Number

CHF

CHF

230,986
80,88786,724
71,83386,724557,154
256,667

259
91
98
81
98
627
7,796

154,01454,11358,27648,16758,276
372,846
2,138,632

813,821
1,029,493

8,423
0

2,511,478
266,667

1) The amounts shown in the table are based on valuation models used and disclosed in the consolidated financial statements. The table therefore discloses allcompensation that was granted in the year under review, including compensation for which the payment date or definitive legal title will occur after December
31, 2013.
2) The non-executive members of the Board of Directors receive a fixed fee, theamount of which is determined according to whether the member is Chairman
or a simple member of the Board or a member of the AFC or HRC. The cash compensation is shown as a gross amount before deduction of social security contributions. 40% of the compensation is paid to the directors in the form of shares ofForbo Holding Ltd. The shares are valued at fair value on the grant date. The totalcompensation for the non-executive members of the Board of Directors also includes a lump sum for expenses plus employer contributions to AHV (retirement
insurance). These are reported in the column ‘Other compensation’.
3) The compensation paid to the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO isdisclosed separately and included under total compensation to the Board of
Directors. It is not possible to clearly allocate the total compensation paid forthe two functions.
4) With effect from January 2009, the employment contract with the Delegate of
the Board of Directors and CEO was extended to encompass the period from January 1, 2011, to April 30, 2013. The remuneration was again mainly in shares. The
modalities are very similar to the provisions of the first contract. In lieu of salary
payments for the contractual period of employment until April 30, 2013, he wasallocated 29,775 shares at the market value on conclusion of the agreement, i.e.
CHF 158 each, for the entire term of the agreement. These shares were locked up
until December 31, 2013, and freely available only as of January 1, 2014. In addition to the share package, the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO draws
an annual sum of CHF 150,000, which is used to make employee contributions
to the pension fund and for social security payments. The share package andthe cash remuneration are deemed to cover all compensations such as bonuses,
inflation, options, etc.
The 2012 Annual Report described in detail the total compensation of the Delegate of the Board of Directors from the period from May 1, 2013, to December
31, 2016. The bulk of the compensation will again be paid in locked-up shares
which have lock-up periods of three, four, and five years respectively, and in anannual cash payment of CHF 310,000 to be used for taxes and for employee contributions to the pension fund and social security payments. The underlying shareprice used to calculate the number of shares is the weighted average price of thefirst and last five days on which Forbo Holding shares were traded on the stock
market in 2012 (CHF 522.12), less the reduced value as a result of locking up theshares. The share package corresponds to annual compensation of CHF 2,200,000(5,314 shares). With this share package and this cash remuneration, all benefits

1,293,034

Othercompensation

Total

CHF

CHF

27,363
11,44914,661
23,662
7,866
85,001
398,005

412,363
146,449
159,661
143,662
152,866
1,015,001
2,793,304

483,006
362,047

3,808,305
2,951,241

such as bonuses, inflation, salary adjustments, options, etc. are settled. This share
package may not be either pledged or assigned. The last third of the locked-up
shares will be available on May 1, 2018, at the earliest. This compensation modelis thus geared to long-term and sustainable corporate development and is fully
consistent with the interests of the company and its shareholders. The total compensation was approved by a 98 percent majority in a consultative vote at theOrdinary General Meeting of April 26, 2013.
The Ordinance against Excessive Remuneration in Listed Public Companies(OaER) entered into force on January 1, 2014. According to Article 28 of this Ordinance, employment contracts must be adjusted to OaER no later than December
31, 2015. Consequently, all payments that had been agreed and were paid out
for 2016 have to be reversed by December 31, 2015, at the latest. The value of
this fixed compensation for This E. Schneider comes to CHF 2,200,000 for 2016.
In order to comply with and implement the provisions of OaER, the Group andThis E. Schneider have agreed that he will repay Forbo in cash the amount of his
fixed compensation for the period from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016,
plus interest of 0.5% from May 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013. The repayment
was made before year-end 2013. The compensation package and the relevant
agreements were adjusted accordingly.
The total compensation for the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO for
the year under review came to CHF 2,793,304.20; this sum includes the pro rata
shares of the previous contract valid until April 30, 2013, and of the new contract
valid as of May 1, 2013. The corresponding personnel expenses are charged tothe income statement over the entire contractual period on a pro rata basis (seenote 25 ‘Employee participation plan’ to the consolidated financial statements).
Contained in the total sum and reported in the column ‘Other payments’ are local
expenses, private use of the company car, employer contributions to the pension fund, other usual social insurances and contributions for accident and healthinsurance. The Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO is not a party to theManagement Investment Plan (MIP) or the share-based compensation programof the Board of Directors.
5) The total compensation paid to the members of the Executive Board (excluding the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO) in the year under review
came to CHF 2,951,240.80 and consisted of the gross basic salary and a performance-related bonus, which is set in March of the year following the businessyear in question and is determined by the achievement of the individual and theGroup targets. The performance-related component is paid in accordance withthe rules of the Management Investment Plan (MIP) (see Note 25 ‘Employee participation plan’ to the consolidated financial statements). The total compensation
paid to members of the Executive Board contains private use of the company car,employer contributions to the pension fund and other usual social insurances,which are reported separately in the column ‘Other payments’.

148 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company

Compensation
For the year 20121)
Base compensation

Variablecompensation

SharesCash, shares,
options
CHF

Cash
Name and function

Dr. Albert Gnägi, Chairman
Michael Pieper, Vice Chairman
Dr. Peter Altorfer, member
Dr. Reto Müller, member
Vincent Studer, member
Non-executive members of the Board of Directors2)
This E. Schneider,
Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO3)4)
Board of Directors
Executive Board5)

CHF

NumberCHF

231,230
81,212
86,782
71,90786,782557,913150,000

243
85
92
76
92
588
12,761

153,770
53,78858,21848,09358,218372,087
2,015,855

707,913
1,871,343

13,34902,387,942
0

Othercompensation

760,8121) The amounts shown in the table are based on valuation models
used and disclosed in the consolidated financial statements. The
table therefore shows the entire compensation that was grantedin the year under review, including compensation for which thepayment date or definitive legal title will occur after December 31,
2012.

members. The total compensation for the Delegate of the Boardof Directors and CEO for the financial year comes to CHF 2,498,646.
This figure, reported under ‘Other compensation’, includes private
use of a company car, employer contributions to the pension plan,and to the AHV/ALV (old-age and unemployment insurance), plus
accident and daily sickness benefits insurance.

2) The non-executive members of the Board of Directors receive a
fixed fee, the amount of which is determined according to whether the member is Chairman or a simple member of the Board ora member of the AFC or HRC. The cash compensation is shown asa gross amount before deduction of social security contributions.
40% of the compensation is paid to the directors in the form ofshares of Forbo Holding Ltd. The shares are valued at fair valueon the grant date. The total compensation for the non-executive
members of the Board of Directors also includes a lump-sum
for expenses plus employer contributions to the AHV/ALV (old-age
and unemployment insurance). These are reported in the column‘Other compensation’.

The employment contract with the Delegate of the Board of­Directors and CEO, which ends on April 30, 2013, was extended
until December 31, 2016. The bulk of the compensation will again
be paid in locked-up shares which have a lock-up period of three,four, and five years respectively, and in an annual cash payment of
CHF 310,000 to be used for taxes and for employee contributions
to the pension fund and social security. The last third of the sharebased compensation will not be available until May 1, 2018, at theearliest. The underlying share price used to calculate the numberof shares is the weighted average price of the first and last fivedays on which Forbo Holding shares were traded on the stock
market in 2012 (CHF 522.12), less the reduced value as a result oflocking up the shares. The share package corresponds to annualcompensation of about CHF 2,200,000 (5,314 shares per annum).
The share package and the cash remuneration are deemed tocover all benefits such as bonuses, options, salary adjustments,
inflation, etc. This share package may not be either pledged or­assigned. No severance payment or compensation in the event ofa change of control was agreed.

3) The compensation paid to the Delegate of the Board of Directors
and CEO is disclosed separately and included under total compensation to the Board of Directors. It is not possible to clearly
allocate the total compensation paid to the two functions.
4) With effect from January 2009, the employment contract with the
Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO was extended to encompass the period from January 1, 2011, to April 30, 2013. The
remuneration was again mainly in shares. The modalities are very
similar to the provisions of the first contract. In lieu of salary payments, for the contractual period of employment until April 30,
2013, he was allocated 29,775 shares at the market value on conclusion of the agreement, i.e. CHF 158 each, for the entire term of
the agreement. These shares were time-vested until December 31,
2013, and freely available only as of January 1, 2014. In addition to
the share package, the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO
draws an annual sum of CHF 150,000, which is used to make employee contributions to the pension fund and for social security
contributions. The share package and the cash remuneration are
deemed to cover all compensations such as bonuses, inflation, options, etc. The corresponding personnel expenses are charged tothe income statement over the entire contractual period on a pro
rata basis (see note 25 ‘Employee participation plan’ to the consolidated financial statements). The Delegate of the Board of Directors
and CEO does not benefit from the Management Investment Plan
(MIP) or the share-based payments for the non-exe­cutive Board

5) The total compensation paid to the members of the Executive
Board (excluding the Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO)was CHF 3,247,664 million in the year under review. It compriseda gross basic salary and a performance-related bonus, which is
set in March of the year following the business year in question
and is determined by the achievement of the individual and theGroup targets. The performance-related component is paid in accordance with the rules of the Management Investment Plan (MIP)(see note 25 ‘Employee participation plan’ to the consolidated­financial statements). The total compensation paid to the members of the Executive Board also includes private use of a company
car, employer contributions to the pension plan, and to the AHV/
ALV (old-age and unemployment insurance) plus accident anddaily sickness benefits insurance, which are shown separately inthe column ‘Other compensation’.

Total

CHF

CHF

30,11913,73014,39012,647
7,765
78,651
332,791

415,119
148,730
159,390
132,647
152,765
1,008,651
2,498,646

411,442
615,5093,507,297
3,247,664

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company 149

Advances and loans
As at December 31, 2013, no advances or loans tomembers of the Board of Directors of the Executive
Board were outstanding.

Shareholdings
IN 2013
As at December 31, 2013, the individual members of
the Board of Directors and the Executive Board (including related parties) held the following number ofshares in Forbo Holding Ltd:

Shareholdings 2013
SharesName and function
Dr. Albert Gnägi, Chairman
Michael Pieper, Vice Chairman
Dr. Peter Altorfer, member
Vincent Studer, member
Dr. Reto Müller, member
Non-executive members of the Board of Directors
This E. Schneider, Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO3)4)
Board of Directors
Stephan Bauer, Chief Excecutive Officer
Matthias P. Huenerwadel, Executive Vice President Flooring Systems
Andreas Spreiter, Chief Financial Officer
Jean-Michel Wins, Executive Vice President Movement Systems
Executive Board

1) The details of the options are described in Note 25 ‘Employee participation plan’ to the consolidated financial statements. The allocation of the options is linked with the Management Investment
Plan (MIP), which was introduced in 2006 and amended in 2012.
Under the previous plan, 25% of the payments were invested in
options and 75% in shares of Forbo Holding Ltd. The shares andoptions were locked up for a period of three years, and the term of
the options was five years. Following the amendment of the MIP,
all the sums paid into it will be invested in shares of Forbo Holding
Ltd starting on January 1, 2013.
2) Subscription ratio.

5,162
681,719955
631
403
688,870
86,368775,238
0
2,310
56
0
2,366

Options1)5)Series 2012
1:12)

Series 2011
1:12)

Series 2010
1:12)

3,051

2,033

565

3,051

2,033

565

3) The share portion for the Delegate of the Board and CEO comprises the 29,775 shares from the employment contract for the period
from January 1, 2011, to April 30, 2013, which were locked up until
December 31, 2013, plus the 19,483 shares from the new employment contract for the period from May 1, 2013, to December 31,
2016, which have lock-up periods of three, four, and five years respectively. The last third of the shares will be available on May 1,
2018, at the earliest.
4) The Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO’s shareholdings
are disclosed separately and are included in the line ‘Board of­Directors’.
5) Since participation in the MIP and option ownership is not limited to the above-mentioned members of the Executive Board, thenumber of outstanding options shown here as at December 31,
2013, differs from the figures in note 25 ‘Employee participation
plan’ to the consolidated financial statements.

150 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company

IN 2012
As at December 31, 2012, the current and former
members of the Board of Directors and the Executive
Board (including related parties) held the following
number of shares in Forbo Holding Ltd:
Shareholdings 2012
SharesName and function
Dr. Albert Gnägi, Chairman
Michael Pieper, Vice Chairman
Dr. Peter Altorfer, member
Vincent Studer, member
Dr. Reto Müller, member
Non-executive members of the Board of Directors
This E. Schneider, Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO3)4)
Board of Directors
Matthias P. Huenerwadel, Executive Vice President Movement Systems
Daniel Keist, Head Corporate Center
Jörg Riboni, Chief Financial Officer
Jens Schneider, Executive Vice President Flooring Systems
Executive Board

1) The details of the options are described in Note 25 ‘Employee participation plan’ to the consolidated financial statements.
2) Subscription ratio.

4,903
681,628857
533
322
688,243
77,653765,806
2,095
901
660
242
3,898

Options1)5)Series 2012
1:12)

Series 2011
1:12)

Series 2010
1:12)

Series 2008
1:12)

3,051
1,647
1,243
610
6,551

2,033
2,707
1,465
907
7,112

565
988
1,143

1,157
783
1,948

2,696

3,888

4) The Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO’s shareholdings
are disclosed separately and are included in the line ‘Board of­Directors’.

3) With effect from January 2009, the employment contract with the
Delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO was extended to encompass the period from January 1, 2011, to April 30, 2013. The
remuneration was again mainly in shares. The modalities are very
similar to the provisions of the first contract. The 29,775 shares arecontained in the amount shown and are locked up until December 31, 2013.

5) Since participation in the MIP and option ownership is not limited to the above-mentioned members of the Executive Board, thenumber of outstanding options shown here as at December 31,
2012, differs from the figures in note 25 ‘Employee participation
plan’ to the consolidated financial statements.

20 Risk assessment

21 Events after the balance sheet dateWith respect to the risk management process conducted pursuant to Article 663b item 12 of the Swiss
Code of Obligations, please refer to the comments innote 37 ‘Risk assessment and financial risk management’ to the consolidated financial statements.

Between the balance sheet date and the date of publication of this annual report no event occurred that
could have a significant effect on the 2013 annual financial statements.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company 151

Proposal for appropriation of avail­able earnings of Forbo Holding Ltd
The Board of Directors proposes to the Ordinary General Meeting that the available retained earnings, consisting of:

CHF
Net profit
Retained earnings
Release of general capital contribution reserves1)
Total at the shareholders’ meeting’s disposal

2013

2012

49,302,978
133,263,950
29,080,184
211,647,112

93,119,606
112,958,211
25,449,228
231,527,045

2013

2012

29,080,184
182,566,928
211,647,112

25,449,228
206,077,817
231,527,045

be appropriated as follows:

CHF
Withholding tax-free distribution2)
To be carried forward
Total at the shareholders’ meeting’s disposal

1) The definitive amount to be distributed depends on the amountof the tax-free distribution as described below in footnote 2).

2) At the Ordinary General Meeting of April 25, 2014, the Board of Directors will propose a dividend payment of CHF 14 (2012: CHF 12)
per registered share out of the capital contribution reserves, withthe exception of the treasury shares held by Forbo Holding Ltd, forwhich no dividend is paid. The definitive amount may therefore
still change.

152 Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company

Report of the statutory auditor

Report of the statutory auditor to the General Meetingof Forbo Holding Ltd, Baar
Report of the statutory auditor on the financial statements
As statutory auditor, we have audited the financial statements of Forbo Holding AG, which comprise the income
statement, balance sheet and notes (pages 142 to 151), for the year ended December, 31, 2013.
Board of Directors’ responsibility
The Board of Directors is responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the­requirements of Swiss law and the company’s articles of incorporation. This responsibility includes designing,
implementing and maintaining an internal control system relevant to the preparation of financial statementsthat are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. The Board of Directors is further responsible for selecting and applying appropriate accounting policies and making accounting estimates that are­reasonable in the circumstances.
Auditor’s responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our
audit in accordance with Swiss law and Swiss Auditing Standards. Those standards require that we plan and­perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the­financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of
the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk
assessments, the auditor considers the internal control system relevant to the entity’s preparation of the financial
statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purposeof expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control system. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of the accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates
made, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
OpinionIn our opinion, the financial statements for the year ended December, 31, 2013 comply with Swiss law and thecompany’s articles of incorporation.

Forbo Annual Report 2013 – Annual statements for the holding company 153

Report on other legal requirements
We confirm that we meet the legal requirements on licensing according to the Auditor Oversight Act (AOA) andindependence (article 728 CO and article 11 AOA) and that there are no circumstances incompatible with our
independence.
In accordance with article 728a paragraph 1 item 3 CO and Swiss Auditing Standard 890, we confirm that an­internal control system exists which has been designed for the preparation of financial statements according to
the instructions of the Board of Directors.
We further confirm that the proposed appropriation of available earnings comply with Swiss law and the company’s articles of incorporation. We recommend that the financial statements submitted to you be approved.
PricewaterhouseCoopers AG

Daniel Ketterer
Audit expert
Auditor in charge

Zurich, March 12, 2014

Reto Tognina
Audit expert

Creativity
Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters.
­Darum gestalten wir unsere hochwertig
produzierten Designböden nach den
Wünschen unserer Kunden.

Publisher: Forbo Holding Ltd, Baar/Concept and design: Hotz Brand Consultants, Steinhausen/Zug
Photos: Luxwerk, Zurich/Layout, lithography, and printing: Neidhart + Schön AG, Zurich
Our Annual Report appears in German language and in English translation and can be downloaded fromour website www.forbo.com. The printed German version is authoritative.
All statements in this report that do not refer to historical facts are forward-looking statements which areno guarantee of future performance. They are based on assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties aswell as other factors beyond the control of the company.

Forbo Annual Report 2013

connect.
Forbo Holding Ltd
Lindenstrasse 8
CH-6340 Baar
Forbo International SA
Lindenstrasse 8
CH-6340 Baar
Phone + 41 58 787 25 25
Fax + 41 58 787 20 25
info@forbo.com
www.forbo.com

Annual Report 2013

Creativity.
Dynamism.
Forbo – in every day life