German buying group Büroring looked back at a positive, but difficult 2009, at a press conference during Paperworld. Despite a 9.7 percent increase in profit to 29.2 million euros, sales were down 3.9 per cent to 178.6 million euros.

The strongest growth in 2009 came in the office technology area, which was up 23.3 percent compared to 2008. Büroring’s membership increased from 340 at beginning of 2009 to 351 at the end of the year.

Managing Director Carsten Marckmann said that in view of the economic crisis, Büroring’s business had held up well. In his forecast for 2010, Marckmann added that sales should remain at 2009 levels.