The Schwan Stabilo group has exceeded the previous year's result by 17% with a turnover of 462 million euros.

All three divisions contributed to the growth: cosmetics climbed to 24.9%, Stabilo grew by 5.3%, and outdoor gained by 19.6%.

The Stabilo stationery division outperformed the sector’s average, rising to 4.35% in Europe and 4% in Germany. In Eastern Europe, sales reached double digits. Stabilo says customers have shown great interest in the mix of tried-and-tested and new products.

They bought both ergonomic pens and pencils from the new product range for easy writing (learning to write), and classic products, such as fiber-tip pens and highlighters.

Stabilo BOSS, which the company says is the best-selling highlighter in Europe, celebrates its 40th birthday in 2011.