Total revenue at Holtzbrinck rose 7.5% in 2006, to 2.24 billion euros ($3 billion), according to a recent post on the privately held German publisher's Web site. Operating EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) increased 10.0%, to 206.6 million euros ($275 million). Sales in the consumer book group—which in the U.S. includes St. Martin’s; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; Henry Holt; and Audio Renaissance—rose 8.0%, to 633.8 million euros, while revenue in the education/science group increased 7.8% and sales in newspapers/business information rose 5.5%. Revenue in the company’s electronic media and services unit jumped 44.4%, to 28.3 million euros.
Germany remained Holtzbrinck’s largest market, accounting for 48.1% of sales, while North America’s share increased from 23.0% to 23.9% (537.2 million euros). In addition to its trade operations, Holtzbrinck’s businesses in North America include the educational publishing group Bedford, Freeman & Worth, and Scientific American magazine.
