Pentalog pursues its 2010 momentum by achieving a 31% quarterly growth as compared to Q1 2010. Given the current size of the company, this figure translates into a one-million-euro increase for the period considered. The number of employees has gone up by 36% to around 620, i.e. 180 more than last year at the end of March. This sustained growth can be accounted for by the continued investment in the PeopleCentric branch (recruitment and related technologies), which enables the group to sustain high staffing rhythms on strained human resource markets, regardless of the country.

The end of 2010 and January and February were marked by an unprecedented number of orders, as 9 new clients, both in France and in Germany, and as many as 12 projects were added to our portfolio for a record sum. This wave of new contracts resembles the typical Pentalog clientele, as they are equally represented by fast growing firms and major companies. Among the latter, we can mention the major subsidiaries of Gaz de France, Suez Environnement and Groupe Vinci in France. As for existing clients, we have recently signed a contract for a new major fixed-price project (between 30 and 40 employees during project peaks). This project will be delivered to a Swiss client. As regards the German market, three fast growing companies have joined our customer portfolio.

In order to take advantage of this favorable context, accentuated by geopolitical turmoil on the southern bank of the Mediterranean Sea, the Pentalog Group has decided to launch a new production unit in Romania, in the city of Cluj. This will be our 5th Romanian unit. Thanks to its Moldovan site, as well (which had a high growth in Q1), Pentalog became the leading player of the region in 2010, with 540 employees out of a total of 620. The company is planning on recruiting between 100 and 150 people in the new center over the following 2 or 3 years. Thus, the group will be able to support the demands that it receives and to continue to offer ramp-up and recruitment capabilities that are currently unmatched in Europe and in the nearshore area.

In Q2, the group anticipates a slight acceleration of its organic growth to around 35%.