The company attributed the result to the growth of its activities in southern and eastern European countries, although restructuring costs and higher consultancy fees had a negative impact of E3.6 million on the result. Frans Maas went onto note that its fixed assets had also increased by E16 million as a result of the sale and leaseback of the logistics centre in Oostrum, the Netherlands, and by E5.5 million through the conversion of an operating lease for trailers into a finance lease.