Employees of German oil and additive specialist Liqui Moly could allow themselves an extra celebration on Valentine’s Day as they were each awarded a special bonus of €11,000. The payment was made as part of a victory bonus which goes to 835 employees in recognition of another highly successful year for the company.

Liqui Moly released its impressive financial results for 2017 on Valentine’s Day which also happens to be the birthday of Ernst Prost, MD of the company. Turnover for the year was up 9% to €532 million with profits also up 9% to €52 million. This has allowed the company to maintain an equity capital ratio of 80% and means that the 835 employees, who Ernst Prost refers to as co-entrepreneurs, to share in a bonus of over €10 million. The company also announced it created a further 50 jobs last year.

On a personal level, Ernst Prost, announced that he was making further donations to a private charitable foundation of €3 million and €1 million to the Ernst Prost Foundation for Africa. These donations come from the revenue obtained from the recent sale of Liqui Moly to Würth and will allow the foundations to provide further support for disadvantaged and vulnerable people.