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M&A Activity • Sep 13, 2007

News Details

Corporate | 13 September 2007 17:15

ARQUES takes over the automotive supplier, Woco Michelin AVS

ARQUES Industries AG / Acquisition

Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory
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The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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• Woco Michelin AVS with current revenues over EUR 250 million
• Largest acquisition in the industrial sector

Starnberg, September 13, 2007 - The Starnberg-based equity investment
company, ARQUES Industries AG (ISIN DE0005156004), has taken over all
shares in the internationally operational automotive supplier, Woco
Michelin AVS based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The sellers are the companies
Woco and Michelin who founded Woco Michelin AVS in 2000 as a joint venture.
Woco Michelin AVS is an international developer and producer of innovative
anti-vibration systems primarily for the automobile industry and most
recently generated revenues of more than EUR 250 million. The company is
currently slightly in deficit and is being sold within the context of
concentrating on core business. The parties agreed not to disclose the
purchase price.

Woco Michelin AVS is a primary developer and manufacturer of innovative
functional solutions for driving dynamics, comfort and road safety and is
represented in Europe, America, Asia and South Africa with 13 branches
supporting the local automobile industry. The company’s services cover the
entire anti-vibration system process chain from the concept to the
production line stage. The Woco Michelin AVS product range includes chassis
components, aggregate storage, exhaust system hangers as well as decoupling
elements and mass dampers. Apart from the automobile industry (e.g.
Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot/Citroen, Daimler and Ford), the company’s
customers include the railway industry and other industrial sectors where
oscillation and noise reduction systems are used (e.g. billiard tables).
Woco Michelin AVS employs approximately 2,400 employees globally.

'Seven years after the founding of the joint venture, Woco Michelin AVS is
a renowned supplier on the anti-vibration system market. In ARQUES, a
capable partner has been found who offers the company excellent prospects
and will enable Woco Michelin AVS to become a successful international
competitor in the foreseeable future', said Olaf Hahn, chairman of the
management board of Woco Michelin AVS.

In the current financial year, ARQUES has acquired companies with a sales
volume of significantly more than EUR 3 billion. The annualised ARQUES
group revenues leap to more than EUR 3.9 billion through the acquisition of
Woco Michelin AVS. Due to the increased acquisition and exit activities,
ARQUES Industries AG had recently raised its forecast for the financial
year 2007 regarding revenues to EUR 2 billion (previously EUR 1.5 billion)
and the EBITDA to more than EUR 200 million (previously EUR 180 million).
In the financial year 2008 ARQUES plans to generate revenues to the value
of EUR 5.1 billion and an EBITDA of EUR 275 million.

About ARQUES

ARQUES Industries AG, Starnberg, (www.arques.de), is a turnaround
specialist who focuses on the acquisition and the active restructuring of
companies in transitional situations, in order to develop these, with its
own team and own resources, to competitive enterprises with a positive
yield. ARQUES revitalises its subsidiaries' potential for creating value
for the benefit of all its stakeholders, taking on the relevant social
responsibility. ARQUES has made a duty of identifying underestimated
companies with reduced survivability but with high appreciation potential,
at the same time mastering complex company structures and transitional
situations. The shares of ARQUES Industries AG are traded in the regulated
market (Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol
'AQU' (ISIN: DE0005156004) and are listed in the SDAX since September 19,
2005.

ARQUES Industries AG
Investor Relations & Corporate Communication
Anke Lüdemann, CEFA/CIIA
Email: luedemann@arques.de

Public Relations
Christian Schneider
Email: schneider@arques.de

Tel.: +49 (0) 8151/ 651 0

13.09.2007 Financial News transmitted by DGAP

Language: English
Issuer: ARQUES Industries AG
Münchner Str. 15a
82319 Starnberg
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)8151 651-0
Fax: +49 (0)8151 651- 500
E-mail: info@arques.de
Internet: www.arques.de
ISIN: DE0005156004
WKN: 515600
Indices: SDAX
Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart

End of News DGAP News-Service

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