Wienerberger AG

M&A Activity • Sep 2, 1998

News Details

Ad-hoc | 2 September 1998 17:01

Ad hoc-Service: Wienerberger Baustoffind.

—————————————————————— Ad hoc-Service: Wienerberger Baustoffind. Ad hoc-announcement sent by DGAP. The sender is solely responsible for the contents of this announcement. —————————————————————————— Keramik Laufen sells heavy clay activities to Koramic / Wienerberger Keramik Holding AG Laufen, based in Laufen (Switzerland) reached an agreement with Koramic Building Products NV (Kortrijk, Belgium) and Wienerberger Baustoffindustrie (Vienna, Austria) to sell 100 % of ist heavy clay division. The Keramik Laufen group, a Swiss company, is quoted on the Zürich Stock Exchange. It has as core business the production of sanitaryware, with world-wide activities in this sector. In 1997 consolidated turnover amounted to CHF 1.2 billion (706 Mio. EURO). Koramic Building Products, based in Kortrijk (B), is a significant European producer of building materials, quoted on the Brussels Stock Exchange. It focuses on the production of roofing systems and finishing products and is, together with the Austrian Bank Creditanstalt (Bank Austria), the controlling shareholder of Wienerberger Baustoffindustrie. Koramic Building Products recorded in 1997 a consolidated turnover of BEF 31.6 billion (756 Mio.EURO). Wienerberger Baustoffindustrie AG, based in Vienna (A), quoted on the Vienna Stock Exchange, is the largest producer of bricks in Europe and has leading positions in pipes. In 1997 the group realised a consolidated turnover of ATS 15.3 billion (1,102 Mio. EURO). The transaction between Keramik Laufen and Koramic / Wienerberger covers the acquisition of the heavy clay division of Keramik Laufen which consists of Migeon SA (France), Bisch SNC (France), Tonwerke Laufen (Switzerland) and Tonwerke Kandern (Germany). The acquired companies operate 3 production sites for clay roof tiles and 2 production sites for bricks. They are important providers of roof tiles and bricks for the markets in France, Switzerland and Germany. The division employs 560 persons and realised a consolidated turnover in 1997 of CHF 125 million (73 million EURO). In roof tiles the division runs 2 production units in France: Migeon, close to Besancon and Bisch, north of Strasbourg. Together they form the 4th largest roof tile producer in France. In Switzerland, Tonwerke Laufen possesses a factory in Laufen and is one of the leading producers in the country. In Germany, Tonwerke Kandern, which closed its production unit this year, runs a sales organisation in the south- western part of Germany and sells products from the French and Swiss factories. For bricks, 2 factories are operated by Migeon in France. These units supply the French, Swiss and German markets. With their state-of-the art production units (an intensive investment program was performed over the last 3 years), the companies are able to produce high quality products at very competitive costs. These are marketed under established brands and recognised trade names. Through this transaction Keramik Laufen makes a decisive advance in its strategy to concentrate on its core business, sanitary ware, and to sell its non-strategic businesses. The acquisition by Koramic and Wienerberger complies with their strategies of furtherstrengthening their respective core businesses in roof tiles and bricks. The acquired division will be operated as an independent entity under the current management and no changes in the current personnel are envisaged. The acquired companies will be able to revert to the support and ressources of their respective sister companies within the Koramic and Wienerberger groups: Koramic Roofing Systems for roof tiles and Wienerberger Ziegelindustrie for bricks. For further information please contact: Laufen: 0041/61/765 72 27 M. Dentand, CFO and Member of the Executive Board. Koramic: 0032/56/249600 C.Y. Dumolin, Managing Director and President of the Board Wienerberger 0043/1/60 192 / 440 W. Reithofer, Deputy Managing Director Wienerberger Baustoffindustrie AG Vienna, September 3rd, 1998 End of Message