Ad-hoc | 23 February 2005 23:31
Dürr AG: Dürr Group is strategically reorienting
Dürr Group is strategically reorienting
Dürr AG: Dürr Group is strategically reorienting
Ad hoc announcement transmitted by DGAP.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
-Combination of core business areas
-Services division is being sold
-Goodwill writedown of about EUR 26 million
Stuttgart, February 23, 2005 – Effective March 1, 2005, the Dürr Group will be
organized in two main divisions instead of the previous five business units.
Paint Systems and Final Assembly Systems, which both operate in plant
engineering, will be combined into the new Paint and Assembly Systems
division. Ecoclean and Measuring Systems (Schenck), which are geared to
mechanical engineering, will form the new Measuring and Process Systems
division. The Services division (Premier Group) is to be sold to Voith AG. The
negotiations are very far along. Regulatory approval is being sought. The
primary objective of the sale is to reduce debt. For the Development Test
Systems division of Schenck, Dürr is examining strategic options that range
from a minority holding to a sale. In that connection, a goodwill writedown of
about EUR 26 million is being taken on DTS. By streamlining its portfolio and
strategically reorienting its activities, Dürr intends to focus more on its
core business and expects annual cost savings of about EUR 10 million from
2006 onward. Calculated on a comparable basis, preliminary earnings before
taxes for 2004 amount to EUR 11.3 million (previous year: EUR minus 5.7
million) and are hence at the upper end of the guidance released in November.
In the new corporate structure, the earnings before taxes of continuing
operations amount to EUR 16.2 million (previous year: EUR 4.0 million). The
earnings before taxes of discontinued operations come to EUR minus 31.2
million (previous year: EUR minus 9.7 million) mainly due to the writedown.
Note: All data is preliminary and accounted according to IFRS. They have not
been approved by the Supervisory Board nor examined by the auditor yet.
Dürr AG, Mathias Christen, Public & Investor Relations
Tel.: +49 (0)711 136-1785, Fax: +49 (0)711 136-1034
E-mail: corpcom@durr.com
Dürr AG
Otto-Dürr-Strasse 8
70435 Stuttgart – Zuffenhausen
Deutschland
ISIN: DE0005565204 (SDAX)
WKN: 556520
Listed: Amtlicher Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard) und Stuttgart;
Freiverkehr in Berlin-Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg und Hannover
End of ad hoc announcement (c)DGAP 23.02.2005
232331 Feb 05