Corporate | 19 October 2005 07:44

ARQUES subsidiary Circel buys Nord Offset Druck GmbH

Corporate-news transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. —————————————————————————— ARQUES subsidiary Circel buys Nord Offset Druck GmbH ARQUES portfolio extended by fourth printing company Starnberg, October 19, 2005 – The Circel Grundstücks- und Vermögensverwaltung AG (ISIN DE0006781008), a 95% subsidiary of the Starnberg-based equity investment company ARQUES Industries AG (ISIN DE0005156004), has acquired the Nord Offset printing works in Ellerbek near Hamburg. ARQUES hereby continues to develop its printing segment. Only yesterday, Circel took over the French Evry Rotatives S.A.S., a subsidiary of the French state printing works specialising in web offset printing. Nord Offset was acquired according to the ARQUES philosophy far below material value. In addition, Colordruck Pforzheim GmbH & Co. KG, one of the largest web offset printers in Germany, as well as Johler Druck GmbH in Neumünster (Schleswig- Holstein) already belong to the ARQUES group. The annual turnover in this segment should increase to more than EUR100 million in 2006 due to the acquisition of Nord Offset. Within the scope of the “buy and build” strategy which ARQUES pursues in the printing sector, synergies between the individual companies can be used, workflow optimised, and cost savings obtained. During the past months management, technology, distribution and business management of both current ARQUES printers, Colordruck and Johler Druck, were already consolidated. The development of the operational business of the ARQUES printing segment is running at full speed. The management team has been extended and adapted to the ambitious growth goals. Thus Jürgen Groth, with ten years of experience at Gruner + Jahr, Hamburg, was appointed sales director. With the appointment of Bodo F. Schmischke (formerly managing director of TSB Tiefdruck Schwann- Bagel, Düsseldorf) as a commercial manager at the beginning of October, the necessary consolidation know-how could be secured. The geographical proximity to Johler Druck GmbH represents another plus for Nord Offset. Both printers are situated only a few kilometres from one another which saves time and costs during the completion of common orders. Bodo F. Schmischke is responsible for the management of Nord Offset. ARQUES acquired Nord Offset, with a turnover of approximately EUR12 million per year, free of bank liabilities. Customers include, among others, large magazine publishing houses such as Gruner + Jahr. Apart from several modern web offset machines and a complete pre-press department, Nord Offset is the only printer on the European mainland to offer inline printing of UV varnish in web offset printing. The result being an additional processing feature in the production of magazine covers, supplements, announcements and folders. This supplements the joint product range of the ARQUES printers and extends the machinery range by 8 and 16 page web offset machines. About ARQUES ARQUES Industries AG, Starnberg, 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. Contact: ARQUES Industries AG Investor Relations & Corporate Communication Anke Lüdemann Tel.: +49 (0) 8151/ 651 0 Email: luedemann@arques.de DenkLeistung Kommunikationsmanagement Monika Schlesinger Tel.: +49 (0) 8141/ 53 97 02 Email: Monika.Schlesinger@t-online.de End of announcement (c)DGAP 19.10.2005 —————————————————————————— WKN: 515600 ; ISIN: DE0005156004; Index: SDAX Listed: Geregelter Markt (Prime Standard) in Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Berlin- Bremen, München und Stuttgart 190744 Okt 05