Corporate | 30 July 2012 08:00

AURELIUS sells Schabmüller to Italian ZAPI Group

AURELIUS AG / Key word(s): Disposal

30.07.2012 / 08:00

AURELIUS sells Schabmüller to Italian ZAPI Group

– Successful development of the company since acquisition by AURELIUS in 2007

– Ideal extension of ZAPIs product portfolio

Munich (Germany), July 30, 2012 – AURELIUS Group (ISIN: DE000A0JK2A8) is selling its subsidiary Schabmüller, headquartered in Berching/Bavaria (Germany) to Italian ZAPI Group. AURELIUS has taken over the direct current motor business from US-based Sauer-Danfoss Inc., Minneapolis (USA) in March 2007 and renamed it to its traditional name 'Schabmüller'. As of January 1, 2009, the asynchronous motor business has also been taken over from Sauer-Danfoss. This has been the first plattform acquisition for an AURELIUS subsidiary.

Today Schamüller is technology leader in highly advanced electric drive solutions and world market leader particularly in electrical motors for forklifts. With a total of 389 staff members the company generated revenues of 61.3 million euros in 2011 and is earning a double-digit EBITDA-margin.

Successful realignment by AURELIUS
Since becoming part of the AURELIUS Group, business structure and operations of Schabmüller have undergone a comprehensive realignment. New innovative drive solutions and types of motors have been developed and successfully launched commercially. The company carried out a big investment program at the headquarter in Berching, during which it invested substantially in new machinery, set up a new production line, enlarged the production floorspace considerably and built a new logistics center. Over the past years Schabmüller has entered into the market for electrical motors for agricultural and construction machinery which is growing strongly due to tightening environmental conditions.

During AURELIUS' ownership the headcount increased by more than 25 % and revenues, 90 % of which are generated outside of Germany in the meantime, almost doubled. EBITDA almost quadrupled. Today Schabmüller is the unchallenged world market leader in electrical motors for forklifts holding a market share of almost 30 %.

Willi Geißler, chairman of the Works Council of Schabmüller: 'AURELIUS has given us a long-term perspective. Cooperation with AURELIUS has been constructive and good – together we became a technology leader. In the market for electrical motors for forklifts, we even became world market leader. Securing the operations and the jobs will continue to be the Works Council's first and foremost concern today and in the future.'

Ideal extension of ZAPIs product portfolio

Italian ZAPI Group is the main European manufacturer of electronic speed controllers and associated products for application in electric vehicles employing over 350 people. The acquisition of Schabmüller offers ZAPI the extension of its product portfolio by electrical motors for their applications.

'The takeover of Schabmüller provides us with state-of-the-art technology in the field of electric drive solutions and enables us to offer our customers a broader service package than ever before', says Giannino Zanichelli, CEO and owner of ZAPI. 'We look forward to our future cooperation.'

Today, Monday, July 30, 2012 at 3.00 pm CET the Executive Board of AURELIUS will conduct a telephone conference for interested investors and members of the press. To sign-up, please send an email to investor@aureliusinvest.de .

About AURELIUS:

The AURELIUS Group specializes in acquiring companies with development potential and providing them with operational support. With respect to the acquisition of subsidiaries, AURELIUS strives to identify, analyze, develop and exploit all available opportunities in the market. The AURELIUS Group understands itself to be a GOOD HOME for its subsidiaries on a long-term basis. Although its acquisition activities are not limited to a certain sector, AURELIUS has placed a certain emphasis on the following sectors: industrial enterprises, chemicals, business services, consumer goods/food & beverage and telecommunications, media & technology.

AURELIUS has many years of investment and management experience in different industries and sectors. AURELIUS improves the performance of its subsidiaries by providing management capacities and the necessary financial resources for investing in innovative products, sales and research. AURELIUS is a globally active company with offices in Munich and London and subsidiaries in Germany, Great Britain, France, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as China and Malaysia. The shares of AURELIUS AG are traded in the m:access of the Munich Stock Exchange under ISIN DE000A0JK2A8. Additional information can be found at www.aureliusinvest.de .

Contact:

AURELIUS AG
Investor Relations & Corporate Communication
Phone: +49 (89) 544799 – 0
Fax +49 (89) 544799 – 55
investor@aureliusinvest.de

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179480  30.07.2012