07/03/2014

ietigheim-Bissingen, July 3, 2014 - Dürr expands its range in paint application technology through two new acquisitions. At the end of June, the Group took over the German company Bersch & Fratscher GmbH (Befrag) from Karlstein/Main as well as the Czech company EST+ a.s. from Ledeč nad Sázavou near Prague. The two companies generate sales revenues totaling almost € 10 million (2013). Befrag employs 70 staff, while EST+ has a workforce of 60 people.

The two companies offer automated application systems, spray guns for manual paint application as well as smaller paint and drying systems. They supply a broad array of sectors within general industry. Customers include wood-, plastic- and metalworking companies, for example. Befrag and EST+ both have production capacities at their sites.

Ralf W. Dieter, CEO of Dürr AG: "We will systematically expand the activities of the two companies under the umbrella of the Dürr Group. The new Czech site provides a good basis for the expansion of our business in Eastern Europe, and with Befrag we have gained another efficient site."

Dr. Hans Schumacher, Head of the Application Technology business unit: "Befrag and EST+ are two specialized niche providers which add to Dürr's range in the growth area of application technology and allow us to tap new customer groups." Dürr is the world's leading provider of application technology and painting robots for the automotive industry. In 2013 the Group achieved sales of € 540 million in this area.

Dürr is a mechanical and plant engineering group that holds leading positions in the world market in its areas of operation. It generates a good 80% of its sales in business with the automotive industry. It also supplies the aircraft, machinery, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries with innovative production and environmental technology. The Dürr Group operates in the market with four divisions: Paint and Assembly Systems plans and builds paint shops and final assembly systems for the automobile and aircraft industries. Application Technology provides automated paint application, sealing, and glueing with its robot technologies. Machinery and systems from the Measuring and Process Systems division are used for balancing and cleaning in engine and transmission manufacturing as well as in final vehicle assembly, among other areas. The fourth division, Clean Technology Systems, specializes in processes to improve energy efficiency and exhaust air purification. Dürr has 54 business locations in 26 countries worldwide and approximately 8,250 employees. The Group achieved sales of € 2.4 billion in 2013.

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