Symrise AG : Interdisciplinary Dialog with a Perspective: Symrise Celebrates Topping-Out of New Research Building

On December 2nd, 2011, Symrise AG celebrated the topping-out of its
new research building at its headquarters in Holzminden. The company intends
to pool its research activities, currently carried out in various buildings on the factory
site, under one roof starting October 2012. their speeches, Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram,
CEO of Symrise AG, and Jörg Bode, Lower Saxony's Minister of Economics, Labor, and
Transportation, recognized the investment's importance for the company and for the
future of the industry.

The traditional topping-out ceremony marks an important step in a building's
progress. This was also the case for Symrise AG's new research building in
Holzminden. Members of Symrise's Executive Board and high-ranking state
and local officials were present for the occasion. Lower Saxony's Minister of
Internal Affairs, Uwe Schünemann, was in attendance along with Dr. Heinz-
Jürgen Bertram, CEO of Symrise AG, and Jörg Bode, Lower Saxony's Minister
of Economics, Labor, and Transportation.

The new building is an important part of the company's current investment
program, which foresees investments of € 120 million through 2016. About € 10
million will be spent on the first phase of the new research center. It offers a
total of 2,000 square meters on five stories and sufficient space for researching
new ingredients and developing sustainable and efficient technologies. These
represent an important basis for the business and competitiveness of Symrise.
Alongside modern laboratories, seminar and conference rooms will also be
available that can be used for customer presentations or meetings with
cooperation partners. The complex will facilitate increased interdisciplinary
exchange between the two divisions Scent & Care and Flavor & Nutrition, as
well as creating synergies in research and development.

Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, CEO of Symrise AG, reported on the project and the
function of the building: "Every year, we invest six to seven percent of sales, i.e.
about € 100 million, in research and development. About 20 percent of our total
staff works in this area. Since its foundation in 2003, Symrise has registered
more than 250 patents and more than 1,500 product brands and trademarks,
which we market globally. About 600 jobs were created during this period at the
Holzminden site."

Dr. Bertram continued "With the new research building, we want to further
strengthen our competence and expertise in the area of research and
development. The complex should competently represent the central research
units in Holzminden and encourage further dialog. We will continue to follow the
already successful approach of interdisciplinary co-operations both with
institutes and universities in Lower Saxony and around the world."

Lower Saxony's Minister of the Economy, Labor, and Transportation, Jörg
Bode, highlighted the importance of Symrise for the region in his speech:
"Symrise is a crucial employer in the region and strengthens Lower Saxony's
appeal in the area of biotechnology with its research. I am particularly pleased
that the company is training 108 apprentices who will work in various fields.
2012, according to current plans, another 43 young people will start their
training with Symrise."

Press Contact:
Bernhard Kott
Phone +49 (0)5531 90-1721
Email: bernhard.kott@symrise.com