Wacker Neuson SE / Key word(s): Miscellaneous02.11.2010 16:33---------------------------------------------------------------------------Three years on, Wacker Neuson confirms merger successWorld's largest offering of light and compact equipment - upturn bringsmarket share gains - important milestones reached.(Munich, November 2, 2010) The three-year anniversary of the Wacker Neusonmerger provides proof of concept, with the Group's strategy of becoming aone-stop provider of light and compact equipment emerging a clear success.Taking stock of the last three years, the Group reports positive progress,having reached key milestones defined during the merger and firmly placingitself on the road to further growth.Merger arises from shared vision of growthThree years ago, on October 31, 2007, the company announced that the mergerbetween the former Wacker Construction Equipment AG, Munich, Germany, andthe former Neuson Kramer Baumaschinen AG, Linz, Austria was complete. InFebruary 2009, it changed its legal form to a European company and has beentrading under the name Wacker Neuson SE ever since.The two companies behind the merger shared the same strong roots. Both weretraditional, family-owned businesses managed with a high degree offlexibility and a strong sense of cost awareness. And both companies werecommitted to the highest standards of technology and quality, resulting inrespective portfolios of market-leading products. The merger was inspiredby the joint vision of securing further growth through sales synergies. AndWacker Neuson has used its existing global sales and distribution networkfor light equipment to launch compact equipment in new markets, resultingin one of the world's broadest light and compact equipment portfolio,flanked by an extensive service offering.Promoting team spirit and cost synergiesThe Group focuses on actively merging the two corporate cultures andcreating a unified corporate identity. Group-wide deployment of SAPsoftware is a key step in this move as it will further integrate businessprocesses. Since 2007, the Group has made significant progress and achieved many keymilestones:* High levels of customer acceptanceCustomers highly rate the Group's ability to provide light and compactequipment along with rentals and service from a single source. InSwitzerland, for example, this approach saw Wacker Neuson increase revenuein 2009 by ten percent although the industry as a whole experienced growthof just one percent. The benefits of these synergies were also evident atthis year's bauma trade fair in Munich, where Wacker Neuson showcased itsnew product portfolio for the first time. Order intake was 25 percent up onbauma 2007, when both companies had separate stands.* Launch of compact equipment in further marketsSince the merger, the company has used the former Wacker Group's sales anddistribution network to introduce compact equipment from its productionfacilities in Linz (Austria) and Pfullendorf (Germany) to markets in Northand South America, South Africa, the Middle East and several countries inthe EU. The most strategic target market here is the US, where the Group'scompact equipment portfolio was previously largely unknown. The positivemid-term outlook for Wacker Neuson in the US is a strong sign that theGroup will be able to build on its strong position in the light equipmentsector and also become one of the leading providers of compact equipmenthere. The Group is planning further launches in countries, e.g. Russia,once the economy picks up. The 20-year strategic partnership that WackerNeuson concluded with Caterpillar in June will generate additional revenuein the compact equipment segment. Caterpillar's core business is heavyequipment. The agreement will see Wacker Neuson designing and producingmini excavators weighing up to three tons for the company. These machineswill then be distributed under the Caterpillar brand via Caterpillar'sglobal sales network.* Expansion of product portfolio for the agricultural sectorThe agricultural market worldwide also offers attractive long-term growthprospects for the Group. Increasing reliance on technology and machinery inagricultural holdings is fueling demand for particularly versatile compactequipment. To maximize this opportunity, Wacker Neuson is graduallyexpanding the Weidemann range (compact equipment for the agriculturalindustry) to include proven machines from our construction industryportfolio (platform concept).* Expansion and modernization of production capacityTo create capacity for further growth, Wacker Neuson built four productionplants over the space of three years. The new facilities were constructedat the Korbach (Weidemann) and Pfullendorf (Kramer Allrad) facilities inGermany as well as at Norton Shores in the US and Manila in the Philippines(both light equipment). A further new facility is planned for Linz,Austria. All of the Group's production lines then have extensive capacityand are equipped with cutting-edge technology plus the latest developmentsin sustainable production. * Stronger joint position as economy recoversAs was the case among all industry peers, Wacker Neuson experienced adramatic drop in revenue, especially in 2009. However, the company hasalready returned to a growth path in 2010 and is leveraging the strengthsof the merger to outpace the market.Further international expansion planned for the futureThe Wacker Neuson Group is in a strong financial position. It is agrowth-oriented, highly innovative company that is determined to outgrowthe market by sticking to its strategic goals. The company intends to gainnew market share, open up new markets and reap the benefits of itsintelligent platform concepts across the construction and agriculturalsectors. Your contact partner at Wacker Neuson:Wacker Neuson SE Katrin Neuffer Preussenstr. 41 80809 Munich, Germany Tel. +49 - (0)89 - 354 02 - 173 katrin.neuffer@wackerneuson.com Internet: www.wackerneuson.comAbout Wacker NeusonWacker Neuson SE is a global manufacturer of light and compact equipment.With over 30 affiliates and more than 180 sales and service stations acrossthe globe, the company offers an exceptionally broad product portfolio. Manufacturing activities are distributed across three German, one Austrian,two American and one Philippine production sites. Almost all productsmanufactured by the company are branded Wacker Neuson. The only exceptionsto this in Europe are Kramer Allrad products and Weidemann-brandedagricultural machinery. With over 300 product categories and complementaryrental, spare parts and repair services, Wacker Neuson is the partner ofchoice among professional users in construction, gardening, landscaping andagriculture, as well as among municipal bodies and companies in theindustrial and recycling sectors.02.11.2010 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: EnglishCompany: Wacker Neuson SE Preußenstr. 41 80809 München DeutschlandPhone: +49 - (0)89 - 354 02 - 0Fax: +49 - (0)89 - 354 02 - 390E-mail: info@wackerneuson.comInternet: www.wackerneuson.comISIN: DE000WACK012WKN: WACK01Indices: SDAXListed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Hamburg, München, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Hannover, Stuttgart End of Announcement DGAP News-Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
