Ad-hoc | 19.12.2007 HTI ANNOUNCES TWO STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS

Shareholding acquired and joint venture with Salzburg-based Carbo Tech Composites –
acquisition of the core business operations of HAT Skinline GmbH, Klagenfurt – additional
medium-term sales of about EUR 50m, in 2008 of approx. EUR 15m – further acquisitions
planned in the short term.

St. Marien, Austria, December 19, 2007 - HTI High Tech Industries AG, a public limited company listed on the Prime Market of the Vienna Stock Exchange, announces the decision in today’s meeting of the Supervisory Board to acquire shareholdings in Carbo Tech Composites GmbH and HAT Skinline GmbH. The respective contracts will be signed in the next few days. The formal closing of both transactions is expected in January 2008. On a medium-term basis, the acquisitions are anticipated to result in approximately EUR 50m in additional sales for the
HTI Group, of which EUR 15m will be achieved in 2008. “Close to one year after the strategic re-orientation of our industrial group, we have taken a further important step towards establishing Austria’s leading publicly listed medium-sized industrial holding”, says Peter Glatzmeier, Member of the Management Board of HTI.
Carbo Tech Composites GmbH (“CTC“) based in Salzburg/Liefering is a racing-oriented high end manufacturer of composite parts. HTI High Tech Industries AG will acquire a 10% stake of Carbo Tech Composites GmbH (“CTC”), which will be held by the 100% HTI subsidiary Pro Regio Mittelstandsfinanzierungs AG. Moreover, the plastic injection molding specialist HTP High Tech Plastics will hold a 50% stake in the newly-formed CTC subsidiary Carbo Tech Industries GmbH (”CTI“).
The strategic acquisition of CTI strengths, amongst other competitive advantages, the sound technological knowhow of Carbo Tech, the automobile component supplier of the entire group. Plans call for a focus on series production. Initial contracts have already been won for prominent sports car manufacturers. The stake held in CTI offers the HTI Group good cross-engineering potential with existing stakes held by its industrial segments (e.g. in automotive lightweight construction, construction machinery and industrial applications).
Furthermore, the Supervisory Board of HTI approved the acquisition of the core business operations of HAT Skinline GmbH based in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, which specializes in the development, labelling and molding of any kind of plastic sheeting which will subsequently be back injected. The acquisition of HAT Skinline will be carried out by means of an asset deal. For this purpose, a new company will be set up, HTP Skinline GmbH, to incorporate these assets.
The back injection sheeting technology applied by HAT Skinline is currently being used to produce components for mobile telephones, ski bindings as well as for electric and electronic devices . HTI plans a further development in the direction of cross-engineering with all three HTI industrial segments (plastics, metal and mechanical engineering). In addition to the emphasis on mobile telephony, the company intends to develop projects in the automotive sector as well as in the electrical and electronic industries .

“The Management Board is currently taking a close look at further potential strategic acquisitions, in particular in the mechanical engineering segment. A further acquisition is about to be concluded”, adds Peter Glatzmeier. In this connection, the decision was made today to establish “HTE High Tech Engineering GmbH”, a new segment holding for mechanical engineering for all future acquisitions in this segment.
The Supervisory Board also decided to raise the shareholding of HTI High Tech Industries AG in BBG Baugeräte GmbH from 74% at present to 100%, effective January 1, 2008. Accordingly, HTI has made use of its call option granted within the context of the reorientation of the group’s business operations implemented at the beginning of 2007.
Peter Glatzmeier of the Management Board also announced that the three person management team of HTI, consisting of Kurt Helletzgruber, Peter Glatzmeier and Nikolaus Kretz, will increase its stake in HTI’s equity from the current level of 27% to about 32%.

« back