Ad-hoc | 16.04.2008 HTI ACQUIRES TECHNOPLAST

HTI AG expands its Mechanical Engineering segment by acquiring a 100% shareholding of the Technoplast Group, a global provider of extrusion equipment.

St. Marien, Austria, April 16, 2008 – The publicly listed Austrian industrial holding company HTI High Tech Industries AG announces the acquisition of the Technoplast Group. The mechanical engineering company Technoplast is headquartered in Micheldorf, Upper Austria, its affiliated company Austrotool is based in Ottsdorf, Upper Austria, and worldwide sales offices are located in the U.S.A., Russia, China and Turkey.

Technoplast is considered to be a leading specialist in the development, production and sale of extrusion equipment. Due to its distinctive know-how in profile extrusion technology, Technoplast has emerged as an internationally recognized expert for manufacturing tooling systems, downstream lines and turn-key plants designed to produce window profiles by means of extrusion (plastic and wood extrusion). With a work force of approximately 200 employees, Technoplast generated total sales of about EUR 21 million in the first three quarters of the 2007/08 business year (as at the end of March 2008). The Technoplast Group has invested in the European market in recent years in order to expand its market position. For this reason, the company is in the midst of a restructuring process. It has not yet fully succeeded in achieving a turnaround, but this is realistically foreseeable.

The acquisition concluded by HTI AG enables the long-term safeguarding of Technoplast’s future viability as a company. Within the context of the transaction, HTI AG has placed 1,000,000 new shares at an issue price of EUR 4.00 per share, excluding subscription rights. HTI AG considers this acquisition to be an optimal extension of its corporate portfolio. Technoplast and Theysohn both manufacture complementary products and supply different markets. Synergy effects and corresponding productivity increases combined with a strengthening of its technological competence in the field of mechanical engineering underlie the expected continuation of the entire HTI Group’s profitable growth course. In addition, rising demand on the Western European window market promises to increase sales volume and simultaneously raise profitability. HTI AG is also expanding the Technoplast management team by appointing Mr. Werner Haidenthaler as Speaker of the Management Board of the Technoplast Group, with responsibility for managing the company together with Mr. Werner Kampichler and Mr. Sven Wolf.

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