DGAP-News: HOMAG Group bundles its automation activities

DGAP-News: Homag Group AG / Key word(s): Merger HOMAG Group bundles its automation activities 24.01.2014 / 07:01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- HOMAG Group bundles its automation activities - Subsidiaries BARGSTEDT and LIGMATECH are merged into HOMAG Automation - Growth areas of handling, assembly, packaging and robotics are strengthened - Locations, jobs and brands remain intact Schopfloch, January 24, 2014. The HOMAG Group, the world's leading manufacturer of plant and machinery for the woodworking industry and for cabinet makers sees growing demand for automation from its customers around the globe. This opens up great growth opportunities in the fields of handling, assembly and packaging. To cater for this growth worldwide, the HOMAG Group will merge its two subsidiaries BARGSTEDT Handlingsysteme GmbH, Hemmoor, and LIGMATECH Automationssysteme GmbH, Lichtenberg, into HOMAG Automation GmbH. This will create additional capacity for the systematic growth and global expansion of activities in the fields of handling, packaging and assembly. Both locations and the well-established brand names will remain intact. CEO of HOMAG Group AG, Dr. Markus Flik, emphasized that there would be no redundancies for operational reasons. 'With this merger, we want to free up additional resources so that we can grow worldwide with both brands in the corresponding core business areas. On the back of the planned growth, we want to create new jobs at both locations in the coming years.' The merger is intended to avoid duplicate development work, as the product ranges of BARGSTEDT and LIGMATECH currently overlap in the area of automation. The development capacity that will be freed up at both locations as a result of the move will be systematically deployed to achieve the growth planned in the fields of handling, packaging and assembly as well as the expanding project business. This is intended to secure and expand the market leadership in the area of automation projects. Harald Becker-Ehmck, the board member in charge of production at HOMAG Group AG, sees additional advantages to the merger: 'It will result in a larger unit that not only offers growth opportunities but also potential to raise efficiency. By combining the sales teams, for instance, we will be able to further intensify our customer service and provide on-site support more frequently in the future. Further synergies will arise in procurement, in production and the areas of research and development.' The aim is to implement the project in stages up to the end of 2014. - - - - - - - - - - Background information With its 15 specialized production companies, 21 group sales and service companies and approximately 60 exclusive sales partners worldwide, HOMAG Group AG's position as a complete system supplier is unique. Backed by a workforce of some 5,000 employees worldwide, the Company sees itself as the leading global manufacturer of plant and machinery for the woodworking and wood materials processing industry and cabinet makers active in the production of furniture and construction elements as well as timber frame houses. The Group also offers its customers a wide range of services, including software and consulting services. HOMAG Group AG shares have been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt stock exchange since July 13, 2007. Disclaimer This press release contains certain statements relating to the future. Future-oriented statements are all those statements that do not pertain to historical facts and events or expressions pertaining to the future such as 'believes', 'estimates', 'assumes', 'forecasts', 'intend', 'may', 'will', 'should' or similar expressions. Such future-oriented statements are subject to risks and uncertainty since they relate to future events and are based on current assumptions of the Company, which may not occur in the future or may not occur in the anticipated form. The Company points out that such future-oriented statements do not guarantee the future; actual results including the financial position and the profitability of the HOMAG Group as well as the development of economic and regulatory framework conditions may deviate significantly (and prove unfavorable) from what is expressly or implicitly assumed or described in these statements. Even if the actual results of the HOMAG Group including the financial position and profitability as well as the economic and regulatory framework conditions should coincide with the future-oriented statements in this announcement, it cannot be guaranteed that the same will hold true in the future. Information: HOMAG Group AG Kai Knitter Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Phone: +49 7443 13-2461 kai.knitter@homag-group.com www.homag-group.com End of Corporate News --------------------------------------------------------------------- 24.01.2014 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EQS Group 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: English Company: Homag Group AG Homagstr. 3-5 72296 Schopfloch Germany Phone: +49 (0)7443 / 13 - 0 Fax: +49 (0)7443 / 13 - 2300 E-mail: info@homag-group.com Internet: www.homag-group.com ISIN: DE0005297204 WKN: 529720 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service --------------------------------------------------------------------- 248160 24.01.2014