Dürr and EDAG establish sales joint venture for aircraft business
09/23/2008
Stuttgart, September 23, 2008 – Dürr Systems GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dürr AG, and EDAG GmbH & Co. KGaA signed an agreement on the establishment of a joint venture, Dürr EDAG Aircraft Systems GmbH. The joint venture, in which Dürr and EDAG each hold 50%, will push the marketing of the two companies’ combined product and service offering for the aircraft industry. Application will be filed for antitrust approval.
With the joint venture Dürr and EDAG are responding to the needs of their customers in the aircraft industry. The major players in the industry especially are turning more and more to efficient system partners that can also reliably execute larger order packages. In addition, the aircraft industry is increasingly adopting manufacturing methods from the automotive industry, Dürr’s and EDAG’s core business.
In light of these structural changes and the growth presented in the aircraft manufacturing market Dürr and EDAG want to further expand their aircraft business. With new aircraft models due to be launched, a number of manufacturers are currently planning extensive investments in production technology. Airbus, for instance, is preparing for the start of production of its new A350 wide-body airliner. Dürr and EDAG received an order for the detailed planning of the A350 fuselage assembly line at the beginning of August.
Dürr AG’s CEO Ralf Dieter commented: “The joint venture will enhance our combined capabilities in the growth business with the aircraft industry. We can advise our customers even more effectively on the best possible production options and demonstrate how we can help.”
Dürr’s and EDAG’s product and service portfolios for the aircraft industry complement each other well. While Dürr offers systems for structural assembly and the painting of aircraft components, EDAG mainly specializes in outfitting equipment that is used for installing all the fixtures inside the body such as seats and baggage racks as well as electrical and hydraulic systems.
Dr. Uwe Siewert from Dürr and Werner Lotz from EDAG will be appointed as managing directors of Dürr EDAG Aircraft Systems. Both have long experience in plant engineering.
Dürr and EDAG have been collaborating successfully in the field of aircraft manufacturing technology for about two years. The partnership began with the joint construction of an assembly line for the Airbus A320 in Tianjin, China, that is due to go into production after the project’s successful completion in autumn 2008. Dürr and EDAG set up the Prime Contractor Consortium (PCC) last year for this project.
Dr. Uwe Siewert, who heads up the aircraft business at Dürr, commented: “With the construction of the assembly line in Tianjin, Dürr and EDAG were able to demonstrate precisely those capabilities that are increasingly sought after by our customers: system and product competence, the capacity to handle large volumes, and project management with global presence.”
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Please note the attached picture showing the signing of the joint venture agreement in Stuttgart. From left to right: Dr. Uwe Siewert (Head of Dürr´s aircraft business and Managing Director Dürr EDAG Aircraft Systems), Ralf Dieter (CEO Dürr AG), Manfred Hahl (COO EDAG Group), Werner Lotz (Managing Director Dürr EDAG Aircraft Systems), Rainer von Borstel (Head of EDAG Aerospace Division)
The Dürr Group is a supplier of plant and equipment that commands leading global market positions in its areas of activity. Business with the automotive industry accounts for about 85% of its sales. Dürr also supplies innovative manufacturing and environmental technologies for the aircraft, mechanical engineering, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The Dürr Group operates in the market through two divisions. The Paint and Assembly Systems division supplies production and painting technologies, mainly for automotive body & chassis manufacturing. The equipment and systems supplied by the Measuring and Process Systems division are used, among other things, for engine and transmission production and for final vehicle assembly. Dürr achieved sales of close to € 1.5 billion with approximately 6,000 employees in 2007. Dürr is present in 47 locations in 21 countries around the world.
Dürr has been systematically expanding its business in assembly and paint systems for the aircraft industry over the past years. Airbus is the biggest customer in this segment. Dürr has received several orders from this German-French manufacturer in recent years for plants in Germany, France, Great Britain and China.
Contact:
Dürr Aktiengesellschaft
Günter Dielmann / Mathias Christen
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Phone +49 (0)711 136-1785 / -1381
Fax +49 (0)711 136-1716
E-mail corpcom(at)durr.com
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