30th Anniversary Celebrations at Dürr Zistersdorf

06/22/2001

• Silver jubilee as an AMS Training Centre
• Dynamic Centre of Competence for Dürr global production
• Major employment provider in Lower Austria
• Open House

Guests from the worlds of politics, business and society were invited to an official ceremony to celebrate Dürr Anlagenbau Ges.m.b.H's 30th anniversary and its silver jubilee as a Lower Austria AMS training centre. Afterwards the company doors were opened to all employees and guests so that they could take a look behind the scenes at the premises of one of the largest employment providers in Zistersdorf and at the Training and Further Education Centre based there.

Dürr Zistersdorf has continually striven to increase both its manufacturing competence and its competitiveness during the 30 years of its existence and remains a particularly dynamic location within the Dürr global production network. Hans Dieter Pötsch, Chairman of the Dürr AG Board and Managing Director of the Zistersdorf plant and equipment subsidiary declared "The vision and enthusiasm of our people here in Zistersdorf has ensured a successful stand in global competition. The company's know-how in the manufacture of stainless steel products has been of particular importance in achieving and maintaining our lead in manufacturing technology."

The partnership between Dürr Zistersdorf and the Lower Austrian regional government began 25 years ago when the Dürr subsidiary first housed a Training Centre for the Lower Austria Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice Niederösterreich - AMS NÖ). 4,500 people have attended both vocational training and further education courses there in seven different future-orientated trades and occupations. Karl Fakler, Deputy Director of the Lower Austria Employment Service said that Dürr makes a valuable contribution towards meeting the structural challenges posed by the employment market in the region. In recent years there has been a marked rise in the demand for training in the field of electronics.

Dr Heinz Dürr, majority shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Dürr AG, was one of the initiators of the training centre and he and Dr Bruno Kreisky, then Austrian Chancellor, performed the symbolic ground breaking ceremony held at commencement of the project in 1976. To emphasise the importance of Dürr Zistersdorf, Hans Dieter Pötsch, Dürr's Chairman of the Board, explained that "At that time Dürr's Austrian company provided a vital bridgehead for pursuing business in the Eastern European markets. Today our people continue to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the company's location at the heart of Europe to maintain our ability to compete. Our partnership with the AMS also represents living proof of our commitment to social responsibilities."

The Dürr Technology Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of manufacturing systems and manufacturing support services for the automobile industry and its suppliers. The six business units - Paint Systems, Automotion, Environmental, Ecoclean, Services and INTX - operating under the strategic management of holding company Dürr AG together with the Carl Schenck Group are represented by around 100 companies located in 25 countries around the world. Business earnings, achieved by approximately 11,500 employees, reached 2,042 million euros in the year 2000. EBITDA rose by 83.3 % to 119.8 m euro. For the current fiscal year 2001 Dürr is again expecting a double-digit growth rate in sales and ear-nings, with a more than proportionate increase in earnings.