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PRESS RELEASE: Joyou AG: LIXIL and DBJ Complete the Acquisition of 87.5 per cent of GROHE Group S. r.l.

DGAP-News: Joyou AG / Key word(s): Mergers & Acquisitions Joyou AG: LIXIL and DBJ Complete the Acquisition of 87.5 per cent of GROHE Group S. r.l.

24.01.2014 / 10:21

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LIXIL and DBJ Complete the Acquisition of 87.5 per cent of GROHE Group S. r.l.

Hamburg, 24 January 2014 - Joyou AG has been informed that on 21 January 2014, LIXIL Corporation ('LIXIL') and the Development Bank of Japan Inc. ('DBJ'), via their joint holding company GraceB S. r.l. ('GraceB'), have completed the acquisition of 87.5 per cent of the share capital of GROHE Group S. r.l. ('GROHE'), Joyou AG's parent company.

Via GraceB and GROHE, LIXIL and DBJ together now hold 72.3 per cent of the shares in Joyou AG. 27.7 per cent of the shares remain in free float.

With the completion of the acquisition, GROHE and Joyou AG became part of the LIXIL group on 21 January 2014.

Further information can be found in LIXIL's and GROHE's joint press release which is published at

http://www.grohe-group.com/en/press/press-releases/p/25_8630.html?item=129 4&id_cat=77.

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PRESS RELEASE: Joyou AG: LIXIL and DBJ Complete the Acquisition of 87.5 per cent of GROHE Group S.à r.l.

New York PepsiCo Inc. has quietly gotten rid of the word natural in some of its products and instead is going with simply.

The company changed its Simply Natural line of Frito-Lay chips to be called Simply, although the ingredients remain the same. Similarly, its Natural Quaker Granola got a makeover as Simply Quaker Granola.

The food and beverage giant says the name changes, which took place last year, are the result of updating its marketing. But they come at a time when PepsiCo and other companies face legal challenges over their use of the word natural.

The Food and Drug Administration doesnt have a definition for what constitutes natural, but says it doesnt object to the words use as long as the product doesnt contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances. Still, a number of lawsuits recently have challenged whether the ingredients in products labeled as natural fit that billing.

In some cases, companies are realizing the use of natural isnt worth the headache, said Steve Gardner, director of litigation for the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that has filed lawsuits against companies on the topic.

Last year, PepsiCo agreed to remove the words all natural from its Naked juices after a lawsuit noted the drinks contained artificial ingredients, such as a fiber made by Archer Midland Daniels. In November, PepsiCo killed off its Gatorade Natural line, saying the drinks didnt resonate with its core consumers.

We constantly update our marketing and packaging, said Candace Mueller-Medina, a spokeswoman for PepsiCos Quaker brand.

PepsiCo isnt alone in retreating from natural. The owners of Ben & Jerrys and Breyers ice cream agreed to change packaging in 2012 to settle lawsuits over its use of all natural. Campbell Soup was sued in 2012 for describing its Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers as natural, with the suit noting they contain genetically modified ingredients.

The word simply isnt entirely free of controversy either. Although it didnt file a lawsuit, the Center for Science in the Public Interest met with General Mills in 2010 over labeling on a variety of the companys products. Among those singled out was Simply Fruit, which the group noted contained canola oil and carrot juice not just fruit.

When asked if it had a response to the centers complaint that the name was misleading, General Mills spokesman Mike Siemienas said in an email, Yes, we do have a response: It isnt.

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PepsiCo rebrands 'natural' products with 'Simply'

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DGAP-News: Homag Group AG / Key word(s): Merger HOMAG Group bundles its automation activities

24.01.2014 / 07:01

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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.

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PRESS RELEASE: HOMAG Group bundles its automation activities

PRESS RELEASE: SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG: European Court decides on claim of nullity against fine from the year 2009

DGAP-News: SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG / Key word(s): Legal Matter SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG: European Court decides on claim of nullity against fine from the year 2009

23.01.2014 / 14:03

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Unterneukirchen (Germany), January 23, 2014. The Court of Justice of the European Union rejected, in the context of its rendition of judgment of today, the claim of nullity brought forward by companies of the SKW Metallurgie Group against the antitrust fine of the year 2009. Moreover, the Court of Justice of the European Union assessed, by another decision of today relating to the claim of nullity brought forward by Gigaset AG against the same fine, the fine levied onto Gigaset AG at EUR 12.3 million; other than that, that claim was rejected as well. The SKW Metallurgie Group currently assumes, relating to the maximum fine in the amount of EUR 13.3 million levied in this matter also onto companies outside the Group through joint and several liabilities, that economically it will not have to bear any fine at least in the amount of EUR 12.3 million, since according to the assessment of the SKW Metallurgie Group, full liability is with the then corporate parent ARQUES Industries AG (now: Gigaset AG) at least for that amount, in the context of the execution of internal compensation proceedings. This assessment is also confirmed by Oberlandesgericht Mnchen (Upper Regional Court Mnchen) in the context of the reasons for its decision of February 9, 2012. While also referring to the reasons for the decision by the Regional Court, in its ruling, the Upper Regional Court Mnchen also ascertained that 'it is not the defendant [SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG und SKW Stahl-Metallurgie GmbH] that has to bear the monetary fine, but the plaintiff [Gigaset AG]'. Regarding to this legal case, a final ruling by Bundesgerichtshof [Federal High Court] is currently pending. The SKW Metallurgie Group will intensely evaluate the appropriate financial classification of this matter. Based on currently available information and their first review, the creation of a provision for the fine is to be assumed in the amount of EUR 1 million. In addition, the provisions created for legal fees will be re-evaluated. After intense assessment of the written opinion of the court, the SKW Metallurgie Group will decide on further steps. The judgment is to become legally binding in two months at the earliest. Should the SKW Metallurgie Group have to remit payments to the European Commission regarding this matter, the required cash positions would be available.

Further information on the Group can be found online at: http://www.skw-steel.com.

Contact SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG Christian Schunck Head of IR and Corporate Communications Rathausplatz 11 84579 Unterneukirchen Germany Telephone IR/Press: +49 89 5998923-22 Fax: +49 89 5998923-29 E-mail: schunck@skw-steel.com Internet: http://www.skw-steel.com

About SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG The SKW Metallurgie Group is the global market leader for chemical additives for hot metal desulphurization, and for cored wire used in secondary metallurgy. The Group's products enable steel-makers to efficiently manufacture high-quality steel products. Clients include the world's leading companies in the steel industry. The SKW Metallurgie Group has more than 50 years of metallurgical know how, and currently operates in more than 40 countries. What is more, the Group is a leading supplier of Quab specialty chemicals, which are mainly used in the global production of industrial starch for the paper industry. The company's operating business is broken down into the two core segments 'Cored Wire' and 'Powder and Granules', and the 'Other' segment. The SKW Metallurgie Group is headquartered in Germany with production facilities in France, the US (6), Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, Sweden, Bhutan, Russia, the Peoples' Republic of China (2) and India (2 via joint venture). Shares of SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG have been listed in Frankfurt Stock Exchange's Prime Standard since December 1, 2006 with ISIN DE000SKWM013 (from August 15, 2011: new ISIN DE000SKWM021).

DISCLAIMER This press release contains statements on future developments that are based on currently available information and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, for example, unpredictable changes in political and economic conditions, particularly in the steel and paper industry, the competitive situation, interest and currency risks, technological development as well as other risks and unexpected circumstances. SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG and its Group companies accept no obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

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PRESS RELEASE: SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG: European Court decides on claim of nullity against fine from the year ...