| In accordance with the provisions of the Code of Best Practice for WSE Listed Companies, the Ljubljana Stock Exchange Rules, and the applicable legislation, the company Gorenje, d.d., is publishing the following announcement: Velenje, 22 June 2017 – Eurofins Scientific, the global leader in environment testing, has signed an agreement with the shareholders of ERICo (Environmental Research & Industrial Co-operation), to acquire this leading independent laboratory for environment testing services in Slovenia. As the largest private environment testing laboratory in the country, ERICo provides a comprehensive portfolio of analytical services for water, air and soil testing. The company also provides research and consultancy as part of its analytical service offering. Founded 25 years ago, the company employs 46 staff at its laboratory in Velenje, and serves primarily the largest industrial companies including power plants and coal mines, as well as public municipalities. In addition, ERICo has GMP capabilities for pharmaceutical products testing, although this represents a small portion of its business at present. This expected acquisition therefore represents a solid entry platform for Eurofins, and for ERICo an opportunity for further stable development and gaining of valuable expertise as a part of a leading global corporation in the field of environment, food and pharmaceuticals testing. Marijan Penšek, Executive Vice President at Gorenje Group: “We believe ERICo will benefit from becoming part of the Eurofins Group, and getting access to its wide range of technical expertise and its network capabilities. We look forward to continued collaboration between Eurofins and ERICo’s former shareholders, the Gorenje Group (one of the leading European manufacturers of household appliances), Termoelektrarna Šoštanj (a regional power plant) and Premogovnik Velenje (a regional coal mine).” “ERICo provides Eurofins a good entry into the analytical testing market in Slovenia and reinforces our footprint in central and eastern Europe, stated Dr. Gilles Martin, Eurofins CEO. “We are looking forward to contributing to, and strengthening ERICo’s position in its market, as well as expanding the portfolio of tests it offers to customers by offering the full range of services and capabilities of the Group.” Eurofins Scientific through its subsidiaries is a world leader in food, environment and pharmaceutical products testing and also one of the global independent market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for agroscience, genomics, pharmacology and for supporting clinical studies. In addition, Eurofins is one of the key emerging players in specialty clinical diagnostic testing in Europe and the USA. With over 28,000 staff in 310 laboratories across 39 countries, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 130,000 analytical methods for evaluating the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin and purity of biological substances and products, as well as for innovative clinical diagnostic. Disclaimer: The English text for all announcements is for information purposes only! The information in this announcement will be available on the official web site of the company Gorenje, d.d., Velenje, Slovenia, www.gorenjegroup.com, for at least 5 years from the date of this announcement. Management Board of Gorenje, d.d. | |
