EANS-News: Valora Holding AG
Valora acquires K. Schmelzer- J. Bettenhausen
GmbH & Co KG, Austria´s leading railway station bookseller
29.10.2011 – 10:02
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Company Information Muttenz, October 29, 2011 (euro adhoc) - Valora acquires K. Schmelzer- J. Bettenhausen GmbH & Co KG, Austria´s leading railway station bookseller, thus extending its Retail division´s geographic market coverage - Purchase to add 12 outlets in prime locations - All German-speaking national markets now covered Purchase to add 12 outlets in prime locations With effect from January 1, 2012, Valora has acquired K. Schmelzer- J. Bettenhausen GmbH & Co KG (Schmelzer-Bettenhausen), Austria´s leading railway station bookseller. The transaction will raise Valora´s previous 22% minority interest to one of full ownership of this well-established company, originally founded in 1926. Under its "press&more" banner, Schmelzer-Bettenhausen operates 12 stores at top-quality sites. The company, which has a staff of some 70 employees, generated turnover of just over EUR 12 million in 2010. All German-speaking national markets now covered Valora´s acquisition of Schmelzer-Bettenhausen is an important element in the Group´s further expansion of its market activities in the German-speaking European markets (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). 8 of the 12 stores Valora has purchased are located in Austria´s largest railway stations, with another two at Vienna airport. Increasing passenger numbers on Austrian Federal Railways and the substantial investments Austria is making in its railway infrastructure offer very attractive opportunities for further profitable growth. Valora sees additional potential in product-range streamlining and in the deployment in Austria of the Group´s established and highly successful "Press&Books" format, whose current network comprises some 200 outlets in Germany and Switzerland. Commenting on the transaction, Thomas Vollmoeller, Valora´s CEO, said, "We are delighted to have been able to acquire Austria´s leading railway station bookseller. This not only enables us to fill a major geographic gap in our network, but also provides us with an excellent opportunity to build on our skills in this area." K. Schmelzer- J. Bettenhausen GmbH & Co KG Under its "press&more" banner, the company operates 12 stores selling press products and travel literature at major railway stations in Austria and at Vienna airport. The range of titles on offer includes newspapers, periodicals and paperbacks, as well as best-selling non-fiction and literature. A selection of food and non-food items completes the product range. The company´s previous majority shareholder was Morawa, Austria´s largest press distributor. Further inquiry note: Investor Relations: Mladen Tomic Tel.: +41 58 789 12 20 E-Mail: mladen.tomic@valora.com oder Media Relations: Stefania Misteli Tel.: +41 58 789 12 01 E-Mail: stefania.misteli@valora.com end of announcement euro adhoc -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- company: Valora Holding AG Hofackerstrasse 40 CH-4132 Muttenz phone: +41 61 467 20 20 FAX: +41 58 789 12 12 mail: info@valora.com WWW: www.valora.com sector: Retail ISIN: CH0002088976 indexes: stockmarkets: stock market: BX Berne eXchange, Main Standard: SIX Swiss Exchange language: English