BPW and ADETE Join Forces for the Future

Press Release

BPW and ADETE join Forces for the Future BPW acquires the plastic experts ADETE

Wiehl/Kaiserslautern, 10.12.2014 --- BPW Bergische Achsen KG, an international mobility partner for the transport industry with its headquarters in the district of Wiehl, is expanding its development expertise in the area of plastics. To this end, it contractually agreed the acquisition of ADETE - Advanced Engineering & Technologies GmbH - with its headquarters in Kaiserslautern at the end of October. ADETE is a specialist in the development and implementation of innovative lightweight plastic and fibre composite solutions and has been operating successfully in the market since 1999. The economic transition of the company will take place on 1 January 2015.

"Plastic solutions are becoming increasingly important in the commercial vehicle industry, particularly because the requirements regarding low energy consumption and high efficiency are constantly on the increase. We can produce even lighter vehicles together with the vehicle manufacturers through the use of plastics, thus enabling vehicle operators, namely shipping companies and fleet organisations, to reduce the fuel consumption per freight consignment. The ECO Air Tank manufactured by our Danish subsidiary HBN Teknik is setting new standards in the market in this respect", explains Dr. Bert Brauers, Managing Director Design/Development/Testing at BPW.

Dr. Markus Steffens, founder and former sole managing partner of ADETE sees the acquisition by BPW as a win-win situation. "The integration of ADETE into the BPW Group as a plastics specialist lays the foundation for a growth spurt at ADETE. Having a new strong partner will make it easier for us to gain access to perceivably larger and increasingly international development projects in the area of plastics and fibre composites".

BPW and ADETE have already been working closely together for several years. A jointly developed prototype of a lightweight axle made of fibre-reinforced plastic was recently shown at the Commercial Vehicle Show, IAA 2014. "The potential for the use of plastics in truck and trailer components is enormous. We are specifically strengthening our development expertise in this area to develop other innovative solutions", states Dr. Brauers. "This once again makes us the right partner for vehicle operators in order to meet their requirements for safe and efficient mobility".

Both companies see the benefits of the thematic diversity of ADETE's development projects: "Our existing experience and continued involvement also in projects outside of the commercial vehicle sector - such as classic mechanical engineering, marine engineering, the energy sector or medical engineering - will lead to added value also within the BPW Group", believes Dr. Steffens.

The BPW Group portfolio ranges from axles, suspension systems, brake technologies, closure systems, body technology, lighting systems and plastic technologies through to user-friendly telematics applications for trucks and trailers. BPW is a reliable international mobility and system partner for the transport industry and offers innovative solutions from a single source. The BPW Group creates the highest transparency in loading and transport processes and enables efficient fleet management. The owner-managed international BPW Group has around 5,500 employees worldwide. Contact: Head of Corporate Communications Anne Bentfeld Phone +49 22 62 / 78-19 09 Fax +49 22 62 / 78-49 09 [email protected] www.bpw.de/presse

BPW Bergische Achsen KG, Ohlerhammer, 51674 Wiehl, Germany, www.bpw.de

ADETE - Advanced Engineering & Technologies GmbH, Opelstrasse 1a, 67661 Kaiserslautern, Germany, www.adete.com