September 15, 2014 RF 00240-d Lo, Rg/Wä Bosch intends to acquire all shares in ZF Lenksysteme Presentation by Dr. Volkmar Denner, Chairman of the Board of Management of Robert Bosch GmbH, at the teleconference on September 15, 2014 Check against delivery. Robert Bosch GmbH Postfach 10 60 50 70049 Stuttgart Corporate Communications, Brand Management, and Sustainability E-Mail:
[email protected] Phone: +49 711 811-6283 Fax: +49 711 811–7612 Senior Vice President: Uta-Micaela Dürig Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome you to this press conference, which has been called at very short notice. Following a press release you received from us earlier this morning, we would now like to inform you personally about the planned acquisition of ZF Lenksysteme GmbH (ZFLS) by Bosch. We plan to increase our stake in ZFLS to 100 percent. Up to now, the two parent companies Bosch and ZF have each held a 50 percent stake in this joint venture. An agreement to this effect was signed today, on September 15, 2014. We have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. Since we set up ZF Lenksysteme GmbH with ZF in 1999, the company has gone from strength to strength. Last year, ZFLS generated sales of some 4.1 billion euros, a 3 percent increase over 2012. It also increased its earnings by 4 percent to 167 million euros. As a successful, profitable, and innovative company, ZFLS fits very well into the Bosch Group, from both a strategic and a technological perspective. ZFLS develops, manufactures, and sells electric and hydraulic steering systems for passenger cars and commercial vehicles worldwide.