Media Information Media Information

MENNEKES Elektrotechnik GmbH & Co. KG Aloys-Mennekes-Str. 1 D-57399 Kirchhundem / Germany Phone +49 (0) 27 23 / 41-1 Fax +49 (0) 27 23 / 41-214 E-Mail [email protected] Media information Internet www.MENNEKES.de Media information

Steinmeier visits Mennekes in Kirchhundem

Kirchhundem. On 31 October, company Mennekes welcomed Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Kirchhundem. The chairman of the SPD's parliamentary group in the Bundestag had accepted Walter Mennekes’ invitation to visit them. The two have known each other for many years, having joined trips as delegates of the former black-red coalition government, together with representatives of the German industry.

Following the welcome greeting and a detailed plant tour through the modern production facilities, Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the staff of Mennekes. He was impressed by the Sauerland company’s innovative strength in both its core business of industrial plugs and sockets and its charging solutions in the area of electric mobility. Steinmeier highlighted the importance of medium-sized enterprises as the driving force of Germany’s economy. He pointed out that family-owned businesses in particular define sustainably the German industry by thinking and acting in a long-term based fashion.

He than met with Mennekes’ entire works council and management team to discuss the current challenges faced by family-owned businesses, including how to deal with the dwindling numbers of skilled workers.

Walter Mennekes believes that the visit was worth it: “It is important that politicians know what kind of issues are affecting medium-sized, family-owned enterprises and what we expect from politics. I am convinced that through exchanging our ideas we have contributed to this.”

MENNEKES Press contact:

Burkhard Rarbach, Head of Corporate Communications

Tel. 0 27 23 / 41 - 380, Fax 0 27 23 / 41 - 49 380, E-Mail [email protected] Page 1 / 3

Following the visit to Mennekes, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier travelled on to Olpe, where he was awaited by the Employers Association of Olpe district as the main speaker of their business services conference.

MENNEKES-Contact: Burkhard Rarbach, Director Corporate Communications Phone: +49 (0) 2723 – 41 380, Fax: +49 (0) 2723 – 41 49380, E-Mail: [email protected] Page 2 / 4

Picture:

Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier (middle), chairman of the SPD's parliamentary group in the Bundestag, visited Mennekes in Kirchhundem and spoke with the managing partners Walter (left) and Christopher Mennekes (right) as well as the chairmen of the works council Manfred Behle (second from the left) and Rudi Noeker (second from the right) about current challenges faced by family-owned businesses.

MENNEKES-Contact: Burkhard Rarbach, Director Corporate Communications Phone: +49 (0) 2723 – 41 380, Fax: +49 (0) 2723 – 41 49380, E-Mail: [email protected] Page 3 / 4

Kirchhundem, dated 31th October 2012

Printing free of charge, copy requested.

MENNEKES Elektrotechnik GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1935 and is the developer of the German standards draft for charging couplers as well as leading manufacturer of industrial plugs and sockets. The company has a global presence with subsidiaries and representations in more than 90 countries and employs more than 900 people worldwide. The product range comprises standardised plugs and sockets in over 11,000 different variants and designs as well as charging couplers for electric vehicles, which where awarded with the first VDE test seal ever. We take an integrated approach towards electric mobility and develop components like charging plugs, charging cables and vehicle inlets as well as complete charging stations for commercial and private application. The solutions thus fulfil perfectly the requirements of car manufacturers, electric utilities and consumers. In the past business year, the MENNEKES Group achieved a consolidated turnover of more than 110 million Euros. More than half of the turnover is made in export.

More information at www.MENNEKES.de and at Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

MENNEKES-Contact: Burkhard Rarbach, Director Corporate Communications Phone: +49 (0) 2723 – 41 380, Fax: +49 (0) 2723 – 41 49380, E-Mail: [email protected] Page 4 / 4