Press releases

Munich, 27. July 2007

AURELIUS acquires Wellman International Limited – its 4th acquisition in 2007 to date

The Munich based industrial holding company AURELIUS AG (ISIN: DE000A0JK2A8) has acquired Wellman International Limited (Wellman International), Europe’s largest recycler of post-consumer PET bottles and the leading European producer of polyester staple fibres. Wellman, Inc., of Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA, arranged for the sale as part of its strategy to focus on its U.S. chemical-based business.

With approximately 380 employees, Wellman International generates a turnover of about €110 million per annum. In two plants at Spijk, the Netherlands, and at Verdun, France, post-consumer PET bottles, collected throughout Europe, are recycled so the material can be used to produce polyester fibres or recycled PET which is used in packaging. Polyester fibres made from this recycled material at the Company’s plant in Mullagh, Ireland, are used in a wide range of applications including articles of personal hygiene, upholstered furniture, loose-filled bed products, car interior trim and in industrial uses. The Dutch recycling plant, set up in 1989, was one of the first in Europe to process post-consumer PET bottles on an industrial scale; the Irish fibre plant is the largest in Europe and has led the way in developing fibres from recycled materials since its construction in 1973.

“Avoiding waste and re-using plastic materials are politically and socially important objectives for Europe and the world. Wellman International, with its scale and focus on recycling, is in the forefront of this trend”, said Dr. Dirk Markus, CEO of AURELIUS AG. “We want to develop Wellman International into a sustainably successful company by paying close attention to costs combined with specific investments and increased capacity to meet growth opportunities.”

Wellman International is the fourth acquisition by the AURELIUS Group in the business year 2007 to date. Group sales, calculated on an annual basis, will increase to more than € 500 million as a result of this acquisition. The initial consolidation, in third quarter 2007, will lead to significant positive effects on AURELIUS' income.

AURELIUS AG, Munich (www.aureliusinvest.com) acquires mid-sized companies and corporate spin-offs which are no longer part of the core business of the previous owner. AURELIUS acquires companies even when they are in difficult and complex situations and actively grows and develops them. AURELIUS increases the value of its investments to the benefit of all parties, using its own specialized project group and selective investment where appropriate, while paying particular attention to its social responsibility. The shares of AURELIUS AG trade under code AR4 (ISIN: DE000A0JK2A8) on the Open Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Wellman, Inc. manufactures and markets high-quality polyester products, including PermaClear^® brand PET (Polyethylenterephthalat) packaging resin and Fortrel^® brand polyester fiber and is traded on the NYSE under WLM.

Contact

AURELIUS AG
Investor Relations & Corporate Communication
Matthias L. Schneck
phone. +49 (0)89.5447.99.0
investor(at)aureliusinvest.de