Atlas Copco acquires compressed air specialist for the marine industry

Stockholm, Sweden, October 11, 2005: Atlas Copco Internationaal B.V. has acquired Ketting Handel B.V. based in The Netherlands. It has a consolidated turnover of approximately MSEK 35 (MEUR 3.8) and 13 employees.

Ketting Handel B.V., established in 1962, is mainly active in the marine sector. It has experience in the design, assembly and maintenance of starting air packages and compressed air systems for use on board ships. It is a valued supplier to the European shipping market and is on the approved vendors list of various international ship owners, ship architects and ship yards. Ketting Handel B.V. has been an Atlas Copco distributor for more than 20 years. See www.kettingbv.nl for further information. “The acquisition is in line with our strategy to focus on the marine sector as a target market for growth and development. We will develop Ketting into a competence center for the marine business, offering our customers an extended product portfolio including starting air and working air,” says Bengt Kvarnbäck, Business Area President, Atlas Copco Compressor Technique. Ketting will become part of Atlas Copco Compressor Technique’s Industrial Air division. Ketting Handel will remain the name of the company. The Atlas Copco brand will be introduced for Ketting’s products.