Atlas Copco completes acquisition of company in healthcare sector

Stockholm, Sweden, August 25, 2006: Atlas Copco North America Inc. has acquired Beacon Holdings Corporation (parent company to BeaconMedaes and Medaes), United States, from The Riverside Company. The BeaconMedaes group is a solutions provider, predominantly of medical air systems and medical utility delivery systems for hospitals.

In 2005 revenues were approx. MSEK 720 (MEUR 77) and the operating profit margin approx. 7%. The purchase price, paid in cash, was MSEK 700 (MEUR 75). The BeaconMedaes group is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the United States and has 386 employees. The company has assembly facilities and a strong presence in both the United States and Great Britain. It is a world-leading supplier of medical air equipment, including medical air compressors, vacuum systems and pipeline components. Its products, for example, supply breathing air for hospitals and compressed air to drive surgical tools. BeaconMedaes becomes Atlas Copco’s competence center for medical air and medical utility delivery systems. The business is part of Atlas Copco Compressor Technique’s Industrial Air division and the products will be sold under the brand names Atlas Copco, Medaes and BeaconMedaes.