Observer makes second acquisition in Canada in short time

Observer makes second acquisition in Canada in short time Observer is acquiring Canada's Mediascan/CaisseChartier a leader in media monitoring services in Quebec, the primarily French-speaking part of the country, to complement its previous Canadian acquisition. Mediascan/CaisseChartier is a well-established company with a complete range of media monitoring services for print, radio and TV. Unlike the previously acquired Bowdens, its base is in the French-speaking province of Quebec, with its headquarters in Montreal. With this new acquisition, Observer complements its major Canadian acquisition earlier in the week. "This is a natural step for us. Together with our earlier acquisition, Mediascan/CaisseChartier gives us a market-leading position in both of Canada's official language regions," says Observer CEO Robert Lundberg. Geographic expansion is an important part of Observer's growth strategy and gives the company the opportunity to take advantage of the economies of scale it has built up in Europe, where it has operations in 11 countries. Its goal is to introduce the same broad range of services in North America as it has in Europe in recent years. Its presence in Canada also gives Observer alternatives for a continued expansion into the U.S. "Our move to Canada is strategic," adds Robert Lundberg. "It is our first step across the Atlantic, and our position gives us the opportunity to further expand in North America. This can be done either by growing our own operations or through other acquisitions." Mediascan/Caisse Chartier has a turnover of approximately SEK 40 million and is expected, together with Bowdens, to contribute positively to Observer's profit before goodwill amortization from the first year. After the acquisitions, Observer's total turnover in Canada will be approximately SEK 165 million. Facts about Observer AB Observer AB, quoted on the Attract 40 section of Stockholm Stock Exchange's O-list, operates in the fields of media and market monitoring, analysis and communication-evaluation, target group identification for PR- and IR purposes and is world leading in its line of business. On a rolling twelve-month basis, Observer AB has a turnover of more than SEK 1,200 million and employs around 2,000 people in the UK, Sweden, Canada, Germany, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. For further information, please contact: Robert Lundberg, President and CEO, phone + 46 8 507 410 10, e-mail: robert.lundberg@observergroup.com Per Blixt, Senior VP Corporate Communications, phone + 46 8 507 410 12/+46 70 549 28 08, e-mail: per.blixt@observergroup.com This press release is also available online at www.observergroup.com ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/08/31/20010831BIT00190/bit0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/08/31/20010831BIT00190/bit0001.pdf