Industrivärden to sell its subsidiary Isaberg Rapid

Industrivärden has signed an agreement to sell its last remaining wholly owned operating subsidiary, Isaberg Rapid, to the private equity firm Segulah. The buyer is expected to take possession of the company in January 2007. Upon the sale, Industrivärden will have achieved its goal to work only as an active owner with a transparent portfolio of large and midcap listed Nordic companies. The purchase price amounts to more than SEK 500 M, generating a capital gain of nearly SEK 100 M.

Isaberg Rapid has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Industrivärden since 1992. During the last fifteen-year period, Industrivärden has helped develop Isaberg Rapid into a global player in stapling for the office and tool markets. Isaberg Rapid is today Europe's leading company in stapling, with sales in 140 countries. During Industrivärden's ownership, sales have increased from approximately SEK 300 M to roughly SEK 1 billion today.

Commenting on the deal, Anders Nyrén, President and CEO of Industrivärden, said: "Isaberg Rapid is positioned today as a leading manufacturer of stapling products. How-ever, mounting price competition and changed distribution patterns put high demands on change. After completing strong structural and efficiency-improvement measures, Isa-berg Rapid is once again showing good profit growth. Against this background and the fact that Industrivärden's strategy is to work with active ownership in a transparent and concentrated equities portfolio in large and midcap listed Nordic companies, we are now selling our only remaining operating subsidiary."

The sale is contingent upon approval from the competition authorities.

Stockholm, December 13, 2006

AB INDUSTRIVÄRDEN (publ.)

For further information, please contact:
Anders Nyrén, President and CEO, Industrivärden, tel. +46-8-666 64 00
Bengt Kjell, Executive Vice President, Industrivärden, tel. +46-8-666 64 00