Successful start for US production of Procera AllCeram

Successful start for US production of Procera® AllCeram The new production unit in the USA for Procera® AllCeram dental copings has got off to a successful start. More than half of the volume destined for North-American dental laboratories is already being supplied by the new plant in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, which was opened in November 1999. This plant is being run as a joint venture with Sandvik AB and will be officially opened today. The USA is the world's largest single dental market. Every year, some 30 million dental copings are produced; this corresponds to 50% of the total world market. Most of them are known as single copings. The market is currently dominated first and foremost by metal copings that are produced by hand by craftsmen and it is on this market that Procera® is competing with its industrially-produced dental copings. "Establishment in the USA will enable us significantly to improve the delivery precision we offer our customers. Delivery times will be reduced by 48 hours and the service level for customers in the USA and Canada will be markedly improved," says Jack Forsgren, president of Nobel Biocare. "I am convinced that we shall increase our market share very rapidly now that this new plant is operating. The market is currently dominated by metal dental copings that are produced by hand by craftsmen and Procera® has outstanding potential to compete successfully with its industrially- produced copings which offer important benefits in terms of fit, esthetics and production costs," Jack Forsgren concludes. Sales on the North-American market account for more than 60% of the turnover for Procera. In September 1999 the annualized production rate of Procera® AllCeram copings was 460,000. By December, the annual rate had risen to more than 500,000 copings. During the final quarter of 1999, a record number of Procera® Scanners were also sold to new customers and, in the USA, sales were the highest so far for a single quarter. To date, scanners have been delivered to 22 countries. The production of Procera® AllCeram is based on a unique, high-tech, IT- based process for individually designed products. In addition to the new plant in Fair Lawn in the USA, production also takes place in Stockholm, Sweden. The total investment in the US plant exceeds SEK 40 M, half of which will be provided by Nobel Biocare. Göteborg, 12 January 2000 NOBEL BIOCARE AB For further information, please contact: Mikael Kromli, CFO and Vice President Finance & Control, Nobel Biocare AB telephone +46 31 81 89 80. Nobel Biocare is an innovative, medical devices company, whose core business comprises dental implants and dental prosthetics. The company's product systems for dental implants, Brånemark System® and Steri-Oss® , are world leaders and have a global market share of around 40%. The company's other product line, Procera® , is a unique, IT-based process for the industrial production of dental prosthetics. The system has been launched very successfully in 22 countries in North America, Europe and South America. Nobel Biocare has around 1,100 employees and, in 1998, turnover totalled SEK 1,310 million. The company's headquarters are located in Gothenburg, Sweden, while production takes place in Sweden and the USA. Nobel Biocare has its own sales companies in some 20 countries. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/01/12/20000112BIT00380/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/01/12/20000112BIT00380/bit0002.pdf