New investments in expanded network

New investments in expanded network Scania Maroc - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scania - is inaugurating three new service and customer centres in Morocco within the space of just a few months. These investments are part of a long-term commercial offensive which, until end September this year, resulted in a 150 percent sales increase over 1997 figures. The investment totals approx. 10 million Swedish kronor. A regional service centre was recently inaugurated in Casablanca. It covers a total area of 6,600 square metres, of which 2,000 square metres are under cover. It has eight full-size work-stations, which means that 16 vehicles can be taken in for service at any given time. The centre has its own parts store and shops, and there is also a 400 square metre office with a staff of 25. The head office of Scania Maroc remains in central Casablanca. "What is important," says Marc Haezenberghe, MD of Scania Maroc, "is that our service network exactly traces the contours of the major transport routes. International traffic between southern Europe and North Africa is increasing and many of the main routes pass through Morocco. The Moroccan road network is thus already de facto part of the European transport infrastructure." This means that the customer base for Scania's service network also includes European long-haul rigs passing through Morocco. With the expanded service network, Scania Maroc can now offer assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Next in line after Casablanca is Agadir, with inauguration scheduled just a few weeks from now. The investment there is of the same size as that for the Casablanca facility. And just into the new year, work will get under way on expanding Scania's service facility in the far north, in Tangiers. Scania's operations in Morocco are currently undergoing immense expansion. The period from January to end August this year saw 161 heavy vehicles invoiced, compared with 65 for the same period last year. The full-year figures for 1997 showed sales of 126 vehicles, following a strong performance during the autumn. Scania's market share has risen from 17 percent in 1997 to 28 percent for the first eight months of this year. Scania also runs a truck assembly plant in Morocco, including a cab assembly operation. For further information, please contact Bo Östlund on telephone number +46 8- 553 8 2846. Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. With 23,800 employees and production facilities in Europe and Latin America, Scania is one of the most profitable companies in its sector. In 1997, turnover totalled SEK 39,700 million and income after financial items SEK 2,800 million. Scania products are marketed in about 100 countries worldwide and approximately 95% of total production is sold outside Sweden. Scania press releases are available on the Internet, www.scania. ------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1998/10/22/19981022BIT00280/N98061EN.doc