SODERTALJE, Sweden, April 23, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Scania (NYSE:SCVA) continues to restructure production - Polish plant to focus on bus assembly The assembly of Scania trucks in Poland is to be discontinued at the end of this half-year. The production capacity, which will thereby be freed at Scania Kapena in Slupsk, is needed to meet a growing demand for city and inter-city buses. Truck assembly personnel at the plant will be offered employment in the bus-building operation.
Scania's need for increased bodybuilding capacity is a result of its recent sales successes, notably in the Italian and Britsih markets, where more than 160 orders for new buses have been received this year so far.
"Concentrating exclusively on bus-building in Poland will, at the same time, provide us with a more rational truck assembly structure in Europe, by enabling complete truck chassis to be delivered directly to the Polish market instead of being shipped as kits for local assembly," commented Per Hallberg, Group Vice President, Production and Procurement.
With the disposal of the bus-building operation in Denmark to Vest-Buss of Norway at the end of last year, Scania now has bus bodybuilding operations in Sweden, Poland and Russia. Vehicles produced in Russia are marketed locally, while exports to other European markets are supplied from both Sweden and Poland. The recently formed company Omni i Katrineholm AB in Sweden is the hub of Scania's bus bodybuilding operation, and is also responsible for product and methods development. The bus chassis are supplied from Sweden.
Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. With 28,300 employees and production facilities in Europe and Latin America, Scania is one of the most profitable companies in its sector. In 2001, turnover totaled SEK 53,000 million and the result after financial items was SEK 1,500 million. Scania products are marketed in about 100 countries worldwide and some 95 percent of Scania's vehicles are sold outside Sweden. Bus manufacture takes place in Sweden, Poland, Russia, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Scania press releases are available on the Internet, www.scania.com
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