GOTEBORG, Sweden, July 8, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Semcon has successfully completed negotiations that will secure the largest business deal in the Group's history.
Following an intensive series of negotiations Semcon AB and Saab Automobile AB have signed an agreement that will see Semcon take over the Service Development and Parts Testing units within Saab Aftersales. The focus in these units is on service, spare parts and product information. The agreement runs for five years and is worth just over SEK 400 million throughout that period.
The deal is within Aftersales Engineering at Saab/General Motors Europa (GME). The aim is to build a Centre of Expertise for GM Europa together with Semcon. The agreement means that the parties are forming a long-term strategic partnership. "With this step GME Aftersales Engineering is establishing an important and strengthened regional presence with pan-European opportunities," says Dave Fleming, Director of GM Europe Service Engineering. The operation that Semcon will build to serve Aftersales Engineering within Saab/General Motors Europa will include staff from Saab Automobile alongside Semcon's experts in the field of technical information and information service.
"Since signing a Letter of Intent in May we have worked very hard to clinch this agreement. It's good for both sides that negotiations led to an agreement so quickly, but it's specially positive for the 30 or so Saab employees involved," says Thomas Lindskog, Director of Aftersales Saab Europa. "We view the agreement with Semcon as a strategically important ingredient of Saab Automobile's ongoing reconstruction," adds Lindskog.
Thomas Broborn, the purchasing manager at GM-Fiat World Wide Purchasing who was involved in concluding the agreement, comments: "It's great that a Swedish supplier has shown itself to be the strongest and most effective partner for Saab and GM Europa."
Amid tough international competition, Semcon's long-term strategies have proved to be successful in securing extensive partnership agreements. The agreement with Saab Automobile is the sixth, and so far largest, business deal in which Semcon has taken over complete responsibility for the development of technical information and information systems. It means that Semcon is consolidating its position as the market leader in this field in Europe.
"We are very proud to receive this vote of confidence from GME and we see it as a further step in our march towards being the leader in aftersales information," says Hans Johansson, Semcon's CEO.
For further information, please contact:
Thomas Lindskog, Director Aftersales, Saab Automobile AB, tel: +46 702-479 999
Christer Nilsson, Press officer, Saab Automobile AB, tel, +46 70-603 24 12
Hans Johansson, CEO Semcon AB, tel: +46 705-914 334
Bengt Nilsson, CFO Semcon AB, tel: +46 704-472 868
Lars-Inge Sjoquist, President Semcon Informatic, tel: +46 736-84 03 56
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