HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 23, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Worldwide industrial services and products company Harsco Corporation (NYSE:HSC) announced today that its newly acquired Huennebeck Group access services division is reporting a strong order book for its formwork equipment across key European markets, consistent with the Company's expectations.
Huennebeck is Europe's third-largest provider of highly engineered concrete formwork and scaffolding services for the construction industry, and was acquired by Harsco in November 2005. The acquisition further accelerates the strategic growth of Harsco's Access Services segment, expanding it to more than $900 million in projected annual revenues and adding six additional countries -- Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Austria, and Hungary -- to the segment's operations.
Already this quarter, Huennebeck has secured a number of new, medium-duration formwork orders for several large-scale projects in Europe. Prominent among these are equipment rental and sales orders totalling close to $3 million for the "Tour 1" and "La Granite" multi-floor office projects in the expanding financial and commercial district of Paris known as La Defense. Huennebeck France is supplying a specially designed, self-climbing formwork system developed by its in-house design team as well as its Manto formwork panel system. The Granite project in particular involves several unique construction considerations, having been designed in the shape of a multi-story triangular prism with an inclined roof.
Huennebeck's German operations have also started the year with a healthy work-in-hand position, one highlight being a $1 million rental package of wall formwork being supplied for a new hospital under construction in Minden in northern Germany. Huennebeck Italy has won a number of new rental contracts for commercial and infrastructure projects in Italy, and a substantial export order for special formwork components for the new Gilgel Gibe II 400 mw hydroelectric power plant and dam being constructed in Ethiopia.
"We are particularly encouraged with the positive start that all our regions have made to the year and very excited to be part of the global Harsco family," said Frank Maassen, Chief Executive Officer of the Huennebeck Group division. "We are already working very closely with our sister companies SGB and Patent on a number of initiatives for cross-selling products and expertise which should be of mutual benefit as we go forward."
Comprising the three divisions, SGB, Huennebeck and Patent Construction Systems, Harsco's Access Services segment is a world market leader in providing scaffolding, concrete forming, shoring and other access-related equipment and services for major non-residential construction and industrial maintenance projects. The segment operates from an extensive network of approximately 200 equipment rental, sale and service branches in 27 countries.
Harsco Corporation is a diversified, worldwide industrial services and products company with 2005 sales in excess of $2.7 billion. The Company's four market-leading business groups provide mill services, access services, engineered products and services, and gas containment and control technologies to customers around the globe. Harsco employs approximately 21,000 people in over 45 countries of operation. Additional information about Harsco, including its Huennebeck Group division and Access Services segment, can be found at www.harsco.com.
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