Rockwell Automation Agrees to Purchase Samsung Electronics Controller Business

    MILWAUKEE and SEOUL, Korea--April 18, 2002--Rockwell Automation , a leading global provider of industrial automation solutions, and Samsung Electronics Company Limited, a global electronics market leader, announced today that Rockwell Automation Korea has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the controller division of Samsung's Mechatronics business located near Seoul, Korea.
    This acquisition will form a new business that will operate using the name Rockwell Samsung Automation. The business will create technologies in the design and development of automation products including PLCs, motion, drives, distributed I/O and software product lines. It will be well positioned as an automation leader in the Korean market and as an Asian-based, world-class product development and manufacturing center. Terms of the transaction, expected to close by the end of the second calendar quarter, were not disclosed.
    As part of this transaction, Samsung Electronics will provide Rockwell Samsung Automation with a license to brand and market products with the Samsung name in the Korean market. Samsung Electronics has also agreed to purchase control and other automation products from Rockwell Automation, including those produced by the new company, as preferred products throughout all Samsung Electronics manufacturing operations.
    "This acquisition combines the strengths of both companies and enhances our competitive position in the Asian industrial automation industry," said Don H. Davis, Chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation. "The strong brand equity of the Samsung name provides an opportunity to expand Rockwell Automation's existing operations in Korea, and brings expertise to further our design and product development capabilities. This direct business presence, combined with Rockwell Automation's thorough knowledge of control technology and advanced automation practices is the nucleus for our future commercial and operational expansion in the Asia-Pacific region."
    "The combination of the controller division of Samsung's Mechatronics business with Rockwell Automation brings together very complementary automation product and service portfolios to create a market-leading range of industrial automation choices for the Korean market," said Mr. Yun Jong-Yong, vice chairman and CEO, Samsung Electronics. "By combining our strong base of development and range of products in Korea with Rockwell Automation's global reach, Korean automation customers will benefit through increased responsiveness and superior worldwide support. Samsung's manufacturing operations will directly benefit from this unique combination of product and service portfolios."
    Rockwell Samsung Automation will combine personnel of Rockwell Automation's existing Korean organization with the Samsung Controller business. The company's headquarters will be in Seoul, Korea and the manufacturing and product development facility will be located in the Suwon City area. These operations will report to the Rockwell Automation Controls and Information business group based in Cleveland, Ohio.

    Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, and digital convergence technology. Samsung Electronics employees approximately 64,000 people in 89 offices in 47 countries. The company is the world's largest producer of memory chips, TFT-LCDs, CDMA mobile phones, monitors and VCRs. Samsung Electronics consists of four main business units: Digital Media Network, Device Solution Network, Telecommunication Network and Digital Appliance Network Businesses.

    Rockwell Automation is a world-leading provider of industrial automation power, control and information solutions that help customers meet their manufacturing productivity objectives. The company brings together leading brands in industrial automation for Complete Automation solutions, including Allen-Bradley(R) controls and engineered services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software, Dodge(R) mechanical power transmission products, Reliance Electric(R) motors and drives. The company also is a leading provider of contact management technologies and applications that help companies more efficiently manage interaction with their own customers. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, the company employs approximately 23,000 people at more than 450 locations serving customers in more than 80 countries.