Eberspaecher Acquires German Auto Supplier Purem

NOVI, Mich., Nov. 19, 2007 -- The Eberspaecher Group, a leading supplier of automotive exhaust systems and the parent company of Eberspaecher North America, has acquired Purem GmbH & Co. KG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler based in Unna, Germany.

Purem, a specialist in medium- and heavy-duty truck exhaust after- treatment systems and an exhaust-systems integrator, has 135 employees and reported sales of $100 million last year. Financial details of the transaction were not released.

Bernd Hofmann, formerly general manager of Purem, will head Eberspaecher's Commercial Vehicle business unit focused on the development of advanced exhaust system technology for the medium- and heavy-duty truck, construction- equipment and commercial-vehicle industries, according to Dr. Thomas Wuensche, CEO of Eberspaecher Exhaust Technology.

Hofmann also will serve as general manager of the new Eberspaecher subsidiary in Unna.

"Our goal is to achieve a best-in-class position in the area of future exhaust after-treatment systems and technology for commercial vehicles," Wuensche said. "Eberspaecher and Purem are two of the industry's leading exhaust-emissions technology specialists.

"Together we can offer our customers industry-leading expertise in the area of commercial vehicle applications, while serving as a single source for exhaust-system technology needed to meet stricter exhaust emissions standards in the future."

Wuensche said the merger will enable Eberspaecher to further strengthen its product offerings to an international customer base that already includes most major manufacturers in Europe, North American, Brazil and India.

Headquartered in Esslingen, Germany, the Eberspaecher Group specializes in exhaust-emissions technology and vehicle heating for passenger cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles. The company has 5,800 employees in 16 countries and reported 2006 sales of more than $2.5 billion.

Dennis Berry, president and CEO of Eberspaecher North America, noted that the technology portfolios of Purem and Eberspaecher "complement each other perfectly."

Eberspaecher, Berry explained, currently is developing an active heat- management system that significantly improves the efficiency of catalysts, soot filters and SCR filters (for nitrogen oxide purification), while reducing system dependence on engine management. Purem is a well-known systems integrator and the developer of airless urea-dosing technology.

"With the combined know-how of Eberspaecher and Purem," Berry said, "we now cover the entire span of exhaust after-treatment systems, including complex thermal management systems and the airless dosing of urea into SCR catalytic converters for the purification of nitrogen oxide emissions."

With strict new emission requirements scheduled to go into effect for truck and off-highway vehicles in North America over the next several years, Berry noted that Eberspaecher technology has the potential to support product- development initiatives at a number of North American truck, construction and agricultural original equipment manufacturers, such as Caterpillar, Daimler (Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star), Hino, John Deere, Navistar (International), Paccar (Peterbilt, Kenworth), and Volvo (Mack).

More information on Eberspaecher is available on the Internet at www.eberspaecher.com.