DEKRA Expands in the Consulting Business

STUTTGART, Germany and OJAI, Calif., April 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The international expert organization DEKRA has acquired the leading global safety consulting firm Behavioral Science Technology, Inc. (BST), headquartered in Ojai, California. With the acquisition, DEKRA strengthens its consulting services, particularly in the processing industry. BST generates an annual turnover of approximately USD 45 million.

Acquiring BST, a pioneer in behavior-based safety with broad based expertise in transforming safety performance, DEKRA offers its customers unmatched expertise spanning North America, Asia and Europe. BST and its 200 specialists will join DEKRA's Service Unit Consulting, an international provider of safety and sustainability consulting to companies striving for operational excellence. As a result, DEKRA has built a first class global network of sustainability and safety professionals. For BST the move further strengthens its ability to offer best in class services to its clients globally.

"Joining BST and DEKRA is a significant step in DEKRA's strategy to expand the industrial business with high-quality expert services in the process industries on a global scale," says Stefan Kölbl, Chairman of the Board of DEKRA e.V. and DEKRA SE. "We are decisively expanding our position in North America and are establishing a further strategic platform for the development of markets in Asia."

"We are excited about BST's focus on world-class performance" says Dr. Gesa Koeberle, Managing Director of DEKRA Consulting. "Leading organizations know that to achieve success their culture, leadership and management systems must cultivate safety and sustainability. With BST, DEKRA is even better positioned to support them".

"We are delighted with this decision. BST already holds a market leading position in North America and with DEKRA behind us we can establish that same position globally", says Thomas R. Krause, Chairman of the Board, BST. "BST strives to provide thought leadership and safety excellence expertise to our clients globally. With DEKRA we can further expand our resources and market presence to support our clients and their staff globally. Combining DEKRA's strength in technical analyses with BST's expertise in organizational performance and human factors enables a unique full service offering to our respective clients," says Colin Duncan Chief Executive Officer, BST.

DEKRA launched its sustainability consulting services in 2008 to meet wide spread customer demand and is today serving fortune 500 customers with energy efficiency, resource utilization, regulatory compliance and management systems, as well as product and organizational excellence that spans the full life cycle of products and organizations. From program management to change management, DEKRA's specialist services help customers secure market access and achieve competitive advantage.

BST has been helping leading organizations in every industry create injury-free workplaces since 1979 when it pioneered behavior-based safety. Today, companies continue to rely on BST to help them reduce occupational injuries, improve organizational functioning, transform safety culture and develop strong safety leadership. Unique in the industry, BST applies data-driven solutions built on a multi-dimensional model of safety performance to treat injury reduction within the context of the whole organization — resulting in world-class safety performance that drives operational excellence.

In the deal, DEKRA acquires 100 percent of the share capital of Behavioral Science Technology, Inc.

CONTACT:

Eric Labe
Senior Vice President, Strategic Services, BST
248-760-4416
eric.labe@bstsolutions.com

About DEKRA
DEKRA SE is one of the world's leading expert organisations. The company currently runs activities in more than 50 countries. Around 28,000 employees are committed to ensuring longterm safety, quality and environmental protection. The DEKRA Business Units "Automotive", "Industrial" and "Personnel" provide professional and innovative services in the fields of vehicle testing, expert appraisals, international claims management, consulting, industrial testing, product testing, certification, environmental protection, qualification as well as temporary work. In 2011 DEKRA generated sales totalling around 2 billion euros.

About BST
BST is a global safety consulting and solutions firm headquartered in Ojai, California. With staff throughout the North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia, BST has helped over 2,300 client sites in 60 countries improve safety performance. BST's work encompasses a range of industries, including mining, petroleum, chemical, metals, paper, food, utilities, railroads, healthcare, and government. http://www.bstsolutions.com

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