SODERTALJE, Sweden, June 3, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Scania has acquired the Universal Auto group of dealerships through its Belgian subsidiary. With 165 employees and 6 service workshops in the northwest of the country, the group had a turnover of approximately EUR40 million in 2004 and accounted for just over 15 percent of Scania's vehicle sales to the Belgian market.
"The acquisition means that truck owners in Flanders will have access to Scania Belgium's complete range of services and financing arrangements. To us, it means that about 80 percent of Scania business in Belgium will be under our own control," comments Per-Erik Lindquist, head of European Sales at Scania.
With almost 1,200 Scania trucks registered, Belgium was Scania's eighth biggest market in western Europe in 2004.
Scania Belgium, one of Scania's oldest distributors, has sold over 40,000 Scania vehicles since its establishment in 1949.
Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. A growing proportion of the company's operations is comprised of products and services in the financial and service sectors, assuring Scania customers of cost-effective transport solutions and maximum uptime. Employing 30,000 people, Scania operates in about 100 countries. Research and development activities are concentrated in Sweden, while production plants are located in Europe and South America, with facilities for the global exchange of both components and finished vehicles. In 2004, invoiced sales totalled SEK56.7 billion and net income amounted to SEK4.1 billion.
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-0- Scania Hans-Ake Danielsson, Press Manager tel. +46-8-553 856 62