Acquisition strengthens Lesjöfors’s position in Asia

Beijer Alma’s subsidiary Lesjöfors has acquired the John While Group spring
company, with manufacturing operations in Singapore, China and Thailand. The
acquisition strengthens Lesjöfors’s position in Asia and expands its customer
base in several emerging markets.
John While Group specializes in the manufacturing of customized springs. The
Group’s customers include companies in home electronics/white goods as well as
the engineering and automotive industries. Its largest markets are China,
Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, which account for approximately 80 percent of
sales. Its customers include US and European companies with operations in Asia.

“Through this acquisition, Lesjöfors has gained a connection with yet another
company with high customer value. John While Group has a large portion of
specially adapted products and a broad customer base, which is important to us,”
says Bertil Persson, President and CEO of Beijer Alma.

John While Group conducts manufacturing operations in Singapore, China and
Thailand. Its product range includes some 7,000 items. The company has 115
employees and reported revenues for 2015 corresponding to approximately MSEK 70.

Building strong platforms

Over the years, Lesjöfors has conducted a number of acquisitions and established
strong platforms in the Nordic region, other areas of Europe and North America.
The acquisition of John While Group strengthens the company’s position in Asia,
a region with high market growth and low manufacturing costs. Following the
acquisition, Lesjöfors has 24 production units in 12 countries. Approximately 35
percent of all manufacturing currently takes place in low-cost countries.

“Lesjöfors already conducts manufacturing operations in China, but has now
created a stronger platform in Asia through the acquisition of John While Group.
The company has competitive manufacturing costs, a broad customer portfolio and
extensive spring expertise, which will contribute to the development of our
global offering,” says Kjell-Arne Lindbäck, President of Lesjöfors.

The family-owned company John While Group was founded in Australia in the 1880s.
Its head office is located in Singapore. The acquisition is expected to have a
marginally positive impact on the Beijer Alma Group’s earnings for 2016.
Further information:

President and CEO Bertil Persson, Beijer Alma AB, tel: 46 (0)8-506 427 50
President and CEO Kjell-Arne Lindbäck, Lesjöfors AB, tel: 46 (0)70-574 99 94
Beijer Alma AB (publ) is an international industrial group that focuses on
component production and industrial supplies. The Group includes Lesjöfors, one
of Europe’s largest spring manufacturers, Habia Cable, one of Europe’s largest
manufacturers of custom-designed cables and Beijer Tech with strong positions in
industrial supplies in the Nordic region. Beijer Alma is listed on the NASDAQ
OMX Stockholm Mid Cap list.

Lesjöfors is one of Europe’s largest spring manufacturers and has the broadest
product range in the market. During 2015, the company reported sales of SEK 2
billion and had 1,470 employees. Lesjöfors has operations in Sweden, Norway,
Finland, Denmark, the UK, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, Russia, China, Korea,
Mexico and USA.