PRESS RELEASE

redi-Group plans continued growth in Dresden
Forty-five engineers sought / Headquarters for activities in Eastern Europe

Dresden, 5 October 2005. The redi-Group is also continuing to grow in Dresden. The service provider, which specialises in quality assurance and quality management in the automotive industry, is expanding its branch in the capital of Saxony. The company currently has vacancies in Dresden for 45 project engineers with a background in quality management in the automotive industry to start work immediately either in the region or at other company sites. “Our order books both in automobile land' Saxony and at our other locations are gratifyingly full. This has created new jobs for people in Dresden and elsewhere. The Dresden site offers ideal conditions as our services also accompany the automotive industry into Eastern Europe, for which Dresden, like Vienna, plays a key role,” as Dieter Reitmeyer, founder and managing director of the redi-Group, explains.

According to Mr. Reitmeyer, his company is planning to run projects not only in Saxony, but also in Poland and the Czech Republic from its Dresden offices. The redi-Group’s Dresden branch was opened in May 2003 and at present employs 100 people on average. With its IMDS centre in Dresden, the redi-Group provides a unique service for the recording, administration and archiving of all materials used in automobile making in accordance with the International Material Data System, which is used by companies all over Europe. Here, too, Mr. Reitmeyer sees considerable potential for medium-term growth. Since its formation in 1996, the company’s turnover has consistently shown favourable development. In the last financial year, 2004 (March 2004 to March 2005), the company generated turnover of some 118 million euros with a worldwide workforce of 1,240 (695 employees in Germany). This represents year-on-year growth of 12 per cent.

Family business with public spirit

The redi-Group founder attaches great importance to fairness and integrity in his dealings with his employees. He keeps a watchful eye on working conditions, paying regular personal visits to his staff in the workplace to ensure that the highest social standards are observed and maintained. Mr. Reitmeyer wants his employees to be able to secure for themselves an acceptable standard of living with their work. “To me, people are more than just human capital. Our employees are part of a family business and that is a great strength because there is a tremendous feeling of belonging here at redi. This also results in an above-average sense of motivation,” stresses Reitmeyer, who fights racism actively and whose foundation, Arbeitnehmer in Not (Employees in Distress), helps people who are in financial difficulties through no fault of their own.

The redi-Group has its headquarters in Langenfeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, and has branches all over Germany and also in Austria, Belgium and the United States. The approximately 2,500 redi-Group customers include leading automobile makers such as BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Karmann, Porsche, VW / Audi and also reputable suppliers of components to the automotive industry. The redi-Group is made up of three divisions: redi-Time, redi-Control and redi-Engineering. redi-Time provides both commercial and industrial staff on a temporary basis to help cope with output peaks. The skilled workers and technicians of redi-Control take care of testing, sorting and reworking of parts for quality assurance, as well as 3-D measurement and first sample testing according to the IMDS standard; redi-Engineering specialises in quality management and provides expert project engineers for supplier development, coaching, process and system audits as well as the outsourcing of complete business processes.