Growth Trend for Gerresheimer Continues Unabated -- Debt Reduction

Growth Trend for Gerresheimer Continues Unabated -- Debt Reduction

October 17, 2007

    -- For the Nine Months (to 31 August) a 46% Sales
Increase to
       EUR697m

    -- For Nine Months Almost Six-Fold Growth in EBIT to
EUR34.8m
       (EUR6.2m)

    -- Marked Improvement in Adjusted EBITDA by 50% to
EUR124m

    -- Substantial Debt Reduction and Fall in Interest
Charges Since the
       IPO

    -- CEO Dr. Axel Herberg: "The Gratifying Q3 Result
Confirms Our
       Full-Year Forecast for 2007."

    DUSSELDORF, Germany, Oct. 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- In
the first nine months of its financial year (to 31 August),
Gerresheimer AG has continued its dynamic earnings and sales
trend unabated. Total sales including the consolidated
Gerresheimer Wilden Group increased by 46.3% to EUR697.4m
(9M 2006: EUR476.7m). Adjusted EBITDA actually improved by
50.1% to EUR124.4 (EUR82.9m), with a margin improvement by
0.4 percentage points to 17.8% (17.4%). In the result from
ordinary activities (EBIT) there was almost a six-fold
increase in the comparable period to EUR34.8m (EUR6.2m).
Cash net income(1) increased due to one-off expenses
(EUR21.0m before tax) for the IPO by EUR16.6m to EUR0.8
(EUR-15.8m).

    "The gratifying operating development has
completely fulfilled our expectations," says Dr. Axel
Herberg, CEO of Gerresheimer AG. "Looking at our
target for the year to achieve organic growth of 8% to 9%
and an EBITDA margin of close to 19%, we are right on
track. We will continue to work to expand our position as a
globally active pharma and life-science company."

    In the third quarter (June to August) total sales grew
strongly by 60.2% to EUR250.1m (third quarter of 2006:
EUR156.1m). The substantial sales growth was largely
attributable to the acquisition of the Wilden Group and the
positive turnover trend in the pharma and cosmetics
segments. In the comparable period, Adjusted EBITDA
improved by 55.3% to EUR44.1m (EUR28.4m). The development
in the result from ordinary activities (EBIT), which
improved to EUR11.0m (EUR-1.2m), was also gratifying. The
consolidated result increased by EUR7.4m to EUR-5.1
(EUR-12.5m) despite the negative one-off effects of
EUR21.0m in connection with the IPO and refinancing of the
Gerresheimer Group. In the comparative period, cash net
income(2) was EUR5.8m up at EUR-1.4 (EUR-7.2m) despite
these one-off charges.

    Earnings development of the business divisions per 31
August 2007:

    In the Tubular Glass Division sales in the first nine
months of the financial year 2006/2007 increased by 10.1%
to EUR199.0m (9M 2006: EUR180.8m) thanks in particular to
sales growth for RTF syringes and higher turnover of
ampoules and vials. The growth in Adjusted EBITDA was
slightly weaker, with an increase of 4.4% to EUR47.8m
(EUR45.8m), because of a routine general overhaul of
furnaces in the USA and Italy and one-off start-up costs
for the second RTF syringe line. The Adjusted EBITDA
margin, although still high, therefore fell slightly to
24.0% (25.3%) as expected.

    The sales increase to EUR218.6m (EUR34.9m) in the
Plastic Systems Division largely reflects the acquisition
of the Wilden Group, which contributed sales of EUR180m,
but we also achieved strong growth in the segment of
pharmaceutical packaging. Adjusted EBITDA in the first nine
months totalled EUR38.2m (EUR7.9m). The transfer of
production to Poland in the segment of dropper-bottle
systems also contributed to the improvement in results.
Integration of the Wilden Group is progressing completely
to plan.

    Sales in the Moulded Glass Division increased by 7.0%
to EUR234.3m (EUR219.0m) against the favourable background
of worldwide growth in sales of pharmaceutical bottles and
of perfume flacons and cream jars in the cosmetics segment
in Europe. Adjusted EBITDA increased substantially by 33.3%
to EUR45.2m (EUR33.9m). Continuous quality improvements and
higher productivity led to an improvement of 3.8 percentage
points in the Adjusted EBITDA margin to 19.3% (15.5%).

    In the Life Science Research Division the life-science
business contributed by Thermo Fisher Scientific with sales
of EUR7.5m for two months was consolidated for the first
time as per 2 July 2007. Sales improved by 12.5% to
EUR47.7m (EUR42.4m) while Adjusted EBITDA increased by only
2.2% to EUR4.6m (EUR4.5m) because of the integration costs
for the new joint venture and delays in merchandise
deliveries until the fourth quarter as a result of problems
with the introduction of new IT systems, which have now been
resolved. The Adjusted EBITDA margin was therefore also down
slightly at 9.6% (10.6%). In the fourth quarter we expect
clear growth rates.

    Gerresheimer on course with its full-year forecast for
2007

    For the remaining three months of the financial year
2006/2007 ending on 30 November, Gerresheimer expects
business to continue on a positive trend with organic sales
growth of 8% to 9% and an Adjusted EBITDA margin close to
19%. The latest upsets in the capital markets and the
strength of the euro over recent weeks and months have had
little impact on Gerresheimer. Since almost all products
for the important US market are manufactured by
Gerresheimer in North America (including Mexico), the
strong euro exchange rate has hardly any effect on
results.

    Gerresheimer has used the proceeds from the IPO to
reduce debt. While net financial debt at the end of the
second quarter of 2007, i.e. shortly before the IPO, still
totalled around EUR840m, it fell to around only EUR414m at
the end of the third quarter of 2007. The equity ratio is a
sound 34%. The substantially improved capital structure will
in the future continue to have a positive effect on earnings
and cash flow since interest expenses are significantly
reduced.

    The new capital structure gives us the financial
flexibility to continue our strategy of growth through
selective acquisitions and investments in profitable
segments. Thus, for example, in the third quarter of 2007
-- earlier than originally planned -- the investment
decision was made to construct a third RTF syringe line
because of the high level of demand. In the field of
medical plastic packaging, investment is being channelled
into insulin pen production, a new growth segment for
Gerresheimer, on the basis of a newly won long-term
customer order.

    The interim report as of 31 August 2007 can be
downloaded on our home page http://www.gerresheimer.com/ir
. An analysts' presentation can also be downloaded on the
Internet.

    Cross reference: Key figures of the Gerresheimer Group
and Segment report are available at:
http://www.presseportal.de/pm/9072/gerresheimer_ag/?keygroup=dokument

    About Gerresheimer

    Gerresheimer today employs about 10,000 people in 34
locations across Europe, America and Asia. The firm's
product range stretches from glass and plastic medicine
bottles to complex drug delivery systems. Its product range
includes sterile syringes, inhalers and other solutions for
safer dosage and the administering of medication. The group
has a leading position in a market that is characterised by
high technical and regulatory barriers and where
Gerresheimer's products must satisfy the strictest quality
standards of the international pharmaceutical supervisory
bodies.

    The group posted 2006 pro-forma sales of about EUR893m,
of which about EUR240m came from Wilden AG, a European
market and technology leader in plastic systems acquired at
the beginning of 2007. The pro-forma Adjusted EBITDA for the
group in 2006 was about EUR151m.

    (1) Cash net income is defined as the consolidated
result after 
        minority interests and before non-cash fair-value
amortisation 
        and related income tax effects.

    (2) Cash net income is defined as the consolidated
result after minority 
        interests and before non-cash fair-value
amortisation and related 
        income tax effects.


    For more information, please contact:

     Burkhard Lingenberg
     Director Corporate PR & Marketing
     Telephone: [phone]
     Telefax:   [phone]
     Email:     [e-mail]