GESCO successfully finishes balancing out its portfolio by substantial automotive shares

• Majority stake in VWH sold to minority shareholder
• Balanced share of automotive business in the portfolio achieved
• Outlook for 2020 as a whole unchanged
• Implementation of NEXT LEVEL strategy continues unabated

Wuppertal, 4 February 2021 - As part of a management buy-out, GESCO AG today signed a contract concerning the sale of its majority stake in VWH GmbH.

The deal calls for the disposal of the majority shareholding of 80 % in VWH GmbH. Based in Herschbach, Germany, the company provides products and services in the field of special machines and tool manufacturing (injection moulding forms, laser technology, automation and testing technology), primarily for customers in the automotive industry. VWH has been a member of the GESCO Group since 2007 and is part of the Production Process Technology segment. In total, the company generated sales of just over € 10 million in 2020.

Thomas Sturm has had a close connection with VWH for more than 25 years. Initially the company's head of sales, he continues to serve as its Managing Director to this day and has held a minority stake of 20 % since 2011.

Thomas Sturm: "As an entrepreneur, I am very pleased that we were able to reach a good solution with GESCO. I feel a very strong sense of connection with VWH and its employees. Together, we have successfully further developed our products in the past and expanded into new fields of business. That is precisely why I look forward to continuing down the current path with VWH in the future."

On 21 December 2020, GESCO reported that it would close its Mobility Technology segment in connection with the sale of six subsidiaries. By selling VWH, GESCO has now balanced out the direct automotive business in its portfolio.

The sale of VWH does not materially change the outlook for 2020 as a whole for continuing operations, which was last updated in December 2020. The Executive Board continues to expect Group sales of roughly € 400 million and Group net income for the year after minority interest from continuing operations of roughly € 5 million.

"The portfolio development of the GESCO Group is well under way," says Ralph Rumberg, CEO of GESCO AG. "I would like to emphasise in this context that we stand by our business model, which focuses on the long term. In exceptional cases, however, we need to have the freedom to divest ourselves of subsidiaries for strategic reasons. The successful sale of the automotive-related VWH business has allowed us to round out the transaction from December 2020 and balance out our direct share of automotive business in the process. Both transactions have enabled us to take a major step forward from a strategic perspective. We are now focusing all our energy on our passion: hidden champions of the technology-driven German SME segment - and those who want to walk among them."

About GESCO
GESCO AG is an industrial group made up of market and technology leading companies in the capital goods industry. Its focus is on production process technology, resource technology and healthcare and infrastructure technology. As a stock company listed in the Prime Standard, GESCO AG offers private and institutional investors access to a portfolio of hidden champions among Germany's industrial SMEs.

Investor Relations & Communications | Julia Pschribülla
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