Vaillant Group reinforces operations in China

Beijing/Remscheid, 5 April 2007

• Market launch of energy-efficient products 
• Long-term solutions for environmental protection and resource-sparing 
• Participation in the EU campaign "We are a Chinese company, too" 

With the market launch of energy-efficient, environment-friendly and resource-sparing technologies, Vaillant Group is further expanding its operations in China. The products which in future will also be sold in China besides highly-efficient gas-fired condensing heating appliances are heat pumps and solar thermal installations that work on the basis of renewable energy sources. At the same time, Vaillant Group today opened a new corporate headquarters in Beijing, in which a national call centre is integrated. "With energy-efficient products, the company is making an important contribution to China's efforts to lower energy consumption and reduce burdens on the environment," said Michael Bremicker, CEO Vaillant Group Asia-Pacific, today at a Press conference to mark the ceremonial opening of the new headquarters in Beijing. It was only in January this year that the Group opened in the Chinese city of Wuxi a production plant with an integrated technology centre at which wall-hung heating appliances are being manufactured for the Asian region. This means Vaillant Group is now present in China with a production plant, sales offices in 16 cities and a total of about 200 employees. In 2006, sales in China were increased by 55 per cent compared to the previous year.

The opening of the Beijing headquarters, which was also attended by the German Ambassador to China, Dr Volker Stanzel, featured the motto "We are a Chinese company, too". Vaillant Group is thus taking part in the campaign of the same name which was initiated by the German presidency of the EU Council together with the embassies in China of the other EU member states. The objective of the campaign is to highlight the services of European companies for China, including the creation of jobs, spending on research and development and the provision of social security benefits for their employees.

Contact
Dr Jens Wichtermann
Head of Corporate Communications
Vaillant Group
D-42850 Remscheid
Phone: +49 2191 18-2754
Fax: +49 2191 18-2895
Mobile: +49 175 2951810
jens.wichtermann@vaillant.de
www.vaillant-group.com