Bucher Industries is celebrating its 200th anniversary next year. To mark the occasion, the Institute for Historical Research in Economics (Verein für wirtschaftshistorische Studien) in Zurich is publishing another volume in its Swiss Pioneers of Business and Technology series. The book entitled "Bucher: Pioneers in Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering 1807-2007" is being launched today in Niederweningen.

Emhart Glass, a division of Bucher Industries and the leading supplier of manu-facturing equipment for the glass container industry, is optimizing its cost structures and relocating production activities from Neuss in Germany to other facilities.

Bucher Industries generated CHF 1 491 million in sales for the first nine months of 2006, up 5% on the same period last year, or up 2% excluding acquisitions. Order intake grew by 8% to CHF 1 565 million, an increase of 4% excluding acquisitions.

Emhart Glass, a division of Bucher Industries and the world's leading supplier of machinery for glass container manufacturing, is investing EUR 15 million in a new research and development facility in the USA. In so doing, Emhart Glass is seeking to enhance the glass forming process and bring its project for tempered, and thus lighter weight and more durable, glass containers to market.

Bucher Industries has signed an agreement to dispose of its non-core multi-purpose utility vehicle business in Italy to private Italian industrial investors. The new owners have extensive experience in vehicle manufacturing and will continue operations at the present site in Arielli, Italy. The purchase price is not being disclosed.

In the first six months of 2006 Bucher Industries achieved an increase in sales of 6% amounting to CHF 1 040 million. Order intake rose by 10% to a total of CHF 983 million. The operating result of CHF 56 million was at the level of previous year, despite the charge resulting from the CHF 12 million provisions for restructuring Kuhn Group in France. The net result came to CHF 38 million, which is CHF 1 million lower than in the comparable period last year.

Bucher Industries divested its Niederweningen component manufacturing operations. The Swiss buyer, Emil Suter Maschinenfabrik AG in Seon will continue manufacturing at the Niederweningen site.

Kuhn Group, a division of Bucher Industries, which manufactures specialized agricultural machinery, is planning to restructure its production facilities in France. Items under discussion include the relocation of the production of Kuhn-Nodet SA in Montereau to other French plants and the shutdown of the Montereau facility.

Shareholders attending the 22nd annual general meeting of Bucher Industries AG on 25 April 2006 approved all proposals submitted by the Board of Directors. A dividend of CHF 2.10 per registered share will be paid from 28 April 2006 net of 35% withholding tax.

Bucher Industries generated sales of CHF 520 million, up 23% on the same period last year or 11% excluding the impact of acquisitions. Order intake rose by 10% to CHF 549 million, a decline of 1% adjusted for acquisitions and divestitures.

Yesterday Bucher Industries sold LB Produktion GmbH in Trier to the Hydraulik Nord Group headquartered in Parchim, Germany. Hydraulik Nord is a service, assembly and mechanical engineering business that provides LB Produktion with an ideal industrial environment to further develop its activities. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Once again in 2005 Bucher Industries continued its upward trend in sales and earnings. Both internal growth and acquisitions contributed equally to the 19% increase in sales totalling CHF 1 948 million. Order intake of CHF 1 947 million was 9% above the previous year. Adjusted for acquisitions, the figure was 1% below the previous year. The group achieved an operating result of CHF 118 million, which represents a 29% increase. This success is based on the greater business volume, ongoing improvements in efficiency and the discontinuance of goodwill amortization. The 2005 net result of CHF 86 million surpassed the previous year's result by 58%.

Bucher Industries continued to grow in 2005, with sales up 19% year on year to CHF 1 948 million. Organic growth and acquisitions contributed equally to this increase. Order intake rose by 9% to CHF 1 950 million in total but, excluding acquisitions, was 0.5% down on a year earlier due to slightly weaker demand in the last two quarters. The group expects a significant improvement in full year operating and net results.