Niederweningen, 24 April 2007

Bucher Industries continued to perform well in the first quarter of 2007. Order intake rose by 14% to CHF 627 million, an increase of 16% adjusted for acquisitions and disposals. Sales reached CHF 546 million, up 5% year on year.

During the first three months of the year, the favourable economic conditions continued in most of the markets served by Bucher Industries. The only markets where the environment remained difficult were wine and fruit juice production equipment. Bucher Industries increased sales by 5.0% to CHF 546.4 million, up 3.0% adjusted for currency effects and 5.7% adjusted for the acquisition of ICS/Inex and disposals. Order intake reached CHF 627.1 million, up 14.3% on the figure in the same period last year or 15.9% excluding the acquisition and disposals. From the end of 2006, the group's order book grew by another CHF 97.9 million to reach CHF 703.1 million at the end of March, thus ensuring capacity utilization until late in the current year.

Kuhn Group generated sales of CHF 243.4 million with specialized agricultural machinery, about level with last year, but down 1.5% on a currency-adjusted basis. Order intake rose by 6.8% or currency-adjusted 5.3% to CHF 240.5 million, driven by European and, especially, by higher demand in North America.

Bucher Municipal, specialized in municipal vehicles, posted sales of CHF 115.8 million during the first quarter of 2007. Due to last year's disposals of the Niederweningen component manufacturing operations in Switzerland and Bucher Schörling's multi-purpose utility vehicle business in Italy, sales were 5.7% or currency-adjusted 8.1% lower year on year. However, excluding the impact of these disposals, they were 2.1% higher. Buoyed by the good demand for Bucher Schörling and Johnston sweepers, order intake rose by 6.0%, an increase of 14.1% adjusted for disposals.

Bucher Process saw no change in the tough market environment and generated CHF 12.8 million in sales of wine and fruit juice production equipment, a decline of 16.5% or currency-adjusted 17.9% on the same period last year. Order intake decreased by 2.3% or currency-adjusted 3.6% to CHF 38.6 million year on year. Due to the marked seasonal fluctuations in Bucher Process' business, the first and second quarters are not representative of the full year.

Bucher Hydraulics continued its very solid performance, growing sales of hydraulic com-ponents and system solutions by 21.4% or currency-adjusted 19.4% to CHF 94.8 million in the first quarter of 2007. Order intake reached CHF 103.3 million, up 29.4% or currency-adjusted 27.3% year on year. With the very large order book, capacities were fully utilized.

Emhart Glass increased sales of machinery and equipment for glass container manufacturing by 29.8% to CHF 81.9 million. Currency-adjusted the increase was 26.3% or adjusted for the acquisition of ICS/Inex 23.0%. Order intake of CHF 100.9 million was even up by 47.5% or adjusted for the acquisition by 43.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Emhart Glass mastered the demands of the high workload with extremely flexible production capacities.

Overall, the Group expects the economic environment to remain favourable during the current year. Just the markets for wine and fruit juice production equipment could well remain difficult, in particular given the structural weakness in French wine production. All the divi-sions' large order books ensure capacity utilization until late in the year. Bucher Industries therefore expects growth in sales and an improvement in operating and net results for the full year.

In 2007, Bucher Industries is celebrating its 200th anniversary commemorating its successful evolution from a blacksmith's shop to a global technology group with leading market positions in speciality areas of mechanical and vehicle engineering. The company's operations currently include specialized agricultural machinery, municipal vehicles, wine and fruit juice production equipment, hydraulic components, and production equipment for the glass container industry. Bucher Industries' shares are traded on SWX Swiss Exchange (SWX: BUCN).

Contact
Philip Mosimann, CEO
Roger Baillod, CFO
Phone +41 44 857 22 07