Released on September 27, 2007

Georg Fischer (GF) Automotive, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, plans to build a new $21.5 million research center at its headquarters.

The new building, which will replace the current central laboratory, will house the current research and development unit, the management of the corporate group and the key corporate group staff functions. As part of the expansion plan, about 25 additional jobs are expected to be created in Schaffhausen in the next few years.

The application for planning permission is to be submitted by the end of this year. Construction is scheduled to start in February 2008, and the new building should be in operation by spring 2009. An experimental metalcasting facility, a laboratory and an office wing will be housed in the building, which is to be constructed on a plot of land totaling more than 115,000 sq. ft. The new center will provide space for 130 workplaces and capacity for expansion at a later date.

According to a press release issued by GF Automotive, the new research center will be built based on Minergie standards, a construction concept that minimizes environmental impact. The company plans to sell its previous property when the new facility has been completed. GF Automotive, which employs 5,778, has further research and development sites in Germany and China.