Growth trend for Gerresheimer continues unabated - debt reduction

Düsseldorf (ots) -

* For the nine months (to 31 August) a 46% sales increase to EUR
697m
* For nine months almost six-fold growth in EBIT to EUR 34.8m (EUR
6.2m)
* Marked improvement in Adjusted EBITDA by 50% to EUR 124m
* Substantial debt reduction and fall in interest charges since
the IPO
* CEO Dr. Axel Herberg: "The gratifying Q3 result confirms our
full-year forecast for 2007."

In the first nine months of its financial year (to 31 August),
Gerresheimer AG has continued its dynamic earnings and sales trend
unabated. Total sales including the consolidated Gerresheimer Wilden
Group increased by 46.3% to EUR 697.4m (9M 2006: EUR 476.7m).
Adjusted EBITDA actually improved by 50.1% to EUR124.4 (EUR 82.9m),
with a margin improvement by 0.4 percentage points to 17.8% (17.4%).
In the result from ordinary activities (EBIT) there was almost a
six-fold increase in the comparable period to EUR34.8m (EUR6.2m).
Cash net income1 increased due to one-off expenses (EUR 21.0m before
tax) for the IPO by EUR16.6m to EUR0.8 (EUR -15.8m).

"The gratifying operating development has completely fulfilled our
expectations," says Dr. Axel Herberg, CEO of Gerresheimer AG.
"Looking at our target for the year to achieve organic growth of 8%
to 9% and an EBITDA margin of close to 19%, we are right on track. We
will continue to work to expand our position as a globally active
pharma and life-science company."

In the third quarter (June to August) total sales grew strongly by
60.2% to EUR 250.1m (third quarter of 2006: EUR 156.1m). The
substantial sales growth was largely attributable to the acquisition
of the Wilden Group and the positive turnover trend in the pharma and
cosmetics segments. In the comparable period, Adjusted EBITDA
improved by 55.3% to EUR 44.1m (EUR 28.4m). The development in the
result from ordinary activities (EBIT), which improved to EUR 11.0m
(EUR -1.2m), was also gratifying. The consolidated result increased
by EUR 7.4m to EUR -5.1 (EUR -12.5m) despite the negative one-off
effects of EUR 21.0m in connection with the IPO and refinancing of
the Gerresheimer Group. In the comparative period, cash net income2
was EUR 5.8m up at EUR -1.4 (EUR -7.2m) despite these one-off
charges.

Earnings development of the business divisions per 31 August 2007:

In the Tubular Glass Division sales in the first nine months of
the financial year 2006/2007 increased by 10.1% to EUR 199.0m (9M
2006: EUR 180.8m) thanks in particular to sales growth for RTF
syringes and higher turnover of ampoules and vials. The growth in
Adjusted EBITDA was slightly weaker, with an increase of 4.4% to EUR
47.8m (EUR 45.8m), because of a routine general overhaul of furnaces
in the USA and Italy and one-off start-up costs for the second RTF
syringe line. The Adjusted EBITDA margin, although still high,
therefore fell slightly to 24.0% (25.3%) as expected.

The sales increase to EUR218.6m (EUR 34.9m) in the Plastic Systems
Division largely reflects the acquisition of the Wilden Group, which
contributed sales of EUR 180m, but we also achieved strong growth in
the segment of pharmaceutical packaging. Adjusted EBITDA in the first
nine months totalled EUR 38.2m (EUR 7.9m). The transfer of production
to Poland in the segment of dropper-bottle systems also contributed
to the improvement in results. Integration of the Wilden Group is
progressing completely to plan.

Sales in the Moulded Glass Division increased by 7.0% to EUR
234.3m (EUR 219.0m) against the favourable background of worldwide
growth in sales of pharmaceutical bottles and of perfume flacons and
cream jars in the cosmetics segment in Europe. Adjusted EBITDA
increased substantially by 33.3% to EUR45.2m (EUR 33.9m). Continuous
quality improvements and higher productivity led to an improvement of
3.8 percentage points in the Adjusted EBITDA margin to 19.3% (15.5%).

In the Life Science Research Division the life-science business
contributed by Thermo Fisher Scientific with sales of EUR7.5m for two
months was consolidated for the first time as per 2 July 2007. Sales
improved by 12.5% to EUR 47.7m (EUR42.4m) while Adjusted EBITDA
increased by only 2.2% to EUR 4.6m (EUR 4.5m) because of the
integration costs for the new joint venture and delays in merchandise
deliveries until the fourth quarter as a result of problems with the
introduction of new IT systems, which have now been resolved. The
Adjusted EBITDA margin was therefore also down slightly at 9.6%
(10.6%). In the fourth quarter we expect clear growth rates.

Gerresheimer on course with its full-year forecast for 2007

For the remaining three months of the financial year 2006/2007
ending on 30 November, Gerresheimer expects business to continue on a
positive trend with organic sales growth of 8% to 9% and an Adjusted
EBITDA margin close to 19%. The latest upsets in the capital markets
and the strength of the euro over recent weeks and months have had
little impact on Gerresheimer. Since almost all products for the
important US market are manufactured by Gerresheimer in North America
(including Mexico), the strong euro exchange rate has hardly any
effect on results.

Gerresheimer has used the proceeds from the IPO to reduce debt.
While net financial debt at the end of the second quarter of 2007,
i.e. shortly before the IPO, still totalled around EUR840m, it fell
to around only EUR 414m at the end of the third quarter of 2007. The
equity ratio is a sound 34%. The substantially improved capital
structure will in the future continue to have a positive effect on
earnings and cash flow since interest expenses are significantly
reduced.

The new capital structure gives us the financial flexibility to
continue our strategy of growth through selective acquisitions and
investments in profitable segments. Thus, for example, in the third
quarter of 2007 - earlier than originally planned - the investment
decision was made to construct a third RTF syringe line because of
the high level of demand. In the field of medical plastic packaging,
investment is being channelled into insulin pen production, a new
growth segment for Gerresheimer, on the basis of a newly won
long-term customer order.

The interim report as of 31 August 2007 can be downloaded on our
home page http://www.gerresheimer.com/ir. An analysts' presentation
can also be downloaded on the Internet.

- Cross reference: Key figures of the Gerresheimer Group and
Segment Reoprt are available at http://www.presseportal.
de/dokumente -

About Gerresheimer

Gerresheimer today employs about 10,000 people in 34 locations
across Europe, America and Asia. The firm's product range stretches
from glass and plastic medicine bottles to complex drug delivery
systems. Its product range includes sterile syringes, inhalers and
other solutions for safer dosage and the administering of medication.
The group has a leading position in a market that is characterised by
high technical and regulatory barriers and where Gerresheimer's
products must satisfy the strictest quality standards of the
international pharmaceutical supervisory bodies. The group posted
2006 pro-forma sales of about EUR 893m, of which about EUR 240m came
from Wilden AG, a European market and technology leader in plastic
systems acquired at the beginning of 2007. The pro-forma Adjusted
EBITDA for the group in 2006 was about EUR 151m.

Originaltext: Gerresheimer AG
digital press kits: http://www.presseportal.de/pm/9072
press kits via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_9072.rss2
ISIN: DE0005873004

Contact:
Burkhard Lingenberg
Director Corporate PR & Marketing
Telephone +49 211 6181-250
Telefax +49 211 6181-241
e-mail b.lingenberg@gerresheimer.com