ITALIAN-STYLE HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES BY CANDY GROUP AT THE “ITALIAN EXPO” IN ERBIL

Erbil, September 6, 2007 - Candy Group, the Italian multi-brand group among the world leaders in the household appliance industry, show a portfolio of the leading products at the Erbil trade fair “Italian Expo Iraq 2007”. Erbil, located in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, 350 km north of Baghdad, has been an international trading centre since the past centuries of the “Silk Road”: it now hosts a modern structure for international fairs.

The Italian Expo takes place from September 6 to 10, 2007. Candy Group present washing machines, dishwashers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, cookers and oven with the Candy, Hoover, Süsler, Jinling brands.

The Group has a long-standing tradition and know-how in washing machines: the early ones date back to 1945. The Candy Smart and Grand and the Hoover Vision models exhibited in Erbil are among the most updated ones, both in performances, loading capacity, and design.

The washing machines are complemented by a Candy tumble dryer, a product whose success is rapidly growing, even in countries graced by sunny and warm weather.

The Group’s offer of washing machines includes models with vertical axles on what is usually called the “Asian” platform: they are made by the Group’s subsidiary in China, Jinling, acquired 2006.

The Candy and Hoover dishwashers have been engineered to wash 12 place settings with the highest efficiency in energy, water, detergent use.

Candy refrigerators and freezers and their combinations are available in a wide range of sizes and features, from the two-door models with capacity of 240 and 340 l to the combined one with an overall internal capacity of 330 l. The two Candy vertical freezers use the no-frost technology.

The Süsler cooking appliances exhibited here are made in Turkey, in the Eskisehir plant acquired early 2007: freestanding cookers of modern and traditional design are complemented by a sampling of gas ovens and radiant heaters.

Hoover is the Group’s international brand for floor-care appliances: the brand has been a world innovator since the establishment in 1908. Today, it is the market leader in Europe. Telios and Sensory are leading products for cleaning and treating any kind of domestic floor surface.

CANDY GROUP: A PROFILE
In 2006, Group’s manufacturing output reached 6.7 million units (+9.6%) from factories in Italy, France, Spain, Great Britain, Russia, Czech Republic, and China.
Total sales were € 1,054 million (+3.5%) in the sixth year of growth. R&D investment in technologies and products amounted to € 37 million (+16%).
Following the acquisition in Turkey and the opening of the new commercial facilities in Argentina and Hong Kong in 2007, the Group has 39 subsidiaries worldwide, of which two are dedicated to after-sales service, handled through 2,000 centres and over-6,600 specialists.
The personnel count reaches over-7,000 persons, of whom 74% outside Italy.

COMPANY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
Back in 1945, the Eden Fumagalli Mechanical Workshop in Monza (a town north of Milan), manufacturers of precision machine instruments, designed the Model 50, the first all-Italian washing machine, which was launched officially at the Milan Trade Fair in 1946. In that same year, the Candy company was established out of the initial family business.
The adventure into household appliances began when Enzo, one of the three Fumagalli brothers, returned home from the United States, where he was a POW, with the idea of a washing machine. His brother Niso, who had started the company with their father Eden, proposed to switch the focus on household appliances. Peppino, the younger brother, set up the managerial structure of the fast-growing company.
In 1950, Candy launched the Bi-Matic, the first Italian semi-automatic washing machine. It was a great success, which opened the international markets: Candy was the first Italian appliance company to go abroad. In the Sixties, the Automatic washing machine was launched: the first fully automatic one, designed and made in Italy.
The growth strategy to be a leader competing at the top of international players and enter new world markets has been built on innovation and diversification of the product range. Acquisitions of brands and manufacturing facilities added up to this effort: La Sovrana, cookers (1970); Kelvinator Italia (1971) and Kelvinator UK (1980), refrigerators; Zerowatt, washing machines and dryers (1985); Gasfire, built-in cooking appliances (1985); Rosières, a leading French brand in cooking and built-in (1987); Mayc-Otsein, Spain, top loader specialist (1992); Iberna, an Italian leading brand in fridges and freezers (1993). 1995, the year of the 50-th anniversary since the presentation of the first Candy washing machine, saw the acquisition of Hoover European Appliances company, today the European leader in floor-care. The offer widened soon to highly innovative large appliances, offering today what will be the standard of tomorrow.
In 2005, the Group acquired an established Russian brand in washing machine, Vyatka, and its manufacturing site in Kirov. In mid-2006, the Jinling brand was acquired in China, together with its industrial facilities, sales network, international operations. Early 2007 saw the acquisition of Doruk in Turkey, a well-known manufacturer of cookers, ovens, and hobs with the Süsler brand, based in Eskisehir.
The brand strategy focuses on two international brands, Hoover and Candy, and seven national ones: Iberna, Jinling, Otsein, Rosières, Süsler, Vyatka, Zerowatt.

INDUSTRIAL SITES
The manufacturing sites are located in Italy, France, Russia, China, Spain, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, and Turkey.

Washing machines and washer-dryers are produced in Brugherio (Milan, Italy), including the Candy GrandÓ and Hoover Vision ranges. The plant in Santa Maria Hoè (Lecco, Italy) produces dishwashers.
In Bourges, France, Rosières manufactures built-in appliances and free-standing cookers. Established 1837, it is one of the oldest European companies in the industry, firmly positioned at the top of the elite market.
The factory in Bergara, Spain, specialises in top-loading washing machines. In Merthyr, Wales (UK), dryers and washer-dryers are made. The complete range of Group’s refrigerators and freezers is manufactured in Podborany, Czech Republic, while the Kirov plant’s output are the Candy, Hoover, Vyatka front-loading washing machines for the Russian market. Jinling washing machines are manufactured in Jiangmen, Guandong Region, People’s Republic of China, to which Candy washing machines have been added for the Chinese market.
Süsler, based in Eskisehir (Turkey) manufactures ands sells cookers, hovens, hobs, and “traditional” products like cast-iron stoves, water-heaters, natural gas wall boilers.

HOOVER: A HISTORY DATING BACK TO A CENTURY AGO
Hoover was established 1908 in the Ohio state, USA. In 1919, the company expanded its operations into Europe with the registration of Hoover Ltd. in London.
In 1932, the first European factory was opened in Perivale, Middlesex, where carpet cleaners were produced. This marked the start of an enduring success story, in which Hoover became the leader in floor-care. By 1937, Hoover Ltd was listed on the London Stock Exchange, while the US parent company held the controlling stake.
In 1946, a new factory in Cambuslang, Scotland, began the production of vacuum cleaners. In 1948, a factory for washing machines was opened in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.
The Hoover Group continued its expansion through the 1980s. The Perivale factory was sold and the production of carpet cleaners transferred to Cambuslang. In 1983, Hoover USA bought the remaining minority shares of Hoover UK and became the sole owner of the European subsidiary.
1985 marked the beginning of a sequence of changes in ownership: Chicago Pacific Corp. bought international activities, then (1989) Maytag Corp. purchased Chicago Pacific and became the owner of Hoover. In 1993, the Hoover Trading Company and Hoover U.K. merged to become the Hoover European Appliances Group.
1995 brought another change of ownership: Candy bought the Hoover European Appliances Group with the exclusive rights on the brand for the whole of Europe (including all territories of the former-Soviet Union), North Africa and part of the Middle East including Iraq.