February 2013

KION Group and Konecranes collaborate in the container handling truck business

Reach Stackers from Linde Material Handling ensure speedy goods handling at Baltic harbours (Image: Linde Material Handling)

Wiesbaden / Helsinki / Aschaffenburg, 18 February 2013 - The KION Group, one of the two leading global manufacturers of industrial trucks, and Konecranes, a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses(TM) today announced that Konecranes has agreed to buy certain assets of the container handling truck business of Linde Material Handling, which is wholly owned by KION Group. The two groups have also signed a long-term supply agreement and will collaborate to further increase the global competitiveness of their respective container handling truck activities. The value of the assets purchased is not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close during the 2nd quarter of 2013.

Both companies will keep reach stackers, empty container handlers and laden container handlers in their offering but after a period of time all manufacturing will take place in Konecranes factories. The assets acquired by Konecranes from Linde Material Handling include the respective product rights. In addition, Konecranes will get access to Linde Material Handling's distribution network. The collaboration improves economies of scale in R&D and manufacturing while enabling both companies to continue to offer container handling trucks to their distribution channels.

"We are happy to work together with Konecranes. This global collaboration with one of the leaders in this segment will significantly improve our container handling offerings to the customers of the Linde brand," said Theodor Maurer, member of the Executive Board of KION Group and CEO of Linde Material Handling. "We will maintain the highest standards in quality, delivery, performance and value - all standards to which our customers are accustomed."

Huawei Releases the Industry's First FTTD Solution

Testing center at Huawei Global Headquarters in Shenzhen. Voted by overseas employees as their favorite architecture on campus, it serves as a base for testing product prototypes and is utilized by several research labs. (Image:Huawei)

Shenzhen, China, February 7, 2013: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today released the industry's first fiber to the door (FTTD) solution. This solution provides ultra-broadband as fast as 100 Mbit/s to 1000 Mbit/s by reusing the existing twisted pairs or coaxial cables through an innovation of line technologies, project implementation technologies, service provisioning and OAM technologies.

The solution overcomes the difficulties of the traditional fiber to the home (FTTH) or fiber to the building (FTTB) scenarios, such as drop fiber installation, slow deployment, large investments, and effectively provides operators with broadband access.

Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann New Chairman of the Adam Opel AG Management Board, GM Europe President and GM Vice President • Steve Girsky: “Dr. Neumann adding significant management strength”

The Opel Supervisory Board today named Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann (51) chairman of the Management Board of Adam Opel AG, effective March 1, 2013. (Image: Adam Opel AG)

Detroit/Ruesselsheim. 2013-01-31 - The Opel Supervisory Board today named Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann (51) chairman of the Management Board of Adam Opel AG, effective March 1, 2013. In addition, GM appointed Dr. Neumann president of GM Europe and GM vice president. He will become a member of GM's Executive Committee and is expected to play a key role in the global leadership of GM.

Steve Girsky, chairman of the Opel Supervisory Board, said: “Dr. Neumann has in-depth knowledge of the automotive industry. He has a proven track record in growing business in a profitable way as well as in turnarounds. He will add significant strength to the Management Board and will be instrumental in leading the company on a turnaround path that will be counted among Europe's most successful.”