SGS Industrial Services Expands through the Acquisition of INTRON Group

Online, January 18, 2010 (Newswire.com) - INTRON is an independent service provider active in the field of quality control, quality improvement and quality prediction of products and processes in the building sector. Established in 1970 and acquired by current management in 1999, INTRON employs more than 120 people and reported in excess of 13 million Euros of revenue in 2009. INTRON is one of the top players in its sector in the Netherlands. On an international scale INTRON is often asked for its experience and expertise in the field of material behavior of building material. In 2009, INTRON was nominated as one of the 50 Best Managed Companies in the Netherlands, an initiative of Deloitte and this for the second consecutive year.

With the acquisition of INTRON, SGS The Netherlands has acquired a strong and complementary partner. For SGS the takeover represents an important diversification of its existing Industrial Services activities and it puts the SGS group in a leading position as service supplier in the building sector in the Netherlands and in Europe.

"SGS Industrial Services will benefit from the reputation, expertise and highly qualified staff built up over the years at INTRON. It provides SGS with a solid footing in the building materials industry and will further strengthen our presence in the EU market", commented Chris Kirk, CEO of SGS.

The SGS Industrial Services is a global service provider for technical verification, inspection, and testing and conformity assessment and represents one of ten business lines of the SGS Group worldwide.

For INTRON the acquisition forms an important step in the international development. It is the ambition of INTRON to be at the top in its sector in the next coming years. INTRON wants to realize this ambition with the help of the SGS worldwide network by fulfilling the increasing need for (building) material testing, quality control and advice.

"The ambitions, quality of service and client orientation of SGS perfectly match with INTRON. With SGS, INTRON is able to realize its international ambitions completely, where the joint service portfolio represents a supplementary added value to our customers" says Gert van der Wegen, director of INTRON.

For more information please contact:

SGS SA
Jean-Luc de Buman
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations

1 place des Alpes,
CH 1211 Geneva 1

Tel: (+41-22) 739 95 93
Fax: (+41-22) 739 98 61

Email [email protected]
Web www.sgs.com/industrial