EoW March 2008

english corporate news

Nexans makes sure rail contract stays on the right track

Nexans has completed a contract for the manufacture and delivery of more than 160km of specialised axle counter cable for Balfour Beatty Rail Projects to enable the resignalling of a 29km section of railway track in the Trent Valley, close to Lichfield, Staffordshire, UK. The resignalling project is a part of a much larger Network Rail scheme known as TV4 (Trent Valley Four Tracking) which will improve the route through Tamworth, Lichfield and Armitage by upgrading and widening the railway from two to four tracks. “A particular challenge for this project was that the large number of possible variations in the specification of axle counter cables, due to the choice of conductor sizes and varying twisted pair counts, means that it is not feasible to deliver from stock,” said Steve Robbins, Nexans UK business development manager for rail infrastructure. “So the lead time had to include gearing up the factory in Santander, Spain, to manufacture a bespoke order for Balfour Beatty Rail Projects. “Following the first delivery in May, we then delivered every two weeks, with the final delivery taking place in August.”

Resignalling project will improve route for travellers ▲

Nexans – France Fax : +33 1566 98484

Email : nexans.web@nexans.com Website : www.nexans.com

In Brief . . . Dries Ausems, at present Director Investor Relations, was appointed Spend Area Director Petchem and Energy with DSM Sourcing, from 1 st January 2008. On the same day, Hans Vossen – DSM’s Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning – succeeded Dries Ausems. DSM Desotech – Netherlands Fax : +31 45 571 9753 Email : media.relations@dsm.com Website : www.dsm.com Dow Wire and Cable has upped its prices on all its wire and cable resins, compounds and materials sold in North America by $0.12 per pound, effective from 1 st January. DowWire and Cable – USA u u u

. . . and agrees to buy Madeco

Nexans has signed a framework agreement to acquire the cable business of Madeco, in South America. At current non-ferrous metal prices, the 2006 sales of the Madeco Group cable business totalled US$ 672 million (€457 million), in three major segments: cables for infrastructures, industry and building (and in electrical wires to a lesser extent). The organic volume growth for these segments was 12% per year during the 2004/2006 period. For the 2007 half-year, Madeco’s wire and cable sales breakdown by country was approximately: 43% in Brazil, the largest market in South America, 28% in Chile, 18% in Peru, 6% in Argentina, and 5% in Colombia. In all these countries, Madeco has a leading position thanks to its established reputation and commercial image. These growing markets, Madeco’s leading position, and its management excellence enabled the company to realise a US$ 43 million (€29 million) EBITDA in the first half of 2007, representing an operating margin of 10.6% of sales at current non-ferrous metal prices. The closing of this acquisition is expected in the third quarter of 2008 and is mainly subject to approval of Madeco’s and Nexans’ shareholders, as well as relevant regulatory authorities.

Fax : +1 713 978 3281 Email : info@dow.com Website : www.dow.com

Nexans – France

Fax : +33 1566 98484 Website : www.nexans.com

Email : nexans.web@nexans.com

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EuroWire – March 2008