ALTANA acquires metallic pigments and printing inks business of Wolstenholme Group Ltd.

06-22-2007: ALTANA AG, which now concentrates on the specialty chemicals business, signed a contract to acquire the worldwide effect pigments business of the British company Wolstenholme Group Ltd. In 2006, Wolstenholme achieved sales of about EUR29 million in this business area. The purchase price for the business is EUR24 million. Rutland Partners LLP, a financial investor, is the majority owner of the company, which was founded in 1938. The acquisition is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

The acquired business comprises bronze and aluminum pigments as well as printing inks based on these pigments for the graphic arts, coatings and plastics industries. The business will be integrated into ECKART, ALTANA's Effect Pigments division. ALTANA will not

take over Wolstenholme's production plants and employees in Great Britain. Instead, ECKART is going to increase the production capacities in its main factory in the Franconian town of Güntersthal (Bavaria) accordingly. Wolstenholme will continue to carry out the production of effect pigments on behalf of ECKART until the transfer of the production to Germany will have been fully completed.