The German Federal Minister of Justice Zypries visits Topdeq in Pfungstadt

Topdeq is the “Company of the Year 2008” for outstanding investments

Last Monday, the German Federal Minister of Justice, Brigitte Zypries, visited Topdeq in Pfungstadt and gained a direct impression of the mail order company’s expanded European logistics centre. Ms Zypries displayed particular interest in the trainee situation and job security at the location.

“The extended logistics centre has a surface area of approx. 30,000 square metres with a total storage capacity for over 32,000 pallets. For the first time in Pfungstadt we have organised a joint warehouse for the TAKKT companies KAISER + KRAFT EUROPA, Hubert und Topdeq. This expansion has allowed us to extend our service advantages over competitors and will enable us to gain additional market shares and guarantee jobs,” commented Didier Nulens, Managing Director of Topdeq and responsible for the Topdeq division on the Management Board of TAKKT AG in Stuttgart.

Every day, Topdeq connects the rural district of Darmstadt-Dieburg with the rest of the world. Overnight, 19 countries in two continents are supplied with high-quality office furniture from the mail order centre in Pfungstadt. As a result of this investment amounting to over 40 million euros, Topdeq was selected by the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg to receive the award “Company of the Year 2008” for outstanding investments. This will further increase the attractiveness of the Pfungstadt location.

More storage space and more products – this also means more jobs. In 2007, 43 staff were employed in the warehouse: today the figure has increased to 62. This amounts to an increase of 44.2 percent and a job guarantee for the total of 150 employees at Pfungstadt. Topdeq gives great priority to the creation of trainee places. “We have in the past continually stepped up the number of trainees in our company and have subsequently provided employment for a substantial number of these persons,” Nulens emphasised.

Following the tour round the mail order centre, representatives of TAKKT AG had the opportunity of addressing the Federal Minister of Justice concerning the planned amendments of the Federal Data Protection Act. The envisaged tightening of these laws would have a substantial effect on the mail order sector. According to information from Ms Zypries, the German government is examining the possibility of making a differentiation between the pure B2B area and the B2C area in these legal regulations.

Short profile of TAKKT AG
TAKKT is the leading B2B mail order company for office, business and warehouse equipment in Europe and North America. The Group is represented with its brands in more than 25 countries. The product range of the TAKKT subsidiaries comprises over 130,000 items from the areas business and warehouse equipment, classical and design-oriented office furniture and accessories, as well as sales promotion items for retailers, the food service industry and the hotel market.

The TAKKT Group employs some 2,000 staff, has about 3 million customers worldwide and distributes more than 70 million catalogues and mailings per year.

TAKKT AG is listed on the SDAX and was admitted to Deutsche Boerse’s Prime Standard on 1 January 2003.

Stuttgart, 7 November 2008

Contact:

Georg Gayer, CEO
Phone +49 711 34658-201

Dr Florian Funck, CFO
Phone +49 711 34658-207

E-mail: investor@takkt.de