Leica Geosystems Continues Expansion into Construction Market through Acquisition of Mikrofyn


(Norcross, GA, October 17, 2006) On 8 September 2006, Leica Geosystems and Hexagon announced the acquisition of Mikrofyn A/S in Denmark. The company is one of Europe's leading suppliers of machine automation and laser leveling and alignment equipment for the building construction and civil engineering industries. Mikrofyn's product range consists of a portfolio of automatic and manual machine control systems for excavators, graders, dozers and paving machines, as well as a broad line of laser rotators, laser receivers and pipe lasers.

"The acquisition of Mikrofyn is part of Hexagon's growth strategy and commitment to global expansion within machine automation technology. Mikrofyn is the largest European manufacturer of one and two dimensional solutions for construction machine automation and ideally complements Leica Geosystems' product range of GPS, TPS and laser-based machine automation systems that maneuver infrastructure machines with increased efficiency and precision. Mikrofyn also complements Leica Geosystems' existing construction laser product line and adds a second brand to our portfolio," said Ola Rollén, president and CEO, Hexagon AB.

Mikrofyn is based in Odense, Denmark, and currently has 70 employees. In the past several years, the company has shown annual growth rates of 30 percent. Mikrofyn will be consolidated within Hexagon Measurement Technologies and will immediately contribute to Leica Geosystem's and Hexagon's earnings.

"The company has a long and successful record of cooperation with Scanlaser, which we acquired in May of this year. Although Mikrofyn and Scanlaser are set up as independent business units, their combined competency will be applied globally within Leica Geosystems and Hexagon," said Clement Woon, president of the geosystems division within Hexagon Measurement Technologies. "We welcome our new employees and their management team. Their competency and experience is a tremendous asset to our organization and will help to further accelerate our growth in the construction segment", Woon continued.

In recent years, the world market for machine automation has grown at rates in excess of 25 percent annually. Market growth is driven particularly by the need for increased efficiency in infrastructure projects worldwide.

Find more information about Mikrofyn on their Website www.mikrofyn.com.

Leica Geosystems - when it has to be right
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information.

Those who use Leica products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 2,400 employees in 22 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.

For further information, please contact:

Leica Geosystems Inc.
Whiting, Debbie
5051 Peachtree Corners Circle
Norcross, GA 30092
USA
Phone +1 770 326 9566 (direct)
Fax +1 770 447 0710
Deborah.whiting@leicaus.com
www.leica-geosystems.us

Rhodes Communications, Inc.
Swetits, Mary
4509 Colley Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23508
USA
Phone +1 757 451 0602 ext. 303 (direct)
Fax +1 757 451 3141
mswetits@rhodescomm.com
www.rhodescomm.com

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