Announcements

Professor Walter H. Lechler passed away

Dettingen/Erms (Germany), May 18, 2018+++ The long-time Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ElringKlinger AG, Professor Walter Herwarth Lechler, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Thursday, May 17, 2018, at the age of 75. The day before his death he had attended the Annual General Meeting of the Group and exercised the voting rights of the Lechler family.

"The news of Professor Lechler's passing has filled us with tremendous sadness," says Klaus Eberhardt, Lechler's successor as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. "In him ElringKlinger has lost a seminal father figure. The idea of corporate responsibility was always of paramount importance to him, which fundamentally also included social aspects. Our thoughts are with his wife and his family."

Professor Lechler was the son of a Stuttgart-based family of merchants and was himself an entrepreneur throughout his lifetime. In 1972, following his studies in business administration in the United States and Cologne, he became a member of the shareholder committee of the company then known as Elring GmbH. In 1989 he was appointed chairman of that committee. He sat on the Supervisory Board of ElringKlinger AG and its predecessor company ZWL Grundbesitz- und Beteiligungs-AG from 1976 onward, as from 2012 as its Chairman. Having stepped down from the Supervisory Board in May 2017 on the grounds of age, he was elected as its Honorary Chairman. One month later the Evangelische Hochschule Ludwigsburg (Protestant University of Applied Sciences) made him an Honorary Professor. Additionally, he held the position of managing partner of Lechler GmbH, Metzingen, from 1976 onward.

"Alongside his deep entrepreneurial conviction and his exceptional social commitment, I was particularly impressed by his astute ability to focus on that which was essential," says Dr. Stefan Wolf, CEO of ElringKlinger AG. "With his calm mindset, he examined complex issues in a perceptive and well-judged manner even during hectic times in order to arrive at solutions of long-term merit. In doing so, he became a role model for me and for many others within and beyond the company. He will be sorely missed by the ElringKlinger family and by me personally."

While the death of Walter H. Lechler is tragic news for ElringKlinger AG, it will not lead to any significant changes. As the head of his family, he made provisions for his estate well before his death. The ownership interest of 22 % in ElringKlinger AG, which Walter H. Lechler held himself up to his death, will be transferred to the family trust that had been founded by his uncle Klaus Lechler upon his death. Thus, in future the trust will hold, either directly or indirectly, 52 % of the interests in ElringKlinger AG. The aim of the trust is to ensure the ongoing development of ElringKlinger AG as a company.

For further information, please contact:
ElringKlinger AG | Dr. Jens Winter | Strategic Communications
Max-Eyth-Straße 2 | 72581 Dettingen/Erms | Germany
Phone: +49 7123 724-88335 | Fax: +49 7123 724-85 8335
E-mail: jens.winter[at]elringklinger.com

About ElringKlinger AG
As an automotive supplier, ElringKlinger has become a trusted partner to its customers - with a firm commitment to shaping the future of mobility. Be it optimized combustion engines, high-performance hybrids, or environmentally-friendly battery and fuel cell technology, ElringKlinger provides innovative solutions for all types of drive systems. ElringKlinger's lightweighting concepts help to reduce the overall weight of vehicles. As a result, vehicles powered by combustion engines consume less fuel and emit less CO2, while those equipped with alternative propulsion systems benefit from an extended range. In response to increasingly complex combustion engine technology, the Group also continues to make refinements with regard to gaskets in order to meet the highest possible standards. This is complemented by solutions centered around thermal and acoustic shielding technology. Additionally, the Group's portfolio includes products made of the high-performance plastic PTFE which are also marketed to industries beyond the automotive sector. These efforts are supported by a dedicated workforce of more than 9,600 employees at 45 ElringKlinger Group locations around the globe.

Annual General Meeting approves dividend of EUR 0.50 per share

- Dividend volume remains stable year on year at EUR 31.7 million;
dividend ratio improves to 45.3%

- Actions of Management Board and Supervisory Board approved by a large
majority in both cases

- Review 2017 and outlook 2018: key strategic milestones for future business development

Stuttgart, Dettingen/Erms (Germany), May 16, 2018 +++ The shareholders of ElringKlinger AG approved a dividend of EUR 0.50 per share for the 2017 financial year at the company's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Stuttgart. The dividend payment is to be completed on May 22, 2018, the third business day subsequent to the resolution passed by the AGM. All investors holding shares in ElringKlinger AG on May 16, 2018, are entitled to a dividend.

As part of his review of 2017, CEO Dr. Stefan Wolf looked back on a financial year that included important strategic milestones with regard to future business development. "In taking these strategic steps, we have brought the Group further in line with the mobility market of the future. With a product portfolio that includes high-performance fuel cell systems as well as battery systems and complete electric drive units, ElringKlinger is well prepared for the dynamic transition facing the automotive industry," said Dr. Stefan Wolf.

Among the key events for ElringKlinger during the 2017 financial year were the investment in the hofer Group transacted in February and March, the placement in July of a Schuldscheindarlehen (loan granted to the company against a form of promissory note) - covering a total volume of EUR 200 million - for the first time in its corporate history, the signing of a cooperation agreement with Chinese battery manufacturer CITC in November, and an understanding reached in December for the sale of the Hug Group.

In March 2018 the Supervisory Board of ElringKlinger AG made a number of other far-reaching decisions. Effective from April 1, 2018, a new area of Management Board responsibility - covering the field of e-mobility - was introduced under the supervision of Theo Becker. At the same time, Reiner Drews, who had previously been responsible for the Cylinder-head Gaskets and Specialty Gaskets divisions, was appointed to the Management Board. As successor to Theo Becker, he became the Group's new COO. Furthermore, the Supervisory Board extended the contract of CFO Thomas Jessulat by five years as from January 1, 2019, i.e., until the end of December 2023.

In addition to charting its strategic course, ElringKlinger again saw its business grow significantly at an operational level in fiscal 2017. Group revenue expanded by 6.8% to EUR 1,664 million, while earnings before interest and taxes totaled EUR 137.3 (135.2) million. In terms of ElringKlinger's bottom-line result, however, the positive effects of revenue growth were offset by adverse factors over the course of the year, such as rising commodity prices, additional costs due to the introduction of SAP at a Swiss subsidiary, and follow-on costs associated with consistently high volumes ordered by customers in the NAFTA region as part of their production scheduling. As a result, net income attributable to shareholders fell to EUR 69.9 (78.6) million.

The shareholders of ElringKlinger AG approved by a majority of 99.96% the proposal put forward by the Management Board and Supervisory Board for a dividend of EUR 0.50 (0.50) per share for fiscal 2017, unchanged on the previous financial year. The total distribution will thus remain stable year on year at EUR 31.7 million. The dividend ratio is up at 45.3% (40.3%), i.e., in excess of the Group's dividend policy, as part of which between 30 and 40% of Group net income after non-controlling interests shall be distributed.

As regards fiscal 2017, the AGM approved the actions of the Management Board members with 93.88% and the actions of the Supervisory Board members with 76.92% of the votes. Ernst & Young GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft was appointed as the auditor for the financial year 2018.

The AGM, held at the Stuttgart Culture and Congress Center, was attended by around 800 shareholders and guests. In total, 71.52% of the company's share capital was represented at the meeting.

For further information, please contact:
ElringKlinger AG
Dr. Jens Winter
Strategic Communications
Max-Eyth-Straße 2
72581 Dettingen/Erms
Germany
Phone: +49 7123 724-88335
Fax: +49 7123 724-85 8335
E-mail: jens.winter[at]elringklinger.com

About ElringKlinger AG
As an automotive supplier, ElringKlinger has become a trusted partner to its customers - with a firm commitment to shaping the future of mobility. Be it optimized combustion engines, high-performance hybrids, or environmentally-friendly battery and fuel cell technology, ElringKlinger provides innovative solutions for all types of drive systems. ElringKlinger's lightweighting concepts help to reduce the overall weight of vehicles. As a result, vehicles powered by combustion engines consume less fuel and emit less CO2, while those equipped with alternative propulsion systems benefit from an extended range. In response to increasingly complex combustion engine technology, the Group also continues to make refinements with regard to gaskets in order to meet the highest possible standards. This is complemented by solutions centered around thermal and acoustic shielding technology. Additionally, the Group's portfolio includes products made of the high-performance plastic PTFE which are also marketed to industries beyond the automotive sector. These efforts are supported by a dedicated workforce of more than 9,600 employees at 45 ElringKlinger Group locations around the globe.