The combined experience, locations and customer portfolio of Applus+ and Technico
this will create one of the largest organizations on the market of
nondestructive testing in Canada

Barcelona, July 27, 2009.- Applus+, Spanish multinational and leader in the sector of testing, inspection, certification and technological services and one of the top 10 companies in the sector worldwide, today announced the acquisition of Technico, the Canadian company specialized in non-destructive testing and inspection and the leader in its sector on the Atlantic coast of Canada. With this purchase, Applus+ reinforces its pole position in the non-destructive testing sector worldwide as well as its Canadian presence, where it has been operating since 1990, with an office in Edmonton (Alberta) and a workforce of more than 100.

Technico started operations in 1976 and now has 133 employees across Canada and the United States. The company headquarters are located in the province of New Brunswick, from which it provides non-destructive testing and specialized engineering services to industry on the Canadian and American East Coast. Last year the company posted sales of more than €10 million.

"The technical capability and experience of Technico will allow us to continue growing in the sector of non-destructive testing and to consolidate our position in the North American market", explained Jorge Lluch, director-general of business development at Applus+. "From a business point of view, Canada and the United States are priority regions for us due to the high demand for quality inspection services and the opportunities that exist in the gas industry, the power sector and other similar fields", concluded Lluch.

Non-destructive testing (NDT) refers to the techniques and technologies aimed at testing the condition and safety of equipment and objects without affecting their integrity. These inspections are mostly used in the petrochemical industry and other similar sectors (gas, energy, etc), and are currently also being used in a variety of fields including aeronautics, the food industry and water storage and distribution networks, among others, generating sales of €2.5 billion worldwide.

GLOBAL LEADER IN NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

Technico will become part of the Applus+ non-destructive testing division. This business unit, known as Applus+ RTD, has headquarters in Rotterdam (Holland), employs more than 3,000 people and works with the largest petrochemical and power companies in the world. With over 2,000 clients, its sales exceeded €300 million in 2008.

Applus+ acquired the Dutch group RTD in April of 2006, leading to the creation of Applus+ RTD, a division specializing in the field of non-destructive testing and inspections. In 2008, Applus+ acquired MB Inspection and JanX, market leaders in the UK and USA respectively, thus becoming the worldwide leader in non-destructive testing and inspection.

FOURTH ACQUISITION BY APPLUS+ IN 2009

The purchase of Technico is the fourth acquisition made by Applus+ this year. In March, the company announced its purchase of the environmental laboratory Ambitec, in Madrid. Later in the year, in June, the company reported the takeover of CTS and Ekopol, in France and Poland, respectively.

In November 2007 The Carlyle Group and a consortium led by Caixa Catalunya became majority stockholders of Applus+. That same year, the company launched an ambitious strategic plan to become one of the five leading companies in its sector, doubling its sales with the aim of reaching €1.2 billion by 2012. Applus+ sales grew by 24% in 2008 to €837 million.