Vantico Reaches Agreement with 3D Systems

From: Don Tregartha (don@tregartha-dinnie.co.uk)
Date: Wed Mar 20 2002 - 16:23:42 EET


Press Release

March 2002

Vantico Reaches Agreement with 3D Systems

EAST LANSING, Michigan, March 20, 2002 ­ Vantico Inc, the world leader in
plastic tooling materials and supplier of materials for Stereolithography
systems, today announced it has entered into a settlement agreement with 3D
Systems Corp. relating to the termination of the Distribution and R&D
agreements between the two companies and the termination of the related
arbitration proceedings.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Vantico will pay 3D Systems $22
million, which can be satisfied at the election of Vantico in cash or the
delivery of 1.55 million shares of 3D common stock. Payment (or the tender
of shares of common stock) will be made in the second and/or third quarter
of 2002. 3D will also have the option to purchase remaining shares of 3D
stock currently owned by Vantico.

Both parties will be free to develop, test, directly introduce, market and
supply resins, including style files for the stereolithography (SL) resin
materials, to the market place.

Vantico initiated the termination of the Distribution Contract with 3D
Systems in August 2001. We are pleased that this has been settled and we
are now in a position to move ahead with our global plans to service and
support our customers directly.

Vantico took this action in order to open up the SL materials market and to
enable Vantico to work more closely with the growing customer base.

George Sollner, President of Vanticošs Tooling Value Sector, added " We
believe our existing sales force and our newly formed customer support group
will enable us to offer unmatched service to this dynamic market sector".

About Vantico Tooling
Vantico has the most comprehensive range of SL photopolymers which are used
for the production of accurate, durable, models with such diverse
characteristics as humidity and high temperature resistance and tough, ABS-
and polypropylene-like properties. Vantico also manufacturers and markets a
broad range of RenShapeŽ Solutions epoxy and polyurethane systems for
modeling, mold making, prototyping and forming initial parts to the
automotive, foundry, aerospace and general manufacturing industries. The
company has been a world leader in plastic tooling materials for more than
60 years.
Ž RenShape is a registered trademark of Vantico AG, Basel, Switzerland.
Tooling web-site: www.tooling.vantico.com

About Vantico
Vantico was created through a management buy-out of the Performance Polymers
Division of Ciba Specialty Chemicals, backed by Morgan Grenfell Private
Equity.
-more-
Page three
Vantico Reaches Agreement with 3D Systems

Vantico operates as a global leader in providing solutions in the field of
innovative coatings, structural composites, adhesives, tooling materials,
and electrical and electronic insulation, for the automotive, electronic,
electrical, aerospace and consumer-durable industries.

Vantico employs approximately 2,800 people in over 30 countries with
manufacturing sites in 16. The company incorporated in Luxembourg had sales
of nearly $ 1B in 2001 and operates globally with three Divisions: Polymer
Specialties, Adhesives and Tooling and Optronics.
    
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or issue, or the
solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for securities. Some of the
information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Although management at Vantico Group S.A. believes its expectations are
based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its
business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results will
not differ materially from its expectations.

                        ends

CONTACT: Gill Houghton (Press Information)
        Tregartha Dinnie Ltd.
        +44-1442-890000
            -or-
        David Schofield (Product Enquiries)
        Vantico Ltd.
        +44-1223-493117
Analyst and Investor Enquiries:

Vantico
Ken Greatbatch
Chief Financial Officer
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8814 7940
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8814 7950
Email: ken.greatbatch@vantico.com

Website: www.vantico.com
    

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://rapid.lpt.fi/rp-ml/



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Tue Jan 21 2003 - 20:13:37 EET