Draeger's upswing continues / Q3/2001 once more with definite sales and earnings gains / Safety Technology strong / Medical Technology reaping restructuring ben

Luebeck, Germany (ots/PROTEXT) - With 9-month sales andearnings buoyant, Luebeck-based Draegerwerk AG is progressingwell along the turnaround road leading to its back-to-the-blackdestination for 2001. As announced by this Medical & Safety Technology Group,consolidated three-quarter sales advanced by 13.6 percent toEuros 825.6 million (up from Euros 726.9 million). At 18 percent,non-German sales outpaced domestic gains (up 4 percent).Accounting for around 70 percent, foreign business reached a newrecord. The nine-eleven events in the United States have so far barelyimpacted on Draeger's own business, with hardly any fallout onMedical Technology as of mid-October. On the contrary, gasdetection instruments and personal protection equipment (bothSafety Technology) have been in somewhat stronger demand. Giventhe uncertainties in civil aviation, Draeger Aerospace, thesmallest of the divisions, does not anticipate any growth ratesin 2002. At present, order inflow throughout the Group is around 10percent up over 2000. With both of the premier divisions showing sales growth andthe cost-pruning program already in place, the Draeger Group's 9-month earnings are altogether a definite improvement over theyear-earlier period. Draeger Safety, in particular, upped itsalready good performance to develop into an important earningsgenerator throughout the Group. Draeger Medical's restructuringprogram, initiated in 2000, has been making good progress andhelping significantly to sharpen the competitive edge. In fact,Medical Technology's restructuring drive is expected to deliverfurther earnings gains in the final quarter of 2001. otsOriginal Text Service: Draegerwerk Aktiengesellschaft Internet:http//www.presseportal.de Draegerwerk AktiengesellschaftCorporate Communications Moislinger Allee 53/55 D - 23542 LuebeckTelefon +49 451 8 82-22 01 Telefax +49 451 8 82-39 44welf.boettcher@draeger.com Internet http://www.draeger.com

Subscribers please note that material bearing the slug"PROTEXT" is not part of CTK's news service and is not to bepublished under the "CTK" slug. Protext is a commercial serviceproviding distribution of press releases from clients, who areidentified in the text of Protext reports and who bear fullresponsibility for their contents.

PROTEXT