Kassel, A New Position in the Worldwide Salt Business: K+S Acquires Leading South American Salt Producer On Saturday, 22 April 2006, K+S signed the agreement to acquire Chilean salt producer Sociedad Punta de Lobos S.A. (SPL). On the back of a debt-free enterprise value of US$ 480 million, K+S will purchase 99.3% of the shares of SPL for a purchase price of US$ 477 million (just under 390 million). SPL is South America's largest salt producer and achieved operating earnings of more than US$ 48 million on revenues of about US$ 350 million in 2005. The sellers are a group of Chilean private shareholders and CVC International, a private equity unit of Citigroup. K+S will finance the purchase price with own liquid funds as well as borrowings. Already in 2006, the acquisition of SPL should impact positively on earnings per share of the K+S Group. The transfer is expected to take economic effect on May 1, 2006. Subject to the approval of the cartel authorities, the closing of the transaction, that means the transfer of the shares to K+S and the payment of the purchase price, is expected to take place no later than in the second quarter of 2006. In the near future, K+S intends to submit a purchase offer to the remaining minority shareholders, who jointly hold 0.7% of the shares. SPL, which is one of the most cost-effective salt producers worldwide, enjoys excellent competitive positions. In particular, the further development of the South American economic region and the continuing industrialisation of Asia will create promising new prospects for the K+S Group through SPL.
Page 2 of Press Release K+S Acquires Leading South American Salt Producer K+S intends to assume a new role in the worldwide salt business with SPL and to expand its salt activities, which are focussed on Europe thus far, in a growth-oriented manner. An ideal strategic supplement For the K+S Group SPL is an ideal strategic supplement. Following the acquisition of Dutch Frisia Zout B.V. and the full integration of esco european salt company, which was formed as a joint venture, K+S is already the most efficient producer on the European salt market. With the leap into South America, says Dr. Ralf Bethke, Chairman of the K+S Board of Executive Directors, we are opening up excellent opportunities for ourselves to achieve further growth in the salt business. SPL fulfils all our prerequisites set for an acquisition bringing sustainable earnings: strong market positions as well as production and logistics structures that are attractive in terms of costs and can be developed further. We are looking forward to rapidly expand our salt business worldwide together with the management team and the employees of SPL. SPL s main sales areas are South America and the North American east coast. On the Chilean market, the company is the market leader with its consumer products marketed under the Sal Lobos brand and in addition, it supplies the entire region of South America with a broad assortment of rock and sea salt products. Exports to North America mainly comprise de-icing salt as well as salt for chemical transformation and industrial salt. Promising prospects SPL extracts rock salt in an open-cast mine at the Salar Grande in the Atacama desert. The excellent quality of the rock salt facilitates the processing into many speciality products for all areas of application. The deposit extends over more than 500 km 2 and has a thickness of up to 100 metres. The processed salt is loaded directly onto ships at a companyowned port facility located nearby. At present, annual production capacity
Page 3 of Press Release K+S Acquires Leading South American Salt Producer amounts to a good six million tons. After the planned expansion of the port facility, production can be increased significantly over the short term. Brazilian sea salt producer Salinas Diamante Branco, which operates a plant with an annual capacity of 400,000 tons in the north of the country, has been belonging to SPL since 2003. In addition, SPL also owns a shipping company based in Chile, Empremar S.A., as well as ISCO, an US distribution company. SPL has its registered office in Santiago de Chile. The SPL Group employs about 850 permanently employed people at its production plants, distribution companies and logistics units. Experience Growth The K+S Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of speciality and standard fertilizers, plant care and salt products. Achieving healthy and sustained growth is the goal as a company and a challenge at the same time. K+S offers agriculture, industry and private consumers a range of goods that meet needs and serve as the basis for growth in almost all areas of day-to-day life in the form of tailor-made and branded products. The K+S Group employs about 11,000 people and posted revenues of 2.8 billion for 2005. The K+S share is listed on all German stock exchanges (ISIN: DE0007162000, Symbol: SDF) and included in the German MDAX share index. esco, a K+S Group company, is Europe s leading salt producer. The Hanover-based German company has production and distribution sites in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal. esco offers a full range of high- quality salt products for industry, commercial customers, private consumers and winter road clearance services. The company employs 1,385 people and achieved revenues of approximately EUR 400 million in 2005.
Page 4 of Press Release K+S Acquires Leading South American Salt Producer Conference Call with Analysts Today, in a conference call, Dr. Ralf Bethke, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of K+S Aktiengesellschaft, as well as Mr. Norbert Steiner, Vice Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of K+S Aktiengesellschaft, will answer questions of analysts on the acquisition of the Chilean salt producer Sociedad Punta de Lobos S.A. (SPL). You can follow the conference call starting at 3 p.m. under www.k-plus-s.com. Note to editors: This press release as well as press photographs are available for downloading at www.k-plus-s.com. Contact: Communications: Investor Relations: Ulrich Göbel Christian Herrmann Phone: +49 561 9301-1722 Phone: +49 561 9301-1460 Fax: +49 561 9301-1666 Fax: +49 561 9301-2425 ulrich.goebel@k-plus-s.com christian.herrmann@k-plus-s.com
Page 5 of Press Release K+S Acquires Leading South American Salt Producer Facts and Figures K+S Salt Business Segment esco european salt company Sociedad Punta de Lobos Production and distribution sites Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal Chile, Brazil, USA Production capacity rock salt 6.4 million tons 6.0 million tons evaporated salt 2.2 million tons - sea salt 30,000 tons (packaging) 400,000 tons Assortment salt for chemical transformation, industrial salt, table salt, pharmaceutical salt, de-icing products South Amerika: complete product range USA: salt for chemical transformation and de-icing products Business figures 2005 Crystallized salt sales 6.1 million tons 5.7 million tons Revenues 398 million US$ 350 million = 290 million Operating earnings (EBIT) 63 million US$ 48 million = 40 million Employees 1,385 850