ISS has acquired one of the larger facility management companies in Switzerland - Edelweiss Facility Management AG (Efm) - a main competitor on the Swiss facility services market. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Copenhagen, 19 July 2006 - With this acquisition ISS has added 740 employees and thereby becomes the most competent facility service player in the Swiss market with a nationwide geographical coverage.

"There is a strong strategic fit between Efm and ISS. Efm possesses important competences especially within facility and technical services, which will help ISS to grow the existing and future customer base. On the other hand ISS provides many of the services that are being outsourced by Efm to other third parties: cleaning, washroom, document shredding, pest control and landscaping," said Jacob Gøtzsche, EVP and Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe at ISS Management A/S.

Efm is a result of a management buyout of a sub-unit of UBS - one of the world's largest banks. UBS logistics was responsible for internal services in the areas of Property Services, Security and Records Management. Efm was owned by nine former UBS managers.

"It has been important for us to show our employees, that they are now part of a strong company with a clear facility service strategy and high financial power. ISS can offer them attractive career opportunities and the opportunity to gain new know-how. Moreover, at ISS our employees can enjoy higher job security as a result of the larger market chances," explained George Walliser, CEO at Edelweissfm.

With the very demanding banking background Efm is well known as a high-quality provider for UBS and has a good reputation on the Swiss market. Efm maintains for UBS 1.3m square meters in more than 800 buildings all over Switzerland, services 27,000 UBS employees, organises 9,000 moves and manages DKK 600m in building investments per year.

"The acquisition of Efm will take ISS Switzerland to a new level which will ensure that we will be seen as one of the most credible integrated facility service players on the Swiss market, who is able to provide a true one-stop-shop for total facility services," said Jacob Gøtzsche.



Further information:

Mr Jacob Gøtzsche
Regional Director, Central and Eastern Europe
ISS Management A/S
Tel: + 45 20 12 11 73

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