DEKRA Acquires French AutoContact Group

BORDEAUX, France and STUTTGART, Germany, July 14, 2011 -

Global Presence in Used Car
Management

• Used Car Services at Locations in 17 Countries in Future
• Acquisition Strengthens Regional and Content Coverage
• Customers to Benefit From Uniform Standards Worldwide

The global expert organisation DEKRA is acquiring all shares
in the French used car specialist AutoContact Holding SAS,
Bordeaux. The purchase agreement was signed on
July 7 in Bordeaux. The company
is one of the leading European providers in used car
management. Its customers include renowned vehicle
manufacturers, leasing companies, vehicle rental
operators and dealers. AutoContact employs 430
staff and forecasts revenues of around €63 million in 2011.

“With the acquisition of AutoContact we are now placing our
growing used car management business on an even broader
international basis,” commented Stefan Kölbl, Chairman of the
Management Board of DEKRA e.V. and DEKRA SE. “Together with our new
French subsidiary, we are now European market leader also in this
automotive segment.”

“With our broad service portfolio along the entire value chain,
DEKRA and our company complement each other perfectly,” emphasised
Frédéric Schmitt, CEO of the AutoContact Group. “We have more than
25 years of experience in the used car management sectors of
documentation, logistics coordination, technology, marketing, sales
support and IT. Our proven cooperation with DEKRA Automotive in
France is now culminating in a partnership that offers us new
prospects for internationalisation under the strong DEKRA
brand.”

Peter Chapman, Managing Director of DEKRA Expert UK, anticipates
“an important strengthening of regional and content coverage” from
the collaboration between DEKRA and AutoContact. “From now on, we
can offer our UK customers a full portfolio in the area of used car
management.”

DEKRA and AutoContact are jointly active in used car management
services in 17 countries. While DEKRA operates beyond Europe in the
US, Brazil and China, the French company has a clear focus on
Europe and serves customers in a total of 20 countries from nine
locations.

In particular, DEKRA and AutoContact intend to coordinate their
processes for IT solutions and services offerings. Services in all
areas of used car management are to be expanded globally through
the DEKRA network.

About DEKRA

DEKRA is one of the world’s leading expert organisations. The
company currently operates in more than 50 countries.
Some 25,000 staff work to ensure sustained safety,
quality and environmental protection. DEKRA SE is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of DEKRA e.V. and is responsible for the
company‘s operational business. The
DEKRA business units Automotive, Industrial and
Personnel provide skilled and innovative services in
the fields of vehicle inspections, expert appraisals,
international claims management, consulting,
industrial and product testing, certifications,
environmental protection, qualifications and
temporary work in addition to outplacement and
recruitment. In 2010, DEKRA generated revenues of
€1.86 billion.

About
AutoContact

The AutoContact Group is a European service provider. It
today serves customers in more than 20 European countries from nine
locations. Its range of services covers the entire
B2B used car lifecycle. AutoContact currently manages around
310,000 vehicles. Its services are bundled in three business units.
AutoContact Services handles used car management for manufacturers
and organises returns and processes prior to sales.
AutoContact Business offers marketing and sales promotion
solutions. AutoContact Networks optimises used car
management at dealer networks. The Group employs
around 430 people and generated revenues of more than €56 million
in 2010.

Contact:
DEKRA Expert UK
Peter Chapman
Managing Director
Office: Tel: +44(0)1409-255998
Email: peter.chapman@dekra-expert.co.uk

DEKRA Expert UK: Peter Chapman, Managing Director,
Office: Tel: +44(0)1409-255998, Mobile: Tel: +44(0)7783-918021, Email: peter.chapman at dekra-expert.co.uk