SKF announces closure of French bearing plant

SKF France has announced its intention to close its bearing factory in
Thomery, close to Fontainebleau at Seine et Marne. The factory has 206
employees and a yearly turnover of close to MSEK 200.

- This restructuring is necessary to improve the productivity and thus
the competitiveness of the product range of small ball bearings and thin
section bearings presently made at the Thomery plant, says Jean
Tournoux, President of SKF France. The volumes manufactured at the
Thomery plant would be transferred to other SKF factories, mainly in
France.

The cost of this restructuring will be included in the provisions to be
taken for the fourth quarter, which were announced in the nine-month
report in October this year.

Goteborg, November 12, 2003
Aktiebolaget SKF
(publ.)

For further information, please contact:
PRESS: Lars G Malmer, SKF Group Communication, mobile +46 705-37 1541, 
e-mail: Lars.G.Malmer@skf.com
IR: Marita Bjork, SKF Investor Relations, tel. +46 (0)31 3371994, 
e-mail: Marita.Bjork@skf.com

Aktiebolaget SKF, SE-415 50 Goteborg, Sweden, tel. +46 (0)31 337 1000,
fax +46 (0)31 337 2832, www.skf.com