WABCO Goes Public with Listing on New York Stock Exchange
01 August 2007 - 5:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
- Company trades under symbol NYSE: WBC NEW YORK and BRUSSELS,
Belgium, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WABCO (NYSE:WBC), a
leading global provider of electronic braking, stability,
suspension and transmission control systems for commercial
vehicles, will make its debut on the New York Stock Exchange today,
trading under the symbol WBC. WABCO, with revenues of approximately
$2 billion in 2006, previously operated as the Vehicle Control
Systems business of American Standard Companies (NYSE:ASD). On
February 1, 2007, American Standard announced plans to spin off the
business, and completed the separation yesterday, exactly six
months later. WABCO was originally part of the Westinghouse Air
Brake Company founded in 1869 and was acquired by American Standard
in 1968. "WABCO's progress has been fueled by consistent
strategies, innovative products and a relentless focus on
customers," said Jacques Esculier, former president of the Vehicle
Control Systems business and now CEO of WABCO Holdings Inc. "I am
proud that our evolution to date has positioned us for this new
status as a public company. We are well-equipped to continue to
strengthen our business by further improving the way we serve our
clients, and focusing on expanding opportunities in the global
commercial vehicle industry." Fred Poses, chairman and CEO of
American Standard Companies, said, "WABCO now has the size, global
reach and organizational talent to succeed on its own and is
well-positioned to build on its industry leadership." Since its
invention of anti-lock braking systems (ABS) for commercial
vehicles in cooperation with DaimlerChrysler in 1981, WABCO has
successfully grown its revenues with advanced technologies focused
on improving the performance, safety and efficiency of commercial
vehicles. These include the first electronically controlled air
suspension (ECAS) system, first commercial vehicle automated manual
transmission controls system, first electronic stability control
(ESC) system and the first integrated vehicle tire pressure
monitoring (IVTM) system developed in partnership with Michelin. In
addition to focusing on continued growth in Western Europe and
North America, the company is pursuing growth strategies in
emerging markets such as China, India and Eastern Europe, as well
as expanding its commercial vehicle aftermarket participation.
These growth drivers have helped WABCO generate a compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) in revenue of 8 percent over the last five years
(excluding foreign exchange impact). With 12 manufacturing
facilities in nine countries, WABCO is continually improving its
operations environment through its WABCO Operating System (WOS).
This includes implementing the "Lean" philosophy across the supply
chain, adherence to Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) tools in product
development, customer partnership initiatives and advanced
management systems to ensure accountability across the
organization. "We are continually improving our performance and
aligning our global operations to best serve our strong balance of
customers in different markets and regions worldwide," said
Esculier. "We will continue to deliver the innovative products and
outstanding service that our commercial vehicle customers expect
and look forward to bringing the WABCO brand of advanced technology
and service to new markets." The company also announced today that
its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 7 cents per
share of common stock and authorized the company to undertake a
$500 million repurchase program of the company's common stock
through 2009. The dividend is payable on September 20, 2007, to
shareholders of record on September 4, 2007. The company plans to
purchase shares at prevailing market prices either in the open
market or through privately negotiated transactions. Timing will
vary depending on market conditions and other factors. Lazard
served as financial advisor for the WABCO spinoff. Skadden Arps and
Baker & McKenzie served as legal counsel. About WABCO WABCO is
one of the world's leading providers of electronic braking,
stability, suspension and transmission control systems for heavy
duty commercial vehicles. WABCO products are also increasingly used
in luxury cars and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Customers include
the world's leading commercial truck, trailer, bus and passenger
car manufacturers. Founded in the U.S. in 1869 as Westinghouse Air
Brake Company, WABCO was acquired by American Standard in 1968 and
spun off in 2007. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, with
executive offices in Piscataway, N.J., WABCO employs more than
7,000 people in 34 offices and production facilities worldwide. In
North America, WABCO markets ABS and other vehicle control products
through its 50- percent-owned joint venture with Arvin Meritor
Automotive Inc. (Meritor WABCO). Also in North America, WABCO
partners with Cummins Inc. in a 70- percent-owned joint venture
(WABCO Compressor Manufacturing Co.) focused on production of
WABCO-designed compressors. In 2006, WABCO's total sales were $2
billion. WABCO is a publicly traded company and is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange under the stock symbol WBC. Web site:
http://www.wabco-auto.com/. Forward-Looking Statements The
information contained in this press release contains
forward-looking statements, which are based on management's good
faith expectations and belief concerning future developments.
Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words
such as "believe," "expect," "plans," "strategy," "prospects,"
"estimate," "project," "anticipate," "intends" and other words of
similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are subject to
the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and
conditions. Certain factors could cause actual results and
conditions to differ materially from those projected in these
forward-looking statements, and some of these factors are
enumerated in WABCO's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Financial data is included in the Form 10 of WABCO
Holdings Inc. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) on July 3, 2007. DATASOURCE: American Standard Companies
CONTACT: Media, Margie Pazikas, +32 (2) 663 9801, ; or Fred Spar,
+1-212-521-4813, ; or Investors and Financial Analysts, Mike
Thompson, +32 (2) 663 9854, Web site:
http://www.americanstandard.com/ http://www.wabco-auto.com/
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