Investor Relations
June 30, 2015

Evonik divests remaining stake in Vivawest to RAG Aktiengesellschaft

  • Final step in repositioning Evonik as a pure specialty chemicals company
  • RAG Aktiengesellschaft acquires a 10.3 percent stake
  • Largest residential real estate company in North Rhine-Westphalia now has four long-term owners

Essen. Evonik Industries has divested its remaining 10.3 percent stake in the residential real estate company Vivawest GmbH to RAG Aktiengesellschaft. This raises RAG's stake in the largest residential real estate company in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia from 7.9 percent to 18.2 percent. Evonik has therefore completely divested its real estate interests in order to focus on specialty chemicals. The transaction was closed on June 29, 2015.

Vivawest GmbH now has a stable ownership structure with four shareholders. The largest shareholder is RAG-Stiftung with a stake of 30.0 percent. The German Mining, Chemical and Energy Industrial Union (IG BCE) holds 26.8 percent. Evonik Pensionstreuhand e.V., a contractual trust arrangement to secure the company pensions of Evonik employees, has a stake of 25.0 percent. The fourth shareholder is RAG Aktiengesellschaft (18.2 percent).

"The divestment of our remaining shares in Vivawest is the final step in becoming a pure specialty chemicals company. In RAG we have found a trusted investor with a long-term investment horizon for our stake. Vivawest can therefore successfully pursue its route in sustainable real estate management," said Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries.

Bernd Tönjes, Chairman of the Executive Board of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, commented: "RAG has important obligations to meet up to and beyond the complete cessation of hard coal mining in Germany. For that we need a sound financial basis with profitable financial investments that offer long-term security. This is insured by the participation in Vivawest GmbH."

Vivawest's managing directors Claudia Goldenbeld and Ralf Giessen welcome RAG Aktiengesellschaft's acquisition of Evonik Industries' remaining stake in Vivawest as being in the company's interests. They comment that it underpins the group's present stable ownership structure and thus its sustainable business model.

Company information

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders
in specialty chemicals. Profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms.

Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2014 more than 33,000 employees generated sales of around €12.9 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about €1.9 billion.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this Investor Relations News or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.