New Caterer at Hamburg Messe und Congress Stockheim Takes Over as new Owner of CCH Gastronomie on Ja

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. October 14, 2008

STOCKHOLM, November 28, 2005. The Stockheim Group is the new catering organization at Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC) with effect from January 1, 2006. The Supervisory Board of HMC agreed at its meeting to 100% sale of the HMC shares in CCH Gastronomie GmbH (CGG). The Stockheim Group is a mid-sized business under owner management. It won the European tender procedure against numerous competitors, and will continue professional management of CCH Gastronomie. Stockheim has a great deal of know-how in the trade fair and conference catering sector. "In future CGG will be tailored even better to customer needs, and will be more profitable. The privatisation of CGG not only enables us to comply with a request of the City of Hamburg, but at the same time we have gained the cooperation of an outstanding caterer with new innovative concepts and ideas," says Bernd Aufderheide, Managing Director of HMC.

CGG provides catering services not only for events at the Hamburg Trade Fair site and at CCH-Congress Center Hamburg, but also at other locations in Hamburg, such as the old-time windjammer Rickmer Rickmers, the historic Old Hamburg B"urgerhaus, the Hall of Mirrors in the Museum of Arts & Crafts, and Sporthalle Hamburg. The Europe-wide tender procedure was launched in January 2005. Conditions included acquisition of 51% or more of the CGG shares in combination with signing an operating and tenancy agreement. Bidders were assessed on the basis of commercial and financial performance, expert reports and references, technical and organisational resources, image, high profile, creativity, and business development potential for CGG.

"We are firmly convinced that we have found an optimal long-term solution," says Bernd Aufderheide. "The Stockheim Group is an experienced and highly professional partner, with a focus on quality. That will also be reflected in investment in the initial and continuing training of human resources."

The restaurant operator Stockheim GmbH & Co. KG is a subsidiary of the Stockheim Group, with several decades of experience in trade fair and conference catering. At the company base in D"usseldorf, Stockheim has been the leading trade fair caterer since the 60s, and at the same time is a partner of the conference centre company D"usseldorfer Kongressgesellschaft CCD. Three years ago, when the new construction of the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre was completed, Stockheim also won the contract for exhibition and conference catering there. Two years in succession, that is 2003 and 2004, Stockheim won the coveted "Trade Fair Caterer of the Year" award, which is judged by an independent panel of experts.

"We are proud to have the mandate," said the owner, Karl-Heinz Stockheim, "to take over the catering at the Hamburg Trade Fair and Congress Center, with the splendid tradition it has. We are confident that we can meet the high standards expected in Hamburg." J"urgen Maier, selected by the Stockheim Group as Managing Director for Hamburg, looks forward to working with his new team - "Hamburg is a tremendous challenge for us. Not least the expansion and modernisation of the CCH-Congress Center Hamburg and the forward looking construction of the New Hamburg Fair will mean very high demands on the organisation of catering - that is a complex and fascinating task which we are taking up with enthusiasm and ambition."

Stockheim already has other catering activities in Hamburg. A company of the Stockheim Group operates a sushi bar at the Elbe Shopping Centre, and the Milram's Milk Bar. Stockheim also operates an outlet in the Phoenix Shopping Centre. In November, Stockheim will be launching a further Milk Bar in the Wandelhalle catering area of Hamburg Central Station; and at Hamburg Altona Station the company will be operating a Food Court. Karl-Heinz Stockheim has high hopes for his Group's new location. "We see Hamburg as a first-class location, with an international atmosphere and a reputation for high quality standards. This is a new focus for us. The wide range of activities we are currently undertaking in Hamburg shows just how important Hamburg is for us. We want to demonstrate the whole bandwidth of catering competence, right from the start."