BEKAERT EXPANDS WORLDWIDE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM FOR SPUTTER PRODUCTS

To meet increasing market demand for Bekaert’s industry-leading line sputtering equipment, the company today announced the worldwide expansion of its customer service organization. This expansion includes new personnel assigned to customer service positions and new customer service centers located strategically worldwide. The expansion of Bekaert’s customer service team is aligned with the growth rate of industrial customers currently installing and operating the company’s sputtering equipment. Customers worldwide count on Bekaert to deliver world-class service and support without constraint of time zones or geography and by doing so, keep the total cost of ownership rates among the lowest in the industry. US Customer Service Bekaert is pleased to add Peter Andries, customer service technician, to its Spring Green, WI facility. Peter is responsible for technical support for end blocks, magnet bars, power supplies and sputter cathodes in use throughout North America (incl. Mexico). He will also provide on-site technical training. European Customer Service Bekaert has added a new market manager, David Verhenne, to focus on excellent understanding of customer needs in Europe. Verhenne is based in Bekaert’s headquarters in Deinze. A longtime employee of Bekaert, Verhenne was previously market manager medical coatings for Bekaert. Asian Customer Service To meet rapid growth in the Asian market, Bekaert is planning to open a Customer Service and Maintenance Center in Suzhou, China in Q2 2005. At this new service center, Bekaert’s sputter products team will supply Asian glass coaters with state-of-the art end block maintenance and technical support. Yuan Polin was named customer service technician for the Asian market. Sputtering is a vacuum coating process and one of the core methods for depositing thin films on glass. The Bekaert technology allows a switch from planar to rotatable targets and offers lower cost of ownership through longer production runs, faster coating deposition and a more complete use of coating material. Bekaert has built up its experience in this field through its own sputter activity on plastic foil for window film and for industrial applications. Bekaert was the first to bring rotatable targets on the market and has developed the necessary sputter equipment to effectively use these targets on glass coating lines all over the world. Industrial customers who execute a coating process for applications such as architectural and automotive glass (such as Low-E and solar control films, and anti-reflective coatings), display glass and photovoltaic glass, can capitalize on Bekaert’s technology. Customers can also rely on Bekaert’s world-class customer support and leading research and development. Bekaert (Euronext Brussels: BEKB) is a European based company, headquartered in Belgium with a presence in 120 countries. In 2004, Bekaert generated sales of € 3.1 billion, employing 18,400 people. Spring Green location.jpg Bekaert’s Spring Green, Wisconsin facility is the sales & service center for North America, and the manufacturing site for rotatable sputter targets and end block & magnet bar maintenance. Suzhou location.jpg Bekaert is expanding its Asian operations with a customer service and maintenance center in Suzhou, China. At the new service center Bekaert will supply Asian glass coaters with state-of-the art end block maintenance and technical support. Deinze corporate headquarters location.jpg Bekaert Advanced Coatings N.V. in Belgium is Bekaert’s home base for a state-of the art manufacturing facility, research & development and executive offices. The facility upgraded its ISO certificate to an ISO 9001/2000 certification in 2003.