DGAP-News: KION Group donates €1 million in emergency aid to the German Red Cross following rain storms

KION Group donates €1 million in emergency aid to the German Red Cross following rain storms

- Group provides logistical support for the German Red Cross deployment in affected areas

- Forklift trucks loaned to the German Red Cross free of charge

- KION Group employees given paid leave to volunteer with aid organizations

Frankfurt am Main, July 20, 2021 - The KION Group is supporting relief workers in their tireless efforts to cope with the heavy storm damage in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bavaria. The intralogistics company is donating €1 million in emergency aid to the German Red Cross. The national relief organization has been actively assisting in the rescue, care, and shelter of those in need in the areas.

"The images of flooding and destruction are shocking, and the people living in those areas have been hit hard. Many have lost everything they own, and some are also mourning the death of friends and relatives. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all those affected," said Gordon Riske, Chief Executive Officer of KION GROUP AG. "We would like to thank the professional and volunteer relief workers on the ground who are giving their all to mitigate the impact of this tragic natural disaster."

The German Red Cross is a recognized umbrella organization of the non-governmental welfare sector, providing facilities, programs, and services through both volunteers and full-time workers. In Germany, the organization is also involved in civil defense and disaster response. In the event of a disaster, the German Red Cross is committed to using all available helpers and all available resources to rescue people and help them in their time of need. Currently, more than 3,500 German Red Cross helpers are in round-the-clock operation in the flood-hit areas.

The financial support that the KION Group is providing to the German Red Cross is distributed to the respective regional and local organizations by the national headquarters in Berlin. This ensures that emergency aid is sent where it is needed most urgently.

In addition to emergency financial aid, the Frankfurt-based intralogistics company is also making equipment and personnel available. "We are offering paid leave to all employees who are volunteers with an aid organization, such as the Federal Agency for Technical Relief, the German Life Saving Association, and the German Red Cross, and providing active support on the ground to those in need in the flood-hit areas," says Anke Groth, Labor Relations Director and CFO of KION GROUP AG. "We have also agreed to grant the German Red Cross free access to our forklift trucks to make it easier to manage the logistical challenges." The equipment will help to ensure that people in the affected areas have access to what they need.

"We are immensely grateful to the KION Group for its support and this generous donation," says Christian Reuter, secretary general and chief executive officer of the German Red Cross. "Many people in the disaster-hit areas are desperate as they have lost almost everything, so it's important that we can provide assistance quickly."

The Company

The KION Group is among the world's leading suppliers of industrial trucks and supply chain solutions. Its portfolio encompasses industrial trucks, such as forklift trucks and warehouse trucks, as well as integrated automation technology and software solutions for the optimization of supply chains, including all related services. Across more than 100 countries worldwide, the KION Group's solutions improve the flow of material and information within factories, warehouses, and distribution centers.

The Group, which is included in the MDAX, is the largest manufacturer of industrial trucks in Europe in terms of units sold in 2020. In China, it is the leading foreign manufacturer (as measured by revenue in 2020) and number three overall. The KION Group is also one of the world's leading providers of warehouse automation (as measured by revenue in 2019).

At the end of 2020, more than 1.6 million of the KION Group's industrial trucks and over 6,000 of its installed systems were in use by customers of various sizes and in numerous industries on six continents. The Group currently has in excess of 36,000 employees and generated revenue of €8.3 billion in 2020.

Current KION Group images can be found in our image database at https://mediacenter.kiongroup.com/categories and on the websites of our various brands.

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Disclaimer

This release and the information contained herein are for information purposes only and do not constitute a prospectus or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.

This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Future results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, e.g. changes in business, economic and competitive conditions (including with respect to further developments in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic), regulatory reforms, results of technical studies, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. We do not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

Further information for the media

Michael Hauger
Senior Vice President Corporate Communications
Tel: +49 (0)69 201 107 655
Mobile: +49 (0)151 1686 5550
[email protected]

Frank Grodzki
Senior Director External Communications & Group Newsroom
Tel: +49 (0)69 201 107 496
Mobile: +49 (0)151 6526 2916
[email protected]