Pfeiffer Vacuum reports preliminary numbers

Asslar, Germany, February 6, 2001. Pfeiffer Vacuum, a leading manufacturer of

high-quality vacuum pumps, vacuum gauges and complete vacuum systems, grew

its sales in 2000 by 20.3 % to DM 361 million. The company recorded its strongest

growth on the American market, where sales advanced by 46.4 % from DM 84

million in 1999 to DM 123 million in 2000. The semiconductor industry accounted

for around one half of total sales in the United States.

In Germany, sales declined by 11.5 % from DM 94 million in 1999 to DM 83 million,

a development that was skewed by a major order shipped in 1999. In the other

countries of Europe, sales rose by 20.3 % to DM 116 million. Growth was highly

positive in Asia and the rest of the world, with sales advancing by 51.0 % to DM 39

million.

Sales of the company’s most important products, turbomolecular pumps, where

Pfeiffer Vacuum is the world market leader, posted disproportionate growth. These

high-performance vacuum pumps are employed in the analytical and

semiconductor industries, in research & development, as well as in the process

vacuum market segment. In 2000, this class of pumps accounted for 45.0 % of total

sales, or DM 164 million, as opposed to 39.0 % in 1999. The trend of the first nine

months – a shift toward higher-margin components – was thus sustained during the

4th quarter of 2000. The second most important product segment consists of

vacuum gauges and mass spectrometers, which continued to account for 27.0 % of

total sales. These products are employed first and foremost in the forward-looking

industries of environmental technology, biotechnology and genetic engineering as

well as in life science.