Sustained development

16/12/04 - Acquisition of 9 new centers

 

In line with its strategy, Audika Group announced the completion of new acquisitions in the second half of the year as part of its dynamic development.

 

 

Strengthened presence in the Midi-Pyrénées region and Pays de la Loire region: 7 centers

 

Audika considerably strengthened its presence in the Haute-Garonne department with the acquisition of 6 centers located in Toulouse (3 centers), Saint-Orens, Revel and Villeneuve Tolosane, bringing the total number of centers in the Midi-Pyrénées to 15.

 

At the same time, Audika also consolidated its positions in the Vendée department with the acquisition of a center located in Fontenay-le-Comte. The Group now operates a total of 17 centers in the Pays de la Loire region.

 

These acquisitions are fully in line with the Group's strategy, which aims to harness the strong development potential of its network in France.

 

 

Operations in a new French department:2 centers

 

Moreover Audika continues to build its nationwide network by setting up operations, with 2 centers located in Niort and Parthenay, in Deux-Sèvres, a French department in which the Group was not previously active. With this acquisition, the Group now has 8 centers in the Poitou-Charentes region and is present in 74 French departments.

 

These 9 new centers should generate additional sales of over EUR 1.7 million over a full year. They will be consolidated within the Group’s accounts as of January 1, 2005.

 

 

Acquisition of 19 centers in 2004 ; Still significant growth potential

 

Since the beginning of the year, Audika has actively pursued its expansion with the acquisition of 19 new centers.

 

Given the growth potential of the hearing correction market, the Group intends to maintain this high rate of expansion over the next few years through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions, as Audika enjoys a high degree of visibility on its acquisition program in the medium term.

 

Audika will publish its 2004 sales on February 8, 2005

 

 

About Audika :

 

With 280 centers in 74 different regions and a 13% market share, Audika is the number one network offering hearing correction consulting and solutions in France. Positioned on the market for hearing correction solutions for senior citizens, which is not affected by changes in the economic situation, Audika aims to consolidate its leadership in a sector that remains very highly fragmented.

 

Audika is listed on the Nextprime, MidCAC and Second Marché indexes.

 

If you would like to receive financial information on Audika by e-mail, contact: www.equityinfos.com or www.audika.com.

 

ISIN FR0000063752-ADI

Reuters DIKA.PA

Bloomberg ADI

Number of shares: 3,150,000



Audika contact:

Alain Tonnard / Etienne Sirand-Pugnet on +33 (0)1 55 37 30 30



Equity Conseil contact:
Laurence Marquézy on +33 (0)1 45 22 22 30

16/12/04 Equity Conseil / DDB Group