New head of subsidiary in France

The new chief executive officer of the French Marty group is to be Philippe Lacarrière. He is taking over this position with effect from 1 February 2004 from Lars Palmetun, who remains as finance director after carrying out the function of ceo on a temporary basis. Marty, which has its headquarters in Cuzorn, is a manufacturer of wooden flooring. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Swiss group Nybron Flooring. Marty achieved a sales volume of € 72 mio in the year 2002.