Komatsu Ltd., signs a definitive agreement to sell its polysilicon business (ASiMI)

Komatsu Ltd. (CEO: Masahiro Sakane) signed a letter of intent on February 10 to sell 75% of its ownership interest in its U.S. subsidiary, Advanced Silicon Materials LLC ("ASiMI"), to Renewable Energy Corporation AS ("REC"), a Norwegian company, and since has held negotiations aiming to execute definitive agreements.
As a result, Komatsu America Corp., Komatsu's U.S. subsidiary with 100% ownership interest of ASiMI, formally signed the definitive agreement with SGS Holdings Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of REC. The transaction is scheduled to close at the end of July, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions in the definitive agreements.

Company Name:Advanced Silicon Materials LLC
Established:1990
Head Office:Butte, MT, U.S.A.
President & CEO:Michael W. Kerschen
Main Businesses:Manufacture and sale of polycrystalline silicon principally for semiconductor applications and sale of silane gas principally for the semiconductor and LCD markets
Shareholders:Komatsu America Corp. * 100%
Manufacturing Base:Butte, MT, U.S.A.
Number of Employees:Approx. 400 (March 31, 2005)
Annual Sales:Approx. 14.8 billion yen (USD138 million) (Fiscal Year Ending March 2005)

*Komatsu America Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Komatsu Ltd. and is the regional headquarter in U.S.A.

(end)