Niro Soavi is part of The GEA Group

GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft Headquarters — Bochum, Germany

GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft is registered in Bochum, Germany and controls some 250 companies in over 50 countries. GEA's ability to develop new cutting-edge equipment and systems as well as very fast application developments, position the GEA Group AG as a leading manufacturer of advanced plants, systems, installations and components.

The GEA Group cooperates with leading engineering companies and provides its customers with an optimized mix of high output and low cost as well as productivity and flexibility. Plants, equipment and systems made by the GEA Group enable, for instance, the production of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, dairy products, as well as fuels. The GEA Group is also a social responsible organization with in-depth understanding of environmental issues and the need for efficient and resource conserving processing systems.

GEA Group teams up with its customers in the value chain. Clients served appreciate the spirit of innovation and the mobility of experienced specialists, the resources and the market presence of a global technology group and the fast response of a service provider operating through medium-sized businesses - all from a single source.

Markets and customers are the referees in the global competition for technology and cost leadership. The GEA Group approach does not limit quality to faultless workmanship and delivery on time. Quality is rather optimized over the entire value chain. Benefits are maximized for the entire life cycle of plants, equipment and systems.

This integrated view strengthens the customer as it adopts the principle of successful corporate management of increasing output, lowering cost and maximizing profits over the entire duration of a capital project.

GEA Group products and processes reduce the cost and the environmental impacts of production processes and improve product quality in many sectors.

The diversified range of industries served, global positioning and broad technological expertise are key reasons for the strength of GEA Group's customized systems, process equipment and process engineering segments. Some 50 percent of GEA Group sales is accounted for by the food, beverage, dairy and pharmaceutical sectors where growth is driven by the continuing increase in world population and rising household income, leading to more demand for processed food and healthcare services. The efficient use of energy resources and the protection of the environment are other challenges addressed by GEA products and processes.

The GEA Group consists of seven divisions:

• Refrigeration,
• Air Treatment,
• Mechanical Separation,
• Process Equipment,
• Dairy Farm Systems,
• Process Engineering, and
• Energy Technology

In the Group's 2004 financial statements, these businesses were further categorized into three segments

• Customized Systems,
• Process Equipment, and
• Process Engineering

Niro Soavi is part of the Process Equipment Division of GEA. Niro Soavi is headquartered in Parma, Italy. Aside from Niro Soavi, the Process Equipment Division consists of companies like GEA Ecoflex, Tuchenhagen Flow Components, Renzmann & Grünewald, GEA Ergé-Spirale et Soramat, Polacel, and GEA Maschinenkühltechnik. Niro Soavi North America is a direct subsidiary of Niro Soavi S.p.A. in Italy. Furthermore, Niro Soavi North America is having a close cooperation with Niro Inc. in the North America - not only does Niro Soavi North America supply the high-pressure pumps that Niro use in their spray dryers; Niro Inc's pharmaceutical and biotechnology business group, GEA Liquid Processing, handles all inquiries for cGMP homogenizer systems.