• General meeting of Stollwerck AG shareholders on April 30, 2003
• Cash compensation of EUR 295.00 per Stollwerck share proposed for the remaining 1.34% of shares held by minority shareholders (squeeze out)
• Stollwerck shares subsequently delisted
• Service Hotline set up for shareholders

Stollwerck AG today publishes the invitation to the general meeting of shareholders on April 30, 2003. The most important item on the agenda concerns the exclusion of the remaining 1.34% minority shareholders in exchange for appropriate cash compensation (squeeze out), as provided for by German law. Minority shareholders will be paid cash compensation of EUR 295.00 per share for the share transfer. This figure corresponds to the cash amount that was paid to Stollwerck shareholders within the scope of the mandatory public offer issued on September 17, 2002.

Stollwerck shares will no longer be listed once all minority shareholders are bought out. The shares of Stollwerck AG are currently still admitted for trading with an official listing on the stock exchanges in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt am Main.

The general meeting of Stollwerck shareholders will take place at the Congress-Centrum Ost KölnMesse in Cologne/Germany on April 30, 2003 at 11:30 a.m.

The Swiss company Barry Callebaut AG acquired Stollwerck AG in August 2002 through its German subsidiary Van Houten Beteiligungs AG & Co. KG. After the expiration of the acceptance period for the mandatory public offer to buy the shares of the minority shareholders of Stollwerck AG, Van Houten Beteiligungs AG & Co. KG held 98.66% of Stollwerck AG's share capital and voting rights.

Service Hotline for shareholders
A Service Hotline has been set up for shareholders who have questions or proposals concerning the general meeting. It can be contacted from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the telephone number (Germany) 0211/30 12 61 16 or at the following e-mail address: [email protected]

Barry Callebaut AG
Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading producer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products with sales of around CHF 2.6 billion in fiscal 2001/02. Barry Callebaut operates some 30 production facilities in 16 countries and has approximately 7,000 employees. The company is divided into four strategic business units: Cocoa, Sourcing & Risk Management, Food Manufacturers, Gourmet & Specialties and Consumer Products.
Our customers range from industrial processors, such as the world famous branded consumer goods manufacturers who produce chocolate, confectionery, biscuits, dairy products, ice cream and breakfast cereals incorporating Barry Callebaut products, to artisanal users, including hotels, gastronomy, chocolatiers, pastry chefs and bakers, to partners in the food retailing industry for whom the Barry Callebaut Group produces branded, customer label and other consumer products. Barry Callebaut also offers a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing.
The Stollwerck AG activities acquired by Barry Callebaut AG generated sales of around CHF 774 mn or EUR 530 mn in fiscal 2001 and include eight production facilities with approximately 2,500 employees located in Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. Stollwerck’s strengths lie in its range of well-recognized, well-established brands in the middle and premium market segments, which it has consistently and successfully marketed and refined. This underscores the company’s skills as a full-range supplier with regard to price category, market segment and consumer needs.