Sale of Polymer to Trelleborg

Smiths Group PLC
01 October 2003


Smiths Completes Sale of Polymer business to Trelleborg for £495 million cash

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Smiths Group today announced the completion of the sale of its Polymer Sealing
Solutions business to Trelleborg AB of Sweden for a cash sum of £495 million.
This follows approval from the EU and US regulatory authorities.

Commenting on the sale Smiths Group chief executive Keith Butler-Wheelhouse
said;

'The disposal emphasises Smiths' strategy of concentration on core businesses
in detection, medical and aerospace markets. The proceeds will be used to reduce
net debt, but we aim to continue to match buys with sells. This transaction
brings the proceeds of disposals since July 2002 to £650 million with
acquisitions of over £240 million.'

Smiths Group has market-leading positions in aerospace systems, detection
systems, medical devices, mechanical seals, and interconnect products.

For further information, visit www.smiths-group.com


Enquiries:

Media: Bernard Carey: 020 8457 8403     Investors: Russell Plumley 020 8457 8203
Caroline Harris: 020 8457 8403
GSM: 07771 973019




Notes to Editors



About Smiths Group

Smiths is a focused engineering company with market-leading positions worldwide
in its three chosen areas of specialisation. Its customers range from defence
contractors to petrochemical companies to hospitals. Headquartered in London,
Smiths Group has its manufacturing businesses principally in the UK, North
America and continental Europe.


About Polymer Sealing Solutions

Polymer Sealing Solutions employs 6000 people in over 25 countries and is a
world leader in polymer technology - elastomer, thermoplastic and PTFE - for
the, industrial and automotive and aerospace markets. Its principal
manufacturing sites are in the UK, Malta, Poland, Scandinavia, Italy and the
USA. 4700 of its employees are located in Europe of which 1400 are in the UK,
1000 employees are based in the USA and a further 300 employees are based
throughout the rest of the world. Its trading brands include Busak + Shamban,
Forsheda, Polypac and Dowty Automotive.


About Trelleborg

Trelleborg is a global industrial group. Operations are based on spearhead
competence within polymer materials and a high level of industrial know-how,
combined with functional solutions and systems designed to meet the needs of its
customers. The Trelleborg Group has annual sales of approximately SEK 18
billion, with about 15,000 employees in 40 countries. Trelleborg consists of
four business areas: Trelleborg Automotive, Trelleborg Wheel Systems, Trelleborg
Engineered Systems and Trelleborg Building Systems. The Trelleborg share has
been quoted on the A list of the Stockholm Exchange since 1964.


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