Drager Medical Receives Frost & Sullivan Brand Development Strategy Leadership Award

LONDON, September 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan has bestowed Drager Medical with the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Brand Development Strategy Leadership Award for the European anaesthesia and respiratory equipment market. The award recognises Drager Medical's ability to best perceive consumer needs and develop marketing strategies that elevate Drager's quality, style, and image to create an overall value perception. Through a unique combination of product quality, communication and distribution, Drager Medical has demonstrated superior market growth skills.

In 2004, the company increased its global net sales by around 11.2 per cent to amass over 1,020 million Euros. Underlining its strong competitive performance, Drager Medical has consistently outpaced the market with a long-term annual average growth rate of around 8 per cent. Moreover, it increased its EBIT from EUR 9.1 million in 2000 to EUR 94.2 million in 2004, marking the first four years of its business turn-around.

Currently, Drager Medical is structured into the following "CareArea(TM) Solutions" - emergency care, perioperative care, critical care, perinatal care and home care. The company's acquisition of the American-based Air-Shields(R) warming therapy product line in July 2004, further testifies to its dedication to acute care.

To select the recipient, the Frost & Sullivan research team tracks all the major participants in the industry, paying close attention to their brand development efforts. This process includes interviews with the market participants, customers, and suppliers. The companies' brand development efforts are then analysed based on the number of participants, competing brands and the brands' recognition among its peers and consumers. Industry participants are then ranked based on the predetermined measurement criteria such as market penetration and market share growth in existing market segments, development of unique brand strategies and increased customer loyalty.

"Drager Medical's mission is to 'evolutionise' the acute point of care by providing state-of-the-art products and integrated solutions. These help customers reduce clinical process costs and improve efficiency while increasing the quality of patient care," said Mandy Hartman, vice president, of Corporate Marketing and Communications for Drager Medical. "To be formally recognised for our work is proof that Drager Medical is changing the healthcare environment by offering innovative technologies and leading expertise."

"The products and solutions provided are based on its commitment to innovation, so customers continue to benefit from leading-edge technologies. Excellence in global business processes has, moreover, underpinned the company's efforts to achieve a benchmark cost position in the industry," comments Frost & Sullivan Healthcare Analyst Dr. Fiona Rahman.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.frost.com.

About Drager Medical

Drager Medical AG & Co. KGaA is one of the world's leading manufacturers of medical equipment, the largest division of Draegerwerk AG (history dates back to 1889), and a 65:35 joint venture company between Draegerwerk AG and Siemens AG. The Company offers products, services and integrated CareArea(TM) Solutions throughout the patient care process - Emergency Care, Perioperative Care, Critical Care, Perinatal Care and Home Care. With US headquarters in Telford, PA and world headquarters in Luebeck, Germany, Drager Medical employs nearly 6,000 people. Additional information is available on the Company's website http://www.draeger-medical.com

Media Contact: Katja Feick Corporate Communications Frost & Sullivan Phone: +49-69-77033-12 Fax: +49-69-234566 E-Mail: katja.feick@frost.com

CONTACT: Katja Feick, Corporate Communications, Frost & Sullivan, Phone:+49-69-77033-12, Fax: +49-69-234566, E-Mail: katja.feick@frost.com