KfW Group and Würth Leasing sign global loan for EUR 100 million for the funding of small and medium-sized enterprises

• From January 2018, small and medium-sized enterprises will be able to benefit from attractive leasing terms for new corporate acquisitions.
• With the global loan, KfW Group and Würth Leasing have established their partnership in the field of SME finance and will be widening access to promotional funds for leasing in Germany.

KfW Group and Würth Leasing GmbH & Co. KG today have signed a global loan agreement for lease finance totalling EUR 100 million at the premises of KfW in Frankfurt am Main. Small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) and self-employed professionals can benefit from attractive leasing conditions from Würth Leasing and KfW Group for new corporate acquisitions.

Axel Ziemann, Member of the Management Board of Würth Leasing GmbH & Co. KG: "For Würth Leasing as a leasing company that is independent of banks and manufacturers, the cooperation with KfW is a milestone in the history of the company. With the global loan, we are opening up new options for our SME customers to invest in their future at low interest rates."

Dr Ingrid Hengster, Member of the KfW Executive Board: "Thanks to the global loan, Würth Leasing's customers will have the opportunity to profit from the low interest rates of KfW. Alongside classic bank loans, entrepreneurs now can choose between a loan and leasing even for smaller investments, depending on what suits their specific financial situation."

The process is simple: the advantages of KfW's promotional funding are passed on to entrepreneurs in the form of a voucher, which is offset with the first leasing payment. Commercial companies and members of freelance professions with an annual turnover of up to EUR 500 million who have their headquarters in Germany are eligible for funding. Private acquisitions cannot be funded.

Würth Leasing

Würth Leasing GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1993 and has its headquarters in Albershausen, Germany. The company develops specific financing solutions in the fields of machinery, IT hardware and homogeneous capital goods for fixed assets and working capital. A total of 70 employees at 7 locations look after over 2,400 customers and handle a total contract volume of more than EUR 700 million.

Würth Group

The Würth Group is the world market leader in its core business, trade in assembly and fastening materials. It currently comprises over 400 companies in more than 80 countries and employs more than 73,000 members of staff. Of these, 32,000 are permanent salespersons working in the field.

Its core business, the Würth Line sales programme for skilled crafts and industry, comprises over 125,000 products ranging from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, chemical/technical products and occupational safety.

The Allied Companies – i.e. companies within the group operating alongside the core business or in diversified business areas – supplement the offering with products for hardware and DIY stores, electrical installation materials, electronic components (e.g. printed circuit boards) and financial services. They account for over 40 per cent of the sales of the Würth Group. In financial year 2016, the Würth Group generated sales of EUR 11.8 billion.

In the first six months of 2017, the Würth Group generated sales of EUR 6.4 billion. Information about Würth Leasing GmbH & Co. KG and its products can be found on the Internet at: www.würth-leasing.de]

KfW Group

KfW is one of the world’s leading promotional banks. With its decades of experience, KfW is committed to improving economic, social and ecological living conditions across the globe on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany and the federal states. To do this, it provided funds totalling EUR 81.0 billion in 2016 alone; and of this, 44 % went into measures for protecting the environment and combating climate change. It funds its promotional business almost entirely via the international capital markets. In 2016, KfW raised around EUR 72.8 billion on the capital markets for this purpose.

Further information is available at
www.kfw.de