EANS-News: SMT Scharf AG launches new share purchase plan for employees

- Employees to participate in the company´s success

- Buy-back of up to 39,000 shares planned for Q2 2009

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shares/share purchase plan for employees

Hamm (euro adhoc) - April 21, 2009 - SMT Scharf AG (German Securities
Code (WKN) 575198, ISIN DE0005751986), technology and world market
leader for rail-bound railway systems for the mining sector, has
resolved to put a second share purchase plan for employees in place
to allow them to participate in the company´s success. As a result,
the company will acquire own shares via an affiliated company in
accordance with Section 71 (1) No. 2 of the Aktiengesetz (German
Public Limited Companies Act), and then offer these for sale to its
employees at a reduced price.

SMT Scharf is scheduled to acquire up to 39,000 shares in April and
May, and to publish this on the company´s web site at
www.smtscharf.com in good time. The implementation of the program, in
particular the maximum purchase price for the shares, will be in line
with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 2273/2003. Thus, the
company will acquire the shares at a price equivalent to, at most,
the last independently concluded transaction on the stock exchange or
the current asked price. On a single day, SMT Scharf will purchase at
most 25 % of the average daily share turnover for the past month.

"Our employees work hard - and they are a key pillar of our company.
We aim to allow them to participate even more in our company´s
success by setting up this second share purchase plan," commented Dr.
Friedrich Trautwein, SMT Scharf AG's CEO. "In doing so we also aim to
increase our employees´ identification with our company and its
future growth."

Company profile

The SMT Scharf Group develops, builds and maintains rail-bound
railway systems for mining and use in tunnels. The trains are used
all over the world, primarily in hard coal mines, gold mines and in
underground mining for platinum, diamonds, copper and nickel. They
are used to transport material and personnel with working loads of up
to 35t. Rail-bound trains are the only means of transport that can be
used underground on branching lines to cope with inclines of more
than 13 degrees. The SMT Scharf Group has subsidiaries in Germany,
Poland, South Africa, China and Russia, as well as agencies around
the world. The railways developed by SMT Scharf are characterized,
above all, by high-performance engines, high working loads, high
speed and low operating and maintenance costs. SMT Scharf records
more than 70% of its revenues on high-growth foreign markets, such as
Russia, China and South Africa. The replacement parts and repairs
business constitutes around 50% of revenues. The advances in
exploitation of resources make underground conditions increasingly
difficult which in turn requires more high technology transport
solutions in mining. The total market for underground transport
technology comprises around EUR 5 billion to EUR 7 billion per year
according to company estimates. SMT Scharf AG has been listed in the
Prime Standard (regulated market) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
since April 11, 2007.

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: SMT Scharf AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Contact

Investor relations

cometis AG

Susanne Gremmler

Phone: +49(0)611 - 205855-23

Fax: +49(0)611 - 205855-66

E-mail: gremmler@cometis.de

Branche: Machine Manufacturing
ISIN: DE0005751986
WKN: 575198
Börsen: Börse Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Börse Berlin / free trade
Börse München / free trade