MakerBot Expands European Operations with Centralized Office in Stuttgart, Germany

BROOKLYN, N.Y. & STUTTGART, Germany — (BUSINESS WIRE) — July 31, 2014 — MakerBot, a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry, announced today the expansion of its international operations with the launch of MakerBot Europe. This is a major step in leading the desktop 3D printing industry not only in the United States, but in practically every major European country. As part of this expansion effort, MakerBot is acquiring certain assets of its Germany-based partner, HAFNER’S BÜRO, which has been a MakerBot reseller in Germany for several years. Effective immediately, MakerBot Europe will continue to manage the large network of MakerBot resellers throughout Central and Eastern Europe. MakerBot’s current resellers will transition into working with MakerBot Europe, and the new organization will be led by Alexander Hafner, who will be general manager of the new division. Hafner has been owner and president of HAFNER’S BÜRO since its founding in 1988.

MakerBot, a global leader in desktop 3D printing, announced it is opening a MakerBot Europe office based in Germany, to expand its 3D printing business throughout Europe. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We are so excited to officially launch MakerBot Europe and expand MakerBot’s global reach with the creation of MakerBot Europe,” noted Jenny Lawton, president of MakerBot. “Alexander Hafner and HAFNER’S BÜRO are longtime MakerBot partners and have extensive knowledge of our products, 3D printing and design solutions, and the European market. We are thrilled that they will play a larger role in the MakerBot family and will represent the company with our European distributors and resellers.”

HAFNER’S BÜRO has managed and sold MakerBot products for several years and has extensive relationships with key MakerBot customers, resellers and events throughout Europe. Frank Alfano, chief revenue officer at MakerBot, noted, “The creation of a MakerBot Europe office demonstrates MakerBot’s commitment to the European market and helps align our overall business growth strategy in the region. Germany has also long been the European hub for 3D printing as overall interest in 3D printing has grown throughout Europe. We have confidence that the area will continue to grow in dominance in the 3D printing arena.”

“MakerBot Europe is committing itself to Europe as one of MakerBot’s most important markets for 3D printing. We are very proud to be MakerBot’s partner of choice for this exciting step. I think it is a unique opportunity in both of our companies’ histories. We are excited to be able to take our 3D printing experience and years of working with MakerBot to expand that knowledge throughout Europe,” said Alexander Hafner, general manager of the new MakerBot Europe office. “We are firm believers in MakerBot desktop 3D printing and scanning technology and look forward to working with the extensive network of MakerBot resellers in Europe.”

The acquisition of certain assets of HAFNER’S BÜRO is a major step in securing a strong foothold in the European market for MakerBot. While the European market has always been robust for MakerBot, and MakerBot is a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry, the company has traditionally focused its sales and marketing efforts in the United States. Now, with the creation of MakerBot Europe, it will be able to expand its reach in many countries.

MakerBot Europe will encompass Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and other European countries. Existing MakerBot distributors and resellers will continue to run their businesses as usual and are expected to start to be assimilated into MakerBot Europe’s sales and marketing organization within a six-month time frame. During that time, MakerBot Europe will also be expanding the company’s reach and looking for additional strategic partnerships with resellers and key retailers that can help expand MakerBot’s penetration in the European market.

“HAFNER’S BÜRO in Stuttgart was chosen as the hub for MakerBot Europe due to their excellent performance record, enthusiasm for 3D printing and MakerBot products, and central location,” noted Frank Alfano. “We are excited to expand our reach and our mission to Europe to put a MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer on the desk of every engineer, architect and educator, and in every school and home.”

About MakerBot

MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), is leading the Next Industrial Revolution by setting the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D printing. Founded in 2009, MakerBot sells desktop 3D printers to innovative and industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects, designers, educators and consumers. To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ expectations of the benefits that it will receive from its acquisition of certain assets of HAFNER’S BÜRO, the expected contribution of these assets to MakerBot Europe and the timeframe for realizing these benefits, are forward-looking statements reflecting management's current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys' business, actual results could differ materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that the acquired HAFNER’S BÜRO assets will not benefit MakerBot Europe as expected due to unforeseen reasons; customers will not perceive the benefits provided by the acquisition of the HAFNER’S BÜRO assets to be as Stratasys believes them to be; the risk that the integration of the acquired assets into MakerBot Europe will be more difficult and time consuming than Stratasys expects; and other risk factors more fully explained under the caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys' most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 3, 2014. Stratasys is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules and regulations of the SEC.