Skanska signs agreement concerning the sale of Essmann

PRESS RELEASE, JANUARY 3, 2000                     1/00 Skanska signs agreement concerning the sale of Essmann Skanska has signed a binding agreement with the private equity company Alpinvest Holding NV, based in Naarden, the Netherlands, concerning the sale of the Essmann Group. The agreement is subject to regulatory approvals. The sale will result in an estimated minor capital gain in the Skanska Group, which will be included in the Group's accounts for 1999. Essmann manufactures and sells light- and ventilation domes and smoke extraction systems, with Germany and France as its major markets. The companies now sold had in 1998 total sales of around SEK 725 million and an operating income of around SEK 50 million. Alpinvest is a well established private equity investor with a large number of investments in several European countries and with offices also in Frankfurt, London and Paris. The divestment of Essmann is part of Skanska's strategy to focus on its core business within construction related services and project development.   Stockholm, January 3, 2000 SKANSKA AB Group Communication ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For further information, contact: Anders C. Karlsson, Head of Skanska Europe, tel. +46 40 14 42 43 Staffan Schéle, Corporate Finance & Investor Relations, tel. +46 8 753 82 72