--Environmental Rating-Tied Financing for New Plant Construction--

Minebea Co., Ltd. (hereafter, "Minebea") announced that it today received an "A" rating, the highest possible, under the environmental rating system administered by the Development Bank of Japan Inc. (hereafter, "DBJ") and that it has obtained 3 billion yen in financing from DBJ based on this rating.

DBJ Environmental Rating Loan is the world's first loan program to implement a specialized method for assigning environmental ratings of the candidate companies. Under the program, the companies are evaluated for their level of environmentally responsible management using a screening system (rating system) developed by DBJ. The companies elected will then be applied the interest rate at one of three levels, depending on the scores assigned.

Key points highlighted in the evaluation
Minebea recognizes that protecting the global environment is an important topic for management, and in 1991 the company established a dedicated internal organization to address environmental issues. Since then, the company has taken a progressive approach. For example, in 1993 it took the lead in eliminating the specified CFCs and ethane used in cleaning parts.
In evaluating Minebea for its environmental rating, DBJ gave the company high marks for offering environmentally friendly products, for its initiatives aimed at reducing its environmental burden by deploying green technology at its manufacturing locations, and for its CSR initiatives. As a result, the bank granted Minebea the highest rating for its "especially progressive approach to environmental awareness."

How the environmental rating-tied financing will be used
Minebea plans to begin construction on a dedicated facility for manufacturing defense and aerospace components on the premises of its existing Matsuida Plant in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture in October 2012. The funding obtained through this environmental rating-tied financing will be used to build this new environmentally aware plant.

Reference
Construction of New Facility for Defense-related Aerospace Components (June 4, 2012 announcement top-line summary)
Minebea has decided to close its outgrown Omori Plant (Ota-ku, Tokyo) and build a new 9,000 ㎡ dedicated facility on the premises of its Matsuida Plant (Annaka, Gunma Prefecture), where there is ample space, in order to expand its defense and aerospace business.

1. Background

Minebea produces special aircraft and vessel components for the Ministry of Defense, special motors and actuators for commercial aircraft, as well as brushless motors, high-pressure blowers, electromagnetic clutches and brakes for industrial equipment at its Special Device Business Unit's Omori Plant.
Among these product lines, demand has been steadily soaring for aerospace industry products, primarily for domestic rocket and new aircraft model applications. This growing trend has required Minebea to enhance development and production capacity to meet future demand. Located in a largely residential area, the Omori Plant with its aging facilities lacks adequate space for expansion. In light of these circumstances, Minebea decided to build a new facility dedicated to manufacturing products for the defense and aerospace industries on the premises of its more spacious Matsuida Plant and transfer the operations of the Omori Plant there. Minebea plans to move the Omori Plant's R&D and production operations for industrial equipment parts and components to its Fujisawa Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture with an aim to develop more advanced products through enhanced cooperation with the engineering department of the EMS and Measuring Components Business Units.

2. New plant construction schedule

To start in October 2012
To be completed in October 2013

3. Outline of Matsuida Plant


Company Name: Minebea Co., Ltd.
Representative: Yoshihisa Kainuma
Representative Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Code No. 6479, TSE Div. No.1)
Contact: Yasuo Komine
General Manager
Corporate Communications Office
Tel: +81-(0)3-5434-8637

Information in the press releases is current on the date of the announcement.

Product information, contact and other context are subject to change without prior notice.

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