Naples, 8th April 2010 – The Grimaldi Group was recognized by General Motors as a 2009 Supplier of the Year for its significant contributions to GM’s global product and performance achievements. The 18th annual awards nomination was held on Thursday,11th March at the GM Design Dome in Warren (Michigan).

“The Supplier of the Year award is always special but those suppliers recognised this year have risen above and beyond the call during one of the most challenging years in GM history.” said Bob Socia, vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain of General Motors Co. “This is a truly world-class list of suppliers. We are proud and delighted to have received a such important prize for the ninth time in the last decade” said Emanuele Grimaldi, co-Managing Director of the Grimaldi Group. “This award is full of meaning, especially after a very difficult year, and it prompts us to further increase our efforts and to continue offering top quality logistics services to GM, meeting their future goals and expectations”.

The GM Supplier of the Year award began as a global program in 1992 and recognizes the significant contributions of General Motors’ suppliers as part of the company’s global product and performance achievements. Each year, winners are selected by a global team of purchasing, engineering, quality, manufacturing and logistics executives who base their decisions on supplier performance in quality, service, technology and price. This year, GM honored 76 suppliers for their outstanding performance throughout 2009. With a long experience dating back to 1947, the Grimaldi Group is specialised in the operation of roll-on/roll-off vessels, car carriers and passenger ferries. It is a dedicated supplier of integrated door-to-door logistics services based on maritime transport to the world’s major vehicle manufacturers. Through its maritime services, the Group also transports containers, palletised/unitised cargo and passengers.

Headquartered in Naples (Italy), the Grimaldi Group comprises eight main shipping companies, including Atlantic Container Line (ACL), Malta Motorways of the Sea, Finnlines and Minoan Lines.

Today the Group operates a fleet of 100 modern and technologically advanced vessels, serving 130 ports in 45 countries in the Mediterranean, North Europe, West Africa, North and South America. The shore personnel and crew exceeds 8,000 people.

Together with strategic partners, the Group operates also 16 car and container terminals (totalling over 5 million sq. metres) in the Mediterranean, North Europe and West Africa as well as trucking companies for the transport of cars and containers.

In 2009, the Grimaldi Group transported worldwide over 2.4 million cars, 1.3 million rolling units and containers as well as over 2.6 million passengers.

For further information: Grimaldi Group, External Relations Dept: Paul Kyprianou. Ph: +39 081 496 246, +39 320 4076539 Email: kyprianou.paul@grimaldi.napoli.it