EADS eyes takeovers to double sales by 2020 -report

FRANKFURT, Dec 12 (Reuters) - European aerospace group EADS (EAD.PA) wants to use takeovers -- primarily in the services sector -- to help group revenue swell over the next decade, its chief executive told a German magazine.
"We want to double sales from 43 billion euros ($63.33 billion) now to around 80 billion by 2020," Louis Gallois told WirtschaftsWoche in an interview released ahead of publication on Monday.
"Of course this does not work through organic growth alone."
While Airbus parent EADS is focusing now on conserving cash and boosting efficiency to master the economic crisis, it will have to seek acquisitions in the long run, he said.
EADS was casting an eye on the services, space and military sectors as a way to offset the volatile civilian aircraft business in which it competes with arch-rival Boeing Co (BA.N).
"I see the potential, for instance, to have services generate 20-25 percent of group sales. Now we are a bit above 10 percent. These are services such as maintenance, training or repairs. We want to add new services as well."
Gallois said EADS had not yet decided whether to take part in a potential $50 billion competition to build a U.S. Air Force refuelling fleet, stressing that this depends on the rules that are set. [ID:nN11153929]
"We never said we would quit the contest, only that we had concerns about the current bidding process," he said.
"Our partner Northrop Grumman (NOC.N) and we agree that we cannot take part in the process in its current form because it seems as though it is not the best value for money that counts but rather who can build the cheapest aircraft with minimal capacity."
He said that counted against its entry, which he said can carry more fuel, cargo and passengers that its rival.
Gallois also supported the idea of creating a "golden share" in EADS once a shareholder pact among German carmaker Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE), French publisher Lagardere (LAGA.PA) and the French state runs out next year.
"No one in Europe wants to see a hostile takeover of EADS. A golden share could be a solution because it does not hem in any of the current owners and gives them more leeway," he said.
A golden share controlled by Germany and France would give the countries power of veto over strategic decisions via one share that outvotes all the rest. (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Victoria Main)

Faces For the Forces" - Goes State-Side Biggest Ever Show of Support for US Troops

NEW YORK, December 12 /PRNewswire/ -- A nationwide campaign aims to create the biggest ever show of support for US troops serving abroad. It comes in the run up to the holidays.
"Faces for the Forces," is a campaign to collect 1 million messages of support for the US Armed Forces by December 31st. 2009
The official launch takes place in New York at the world famous " Tea and Sympathy" cafe on Saturday 12th December.
The campaign which launched recently in the UK has already collected more than 100,000 video messages from members of the public, politicians, and celebrities. Ex- Dynasty star Joan Collins was one of the first to give her support:
"Everybody really thinks you are doing a fantastic job! We are all really concerned for you and we really hope you can come home soon and be with your loved ones. It must be really tough, I hope you have a great Christmas and a great new year." http://www.winkball.com/walls/faces/Celebrities_Goodwill_Messages/
TARGET GOAL
1 Million Video 'Winks' by December 31st, 2009
Submit your own video at http://www.winkball.com
December 9th-31st, 2009
OFFICIAL LAUNCH EVENT
Saturday, 12 December 2009
1-4PM
Tea & Sympathy
108 Greenwich Avenue
New York City
For more information or to interview Winkball.com Co-founder, Dr. James Ohene-Djan please contact Workhouse Publicity, Account Manager, Yanina Erman via email at yanina@workhousepr.com or by telephone +1-212-645-8006
WinkBall.com, the video communications service, is proud to team up with Tea and Sympathy in the West Village to launch "Faces for the Forces" in New York City, a campaign to build the largest resource of messages of support for the Armed Forces ever compiled. The effort will launch on Wednesday, 9 December 2009 and take place through the end of the year on Thursday, 31 December 2009. The official New York launch event for the public will take place on Saturday, 12 December 2009 from 1:00PM-4:00PM at Tea & Sympathy located at 108 Greenwich Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets. The NYC launch event will capture messages from the back of a British taxi cab-inspired car set. After the event, and through December 31st, the cab will drive around the city, collecting recordings in its backseat from high profile participants and citizens alike who recognize and 'hail' the car. New Yorkers are also encouraged to use Tea & Sympathy as a satellite location from which to record their videos starting on the 9th of December and continuing through the end of the month. For more information or to schedule an interview Winkball.com Co-founder, Dr. James Ohene-Djan, interested media please contact Workhouse Publicity, Account Manager, Yanina Erman via email yanina@workhousepr.com or directly by telephone +1-212.-645-8006.
WinkBall is excited to launch this unique public service in New York City as well as call upon high profile individuals across the country, including politicians, sportspeople and celebrities, to record their own videos and add their video voice to the campaign. As this campaign originated in the UK, notables who have already recorded goodwill messages include notables such as: Footballer Dave Beasant, Correspondent Max Rushden, Pop Jazz Artist Jamie Cullum, Fashion Designer Maria Grachvogel, Sky News Correspondent Jeff Randall and soap star Joan Collins to name a few.
Faces for the Forces will encourage members of the public to record and share their goodwill messages for the armed forces abroad as we approach the holidays and the end of 2009. This is the first time that New York citizens are being given an opportunity to send video messages en masse to the troops abroad that are on active duty. .
WinkBall.com has set itself a target of hosting over 1 million video messages by December 31st, showcasing feelings of support, respect and good feeling for those in service abroad. WinkBall will be incorporating all messages on a bespoke video wall of over 1 million faces dedicated to the armed forces overseas.
Co-founder of WinkBall.com, Dr. James Ohene-Djan commented: "Every day the men and women of the Armed Forces are risking their lives for their country abroad. We want to provide an opportunity for the public to let them know how grateful they are for their bravery and sacrifice. With the holidays fast approaching, we encourage as many people as possible to get online and come to the site to record their goodwill messages to show our continued support and respect for the important job they do, no matter how far away they are."
"WinkBall.com is giving New Yorkers a video voice which is changing the way we view news and share our opinions and feelings," he continued. "Our campaign to take a message to the forces ties in with our wider aim to expand the idea of Citizen Video, so that everyone has opportunity to express themselves and share their feelings online."
FACES FOR THE FORCES
Faces for the Forces is an exciting new campaign which we're pleased to be supporting to honor the immense dedication and sacrifice the men and women of the armed forces give around the world every day. The British public have always had a proud history of supporting our forces overseas and it is tremendous that through WinkBall we are able to convey these feelings to our troops in a way that makes them feel much closer to home"
WINKBALL
The WinkBall Project is the future of video communication. Through a quintessentially British combination of academic and commercial inventiveness, we have developed a series of exciting new tools for online communication. WinkBall bridges the emotional gap found in current online communication channels - by bringing people closer together through the emotional power of video. The WinkBall Project has today established new possibilities for corporate video messaging, personalised video advertising, public campaigning and private video networks. WinkBall has a team of 50 reporters who are reporting nationwide on a variety of news issues, as well as gathering messages to the forces. The focus of all reporting is centered around giving the public a video voice through interactive video blogs and video walls hosted at WinkBall.com Current services include: WinkBall.com, a free online video messaging and sharing service for the public, WinkBall Base, an internal video communications system, and WinkBall Broadcaster, for video broadcasting, email campaigning and personalised video messaging through WinkBall.com and WinkBall Base. Established in London in 2005 by Dr. James Ohene-Djan and Duncan Barclay, the WinkBall Project team has evolved to become a leading player in driving the future development of online communication. For more information, visit http://www.winkball.com
Contact Catherine or Claire at Shout! Communications - +44-(0)20-7240-7373
Or visit http://www.winkball.com/ or
http://www.winkballproject.com/