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Combining strengths
axel Johnson International acquires Polish sealing specialist Electrolux partners with
Axel Johnson International’s Industrial Solutions business group has acquired Passerotti sp. z.o.o., a Polish niche distributor of technical seals, from the industrial service provider ERIKS. With eight locations in Poland, Passerotti is a significant player in the Polish market with about 11,000 customers present in both MRO and OEM segments.
By acquiring Passerotti, Industrial Solutions strengthens its position in Poland. “The acquisition expands our geographical reach in mechanical power transmissions, which is part of our growth agenda,” says Ola Sjölin, managing director, Industrial Solutions. “With excellent capacity for providing tailored sealing solutions, Passerotti is recognised as a value-added distributor of technical seals in the Polish market.”
Headquartered in Bielsko-Biala, Passerotti has an annual turnover of approximately €6.6 million and 85 employees. Its offering is primarily focused on sealing technology, providing a wide range of seals for various technical applications in combination with complementary mechanical power transmission products. The company is an authorised distributor for a number of world leading brands, with a wide and diversified supplier base enabling its competitive offering. Visit: www.axinter.com
BASF has completed the acquisition of Bayer’s global vegetable seeds business, mainly operating under the brand Nunhems.
The transaction adds a well-recognised brand with a very successful business track record to BASF’s portfolio. The acquired vegetable seeds business comprises 24 crops and about 2600 varieties. It also includes well-established, strong R&D and breeding systems with over 100 unique breeding programmes in more than 15 crops.The addition of the vegetable seeds business enhances BASF’s global offer to farmers. It strengthens BASF’s seed platform and complements the recently expanded Agricultural Solutions portfolio, which includes seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming.
This closing completes BASF’s acquisition of a significant range of businesses and assets with combined 2017 sales of €2.2 billion, which Bayer offered to divest in the context of its takeover of Monsanto. The all-cash purchase price amounts to a total of €7.6 billion, subject to certain adjustments at closing. Visit: www.basf.com
food waste start-up Karma
Electrolux is investing in Sweden-based Karma, a start-up that helps restaurants and supermarkets reduce food waste by selling unsold food to consumers. The investment is part of a wider USD 12 million round with other investors. Electrolux and Karma are also initiating a strategic partnership to explore common solutions in reducing food waste.
The new partnership with Karma will explore new innovative solutions within the future of food and help to scale up the fight against food waste. The partnership will combine Electrolux’s expertise within appliances and food preservation with Karma’s digital platform and expertise within sharing economy.
“We are committed to drive a positive change and we know that the best way to do this is by working together with others who share our ambition. Electrolux is continuously exploring solutions that drives a better and more sustainable living and we’re excited to support Karma,” said Jonas Samuelson, President and CEO of Electrolux.
Reducing food waste is an important target in Electrolux’s sustainability framework with the goal to inspire better food consumption among consumers and professionals. Visit: www.electroluxgroup.com
Teknos has acquired a parquet product business from Kiilto. The product assortment consists of primer lacquers, 1-component and 2-component lacquers and parquet fillers. Through the acquisition, Teknos gains ownership of the recipes, trade names, customer contacts and know-how. The transfer of sales and logistics will take place on 1 November 2018 and the transfer of production is planned to take place in early 2019.
Kiilto’s parquet business covers Finland, Sweden, latvia, lithuania, estonia, Poland, Russia, Belarus and ukraine with an extensive network of customers. Its products are available through distribution networks or direct sales.
“Kiilto lacquers and fillers will complement Teknos’ product assortment for the flooring industry. We have a firm position in the markets, so we can smoothly continue to serve new customers through our local sales offices and to provide them with an even wider assortment of other products,” says Arto mannonen, managing director, Teknos oy. Visit: www.teknos.com
LINKINGuP
european commission approves giant Lindepraxair merger
Mitsubishi Electric acquires ASTES4 SA in Switzerland
Based in Switzerland, ASTES4 SA (ASTES4) is engaged in the development, production and sale of patented automated sorting solutions for sheet metal laser processing machines. As a wholly owned subsidiary, customers can now benefit from integrated solutions available across the global market with ASTES4’s automated sorting systems embedded into Mitsubishi Electric’s sheet metal laser processing machines.
Sheet metal laser processing involves loading the material, laser cutting, unloading cut materials as well as removing and sorting cut parts from the frame. A shortfall of skilled human resources in production facilities around the world, combined with the ability of fibre laser machines to produce higher volumes of work, has escalated worldwide demand for sorting solutions. A significant increase in productivity is made possible by automating sheet metal laser processing, including pre- and post-processing.
ASTES4 provides flexible automated sorting solutions for various materials using its own patented technology with high-quality system engineering capabilities that can integrate the entire automation system.
With this acquisition, Mitsubishi Electric will further strengthen its portfolio of automation systems together with sorting solutions for sheet metal laser processing machines. Visit: www.mitsubishielectric.com
atlas Copco acquires niche machine vision solutions provider
Atlas Copco, a leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions, has acquired German QUISS Qualitäts-Inspektionssysteme und Service AG. The company specialises in machine vision solutions for quality inspection and robot guidance, mainly used in the automotive industry.
QUISS is based near Munich in Germany. Its core competence is image processing, algorithms, as well as system design including hardware and software. The products are mainly used for quality inspection of adhesive dispensing applications within the automotive industry.
“The increased competence in vision systems for robot guidance and quality inspections will allow us to provide even more customer value in the world of automation,” said Henrik Elmin, Business Area President Industrial Technique.
The acquired business will become part of Atlas Copco’s Industrial Assembly Solutions division in the Industrial Technique business area. Visit: www.atlascopco.com The European Commission has given the goahead for the $80bn merger between German chemicals group Linde and its US rival Praxair. The landmark deal would form the world’s largest industrial gas supplier. However, US approval is still needed.
The approval from Brussels was reached following various concessions from the two parties, in order to address concerns that the merger would increase prices and limit consumer choice. It has been agreed to sell Praxair’s European assets to Japanese rival Taiyo Nippon Sanso for €5bn, transfer the American company’s stake in SIAD to joint venture partner Flow Fin and divest any helium sourcing contracts beyond what it needs to supply the European market.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition commissioner said: “With this decision, we make sure that the merger of Praxair and Linde will not result in further concentration in Europe and that customers will continue to benefit from competition in these markets.”
Furthermore, in order to secure US approval, the companies have committed to selling $3 billion worth of Linde’s US assets to German rival Messer and private equity group CVC. Visit: www.linde.com
Hadley Group takes over sheet metal specialist EWS
Hadley Group, a world leader in advanced cold rolled steel technology, has acquired eWS (manufacturing) ltd, a uKbased specialist in the production of components and profiles using cold rollforming technology. The acquisition confirms the Hadley Group’s commitment to the construction sector, both in the uK and internationally. Stewart Towe, Ceo of Hadley Group, said of the news: “I am delighted to confirm the addition of eWS into the Hadley Group. The company greatly complements our wide range of value added construction products. We look forward to supporting eWS as they continue to progress in the markets they serve.”
eWS produces in excess of 25 million metres of cold rollformed sections annually and is the market leader in Window and Door Steel Reinforcement with core strengths in other construction market products. The Wolverhampton, uK-based manufacturer will now form part of Hadley Group’s global chain of manufacturing locations. Visit: www.hadleygroup.com
