04/03/2014 18:33:00 CEST
- Manz acquires mechanical engineering division of KEMET (formerly Arcotronics) in Bologna in Italy
- Enlargement of own technology portfolio by winding technology for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries
- Opening up market access to attractive new customers in Europe and Asia
- Positive momentum from consumer electronics, e-mobility and stationary energy storage expected in 2014
Manz AG, one of the world’s leading high-tech engineering companies with an extensive technology portfolio covering the three strategic divisions of "Display", "Solar" and "Battery", acquires the mechanical engineering division of the Italian technology company Kemet Electronic Italy, a subsidiary of the American KEMET Corporation. With the consent of the Italian trades union and the supervisory bodies of both companies, Manz AG and KEMET have agreed on the acquisition of the engineering division in the Batteries segment as part of an asset deal. This gives Manz access to patents and property rights as well as the expertise of Arcotronics, which was acquired by KEMET in 2007. Arcotronics is an engineering pioneer in battery manufacture with long-standing business relationships with the leading battery producers worldwide. As a result of the deal, 83 employees will be transferred to Manz AG. At the same time, the acquisition enables Manz AG to add proven expertise in winding technology to its portfolio in the Battery division. Beside the technology for stacking of electrodes, which is already established at Manz, this is one of the leading technologies in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries for e-mobility, stationary energy storage and in the consumer electronics field. As a fully consolidated company in the Group, the subsidiary is expected to contribute around EUR 15 million to Manz AG's annual revenues with positive effect on net profit in the current 2014 fiscal year. The acquisition is being financed by funds from the capital increase, which was successfully carried out in November 2013. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
"The acquisition enables us to continue to intensify our commitment to the future markets of e-mobility, stationary energy storage and consumer electronics", Dieter Manz, CEO and founder of Manz AG, summarizes. "We are currently observing globally increasing market growth in these areas, which will continue to intensify over the next few years. The successful addition to our technology portfolio in the Battery division now puts us in an excellent position to benefit from these opportunities and to further strengthen our market position as the leading high-tech engineering company in the western world."
In addition to the fields of e-mobility and stationary power storage, Manz AG also develops and produces, in its Display division, equipment for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries for consumer electronics such as high-quality smartphones and tablet computers. Dieter Manz: "All the industries that we supply with our machinery for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries offer excellent prospects for our company. In the Battery division, we see correspondingly high revenue and earnings potential, with an opportunity to achieve, in the medium term, a comparable level to that enjoyed in the currently booming Display division."
