Page 12 - Climate Control News Magazine Feb 2019
P. 12

World News
LU-VE acquires Alfa Laval heat exchangers
LU-VE HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO ACQUIRE THE ALFA LAVAL GROUP’S COMMERCIAL/ INDUSTRIAL AIR HEAT EXCHANGER BUSINESS AL AIR.
LU-VE IS ONE of the main European producers of air heat exchangers and ventilated products for the refrigeration, air conditioning and industrial process cooling markets, with production facili- ties in Europe, Russia, China, USA and India.
Alfa Laval Group is a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid han- dling, active in the production and commer-
cialization of air heat exchangers through AL Air.
LU-VE president, Ig- inio Liberali, said the
Alfa Laval Group president and CEO, Tom Erixon
acquisition fits perfectly into the strate- gic design of growth and qualification of the LU-VE Group.
“The Group is now amongst the three largest global operators in the sector. This acquisition reinforces our ability to offer services and components of high quality and reliability,” he said.
“We are strengthening our avant-garde position in the ad- vancement of our sector, in terms
of Research and Development synergies, coverage of international markets, use of cutting-edge products and manufacturing technologies in the commercial refrigera- tion, industrial, air conditioning and pow- er generation sectors.”
AL Air owns well recognized historical brand names such as Fincoil and Helpman and has fa- cilities in Italy, Finland and India. The acquisi- tion includes the transfer of about 400 employees mainly based at the production sites. It is fore- seen that the employees will continue their em- ployment in the LU-VE Group as per the closing date of the transaction. It is likely to be finalised in the first half of 2019.
LU-VE president, Iginio Liberali
Allfa Laval Group president and CEO, Tom Erixon, said the business has made big improve- ments in the last two years in terms of growth and profitability.
“However we came to the conclusion there will be even better opportunities to continue de- veloping under the ownership of the LU-VE Group. LU-VE is a solid player who is driving front-end technologies within HVAC and the re- frigeration,” he said.
“The air heat exchangers will be a valuable complement to their current portfolio.”
For the LU-VE Group the AL Air business will be a valuable complement as there are limited overlaps to the existing portfolio.
BITZER partners with automation systems provider
BITZER HAS INKED a joint venture agree- ment with automation expert Wurm.
BITZER is majority shareholder in the newly established Wurm Holding GmbH effective January 1, 2019.
As a leading manufacturer of electronic sys- tem solutions for refrigeration, air condition- ing and ventilation applications, all national and international Wurm companies will be integrated into the new holding company.
As a managing partner, Dr Horst Peter Wurm will join the management team of the new Wurm Holding GmbH and will step down from the operational management of the indi- vidual Wurm companies in mid 2019.
In the holding company, he will supervise the long-term development and strategic orienta- tion of the group in coordination with BITZER.
No changes will be made to the management of the Wurm Group, its senior employees, or any of its operational sites in Germany or abroad.
“It will even be business as usual for all of
our customers who will keep the same representatives,” according to Dr Horst Peter Wurm.
Rainer Große-Kracht, member of the Management Board and Chief Technology Officer at BITZ- ER, said that prior to the joint ven- ture announcement the two com- panies had worked together for well over a decade,
“We realised how much we could profit from one another tech- nologically and stimulate the mar- ket in these challenging times,” Große-Kracht said.
(from left): Rainer Große-Kracht, Dr Horst Peter Wurm and Frank Hartmann
CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU
By working together, both companies are gaining a strong strategic partner to shape tech- nological developments in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry.
“Together, BITZER and Wurm can provide their customers with new intelligent solu- tions and ensure the independence of two in-
novative family-run companies in the long term,” he said.
Based in Remscheid, Germany, Wurm em- ploys more than 220 staff and has decades of expertise in automation technology for com- mercial refrigeration. Wurm has sites in Ger- many, Switzerland, Austria and Benelux. ✺
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