Georg Fischer : Partnership with leading mold maker Meco Eckel boosts competitiveness of light-metal offering at GF Automotive

Mold-making know-how is critical to cast component design and production efficiency, and it significantly shortens the time from the original design idea to series production of light-metal castings. The partnership with Meco Eckel will allow for an earlier involvement in the component design, speed up design-to-production processes, and ensure a seamless supply and service for our customers.

Both parties have agreed that the current management team headed by Erhard Stark will pursue its successful operations in order to guarantee the company's continuity and the high service standards for its customers. As part of the partnership, GF will take a majority stake of 51% in Meco Eckel. Closing is planned in the next two months, pending approval by the relevant authorities. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price or other details of the partnership.

'We are pleased to welcome Meco Eckel to the GF family. It's a company with which GF Automotive has cooperated closely over the past twenty years', comments Yves Serra, CEO of GF. 'Meco Eckel and GF Automotive have highly complementary know-how whose combination will greatly enhance our customer offering.'

'The partnership with GF is in the interest of our customers. Together we will be able to develop premium die casting molds and the corresponding aluminum components in an optimal and innovative way', says Erhard Stark. 'GF is a company that greatly appreciates the long-standing partnership with Meco Eckel and the high level of its employees' competence.'

Meco Eckel is a well-known, leading specialist in tool and mold-making for the automotive industry with annual sales of EUR 35 million. It employs 130 people at its two sites in Biedenkopf-Wallau und Leipzig (Germany).