INDUS : adds measurement technology specialist to its portfolio

Bergisch Gladbach, 31 January 2017 - INDUS has acquired a stake of around 76% in m+p international Mess- und Rechnertechnik GmbH (m+p GmbH), Hanover. The supplier of measurement and test systems for vibration control and analysis employs 63 people and generated sales revenues of approx. EUR 12 million in 2016, according to provisional figures. America and China are the company's key output markets besides Germany.

m+p Group was established in 1980 under the name of Mahrenholtz + Partner Ingenieurgesellschaft by the then director of the Institute of Mechanics of (today's) Leibniz University in Hanover and his collaborators. m+p is active in four business segments: vibration control, dynamic signal and noise analysis, process monitoring, development and construction of special testing equipment. The company develops and sells high-performance measurement equipment and software systems for these applications and provides comprehensive engineering services for the operation and maintenance of the delivered equipment. Among its customers are the world's leading companies of the automotive industry, the electrical and electronics equipment industry and the aerospace industry as well as a large number of supplier companies and educational and research institutions.

Effective vibration analyses provide important information for design improvements on plants and products. Manufacturers of cars and aircraft, for instance, need to conduct intensive vibration tests when developing new models in order to ensure high comfort in spite of the growing trend to increasingly lightweight design. The same applies to noise emissions, with vehicles expected to be increasingly silent. Vehicles feature more and more electronic devices, which also need to be tested for vibration resistance. 'm+p also benefits from the growing demand for software maintenance, as more and more development departments rely on external specialists,' says Jürgen Abromeit, Chief Executive Officer of INDUS. Today already, services account for over 30% of the company's US sales revenues. The acquisition of m+p Group is an attractive opportunity for INDUS in the strategic growth segment of measurement and control technology.

Strategic additions to OBUK and WIESAUPLAST investments

With effect from 29 December 2016, OBUK, an INDUS portfolio company based in Oelde, took over the door panel operations for the French market from door manufacturer Noblesse, Berg/Pfalz, to strengthen its presence in France. Noblesse has sold this division in the context of an asset deal. It comprises a plant in Markranstädt (near Leipzig) including machinery and equipment and a sales office in Berg/Pfalz. The sales volume acquired by OBUK amounts to approx. EUR 2 million.
WIESAUPLAST, another INDUS portfolio company, has acquired 55% of the shares in Wiesauplast-PMC de México from its former joint venture partner, PMC, and now holds 100% of the company, which remains responsible for selling Wiesauplast products in the NAFTA region (North American Free Trade Agreement). In 2016, Wiesauplast-PMC generated sales revenues of approx. USD 20 million. 'These two minor activities round off our investment development strategy for 2016,' says Jürgen Abromeit.