Business News
NELA ACQUIRES 2B-PRÄZISIONSTECHNIK GMBH IN GERMANY
Thursday 20. August 2009 - As of today, NELA Brüder Neumeister GmbH is the new owner of 2B Prazisionstechnik GmbH. In an asset deal NELA acquired major parts of 2B. Both companies are in the manufacturing business for the printing industry.
NELA is active in both the newspaper segment and commercial segments of the printing industry. 2B was mainly active only in the newspaper sector with a primary focus in the Middle and Southern Europe as well as in some Asian countries.
In recent months, 2B has suffered severely under the recession currently affecting the industry. Even a change in ownership and leadership couldnt get the company out of dangerous ground. As a result, on July 1 of 2009, 2B had to file for insolvency. During the creditors meeting on August 14 at the district court in Landshut, Germany, the clear majority of the creditors voted for the NELA acquisition.
The 2B entity formerly located in Forstern, Germany will be integrated into the NELA facility in Lahr, Germany. The acquisition of 2B by NELA ensures continued and reliable service for all customers that have 2B machinery or plan on system expansion and modifications. “The obtained engineering drawings and software databases are essential in this pursuit. Furthermore all NELA employees are highly motivated to satisfy former 2B customers,” says NELAs General Manager Frank Neumeister.
NELAs acquisition of 2B is only the most recent of a long line of their take-overs in the printing sector. In 2000 NELA bought Ternes, in 2004 the assets of Western Lithotech punchbending business, in 2007 Stoesser, in 2008 M+A, and now 2B. NELA sees this step as a necessary result of general consolidation of printing industry suppliers.
However, the group is not only investing in the printing sector. In January 2009 NELA purchased OMCS GmbH, a vision inspection company for rubber, ceramic and polymer parts. NELAs core competencies lay clearly in optical inspection in connection with automation and control technology. Its know-how is based on the development and ownership of corresponding engineering and software solutions.