On June 12, 2023, Durr Group(hereinafter referred to as Durr Group) signed the purchase contract for the acquisition of BBS Automation(hereinafter referred to as BBS Excellence), which is 100% owned by Rome Holdco GMBH.The contract was jointly signed by Durr Group and the former holding company Financial investment consortium EQT. It is expected to take effect no later than early in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The acquisition is expected to more than double Durr Group’s sales in the automation technology sector, with revenues of €500 million by 2024. The purchase price is between €4.4 million and €480 million, depending on the future performance of the acquired company BBS. The acquisition is scheduled to close by the end of the third quarter or the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2023 and is expected to be accretive to Durr Group earnings, with EBITDA rising from 13% to 15% in 2026.

Headquartered in Munich, Germany, BBS Automation helps companies automate production processes and reduce energy consumption, waste and downtime, enabling customers to meet rapidly growing cost and sustainability needs. It plays a pivotal role in the Industry 4.0 revolution by developing and manufacturing automated, smart factory solutions. The company’s tailor-made assembly and test applications are used by customers in a wide range of industries, including mobility/e-mobility, life sciences and consumer electronics.

SST-PFB3-VME SST-PFB3-VME-2-E PB3-VME-2-E

SST-PFB3-VME SST-PFB3-VME-2-E PB3-VME-2-E

Despite the acquisition of BBS Excellence by the Durr Group, the internal organizational structure of BBS Excellence will not change, and Mr. Josef Wildgruber will remain CEO of BBS Excellence. All business partnerships will not change, and customers will continue to enjoy BBS’s outstanding global resources, expertise and excellent service.

Founded in 1895 and headquartered in Bissingen, the Durr Group is one of the world’s leading machinery and equipment engineering groups, with businesses ranging from automobile manufacturers and their suppliers to furniture and wooden houses, as well as chemical, pharmaceutical, medical equipment and electrical engineering. Among them, automation technology is one of the most important development drivers of the Durr Group. The group acquired automation companies Teamtechnik and Hekuma in 2021. With the acquisition of BBS Excellence, the Durr Group’s product range will once again be significantly expanded. At the same time, BBS Excellence will receive more business resources and technical support from Durr Group.

The collaboration between BBS Excellence, Teamtechnik and Hekuma will create one of the strongest suppliers in the highly fragmented automation solutions market. “We are forming a whole new automation group. The products and services offered by the three companies complement each other perfectly, which enables us to better serve our customers around the world.” Dr. Jochen Weyrauch, CEO of Durr Group. In terms of sales, development, procurement and production, the three companies will further develop from synergies and economies of scale.

Josef Wildgruber, CEO and founder of BBS Excellence, said: “This is an important milestone in the history of BBS Excellence. We are very happy to be part of the Durr family. In addition, I am very much looking forward to working with Dr. Jochen Weyrauch and his team to shape the future of automation technology.”

The deal is subject to regulatory approval. The transaction is expected to close in the fall of 2023.