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Bergisch Gladbach, 23 January 2025

Acquisition expands INDUS Group’s Engineering segment

- Complementary addition of the HBS Group strengthens the engineering expertise and international orientation of KÖCO being part of the PEISELER Group
- Stud welding and automation technology specialist with a focus on Europe and the United States

Stock exchange listed INDUS Holding AG expands its Engineering segment through a strategic acquisition for its subsidiary PEISELER. The stud welding specialist KÖCO, a company of the PEISELER Group, has acquired the profitable core business of HBS Bolzenschweiss-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG (HBS) with economic effect from 1 January 2025. Based in Dachau, HBS develops and produces stud welding equipment including control systems and power electronics, as well as automatic stud welding systems. HBS’ American subsidiaries, Sunbelt Stud Welding Inc. and HBS Studwelding Inc., will also become part of the INDUS Group. The HBS Group employs more than 50 people and generates annual sales of around 13 million euros.

“For the growth of INDUS group, we give particular focus on expertise in defined technology fields and international market presence,” says Axel Meyer, member of the INDUS Board of Management responsible for the Engineering segment. “KÖCO and the entire PEISELER Group benefit from the strong international footprint of the HBS Group. On the product side, it ideally complements our existing portfolio in the field of welding equipment.”

Arnd Kulaczewski, Managing Director of the PEISELER Group: “In addition to KÖCO’s focus on larger welding studs and transformer stud welding machines, we are expanding our product portfolio to include compact, energy-efficient inverter stud welding units. This allows us to target new customer groups in the industrial segment. Given the general trend towards increased automation, HBS’ automation technology business offers additional growth potential.”

Axel Meyer: “With the addition of HBS, INDUS has already successfully completed two acquisitions this year. Particularly in the technology fields of fluid technology and process technology, we see potential for further international acquisitions for the Engineering segment in the next months.”

Note:

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the current views, expectations and assumptions of the management of INDUS Holding AG and comprise known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. INDUS Holding AG assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Axel Meyer

COO Engineering
Axel Meyer (German citizen, born 1968) has been a member of the INDUS Board of Management since October 2017.

Until joining INDUS, he held various management positions at Schuler AG, most recently as Managing Director of Schuler Pressen and Head of the Service Division of the Schuler Group, Goeppingen, Germany.

Previously, Axel Meyer worked as a member of the Board of Management of the international management consultancy IMAGIN Prof. Bochmann AG, Eppstein im Taunus, Germany. He started his professional career in the Schuler Group's Solid Forming Division, initially in global sales and later as Division Manager.

Axel Meyer studied industrial engineering in Germany and the USA and earned a Master of Mergers & Acquisitions (LL.M.) at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management while working. 

Gudrun Degenhart

COO Materials Solutions
Gudrun Degenhart (German citizen, born 1970) has been a member of the Board of Management of INDUS since October 2023.

She has more than 20 years of experience in the management and development of portfolio companies in Europe, USA and the Asia-Pacific regions.

Before joining INDUS, Gudrun Degenhart was CEO for the German portfolio companies of the international service group ISS. She previously worked for the thyssenkrupp Group, including as CEO of the international business unit for special lifts and as CEO of Materials Western Europe and Asia-Pacific. She gained experience in medium-sized companies as a board member of the construction technology company Schöck.

A graduate in business administration, she began her career by building up the Central and Eastern European activities of the construction specialist Lindner Group. 

Dr. Jörn Großmann

COO Infrastructure
Dr. Jörn Großmann (German citizen, born 1968) has been a member of the INDUS Board of Management since January 2019.

Up until joining INDUS, he worked for the Dutch group Aalberts Industries, with his last position being the sole managing director of Impreglon, Lüneburg, Germany.

He previously held various positions at the Georgsmarienhütte Group, initially becoming managing director of Mannstaedt, Troisdorf, Germany and later managing director of GMH Edelstahl Service Center Burg and GMH Engineering. Before Dr. Großmann became the managing director of Buderus Feinguss, Moers, Germany, he worked as a development engineer and as a technical director for Doncasters Precision Castings, Bochum, Germany.

He studied material sciences and earned a doctorate in the field of natural sciences.

Dr. -Ing. Johannes Schmidt

CEO
Dr. -Ing. Johannes Schmidt (German citizen, born 1961) has been a member of the Board of Management of INDUS since January 2006. He has assumed the position of CEO since July 2018.

Dr. -Ing. Schmidt was previously the sole managing director of ebm-papst Landshut, Germany, a manufacturer of ventilation motors and fans. During his tenure there, his main achievements included advancing the development of new product platforms and the internationalization of production sites.

Dr. -Ing. Schmidt began his career at Richard Bergner, a manufacturer of electrical instruments from Schwabach, Germany. He initially led product development before rising to the position of managing director during his 12 years at the company.

Schmidt, who studied mathematics, gained an engineering doctorate in mechanics from the Technical University of Darmstadt. 

Rudolf Weichert

CFO
Rudolf Weichert (German citizen, born 1963) is the CFO of INDUS.

Before joining the INDUS Board of Management in June 2012, he was a Partner at KPMG for nine years. He spent three of these years in Detroit, Michigan, United States, where he worked mainly with companies in the engineering, and materials trading industries.

Mr. Weichert, who holds a masters degree in business administration, worked for KPMG for about 20 years, primarily in the firm’s Duesseldorf office, where he worked mainly with multinational manufacturing corporations.