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Bergisch Gladbach, 27 March 2024

INDUS acquires British company COLSON X-Cel in the future field of measurement and control technology

- Manufacturer of industrial valves for the control and regulation of liquids and gases complements activities of INDUS portfolio company HORNGROUP
- The INDUS Group’s internationalisation strategy focuses on local for local manufacturing

The listed company INDUS Holding AG is strengthening its Engineering segment with a further add-on acquisition: Pneumatic Components Ltd (PCL), a subsidiary of INDUS portfolio company HORNGROUP, is buying 100% of the shares in COLSON X-Cel Ltd. The British company based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, develops and produces industrial valves for measurement and control technology; including valves, shut-off units and measuring devices for controlling liquids and gases. With around 40 employees, COLSON generates annual sales of around EUR 7 million. PCL, a provider of pneumatic solutions including analogue and digital tyre pressure monitoring systems, has been part of the HORNGROUP since 2012. With six operating companies at locations in Germany, the UK, the USA, China and India, the HORNGROUP bundles solutions for refuelling and workshop applications.

Axel Meyer, member of the INDUS Board of Management responsible for the Engineering segment: “COLSON complements our portfolio in the technology area of fluid technology very well, which includes the HORNGROUP with its brands FLACO, PCL and TECALEMIT as well as the INDUS subsidiary GSR Ventiltechnik.” Increasing automation in sectors such as the energy industry, the chemical industry and the manufacturing industry is driving market growth for products for regulating liquid and gas flows. New opportunities lie in the future field of environmental and energy c, such as hydrogen applications. In March 2024, INDUS had already acquired the remaining 15% of the US company TECALEMIT Inc. on behalf of the HORNGROUP.

“The business model and product programme of COLSON and our subsidiary PCL complement each other,” says Joerg F. Mayer, Managing Director of the INDUS portfolio company HORNGROUP. “This will enable the two operationally independent companies to pool expertise, expand capacities and benefit from their geographical proximity in terms of market cultivation.”

“Based on its strong position in the UK market, COLSON is increasingly tapping into international growth potential, for example in North America and the Middle East,” says Andrew Taylor, previous owner of COLSON. “As the new owner, INDUS offers the financial strength and the corresponding expertise to expand the market.” The previous directors, Dean Groombridge and James Hinchliffe, will continue in their current roles.

Axel Meyer: “With the acquisition of COLSON, we are following INDUS’ principle of internationalisation, which, among other things, focuses strongly on local for local manufacturing. The ability to react quickly and flexibly to customer requirements and to produce small batch sizes locally with short delivery times is a key success factor for our SME portfolio companies.”

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.