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Bergisch Gladbach, 6 February 2025

Third acquisition for the INDUS Group in 2025

- Swedish ELECTRO TRADING expands the Infrastructure segment
- First acquisition in Scandinavia strengthens the internationalization of the INDUS Group
- Distributor of power grid and renewable energy products
- A further acquisition for HAUFF-TECHNIK, following GRIDCOM and KETTLER

An international acquisition strengthens the portfolio of the SDAX-listed INDUS Group. The INDUS portfolio company HAUFF-TECHNIK acquires 100% of the shares in the Swedish ELECTRO TRADING ET AB with economic effect from 1 January 2025. As an importer and distributor of products for the power grid and distribution, renewable energy, construction and infrastructure sectors, ELECTRO TRADING generates annual sales of around EUR 5 million. The company is based in Bromma near Stockholm, with a further location in Kristianstaad. HAUFF-TECHNIK, a manufacturer of sealing systems for cables, pipes and building entries, has been part of the INDUS Group since 1986.

Dr. Michael Seibold, Managing Director of HAUFF-TECHNIK: “With the third acquisition for HAUFF-TECHNIK within a year, INDUS is giving us what we need to advance our expansion plans. ELECTRO TRADING provides HAUFF-TECHNIK with direct access to the Scandinavian market and bolsters our internationalization strategy.” At the start of the year, INDUS had already integrated KETTLER, a manufacturer of spindle extensions for underground pipe systems, into the Group as a strategic addition for HAUFF-TECHNIK. HAUFF-TECHNIK GRIDCOM, specializing in passive components for the fiber-optic infrastructure, has been a wholly owned subsidiary of HAUFF-TECHNIK since the beginning of 2024.

“When searching for a new owner for ELECTRO TRADING, the company’s growth prospects were particularly important to me,” says Ulla Wihlborg, former sole shareholder of ELECTRO TRADING. “HAUFF-TECHNIK and ELECTRO TRADING have successfully cooperated for many years. Building on this partnership, the two companies can now seize new opportunities in the rapidly growing infrastructure market together. Successfully HAUFF-TECHNIK’s high sales and marketing expertise will accelerate ELECTRO TRADING’s growth.” Patrik Wihlborg, Managing Director of ELECTRO TRADING, will continue to lead the company.

“From Hermaringen in southern Germany, Dr. Seibold and his team have opened up new markets and continuously expanded HAUFF-TECHNIK’s business model in recent years,” says Dr. Jörn Großmann, member of the INDUS Board of Management responsible for the Infrastructure segment. “Fostering this entrepreneurial spirit is part of INDUS’ strategy. We will continue to drive the growth of profitable subsidiaries by making complementary additions in Germany and abroad. In 2025, we have already added three strategic companies, namely KETTLER, HBS and now ELECTRO TRADING, to the INDUS portfolio.”

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 updated 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.