Bystronic acquires Armatec Vierhaus GmbH

Ulrich Vierhaus, the present owner and Managing Director of Armatec Vierhaus GmbH, is assigning his shares to Bystronic. Mr Vierhaus is to continue managing the affairs of Armatec, which is domiciled in Gunzenhausen, Germany, until a suitable successor has been found. The company, founded in 1983, employs 40 people; in 2001 it achieved a turnover of around EUR 7 million. Commenting on the sale of his shares to Bystronic, Mr Vierhaus said: «With the help of Bystronic's global distribution network Armatec will be able to go on expanding its own international market presence.»

Laminated safety glass is an expanding market, buoyed by higher safety requirements and the relevant safety regulations, as well as a trend towards the diversified use of glass in modern architecture. It is for this reason that Bystronic CEO Rolf Honegger believes there will be no job cuts: «On the contrary; for us the acquisition of a company as renowned as Armatec is an important step towards market leadership. With Armatec's top-quality products we can now offer not only total solutions for insulating glass but also complete solutions for laminated safety glass,» explains Honegger, talking about the takeover.

Bystronic is one of the world's leading one-stop suppliers for the economical, application-engineered manufacture of architectural and automotive glass. The brand is synonymous with lasting customer benefits, reliability and outstanding product quality. As a business unit of the Swiss conglomerate Conzzeta Holding, Bystronic posted sales of CHF 163 million in 2001. The Bystronic Glass Division includes the companies Bystronic Maschinen AG, domiciled in Bützberg, Switzerland, and Lenhardt Maschinenbau GmbH, domiciled in Neuhausen, Germany. Bystronic operates its own companies and branches in Switzerland, Germany, the US and Singapore, and has agencies and representatives worldwide.