Troisdorf, Germany and Wichita, Kansas (USA)—12 December 2012. The Reifenhäuser Group, leading global manufacturer of plastics processing machinery, has acquired the US company Westland Corporation, further increasing the market share of the subsidiary Reiloy Metall, the manufacturer of screws and barrels. This acquisition will significantly expand the company’s production capacities and strengthen engineering and service in the North American market.
Westland Corporation, based in Wichita, is a US manufacturer of screws and barrels. Over the last few years, the company has taken a leading position in the North American market in terms of service and quality. Effective immediately, the company will be part of the Reifenhäuser Group under the name Reiloy Westland Corporation, as an independent unit of the business unit Reiloy Metall. Dave Larson, formerly President of Westland Corporation, will continue to manage the business of Reiloy Westland as President.
Thomas Porstner, head of the global Business Unit Reiloy says: “Reiloy Metall and Reiloy Westland are a perfect match. In Germany, we have unrivalled expertise and extensive production capacities for producing barrels with induction-heated centrifugal casting, and are currently the only manufacturer that produces its own metal alloys. Together with the know-how in engineering and the outstanding service and sales network at our new USA site, we now have the equipment and the necessary foundation for growth in the North American market.”
For Dave Larson, President of Reiloy Westland, joining the Reifenhäuser Group is the logical next step for Westland after seven years of successful cooperation: “We can now supply the US market with larger quantities and at the same time, have additional resources for the future. As part of the family-run Reifenhäuser Group, we belong to a group of companies with a strong financial basis and a strategy that isn’t focused on fast profits, but instead, on long-term, sustainable growth.
We look forward to contributing to this future growth.” For the Reifenhäuser Group, the purchase of the Westland Corporation is a clear acknowledgment of the significance of the American market. Bernd Reifenhäuser, CEO of the Reifenhäuser Group says: “I am convinced that the US is an important strategic market for the Reifenhäuser Group and that its significance will continue to increase in the future. By acquiring our own site for screws and barrels on location and investing in the capacities of the site, we are reacting to this development in the market.”
About the Reifenhäuser Group
The Reifenhäuser Group comprising six Business Units, is the world’s leading manufacturer of plastics processing machinery. In the business year 2011/2012 the group employing about 1,200 people at its three German sites reported total revenues of EUR 450 million. The family-run company was founded in 1911 and is managed today for the third generation by brothers Bernd, Klaus and Ulrich Reifenhäuser. www.reifenhauser-group.com
