Baldwin Technology Company Inc., a supplier of process automation solutions, consumables and services to the print, textile and film industries, has announced that an agreement has been reached to acquire Ahlbrandt System GmbH.  The acquisition is pending German government approval, with a target closing date of September 30, 2017.

Headquartered in Lauterbach, Germany, Ahlbrandt’s 87 team members and top-quality Corona Treatment, Spray Coating and Hot Air Drying products complement the Baldwin team and their broad product and service portfolios.  In addition, Baldwin plans to capitalize on Ahlbrandt’s expertise and industry leading technology to enhance solutions for the rapidly growing textile and film industries.

“I am very excited that Ahlbrandt is joining the Baldwin team,” says Holger Bätz, Managing Director of Ahlbrandt. “Not only is our expertise in developing and producing top-quality equipment and systems a nice complement to Baldwin’s broad product portfolio, I am confident that Ahlbrandt’s talent and passion for innovation in surface finishing will rise to new levels within the Baldwin family.  This partnership presents a great opportunity for the Ahlbrandt team to expand our business to new geographical markets and customers, and I am convinced that this acquisition will have a very positive influence on Ahlbrandt’s new ‘Serviceplus’ growth strategy.”

“Bringing Ahlbrandt into the Baldwin family will strengthen our ability to provide value to our customers through broader technology and service offerings,” says Brent Becker, CEO of Baldwin.  “This exciting investment underscores our commitment to a strategy that blends organic and acquisition growth to enhance our global footprint and the technology we can deliver to our customers.  We are also eagerly looking forward to expanding our footprint in Germany, and we expect both teams to realize many benefits from close cooperation between our Lauterbach and Friedberg production and assembly facilities.”

Ahlbrandt is Baldwin’s third acquisition since joining the BW Forsyth Partners’ family of companies in 2012. In 2014, Baldwin acquired Web Printing Controls; in January of 2017, Air Motion Systems. Baldwin’s continued focus on strategic acquisitions has positioned the company for even greater success and created enormous opportunity for the company’s team members around the world.