Conductix-Wampfler AG acquires Bestapower from Besta AG

Optimum addition to the Ergonomic Handling Systems product portfolio/continued cooperation with international dealer network/customers benefit from extended range of products on offer and international presence.

Weil am Rhein, Germany, March 2010. Conductix-Wampfler AG, part of the Conductix-Wampfler Group, a global leader in the manufacture of mobile energy supply and data transmission systems, has acquired the "Bestapower" product range from Besta AG. The parties have agreed to keep the purchase price confidential.

"For strategic reasons, we want to concentrate in future on our core business in level measuring technology, and so we're very glad to have found in Conductix-Wampfler a buyer for Bestapower which can successfully continue the product line and focus on the customer," explains Paul Hummel, CEO of Besta AG. Bestapower will become part of Conductix-Wampfler AG's Ergonomic Handling Systems (EHS) division in Weil am Rhein, which develops systems for the ergonomic design of assembly lines and assembly workstations using compressed air and electric supply systems, overhead monorail systems, light equipment cranes and jib booms, for instance. "The product line has an excellent market position, has for many years seen successful use throughout the world in various industries, such as the automotive industry, and perfectly complements our existing product portfolio," emphasizes Winfried Schmuck, Director Automation Division at Conductix-Wampfler AG. Around 160 km of the high-quality power supply system have already been installed in reference plants, many of which are pretty impressive. The modular structure of the system enables user-specific, ergonomic design of the workstations, thereby also contributing to enhanced workplace safety.

New opportunities for Bestapower customers

Now that Bestapower is part of EHS, customers in Germany can in future be serviced directly from the Conductix-Wampfler AG headquarters in Weil am Rhein. For this, EHS staff will be trained personally by specialists from Besta. The handover phase is due to be completed in four to six months. Handover of the product range has meant that special project teams have had to be formed at Besta and at Conductix-Wampfler in Weil.

Conductix-Wampfler is represented both by its own companies and by a number of partners in just about every major industrial nation. Its customers include crane firms, providers of conveying and warehousing technology, manufacturers of passenger transport systems, the automotive industry and leading mechanical engineering firms. "Thanks to Conductix-Wampfler's global presence and its extensive product portfolio, completely new opportunities will be opened up for Bestapower customers in terms of customized solutions in energy supply and data transmission, going well beyond what was on offer before," emphasizes Schmuck.

Cooperation with existing dealer network will continue

To ensure it can also provide a personal, expert and seamless service to international Bestapower customers, until further notice Conductix-Wampfler will continue to work with the existing Bestapower dealers in Belgium, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain, Canada, USA, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, South Africa, China, India and Japan. Hummel and Schmuck agree: "We are extremely confident that the solution we have found will be of equal benefit to all involved - Besta, Conductix-Wampfler, the dealers and the customers."