Schaltbau subsidiary Gebr. Bode acquires Werner Kircher

Schaltbau subsidiary Gebr. Bode acquires Werner Kircher

Munich / Kassel, 25 July 2012 – As part of an asset deal, from 1 September 2012 the Kassel-based company Gebr. Bode GmbH & Co. KG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Schaltbau Holding AG, will take over boarding systems manufacturing specialist Werner Kircher, Elektro- und Feinmechanischer Gerätebau, a company based in Ahnatal, also in the district of Kassel. A purchase agreement has been signed and the takeover is now only subject to the fulfilment of legal contractual obligations. The company will be transferred to the newly formed Bode subsidiary Bode Zustiegssysteme GmbH.

Over the last few years, Werner Kircher has forged itself an excellent reputation as a manufacturer of boarding systems and their components. In 2011 the company reported sales in the region of EUR 7.5 million with a workforce of around 60 employees.

With the acquisition of Werner Kircher, the Bode Group is bolstering its own core competence as a full-range provider of door and boarding systems. The takeover not only provides Bode with access to product-specific manufacturing processes, but also to the entire value-added chain for boarding systems. In the medium term Bode plans to expand this particular field of business.

Bode is a leading supplier of door systems for buses and trains. Its range of products and services comprises the development, production, installation, commissioning and maintenance of door systems for city buses and coaches, city and regional trains and also high-speed trains.

With annual sales of EUR 350 million and a workforce of around 1,800 employees, the Schaltbau Group is one of the leading suppliers of components and systems in the field of transportation technology. The enterprise supplies complete level crossing systems, shunting and signals technology, door systems for buses and trains, industrial braking systems for container cranes and also high- and low-voltage components for railway vehicles. Its innovative and future-oriented products make Schaltbau a key business partner in the fields of transportation technology and industry.