KLÖCKNER & CO SE: MARKET POSITION IN SWITZERLAND STRENGTHENED BY TAKEOVER OF BLÄSI AG, BERNE
- Second acquisition since resumption of acquisition strategy
- Regional presence in the Greater Berne metropolitan area expanded
Effective January 22, 2010, Klöckner & Co’s Swiss subsidiary, Debrunner Koenig Holding AG, acquired the distributor Bläsi AG, in Berne. With the takeover of Bläsi AG, the Swiss subsidiary of Klöckner & Co is strengthening its market position in water-supply and building-services engineering and is able, for the first time, to offer this product portfolio across the Greater Berne metropolitan area. The company’s two locations in the Greater Berne metropolitan area reported sales of approximately €32 million in 2008.
"After having resumed our acquisition strategy with the Becker Stahl-Service Group, we expand our market position in Switzerland with the takeover of the consistently highly profitable Bläsi AG. We benefit once again from our early reaction to the crisis which gives us now the opportunity to further strengthen our market positions although the financial crisis is not over yet", notes Gisbert Rühl, CEO of Klöckner & Co SE.
With more than 1,400 employees at 34 locations, the Debrunner Koenig Group is one of Switzerland’s leading distribution companies. The product portfolio encompasses the steel and metal segment, the rebar segment and technical products such as water-supply and building-services engineering, fastening technology and tools.
