Voith buys Thyssenkrupp Services in UK

Voith Industrial Services has strengthened its position in the UK automotive industry by acquiring ThyssenKrupp Services Ltd. According to the company, the acquisition will create a combined business with a workforce of over 2,000 employees at 35 locations. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Voith Industrial Services’ managing director, Paul Nicholson, said: “Strategically this is an important acquisition as it will provide us with a combined organisation which will raise considerably our profile as a leading provider of technical services in the automotive industry. Our customer base will be significantly strengthened creating future growth opportunities as we strive towards our goal as the preferred supplier of industrial services to the UK automotive industry.”

Voith Industrial Services UK, based in Warwick, has a broad range of automotive customers including General Motors, Getrag Ford Transmissions, Jaguar Land Rover, BP Castrol, and Case New Holland. The company reports that it has increased its sales turnover “significantly” over the past three years. It provides services in four main areas – facility management, technical cleaning, wheel and tyre assembly, and managed processes.

ThyssenKrupp Services’ business in the UK, based in Coventry, includes providing technical cleaning and technical services to Jaguar Land Rover at their manufacturing operations in Solihull, Castle Bromwich, and Halewood. Other major customers include BMW and Ford along with several other automotive and non-automotive customers. ThyssenKrupp Services Ltd. was the last remaining industrial services business within ThyssenKrupp group after the sale of ThyssenKrupp Industrieservice GmbH, Safway and Xervon in 2009 and 2011.

Voith Industrial Services, a subsidiary of the German-based Voith Group, has generated £1.1 billion (2012) in sales and employs 19,000 people. Founded in 1867, Voith employs more than 42,000 people, generates 5.7 billion euros in sales, operates in about 50 countries around the world and is one of the biggest family-owned businesses in Europe.