Brckner acquires Kiefel AG

Brckner Group, Siegsdorf and JM Gesellschaft fr industrielle Beteiligungen mbH & Co. KgaA, Worms, announced that effective 01 January 2007 all shares of Kiefel AG, located in Freilassing and active in various fields of plastics machinery, have been transferred to the Brckner Technology Holding GmbH. As of 01 January 2007, Brckner Technology Holding GmbH functions in the capacity of a holding company for the entire Brckner Group.

At Kiefel AG’s headquarters in Freilassin, production and special-purpose machines for plastics processing in the automotive, medical and packaging industry are manufactured, whereas Kiefel in Worms is specialized in blown film extrusion systems and film winders for the packaging industry. Kiefel`s equipment is sold through a global network in over 60 countries.

With this step the JM Gesellschaft fr industrielle Beteiligungen, which is mainly made up of the companies Renolit AG and the RKW AG Rheinische Kunststoffwerke, will focus its business activities on manufacturing and selling plastic foils, with the aim to develop the worldwide foil business further and even more intensively than in the past. By changing from the previous group of companies to Brckner, Kiefel will gain additional market potentials.

Although Brckner will continue to develop Kiefel in a decentralized manner within the framework of its own corporate structure, it shall also benefit from considerable synergy potentials together with Kiefel in the future. This applies in particular to the combination of product programs and the joint use of sales and production platforms in Asia, Eastern Europe and the USA.

In the words of Brckner Technology Holding management: ‘As a company acting globally with a strong brand and sound customer relationships, Kiefel fits perfectly into the growth-strategy of Brckner. We are looking forward to continuing Kiefel's long-term development as an innovation leader.’

Kiefel management sees this reorientation in an absolutely positive light: ‘Both groups of companies have established themselves, as far as innovation, technology and quality goes, a long time ago as the best in the world within their fields. Together we will be able to strengthen our position even further.’

The management of JM Gesellschaft fr industrielle Beteiligungen added: ‘We are convinced that the customers will benefit significantly from this transaction and that it will give Kiefel positive long-term prospects for the future.’