Gobal sensor and automation specialist Balluff is extending its digitalization know-how with the acquisition of two leading companies.
The Stuttgart software company iss innovative software services GmbH (iss) and the machine vision pioneer Matrix Vision GmbH (MV) from Oppenweiler near Stuttgart, Germany, are set to join the Balluff family.
Contracts were signed in July and August this year after nearly six months of negotiations.
The family-owned company will retain the 160 employees now working at the two companies.
Acquisitions strengthen strategic alignment
The two new companies enhance Balluff's core competences in two key fields: software development and machine vision.
Their integration thus represents a key building-block in the Group's strategic alignment.
"Linking our network technology with the software expertise of the two companies will particularly improve our capability for supplying integrated automation solutions from one provider,” said Balluff Managing Director Florian Hermle.
“The know-how of iss and Matrix Vision and their employees will help us capitalize on the huge growth opportunities in digitalization faster, while extending our portfolio in the hardware and software areas."
Strengthening software expertise
Founded in 1996 and now with 60 employees, iss specialises in tools, test systems, processes and standardization in software development for the automotive and supply industry.
Within the Balluff Group iss will assume the role of in- house software specialist, as the company from Stuttgart-Vaihingen is highly experienced in the field of embedded systems for the automotive industry.
"We already have 25 software developers in our team, but we are focusing on consistently extending our digitalization expertise and we urgently need more qualified personnel to do so,” said Mr Hermle.
“To be more specific, we aim to develop open software platforms that will be needed increasingly in the future in order to offer our customers integrated automation solutions."
Joachim Mettenleiter, one of the two managing directors of iss, said his company can take the Balluff group further in the Industry 4.0 environment.
Machine vision
Matrix Vision and its product portfolio enhance the Balluff Group in an area that has so far played a relatively minor role – camera-based sensor systems (machine vision).
Founded in 1986, the company and its 100 employees specialise in the development and marketing of frame grabbers, standard industrial cameras, video sensors, embedded systems and software in the area of industrial image processing.
"Matrix Vision has been a successful development partner to us for the past four years," said Mr Hermle.
"One of our two camera-based product lines is from Matrix Vision. As a result, we already know that we are well-suited to one another and our product lines are optimally matched."
Software also enjoys a high status at Matrix Vision: About 30 of its 100 employees are mainly engaged in image processing in the industrial sector.
"Matrix Vision lets us extend both our product portfolio in the area of camera-based sensor systems and our software development capacities,” says Mr Hermle.
Mr Uwe Furtner, technical managing director of Matrix Vision, agrees.
"Balluff is an excellent match for us. “Our product portfolios do not overlap, but rather complement each other perfectly."
Last year Balluff increased its revenues by 3.3 per cent to EUR 378 million (previous year: EUR 366 million) and began the first half of 2017 very promisingly with revenues up 21.8 per cent.
Including the new acquisitions Balluff employs 3,550 people at 37 sites worldwide.
While Balluff acquired 100 per cent ownership of iss innovative software services, 25 per cent of Matrix Vision's shares remain in the ownership of the previous shareholders.
The Managing Directors of all three companies the employees about the integration (left): Uwe Furtner, Erhard Meier (Matrix Vision), Florian Hermle, Katrin Stegmaier-Hermle, Michael Unger (Balluff), Michael Wäschle and Joachim Mettenleiter (iss). Photo: Balluff
