OYSTAR continues strategic concentration

Leading packaging machinery manufacturer OYSTAR Group has sold its process division with the companies Hüttlin and Manesty to Bosch. OYSTAR thus continues with its strategic concentration on primary and secondary packaging.

OYSTAR has a strong position on the international market in the key segments of FFS/FS (cup fillers), cartoning and repackaging machines as well as tube and bag fillers and aims to expand this position even further.

‘In the future OYSTAR will concentrate on packaging machines for the food, dairy, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries,’ said ceo Tom Graf. ‘This is where we have our particular expertise and core competences.’

For Bosch, the purchase of Hüttlin and Manesty represents a sensible strategic complement to its portfolio. These companies develop, manufacture and sell processing units for the pharmaceutical industry. Hüttlin, based in Schopfheim, manufactures special-purpose installations for drying and granulation. Manesty, with headquarters in Knowsley (near Liverpool), specialises in tablet compressing and coating machines.

‘Both companies are important components in the development of pharmaceutical process technology at Bosch,’ stressed Friedbert Klefenz, chairman of the divisional board of management at Bosch Packaging Technology. ‘They support the strategic focus of the division by completing the upstream value adding chain.’

Last year Hüttlin and Manesty generated overall sales of b49m. Hüttlin employs 80 staff in Germany, while Manesty has a workforce of 110 personnel in England. The lion’s share, or approximately 70% of the sales are obtained in Europe. The companies agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The sales agreements are still subject to approval by the competent cartel authorities.