K.Hartwall, a Finnish provider of returnable logistics solutions, has acquired A&A Logistik-Equipment GmbH & Co. KG, a German provider of logistics equipment for a range of industries.
K. Hartwall develops logistics solutions primarily aimed at retail companies, postal services and the automotive industry. Its customers include leading industry players such as Schaeffler, Royal Mail, Havi Logistics and Bosch. K.Hartwall Oy Ab operates in highly competitive global markets, where it succeeds by being close to its customers with innovative load carriers and services. Its turnover is around €55M and it employs 160 people.
A&A is located in Heidenau near Hamburg, Germany. The business is currently divided into two core segments: standard equipment and special projects for customers in various industrial segments. Since is establishment in 1992 the company has been highly innovation-focused. In 2011 it launched its Elephantboard® - a versatile Dolly that can be tailored to customers’ needs. The latest product in the stable is the LiftLiner Tugger train system. The company has a turnover of €4M and 25 employees.
Signature of the contract in Hamburg on July 5th. From left to right: Frank Haltermann, Jerker Hartwall and Gehard Habedank.
“The acquisition strengthens both parts of our business by widening our expertise and product range to offer better services to our customers. A&A has always been working on developing innovative solutions to help our customers to improve the workflow within their supply chain”, said Frank Haltermann, CEO and co-owner of A&A.
By putting together our strengths we become a major global market player in material handling equipment. K.Hartwall’s experience in Lean Logistics management and international trade gets combined with the A&A expertise. This will enable us to attract new customers and enter new markets as one strong, unified team. We are very proud of this step we are taking together,” says K. Hartwall CEO, Jerker Hartwall.