Weidmuller acquires Mann to step up Aussie exports

The Weidmuller Group has acquired the Sydney process automation component manufacturer, Mann Industries International.

Mann Industries will become a wholly-owned division of Weidmuller, and move its operations from Hornsby to Weidmuller Australia's headquarters, at Huntingwood, in Sydney's west.

Neither company would reveal the price Weidmuller paid for Mann, which has current annual revenues of about AUD$3 million, and employs 13 specialist staff - all of whom will be retained by Weidmuller Australia.

Established in 1985 by electronics engineer Ian Schmahmann, Mann Industries with its MANN brand commands a strong position in the Australian process automation, signal and instrumentation interface products market.

Mann's full product range will now be manufactured by Weidmuller Australia at its state-of-the-art Huntingwood production facility. Products destined for markets outside Australia will carry the Weidmuller brand, with the well-respected MANN brand name remaining on those sold here.

Mann's established Australian sales, technical, production, and service support staff will remain in place, with Mr Schmahmann taking a position in the enlarged group's operation as Business Development and Export Manager.

Andrew Finch remains Managing Director of the expanded Weidmuller Australia operation, with group responsibility for integration of the product range internationally as well as in Australia.

Weidmuller Group's CEO, Thomas Hagen, said today from his company's world headquarters in Detmold, Germany: "Acquisition of Mann Industries will strengthen our market position in Australia, and sharpen our competitive edge in the Asian process automation market where there are tremendous growth opportunities."

Mr Finch said in Sydney: "Mann Industries will be seamlessly integrated with Weidmuller Australia by June 1. This will see us manufacturing and exporting their products and expertise to the world.

"Asia is our major focus, but we also see considerable opportunities in Europe - particularly Eastern Europe - for a fully integrated range of Weidmuller and Mann products made in Australia.

"Weidmuller Australia's flexible state-of-the-art manufacturing facility allows us to cope effortlessly with large or small volume production runs, and also offers a unique product customising ability which much larger highly-automated plants can't readily or economically handle.

"These factors give us a great advantage in increasingly specialised world markets for sophisticated process automation instrumentation where lead times are critical.

"By keeping Mann's Australian sales and marketing structure intact, we'll ensure their loyal customer base continues to receive the attention to service they appreciate. The people they talk to will still be the people they talk to."

Mr Schmahmann said that by joining Weidmuller, Mann product technology would be able to develop and sell advanced automation technology products designed for specific users in a much larger market than his company could have tackled on its own.

In turn, Mann's expertise would enable Weidmuller Australia to offer customers worldwide a "living product range," featuring flexible and user-friendly configuration options and innovative firmware they hadn't previously been able to access.

Item provided courtesy of Weidmuller Australia