Kautex Maschinenbau has new investors

capiton AG is the latest shareholder in the Kautex Group. With this new shareholding, the Berlin-based investors are taking over from former shareholders Steadfast Capital. In March 2007 Steadfast Capital joined together with five members of the management team to buy out 100 percent of the shares held by the Munich-based investment firm Adcuram AG. The latest change of shareholders was approved by Germany's Federal Cartel Authority on 18 January 2013.

Management team now majority shareholders

The Kautex Group is the world's leading manufacturer of extrusion blow molding machinery for the production of plastic containers. "Over the last six years, our close working relationship with Steadfast Capital has helped us to increase the Kautex Group's sales by 75%, despite the slump in demand experienced in 2008 and 2009. We have invested in design and development, sales and customer service, and we are particularly proud of our new Technikum, which we opened in 2012", says Dr. Olaf Weiland, CEO of Kautex Maschinenbau.

With this latest change in investors, the management has increased its equity share to 50.1 percent and now holds the majority share in the Kautex Group. The transaction was financed by the capiton IV fund and bank loans. "capiton is a trusted and experienced investor that is totally committed to our values. As a result, we now have the best possible conditions for continuing to develop and strengthen our business activities and the Kautex brand", adds Mr. Weiland.

Steady growth

Since leaving the SIG Group in 2004, Kautex Maschinenbau has grown steadily to become the international market leader, with sales in excess of €100 million. Kautex Maschinenbau is at home in every area of extrusion blow molding technology, including automotive applications (such as fuel tanks), packaging and other specialized fields. And the company is expecting above-average growth in the future because blow-molding technology is gaining ground in many other industries. Kautex Maschinenbau is perfectly placed to handle this increased demand from its production plants in Germany and China and its global sales and service network.