Bosch to sell US$1.5bn packaging machine division

[freemexy]

Bosch to sell US$1.5bn packaging machine division

German engineering group Bosch has announced that it is exiting packaging. Bosch is now looking for a buyer for its packaging machinery business (PA), more specifically, the pharmaceuticals and food units of the Packaging Technology division. The group plans to refocus its energies on the digitalization market, including the internet of things, for example. The aim is for all of the divisions of roughly 6,100 associates in 15 countries to be retained by the new owner and the units will remain a stable partner for its customers.

The company notes that reasons for the decision include a desire to focus its resources on its core business, a lack of business or technology synergies within the group and that small-medium enterprise (SME) rivals are at a structural advantage in the packaging technology market.liquid vacuum packing machine

Dirk Haushalter, a Bosch press spokesperson, tells FoodIngredientsFirst, “It is important to be clear that all companies and Bosch is no exception, continuously pursue a strategy of keeping themselves competitive. This includes constantly reassessing the market and reacting to changes there. For this reason, Bosch is continuously examining ways of appropriately adjusting its entire portfolio of products and services, as well as the way its units are organized.”
Therefore, Bosch is reorganizing in order to focus their attention elsewhere. “This decision will allow Bosch to narrow its focus on issues of importance for its future, such as the transformation of the Bosch Group and its future digitalization strategy, including the internet of things, and to pool its resources accordingly,” says Dr. Stefan Hartung, the Bosch Board of Management member responsible for the Energy and Building Technology and Industrial Technology business sectors.

“Both PA and Bosch will benefit from this decision. A reorganized packaging technology business will be able to adapt more flexibly to the diverse requirements of this typically SME market, while Bosch will be free to focus its attention entirely on the group’s impending profound transformation,” Hartung adds. “It also is the Bosch Group’s strategy to structure its operations competitively. Consequently, it continuously adjusts its business fields and it is in this context that this decision has to be seen.”

The company stresses that Bosch packaging machinery enjoys an excellent reputation in the various industries in which it is employed. Its innovations have recently garnered awards, instilling a sense of confidence in the company for future business success. Haushalter tells FoodIngredientsFirst that it is too early in the process, however, to express a purchasing price.