Wild Group targets German growth after key acquisition
BIRMINGHAM-based manufacturer Wild Group has increased its penetration into the German automotive sector with a key acquisition.
Wild Group, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of precision metal components for the automotive industry, has bought up component manufacturer bfl Feinstanzteile in an undisclosed deal that sees the group treble its fine blanking capacity and increase its capability in this important market sector.
Fending off interest from global rivals to secure the deal, the transaction represents the seventh acquisition in the past eight years for Wild as it continues its ambitious expansion, investment and recruitment programme.
During that period turnover has increased from £8m (€10m) to £52m (€65m) and the group now employs more than 700 skilled people at its locations in Birmingham and Redditch in the UK, Aszar in Hungary, and now Hückeswagen, near Dusseldorf.
Wild Group owner Allan Cook said: “This is a major step forward for us. Expansion into a new country is always a big step but it is one that we are tremendously excited about. We have grown during what has been a record year for us. That success has been export-led.
“We are competing in a huge marketplace in which up to 60% of our work is exported. That is quite unusual for a UK-based company but we are successfully working alongside and selling to global OEMs. The acquisition of bfl Feinstanzteile therefore makes perfect business sense and we are looking forward to working with our excellent team in Germany to drive the company forward.”
Stuart Crowe, Group Managing Director, said: “We are an ambitious company and we are always keen to explore opportunities that provide us with a competitive edge. The acquisition of bfl offers us two things – further specialism in one of our key product lines, which is fine blanking, and an important footprint in Germany.
“We already specialise in fine blanking at our Birmingham headquarters and this latest acquisition increases our profile and presence in the market. We feel a footprint in Germany is vital. Despite the trend over the last 20 years for component production to move to the East, Germany is still a massive market in terms of vehicle production. It is also home to the European headquarters of many of our major automotive customers including Volkswagen Group, GM, Ford and BMW.”
Bfl has invested heavily in state-of-the-art equipment in recent years. It has six precision fine blanking presses, including five Schmid presses of 320 to 500 tonnes, and a Feintool 700 tonne press, which complements the UK-based range and opens up new markets to the group.
Wild’s expansion into mainland Europe began in 2006 but a significant step-change was made with the acquisition of ITW Siewer in Hungary in 2009. Since the addition of wire-forming capability to its metal stamping facility in Aszar, sales growth in this specialist sector has been extraordinary.
The company has now secured contracts with many of the major global seat component manufacturers to provide products across a wide-range of Central and Eastern Europe destinations.
