Traditional technology group independent again

Citation

(2000), "Traditional technology group independent again", Industrial Robot, Vol. 27 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2000.04927cab.006

Traditional technology group independent again

Traditional technology group independent again

Keywords: Cutting, Welding

Messer Industrie GmbH, Konigstein, the holding company of the Messer family have taken over all the cutting and welding activities of the Messer Group in the form of Messer Cutting & Welding AG (see Plate 3).

The previous owners, Messer Griesheim GmbH, has long been preparing to withdraw from the cutting and welding business.

Plate 3 Stefan Messer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board (left) and Dr Bruno E. Frey, Chief Execuive Officer (right) of the Messer Cutting & Welding AG

The main activities of Messer Cutting & Welding AG comprise all important operating areas of cutting and welding technology. The internationally active technology company includes among its customers companies from all parts of the metalworking industry - from shipbuilding and automotive manufacture to machine building, steel production and even the aerospace industry.

The core business as well as the name remain unchanged after the sale. Stefan Messer has taken over the responsibility of chairman of the supervisory board and the chief executive officer is Dr Bruno E. Frey. With him on the board are Harold Rector in charge of the Cutting Systems Division, Tim C. Bechtel heading the Welding Products Division and Karlheinz Langner for Cutting & Welding Technologies Division as well as Robert von der Porten as chief financial officer.

In 1998, the traditional technology group achieved annual sales of 600 million DM with 2,000 employees in 40 companies worldwide.

Stefan Messer, chairman of the supervisory board of Messer Cutting & Welding AG and grandson of the company's founder:

With this transaction the Messer family takes over again the sole entrepreneurial responsibility in the third generation for the field of cutting and welding. My grandfather, Adolf Messer, founded this company in Frankfurt am Main over 100 years ago with the manufacture of Acetylene generators and welding torches. We rejoice to be able to continue this tradition. Our new management team with our employees will in future concentrate on the further globalisation of our core business.

Dr Bruno E. Frey, CEO:

With the expansion of the Company which will now follow we will build on the worldwide market leadership of Messer Cutting & Welding AG in the field of cutting systems as well as developing further our high performance automated cutting and welding technologies. We will especially build up further our international presence with the products marketed under the Messer brand in the fields of Oxy-fuel technology, welding consumables and inverter arc welding technology. To strengthen our own core competence in all areas connected with cutting and welding we will be considering strategic alliances and acquisitions.