Planned investment and expansion for a brand with the rich heritage of half a century
A new era begins today (6 April) for Kongsberg, one of the most trusted and established names in the digital finishing industry, with its transformation into the standalone company Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems ("Kongsberg PCS"). The conversion follows the acquisition of the business by OpenGate Capital.
The transformation to Kongsberg PCS brings with it opportunities for innovation and expansion of the business into new markets. This marks a new chapter for Kongsberg PCS, a brand whose rich heritage spans more than half a century.
"This is a really exciting day for everyone in our company," says Stuart Fox, President of Kongsberg PCS. "Since 1965, the Kongsberg name has been synonymous with innovation. Through our systems, the industry has delivered precision, reliability and quality for seven decades. Following the acquisition by OpenGate Capital, we will now focus on our future and the next generation of innovation and growth."
Founded in Norway in 1965, Kongsberg was acquired by Esko (then Barco) in 1998. In December 2020, Esko agreed to sell Kongsberg to private equity firm OpenGate Capital. The acquisition includes the original research and development facility in Kongsberg (Norway) and the production site in Brno (Czech Republic).
"This is an opportunity for the Kongsberg team to realise its ambitions and explore new markets," Fox adds. "We will develop strategic initiatives to provide even more innovation for our digital finishing hardware and software solutions, and grow the Kongsberg brand beyond the packaging industry."
"While we are very excited about the future, we are still committed to our heritage. We have an incredible team of 400 employees, many of whom have been part of the Kongsberg family for over 30 years," Fox explains. "The Kongsberg values that are important to our customers - the strength, performance and durability of the machines - will endure."
"In the areas of sales, service, consumables and spare parts, everything will run as before," Fox adds. "Customers will continue to receive the same level of service during the transition and can look forward to everything being business as usual throughout 2021."
"We will continue to invest in our table technology and will be showcasing the latest developments in our automation solutions in the coming months," Fox explains.
www.kongsbergsystems.com
