Adhesive manufacturer WAKOL enters into strategic partnership with ARDEX Group which will ensure early company succession ...
Adhesive manufacturer WAKOL enters into strategic partnership with ARDEX Group which will ensure early company succession.
Ardex, specialist for building chemicals based in Witten, Germany acquires a majority interest in Wakol. Family owners who are currently active in the business continue to hold substantial shares.
With Ardex as partner Wakol strengthens its system expertise, its global footprint and therefore ensures a sustainable growth.
This cooperation holds big potential for for future growth for both companies.
Mark Eslamlooy, CEO of Ardex Group, is excited about the future together: “This cooperation with Wakol is a perfect way for us to increase our systems expertise in the flooring industry massively. I cannot imagine having a better partner because like Ardex Wakol stands for highest technical expertise, quality and innovation. This shared philosophy is the base for our future success.”
Wakol stays independent
Wakol continues to operate as independent entity. The current managing directors Christian Gross, Dr. Frederic Holzbaur, Dr. Martin Schäfer and Steffen Acker will continue to run the business. Company name, location, brand and sales strategy will not change. The point of contact for customers as well as suppliers will also stay the same.
Through this cooperation both companies will increase their expertise in the business segment flooring systems. Both brands will continue to focus on their existing distribution channels and invest in its further development. Also both companies will continue to offer their distinguished product portfolio under their own brand.
Wakols further business segments Industrial Adhesives and Sealing Compounds will also continue increase without change. The international network of the Ardex Group offers opportunities for growth there as well.
Christian Gross, CEO of the Wakol Group is convinced: „ With Ardex as partner we have a very promising prospective for the future and at the same time foster our culture as family owned business.“
Location in Pirmasens will be strengthened
Wakol’s current location in Pirmasens will be expanded to become Ardex’s development centre for flooring adhesives in Europe. It is also planned to expand Wakol’s existing manufacturing capacity into the Groups European production centre for flooring and industrial adhesives.
Similar values:
Base for a partnership are shared values like: quality, innovation, technical expertise, reliability as well as a clear strategic alignment. Strong similarities in the company culture are crucial prerequisites and guarantee the future success for the cooperation.
About Ardex
For more than 60 years, ARDEX has been the quality leader for an entire industry, offering excellent building chemicals with supreme processing reliability – the brand of choice for installers and wholesalers. ARDEX today is still an independent family-owned business. ARDEX is present in more than 50 countries around the world and has 2,200 employees. With its twelve major brands, the ARDEX Group generates total turnover worldwide of more than 540 million euros per year.
About Wakol
Wakol GmbH is a leading family owned business in the adhesive industry as well as in the packaging industry with a total turnover of 58 million Euros. In 2014 Wakol achieved a growth of 5.5%.
Wakol, headquartered in Pirmasens, Germany continuously increased the number of employees over the recent years to currently 190 employees. 160 of that are based in Pirmasens.
Besides Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands which are core markets for Wakol’s flooring products Wakol is also active in USA and Poland.
Wakol develops, manufactures and distributes very successful Flooring products, industrial adhesives and sealing compounds. For 80 years Wakol stands for Quality and Customer service. Wakol was repeatedly able to develop industry changing innovations. The chosen markets and niches provide excellent opportunities for future growth.
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