Dürr Group completes acquisition of BBS Automation

Press Release

Bietigheim-Bissingen, August 31, 2023 — The Dürr Group today completed the acquisition of automation specialist BBS Automation. All conditions for the closing of the transaction announced in June have been met following the granting of merger control clearances. The acquisition of BBS Automation is part of the expansion course Dürr is pursuing in the growth segment of automation technology.

The Dürr Group had already acquired the automation experts Teamtechnik and Hekuma in 2021. “With the acquisition of BBS Automation, we are continuing our growth path in industrial automation and forming a new powerhouse with leading technologies and global reach,” explained Dr. Jochen Weyrauch, CEO of Dürr AG. “The products and software offered by BBS Automation, Teamtechnik, and Hekuma complement each other perfectly. This enables us to provide customers all over the world with an even better range of services. The purchase is part of our strategy to expand our business activities in high-growth and high-margin industrial sectors.” For 2024, the Dürr Group expects sales of around €500 million in the automation segment.

BBS Automation will be consolidated into the Dürr Group as of August 31, 2023. The purchase agreement was signed with the previous owners, a consortium led by financial investor EQT, on June 12, 2023. The company, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Garching near Munich, has around 1,500 employees and 16 locations in Europe, Asia, and North America. BBS Automation offers automated systems for the production of components for various industries such as e-mobility/automotive, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. The equipment is used to manufacture, among other things, electronic components, batteries, braking and lighting elements as well as medical products such as syringes, inhalers, and pharmaceuticals, or hearing aids and electric toothbrushes.

BBS Automation is targeting sales of around €300 million in 2023. For 2026, sales of between €400 million and €450 million and an EBITDA margin of 13% to 15% are expected. This means that the acquisition is in line with the Dürr Group’s growth and earnings targets. The enterprise value of BBS Automation is between €440 million and €480 million, and depends on the development of results in 2023. 

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