Sindelfingen, Germany, 15 November 2018: Bitzer, the compressor manufacturer, and Wurm, the automation technology producer, have formed a partnership, the two companies announced in a Press communiqué. Earlier in November, both companies signed a joint venture agreement, in which Bitzer will be the majority shareholder of the newly established Wurm Holding GmbH, from January 1, 2019, the communiqué said. All national and international Wurm companies will be integrated into the new holding company, the communiqué further said. The cooperation is still subject to the approval of the competition authorities, the communiqué added.

As a managing partner, Dr Horst Peter Wurm will join the management of the new Wurm Holding GmbH and will step down from the operational management of the individual Wurm companies in mid-2019, the communiqué said. In the holding company, he will supervise the long-term development and strategic orientation of the group, in coordination with Bitzer, the communiqué further said. No changes will be made to the management of the Wurm Group, which is made up of senior employees, or to any of its operational sites in Germany or abroad, the communiqué added. “It will even be business as usual for all of our customers, who will keep the same representatives,” Dr Wurm said.

Commenting on the partnership, Rainer Große-Kracht, Chief Technology Officer, Bitzer, said, “We realised how much we could profit from one another technologically and stimulate the market in these challenging times.”

The communiqué said that by working together, the two companies are gaining a strong strategic partner, with which they can continue to shape technological developments in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry. The communiqué further said that together, Bitzer and Wurm can provide their customers with new intelligent solutions and ensure the independence of two innovative family-run companies in the long-term.