Acquisition Effort Joins Endress+Hauser with Wedgewood Technology
Wedgewood develops, produces, and sells optical sensors, transmitters, and process connections for the water and wastewater, biotechnology, pulp and paper, and food sectors, as well as the pharmaceutical, chemical, and petrochemical industry. The company has extensive experience in the UV and infrared radiation field, as well as in color determination for analysis measurement in process engineering applications. The company is also engaged in plant construction projects in the areas of chromatographic, filtering, and fermenting systems. A staff of 21 generated sales of about $4.2 million in 2000.
Klaus Endress, CEO of the Endress+Hauser group, comments on the acquisition as part of a long-term strategy to increase surfaces in the market.
"Wedgewood's excellent technologies and products will help us extend our position, particularly in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, and we will gain access to further strategic technology fields in our core business," notes Endress.
President John Daly of Wedgewood Technology considers his company in good hands with the Endress+Hauser group.
"We maintain our identity and strengths in this merger," states Daly. "At the same time, this opens up a substantial medium-term growth potential for us."
Wedgewood Technology will continue to operate at the San Jose site and market its products through its traditional and reliable partners. The name will also continue as a brand.
The Endress+Hauser Group
Georg H. Endress and Ludwig Hauser founded the Endress+Hauser Group in 1953. Entirely owned by the Endress family today, the manufacturer stands in the top bracket of suppliers of measurement instruments and automation solutions for process engineering, including the chemical and petrochemical industry, as well as the pharmaceutical, food, water and wastewater, paper, energy, and oil and gas sectors. Endress+Hauser is also a top supplier worldwide of high-quality printed circuit boards.
Today, the Group comprises 24 production companies in nine countries; 42 sales and service subsidiaries in 36 countries; as well as seven management companies. Led by a holding company in Reinach, Switzerland, Endress+Hauser sales in 2000 totaled more than $684 million USD. The Group employed a staff of 6210 at the end of 2000.
Endress+Hauser is the market leader, or among the five biggest suppliers, in the areas of level, flow, pressure, and temperature measurement, as well as industrial analysis and tank gauging. Competent sales and service operations have been dependably established in every country of the world.