This follows the unconditional approval by the relevant antitrust authorities. The agreement between the two companies had been signed on July 1, 2019. The acquisition will strengthen Continental's materials expertise beyond rubber and deepen its specialist knowledge about the design, processing and handling of thermoplastics for industrial hose solutions. This is especially important in offering an even more diversified product portfolio to our customers. “Thermoplastic know-how is essential in our transformation from a pure product supplier to a holistic supplier of systems and solutions in the field of industrial hoses. The acquisition of Merlett is a major step forward for Continental because more diversification in products, markets and industries opens up new market opportunities,” explained Andreas Gerstenberger, head of Continental's industrial fluid solution business.
A strong partner offers more
In its combined product portfolio of rubber and thermoplastic hoses, Continental is now able to offer a unique range of flexible hoses for agriculture, the construction, transportation and food industries and other growth sectors in the future. At the same time, Continental will further strengthen the regional presence of its industrial hose business, especially in Europe. Merlett will add three state-of-the-art production facilities in Italy and Switzerland plus an extensive network of sales offices in twelve European countries with some 500 employees to Continental's industrial hose business. “Together we are close to the customer and can develop new sales markets,” added Gerstenberger. “Merlett fits perfectly to further expand Continental's resources in order to become the partner of choice for our customers from a very wide range of industries. We are delighted to welcome Merlett's employees to the Continental family.”
The Merlett Group was founded in 1952 in Varese, Italy. Today it is one of the leading manufacturers of flexible thermoplastic hoses in Europe. Continental has more than 100 years of industry expertise. Its industrial hoses, individually tailored to customer specifications, carry fluids of every kind and are used in a range of industrial sectors, such as mining, the food industry, water management, the chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries and mechanical engineering applications.
