GEA Process Engineering acquires Nu-Con Ltd.

Acquisition of Nu-Con Ltd. strengthens GEA Process Engineering's lead in powder handling systems

GEA Process Engineering has acquired Nu-Con Ltd, which is situated in Auckland, New Zealand. Nu-Con is a leading company in engineering and installing of powder handling systems and bulk filling lines. Nu-Con is also a top global provider of powder handling components. The company has a turnover of approx. EUR 27 million and has 167 employees with slightly more than half of the employees based in New Zealand and most of the remaining employees in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Nu-Con supplies powder handling system to the infant formula market, the food and dairy market and also to the industrial market. Nu-Con will be integrated into GEA Process Engineering under the brand name GEA Nu-Con and will be part of the Food Drying Systems Strategic Business Unit which also includes activities of GEA Niro, GEA Avapac and GEA Colby. The transaction remains subject to approval by the anti-trust authorities but is expected to be consummated no later than September 2011.

"Nu-Con has a great reputation in the market and the company is a perfect match to our existing companies in the powder handling business, GEA Avapac and GEA Colby. Nu-Con has a very strong market position also outside the dairy market which fits well with our intention to strengthen our offering outside dairy", says Anders Wilhjelm, President and CEO of GEA Process Engineering.

"Looking at Nu-Con we have been very impressed by their technology and the level of innovation seen in Nu-Con's product portfolio. Nu-Con's SmartFil low speed 25kg bag fillers is state of the art in the market and also Nu-Con's market leading position in powder handling components are very attractive for GEA Process Engineering to add to our portfolio", continues Anders Wilhjelm.

About GEA Process Engineering

GEA Process Engineering is a world leading supplier of production plants and process systems for the dairy, brewery, beverage, food, pharmaceutical, mining/mineral and chemical industries. With a turnover of approx. EUR 1.3 billion in 2010 and close to 4,600 employees working in 40 countries, GEA Process Engineering is recognized as the world leader in industrial drying, thermal concentration, membrane filtration, liquid processing, powder processing and handling, emission control, aseptic packaging, solid dosage forms & sterile products as well as process integration and process automation solutions. GEA Process Engineering is a business segment of the GEA Group.

About Nu-Con

Nu-Con specializes in rotary valve supply and bulk solids material handling systems, and offers full design, manufacturing, installation and start-up services anywhere in the world.