HELLA sells activities in the Special Applications segment

Lippstadt, June 2, 2016. In the course of a portfolio optimization in the Special Applications segment, HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co., one of the world's leading automotive suppliers for lighting and electronics, will sell the activities with street and industrial lighting (Industries) and with airport lighting. The two business areas contributed less than one percent to total group sales in the past few years.

The purchase agreement with the future new owner of the Industries business area, HELLUX International GmbH, which belongs to Hamburg-based traditional company Wünsche Group, was signed at the end of May. The completion of the purchase agreement is still subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. In addition, a sale process of the Airport Lighting activities to the Dutch TKH Group is in the closing stage. A concrete intention to sell has already been signed. Conclusion of the contract with TKH Group is still subject to formal conditions and is expected by the end of July.

“In the course of further developing our product-to-market strategies and in order to master complexity in the Special Applications segment, HELLA will particularly focus on products and target groups for which we can achieve a substantial sales volume”, said CEO Dr. Rolf Breidenbach. “We are delighted to have found with the Wünsche Group as well as the Dutch TKH Group two strategic investors that can comprehensively tap the potential present in both business areas.”

Through the acquisition of the Industries activities, the owner-managed Wünsche Group wants to broaden its offering in the areas of electronics/lighting and to further expand its own portfolio to the full range together with HELLUX. The new owner intends to keep on part of the approximately 120 Industries employees from HELLA. In connection with this, a sales and development office is to be established in Lippstadt. The production will be gradually relocated to its own site at Laatzen near Hanover. HELLA will try to employ staff, who do not switch to HELLUX, in other business areas in line with their qualifications.

In TKH Group, HELLA has, moreover, found a high-performance technology company that has a strategic interest in continuing and further developing the business as the potential buyer for the Airport Lighting activities. TKH Group thus wants to further add to and expand the airport technologies focus with innovative core technologies within its Building Solutions segment. In the course of this, the company intends to keep on the approximately 40 employees of HELLA's Airport Lighting business area and to open a sales and development office in Lippstadt.