Scaffolding
and access producer Bil-Jax has announced that effective July 24, 2008 it has
been acquired by the U.S. subsidiary of Haulotte Group, SA. Haulotte, a French
manufacturer of rough terrain forklifts and aerial work platforms, has made
strides to break into the North and South American marketplaces in the last
several years.
“We have taken the next natural step of growth and together can offer an
increasingly exciting set of access solutions for consumers, while becoming
better positioned to compete in the access market,” said Jeff Ott, chief
executive officer of Bil-Jax. “We believe this alliance with Haulotte Group
will deliver superior value, better choices, and more innovation to our
customers and industry partners. Additionally, it will increase products
offerings and create a position outside of the U.S.”
The acquisition will assist Haulotte to further develop its business, said
Alexandre Saubot, Haulotte Group’s COO. “This will allow us to strengthen our
worldwide position, increase our product offerings, and establish a
manufacturing presence in North America.”
Synergies will be focused in four main areas, a press release announced: scale
economics driven by Haulotte’s strong market position for aerial work platforms
and Bil-Jax’s 60 year history as a North American supplier for scaffolding and
niche aerial work platforms; integration of engineering talent and resources to
accelerate innovation and product development; streamlining operations through
increased purchasing power and elimination of redundant costs, and; providing a
complete access solution for customers in product and support
areas.
Both companies are currently developing a plan focusing on the integration of
the combined business. Haulotte Group anticipates that this integration will be
completed at the end of year 2008. In the interim, both companies will continue
to provide products and services to their customer base.