Upper Austrian automation specialist continues its growth course
Holzhausen, 28 February 2024 – IK Partners (IK), a European private equity company, today announced that the IK Small Cap III Fund has signed an agreement to invest in Schwingshandl automation technology GmbH (Schwingshandl).
IK Partners acquires a majority stake from the founders Thomas Schwingshandl and Enrico Larcher. Both entrepreneurs will remain on the management board and continue to be significant shareholders in the company. With the new partner, the company is continuing its long-term growth course and strategic development. The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details of the transaction.
Schwingshandl, based in Holzhausen, Austria, is a leading provider of intelligent intralogistics automation solutions. The team of currently around 90 employees has shown impressive growth in recent years and, under the leadership of Thomas Schwingshandl and Enrico Larcher, has achieved a leading position in the niche of customised intralogistics solutions. IK will continue to work closely with the company founders in the future.
“IK Partners can draw on many years of experience of successful investments in the field of automation technology. We are delighted to be working with Schwingshandl to further develop the company strategically and position it for long-term, sustainable growth. We are grateful for Thomas and Enrico’s trust and look forward to a successful partnership,” comments Nils Pohlmann, Partner at IK and advisor to the IK Small Cap III Fund. The private equity company has been supporting European companies with significant growth potential since 1989.
Schwingshandl offers a broad product portfolio for all essential intralogistics solutions (handling, transport and storage), which can be implemented across all industries. The company is a long-term partner for global blue-chip customers, develops high-quality, complex intralogistics solutions and can look back on more than 20 years of success in the field of automation. Thanks to its customised solution expertise, high quality and professionalism, major integrators rely on Schwingshandl as a supplier of individual automation solutions. Historically, Europe has been the core market, but Schwingshandl’s solutions are used by end customers worldwide. “The automation of intralogistics is a cross-industry trend across various end industries, which leads to attractive growth opportunities for Schwingshandl. With IK Partners, we are delighted to have an experienced partner at our side who recognises this potential and supports us in our plans for further expansion,” explains Thomas Schwingshandl, founder and Managing Director of Schwingshandl.
About IK Partners
IK Partners is a European private equity company with an investment focus on Scandinavia, the DACH region, France, Benelux and the UK. Since 1989, IK has raised funds with a cumulative equity volume of more than 14 billion euros and invested in more than 180 European companies. The IK funds support companies with significant growth potential and their management teams in developing business models for the future, strengthening the companies’ market position and thus creating outstanding long-term evelopment potential.
For more information, visit: www.ikpartners.com.
About Schwingshandl
Founded in 2003, Schwingshandl is a leading provider of intelligent intralogistics automation solutions, focusing on innovative, customised modules and subsystems for warehouse automation. Based in Holzhausen, Austria, Schwingshandl serves a global and trusted customer base in various end arkets as a solution partner. F
For more information, visit: www.schwingshandl.com.
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Martin Kirchmayr
Schwingshandl automation technology GmbH