Oerlikon Balzers acquires German hartec Anlagenbau

"The acquisition of hartec, a pioneer in its field, means that we are expanding into environmentally friendly, decorative and functional coatings for plastics," said Dr. Hans Brändle, CEO of Oerlikon Balzers. Oerlikon Balzers will take over hartec Anlagenbau, based in the German town of Stetten, on January 1, 2011. The future subsidiary, to be known as Oerlikon Balzers hartec GmbH, employs around 30 employees and will be acquired in its entirety. "We have been searching for a long time for a partner under whose roof we can continue to pursue our strategic goals. The Oerlikon Group was our preferred partner from the outset and we are proud that we are now to be a part of it," said the two current owners, Dipl. Ing. Carlos Ribeiro, and Dr. Rüdiger Schäfer. Both will continue to play an active role in Oerlikon Balzers hartec. "Our acquisition of hartec is a further expansion of our position in the area of component coatings and will open up further growth opportunities," said Dr. Hans Brändle, CEO of Oerlikon Balzers. Dr. Brändle anticipates that PVD coatings used in combination with appropriate lacquer technology will gradually replace galvanic coating processes. "PVD technology is more environmentally friendly and allows innovative new applications, particularly in the automotive sector," according to Dr. Brändle.