Frauscher Sensor Technology Group has been acquired by French Delachaux Group in a transaction that was finalised on 28 February.
The Delachaux Group now holds the major share in the company. The remaining shares are held by the Frauscher Management Team.
Founded in 1902, the Delachaux Group is a global leader in mission-critical engineered solutions. The group’s businesses, Pandrol (Rail Infrastructure), Conductix-Wampfler (Energy & Data Management Systems) and DCX Chrome (Chromium Metal) are world-renowned for their historical know-how and ability to innovate.
As a technology leader for wheel detection, axle counting and tracking solutions, Frauscher fits perfectly into Delachaux’ vision and history. By joining Delachaux’ other businesses, Frauscher adds their impressive line of products, services and systems to the group’s portfolio, which consists of solutions that are essential for the safety, reliability and efficiency of their customers’ equipment and infrastructure.
Michael Thiel remains the CEO of the Frauscher Sensor Technology Group. Additionally, he becomes a new member of the Delachaux Group Executive Committee. Mr Thiel is convinced that Frauscher has found a valuable, long-term shareholder in the family-run Delachaux Group, saying: “Delachaux pursues strategic goals that are perfectly in line with ours. The focus is on much more than increasing the value of the company. Our global growth plans, as well as development projects and research activities, have been secured. This will enable us to tap further markets and develop new solutions for various application areas.”
Guy Talbourdet, CEO of the Delachaux Group, is also confident about this common future, commenting: “We are delighted to welcome Frauscher to the Delachaux Group. To me, this acquisition is not only a wise business investment but also a choice from the heart. We share with Frauscher the same values of long-term perspective, expertise and entrepreneurial spirit, and I have no doubt that we will develop powerful synergies to provide innovative solutions to our customers in the rail industry.”
Frauscher is an entrepreneurial success story in the rail industry. Founded in 1987 in Austria, the company has installed wheel sensors and axle counters in more than 80 countries. Frauscher has more than 430 employees in 13 countries and posted a sales turnover of more than €70m in 2018.
Recently, Frauscher has been investing in the development of solutions based on distributed acoustic sensing. This technology has the potential to be used for many applications such as train tracking, asset condition monitoring and security requirements in the railway industry.