Thomas Schlätzer, Jan Paul, Gerhard Pfeifer
and Klaus Walther (left to right)
PFEIFER and Gleistein join forces
11/2017 PFEIFER Group
Leading international rope specialists
secure strategic cooperation for joint sales and development
It is no secret that “wire ropes of the
future” will continue to be increasingly produced using synthetic fibres.
High-performance ropes made of high-tech textile fibres weigh just a fraction
and are easier to handle than their steel-wire based counterparts while
delivering performance attributes that are on par. It is upon this backdrop
that Gleistein Ropes and the PFEIFER Group have now concluded a strategic
partnership agreement. PFEIFER, based in Memmingen, southern Germany, is a
leading specialist for wire rope manufacturing, assembly and applications, with
annual sales of 260 million euros. With a view to tapping into future-oriented
development potentials, PFEIFER initiated talks with Gleistein Ropes last year.
The goal was to establish a foundation upon which a strategic partnership could
be built. With its innovative strength and state-of-the-art production
facilities for all types of fibre ropes, Gleistein Ropes from Bremen, northern
Germany, is an ideal partner for PFEIFER. The focus of future joint development
activities will chiefly involve fibre rope innovations for numerous industrial
applications that – until now – were largely the domain of wire rope solutions.
Both companies look back on centuries of operation as family enterprises that
are rich in tradition. They share a common understanding of corporate values
and offer solutions of qualitative and technological excellence. This November,
the cooperation was contractually concluded with the signing of the
comprehensive agreement. As an additional new partner, PFEIFER simultaneously
also takes over a 25% stake in Gleistein Ropes. Through the alliance of the two
medium-sized enterprises, a combined total of 600 years of experience in the
craft of rope making is brought together with immediate effect. Laying the
foundation for this connection is the highly complementary portfolio of
products and technical capabilities as well as the closely related
understanding of values that both companies share as family enterprises.
Despite their respective histories spanning centuries, each company is still
directed by the descendants of the original founding fathers. With annual sales
of approximately 24 million euros, Gleistein Ropes may be smaller than PFEIFER
yet it sees big opportunities through the cooperation agreement as it provides
tremendous prospects to access new markets and for sustainably augmenting its
innovative potential without any loss of identity or needing to forfeit its
ability to take independent operational action. The trust established between
the parties over the course of the negotiations is reflected in the agreement
that has now been signed in Bremen by Gerhard Pfeifer, Managing Partner of the
PFEIFER Group, and the Gleistein company partners Klaus Walther, Jan Paul and
Thomas Schlätzer. Gerhard Pfeifer
explains: “Through our strategic connection with Gleistein Ropes, we obtain
access to high-end textile fibre rope solutions with minimal weight and easy
handling characteristics that are now being increasingly implemented as an
alternative to wire rope solutions in a steadily growing number of industrial
applications. The agreement also gives us the opportunity to jointly enter into
areas for which steel-wire ropes are unsuited. For PFEIFER as a wire rope
manufacturer, this offers huge potential and represents an extremely important
strategic step, which we are now embracing.” Klaus Walther, Managing Director
at Gleistein Ropes, comments: “With the linkage to PFEIFER and its global sales
network, we can now tap into new markets while simultaneously benefiting from
PFEIFER’s extensive application expertise. Gleistein thereby fortifies its
operational capacity and also secures the long-term preservation of both its
production facilities in Bremen and in Trencin, Slovakia.” His cousin and
colleague, Thomas Schlätzer, adds: “Taking this step is a real gain for
Gleistein as it entails that we completely retain our independence in our business
operations, the activities in our existing markets and our proud identity as a
Hanseatic medium-sized firm.” PFEIFER and Gleistein Ropes will jointly develop
fibre rope solutions and position these in markets where they represent a
superior alternative to heavier, steel-wire based ropes, as well as in segments
where the potential exists for entirely new areas of application to be tapped
into. Innovation processes will be accelerated through the amalgamation of
extensive experience both partners possess in wire and fibre rope applications
together with the capacity to utilise a broader pool of specialised staff and
the expanded testing possibilities in both laboratory and practical contexts.
With this agreement, PFEIFER and Gleistein anticipate to benefit from a
sustainable boost to their respective international competitiveness.
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