WEPA Hygieneprodukte is to boost its AfH capacity in Europe with the acquisition of Netherlands-based Van Houtum Group Holding.
The purchase is subject to the approval of the competition authorities and is expected to be concluded over the coming weeks for an undisclosed sum.
Headquartered in Swalmen and with a turnover of €60m, Van Houtum employs 200 staff and manufactures tissue products including the Satino Black brand for the AfH market.
WEPA Group chief executive Martin Krengel said: “We are looking forward to further develop Van Houtum, an AfH-specialist rooted in tradition.
“The values of the family business are very similar and the product ranges complement each other well.
“WEPA intends to expand the Satino brand and the company’s current private label offering, especially from the specialised AfH-locations in Müschede, Piechowice and Swalmen, as well as to offer from a single source.”
Henk van Houtum, owner of Van Houtum, said: “I am very pleased that our family business is moving into good hands in this way”, while managing director Bas Gehlen said: “I am convinced that the company Van Houtum and the Satino brand have a better perspective in the WEPA Group than today as an independent company.”
The WEPA Group is one of the three largest providers in the European tissue market, with over 3,000 employees and a turnover of approximately €1bn.
The takeover turns the company into a major player in the AfH sector, with a turnover of over €180m.
