Barry-Wehmiller to Acquire Winkler+Dünnebier and POEM from Körber

Barry-Wehmiller Companies Inc., St. Louis, Mo., USA, will acquire the operations of Winkler+Dünnebier GmbH, including POEM (W+D). The acquisition includes W+D’s operations in Neuwied and Löhne, Germany, along with the U.S. subsidiary, W+D North America, and the Malaysian subsidiary, W+D Asia Pacific. The parties anticipate closing of the transaction to take place at the end of this December after fulfillment of all closing conditions. Upon completion of the transaction, W+D, a recognized leader in integrated mail, folded tissue, and hygiene solutions, will continue its strategic mission to bring leading engineered solutions to its customers.

W+D stands to benefit from Barry-Wehmiller’s strategic and operational resources as well as its ongoing commitment to the mailing, tissue, and hygiene industry sectors. W+D will operate as an independent business unit within Barry-Wehmiller’s Converting Solutions platform alongside Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC) (Italy and Green Bay, Wis., USA).

W+D joins Barry-Wehmiller’s family of almost 80 companies as part of an organic and acquisition growth strategy that, since 1987, has propelled the company from a $20 million U.S.-based supplier to a $2+ billion global supplier of diversified industrial solutions.

"We are proud to carry forward the W+D legacy and truly excited to partner with the great people of W+D to serve mailing solutions and tissue companies around the world," said Tim Sullivan, Barry-Wehmiller group president. "W+D has established itself as a meaningful player in the global markets in which it operates and has benefitted greatly from the guidance of Körber AG. We intend to build upon W+D’s solid foundation in partnership with the company’s existing leadership and its 359 associates worldwide."

Bob Chapman, chairman and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, said that "Barry-Wehmiller’s commitment to purpose-driven growth and people-centric values, along with our considerable financial strength and, very importantly, our interest in the mailing solutions sector, will allow for continued growth and investment in W+D and its team members worldwide. Likewise, Barry-Wehmiller will benefit from the significant technology and operational expertise that W+D offers."

Körber CFO Stephan Seifert added that "Körber is pleased to have reached an agreement with a long-term oriented shareholder for W+D. The ownership of Barry-Wehmiller will allow W+D to continue and strengthen its strategic development."

Frank Eichhorn, Managing Director of W+D, said that "we are looking forward to joining Barry-Wehmiller and enhancing our long-term potential as a company while continuing our outstanding customer service approach."

Upon completion of the transaction, W+D will continue to serve its customers from Neuwied and Löhne, Germany, and Lenexa, Kansas (USA).

Barry-Wehmiller is a diversified global supplier of engineering consulting and manufacturing technology for the packaging, corrugating, sheeting, and paper converting industries. By blending people-centric leadership with disciplined operational strategies and purpose-driven growth, the company has become a $2+ billion organization with 11,000-plus team members united by a common belief—to use the power of business to build a better world. CEO Bob Chapman shares the story of the company’s transformation in his new book, Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family.

More information is available online.

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