Barry-Wehmiller Acquires Winkler+Dünnebier and POEM from Körber

Robert H. Chapman, chairman and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller (photo), St. Louis, Mo., USA, has announced his company’s fourth acquisition of 2015—Winkler+Dünnebier GmbH, including POEM (W+D). Headquartered in Neuwied and Löhne, Germany, and with additional locations in the U.S. and Malaysia, W+D is a recognized leader in highly efficient integrated system solutions for the tissue and hygiene industry as well as for the mail and postal industry. 

The W+D acquisition is Barry-Wehmiller’s 80th since 1987, when it began an organic and acquisition strategy that has propelled the company from a $20 million U.S.-based supplier to a $2-plus billion global supplier of diversified industrial solutions. W+D will operate as an independent business unit within Barry-Wehmiller’s Converting Solutions platform alongside Paper Converting Machine Co. (PCMC). 

"We are thrilled to partner with W+D’s talented leadership team and itsteam members worldwide who have performed well under the leadership of Frank Eichhorn, W+D’s managing director," said Tim Sullivan, Barry-Wehmiller group president. "As we bring W+D into the Barry-Wehmiller family, we look forward to even greater successes as we leverage the resources of both companies to optimize opportunities for W+D’s associates and customers alike." 

Frank Eichhorn, managing director of W+D, said that "we are very excited about joining Barry-Wehmiller and are confident that their ideas and experience will further enhance our success in providing outstanding customer service in the markets we serve. We look forward to a long and mutually rewarding journey with them." 

Chapman added that "thanks to Körber’s leadership, W+D brings a strong foundation and technological and operational expertise to the BarryWehmiller family and we look forward to working alongside their team to expand our presence in the mailing solutions market. We welcome W+D’s 360+ team members whom we know will greatly benefit from Barry-Wehmiller’s unique, people-centric culture, financial strength, and unwavering commitment to purpose-driven growth." 

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, BarryWehmiller has become an organization with 11,000-plus team members united by a common belief—to use the power of business to build a better world. CEO 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.