24 May 2011

Aalberts buying high-purity gas & chemical system maker Lamers

Aalberts Industries N.V. has agreed to acquire Lamers High Tech Systems B.V. of Nijmegen, The Netherlands from gas supplier Air Liquide group of Paris, France, subject to antitrust clearance.

Since 1984 Lamers has been active in the development, engineering, manufacturing, assembling, testing and qualification of systems for the control and distribution of high-purity gases and chemicals. The systems are used in both photolithography systems supplied to the semiconductor industry and metal-organic chemical vapour deposition equipment (MOCVD) supplied to the LED industry. They are also used in the solar photovoltaic manufacturing process. The LED and solar markets are fast-growing renewable energy markets, where Industrial Services strives to increase its market share. Besides this Lamers is active in the installation of high purity distribution networks for gases and fluids, as well as hook-up activities.

Since 1999, Lamers has been a member of Air Liquide group. Now, with about 300 employees at its two manufacturing facilities in Nijmegen and Kerkrade, The Netherlands, Lamers generates annual revenue of about €90m. Together with the existing employees, the management team will continue to manage Lamers at both locations.

Aalberts says that Lamers’ systems are engineered in close cooperation with customers from design to start up. Using its experience in high-purity tube systems, valves, fittings, sensors and flow measuring instruments, the firm delivers fully or semi-automated systems, either in-house or on the customer site. The systems are used to inject a specific mixture of gas with the exact specified temperature, pressure, humidity and purity to the different manufacturing process steps in the photolithography and MOCVD equipment. Lamers uses manufacturing processes such as (semi-) automatic welding processing of tube systems, computer-aided tube bending, and the latest testing and qualification technology, such as particle and moisture measurement, as well as helium leak testing under vacuum (all a cleanroom environment).

Aalberts says that the acquisition is in line with its strategy of enhancing the position of its Industrial Services subsidiary. It reckons on benefitting from the following:

• Lamers should reinforce Aalberts’ position as a technology partner in the semiconductor market with tailor-made systems for high-purity gases and chemicals. Aalberts has been active in this market for many years by supplying subassemblies, vibration control systems and surface treatment of components.

• Aalberts now has the opportunity to expand its position in the fast-growing LED and photovoltaic markets, selling other products, systems and processes through its sales channels.

• By using Lamers’ technology other markets can be explored, such as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), chemical and pharmaceutical delivery systems (markets in which Industrial Services is not yet active).

• Lamers’ technology and experience of systems for the control and distribution of high-purity gases and fluids can also be used for other markets in which Industrial Services is already active, such as the medical and precision engineering industry.

• The technology and portfolio of high-purity tube systems, valves, fittings, sensors and flow measuring instruments used in Lamers’ systems can be developed further by using Aalberts’ product development know-how and sales channels.

• By using Industrial Services’ international network, Lamers should have the opportunity to serve its customers globally (which more often need a local tailor-made service).

• Within Aalberts’ Flow Control subsidiary, the Lamers systems can be sold together with the clean gas activities in laboratories, universities and research centres (markets where Aalberts has a worldwide presence).

• Lamers can use the manufacturing machining capacity within Industrial Services to develop and deliver its systems more rapidly and efficiently.

Aalberts says that the acquisition will be financed from credit facilities and realised after fulfilment of all formalities and approvals, which is expected before the end of June. The firm reckons that Lamers’ results should immediately contribute to its profit per share.

Tags: MOCVD

Visit: www.aalberts.nl

Visit: www.lamers-hightech.com