Belgium - Christian Léonard and Jean-François D'Haussy, respectively general manager and financial administration manager of ADB-TTV France, strongly backed by a group of private and institutional investors, have reached an agreement with Siemens for the acquisition of all the assets of ADB-TTV technologies SA, Belgium, including the two subsidiaries in France and Germany. Leonard and D'Haussy become CEO and CFO respectively of the new group.

As part of the deal, the parties have agreed on transferring the production of all dimmers to the ultra-modern Siemens facility in Huizingen, near Brussels. The transfer has already started and should be completed during February. Manufacture of control systems and TV studio suspensions will be relocated to the ADB-TTV factory in St Quentin, France, where all theatre and TV luminaires are produced. This facility is currently being expanded in order to provide extra capacity, primarily for the new, widely acclaimed AXIS cool beam profile spotlight recently unveiled at the PLASA Show in London.

Both new manufacturing facilities are certified ISO 9000 and use state-of-the-art assembly technologies with very strict quality control. This move, with its related investment, is primarily aimed at boosting production efficiency and providing additional capacity in a professional industrial environment. Marketing, sales, customer service and R&D will remain in Zaventem, Belgium, in dedicated premises within the Siemens ADB Airfield Lighting operation.

The ADB-TTV sales units in France and Germany will be maintained, the management's intention being to strengthen their project engineering capabilities. The French office has already been moved to new, more efficient premises in Malakoff, on the south-west belt of Paris.

Christian Léonard told us: "I am thankful to the Siemens management for their cooperative and constructive attitude, which now makes it possible for ADB-TTV to gear up for anew start on a strong industrial and financial basis, whilst still maintaining close ties with Siemens. This, I am convinced, will prove beneficial to both parties and ultimately to our customers."

(Lee Baldock)


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