Harald Quandt Industriebeteiligungen acquires majority stake in ATX

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Jan 31, 2020

• Harald Quandt family’s principal investment firm acquires majority stake in Europe's market leader in test fixture solutions
• Company founder Hans Drexler remains co-shareholder and Managing Director
• New building planned in Pürgen to reflect further growth

Harald Quandt Industriebeteiligungen GmbH ("HQIB") acquired a majority stake in ATX Hardware GmbH ("ATX") at the end of January 2020. ATX is Europe's market leader in fixture solutions for testing electronic units and printed circuit boards. One of the company's founders, Hans Drexler, will remain with ATX as a shareholder and sole Managing Director and continue to manage the day-to-day operations. Robert Schulz remains as Commercial Director. The parties have agreed not to disclose further details of the transaction.
"The use of complex electronic units continues to increase. At the same time, quality standards are ever-increasing, especially in safety-critical and interconnected applications. Hence, ATX operates in a growth market and is well-positioned to benefit from the increasing demand for corresponding test fixtures," says Gregor Harald May, Managing Director of HQIB. "Together with Hans Drexler, the first-rate management team and the highly qualified workforce we want to continue the successful development of ATX as a long-term partner. We will continue to invest in the business, thereby also considering add-on acquisitions as well as strategic investments and collaborations."
"With the industrial and strategic expertise as well as the industrial network of the family Harald Quandt we want to further expand our market leadership position in Europe and grow internationally," says Hans Drexler, Founder and Managing Director of ATX. "The strategic partnership with HQIB allows us to continuously invest in technological progress, our products, and our service. Thereby, we will further differentiate ourselves from the competition through the highest quality "Made in Germany" and our technological leadership. Our growth objectives will be supported by a new, state-of-the-art operating site".
ATX is currently planning the construction of its new headquarters in Pürgen, thereby underlining the strategic importance of its location in Upper Bavaria. The relocation is planned to take place in the next 18 months. Thereby ATX is setting the grounds for a continuous growth path on expanded premises. The second site in Weil im Schönbuch (Baden-Wuerttemberg) offers already sufficient space for future growth.

About ATX

ATX is Europe's market leader in the manufacture of test adapters for electronic test procedures. As a specialized solution provider, the company designs and manufactures customer-specific products in partially automated individual and small series production. Most of the devices are uniquely precision-engineered with varying degrees of complexity. Customers use the products for in-circuit,
functional and final testing of electronic assemblies and printed circuit boards. ATX stands out from the competition in particular due to its high innovative strength and quality. As a company of the German ‘Mittelstand’, ATX employs over 150 people at two locations in Upper Bavaria (Pürgen) and Baden-Wuerttemberg (Weil im Schönbuch). The company was founded in 1997.

About Harald Quandt, Industriebeteiligungen

Harald Quandt Industriebeteiligungen GmbH is the principal investment firm of the family Harald Quandt joined by a small, select number of (industrial) families and partners. HQIB invests in small and medium-sized companies within the German-speaking region, that are leading in established and technologically sophisticated market niches with attractive growth potential. As an industrial holding company, HQIB pursues a long-term, sustainable investment approach and is not subject to any time restrictions or limited investment periods.