Burke Porter Group (BPG), a leading global manufacturer of intelligent machines, has announced that it has completed its purchase of Van Hoecke Automation (VHA), a Belgium-based global supplier of production automation and product manipulation and control in the food processing and automotive industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“The pace of technology advancement in manufacturing utilising sensing and autonomous machines and equipment (‘intelligent machines’) has created significant opportunities for us to address customer demands of today and well into the future,” said David DeBoer, CEO of BPG. “The addition of Van Hoecke Automation brings an innovative group of highly skilled engineers enabling BPG to pursue and support more diverse products with an expanded global scale. It’s an exciting time for the industry and for our company.”
Established in 1990, VHA not only provides a complementary product portfolio to BPG, but also strengthens its manufacturing presence in Belgium, which includes BEP Europe NV in Bruges. VHA will remain at its current location in Gavere, near the city of Ghent.
The acquisition agreement provides for management continuity over the company’s business activities with no change in day-to-day business or contacts.
BPG serves the global automotive, advanced manufacturing and life science markets, maintaining more than 30 locations in Europe, Asia and the Americas. As the newest member of BPG, VHA joins Titan, Kleinknecht, Lismar, Universal Balancing, Cimat, Epic Equipment & Engineering, XL Machine Co. Inc., Korvis, Primatics and Burke E. Porter Machinery Co.
The combination of BPG and VHA delivers a unique complement of solutions in products, engineering and scale that will provide customers added technologies, greater service and extended global support. BPG’s global reach in the automotive industry will also allow VHA’s automotive products to be distributed to a broader range of global customers.
