The Norwegian NFM Group AS has taken over the clothing and personal equipment specialist Hexonia GmbH, based in Nettetal, North Rhine-Westphalia. The Norwegian company just announced this in a statement. According to the company, the takeover is the largest single investment in the company's history.
“We see significant synergies in the areas of production, technology and expanded market access,” Walter Øverland, CEO of NFM Group, is quoted as saying in the letter. With the acquisition, the NFM Group's workforce will grow to almost 1,000 employees. In addition, total annual sales of over 200 million euros are expected in 2023.
Auch wenn Hexonia der Mitteilung zufolge seinen Betrieb in gewohnter Art und Weise fortsetzen soll, geht mit der Übernahme ein Wechsel in der Geschäftsführung einher. Gerd Hexels, Geschäftsführer und Inhaber von Hexonia, scheidet mit der Übernahme aus der Führung des Unternehmens aus. Sein Nachfolger als Geschäftsführer wird der Norweger Nils Toverud, der gleichzeitig die Funktion des Chief Business Officer der NFM Group wahrnimmt. Sabine Albert hingegen, verbleibt in der Hexonia-Geschäftsführung.
The core customer of Hexonia, which was founded in 2005, is the Bundeswehr, to which Hexonia supplies, among other things, components for the combat clothing system of the “Infantryman of the Future” and the “Combat Clothing Set for the Armed Forces” (KBS SK). The company's products are also in the final selection for the Dutch armed forces' new DOKS clothing system. In addition to its focus on clothing, the company also produces soft and hard ballistic protective equipment, such as plate carriers, head protection systems and ballistic protective shields. The Nettetal company was recently able to win the tender for the new head protection system for the German special forces. The company has more than 200 employees and two production facilities, with which the company achieved annual sales of more than 45 million euros in 2021.
The NFM Group, founded in 1996, is a Norwegian specialist for soft and hard ballistic protection systems. In addition to the Norwegian, the company's customers also include the French armed forces (protective vest). According to the company, it is a supplier to over 50 government and military customers worldwide.
Waldemar Geiger