Scotland-based blown fibre specialist Emtelle has acquired German duct manufacturer Moore GmbH. The acquisition is part of a €30 million investment by Emtelle to expand its overall manufacturing capacity and presence in Europe.
Air blown fibre systems comprise a plastic tube or duct into which a micro-cable is installed using compressed air as a lubricant. (For an explanation of how it works, see our feature article Blow by blow). Moore GmbH is a 15-year-old German manufacturer of HDPE ducts and microducts for the telecoms and renewables markets.
The combination will help Emtelle to meet the fast-growing, worldwide demand for blown fibre, which is being driven largely by the huge growth in internet usage and the adoption of FTTP technology for broadband connections.
Following the acquisition, Moore will immediately be renamed Emtelle GmbH. The facility will be closed for a short period to introduce new machinery and technology. Emtelle anticipates that the new investment will allow it to quadruple production capacity in Germany by the end of 2018.
Training will be given to about 30 existing employees to enable them to operate, enhance and maintain these new extrusion lines, which will manufacture ducts, microducts and sheathed tube bundles. The addition of the former Moore staff will increase the number of Emtelle employees to around 455 globally.
The acquisition gives Emtelle three main business hubs – in the UK, Scandinavia and Germany – from which to reach customers in these countries as well as in France and Benelux. Customers will benefit from the combined expertise and skills of the enlarged group as well as an improved service and support capability.
Mads Høgfeldt, Group CEO, Emtelle, said, “The addition of manufacturing capability in the centre of the largest country in western Europe is a complementary expansion of our core Scandinavian and UK manufacturing capabilities. This acquisition will ensure better and more local customer service to our rapidly developing customer base.”
“As a combined group, we will be able to supply the increasing global demands for fibre by adding a full manufacturing facility to our current sales team in Germany, substantially increasing our presence in a market which offers the largest FTTP potential in Europe,” he added.
