GEA acquires Dutch heat-exchanger firm

GEA Group AG (Bochum, Germany; www.geagroup.com) has further strengthened its Process Equipment division through the acquisition of the Dutch company Bloksma (Almere, Netherlands). Bloksma manufactures intercoolers for marine engines, oil coolers for industrial applications, double-pipe coolers for various industrial processes, and a special cooler for marine engines, so-called box coolers, which are fitted on to the exteriors of ships. The company employs a workforce of around 160 employees, and 2007 sales amounted to over 30-million euros. The transaction will prospectively take effect from June 1, 2008, following anti-trust approval. "Bloksma represents an excellent addition to our product range, and fits very well with our industrial heat-exchange activities, which also build intercoolers and tube-bundle heat exchangers. The acquisition will further improve the competitiveness of our industrial heat-exchanger business area," commented Niels Graugaard, member of the executive board of GEA Group. As recently as the end of February, GEA’s plate heat-exchangers business was expanded through the acquisition of ViEX, which is based in Newmarket, near Toronto in Canada. The GEA Group has made further investments this year…