- Acquires Czech inspection and testing company Qualitest with 80
employees.
For further information, please contact:
Jonas Wiström, President/CEO +46 (0)70-608 12 20
Jörgen Backersgård, President, ÅF-Kontroll +46 (0)70-374 17 10
Viktor Svensson, Director, Corporate Information +46 (0)70-657 20 26
On 1 September 2008 ÅF-Kontroll will acquire 100 percent of the
shares in the Czech company Qualitest S.R.O. The acquisition is a
step in ÅF's strategy to establish itself as an international name in
the technical inspection and testing market.
Qualitest, based in the town of Pardubice, has a workforce of 80 and
is the market leader for non-destructive testing in the Czech
Republic. The company currently serves around 150 clients in the
engineering, petrochemical and energy sectors. Among the most
important clients are Sandvik and SIAG (wind power).
The company reported sales equivalent to almost SEK 30 million
(approx. 3.25 million euros) and an operating profit of SEK 6 million
(approx. 650,000 euros) for 2007. The company's operating margin has
averaged 14 percent over the past five years.
Qualitest is ÅF-Kontroll's first bridgehead outside Sweden and
provides a platform for further growth in Europe. This growth will be
partly organic by developing the portfolio of services offered by
Qualitest and partly achieved by further new acquisitions.
The Czech Republic has been specially chosen as a strategic market
for the ÅF Group. ÅF has already established a presence in Pilzen,
where around 30 employees are working for ÅF's Engineering Division.
ÅF AB
Corporate Information
ÅF is a leader in technical consulting, with expertise founded on
more than a century of experience.
We offer highly qualified services and solutions for industrial
processes, infrastructure projects and the development of products
and IT systems. We are also a leading name in testing and inspection.
Today ÅF has more than 4,000 employees. Our base is in Europe, but
our business and our clients are found all over the world.
