On 16 April 2015 SPI Lasers acquired JK Lasers from GSI in a deal that would offer an extended product portfolio to customers. SPI Lasers is a Trumpf Group subsidiary and now Trumpf’s marketing manager, Caroline Rapp, has spoken to Laser Systems Europe to explain the deal. The full coverage of SPI Lasers takeover of JK Lasers can be found here.
‘JK Lasers and SPI so far have hardly met in the market... SPI has a long history in the field of pulsed fibre lasers and only started developing CW [Continuous Wave] lasers for middle and higher CW powers only in recent years. JK Lasers was focused on continuous-wave lasers.
‘The main reason for the acquisition is the technical supplement. Certain components such as the fibre or combiner are needed in both types of lasers and here, SPI and JK Lasers perfectly complement each other: what one company has been purchasing, the other can supply.’
But Rapp also explained that a key motive was JK’s experience in laser cutting and additive manufacturing: ‘These are precisely the applications that Trumpf itself develops in-house and also offers to OEM customers. Here the range is now even wider.’
She explained that JK’s Rugby headquarters will be used as a development and production site for SPI. Also, ‘all employees, including the few international employees from JK who are, for example, in the US and Germany, will be integrated to the Trumpf Group.’
It looks like the market can expect more acquisitions involving the Trumpf Group in the future. Rapp said: ‘Trumpf always keeps its eyes open to find possible partners in key strategic topics. In fact, in the last fiscal year the Group has taken over a new company or founded a joint venture every six weeks.’
Very impressive indeed, and in March the UK section of the Trumpf business predicted record turnover for the year – for the second year running – so at least for now, the laser systems provider is showing no likelihood of slowing down.
Related links:
SPI Lasers acquires fibre laser producer JK Lasers
Click here for the latest Trumpf news and products
External links:
