Axel Johnson International acquires French steel wire rope and lifting equipment distributor Traction Levage

With the acquisition of Traction Levage, Axel Johnson International further strengthens the market position for its lifting, anchoring and cargo securing business in southern Europe.

Traction Levage will become part of Axel Johnson International’s business group AxLoad, specialists in steel wire ropes, lifting and cargo securing solutions for industry. Over the last decade, strong organic growth has been combined with a number of strategic acquisitions and today the business group has annual sales of 370 MEUR and operations in 15 countries throughout Europe.

“Traction Levage will provide an important foothold for the AxLoad business group in France and, together with the recent acquisition of Cables y Eslingas in Spain, a solid base for further expansion in the region”, says Niklas Enmark, acting CEO and President of Axel Johnson International.

Founded in 1967, Traction Levage is currently France’s largest distributor of steel wire ropes, rigging accessories and lifting equipment for heavy industry, building and construction. Headquartered in Marseille, the company has 72 employees at six strategically located sales and distribution branches throughout the country – in Paris, Strasbourg, Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseille. Annual sales amounts to 21 MEUR (2015).

“Traction Levage is an excellent match for our existing lifting equipment distribution business and offers an important geographical addition to our group. The company has built and maintained an appreciated position in its home market based on genuine product expertise, industrial application knowledge and longstanding customer relations.

We see many opportunities to propel further growth as we leverage on synergies and our combined experience to create even more attractive offerings to the market. Manager Frédéric Marti and his team brings with them a very competitive product portfolio and genuine application know-how. I very much look forward to our cooperation and the future development of our joint business”, says Martin Malmvik, CEO of AxLoad.

An acquisition agreement was signed with world leading steel producer ArcelorMittal on September 30, 2016. The transaction is expected to be closed on October 31, 2016, subject to agreed closing conditions being fulfilled.

For more information, please contact:

Niklas Enmark, CEO and President (acting), Axel Johnson International, 

+46 (0) 8 453 77 00, niklas.enmark@axinter.se

Martin Malmvik, CEO, AxLoad, +46 (0)70 838 55 98, martin.malmvik@axload.com

Tags: