CERATIZIT Invests in Günther Wirth

Representative of the CERATIZIT Executive Board Jacques Lanners says "with this acquisition, we will be able to cover the whole value chain in hard metal production - from powder, to tool blanks to custom-made and coated round tools such as drills and end mills." In the future, GW will be incorporated into the CERATIZIT Group as a global business unit, and will remain as a brand.

"The GW brand is superbly positioned in the case of end users and dealers - in Europe and in the USA and India. As a part of the CERATIZIT Group we want to develop this offering worldwide", explains the company founder Günther Wirth. CERATIZIT and GW have worked closely together for many years and have already cooperated in the manufacture of blanks and finished tools.

The transaction is expected to be completed, subject to the finalization of the due diligence and the approval by the anti-trust authorities, by the end of 2012. CERATIZIT and the current shareholders around the company's founder Wirth will each hold 50% of the GW company after the transaction is finalised. Both private companies have agreed not to disclose any financial details.

The Carbide Specialist CERATIZIT is Synonymous with “Hard Material Matters”
CERATIZIT, headquartered in Mamer, Luxembourg, is a pioneer and global player in sophisticated hard material solutions. The company is the world market leader in unique and consistently innovative hard material products for wear protection and cutting tools. It has a presence in more than 50 countries around the world providing services to customers in the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, oil industry, medical systems, electronics and tools and mould construction, to name but a few. With more than 600 patents and 5900 employees CERATIZIT is your high-powered partner worldwide.

Günther Wirth – The Expert for Rotary Cutting Tools from Hard Metal
The Wirth Group was founded in 1981, and besides the parent plant in Swabian Balzheim, it counts a production site in Lorraine (France) and since 1997 a site in India followed by sites in the USA and Italy. The family owned company employs around 500 people and is one of the leading manufacturers of rotating cutting tools such as drills, end mills, reamers and rods. Moreover, the company is manufacturing customized special tools and offers extended coating services. The product range englobes over 20.000 different articles.