GF expands its presence in the aerospace sector
Posted on 25 Jul 2014 and read 1024 times
GF Machining Solutions is to acquire the Swiss machine tool manufacturer Liechti Engineering AG, which specialise in five-axis milling machines designed to produce blades and blisks for aircraft engines and power-generating turbines. With order books for more than 10,000 planes world-wide and aircraft production planned to stay strong for the foreseeable future, the acquisition of Liechti will allow GF Machining Solutions to significantly strengthen its presence in this market sector.
The two companies have co-operated successfully over the last 10 years, with GF Machining Solutions acting as a supplier for Liechti; their competences and product ranges are highly complementary. Liechti’s current management (under Ralph Liechti) will remain in place, and the company will continue to operate out of its present premises in Langnau. The two parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price or further details of the transaction.
Yves Serra, CEO of GF, said: “Liechti brings a wealth of know-how and a well-established reputation for high performance and superior service. Together, the two companies offer a wide array of technologies for the production of aircraft engine parts, as well as a world-wide sales and service organisation.”
Liechti is a family-owned company with an annual turnover exceeding CHF 50 million. It employs 120 people world-wide, and its customer base includes all the major names in the aircraft and power-generating industries.