As part of a periodic review of its core business and in the light of its recently adopted portfolio of solutions and services, Getronics has decided to dispose of its non-core Industrial Automation activities in the Benelux.
Oswald Coene, currently Member of the Board of Management and General Manager of Getronics Netherlands, is to lead a management buy-out of these 80% hardware activities and he will leave the Company to pursue his entrepreneurial ambition to run his own business. A formal letter of intent has been signed between the parties and talks are under way with the workers council and trade unions.
The Industrial Automation unit has a leading position in industrial electronics, industrial automation, and building automation and data centre solutions in the Benelux and is expected to realise circa EUR 70 million revenue in 2004 with 180 employees. It has offices in Amsterdam, Delft and Brussels. Its focus is on the supply of a portfolio of specialized products from strong technology partners, system integration and related services.
Together with key management from the Industrial Automation unit, it is the intention of Oswald Coene to create and build a leading company in the Benelux for Industrial Automation. The new Company and Getronics will be preferred suppliers to each other.
Oswald Coene will remain a Member of the Board of Management and General Manager of Getronics Netherlands until April 2005 to ensure the smooth transition to the new combination of Getronics and PinkRoccade in the Netherlands. Oswald Coene will be a key member of the Netherlands Integration Committee chaired by Chairman and CEO, Klaas Wagenaar.
Klaas Wagenaar: “Getronics owes much to Oswald for his contribution to the Company over 14 years. Since joining the Company in 2003 I have personally witnessed his enormous effort and support behind our strategy to develop and grow Getronics. We wish him well in his new company.”
About Getronics
With approximately 22,000 employees in over 30 countries and ongoing revenues of EUR 2.4 billion, Getronics is one of the world's leading providers of vendor independent Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions and services. Getronics today combines the capabilities of the original Dutch company with those of Wang Global, acquired in 1999, and of the systems and services division of Olivetti. Getronics designs, integrates and manages ICT infrastructures and business solutions for many of the world's largest global and local companies and organisations, helping them maximise the value of their information technology investments. Getronics’ headquarters are in Amsterdam, with regional offices in Boston, Madrid and Singapore. Getronics’ shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam ("GTN"). For further information about Getronics, visit www.getronics.com
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