Esko (Ghent, Belgium) has announced the planned sale of its Kongsberg digital finishing business to OpenGate Capital (Los Angeles), a private equity firm. According to Esko, the sale is “subject to any applicable information and/or consultation with employee representative bodies under applicable local law.”
The proposed deal includes the original research and development facility in Kongsberg, Norway and the production facility in Brno, Czech Republic. Kongsberg was founded in Norway in 1965, and Esko (then Barco) purchased Kongsberg in 1998.
Per Esko, Kongsberg customers should expect business as usual, with most of the employees who currently serve them continuing to do so as part of the new standalone business. Reseller relationships would also be transferred to Kongsberg PCS, meaning customers who purchased Kongsberg tables through resellers would also have uninterrupted relationships.
The new Kongsberg PCS company would be led by Stuart Fox, future President of Kongsberg PCS. Stuart is one of many digital finishing experts moving from Esko to the Kongsberg PCS leadership team. “We are excited about this change and the new opportunities it brings for Kongsberg to accelerate growth with new customers,” Fox said.
For more information on OpenGate Capital, visit opengatecapital.com.
For more information on Esko, visit esko.com.