Strengthening of software position on the maritime market
Gouda, The Netherlands, 23 August 2007 - Imtech (technical services
provider in Europe) announces that it has acquired all shares of the
Dutch-based Free Technics B.V., a small software specialist on the
international maritime market. The acquisition price (including
earn-out) is based on five times the EBITA and is being paid in cash.
The acquisition will immediately contribute to the profit per share.
René van der Bruggen, Chairman of the Board of Management of Imtech:
'Although Free Technics is a small company, we have acquired a
high-tech maritime company. The broad international scope of Imtech's
maritime businesses (60 locations worldwide) provides an excellent
basis for the accelerated growth of the maritime software solutions
offered by Free Technics. We are also expanding our position in the
segment of smaller ships.'
Imtech's strategy
Imtech combines electrical engineering, ICT and mechanical
engineering into total solutions. The role of information and
communications technology in this is growing rapidly. The total
technological solutions from Imtech are increasingly dominated by
software and umbrella ICT applications. Imtech has an excellent
position on the international maritime market. More and more ships
are being equipped with intelligent software from Imtech, for example
for navigation, autopilot, platform automation, digital nautical
charts and control. In this context Imtech always provides customised
services on the basis of innovative modules, especially on board of
larger ships. For smaller ships, for example smaller yachts and
smaller tankers, inland and offshore crafts, Imtech's customised
solutions are relatively expensive. In strategic terms, expanding the
services package to include standard software solutions is a good
move. The acquisition of Free Technics thus further increases
Imtech's delivery programme on the market of smaller ships. Moreover,
delivery of the software from Imtech's 60 maritime locations
worldwide generates a broad base for accelerated growth of these
standard solutions.
Profile of Free Technics
Free Technics, based in Hazerswoude-Rijndijk in the Netherlands, is a
successful software specialist on the international maritime market.
Ten years ago Free Technics introduced the software package FT
NavVision® on the market. Little by little this package has been
subsequently expanded and more and more fine-tuned. This software is
now being implemented on hundreds of ships and Free Technics is one
of the stronger maritime software players. In 2006 Free Technics,
which employs ten people, realised profits of about 1.5 million euro.
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Further information
Mark Salomons
Company Secretary
Telephone: +31 182 54 35 14
E-mail: mark.salomons@imtech.eu
www.imtech.eu
Imtech Profile
Imtech N.V. is a European technical services provider in the fields
of electrical engineering, ICT (information and communication
technology) and mechanical engineering. With approximately 17,000
employees, Imtech realises annual revenue of 3 billion euro. Imtech
holds strong positions in the buildings, industry, infrastructure and
telecom markets in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
Eastern Europe, Spain and the UK and in the global maritime market.
Imtech provides services to a total of 12,000 clients. Imtech offers
added value in the form of integrated and multidisciplinary total
solutions that lead to improved operating processes and higher yields
for clients and their clients in return. Imtech also provides
solutions that contribute to a sustainable, liveable society, for
example in the field of energy, mobility, safety and the environment.
Imtech shares are listed on the Euronext Stock Exchange (Amsterdam),
where Imtech is included in the Amsterdam SmallCap Index (AScX) and
the Next 150 index.
