Heidelberg has arrived at an arrangement with the SOL Capital Management-owned Polar Group companies to acquire the technology, intellectual property (IP), and brand rights of this long-standing partner, together with further assets. Polar Mohr produces high-tech postpress machines for cutting, packaging, and label applications.
The two parties have signed an agreement to this effect. It is expected that the transaction will be concluded within the coming weeks, after which Heidelberg will have exclusive global sales, service, and marketing rights for the postpress products.
In this way, Heidelberg is consolidating its partnership with Polar Mohr and gaining direct access to further packaging markets in the growth regions of Asia, South America, and the Middle East. All processes relating to new machines, the supply of replacement parts, and service operations will remain the same as before for customers.
“Heidelberg is aiming to achieve targeted growth through M&A activities in attractive market segments. This acquisition underscores our credentials as a full-range supplier for our customers in the packaging and label industry, including service, and gives us exclusivity in a growing market,” says Jürgen Otto, CEO of Heidelberg. “As a systems integrator, we cover the entire value chain of a packaging print shop – on a fully integrated and networked basis – to ensure production is highly productive. Polar Mohr systems play a key role in this context,” he adds.
Dating to the 1950s, the partnership between Heidelberg and Polar Mohr has proved extremely successful for both businesses. Polar Mohr develops and manufactures the systems, while Heidelberg has been responsible for large parts of the sales and service activities. On completion of the transaction, this responsibility will become global and exclusive.
Heidelberg offers postpress systems from Polar Mohr as an integral part of its solutions portfolio. The focus is on automation, digitalization, and workflow integration, with a view to boosting the productivity of customers’ value chains in packaging and label production. The product range includes components and systems that link up and automate all processes – from loading, jogging, cutting, and die cutting through to unloading and banding.
The Polar Group companies, owned by SOL Capital Management, will continue to operate as a partner of Heidelberg for the future development, production, and assembly of Polar Mohr systems.
“When we took over the Polar Group in early 2023, we acquired a tradition-steeped group of companies full of innovative spirit. Over the past couple of years, we have further intensified the collaboration with Heidelberg. The next logical step for us was the long-term consolidation of this very close relationship. We are delighted to be taking the next important step together with this sale of brand rights and technology and the full incorporation of sales and service activities into the Heidelberg organization.
This transaction will strengthen the market position of Heidelberg in the postpress, label, and packaging market on a long-term basis. It also leaves Polar Mohr to focus entirely on its core competences as a developer and manufacturer,” says Paul Niederkofler, managing partner at SOL Capital Management.
The two parties have agreed that the details of the agreement will remain confidential.
