Kongsberg, one of the most trusted and established names in digital finishing, is now a standalone company, Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (‘Kongsberg PCS’). The transformation occurred after the private-equity firm OpenGate Capital acquired the Kongsberg business from Esko. The deal was completed April 6 and highlighted during a special session at the virtual ISA Sign Expo on April 7.
Established in Norway in1965, Kongsberg is a recognized leader in providing high-speed, computer-driven precision cutting tables for packaging, signs, and displays.
Esko (then known as Barco) purchased Kongsberg in 1998. In December 2020, Esko agreed to sell Kongsberg to OpenGate Capital.
OpenGate Capital’s Founder and CEO Andrew Nikou stated, “With the heightened focus on digitization in the industrial sector, Kongsberg is well positioned to develop new operational efficiencies and innovative solutions to drive organic growth. This is an exciting time in Kongsberg’s evolution, and we are looking forward to collaborating in the years ahead.”
“This is an opportunity for the Kongsberg team to realize its ambitions, and to explore new markets,” said Stuart Fox, President of Kongsberg PCS. “We will be developing strategic initiatives to further innovate our digital finishing and software solutions, as well as growing the Kongsberg brand beyond the packaging industry.”
At the ISA Sign Expo-Virtual, Stuart Fox and Brad Leonard gave a presentation in which they emphasized that Kongsberg PCS is listening to the needs of customers in the sign and display markets. For example, they plan to introduce a smaller-format unit for sign shops with limited floor space. They also will introduce more automated features to make it easier to process jobs with fewer personnel.
They reported that approximately 11,500 Kongsberg cutting tables are currently used in facilities around the world. The average life span of a table is 18 to 20 years.
“Sales, service, consumables and spare parts will continue as usual,” Fox said. “Customers will receive the same level of service during the transition and can look forward to business as usual throughout 2021.”
“We have an incredible team of 400 people, many of whom have been a part of the Kongsberg family for more than 30 years,” Fox added. “The Kongsberg values that are important to our customers — the strength, the performance, the longevity of the machines — will endure.”
Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems has headquarters in Gent, Belgium and Miamisburg, Ohio, with a research and development facility in Kongsberg, Norway and a production facility in Brno, Czech Republic.
For more information, visit: www.kongsbergsystems.com/en
About Open Gate Capital
OpenGate Capital is is a global private equity firm that specializes in the acquisition and operation of businesses to create new value through operational improvements, innovation, and growth. Established in 2005, OpenGate Capital is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with a European office in Paris, France.
As industrial companies are rapidly adopting technology as a driver of growth, OpenGate fast becoming a leader in the development of digital transformation applications for businesses in the lower-to-middle market. To learn more, visit: www.opengatecapital.com