ProLeiT, provider of brewmaxx, a PLC-based control system employed by breweries in the areas of automation, information and control technology becomes part of Schneider Electric, a French multinational company that is in its own words “the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation.” The German antitrust authorities have now given the go-ahead for the takeover which was already announced at the end of April. Details of the deal were not disclosed.
ProLeiT, headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, was founded in 1986 by the two electrical engineers Wolfgang Ebster and Manfred Czepl as a two-man enterprise. In the last 34 years the company has evolved into a global provider of process control systems (PCS) with an integrated manufacturing execution system (MES) functions optimized for the consumer packed goods marketplace, including the food and beverage, chemicals, and life sciences segments company. The company is operating today in ten locations with over 500 employees worldwide and had a turnover of about EUR 32 million in 2018.
Schneider Electric achieved sales of EUR 11.6 billion in the first half of 2020, 10% less than in the previous year. According to CEO Jean-Pascal Tricoire, the group expects again an organic sales growth of between 3 and 6% for the second half of 2020.
"We are pleased to become part of Schneider Electric with our team of experts," says Wolfgang Ebster, who joins the Schneider Electric Digital Plant business as Vice President of ProLeiT. ProLeiT's software specifically addresses food and beverage industries such as breweries and dairies and will enhance the EcoStruxure platform by offering native connection to the Modicon programmable logic controllers and AVEVA software offers. For ProLeiT's customers, the acquisition means extended access to Schneider Electric's full portfolio—from connected products to applications, analytics, and services—and AVEVA enterprise solutions.
"In this digital economy, software is playing a leading role in the automation, optimization, and management of industrial plants," said Peter Herweck, executive vice president, Industrial Automation, Schneider Electric. "With the integrated expertise of both Schneider Electric and ProLeiT, we are even better able to help our customers advance their digital transformation to drive increased productivity and efficiency. Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure architecture, designed for smart manufacturing and now complemented by ProLeiT, can deliver new business opportunities for Chemical, Life Sciences, and Consumer Packaged Goods plants, particularly breweries and dairies."
