CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The German company Ziermann Holding is buying all of Sail Star GmbH & Co. KG’s shares of Böwe Textile Cleaning GmbH. The agreement will include Böwe subsidiaries in Spain, China and the U.K.
The sale and transfer will be effective Jan. 1, 2010, and at the end of the year, the Böwe production unit in Augsburg, Germany, will close.
The sale of the company to Ziermann isn’t related to the current economic crisis, Böwe says, but rather a result of a long-term structural crisis in the textile-care sector. Ziermann is a supplier of refurbished drycleaning and commercial laundry equipment, and a longtime Böwe distributor. Ziermann plans to continue to manufacture and deliver Böwe textile-cleaning machinery and parts worldwide.
Böwe equipment is represented in the U.S. by Sail Star USA as its exclusive distributor. Sail Star will continue to represent Böwe, and Ziermann has stated an intention to continue manufacturing the current Böwe range, develop new products, and continue providing spare parts and technical assistance, according to Sail Star.
Sail Star USA has new machines available from its inventory in Charlotte, N.C., and continues to hold and reorder spare parts and provide technical assistance, the company says.
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