Kingsclere: BCMS announces sale of Preactor to Siemens

BCMS, the leading sell-side M&A adviser to privately-owned companies in the UK, has announced the sale of the Preactor Group to Siemens AG. The deal completed on June 3, 2013. 

UK-based Preactor Group will be assigned to the Siemens Industry Automation Systems business unit, which encompasses the entire manufacturing operations management product portfolio.

The Preactor Group is a world leader in production planning and scheduling software used by a wide range of businesses. Headquartered in Chippenham in the UK, Preactor currently operates through its subsidiaries in North America, India, France, Spain and China. Its breakthrough APS planning software has been installed by over 4,500 small, medium and large multinational companies in 75 countries, and is used to drive down production costs, boost productivity and improve adherence to delivery deadlines.

The company was established more than 20 years ago by its founders including president and CEO Mike Novels, one of the leading experts in planning and scheduling technology in the manufacturing sector. Frequently integrated with ERP, MES and supply chain management solutions, Preactor offers a family of applications ranging from mid and long-term capacity planning to detailed scheduling and has been translated into 30 languages.

Commenting on the deal, Novels said: “We have no plans to divert from our existing successful course. With our highly-qualified workforce and Siemens behind us, we will be in a position to supply our future-oriented APS software solutions as a global partner backed by worldwide presence and support. We will be making a major contribution to the ability of companies the world over to fully utilise their resources and adhere to confirmed deadlines.”

Hugh Ashburner, associate director within the BCMS major transactions group, led the deal and said: “We were engaged by the shareholders of the Preactor Group to identify the best strategic acquirer for the business. We had several meetings with potential acquirers, and it was with Siemens that the best fit was found.”