Mersen Expands Surge Suppression Lines with Acquisition in China
Fuse, switchgear and motor part manufacturer Mersen, based in Paris, France, signed an agreement to acquire ASP, a specialist in surge protection devices based in China.
Mersen said the deal is part of a strategy to expand Mersen's electrical segment in the overvoltage protection market. The ASP deal follows Mersen’s acquisition of a majority stake in Cirprotec, based in Spain, in Feb. 2014, which brought the group expertise in IEC standards along with product lines in lighting and overvoltage protection.
The company plans to achieve close to €40 million of sales in this segment by 2018. ASP will be integrated into Mersen's Electrical segment and will contribute some €6 million to the group's annual sales.
Mersen said it will build on the recognized ASP brand in China and an efficient industrial platform to roll out across the Asian region which is currently adopting predominantly a technology already deployed in Europe.
ASP has been majority owned by a CIMIC, a Taiwanese group, since 2009. The company has a sales network covering the whole China territory and a manufacturing facility in Guangzhou. This deal is scheduled to be completed by September, following approval by the Chinese authorities.
About the Author
Doug Chandler, Senior Staff Writer
Executive Editor
Doug Chandler began writing about the electrical industry in 1992, and still finds there's never a shortage of stories to be told. So he spends his days finding them and telling them. Educationally, he's a Jayhawk with an English degree. Outside of work, he can often be found banging drums or harvesting tomatoes.