11/11/2008 15h31
Bosch buys Hofmann do Brasil
Valor Econômico - 11/11/2008
Yesterday Bosch announced the acquisition of equipment manufacturer Hofmann do Brasil, focused on steering wheel alignment, wheels balancing, and assembly and disassembly of tires. According to the company, the objective of the business is to expand the offer of products and services in the segment, making the relationship with independent mechanic shops closer. The negotiations between Bosch and Hofmann started in the beginning of the year, as informed Ruediger Saur, vice-president of the automotive replacement division in Latin America of the German multinational. "Bosch works in this market in Europe and in the United States. Now, with the acquisition, we can assist the whole region", said the executive. Last year's Hofmann's revenue was approximately R$ 13 million (US$ 6.05 million). The value of the business, however, was not revealed. The company, headquartered in São Paulo and founded in August of 1969, has 50 employees, 50 commercial representatives, and 30 distributors. Hofmann's production volume Bosch is expecting was not published either, but in the almost 40 years of its history the manufacturer informs having commercialized more than 20 thousand pieces of equipment. According to Saur, the independent mechanic shops will be the main clients of this division, due to the lack of equipment with more shipped technology. "To meet the development of cars, the mechanic shops need to have more sophisticated devices", he affirmed. According to data of the Union of the Repair of Vehicles and Accessories Industry of the Sate of São Paulo (Sindirepa-SP), only in the State there are more than 14.2 thousand companies that make maintenance of cars, most of them independent shops. Regarding the slowdown of the sales of cars in the country, caused by the lack of consumer credit, Bosch's executive said that, traditionally, the replacement market is less affected than the new cars one.
