ae group and Alutech Holding set course for the future

The ae group has a new, financially strong owner. Alutech Holding GmbH & Co. KG, advised by Deutsche Invest Mittelstand GmbH, based in Munich, has acquired 100 percent of ae group ag. The sale marks an important milestone in the economic turnaround of the Thuringian aluminum die casting manufacturer. Alutech Holding plans to retain the approximately 1,300 employees at ae group. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

"With Alutech Holding, we have gained a financially strong partner for the further development of the ae Group. It is now our joint task to make the company sustainably attractive for employees and customers and to return the ae group to sustainable profitability," explains CEO Christian Kleinjung. Alutech Holding specializes in the acquisition of medium-sized companies in special situations. "Over the past few months, we have conducted sustained negotiations with all parties involved. It was an intensive and, for many, uncertain time. I would therefore like to thank our customers, corporate partners, suppliers, the old shareholders, the Supervisory Board, old and new financiers, the new owner and the employees for the trust they have placed in us," said Kleinjung.

The ae group is one of the leading German suppliers for the development and production of aluminum die-cast parts and supplies well-known automobile manufacturers and Tier 1s worldwide. In addition to products for the classic combustion engine, new orders for electrified mobility and powertrain-independent components have already been won in recent years, marking an early start to the transformation of the ae group. However, price rises on the energy and commodities markets and general inflationary pressure had a negative impact on the Group's operating profitability and were increasingly in conflict with the high investment requirements for the new projects contracted. With the implementation of the restructuring concept initiated in summer 2023, the debt ratio was reduced again in consultation with customers and financiers, prices were renegotiated and inflation-related price adjustments and fixed volume commitments were achieved. "The change of shareholder is another building block in the restructuring process. The new investor has assured us that it will push ahead with the transformation we have initiated. To this end, we will be supported by an operational team that will develop and implement measures," says ae group CEO Christian Kleinjung.