Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has divested its pumps business to Solix Group, a Scandinavian investment company with offices in Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden.
According to a press release from the marine technology giant, Wärtsilä Pumps has belonged to the Wärtsilä Marine Solutions organisation and became part of the company along with the acquisition of Hamworthy in 2012. The Wärtsilä Pumps business recorded sales of approximately 50 MEUR in 2017.
The divestment will enable Wärtsilä to devote greater focus to its Smart Marine vision. This is based on the rapid introduction of new technologies, which are creating unprecedented levels of efficiency and cost savings. Wärtsilä is committed to leading the industry’s transition towards a smart marine ecosystem through the extensive use of digitalisation and connectivity, as well as deep collaboration with customers and partners.
Headquartered in Aalborg, Denmark, Wärtsilä Pumps designs, manufactures, and markets niche pumps. primarily deepwell and in-line pumps, to the marine and oil & gas industries.
The company has had a market presence for more than 100 years, and its brands include Svanehøj, Hamworthy Pumps, Eureka and Dolphin. Its leading products are used in mission critical applications, such as cargo offloading, fuel gas handling, ballasting, engine cooling, fire protection and exhaust gas cleaning, where easy access and safe handling of the equipment is of extreme importance.
“Pumps will continue to be an integral part of Wärtsilä’s various gas and fuel gas system solutions. We foresee a strong future for this business with a dedicated new owner who will become an important supplier to Wärtsilä,” says Timo Koponen, Vice President, Processing Solutions, Wärtsilä.
Wärtsilä Pumps has legal assets in Denmark and Singapore, which together represent a significant share of its operations. Most of the business’s 230 employees are located in those countries. Additionally, there are some 20 people employed in Wärtsilä subsidiaries in seven countries, and in production facilities in China.