Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has announced that it has divested its wholly owned Salzburg-based Central Europe Group to long-term distribution partner Ascendum Group for an undisclosed sum. The deal includes the Austrian-owned group of companies and Volvo CE’s business in Romania, which also includes Moldova. The Austrian company’s subsidiary dealerships and territories in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia are also included in the transaction.
The deal became effective on September 30, 2013 and includes the transfer of all assets, employees and sales territories. All employees of the Central Europe Group have transferred to the employment of Ascendum, where their terms and conditions remain unchanged. The existing management structure is also being kept in place and Volvo CE will continue to support the business as in the past.
Volvo CE’s distribution in Central Europe is now in the hands of a well-financed, independent and strategically aligned partner. Ascendum Group – known as Group Auto-Sueco Coimbra until its name change in June 2012 - is one of the world’s largest distributors of Volvo CE products - distributing the company’s products and services in Portugal, Spain, USA, Turkey and Mexico. Founded in 1959 as a Volvo dealership, Ascendum Group is active in four major business lines: industrial machinery and equipment, infrastructure equipment, trucks and cars. With revenues in 2012 of €500 million, Ascendum is financially secure and committed to investing in these territories and improving the customer experience. Overall, the group supports industries ranging from construction and public works to mining, manufacturing, freight and automotive sales.
‘Right strategic partner of Volvo CE products
“After an extensive bid review process, we believe Ascendum Group is the right strategic partner to support our growth ambitions in these important European markets,” says Tomas Kuta, President of Volvo CE’s Europe, Middle East and African sales region. “Ascendum has been a Volvo dealer for over 50 years and is one of the world’s largest distributors of Volvo CE products. This heritage, coupled with a shared view of the future and a strong balance sheet, offers exciting possibilities for further developing our business across Central Europe.”
Commenting on the acquisition of Volvo CE’s Central European distribution group, Ascendum’s President of the Executive Board, Ricardo Mieiro said, “This acquisition is an important part of Ascendum’s growth strategy, and neatly connects the Austrian-Turkish corridor. The Central European countries, together with Ascendum operations in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Americas, represent a crucial step in meeting Ascendum’s long-term goals, based as they are on our historical partnership with Volvo.”
